1 In the name of the great, transcendent God, the Living, from the worlds of light, the Exalted, who stands above all works: may healing and victory, strength and steadfastness, answer and acceptance be granted to me, N., and to my wife N., on account of this book. May our mind, our knowledge and our understanding shine, may our form be radiant, our countenance resplendent here in the world and yonder in the world of light, and may our name be established with the angels of God. (1)

First Section

2 In the name of the Great Living God, blessed are You, my Lord, pure of heart, Lord of all worlds. (3)

3 Blessed be Your name, Lord of Majesty, in the name and in the power of the Lord of Majesty, King of Light, Lord of all worlds, pure radiance and great light that does not pass away, the Compassionate, the Responsive, the Merciful, the Deliverer of all believers, the Establisher of all the righteous. The Great, the Exalted, the Praised, the Mighty, the Wise, the Knower, the One who discerns, the Master over everything. The Lord of the upper, middle and lower worlds, the great glory of majesty, who is unseen and whose power cannot be bounded, who has no partner in the crown and no sharer in the dominion. Whoever trusts in Him is not put to shame; whoever sincerely praises His name does not stumble; whoever stands in trust of Him is not humbled. (4)

4 The Lord of all kings spoke with exalted power and mighty speech, and there came into being the angels of light from pure radiance and great light that does not pass away. Angels of praise arose and were called to life, for whom there is no end, number or passing away. They are all full of praise and stand and glorify the high King of Light, whose radiance is richer than can be described with the mouth, and whose light is greater than can be uttered with the lips. His light shines and His radiance streams over all worlds. (6. 40)

5 Nothing was when He was not, nothing is if He is not. The angels, with their radiance and the great light that rests upon them, with the fragrance the high King of Light has bestowed on them, with prayer and praise that were laid in their hearts, stand in a cloud of light, and worship and glorify Him. (5. 6. 45)

6 They neither hunger nor thirst, and feel neither heat nor cold. (50)

7 The angels of the earth of light are all full of praise and stand and glorify the King of Light: living beings who do not die, in whom there is no defect. Bright and shining is the firmament in which they dwell. (18)

8 The world in which He stands is without passing away:

a world of radiance and light without darkness,

a world of gentleness without rebellion,

a world of uprightness without confusion and tumult,

a world of fragrances without foul odour,

a world of life for ever without passing away,

a world of living water, at whose scent the angels rejoice,

a world of faithfulness and belief without lie and deceit.

A pure world it is, without evil mixture. (41)

9 The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

in the radiance and light that He has bestowed on them.

The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

in the garments of radiance that He has bestowed on them.

The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

in the wreaths of radiance that He has bestowed on them.

The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

in the turbans of radiance that He has bestowed on them.

The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

with the strength and steadfastness that He has bestowed on them.

The angels of radiance praise the King of Light

with the faithfulness, the fellowship and the belief that He has bestowed on them. (42)

10 They are all gentle, wise and agreeable, without lie or deceit. (43)

11 The trees of the earth of light are all full of radiance and brightness. The rivers of the worlds of light are full of white water. In the clouds of light, dwellings of radiance are set up. All beings praise the Great, the Exalted, the Lord of Majesty, who is above all. (55. 60)

12 I am the pure messenger, whom the King of Light called forth by my name Hibil-Ziwa. (79)

13 When the high King of Light willed it, He called me forth from His dwelling of radiance, from that dwelling which He, the Great, established on His right, and said: "Go to the world of darkness, which is wholly full of wickedness. It is wholly full of wickedness, full of consuming fire. To the world of confusion and tumult without firmness, to the world of darkness without a ray of light, to the world of persecution and death without life for ever." (80)

14 He said: "Go, tread down the darkness and the beings formed from it. Stretch out the firmament and fashion stars in it. Let angels of fire come into being. Give radiance to the sun, which is one of them, brightness to the moon, shimmer to the stars, and raise them up to the sphere of heaven. (81)

15 Let the earth Tibil come into being, and fruits, grapes and trees that adorn the world. Let cattle come into being, fishes in the sea and birds, of each kind a male and a female. (82)

16 Let man and woman come into being, and let their names be Adam and Hawwa. Of the angels of fire, let some be made subject to Adam. Whoever departs from Your word shall be shut into the blazing fire. Let three angels come and keep Adam company. (83)

17 Let living water come and mix with the turbid water. By the fragrance of the living water let the whole world be adorned. Let the four winds come into being, which blow over the world. Let fire come into being and spread over all bodies, as well as the fruits, grapes and trees. (84)

18 What is firm in the water shall be reckoned to the souls; what flows of the food shall be reckoned to the bodies. All seeds, flowers, fragrant plants, spices, leaves and healing herbs, cattle, birds, delicacies, in short everything that is good and beautiful, shall be at the service of Adam and all his race.

