Gospel of Mar Toma (Bəśōrath Tōmā)

[Below you will find Chapters 1-6. The text is based on several different versions, including the Coptic. The numbering of chapters and verses is in accordance with the Dalin Text.]

[The remaining text, after Chapter 6, is from the Revised Edition of Thomas O. Lambdin translation. The original transliterations have been replaced with transcriptions by the compiler of this document. Download a PDF of the Gospel of Thomas]

These are the sacred words which Maran Yeshua spoke and Mar Toma [Thomas] wrote them down.

Chapter 1

1 Yeshua said to his disciples: "He who is able to come to a full understanding of the words shall not taste death."

2 "He who seeks, let him not stop seeking until he finds; and when he finds he will be distressed, and if he is distressed, he will be astounded, and he will have authority over all things"

3 Yeshua said: "If those who lead you say to you: 'Behold, the Kingdom is in heaven', then the birds of the heaven will be before you. If they say to you: 'It is in the sea', then the fish will be before you."

4 "But the Kingdom is within you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you shall be known, and you shall know that you are the sons of the living Father. But if you do not come to know yourselves, then you will remain poor, and you will become as those who are always without."

5 Yeshua said: "The person advanced in age will not be uncertain to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and he shall live. For there are many first who shall be last, and they will become united."

6 "Come to realize what it is that is right in front of you, and that which is hidden from you shall be revealed to you; for there is nothing hidden which shall not be made visible."

7 His disciples asked him saying: "Lord, do you want us to fast? And how is it that you wish us to pray? Shall we give alms? And what manner of diet shall we follow?"

8 Yeshua said, "Do not lie, and do not do those things that you hate. For all things are disclosed before heaven. For there is nothing vague that will not be made clear, and there is nothing covered that will remain without being disclosed."

Chapter 2

1 Yeshua said to his disciples: "Blessed is the lion which the man shall consume, and the lion become man; and cursed is the man whom the lion shall eat, and the lion become man."

2 "Man is like a wise man who fishes, who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise man found a large good fish. He threw down all the small fish back into the sea; he chose the large fish without a problem. He that has ears to hear, let him hear."

3 Yeshua said to his disciples: "Behold, the sower went forth, he filled his hand, he cast the seed. Some of the seed fell upon the road; the birds came and gathered the seeds up. Others fell on the rock, and took no root in the soil nor did they sprout any ear up to heaven. And other seed fell on the thorns; the thorns choked the seed, and the worm ate them. And others fell on good soil, and brought forth good fruit, some sixty-fold and some a hundred and twenty-fold."

4 Then Yeshua said: "I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."

5 "To man this heaven shall pass away, and that which above it shall pass away; and they that are dead are not alive and they that live shall not die. In the days when you were eating that which is dead, you were making it alive."

6 "When you come in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you have become two, what will you do?"

7 The disciples then turned to Yeshua and said: "We know that you will leave us. Who is the one that should be the chief over us?"

8 Yeshua said to them: "In the place to which you come, you shall go to Ya'aqub. for whose sake heaven and earth came into being."

9 Then Yeshua said to his disciples: "Make a comparison to me, and tell me whom I am like."

10 Simon Kepa said to him: "You are like a righteous angel."

11 Mattai said to him: "You are like a wise man of understanding."

12 Toma said to him: "Master, I would not dare open my mouth to say what you bear a resemblance to."

13 Yeshua said: "I am not your master, because you have drunk, you have become drunk from the bubbling spring which I have measured out."

14 And he took Toma to the side in private and spoke three words to him: "ahyh ashr ahyh" hyha rsa hyha

15 Now when Toma came to his companions, they asked him: "What did Yeshua say to you?"

16 Toma said to them: "If I tell you even one of the words which he said to me, all of you would take up stones and throw them at me; and a fire will come out of the stones and destroy you."

Chapter 3

1 Yeshua said to his disciples: "If you fast, you will cause a sin for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do an evil to your spirits."

2 "And if you go into any land and travel in its regions, if they receive you, you shall eat what they set before you. Heal the sick among them. For that which goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which comes forth from your mouth, that is what will defile you."

3 Yeshua said: "When you see the one who was not born of woman, throw yourselves down upon your face and worship him. He is your Father."

4 Yeshua said: "Some men think that I have come to make peace upon the earth, and they do not know that I have come to make war upon the earth with fire and sword."

