Blessings and Woes
Chapter forty-five of the Mandaean Book of John. Where Chapter 44 opened with a single beatitude — blessed is he who rouses his soul — Chapter 45 expands the herald's address into a full wisdom catalogue: a systematic inventory of blessings and woes in the ancient Near Eastern prophetic tradition.
The structure is deliberate. Two blessings frame the chapter's opening: one for the man who knows himself, one for the truthful who shall ascend to light's place. Then comes the woe-series — twelve declarations of woe, each naming a figure who possessed the instrument of his own salvation and failed to use it. The counselor who gives himself no counsel. The pathmaker who treads no path. The builder who builds no building. The wise man whose wisdom profits him nothing. The rulers who rule over the forsaken and perform no good deeds. Each woe is a mirror: the failure is never ignorance but misuse. The figures had the tool and did not turn it upon themselves.
The chapter's relationship to Chapter 44 is that of expansion to seed. Chapter 44 named the pathmaker, the builder, and the wise man in a brief woe-series and closed with judgment. Chapter 45 reopens with the same figures, adds new ones — the evil eye, the great belly, the forked tongue, the students who learn nothing, the fools mired in folly, the rulers — and then turns toward redemption. The closing verses reverse the catalogue: blessings on whoever has had good and done good with it, whose works go before him on the way. The final imperative is addressed directly to the listener: your hands perform the truth — rise up and see light's place.
In the name of the Great Life,
may the sublime light be magnified!
Life's herald calls forth —
the Mighty Life's herald.
Life's herald calls forth
all who ready themselves.
Blessed is he who knows himself,
and whose heart builds for him.
Blessed are the truthful;
they shall ascend to see light's place.
Woe to the counselor
who has given himself no counsel.
5 Woe to the pathmaker
who has made no path for himself
upon which he walks and does not stumble.
Woe to the builder
who has built no building for himself.
Woe to the evil eye,
for the wicked were not sated with this world.
Woe to the great belly
that does not fill though the belly devours all.
10 Woe to the forked tongue
that gives two verdicts in a single case.
Woe to the students
who are taught yet do not learn.
Woe to the senseless fools
who are mired in their folly.
Woe to the wise man
whose wisdom has profited him nothing.
Woe to the rulers
who rule over the forsaken
15 and perform no good deeds.
They shall fall into the blazing fire
and stoke the coals with their hands
and kindle the fire with their lips.
Woe to the wicked heart
within which evil holds dominion.
Evil holds dominion within it,
and it shall end with the world.
It shall end and not see light's place.
20 Blessings on whoever has done good;
"Woe, woe!" calls whoever has done evil.
Woe to whoever has had bounty
and has done no good with it.
He has wrought sins for himself
and heaped provocations before himself.
Blessings on whoever has had good
and has done good with it.
He has made a reward for himself.
His works go before him.
25 His works go before him
and reach ahead of him on the way.
Your hands perform the truth —
rise up and see light's place!
And Life is victorious!
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic (Eastern Aramaic). Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the critical edition of Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
The English translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. Haberl & McGrath's English translation was consulted as a reference to verify readings in ambiguous passages but the English above is the translator's own rendering. Key departures from the reference: (1) "Woe to" rather than "Shame on" — the Mandaic formula aileh is a standard Near Eastern woe-oracle (cf. Hebrew hoy, Aramaic way), and the prophetic register is more accurate than the colloquial "shame"; (2) "whose wisdom has profited him nothing" rather than "who has not taught his wisdom" — sbar (S-B-R) in Mandaic carries the sense of profit/benefit rather than teaching, following the reading established in Chapter 44; (3) "all who ready themselves" rather than "everyone who prepares himself" — zdaharar is reflexive of Z-D-H-R, to be cautious/ready; (4) "verdicts" rather than "decisions" for dinia — the judicial register is consistent with the herald's role as arbiter.
Chapter 45 is the second of two consecutive herald chapters in the Book of John. Where Chapter 44 focused on personal ethics — the individual wicked heart, the individual wise man — Chapter 45 expands to social critique: rulers who oppress the forsaken, teachers who teach without learning, fools mired in collective folly. The woe-catalogue follows the ancient Near Eastern prophetic form found in Isaiah 5, Habakkuk 2, and the Matthean woes (Matthew 23), but with the distinctive Mandaean turn toward cosmic consequence: the wicked heart ends with the world, the righteous rise to light's place. First English translation published online by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: The Book of John — Chapter 45
Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl & McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (2020), Chapter 45. Extracted from the critical edition PDF via PyMuPDF. Couplet order corrected from extraction artifact (PyMuPDF reverses paired lines; the w- prefix on continuation lines confirms correct sequence). Presented for reference and verification.
ࡀࡊࡋࡅࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀ
ࡀࡊࡋࡅࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡅࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡀࡊࡋࡅࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡉࡀ
ࡅࡊࡋ ࡏࡉࡍࡔ ࡖࡁࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡉࡍࡆࡃࡀࡄࡀࡓ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡖࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡉࡍࡃࡀ
ࡅࡋࡉࡁࡇ ࡉࡍࡄࡅࡉࡋࡇ ࡀࡓࡃࡉࡋࡊࡀ
ࡈࡅࡁࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡖࡎࡀࡋࡒࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡏࡋ ࡌࡀࡌࡋࡉࡊ ࡌࡉࡋࡉࡊࡀ
ࡖࡌࡅࡋࡀࡊࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡌࡋࡉࡊ 5
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡏࡋ ࡌࡀࡃࡓࡉࡊ ࡃࡉࡓࡉࡊࡀ
ࡖࡃࡉࡓࡉࡊ ࡋࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡃࡓࡉࡊ
ࡗ ࡀࡆࡉࡋ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡋࡀࡌࡉࡄࡒࡉࡋ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡁࡀࡀࡍࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡁࡀࡍ ࡋࡒࡅࡃࡀࡌࡇ ࡁࡉࡕࡍࡀ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡒࡅࡕ ࡀࡉࡉࡍࡀ
ࡖࡅࡊࡋ ࡖࡀࡋࡊࡀࡕ ࡀࡊࡓࡎࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡋࡀࡕ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡊࡓࡎࡀ ࡓࡀࡁࡕࡉࡀ 10
ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡁࡉࡀ ࡕࡓࡉࡍ ࡃࡉࡉࡍࡀ ࡁࡄࡀࡃ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡕࡓࡉࡍ ࡋࡉࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡖࡌࡀࡋࡉࡐࡋࡅࡍ ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡀࡋࡉࡐࡀ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡉࡀࡋࡅࡉࡐࡀ
ࡖࡁࡎࡀࡋࡊࡅࡕࡅࡍ ࡌࡉࡎࡕࡀࡓࡊࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡎࡀࡋࡊࡉࡀ ࡕࡌࡉࡌࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡎࡁࡀࡓ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡄࡅࡅࡊࡌࡕࡇ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡄࡀࡉࡊࡌࡀ
ࡖࡌࡔࡀࡋࡈࡉࡀ ࡔࡁࡉࡒࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡔࡀࡋࡉࡈࡉࡀ 15
ࡅࡀࡍࡋࡐࡉࡀ ࡁࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀ
ࡅࡋࡀࡁࡃࡉࡀ ࡏࡅࡁࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡐࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡁࡎࡉࡐࡄࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡌࡎࡀࡓࡎࡉࡉࡐࡍ ࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀࡀࡍ
ࡁࡏࡃࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡁࡀࡃࡉࡍ ࡂࡅࡌࡓࡉࡀ
ࡖࡁࡉࡔࡅࡕࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡌࡀࡌࡋࡉࡀࡊ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡏࡋ ࡋࡉࡁࡀ ࡁࡉࡔࡀ
ࡅࡎࡀࡉࡉࡐ ࡁࡎࡀࡅࡀࡐ ࡖࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡌࡋࡉࡀࡊࡁࡇ ࡁࡉࡔࡅࡕࡀ
ࡎࡀࡉࡉࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡄࡀࡆࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ 20
ࡅࡀࡉ ࡅࡀࡉ ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡀࡁࡀࡃ ࡁࡉࡔ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡀࡁࡀࡃ ࡈࡀࡁ
ࡅࡋࡀࡈࡀࡉࡉࡁ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡇ
ࡅࡀࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡄࡅࡀࡋࡇ
ࡅࡔࡀࡅࡉࡀ ࡋࡒࡅࡃࡀࡌࡇ ࡕࡉࡒࡋࡀࡕࡀ
ࡄࡀࡈࡀࡉࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡀࡁࡀࡃ
ࡅࡈࡀࡉࡉࡁ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡇ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡄࡅࡀࡋࡇ
ࡏࡅࡁࡀࡃࡉࡇ ࡋࡒࡅࡃࡀࡌࡇ ࡀࡆࡋࡉࡀ
ࡀࡂࡓࡀ ࡋࡀࡍࡔࡐࡉࡇ ࡀࡁࡀࡃ 25
ࡅࡌࡉࡎࡕࡀࡌࡉࡊࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡒࡀࡌࡇ ࡁࡏࡅࡄࡓࡀ
ࡏࡅࡁࡀࡃࡉࡇ ࡀࡆࡋࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡒࡀࡌࡇ
ࡎࡀࡒ ࡄࡅࡆࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡏࡃࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡉࡍࡁࡃࡅࡍ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡅࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic source text from Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020). Accessed via Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Text extracted using PyMuPDF from the critical edition PDF; couplet order corrected based on the w- continuation prefix pattern documented across all chapters of this translation project.
Page 143 (0-indexed) of the PDF. Chapter 45 Mandaic text, book page 134 (the facing page to Translation page 135). Chapter 45 verses 1-28.
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