The Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice are a cycle of thirteen liturgical compositions, one for each of the first thirteen Sabbaths of the year. Found in multiple copies at Qumran and at Masada, they describe the angelic worship in the heavenly temple — the praise of the divine throne, the vestments of the ministering spirits, and the architecture of the celestial sanctuary. The surviving fragments preserve some of the most mystical and visually striking poetry in all the Dead Sea Scrolls. Only two sections yield sustained continuous text. This translation works directly from the Hebrew transcription of García Martínez and Tigchelaar.
The Angelic Praise
The best-preserved passage of the Songs. The angels praise God in the heavenly temple, moving through its gates in perfect obedience.
[...] in their standing [...] Sabbath [...] their burdens [...]
[...] your thrones [...]
[...] wonder — they shall never be shaken. The glory of his kingdom, and all the congregation of those who serve him [...] forever. God of [...] to sustain them all, for the God of his perfection. God of purity — his perfection. Praise him, O divine beings, in the splendour of their standing, and all the spirits of the firmaments of purity shall rejoice in his glory.
A voice of blessing from all his divisions tells of the firmaments of his glory, and his gates they praise in a voice of song — at the entrances of the divine ones of knowledge, at the openings of glory, and at all the exits of the holy angels to their dominion.
The openings of the entrances and the gates of the exits proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits — the divine ones — going out and coming in at the gates of holiness.
There is none among them who leaps over a statute, nor against the words of the King do they set themselves. They do not run from the path, and they do not wander beyond their boundary. They are not lifted above their mission, and they are not brought low — for he is merciful.
In the dominion of passing wrath, the burning of his fury, he does not judge in the seats of the anger of his glory. The fear of the King — God is awesome above all divine beings, and he sends them forth to all their missions in perfect order.
[...] and they walk [...]
The Vestments of the Angels
A vision of the garments worn by the angelic ministers in the heavenly sanctuary — woven light, scarlet, and white.
[...] King, in their service [...] glory [...] before [...] holy of holies — all [...] their vestments they set apart [...] holy ones [...] spirits of the holy [...] their holy things [...]
In the station of their wonders — spirits of embroidery, like the works of a weaver: engraved forms of splendour amid the glory of appearances of scarlet, colours of light. The spirit of the holy of holies strengthens the station of their holiness before the King.
Spirits of pure colours amid appearances of whiteness, and the likeness of a spirit of light — and all their designs are of refined purity, skillfully wrought, like the works of Ophir, shining.
Like the works of a weaver — these are the chiefs of the wonderful garments for the service. The chiefs of the kingdoms — holy ones to the King of Holiness in all the heights of the sanctuaries of his kingship.
At the heads of the offerings, the tongues of knowledge bless the God of knowledge in all the works of his glory. And the statutes he delivered [...] in all the sanctuaries of holiness, engraved in knowledge and understanding, and in the wisdom of his glory [...]
Further Fragments
The remaining manuscripts of the Songs preserve only scattered words and phrases from the cycle. A few identifiable lines survive.
[...] for from his dwelling [...]
For the instructor — a song of the Sabbath sacrifice, the [...]
[...] holy angels [...] their holy things [...] holy [...]
Colophon
Text: Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (שירות עולת השבת, 4Q400–407)
Source: Qumran Cave 4; Masada
Language: Hebrew
Translation: New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026
Translated from: Hebrew transcription of García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997
Register: Gospel (plain, direct, warm)
This is a Good Works Translation. The English was translated directly from the Hebrew source text without consulting any existing English translation. The Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice survive in extremely fragmentary condition across multiple manuscripts (4Q400–407). Only two passages yield sustained continuous text — the angelic praise and the description of angelic vestments. The cycle originally contained thirteen songs for thirteen Sabbaths.
🌲
Source Text
שירות עולת השבת (4Q400–407)
Hebrew transcription from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Transcription follows García Martínez & Tigchelaar (Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill 1997). Scholarly apparatus: [...] marks lacunae; [] marks editorial reconstructions; vacat marks intentional blank spaces.
Column I
[…] ]… [בעומדם ]…[שבת2 [… ]…[משאיה]ם1
{ ]…[כסאי}כה3כ
]…[. פלא בל ימוטו4 בוד מלכותו וכול עדת משרתי
]…[.6 ]… לכ[לכלם משאי כול כיא אלוהי כלילו5 לעולמים אלוהי
הטוהר7 כלילו הללוהו אלוה]י[ם ]בתה[לת עומדם וכול ר]וחי[ רקי]ע[י
יגילו בכבודו וקול ברך מכול מפלגיו מספרה רקיעי כבודו ומהללים שעריו
בקול רנה במבואי אלי דעת בפתחי כבוד ובכול מוצאי מלאכי קודש8
פתחי מבואי ושערי מוצא משמיעים כבוד המלך מברכים9 לממשלתם
אלוהים בצאת ובמבוא בשע]ר[י קודש ואין במה10 ומהללים כול רוחות
מלך בלי יתכונו לוא ירוצו מדרך ולוא11 דולג עלי חוק ולוא על אמרי
לוא ישפל]ו[ כ]י[א ירחם12 יתמתמהו מגבולו לוא ירומו ממשלוחתו
מורא מלך13 בממשלת עברת כל]ת חרו[נו לוא ישפוט במושבי אפ כבודו
אלוהים נורא על ]כו[ל אלוהים ]ויציאם[ לכול משלחותו בתכון vacat
[…]…[…]…[…] 14 והלכו
Frag. 23 ii ..בו מלכ בשרתם2 […] ]…[ם תפארת לפתוחי1
[…] קדוש מקדש כול4 […] מלך וחרת כבודו}ה{ ה3 […לפ]ני
קדושים רצון ]…[…]…[…]… [רוחות קד]ושי6 [… אפודיהם יפריש]ו5
קדשיהם7 .[…
vacat במעמד פלאיהם רוחות רוקמה כמעשי אורג פתוחי
בתוך כבוד מראי שני צבעי אור רוח קודש קדשים מחזקות8 צורות הדר
]מ[לך רוחי צבעי ]טוהר [בתוך מראי חור ודמות רוח9 מעמד קודשם לפני
]או[ר וכול מחשביהם ממולח טוהר חשב10 כבוד כמעשי אופירים מאירי
ראשי ממלכות >ממלכות<11 כמעשי אורג אלה ראשי לבושי פלא לשרת
כבודו 12 קדושים למלך הקודש בכול מרומי מקדשי מלכותvacat בראשי
]וחו[קות13 תרומות לשוני דעת] ו[ברכו לאלוהי דעת בכול מעשי כבודו
מסר
ו
תם בכול ]דבי[ר]י[ קוד]ש חרת ב[דעת בינתו ובשכל ]כב[ודו …
3 […]… ] …[ם כיא ממעוניvacat
vacat
5 […] למשכיל שיר עולת השבת הש4 [
Frag. 1 ]… מ[לאכי קודש3 ]… [קדשיהם2 …[…] 1
[…] ]… [.קודע5 [… ]…[בקרו]אי4
Source Colophon
Text: Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (שירות עולת השבת, 4Q400–407)
Source: Qumran Cave 4; Masada
Transcription: García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997
🌲