5 "For there shall be five in a house; there shall be three against two, and two against three, the father against the son and the son against the father, and they shall stand as solitaries."

6 Yeshua said to his disciples: "I will give you that which no eye has seen, an ear has not heard, and that which hands have not touched, and which has not entered into the heart of man."

7 Then the disciples said to Yeshua: "Tell us, Lord, how shall we die?"

8 Yeshua said: "Have you then discovered the beginning, that you seek after the end? For where the beginning is, there shall the end be."

9 "Blessed is he who shall stand in the beginning, and he shall know the end and shall not taste of death."

10 "Blessed is he who existed before he came into being."

11 "If you remain as my disciples and truly hear my words, these stones shall minister to you. For you have five trees in Paradise which do not move in summer or in winter, and their leaves do not fall. He who comes to understand this shall not taste of death."

12 Then the disciples said to Yeshua: "Tell us, Lord, what is the Kingdom of Heaven like?"

13 Yeshua said to them: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard-seed, smaller than all the other seeds; but when it falls on the earth which is tilled, it puts forth a great branch, and becomes shelter for the birds of heaven."

Chapter 4

1 Miryam said to Yeshua: "Tell us, whom are your disciples like?"

2 Yeshua said to them: "They are like little children living with a field which does not belong to them. When the owners of the field come, they will say to them: 'Give our field back to us.' They remove their clothing before them in order to give back to them their field, and they give it back to them."

3 "Therefore I say to you, If the master of the house knows that the thief is coming, he will keep watch before he comes, and will not let him dig into his house of his kingdom to carry off his vessels."

4 "All of you, then, shall be watchful over against the world. Gird up your loins with great strength, that the brigands may not find a way to come at you, since the advantage for which you look they will find. May there be among you a man of understanding!"

5 "When the fruit was ripe, he came quickly, his sickle in his hand, and reaped it. He that has ears to hear, let him hear."

6 Yeshua saw some infants nursing. And he said to his disciples: "These little ones that are nursing are like those who enter into the kingdom."

7 They said to him: "If we then be children, shall we enter the Kingdom?"

8 Then Yeshua said to them: "When all of you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside, and the outside as the inside, and the above as the lower; and when you make the male and the female as the same, so that the male is a male nor the female a female; when you make eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then shall you enter the Kingdom."

9 Yeshua said: "I shall choose all of you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand at rest as a single one."

10 Then his disciples said to him: "Teach us, Lord, showing us the place where you are, for we seek after it."

11 He said to them: "He that has ears, let him hear. There is a light within a man of light, and that light gives light to the whole world. If it does not give light, then that man is full of darkness."

12 Yeshua said: "Love your brother as your very own soul; watch after him as the apple of your eye."

13 Then Yeshua said: "The speck which is in the eye of your brother, you see; but the beam which is in your own eye, you do not see. When you remove the beam from your own eye, then you will see to remove the speck from the eye of your brother."

14 Then Yeshua said to his disciples: "If all of you do not abstain from the things of this world, you will not be able to find the Kingdom; if you do not keep the Sabbath as Sabbath, you will not see the Father."

Chapter 5

1 Yeshua said to his disciples: "I stood in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh. I found them all intoxicated; I found none among them thirsting; and my soul was afflicted for the sons of men, for they are blind in their heart and they do not see."

2 "For they came empty into the world, seeking also to leave empty from the world. But now they are intoxicated. When they have given away their wine, then will they repent."

3 Yeshua said: "If the flesh has come into being because of the spirit, it is amazing; but if the spirit has come into being because of the body, it is for a certainty an amazing thing. But as for me, I am amazed how this great wealth has come to dwell in this poverty."

4 Yeshua said to his disciples: "Where there are three divine beings, they are divine beings; where there are two or one, I am with him."

5 Yeshua said: "No prophet is able to endure (peaceably) in his own village; a physician does not heal those who know him."

6 Yeshua said: "A city that is built on a tall mountain and fortified cannot fall, nor can it remain hidden."

7 Yeshua said: "Whatever all of you shall hear with your ear, proclaim to the other ear on your roof-tops."

8 "For no man lights a lamp and sets it under a bushel basket, nor does he put it in a hidden place; but he sets it upon the lamp-stand, that all who go in and come out may see its light."

9 Yeshua said: "If a blind man leads another man who is blind, both will fall into a pit."

Chapter 6

1 Yeshua said to his disciples: "It is not possible for anyone to go into the house of a strong man and take it by force, unless he bind his hands; then he will be able to plunder his house."

