A voice cried from on high

and from the upper kingdom.

A voice cried from on high, saying:

"The captives shall be freed."

It said: "The captives shall be freed,

and for the straitened, for whom it is narrow, it shall become wide."

I journeyed and came

until I arrived at their prison.

When I arrived at their prison,

the overseer of the captives came to meet me.

I spoke and said

to the overseer of all the captives:

"What is the food,

and what is the drink of the captives?"

"The food of the captives is wormwood, bitter herb and ......,

the drink of the captives is black water and filth."

Then I spoke and said

to the overseer of all the captives:

"Take pegs and keys

and open the gate of the prison.

Open the gate of the prison

and set free the captives who are shut in.

Set free the captives who are shut in;

it shall become wide for the straitened, for whom it is narrow."

Then he says to me:

"How many shall I let out for you of a thousand,

how many shall I let out for you of ten thousand?"

He opened the gate for me

and set the seal on the document.

He picks out the adulterers and thieves

and leads them out to the gate of Sheol.

He picks out the sorcerers and witches

and leads them out to the gate of Sheol.

He picks out the soothsayers and signallers

and leads them out to the gate of Sheol.

He picks out those who shift boundaries and move boundary stones

and leads them out to the gate of Sheol.

I went through the prison

and found no true man there.

Then I spoke and said

to the overseer of all the captives:

"Shut in the wicked for their works

and keep watch over the souls,

until God, the Great, sits in judgement;

then the wicked shall come and be examined."

The captives sing hymns and rejoice,

those from whom the fetter was taken.

The captives weep and howl,

those on whom the fetter was left.

They say:

"We have heard of you, good one,

that you do not condemn (people) to the cut-off mountain." —

"My sons, there is no cut-off mountain,

and there is no one whom his Lord condemns to it unjustly.

No, your own deeds have condemned you, and your kin,

who live in the deception of the world.

They held no prayers for the dead for you, did not hold my remembrance,

and did not set out the table of almsgiving and prayer." —

And God is victorious.

O gentle soul,

O ordered, well-ordered soul,

O gentle soul,

may helpers come with you.