Nisibene Hymns

¹ Come, let us hear how they contend for victory: the guilty ones who never have conquered, nor will conquer.— 2. Death said unto the Evil One, In the end the victory is mine: for Death is master of the close, as a conqueror.— 3. Satan, This were to be Death indeed, were you able: to bring to death a living man, by means of lusts.— 4. D., Lo! I who behold the dead, both good and bad: the righteous who despise you, O Evil One, me they despise not.— 5. S., This dying of the body, is sleep for a time: think not, O Death, that you are Death, who art as a shadow.— 6. D., You, O Evil One, the just have conquered, yea will conquer: but these that have conquered you, lo!

I conquer.— 7. S., Even this that you bring to death the just, is not of yourself: because of Adam whom I conquered, they drink this cup.— 8. D., Lo! Sheol is full of the men of Sodom, and the Assyrians: and the giants who were in the flood, who is like me?— 9. S., These, O Death, all of them, by me were slain: I am he that caused them to sin so that they perished.— 10. D., Joseph who conquered you I conquered, O Satan: in the chamber he conquered you but I conquered, and cast him into the tomb.— 11. S., Moses who conquered you, O Death, by sprinkling of blood: he conquered you in Egypt, but at the rock, who conquered him?— 12. D., Elijah who feared you not, O Satan: fled before Jezebel's face, because he feared me.— 13. S., Aaron who withstood you, O Death, with smoke of incense: to him I gave earrings of gold: and he fashioned a calf.— 14. D., You went down to contend with Job, and he conquered you and came up: but I, after he had conquered you, then conquered him.— 15. S., David who by his sackcloth stayed that pestilence: him on the house-top I conquered, who had conquered Goliath.— 16. D., Jehu who destroyed the house of Baal, the temple of the Evil One: was unable to destroy Sheol, the stronghold of my realm.— 17. S., Solomon who snatched from your mouth, a child by his judgment: him in his old age I made a builder of idol-altars.— 18. D., Samuel who in respect of gold scorned you, O Satan: him I conquered, the conqueror, who conquered bribes.— 19. S., Samson who in respect of the lion's cub, scorned you, O Death: through Delilah, frail vessel, I yoked him to the mill.— 20. D., Josiah from his childhood despised you, Evil One: but me not even in his old age, could he withstand.— 21. S., Hezekiah withstood you, Death, when he overcame the bound of life: I misled him and he neglected the miracle, and showed his treasures.— 22. D., John who conquered you, Evil One, and absolved and baptized: I extinguished that torch, which had disclosed you.— 23. S., Simon overcame you, when he brought to life that blessed woman: in a woman he overcame you and by a woman I overcame him and made him deny.— 24. S., Apostles and prophets with one voice, curse you, O Death: “Where is the victory of Death, and the sting of Sheol?”— 25. Your Lord in Sheol you have shut up, O cursed servant: God hates you and also man, hold then your peace.— 26. S., It was the will of Him who gives life to all, that shut him in Sheol: it was you that called Him to this, when you made Adam sin.— 27. O comrade of Nabal who in the wilderness reproached his lord: abhorred be your mouth which said to Him, “Fall down and worship me!”