2 Yeshua said: "None of you should be anxious from morning to evening and from evening to morning about what you shall wear."

3 Then his disciples said to him: "On what day will you be revealed to us, and on what day shall we see you?"

4 Yeshua said to them: "When you remove your clothes without being ashamed, and take your garments and lay them under your feet like little children, and tread upon them, then you shall see the Son of the living One, and you shall not fear."

5 Yeshua said: "Many times all of you have desired to hear these words which I now speak to you, and you have no one else to hear them from. Days will come when you will seek after me, and you will not be able to find me."

6 Yeshua said: "The Pharisees and the scribes have received the keys of knowledge; however, they have hidden them. They did not go in, and those who wanted to go in they did not allow. All of you, however, should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

7 Yeshua said: "A vine was planted outside (the will of) the Father, and since it is not established (in truth) it will be plucked up by its roots and destroyed."

8 Yeshua said: "He who has a little will be given more; and he who does not have anything, from him shall everything be taken, even the little that he might have." [Marginal note in the Dalin Text: "He who has little and makes it into more will be given even more; and he who does not have anything and does not attempt to make anything with it at all, from him shall everything be removed, even the little that he might possess."]

Revised version of Thomas O. Lambdin

1 Yeshua. said, "Become passers-by."

2 His disciples said to him, "Who are You, that You should say these things to us?"

[Yeshua said to them,] "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like the false teachers in Israel, for they (either) love the tree and hate its fruit or love the fruit and hate the tree."

3 Yeshua said, "Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."

4 Yeshua said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."

5 Yeshua said, "Among those born of women, from ’Adam until Yohanan the Baptist, there is no one so superior to Yohanan the Baptist that his eyes should not be lowered (before him). Yet I have said whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the Kingdom and will become superior to Yohanan."

6 Yeshua said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise he will honour the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wine-skins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result."

7 Yeshua said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away."

8 Yeshua said, "Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find the Kingdom. For you are from it, and to it you will return."

9 Yeshua said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established [itself] and became manifest through their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the Living Father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your father in you?', say to them, 'It is movement and repose.'"

10 His disciples said to Him, "When will the repose of the dead come about, and when will the new world come?"

He said to them, "What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize it."

11 His disciples said to Him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke in You."

He said to them, "You have omitted the one living in your presence and have spoken (only) of the dead."

12 His disciples said to Him, "Is circumcision beneficial or not?"

He said to them, "If it were beneficial, their father would beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become completely profitable." ¹

13 Yeshua said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven."

14 Yeshua said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot become a disciple to Me. And whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters and take up his cross in My way will not be worthy of Me."

15 Yeshua said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."

16 Yeshua said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who had [good] seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am afraid that you will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible, and they will be pulled up and burned."

17 Yeshua said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life."

18 Yeshua said, "Take heed of the Living One while you are alive, lest you die and seek to see Him and be unable to do so."

19 [They saw] a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea.

He said to his disciples, "(Why does) that man (carry) the lamb around?"

They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it."

He said to them, "While it is alive, he will not eat it, but only when he has killed it and it has become a corpse."

They said to him, "He cannot do so otherwise."

He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself within the Repose, lest you become a corpse and be eaten."

20 Yeshua said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and other will live."

Salomi said to him, "Who are You, man, that You, as though from the One, have come up on my couch and eaten from my table?"

Yeshua said to her, "I am He who exists from the Undivided. I was given some of the things of my Father."

[Salomi said,] "I am Your disciple."

[Yeshua said to her,] "Therefore I say, if he is [undivided], he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."

21 Yeshua said, "It is to those [who are worthy of My] mysteries that I tell My mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

22 Yeshua said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing. Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear."

23 Yeshua said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite guests. He went to the first one and said to him, "My master invites you.' He said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' He went to another and said, 'My master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a house and am required for the day. I shall not have any spare time.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'My friend is going to get married, and I am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused.' The servant returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the Places of My Father."

24 He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps [they] did not recognize [him].' He sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, 'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear."

25 Yeshua said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the cornerstone."

26 Yeshua said, "Whoever believes that the All itself is deficient is (himself) completely deficient."

27 Yeshua said, "Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted. Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no Place."

28 Yeshua said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the Father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."

29 Yeshua said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

30 Yeshua said, "I shall destroy [this] house, and no one will be able to rebuild it."

31 [A man said] to Him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me."

