The Gospel According to Thomas

Note:

This translation was constructed by the use of the original Coptic and Greek, directly consulting Michael Grondin's Coptic/English interlinear translation, Revised November 22, 2002, Copyright 1997, 2002 by Michael W. Grondin. All rights reserved. http://gospel thomas.net/xtransl.htm

The author refered to translations by Willis Barnstone in The Other Bible: Ancient Esoteric Texts, HarperSanFrancisco, 1984 and The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained by Stevan Davies, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2002.

The Gospel of Thomas is one of the texts discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945.


These are the secret words that the living Jesus spoke.
Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.


1.

Jesus said: Whoever realizes the meaning of these words, that person will not experience death.

2.

Jesus said: Do not stop until you find, and when you find, you will be troubled. Yet, having been troubled, you will become amazed, and then you will be a master over the All.

3.

Jesus said: If those who lead you say, "Look, the Kingdom is inthe sky," then notice how the birds get there before you. If they should say to you, “Look, the Kingdom is in the sea," then notice how the fish get there before you.” No—rather, the Kingdom is within you and also outside you. When you know yourselves, then they will know that you are children of the Parent. If, however, you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are poverty.

4.

Jesus said: An old man will not hesitate to ask a baby about the source of life, and he will live. There are many who are first who will become last, and the two will become one and the same.

5.

Jesus said: See what is in front of your face, then what is hidden will be revealed. Nothing hidden will fail to appear.

6.

The disciples asked Jesus: Do you wish us tofast? How should we go about praying? Should we give to charity? Should we abstain from certain types of foods?

Jesus said: Do not tell lies. If there is something that you hate, do not do it, for everything is revealed to the sky. Nothing hidden will fail to appear, and nothing covered will fail to be revealed.

7.

Jesus said: Blessed is the lion that a human eats, because that lion becomes human. Cursed is the human that a lion eats, because that human becomes a lion.

8.

Jesus said: A wise fisherman cast his net into the sea. He pulled it up full of little fish. Yet among them the wise fisherman found a good, large fish. So, he threw the small fish back into the sea, keeping the large one. Those with ears, let them hear.

9.

Jesus said: Listen—there was a man who came out to sow seeds. He filled his hands with seeds and cast them. Some seeds fell upon the road; the birds came and ate those. Othere seeds fell onto rocks, and those seeds did not send roots down into the earth and did not send shafts rising into the sky. And some seeds fell into thorns, which choked the seeds, and the worms ate them. And other seeds fell upon the good earth, and those gave fruit up to the good sky. And the sower got 60 bushels from some and 120 from others.

10.

Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and, look, I watch as it burns.

11.

Jesus said: This sky will pass away, and the sky above that will pass away. Those who are dead do not live, and those who live will not die. When you eat what is dead, you are making it alive. When you come to be in the light, what will you do? When you were one, you became two; when, however, you become two, what will you do?

12.

The disciples said to Jesus: We know that you will leave us. Who will lead us then?

Jesus answered: The place where you are, there turn to James the Just, for whose sake the sky and the earth came into being.

13.

Jesus said: Think of comparisons. What am I like?

Simon Peter said: You are like an angelic messenger.

Matthew said: You are like a philosopher.

Thomas said: Teacher, my tongue cannot tell what you are like.

Jesus said: Thomas, I am not your teacher. You have gotten drunk on the bubbling spring which I measured out.

Then Jesus took Thomas aside and spoke three things to him. When Thomas returned to the group, they asked him what Jesus had told him.

Thomas said: If I spoke to you even one of the words he spoke, you would take stones and throw them at me and a fire would come out of the stones and burn you.

14.

Jesus said to them: If you fast, you will bring sin to yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned by others, and if you should give to charity, you will be doing damage to your spirits. When you go out into the world, when people accept you, eat what is put in front of you and heal the sick among those people. For what goes in your mouth does not defile you; rather it is what comes out of your mouth that defiles you.

15.

Jesus said: When you see someone not born of woman, bow down and worship that one. He is your Father.

16.

Jesus said: Perhaps people think that I have come to throw peace upon the world. They do not understand that I have come to throw divisions upon the earth—fire, sword, and war. There will be five in a house. There will be three opposing two and two against three. Father will oppose son and son oppose father. Each will stand and stand alone.

17.

Jesus said: I will give you what eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, hands have not touched, and minds have not thought.

18.

The disciples said: tell us about our end. How will it happen?

