Odes of Solomon/Ode 11

Greek text

Like the Land That Flourishes

¹ My heart was circumcised, and its flower appeared,

and steadfast love sprang up in it,

and it brought forth fruits for the Lord.

² For the Most High circumcised my heart by his holy spirit,

and laid bare my hidden self to him,

and filled me with his love.

³ And his circumcision of me became my salvation,

and I ran on the path in his peace in the way of truth,

⁴ from the beginning even to the end I received knowledge of him.

⁵ And I was firmly established upon the rock of truth,

where he had set me.

⁶ And speaking waters reached my lips

from the fountain of the Lord who is without envy.

⁷ And I drank and became drunk with the living water that dies not,

⁸ and my drunkenness was not without knowledge,

but I forsook vanities,

⁹ and returned to the Most High, my God,

and was enriched by his gift.

¹⁰ And I left folly behind, cast to the ground,

and I stripped it off and cast it from me.

¹¹ And the Lord renewed me with his garment

and gained me by his light,

¹² and from above he gave me rest in imperishability.

And I became like the land that flourishes and laughs in its fruits,

¹³ and the Lord was as Sun shining on the face of the land.

¹⁴ My eyes shone,

and my face received the dew,

¹⁵ and my breath rejoiced in the sweet fragrance of the Lord.

¹⁶ And he conveyed me to his paradise,

where is the wealth of the Lord’s joyful pleasure.

¹⁷ And I worshipped the Lord because of his glory.

¹⁸ And I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in your land,

and who have a place in your paradise,

¹⁹ and grow in the growth of your trees.

And they have passed from darkness to light.

²⁰ Behold, all your workers do well,

who work good works,

²¹ and who turn away from wickedness to your sweet gentleness.

And they have turned back the bitterness of trees from them

when they were planted in your land.

²² And everything became like your remnant,

and like an eternal memorial of your faithful servants.

²³ For the place of your paradise has plentiful room,

and nothing lies fallow in it,

but everything is filled with fruits.

²⁴ Glory to you, O God,

the eternal delight in paradise!

Hallelujah!

Syriac text

Like the Land That Flourishes

¹ My heart was circumcised, and its flower appeared.

Grace sprang up in it

and brought forth fruit for God.

² The Most High circumcised me by his holy spirit,

and laid bare my hidden self to him,

and filled me with his love.

³ His circumcision became my salvation.

I ran the way of truth in his peace;

⁴ from the beginning to the end I received knowledge of him.

⁵ By setting me on a firm rock where he set me,

I was firmly established.

⁶ And the speaking water reached my lips

from the lavish Lord’s fountain of life.

⁷ I drank and became drunk with the immortal water,

and my drunkenness wasn’t senseless.

⁸ But I turned back from vanities

⁹ to the Most High, my God,

and was enriched by his gracious gift.

¹⁰ I left folly lying on the ground;

I stripped it off and cast it from me.

¹¹ The Lord renewed me with his garment,

and regained me by his light,

¹² and recalled me to life by his imperishability.

I became like the land that flourishes and laughs in its fruits,

¹³ and the Lord became to me as Sun on the face of the land.

¹⁴ My eyes shone,

and my face received the dew.

¹⁵ My breath was gladdened by the fragrance of the Lord’s goodness.

¹⁶ He led me into his paradise,

to the fullness of the Lord’s joy.

I saw trees beautiful and fruitful,

and self-grown was their wreath.

Their timber flourishes, and their fruits laughed.

Their roots were from immortal land,

and the river of joy watered them,

even around the land of their eternal life.

¹⁷ I worshipped the Lord because of his glory

¹⁸ and said, Lord, blessed are they who are planted in the land,

those who have a place in your paradise

¹⁹ and grow in the growth of your trees,

turned from darkness to the light.

²⁰ Behold, your workers are good;

they work good changes

²¹ from wickedness to kindness.

The bitterness of the plants is changed in your land,

²² and everything is according to your will.

Blessed are <those who see> your waters

and the eternal memorials of your faithful servants.

²³ The place of your paradise has plentiful room,

and is not fallow,

but even fruitful.

²⁴ Glory to you, O God,

by the eternal delight of your paradise.

Hallelujah!