And if I speak in hypocrisy: let me burn with the wicked in fire!
“I adjure you my disciples: with adjurations that may not be loosed,
That my words be not set aside: that ye loose not my commandments.
Whoso lays me beneath the altar: he shall not see the Altar of heaven;
For it is not meet that foul stench: should be laid in the Holy Place;
Whoso has laid me within the temple: he shall not see the temple of the Kingdom.
“Take nought from me as memorial: my beloved, my brothers, my sons,
For as much as ye have a memorial: that which ye have heard of Jesus.
For if ye take aught from Ephraim: into reproach will Ephraim come;
For He, my Lord, will say unto me: ‘More than in Me they have trusted in thee,
For if they had relied on Me: they had not sought a memorial from thee.’
“Lay me not with the martyrs: for I am a sinner and unworthy,
And because of my unworthiness I fear: to be brought beside their bones;
For if stubble comes near to fire: it will scorch it, yea, devour it.
It is not that I hate their neigbourhood: because of mine unworthiness, I fear it.
“Whoso carries me on his fingers: may his hands be leprous as Gehazi!
On your shoulders carry me: and in haste conduct me [to the grave],
And as a mean man bury me: for I have worn out my days in sadness.
Why glorify ye me, O men: who before our Lord am ashamed?
And why give ye me [the name of] ‘Blessed’: who am disclosed in my works?
Should one show you my transgressions: ye would all of you spit in my face.
For if the stench of the sinner: could strike one that stood by him,
Ye would all of you flee away: from the loathsome stench of Ephraim.
“Whoso lays with me a pall: may he go forth into outer darkness!
And whoso has laid with me a shroud: may he be cast into Gehenna of fire!
In my coat and cowl shall ye bury me: for ornament beseems not the hateful,
Nor does praise profit the dead: who is laid and cast into the tomb.
“Arise, my brethren of Edessa: my lords and my sons and my fathers!
Bring whatsoever ye have vowed: to lay along with your brother,
Bring and set it before me: whatsoever ye my brethren have vowed.
While I have yet a little memory: let me set on it a price;
And let there be bought pure vessels: and let there be hired workmen therewith,
And distribution be made among the poor: the needy and them that are in want.
“Blessed is the city wherein ye dwell: Edessa, mother of the wise,
Which from the living mouth of the Son: was blessed by His Disciple.
This blessing shall abide in her: until the Holy One shall be revealed.
“Whoso withholds from me aught that he has vowed: shall die the death of Ananias,
Who sought to deceive the Apostles: and was stretched [dead] before their feet.
“Whoso carries before me a taper: may his fire be kindled beside him!
For to what end avails fire: for him whose fire is from himself?
For when the visible fire is kindled: in it is consumed the secret fire.
Sufficient for me is the pain without: add ye not to me that which is within.
“Lay me not with sweet spices: for this honour avails me not;
Nor yet incense and perfumes: for the honour benefits me not.
Burn sweet spices in the Holy Place: and me, even me, conduct to the grave with prayer.