Jesus said: Have you found the beginning? Is that why you are now looking for the end? Where the beginning is, there is the end. The blessed will stand on twofeet at the beginning and will therefore know the end, never experiencing death.

19.

Jesus said: The blessed is one who came into being at the beginning. If you become my disciple and listen to my words, these stones will serve you. There are five trees in paradise that do not change from summer to winter and do not lose their leaves. Those who know them will not experience death.

20.

The disciples said to Jesus: Tell us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

Jesus said to them: It is like a mustard seed, smallest of them all. However, when it falls on the earth it sends out branchs and becomes a shelter for the birds of the sky.

Mary asked Jesus: What are your disciples like?

Jesus said: They are like small children living in a field that is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, "Give us our field back." They will strip naked in the presence of the owners and give the field back to them. Therefore, I tell you this: If the owner of a house knows a theif is coming, the owner will keep an eye open so that the theif does not sneak in and steal things. You must always keep watch on the world. Arm yourselves with strength so that thieves will not ambush you, though the defense you have will be the defense that is attacked. Keep one with understanding in your midst always. When the grain was ripe, he hurried out with his sickle in his hand, in order to reap. Those with ears, let them hear.

22.

Jesus saw little ones nursing. He said to his disciples: These little ones having milk, they are like those who enter into the Kingdom.

They said to Jesus: Then we will enter into the Kingdom if we are little ones?

Jesus said to them: When you make two one, and when you make the inside like the outsid, and the outside like the inside, and the top like the bottom, and the male like the female, so that there is no male or female. When you make eyes that replace eyes, hands that replace hands, feet thatreplace feet, images that replace images, then you will enter the Kingdom.

23.

Jesus said: I will choose you, one out of a thousand and two out of ten thousand. You will stand on you feet as if you were one.



24.

His disciples said to Jesus: Show us the place where you are, since we must get there too.

Jesus said to them: Those with ears, let them hear. There is light inside a person of light that becomes light to the world. Those who have no light are darkness.

25.

Jesus said: Love your brother like your soul. Guard him as if he were the pupil of your eye.


26.

Jesus said: You see the mote in your brother’s eye, but you do not see the beam in your own. If you first get the beam out of your eye, then you will see well enough get the mote out of your brother’s eye.


27.

Jesus said: If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the Kingdom; if you do not treat the Sabbath as Sabbath, you will not see the Father.

28.

Jesus said: I have taken my stand in the world; I have appeared in the flesh. And I found everyone drunk; no one was thirsty. My soul was pained for the children of the earth, for they are blind in their minds. They do not look outside themselves. They came into the world empty and they seek to leave the world empty. For now, they are drunk; when they quite their drinking, then they will see.

29.

Jesus said: If the flesh comes into being because of spirit, that is a wonder; if spirit, however, comes into being because of the body, that is a wonderous wonder. What amazes me is that this great richness has grown in this poverty.


30.

Jesus said: Wherever there are three gods, they are gods; wherever there are two or one, I am with them.

31.

Jesus said: No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him.

32.

Jesus said: A city built and fortified on a mountain cannot be hidden.

33.

Jesus said: What you hear, preach that from the housetops; for is there anyone who lights a lamp and puts it under a basket? No, we put it on a lampstand so that everyone can use the light.

34.

Jesus said: When the blind lead the blind, they all fall into a pit.

35.

Jesus said: It is not possible to go into the house of a strong man and steal his goods unless he is bound first. Then his things can be stolen.

36.

Jesus said: Do not worry from morning until evening and evening until morning about what you will wear.

37.

His disciples said: When will you appear to us? Which day will we see you?

Jesus said: When you strip yourselves naked without being ashamed, and you take your garments and stand on them like little children, trampling them, then you will look upon the Son of He Who Lives and you will not be afraid.

38.

Jesus said: You have many times desired to hear these words which I am saying to you, and you have no one else to say them to you. There will be some days that you seek for me and will not find me.

39.

Jesus said: The Religious authorities and the scholars have taken the keys to knowledge and hidden them. They have not entered, nor do they allow those who desire knowledge to enter. You, however, will be cunning like snakes and innocent like doves.

40.

Jesus said: They have planted a grapevine outside of the Father, but it will have no nourishment and it will be uprooted and destroyed.

41.

Jesus said: He who has, he will get more; he who has not, even what little he was will be taken.

42.

Jesus said: Be by passing by.


43.