He said to him, "O man, who has made Me a divider?"

He turned to His disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?"

32 Yeshua said, "The harvest is great but the labourers are few. Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out labourers to the harvest."

33 He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the cistern."

34 Yeshua said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."

35 Yeshua said, "The kingdom of the Father is like a merchant who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys."

36 Yeshua said, "It is I who am the light which is above them all. It is I who am the All. From Me did the All come forth, and unto Me did the All extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find Me there."

37 Yeshua said, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your kings and your great men? Upon them are the fine [garments], and they are unable to discern the truth."

38 A woman from the crowd said to Him, "Blessed are the womb which bore You and the breasts which nourished You."

He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word of the Father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are the womb which has not conceived and the breasts which have not given milk.'"

39 Yeshua said, "He who has recognized the world has found the body, but he who has found the body is superior to the world."

40 Yeshua said, "Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him who possesses power renounce it."

41 Yeshua said, "He who is near Me is near the fire, and he who is far from Me is far from the Kingdom."

42 Yeshua said, "The images are manifest to man, but the light in them remains concealed in the image of the light of the Father. He will become manifest, but his image will remain concealed by his light."

43 Yeshua said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images which came into being before you, and which neither die not become manifest, how much you will have to bear!"

44 Yeshua said, "’Adam came into being from a great power and great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, [he would] not [have experienced] death."

45 Yeshua said, "[The foxes have their holes] and the birds have [their] nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head and rest."

46 Yeshua said, "Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a body, and wretched is the soul that is dependent on these two."

47 Yeshua said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give you those things you (already) have. And you too, give them those things which you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'"

48 Yeshua said, "Why do you wash only the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made he inside is the same one who made the outside?"

49 Yeshua said, "Come unto me, for My yoke is easy and My lordship is mild, and you will find repose for yourselves."

50 They said to Him, "Tell us who You are so that we may believe in You."

He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment."

51 Yeshua said, "Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked Me about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do not enquire after it."

52 [Yeshua said,] "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest they grind it [to bits]."

53 Yeshua [said], "He who seeks will find, and [he who knocks] will be let in."

54 [Yeshua said,] "If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give [it] to one from whom you will not get it back."

55 Yeshua [said], "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain woman. She took a little leaven, [concealed] it in some dough, and made it into large loaves. Let him who has ears hear."

56 Yeshua said, "The Kingdom of the [Father] is like a certain woman who was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking [on] a road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down and found it empty."

57 Yeshua said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he slew the powerful man."

58 The disciples said to Him, "Your brothers and Your mother are standing outside."

He said to them, "Those here who do the will of My Father are My brothers and My mother. It is they who will enter the Kingdom of My Father."

59 They showed Yeshua a gold coin and said to Him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us."

He said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and give Me what is Mine."

60 [Yeshua said,] "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to Me. And whoever does [not] love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a [disciple] to Me. For My mother [gave me falsehood], but [My] true [Mother] gave me life."

61 Yeshua said, "Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let the oxen eat."

62 Yeshua said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself before they invade."

63 They said [to Yeshua.], "Come, let us pray today and let us fast."

Yeshua. said, "What is the sin that I have committed, or wherein have I been defeated? But when the bridegroom leaves the bridal chamber, then let them fast and pray."

64 Yeshua said, "He who knows the father and the mother will be called the son of a harlot."

65 Yeshua said, "When you make the two one, you will become the sons of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will move away."

66 Yeshua said, "The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for you more than the ninety-nine.'"

67 Yeshua said, "He who will drink from my mouth will become like Me. I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will become revealed to him."

68 Yeshua said, "The Kingdom is like a man who had a [hidden] treasure in his field without knowing it. And [after] he died, he left it to his son. The son did not know (about the treasure). He inherited the field and sold [it]. And the one who bought it went ploughing and found the treasure. He began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished."

69 Yeshua said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world."

70 Yeshua said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your presence. And one who lives from the Living One will not see death." Does not Yeshua. say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to the world?"

71 Yeshua said, "Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe to the soul that depends on the flesh."

72 His disciples said to Him, "When will the Kingdom come?"

[Yeshua said,] "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is.' Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."

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Notes:

1 Marginal note: The talmidim asked him: "Of what benefit is circumcision to a non-Israelite?" Maran replied: "Fathers do not create children who are born already circumcised from their mothers. I tell you the truth; the spirit of circumcision is of benefit to man for entering into the Kingdom of God."