Odes of Solomon/Ode 18

For Your Will Is Perfection

¹ My heart was lifted up in the love of the Most High and expanded,

that I might praise him on account of <his> name.

² My limbs were strengthened

that they might not fall from his power.

³ Infirmities removed themselves from my body,

and they ceased by the Lord according to his will,

because his kingdom is firm.

⁴ O Lord, because of those who are lacking,

do not deprive me of your utterance!

⁵ Nor, because of their works,

withhold from me your perfection!

⁶ Let not the light be conquered by the darkness,

nor let truth flee because of falsehood.

⁷ Let your right hand appoint victory for our salvation,

and from every place receive

and protect everyone from getting held fast by misfortunes.

⁸ You are my God; falsehood and death are not in your mouth,

for your will is perfection.

⁹ And vanity you do not know,

because neither does it know you.

¹⁰ And error you do not know,

because neither does it know you.

¹¹ And ignorance appeared like ocean spray,

and like the stench of the sea.

¹² And the vain people thought that it was something great,

and they became like its likeness and grew futile.

¹³ And they knew, those who know

and meditate, and they were not defiled by their thoughts,

¹⁴ because they were in the mind of the Most High.

And they derided those who were walking with Error,

¹⁵ and they instead spoke the truth

from the breath that the Most High breathed into them.

¹⁶ Glory and sublime majesty to his name!

Hallelujah!