19 Let that world shine through the hand of the angel Ptahil."

20 The high King of Light spoke the word, and everything came into being by His word. (85)

21 By God's command the angel Ptahil came, raised the heaven of water on high, stretched out the firmament, and the earth Tibil was made firm. Angels of fire were created; radiance was given to the sun, brightness to the moon, shimmer to the stars, and they were raised up to the sphere of heaven. Wind, fire and water were created; fruits, grapes, trees, healing herbs, seeds and fragrant flowers were created. Cattle and wild beasts of every kind were created, of the dust of the earth, and the ruddiness, the downpour and the dimming of the mist-clouds, wind, fire and water, seed, blood and bile, and the other mysteries of this world. (86)

22 Adam and Hawwa were formed; by the power of the high King of Light the soul was placed in Adam and Hawwa. When the soul was placed in them, they were in Paradise. When they were in Paradise, they grasped and understood nothing. (87)

23 The high King of Light said: Of the angels of fire, let some be made subject to Adam. Let them come, bow before him by command, and not depart from his speech. Only he alone, the evil one, from whom evil was formed, departed from the word of his Lord and did not follow the word of his Lord. When he did not follow the word of his Lord, he was bound with God's fetter. (88)

24 My Lord called and charged me, saying: Go, call out an exalted voice to Adam and his wife Hawwa. Call out an exalted voice to Adam and his wife Hawwa and teach them about everything: about the high King of Light, the Lord of all worlds, whose power is far-reaching and mighty, endless and imperishable; about the angels of praise, who stand and offer praise unceasingly; about the worlds of light, the imperishable. (89)

25 Teach Adam, that his heart may be enlightened; strengthen him, that his mind may be enlightened. Show yourself gracious and kind to him and keep him company, you and the two angels who shall go with you into the world. Teach knowledge to Adam, to Hawwa his wife, and to his kin. Tell them that they must not fall, and that the wicked and Satan, the worthless, must not lead them astray. (90)

26 Teach them prayer and praise, that they may stand and glorify the high King of Light, the Lord of all worlds: three times by day and two times by night. (91)

27 Tell them: Take a wife and form a tribe, that the world may be multiplied through you. (92)

28 When you approach your wives, wash yourselves with water and keep yourselves pure. (93)

29 Do not commit fornication, do not steal, and do not kill any human being unjustly. (94)

30 O you perfect and believing! Do not depart from your word, and do not love transgression and lie. Do not love gold and silver and the possessions of this world. For this world passes away, and its possessions are lost. (95)

31 Do not worship Satan and the idols; rather let them be subject to you and obey in the world. For whoever worships Satan will be tormented in the blazing fire, until the day, the Day of Judgement, until the hour, the hours of redemption, as long as the King of Light wills, the Judge who judges the whole world. He judges the souls, each according to the works he has done. (96)

32 Do not learn Satan's sorcery, and do not give false testimony. When you give judgement, let truthful witnesses come and testify. When they call witnesses, let believing men testify. Hold straight judgement and do not twist it. Accept no bribe and do not pervert justice. Everyone who twists the right falls into the blazing fire. (97)

33 Do not deliver upright servants into the hand of their masters. (98)

34 Give alms to the poor. When you give, do not proclaim it. If you give with your right hand, do not tell your left. If you give with your left hand, do not tell your right. If someone gives alms and proclaims it, it is cancelled and not credited. (104)

35 Honour father and mother, and the older brothers like the father. A son who despises father and mother will be condemned in the house of judgement. (99)

36 Do not bow your head before Satan. Let your eyes not wink, your ears not listen to evil, your heart not harbour envy. Whoever harbours envy will not be called perfect.

