The Passing World

Chapter forty-eight of the Mandaean Book of John. A speaker rises and testifies to truth as a seeker of knowledge, then addresses the watchers and craftsmen of the world with a series of imperatives: tell the watcher of the sea, tell the watcher of the rivers, tell the one who levels mountains, tell the artisan, tell the body-builder — build in haste, for you will leave it behind.

The central teaching is the transience of worldly things: gold shall be lost, silver sought but not found, the king shall abandon his crown, and the lords shall go into captivity. Only the perfect shall ascend to light. The urgency is not cruelty but care — the speaker warns because the time is short and the stakes are the soul itself. The chapter closes with the standard Mandaean triumphal formula.

Classical Mandaic source text from the critical edition of Haberl and McGrath (2020).

In the name of the Great Life,
may the sublime light be magnified!

Truth! I testify to you,
as a man who seeks knowledge.
Upon you I fix my gaze, good man —
the chosen one whom Life has placed here.

Tell my heart, that it may rest.
Speak to my innards, that they may be stilled.
Tell their minds,
that they may be set firm and stay in their places.

Tell the watcher of the sea
5 to hold a crossing for me over the waters.
Tell the watcher of the rivers
to stretch a rope for me over the streams.

Tell the one who levels the mountains
to level a path for me through the peaks.
Tell the craftsman
who fashions forms and images:
"Desire shall thresh your head!"

Tell the body-builder:
"Build your building in haste!
10 In haste build your building,
for shortly you shall leave it behind,
since this world shall come to nothing
and its works shall fall to pieces!"

Precious gold shall be lost,
and silver shall be sought but not found.
The delight of their hearts shall be torn away,
and their idle singing shall cease.
The king shall abandon his crown,
and the lords shall go into captivity.

15 The perfect shall ascend to light,
and the wicked shall be held fast here.

Brothers and sisters, O faithful —
deliverance and salvation for your souls!
The perfect men shall be delivered,
20 and the mighty perfect women shall be freed,
delivered from the mouth of those who behold darkness,
from him who is blind — the lord of darkness is his name.

Life is victorious,
and victorious is the man who came here!

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, and this consultation is acknowledged: the middle sections of the chapter (vv. 2–9 particularly) contain vocabulary that required reference guidance to resolve. The opening formula, closing formula, structural vocabulary (kušṭa, naṭria, šalmaina, mitaprqa, zaika, Hiia), and the core teaching (vv. 10–16) were translated with confidence from the Mandaic. Key departures from the reference translation: (1) "fix my gaze" rather than "let my eyes look" — tighter English for the same visual-attention idiom; (2) "innards" rather than "guts" — preserves the visceral meaning in slightly more formal register; (3) "hold a crossing" rather than "save me a crossing" — the Mandaic root Š-Z-B encompasses both; (4) "rope" rather than "cable" — English "rope" is the more natural rendering of ḥabla; (5) "thresh" rather than "thrash" — preserves the agricultural metaphor of threshing grain; (6) "idle singing" rather than "useless singing" — šihia means "vain/worthless/empty"; "idle" captures both emptiness and activity; (7) "lords" rather than "nobility" — the Mandaic indicates ruling figures; (8) "held fast" rather than "detained" — more visceral for a chapter about transience and urgency; (9) "the lord of darkness is his name" — expanded the compressed reference rendering to preserve the Mandaic naming-formula; (10) "brothers and sisters, O faithful" for ʾḥai ṭabia u-ʾḥuatai d-mhaimanna — the Mandaic explicitly addresses both male and female believers; the reference's "good man" obscures this communal address.

The expanded closing section (vv. 17–22) distinguishes between šalmaina (perfect men) and šalmainata (perfect women) in the Mandaic, reflecting a gender-inclusive eschatology rare in ancient Near Eastern sacred texts. Both genders ascend; the wicked are identified not by gender but by spiritual blindness (ʿur = "blind/ignorant").

Chapter 48 addresses the transience of the material world through a series of appeals to watchers and craftsmen — figures who build, guard, and shape the physical world. The central imperative — "Build your building in haste, for shortly you shall leave it behind" — echoes Ecclesiastes and the Mandaean eschatological tradition: the soul passes through this world as through a waystation, and what endures is not gold or crowns but the completeness (šulam) of the inner life. The chapter is a companion to Chapter 47's Decalogue: where 47 instructs what not to do, 48 teaches what not to cling to. First independently derived 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 48

Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl & McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (2020), Chapter 48. 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.

ࡁࡔࡅࡀࡉࡍࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡌࡓࡀࡅࡓࡀࡁ ࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡋࡄࡉࡋ ࡀࡂࡀࡁࡍࡉࡀ ࡌࡔࡀࡅࡉࡍࡀ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡀࡍ ࡓࡀࡃࡉࡀ
ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡀࡍ ࡖࡋࡀࡅ ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡍ ࡕࡀࡅࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡋࡀࡅ ࡌࡍ ࡔࡅࡓࡅࡁࡕࡀࡉ ࡏࡕࡉࡂࡋࡉࡀ
ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡀࡍ ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡍ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡖࡀࡂࡓࡀ ࡅࡆࡉࡃࡒࡀ ࡆࡀࡓࡀ
ࡄࡀࡁࡔࡀࡁࡀ ࡋࡀࡂࡉࡈ ࡅࡐࡃࡀࡀࡍ
ࡅࡁࡓ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡆࡓࡅࡕࡀ ࡋࡂࡉࡈ
ࡂࡅࡁࡓࡉࡀ ࡓࡐࡉࡔࡀࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡓࡉࡍ ࡅࡔࡀࡓࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡔࡀࡓࡉࡍ ࡅࡓࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡌࡀࡓࡂࡀࡉࡍࡀࡕࡀ
ࡆࡀࡓࡉࡍ ࡅࡔࡀࡓࡉࡍ ࡈࡀࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡎࡉࡒ ࡁࡃࡀࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡊࡀࡔ
ࡀࡎࡉࡒ ࡁࡊࡀࡔ ࡁࡃࡀࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡅࡕࡉࡁ ࡏࡋࡀࡅࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡁࡓࡉࡉࡊࡀ ࡅࡌࡒࡀࡉࡌࡉࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡅࡕࡉࡁ ࡏࡋࡀࡅࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡍ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡀࡍࡋࡅࡍ
ࡉࡀ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡀ
ࡀࡍࡉࡐࡔ ࡀࡂࡋࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡈࡍࡀࡓ
ࡍࡉࡐࡔ ࡈࡍࡀࡓ ࡀࡂࡋࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡅࡃࡉࡓࡀࡊࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡖࡀࡂࡋࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡁࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡕࡉࡉࡍࡎࡁࡅࡍ
ࡗ ࡌࡀࡓࡅࡀࡄࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡔࡕࡀ ࡌࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡅࡀࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡁࡏࡃࡇ ࡋࡂࡀࡈ ࡌࡀࡓࡅࡀࡄࡀ
ࡅࡁࡀࡉࡉࡋࡍࡅࡍ ࡋࡈࡀࡁࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡍࡀ
ࡀࡒࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡁࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡍࡋࡐࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡔࡉࡄࡉࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡄࡉࡀ
ࡕࡅࡌ ࡖࡔࡉࡄࡉࡀ
ࡀࡃࡅࡉࡐࡀ ࡖࡉࡊࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡍࡋࡐࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡖࡋࡀࡔࡉࡄࡉࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡉࡀ
ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡉࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍࡉࡄࡅࡍ
ࡅࡋࡅࡐࡌࡀ ࡖࡏࡅࡔࡀࡀࡍ ࡒࡀࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡀࡄࡀࡉ ࡈࡀࡁࡉࡀ ࡅࡀࡄࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡖࡌࡄࡀࡉࡌࡀࡍࡍ
ࡂࡅࡁࡓࡉࡀ ࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡏࡔࡍࡉࡀ ࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀࡉࡍࡀࡕࡀ ࡌࡉࡕࡀࡐࡓࡒࡀ
ࡀࡐࡓࡒࡀ ࡅࡌࡔࡀࡅࡆࡁࡀ ࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ ࡃࡉࡋࡅࡊࡍ
ࡖࡄࡅ ࡏࡅࡓ ࡌࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡄࡔࡅࡀࡊ ࡔࡅࡌࡇ
ࡌࡉࡕࡀࡐࡓࡒࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡅࡐࡌࡀ ࡖࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡏࡅࡔࡀࡀࡍ
ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡉࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
ࡅࡆࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡊ

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 digital lending under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. URL: archive.org/details/mandaeanbookofjohn. Chapter 48 Mandaic text extracted from PDF page 149 (0-indexed), lines 24–69 (after chapter separator). Page numbers and verse markers stripped. Couplet order corrected from PyMuPDF extraction artifact. Unicode Mandaic block (U+0840–U+085F) preserves the original script.

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