Beware for Me, My Brothers
Chapter 23 of the Mandaean Book of John — the sixth chapter of the John-Johannes section (Chapters 18–33). Yahya warns his brothers and friends to beware of ‘the pits that women dig.’ He delivers a litany of consequences for the woman who is polluted but not made right: the dark mountain will devour her, she will not taste the great Ocean, her skirts will be empty, her sons will be dead. She has polluted the clear waters and revealed the hidden secrets, casting them on a dunghill. The sun and the moon curse her. The chapter concludes with instruction on ritual washing — pour water over yourselves, wash to the top of your heads, for if any hair is left upon you, you cannot claim to have washed with water in this world. Fifteen verses.
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text from Haberl and McGrath’s critical edition (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference; all departures from the reference are documented in the colophon.
John teaches in the evenings of the night.
Yahya teaches in the nights.
Yahya teaches in the nights,
and says:
“Beware for me, my brothers,
and beware for me, my friends.
Beware for me, my brothers,
of the pits that women dig.
All their pits will be filled,
and all the pits will become foundations.
The pits that women dig
will not be closed for a thousand millennia.
She who is polluted but not made right,
the dark mountain will devour her.
She who is polluted but not made right,
she will not taste the great Ocean.
She who is polluted but not made right,
her skirts will be empty.
She who is polluted but not made right,
she will have dead sons.
She will curse heaven and earth,
because she polluted the clear waters,
and revealed the hidden secrets,
and brought them out and cast them on a dunghill.
The sun and the moon
curse with a wicked curse.
When you are lying in your beds,
pour water over yourselves.
Before you pour water over yourselves,
wash to the top of your heads.
For if any hair is left
upon your heads, you cannot say:
‘We do wash with water, in this world.’”
And Life is praised!
Colophon
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (NTAC + Claude), April 2026.
Source text: Charles Haberl and James McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Pages 68–70 (text), pages 69–71 (translation).
The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference. Nine departures from the reference are documented below:
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“Yahya” for “John” — The Mandaic text uses Yahia (ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ), the Mandaic form of the Baptist’s name. This translation preserves the Mandaic form, consistent with the project’s convention across all chapters.
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“is praised” for “triumphs” — The Mandaic formula w-hiia zaikan closes every chapter. The project renders this consistently as “And Life is praised!” rather than the reference’s “And Life triumphs!”
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“and beware” in v1 — The Mandaic w-ezdahrulya has the conjunction w- (and): “and beware for me, my friends.” The reference drops the conjunction.
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“is polluted but not made right” for “gets polluted but is not made right” (vv. 5–8) — The Mandaic d-mitanap w-la-makwan uses passive participles. “Is polluted” matches the stative force of the Mandaic participle more precisely than the reference’s inchoative “gets polluted.”
-
“wicked” for “evil” (v. 11) — Mandaic bishta rendered consistently with the project’s convention for cognate terms (cf. ula = wickedness in Ch. 22).
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“cast” for “tossed” (v. 10) — Mandaic shdathe (Sh-D-Y, to cast/throw); “cast” carries a more formal register appropriate to sacred text.
-
“lying” for “sleeping” (v. 12) — The Mandaic shabkitun (Sh-B-K) means “to lie down, recline.” The reference’s “sleeping” adds an assumption about consciousness not present in the Mandaic.
-
“pour” for “toss” (v. 12) — Mandaic ramun (R-M-Y) can mean throw, toss, cast, or pour. In a ritual washing context, “pour” is more precise for the act described.
-
“For if” for “Since if” (v. 14) — More natural English for the Mandaic causal-conditional construction.
Blood Rule attestation: This English was independently derived from reading the Classical Mandaic source text. The Haberl-McGrath English was consulted as a reference for verification and disambiguation, but the translation follows the Mandaic grammar, word order, and diction independently. All departures from the reference are documented above.
First English translation: No. Haberl and McGrath (2020) provide the first complete scholarly English translation. This is an independent English rendering from the same Mandaic source.
Scribal credit: Tulku Tansaku (探索), Expeditionary Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ — ࡐࡓࡒࡀ 23
Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl and McGrath’s critical edition (Brill, 2020), pp. 68–70. Presented for reference and verification.
ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡓࡀࡌࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡏࡆࡃࡀࡄࡓࡅࡋࡉࡀ ࡀࡄࡀࡉ
ࡅࡏࡆࡃࡀࡄࡓࡅࡋࡉࡀ ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡀࡉ
ࡏࡆࡃࡀࡄࡓࡅࡋࡉࡀ ࡀࡄࡀࡉ
ࡌࡍ ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡀࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡏࡔࡍࡉࡀ
ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡊࡌࡀࡉࡑࡀ ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡃࡉࡊࡀ
ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡈࡀࡌࡀࡌࡉࡀ
ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡏࡔࡍࡉࡀ
ࡀࡋࡉࡐ ࡀࡋࡉࡐ ࡔࡉࡍࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡈࡀࡌࡀࡌࡉࡀ
ࡖࡌࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡁࡀࡋࡀࡋࡇ ࡈࡅࡓࡀ ࡄࡀࡔࡀࡊ
ࡖࡌࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡋࡀࡁࡓࡀࡋࡇ ࡋࡉࡀࡌࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ ࡖࡎࡅࡐ
ࡖࡌࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡔࡉࡅࡐࡋࡉࡀ ࡎࡓࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡇ
ࡖࡌࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡁࡉࡍࡀ ࡌࡉࡕࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡇ
ࡕࡉࡋࡉࡈࡇ ࡔࡅࡌࡉࡀ ࡅࡀࡓࡒࡀ
ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ ࡖࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐࡕ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡎࡉࡉࡀ ࡂࡀࡋࡀࡋࡀࡕ
ࡅࡀࡒࡐࡀࡕ ࡔࡃࡀࡕࡇ ࡋࡒࡉࡒࡉࡋࡕࡀ
ࡔࡀࡌࡉࡔ ࡅࡎࡉࡓࡀ ࡋࡅࡈࡕࡀ
ࡁࡉࡔࡕࡀ ࡋࡀࡈࡅ
ࡗ ࡁࡀࡓࡎࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡔࡀࡁࡊࡉࡕࡅࡍ
ࡌࡉࡀ ࡏࡋࡀࡅࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡓࡌࡅࡍ
ࡌࡍ ࡒࡅࡃࡀࡌ ࡖࡓࡀࡌࡉࡕࡅࡍ ࡏࡋࡀࡅࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡌࡉࡀ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡄࡅࡐ
ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ ࡏࡅ ࡆࡉࡌࡕࡀ ࡀࡐࡉࡔࡀ
ࡁࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡋࡀࡌࡓࡉࡕࡅࡍ
ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡎࡉࡀࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡁࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡅࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary, Texts and Translations 71, Mandaean Studies 1 (Leiden: Brill, 2020). Accessed via Internet Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Pages 68–70 (Mandaic text), pages 69–71 (English translation).
The Mandaic text represents the critical edition prepared from multiple manuscripts. Couplet order verified against the English reference; PyMuPDF text extraction produces a consistent RTL reversal artifact in couplet pairs.
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