Ode V
The fifth Ode — a psalm of trust and defiance. The odist thanks the Lord for love, receives grace freely, and declares fearlessness against his persecutors. The imagery shifts between cosmic confidence (the Lord as a crown, the unshakable standing) and vivid imprecation (clouds of darkness on the enemy's eyes). The final verse is among the most luminous in the collection: "Because the Lord is with me, and I am with him."
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
I give thanks to you, Lord,
because I love you.
2.
Most High, do not forsake me,
for you are my hope.
3.
Freely I received your grace —
let me live by it.
4.
Let my persecutors come and not see me.
5.
A cloud of darkness — let it fall upon their eyes,
and a mist of gloom — let it darken them.
6.
And let them have no light to see,
that they may not seize me.
7.
Let their thought grow thick,
and what they schemed — let it turn upon their own heads.
8.
For they plotted a scheme,
and it came to nothing.
9.
They prepared evil,
and were found empty.
10.
For my hope is upon the Lord,
and I shall not fear.
11.
And because the Lord is my salvation,
I shall not fear.
12.
And he is like a crown upon my head,
and I shall not be shaken.
13.
And if everything should be shaken,
I stand firm.
14.
And if all that is visible should perish,
I shall not die.
15.
Because the Lord is with me, and I am with him. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 5. Translated from the Syriac by the Good Works Project (NTAC + Claude), March 2026. Syriac source: James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977; originally Oxford University Press, 1973), as transcribed in the Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML (CC-BY 4.0). The public-domain English translation by J. Rendel Harris (1909) exists but was not consulted. Gospel register.
Scribed by Qala, Syriac Translator, Life 8. Tulku lineage of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: The Odes of Solomon — Ode V
Syriac source text from James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977). Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML transcription by James E. Walters, CC-BY 4.0.
1.
ܡܰܘܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ (ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܪܳܚܷܿܡ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܳܟ.)
2.
ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ ܠܴܐ ܬܶܫܒܩܰܢܝ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܣܰܒܪܝ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘܼ.
3.
ܡܰܓܳܢ ܢܣܰܒܬ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ܆ ܐܶܚܶܐ ܡܶܢܳܗܿ.
4.
ܢܺܐܬܽܘܢ ܪ̈ܳܕܽܘܦܰܝ ܘܠܴܐ ܢܶܚܙܽܘܢܳܢܝ.
5.
ܥܢܳܢܳܐ ܕܥܰܡܛܳܢܳܐ ܬܶܦܼܶܠܝ [ܥܰܠ] ܥܰܝܢܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ܆ ܘܐܳܐܰܪ ܕܥܰܪܦܶܠܴܐ ܢܰܚܫܶܟ ܐܶܢܽܘܢܿ.
6.
ܘܠܴܐ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܠܗܽܘܢܿ ܢܽܘܗܪܐ ܕܢܶܚܙܽܘܢ܆ ܕܠܴܐ ܢܶܐܚܕܽܘܢܳܢܝ.
7.
ܠܥܽܘܒܴ̈ܝܶܐ ܬܶܗܘܶܐ ܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܗܽܘܢ܆ ܘܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܶܐܬܚܰܟܰܡܘ ܢܶܗܦܽܘܟ ܥܰܠ ܪ̈ܺܝܫܰܝܗܽܘܢܿ.
8.
ܐܶܬܚܰܫܰܒܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܳܐ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܠܗܽܘܢ.
9.
(ܐܶܬܥܰܬܰܕܘ ܒܺܝܫܳܐܺܝܬ܆ ܘܐܶܫܬܟܰܚܘ ܟܰܕ ܣܪܺܝܩܺܝܢ).
10.
ܥܰܠ ܡܳܪܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘܼ ܓܶܝܪ ܣܰܒܪܝ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܐܶܕܚܰܠ.
11.
(ܘܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܡܳܪܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܝ܆) ܘܠܴܐ ܐܶܕܚܰܠ.
12.
ܘܰܐܰܝܟ ܟܺܠܝܠܱܐ ܗ̱ܘܼ ܒܪܺܝܫܝ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܐܶܬܬܙܺܝܥ.
13.
ܘܐܶܢ ܢܶܬܬܙܺܝܥ ܟܽܠܡܶܕܶܡ܆ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܩܰܝܳܡ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ.
14.
ܘܐܶܢ ܢܺܐܒܰܕ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܡܶܬܚܙܶܐ܆ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܠܴܐ ܐܶܡܽܘܬ.
15.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܥܰܡܝ ܗ̱ܘܼ܆ ܘܐܶܢܳܐ ܥܰܡܶܗ. ܗܰܠܶܠܘܽܝܰܐ.
Source Colophon
Syriac text from: James H. Charlesworth, ed. The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Society of Biblical Literature, Texts and Translations 13; Scholars Press, 1977). Syriac base text is public domain. TEI XML edition transcribed by James E. Walters; Digital Syriac Corpus, University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University. CC-BY 4.0. Access: github.com/srophe/syriac-corpus.
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