37 Do not look with greed and longing at what is not yours. If your Lord grants it to you, it is good; but do not quarrel over it. For by the will of your Lord everything was allotted and granted to you in goodness. (100)

38 When misfortune comes upon you, remain firm and steadfast in faith. Twist nothing and change nothing, and do not bend your knee before the fallen Satan. (101)

39 Keep away from everyone who worships Satan; be no friend to him. If he hears, becomes a believer and bears witness to the one Lord of all worlds, the high King of Light, who is self-existent, then love him, draw him near and do him good from what you possess. If he does not hear, bears no witness and does not become a believer, he will be called to account for his sins. (102)

40 For whoever sins and transgresses in his childhood, then reflects, sins no more and transgresses no more, the forbearance of his Lord will be granted. He, the high King of Light, is forbearing and merciful; He is a forgiver of sins and offences. (119)

41 Everyone who gives alms and does much other good, but afterwards abolishes the almsgiving, falls into the blaze until his sins are ended. (104)

42 If you see anyone who is hungry, feed him; anyone who is thirsty, give him to drink. If you see a naked person, put a garment about his neck and cover him. (105)

43 If you see a captive who is believing and upright, pay ransom and redeem him. But not with gold and not with silver alone shall you redeem and rescue the captive; rather with pure speech and with faith redeem and rescue the captive: from darkness to light, from evil to good, from unbelievers to believers, from error to truth, from unfaithfulness and rebellion to the praise of your Lord, who is without end, number or cessation. (103)

44 Whoever frees souls and lets people walk the paths of truth and faith, he will be led to walk the path of truth and faith, and he will ascend on the way of the believers.

45 Everyone who, out of love for his Lord, gives his body to be slain will ascend without sins and offences and behold the great place of light. (108)

46 Everyone who loves gold and silver and the possessions of this world and commits a murder for them will himself be slain and falls into the blazing fire. (120)

47 When you stand and when you sit, when you eat and when you drink, when you go and when you come, when you rest and when you lie down, in all the actions you perform, mention and praise the name of your Lord, the high King of Light, the Lord of all worlds. (122)

48 Go to the flowing river and purify yourselves. Purify your soul, speak the praise over the bread and eat it, speak the praise over the drink and drink it, and say the blessing over the oil and anoint yourselves with it. (123)

49 When a soul is released from the body and departs, do not weep over it, do not raise lament and wailing over it, and do not eat funeral bread over it. Everyone who weeps over a soul, seas and rivers will cut him off. Whoever tears his garment over it will keep the flaw in his garment. Whoever pulls out his hair over it, he will be set in the mountain of darkness. (134)

50 When a soul departs from your midst, recite hymns and orders of prayer to the people and teach them, that their hearts may not stumble. Give alms for it, distribute bread for it, offer prayer and praise for it, and recite hymns and orders of prayer. Clothe others for it with garments, cover them with wraps, pay ransom for captives and offer prayers, that He, the Great One, may be merciful to it. (136)

51 O you perfect and believing! Pay the wage of the hired labourer, and if he comes to you for his wage, let it not remain with you. (139)

52 O you perfect according to the word of your Lord! Do not rob your partner. Everyone who robs his companion will be deprived of the graces of the world of light. (140)

53 When you speak a word, do not go back on it. Give one another your right hands in faithfulness and do not go back on your right hand. For the command, the warning and the truth are of rich radiance and mighty light, and they came from the great ones; the holding together came into the dwellings. All the angels of light give one another the oath of fidelity and kiss one another's right hands. When you speak the word of good people and give one another the right hand, do not go back on it. (141)

54 Be humble, gentle and modest toward the excellent teachers who teach you wisdom and truth. Do not exalt yourselves over the rulers whom your Lord has set over you. If you exalt yourselves, you deny the word of your Lord, and you will boil in the blazing fire. (142)

55 Do not go to the soothsayers and the Chaldeans of lies, for the soothsayers and Chaldeans will be lodged in darkness. (143)

56 Do not swear false oaths, for everyone who swears falsely will be lodged in darkness. (144)

57 Do not eat the flesh of a dead animal, nor one that has fallen, nor one that is pregnant, nor one that a wild beast has attacked. Let what is good be reckoned as good, and what is unclean as unclean. And eat nothing over which the iron has not passed. (125)

58 Do not consume interest and compound interest on gold and silver, lest you fall into the consuming sea of fire. (145)

59 Do not be unchaste, do not sing, do not dance, and let your heart not be captivated by the song which Satan sang, who, wholly full of sorcery and illusion, twists the heart of the believers. (146)