The disciples said to Jesus: Who are you, that you say these things to us?
Jesus said: When I speak these things, you do not realize who I am. Rather, you are like those Judeans who love the tree yet hate the fruit or love the fruit yet hate the tree.


44.

Jesus said: Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven; and whoever blasphemes against to the son, will be forgiven; whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, however, will not be forgiven on the earth nor in the sky.

45.

Jesus said: They do not harvest grapes out of thorns. Nor do they gather figs out of thistles. Those do not produce fruit. A good man brings good things from his treasure; an evil man brings evil and wicked things out of his treasure, which is in his mind. Out of the excesses of his mind he brings evil things.

46.

Jesus said: From Adam up to John the Baptist, among those born of women, no one has been more worthy of respect than John the Baptist. Still, as I have said, any of you who becomes like a little child will know the Kingdom and be more worthy of respect than John.

47.

Jesus said: No way can anyone climb onto two horses or stretch two bows. No way can a servant serve two masters. He will honor one and despise the other. No one drinks old wine and immediately desires new wine. No one pours new wine into old wine skins because they would split open. Nor does anyone pour old wine into new wineskins because that would ruin the wine. No one sews old patches to new garments because that would split them.

48.

Jesus said: Should two make peace with each other in this house, they will be able to speak to a mountain saying, "Move away," and the mountain will move.

49.

Jesus said: Blessed are those alone and chosen, for you will find the Kingdom, since you are from it and are going back there.

50.

Jesus said: If they should ask you, "Where have you come from?" say this to them— "We have come from the light, the place where the light came into being, made by its own hand, standing forth in their image." If they should ask you, "Are you him?” say this—“We are his children, chosen by the living Father." If they should ask you, "What is the sign that your Father is in you?" say this to them—"It is movement and repose."

51.

His disciples said to Jesus: When will the repose of the dead occur? And which day will the world become new?

Jesus said to them: What you have been looking for has come. But you do not know it.

52.

His disciples said to Jesus: Twenty four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they spoke about you.

Jesus said to them: Speaking only about the dead, you have left out the living one who is in your presence.

53.

His disciples said to Jesus: Is circumcision beneficial to us or not?

Jesus said to them: Were it benificial, children would be born circumcized. Rather, circumcision of the spirit is what is beneficial.

54.

Jesus said: Blessed are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.


55.

Jesus said: Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot become my disciple. Whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters; whoever does not take up his cross as I do, he is not deserving of me.

56.

Jesus said: Whoever has discovered the world has discovered a corpse, and whoever has discovered a corpse, the world is not worthy of him.

57.

Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who has sown good seed; but his enemy came in the night and sowed weeds over the good seed. The man did not allow anyone to pull up the weeds, saying, “You will go to pull up the weeds, but will pull up the good seeds as well. At the time of harvest, the weeds will be plain to see. Then we will pull them up and burn them.”

58.

Jesus said: Blessed is he who is troubled; he has found Life.

59.

Jesus said: Keep in mind He who lives while you are living lest, when you die, you begin seeking and cannot find.


60.

There was a Samaritan carrying a lamb and going to Judea.

Jesus asked his disciples: Why is that man carrying a lamb?

The disciples said to Jesus: So that he can kill it and eat it.

Jesus said to them: While the lamb is alive, the man will not eat it; rather, he will eat it after the lamb has become a corpse.

The disciples said: That is the only way.

Jesus said to them: You yourselves must seek a place of repose, lest you be killed and eaten.

61.

Jesus said: There will be two in one bed; one will die, the other will live.

Salome said: Who are you that climbed into my bed and ate off my table?

Jesus answered: I am he who came from he who is the same. I have received from the Father.

Salome said: I am your disciple.

Jesus said: If he is one, he is light. If, however, he should be divided, he will of darkness.

62.

Jesus said: I speak of my mysteries to those worthy of my mysteries. Do not let your right hand know what your left is doing.

63.

Jesus said: There was a rich man who said, "I will spend my riches in sowing and reaping, filling my storehouse with grain so that I need nothing." These were his thoughts. That night, he died. Those with ears, let them hear.

64.

Jesus said: A man had some visitors. When dinner was ready, the man sent his servant to call the visitors.

The sevent went to the first and said, “My master calls you.”

The first one said, "I have to pay some traders and order some things. I cannot come to dinner."

The servent went to the second and said, “My master calls you."

