Odes of Solomon/Ode 22

Coptic text

Your Name Surrounded Me

¹ The one who brought me down from on high,

he also brought me up from the depths below.

² And the one who gathers together those who are in the middle,

he is also the one who proclaimed and cast them down for me.

³ The one who scattered my enemies and my foes,

⁴ he who gave me authority over bonds,

that I might loose them,

⁵ he who overthrew the seven-headed dragon by my hands,

it is you, even you who set me over its roots

that I might destroy its offspring.

⁶ You were there and helped me,

and in every place your name surrounded me.

⁷ Your right hand destroyed the evil one’s venom,

and your hand leveled the way for your faithful ones,

⁸ and selected them from the graves,

and separated them from the dead.

⁹ You took bones of the dead

and over them you stretched bodies.

¹⁰ And they were motionless,

and you gave them energy for life.

¹¹ Your way was imperishable,

and you brought your face into the age, even into (the realm of) destruction,

so that everything might be dissolved and (then) renewed,

¹² and your rock become the foundation for everything.

And on it you built your kingdom,

and it became the House of Abode for the holy ones.

Hallelujah!

Syriac text

Your Name Surrounded Me

¹ The one who has brought me down from on high,

he also brought me up from the depths below.

² The one who has taken those in the middle,

he also taught <me> about them.

³ The one who has scattered my enemies and my foes,

⁴ he who has given me the authority over bonds,

that I might loose them,

⁵ he who has smitten the seven-headed serpent by my hands,

he also has set me over its root,

that I might destroy its offspring.

⁶ And you were with me, helping me.

In every place your name surrounded me.

⁷ Your right hand has destroyed the slanderer’s venom.

Your hand has leveled the way for your faithful ones.

⁸ You have redeemed them from the graves,

and removed them from the midst of the dead.

⁹ You have taken dead bones

and clothed them with a body.

¹⁰ And they who were motionless,

you gave them energy for life.

¹¹ Your way has become imperishable, and your face.

You have brought your age to destruction,

so that everything might be dissolved and made new,

¹² and that your light might be a foundation for everything.

You have built your wealth upon them,

and they have become a holy dwelling.