Codex VI

A brief Hermetic prayer of thanksgiving spoken after initiation, addressed to the Father of all things. Follows the Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth in the codex. Nag Hammadi Codex VI, pages 63–65.

This is the prayer they spoke:

We give thanks to you,
every soul and heart stretched out toward you,
O name that cannot be troubled,
honoured with the title of God,
praised with the title of Father.

To everyone and to the All:
the goodwill of the Father,
and love, and desire.

And if there is a teaching that is sweet and simple,
it bestows upon us Mind, Word, and Knowledge —
Mind, so that we might think of you,
Word, so that we might speak of you,
Knowledge, so that we might know you.

We rejoice, having received light in your Knowledge.
We rejoice, because you have shown us yourself.
We rejoice, because while we are in body
you have made us divine through your Knowledge.

The thanksgiving of the one who reaches toward you
is one thing alone: that we might know you.
We have known you.

O Light of Mind!
O Life of Life!
We have known you.
O Womb of every begetting!
We have known you.
O Womb that conceives in the nature of the Father!
We have known you.
O eternal endurance of the begetting Father!

Thus we worship your goodness.
One thing only we ask:
we desire to be kept in Knowledge.
And one keeping only we desire:
that we not stumble in this life.

When they had said this in prayer, they embraced one another, and they went to eat their holy food, which contained no blood.

Colophon

Nag Hammadi Codex VI, pages 63–65. Sahidic Coptic. Good Works Translation from Sahidic Coptic. New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Scribe: Kavi.

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Source Text — Sahidic Coptic

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.

Incipit (63.33–64.3)

ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲗⲏⲗ ̄ⲛⲧⲁⲩϫⲟⲟϥ:
ⲧ̄ⲛϣ̄ⲡ ϩⲙⲟⲧ ̄ⲛⲧⲟⲟⲧ̄ⲕ ⲯⲩⲝⲏ
ⲛⲓⲙ: ⲁⲩⲱ ϥⲏⲧ ⲡⲟⲣ̄ϣ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲕ
ⲱ= ⲡⲓⲣⲁⲛ ⲉⲩ̄ⲣⲉⲛⲱⲝⲗⲉⲓ ⲛⲁϥ ⲁⲛ:
ⲉϥⲧⲁⲉⲓⲁⲉⲓⲧ ϩ̄ⲛ ⲧⲟⲛⲟⲙⲁⲥⲓⲁ
̄ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩ[ⲧ]ⲉ: ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲥⲙⲟⲩ
ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϩ̄ⲛ ⲧⲟⲛⲟⲙⲁⲥⲓⲁ ̄ⲙⲡⲓⲱ[ⲧ]

Triple Rejoicing (64.15–19)

ⲧ̄ⲛⲣⲁϣⲉ ̄ⲛⲧⲁⲣ̄ⲛϫⲓ ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ
ϩ̄ⲛ ⲧⲉⲕⲅⲛⲱⲥⲓⲥ: ⲧ̄ⲛⲣⲁϣⲉ
ϫⲉ ⲁⲕⲧⲥⲉⲃⲟⲛ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ: ⲧ̄ⲛⲣⲁ-
ϣⲉ ϫⲉ ⲉⲛϩ̄ⲛ ⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲁⲕⲁⲁⲛ
̄ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩ̄ⲛ ⲧⲉⲕⲅⲛⲱⲥⲓⲥ:

Ecstatic Recognition (64.23–29)

ⲱ) ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ̄ⲛⲛⲟⲏⲧⲟⲛ: ⲱ)
ⲡⲱⲛ̄ϩ ̄ⲙⲡⲱⲛ̄ϩ ⲁⲛⲥⲟⲩⲱⲛ̄ⲕ
ⲱ ⲧⲙⲏⲧⲣⲁ ̄ⲛϫⲟ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲁⲛⲥⲟⲩ-
ⲱⲛⲉ ⲱ= ⲧⲙⲏⲧⲣⲁ ⲉⲧϫⲡⲟ ϩ̄ⲛ
ⲧϥⲩⲥⲓⲥ ̄ⲙⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲛⲥⲟⲩⲱ-
ⲛⲉ ⲱ= ⲡⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ
̄ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧϫⲡⲟ ⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ⲁⲛ-

Ritual Rubric (65.3–7)

ⲧⲁⲣⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲩϣⲗⲏⲗ) ⲁⲩ̄ⲣ-
ⲁⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ̄ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲉⲣⲏⲟⲩ: ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲩⲛⲁⲟⲩⲱⲙ ̄ⲛⲧⲉⲩ-
ⲧⲣⲟϥⲏ ⲉⲥⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ: ⲉⲙ̄ⲛ ⲥⲛⲟϥ
̄ⲛϩⲏⲧ̄ⲥ:

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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