Codex I, Text 1 — Nag Hammadi Library
The Prayer of the Apostle Paul is a brief Valentinian prayer inscribed on the front flyleaf of Codex I of the Nag Hammadi Library. Written in Sahidic Coptic, it invokes Christ through a fivefold litany of divine names -- Mind, Treasure, Fullness, Rest -- and asks for spiritual gifts beyond the reach of angels, archons, and the human heart, transforming Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 2:9 into a Gnostic key.
The text was discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, as part of a cache of thirteen leather-bound codices. It is the first text encountered when opening the first codex -- a threshold prayer, a gate into the library.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Sahidic Coptic, based on the digitisation by Milan Konvicka (Marcion Project, GPL v2), which follows the critical editions and manuscript photographs of the Coptic Gnostic Library published by E. J. Brill (Leiden). New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
[Your light --] grant me your mercy.
My Redeemer, redeem me,
for I am yours -- the one who came forth from you.
You are my Mind -- bring me forth.
You are my Treasure -- open to me.
You are my Fullness -- take me into yourself.
You are my Rest -- give me the perfection that cannot be grasped.
I call upon you,
you who are and who were before all names,
through the teacher,
Lord of Lords, King of the Aeons:
Give me your gifts, which you give without regret,
through the Son of Man,
the Spirit, the Paraclete of Truth.
Give me your authority, as I ask you.
Give healing to my body, as I ask you,
through the Evangelist.
Redeem my eternal soul of light,
and my spirit,
and the Firstborn of the Fullness of grace.
Reveal it to my mind -- and bestow
what no eye of angel has seen,
what no ear of archon has heard,
what has not entered the human heart:
that which became angelic,
formed after the likeness of the god of soul
from the beginning.
I have faith. I hold to hope.
Place upon me your beloved, your chosen,
your blessed greatness --
O Firstborn, First-conceived,
and the wondrous mystery of your dwelling.
For yours is the power
and the glory,
the praise and the greatness,
forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer of Paul the Apostle. In Peace. Christ is Holy.
Colophon
Translated from Sahidic Coptic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. The source text follows the digitisation by Milan Konvicka (Marcion Project, GPL v2), based on the critical editions and manuscript photographs of the Coptic Gnostic Library published by E. J. Brill (Leiden). The Nag Hammadi codices were discovered near Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, in December 1945.
The Prayer of the Apostle Paul occupies the front flyleaf (pages A--B) of Codex I, sometimes called the Jung Codex. It is the shortest and most liturgical text in the Nag Hammadi collection -- a gate prayer, inscribed at the threshold of the first codex.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text
Sahidic Coptic source text from Milan Konvicka / Marcion Project (GPL v2). Transcription from Nag Hammadi codex photographs and critical editions. Square brackets indicate restored lacunae. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
[ⲡⲉⲕⲟⲩ]ⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲙⲁt ⲛⲏⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲕ[ⲛⲁⲉ ⲡⲁ]-
[ⲣⲉϥⲥ]ⲱⲧⲉ ⲥⲱⲧ[ⲉ] ⲙⲙⲁⲉⲓ ϫⲉ
[ⲁⲛⲁⲕ] ⲡⲉⲧⲉ ⲡⲱⲕ ⲡ[ⲉⲛⲧ]ⲁϩⲓⲉⲓ ⲁⲃⲁⲗ:
[ϩ]ⲓⲧⲟ[ⲟⲧⲕ] ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲡ[ⲉ ⲡⲁⲛ]ⲟⲩⲥ ⲙⲁϫⲡⲁⲓ
ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲉϩⲟ ⲟⲩⲏ[ⲛ] ⲛⲏⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲕ
[ⲡ]ⲉ ⲡⲁⲡⲗⲏⲣⲱⲙⲁ ϣⲁⲡⲧ ⲁⲣⲁⲕ ⲛ-
[ⲧⲁⲕ] ⲡⲉ ⲧⲁⲁⲛⲁⲡⲁⲩⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲁt ⲛⲏⲉⲓ ⲙ-
[ⲡⲧ]ⲉⲗⲉⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϣ ⲉⲙⲁϩ-
[ⲧⲉ] ⲙⲙⲁϥ tⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲙⲙⲁⲕ ⲡⲉⲧϣⲟ-
[ⲟⲡ] ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲧϣⲣⲡ ϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲙ ⲡⲣⲉⲛ
[ⲉⲧϫ]ⲁⲥⲓ ⲁⲣⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅
[ⲡϫⲁⲉⲓ]ⲥ: ⲛⲛⲓϫⲁⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲣⲣⲟ ⲛⲛⲁⲓⲱⲛ
[ⲙⲁt] ⲛⲏⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲕt: ⲉⲧⲉⲙⲁⲕⲣ ϩⲧⲏⲕ
[ⲁⲣⲁⲟⲩ] ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ
[ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲉ]ⲩⲙⲁ ⲡⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲗⲏⲧⲟⲥ ⲛ-
[ⲧⲙⲉ ⲙ]ⲁ[ ]t ⲛⲏⲉⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲭⲟⲩⲥⲓⲁ
[ⲉⲉⲓ]ⲣ ⲁⲓⲧⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲕ: ⲙⲁt ⲛⲛⲟⲩ-
[ⲧⲁⲗ]ϭⲟ ⲙⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ: ϩⲱⲥ ⲉⲉⲓⲣ ⲁⲓⲧⲓ
[ⲙⲙⲁ]ⲕ: ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲡⲉⲩⲁⲅ:ⲅⲉⲗⲓⲥⲧⲏⲥ
[ⲛⲅ]ⲥⲱⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲯⲩⲝⲏ: ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲉⲓⲛ
[ϣⲁ ⲉ]ⲛⲏϩⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡϣ[ⲣⲡ]
[ⲙⲙ]ⲓⲥⲉ ⲙⲡⲡⲗⲏⲣⲱⲙⲁ: ⲛⲧⲝⲁⲣⲓ[ⲥ]
[ϭⲁⲗ]ⲡϥ ⲁⲡⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ: ⲉⲣⲓ ⲝⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛ-
[ⲧⲁⲕ] ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛⲡⲉⲃⲉⲗ ⲛⲁⲅ:ⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ
[ⲛⲉ]ⲩ ⲁⲣⲁϥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲙⲡⲉⲙⲉϣϫⲉ
[ⲛⲁ]ⲣⲝⲱⲛ ⲥⲁⲧⲙⲉϥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲧⲉ-
ⲙ[ⲡ]ϥ3ⲉⲓ̅3 ⲁϩⲣⲏⲓ ϩⲙ ϥⲏⲧ: ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ
ⲛⲧⲁϩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲯⲩ-
ⲝⲓⲕⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲁⲣⲟⲩⲡⲗⲁⲥⲥⲉ ⲙⲙⲁϥ
ϫⲓⲛ ⲛϣⲁⲣⲡ ϩⲱⲥ ⲉⲟⲩⲛⲧⲏⲉⲓ
ⲙⲙⲉⲩ ⲛⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲛⲑⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ
ⲛⲅⲟⲩⲱϩ ⲁⲧⲟⲟⲧ: ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲙⲉⲅⲉ-
ⲑⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏⲧⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲕⲗⲉ-
ⲕⲧⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲩⲗⲟⲅⲏⲧⲟⲥ ⲡϣⲣⲡ
ⲙⲙⲓⲥⲉ ⲡϣⲣⲡ ⲛⲅⲉⲛⲟⲥ:
ⲙⲛ ⲡⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ [ⲛϣⲡⲏ]-
ⲣⲉ: ⲙ[ⲡ]ⲉⲕⲏⲉⲓ ⲁ[ⲃⲁⲗ ϫⲉ]
ⲡⲱⲕ [ⲡ]ⲉ ⲡⲉⲙⲁϩⲧ[ⲉ] ⲁ[ⲩⲱ]
ⲡⲉⲁⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲉⲕⲭⲟⲙ[ⲟ]-
ⲗⲟⲅⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲙⲛⲧⲛ[ⲁ]ϭ
ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲏϩⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲏϩⲉ [ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ]
ⲡⲣⲟⲥⲉⲩⲝⲏ ⲡⲁ[ⲩⲗⲟⲩ]
ⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲩ
ⲉⲛ ⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ
ⲟ xⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ
Source Colophon
Coptic source text from the digitisation by Milan Konvicka (Marcion Project, SourceForge, GPL v2). Based on the critical editions of the Coptic Gnostic Library and photographs of the original manuscripts. The Nag Hammadi codices are housed in the Coptic Museum, Old Cairo, Egypt.
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