The second said, “I have just bought a house and must complete the deal. I cannot come to dinner."

The servent went to the third, saying, "My master calls you."

The third one said, “My friend is getting married and there is a party. I cannot come tonight.”

The servent went to another, saying, “My master calls you.”

That one said, "I have just bought a farm and have to pay the taxes. I cannot come.”

The servent came back to the master and said, "Those you invited have all begged off."

The master said, "Go outside to the road and invite to my dinner anyone you meet.”

Buyers and traders will not meet my Father.

65.

Jesus said: A just man owned a vineyard. He hired tenants to work the vineyard for a part of the crop. The just man sent a servent to collect his portion. The tenants grabbed the servent and beat him. Another went, and they nearly killed him. The just man thought, “Perhaps they did not know who he was.” He sent another servent, but the tenants beat that one too. Then the just man sent his son, saying, "Perhaps they will be ashamed when they see my son." But the tenants, knowing the son to be the heir of the vineyard, seized him and killed him. Those with ears, let them hear.


66.

Jesus said: Show me the stone, the one the builders refused; that is the cornerstone.

67.

Jesus said: One who knows it all but does not know himself doesn’t know anything.


68.

Jesus said: Blessed are you when they hate you and persecute you. Those who persecute you will never find a place.

69.

Jesus said: Blessed are those who have persecuted themselves, for they truly know the Father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of those who desire will be filled.

70.

Jesus said: When you conceive for yourself, you save youself. That which you do not have in youself will kill you.

71.

Jesus said: I will destroy this house, and no one will rebuild it, ever.

72.

A man said to Jesus: Speak to my brothers so that they will divide my father’s estate with me.

Jesus said to the man: Who made me a divider?

Jesus turned to his disciples and said: Serioiusly—am I a divider?

73.

Jesus said: The harvest indeed is plentiful; the laborers, however, are few; pray to the Lord to send laborers out to the harvest.

74.

Jesus said: Oh, Lord, there are many around the well but no water inside.

75.

Jesus said: There are many standing at the door, but only those alone will enter into the place of marriage.

76.

Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a merchant who had a consignment. The merchant found a pearl. He was wise and so sold the consignment and bought the pearl for himself. You, also, should seek after treasure that does not perish, a place no moth approaches and no worms destroy.

77.

Jesus said: I am the light above all lights. I am the All; the All comes from me and all goes back to me. Split timber and find me there; lift a stone and find me there.

78.

Jesus said: Why did you come to the field? To watch a reed moving in the wind? And to watch rulers and powerful men in fancy clothes? Those in expensive garments will not know the truth.

79.

A woman in the crowd said: Blessed is she who bore you, she whose breasts nourished you.

Jesus said to the woman: Blessed are they who have listened to the word of the Father and done it. The days will come when you will say, "Blessed is she who did not bear children, she whose breasts never nourished."

80.

Jesus said: Whoever has known the world has found the body; whoever has found the body, however—the world is not worthy of him.

81.

Jesus said: Whoever has become rich, let him become king, and he who has power, let him abdicate.

82.

Jesus said: He who is close to me is close to the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the Kingdom.

83.

Jesus said: People see images and the light in them. The light of the Father is hidden in the image, though it will be revealed. His image is hidden in his light.

84.

Jesus said: You rejoice in your own likeness. However, when you look upon your likeness that came into being before your birth and that will not die, how much can you bear?

85.

Jesus said: Adam came into being out of great power and great richness, yet he is not worthy of you. Otherwise, he would not have experienced death.

86.

Jesus said: Foxes have their dens and birds have their nests; the Son of Man, however, has no place to lay his head and rest.

87.

Jesus said: Wretched is body that depends upon body and soul that depends upon two.

88.

Jesus said: The angels and the prophets come to you, giving you what you have already. You yourselves give them what you have, saying, "When will they come and take what is theirs?"

89.

Jesus said: Why wash the outside of a cup? Do you not understand that whoever created the inside also created the outside?

90.

Jesus said: Come to me, for my yoke is light and my lordship gentle. You will find rest.

91.

They said to Jesus: Tell us who you are so that we may believe you.

Jesus said: You read the face of the sky and the earth, yet you do not see who is right here. You do not know how to read the time.

92.

Jesus said: Seek and you will find. In the past I did not answer you when you asked me. Now, I wish to tell, but you do not ask.

93.

Jesus said: Do not give what is holy to the dogs since it will end up in a dungheap; do not cast pearls to swine.