60 Love and bear with one another and arm yourselves with the right wisdom of your Lord. Stand firm and hold out in the world, and endure in it until your measure is full. Be a help and support to the perfect to whom persecution draws near. (147)

61 Among you let there be no hatred, jealousy and discord. When your heart boils in anger and bitterness, calm it and hold it down by the right word of your Lord. For the thoughts of those who arm themselves with the wrath and poison of Satan are drawn to modesty by right wisdom and faith. Whoever does not let himself be drawn to modesty by faith will be cut down by sword and sabre. Cut down he will be by sword and sabre, and he falls into the blazing Hell. (148)

62 If someone does you good, show yourselves grateful for it. Do not despise him, but honour him, be gracious to him and do not deny the kindness. If you deny the kindness, you show yourselves unworthy of it, and the kindness will be withheld from you.

63 If you see a good man, draw near to him, accept wisdom from him and act on it. If you see an evil man who is wise, keep away from him. Do not learn from his wisdom, do nothing of his works and do not walk on his path. (149)

64 In all your actions keep limit and measure, except in prayer, praise and worship of your Lord. Practise payment of wages, almsgiving, benefaction and true mercy with all your strength. For these good deeds there is neither limit nor measure.

65 O you perfect and believing! Whatever is unpleasant and hateful to yourselves, do not do to your neighbour. Whatever seems good to you, do, if your strength suffices, and support one another. (150)

66 My chosen! Listen and believe, and accept the word of your Lord. Believe with your heart, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, speak with your mouth, practise with your hands almsgiving and benefaction, and act according to the will of your Lord, but do not act according to the will of the bodies, nor according to the will of the fallen Satan. (152)

67 Have no trust in the beauty of bodies, for suddenly they perish. (153)

68 Have no trust in the fallen Satan, who is good for nothing and cannot save himself from the consuming blaze, who consumes and destroys the demons and all the hosts of Satan, who are bound to the works of this world and were left behind here, to be subject to the children of Adam and wander in the world.

69 Over everyone who denies the word of his Lord and leaves a way open to evil, the hand of Satan will have power. Whoever has not done the will of Satan will not have to pass by the gate of the fire. Do the will of your Lord, that you may ascend victorious to the worlds of light.

70 Do not oppress the lowly, who cannot fight with you.

71 Do not move boundaries unjustly and do not remove boundary stones. If someone moves the boundaries, a sentence of condemnation will be pronounced upon him.

72 Reprove your friends sincerely and guide your friendship rightly. Do not flatter one another and do not speak words of lie and deceit. Whoever flatters, he will be dragged on his face into the blazing fire.

73 Set the great seal of purification upon your whole body, and do not put it away from you until the day you depart from your body, that day of redemption.

74 Fast the great fast: (109)

75 Fast with your head in faith, and worship and praise your Lord, the Lord of all worlds. Do not worship the satans and idols that are in the world, and they will be subject to you. If faith is in you, they will be your servants. But if you fall short of the word of your Lord, the demons will remain hidden from your eyes.

76 Fast with your eyes from evil winking at one another. See and do nothing evil. (110)

77 Fast with your mouth from lying, evil speech; say nothing false and deceitful. (112)

78 Fast with your ears from listening to evil. Hear and do nothing evil. (111)

79 Fast and purify your heart through faith. Harbour no evil thoughts. Do not plan evil, and do not go about with your neighbour in guile. For him in whom there is guile, and whose mind is not purified by truth, prayer, praise, worship, payment of wages and almsgiving will not be credited; he falls into the blazing fire. (113)

80 Fast with your body from a wife who is not yours. (115)

81 Fast with your hands from committing murder upon the children of Adam. (114)

82 O you perfect and believing! Let your hands practise no evil sorcery.

83 Fast with your knees from kneeling before the fallen Satan, the deceptive images and the vain likenesses and works. For everything that is born dies, and everything that is made with the hands perishes. Have no trust in them. (116. 154)

84 My chosen! Put your trust in the high King of Light, the Lord of all worlds, in the right wisdom, the truth and the faith, in the exalted words and the wondrous commandments which your Lord has given. For through them victory comes to you, through them your soul is redeemed.

85 This is the fast that has been ordained for you; do not break it until your body dies. (118)

86 Trust in the beautiful works that you practise. When you depart from your body, you can rely on the beautiful works that you have practised in the world. (155)