Odes of Solomon/Ode 23
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- And Who Would Hear It
- 1 Joy belongs to the holy ones,
- and who will put her on but they alone?
- 2 Steadfast love belongs to the chosen ones,
- and who will receive her
- but those who have trusted in her from in the beginning?
- 3 Love belongs to the chosen ones,
- and who will put him on
- but those who have had him from in the beginning?
- 4 Walk in the knowledge of the Lord whose generosity is without envy,
- and you will know the steadfast love of the Lord,
- exultation in him, and the perfection of his knowledge.
- 5 And his thought became a Decree,
- and his Will descended from on high.
- 6 And it was sent like an arrow
- that is shot from the bow with force.
- 7 And many hands rushed at the Decree,
- to steal it and to take it and to read it aloud,
- 8 and it evaded their fingers.
- And they became afraid of it and of the seal upon it
- 9 because they were not permitted to break its seal,
- for the seal’s authority was greater than that of their own.
- 10 Then those who saw the Decree followed it
- that they might learn where it would settle,
- and who would read it aloud,
- and who would hear it.
- 11 But an (angelic) Wheel received the Decree,
- and the letter of decree settled upon the Wheel.
- 12 And there was with the Wheel
- a sign of the kingdom and of the government.
- 13 And everything that tried to disturb the Wheel,
- it mowed down and cut up in pieces.
- 14 And the Wheel made a heap of a crowd standing in the way,
- and the wheel filled in rivers,
- 15 and it ploughed through and uprooted many forests
- and made a wide path.
- 16 Heads fell to the ground,
- because the Wheel and the Decree that had come upon the Wheel
- had rolled as far as to their feet.
- 17 The Decree contained commandments.
- And because all places were gathered together (by the Decree),
- 18 at the Decree’s head there appeared the head that revealed itself,
- even the son of the truth that is from the Father, the Most High.
- 19 And he received and inherited everything.
- And the scheming of many was extinguished.
- 20 And all those who had led astray hardened themselves in their obstinacy and fled,
- and all the persecutors were erased and blotted out.
- 21 And the Decree became a large tablet,
- wholly written by the finger of God.
- 22 And (the tablet) was backed up with the authority of the Father,
- and of the son and of the spirit of holiness,
- for them to rule (as king) forever and ever.
- Hallelujah!