94.

Jesus said: He who seeks, he will find; he who knocks, he will be let in.

95.

Jesus said: If you have money, do not lend it at interest. Rather, give it to someone who you know will not return it.

96.

Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a woman who took a little leaven and hid it in dough; with it, she made huge loaves of bread. Those with ears, let them hear.

97.

Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a woman walking on a road carrying a jar full of meal. She did not hear the jar crack and did not know the meal was emptying out onto the road. When she got home, she put the jar down and only then saw that it was empty.

98.

Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who wanted to kill a more powerful man. The man practiced with his sword at home, sticking it into the wall. Then he killed the more powerful man.

99.

The disciples said: Your brothers and your mother are standing outside.

Jesus said to them: Those here who do the will of my Father are my brothers and my mother. They enter the Kingdom of my Father.

100.

They showed a coin to Jesus and said: Caesar’s agents demand taxes from us.

Jesus said to them: Give Caesar what is Caesar’s, give God what is God’s. And give me what is mine.

101.

Jesus said: Whoever does not hate his father and mother as I do cannot become my disciple; whoever does not love his father and mother as I do cannot become my disciple. My mother gave birth to me; she gave me life but not The Life.

102.

Jesus said: Woe tothe religious authorities, for they are like a dog resting in a manger. The dog neither eats nor allows the oxen to eat.

103.

Jesus said: Blessed is he who knows where the thieves come in so that he may prepare himself.

104.

They said to Jesus: Come, pray and fast today.

Jesus said: What have I done wrong? How have I lost the battle? When the bridegroom is gone, then will be the time to fast and pray.

105.

Jesus said: Those who know both father and mother will be called “child of a whore.”

106.

Jesus said: When you make the two one, you will come to be the Sons of Man. Then, if you should say, "mountain, move away," it will move.

107.

Jesus said: The Kingdom is like a shepherd with his sheep. The largest sheep wandered off. So, the shepherd left ninety nine sheep and went searching for the one until he found it. Then, the shepherd said, “I love you more than the ninety nine.”


108.

Jesus said: Whoever drinks out of my mouth, that person will be as I am; also, I will come to be as that person is, and the hidden will be revealed.

109.

Jesus said: The Kingdom is like a man who had a treasure in his field that he did not know about. When the man died, he left the field to his son. The son did not know of the treasure either. He gave the field away. The new owner plowed the field and found the treasure. He became a rich man.

110.

Jesus said: Whoever has found the world and become rich, let him abdicate from the world.

111.

Jesus said: The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in front of you; those who live out of he who lives, those will not see death. As I have said, whoever discovers the world is superior to the world.

112.

Jesus said: Woe to flesh that depends on the soul; woe to soul that depends on the flesh.

113.

His disciples said to Jesus: Which day is the Kingdom coming?

Jesus said: It is not coming because of watching. No one can say, "Look, there!" or "Look, over there!" Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spreading upon the earth, though people are not looking at it.

114.

Simon Peter said to them: Mary should leave us, for women are not worthy of The Life.

Jesus said: Look, I will lead her and make her male so that she herself will be a living spirit resembling you males, for any woman who makes herself male will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.


The Gospel According to Thomas

An Adaptation of Ecclesiastes

CHAPTER ONE



These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

The airiest of air, says the Teacher, airiest of air; all is empty air.

What is the product of all our labors under the sun? One generation passes away and another generation rises; but the earth abides on and on. The sun also rises and the sun goes down, hastening again to the place where it arose. The wind blows toward the south, then turns to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again and again according to its circuits.

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers came, there they return. Everything is full of trouble; the tongue cannot express how much trouble. The eye is not satisfied in its seeing; the ear is not filled with hearing.

That which has been, that is what shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there anything of which it can be said, Look, that is new? No—it has been seen before.

There is no remembrance of things past, nor shall there be remembrance of things to come.

I, the Teacher, was king of all Israel, in Jerusalem. And I gave all my heart to the search for wisdom concerning all the things done under heaven. God has given this sad work to the children of humanity. I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun; and, behold: all is air; all is vexation of the spirit.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be counted.

I spoke with my heart, saying, Look, I have risen to a mighty place, and I have acquired more wisdom than all who have come before me in Jerusalem. Yes, I have great wisdom and knowledge. I dedicated myself to wisdom; I committed myself to learning madness and folly. Yet, I know this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief and those who increase in knowledge also grow in sorrow.