Before the world was nothing. 2 It had no form. There was nothing to reap from it, and there was no place to sow seed. 3 There was no rain, there was no storm, and there was no god. 4 There were no seas and there were no rivers, 5 for there was no flowing water that gave life to anything. And there was no life, neither was their death. 6 For the two must go hand and hand, 7 and there was no room for either in this formless earth. 8 Though there was the holy light from the heavens there too was the dark light from the ceaseless void. 9 Because there was no god to rule, and there was nothing to rule, there was no need for a god. 10 The heavens were the god of this earth, a god that was harsh and cruel. 11 The heavens had no ruler. 12 This cosmic wasteland was the bane of the stars. 13 The seed of man had not yet been sown, 14 for there was no land for it to be sown upon. 15 The barren light of the heavens and the unending light from the void clashed with one another until they began to dance. 16 The river of the heavens and the river of the void formed into the river of the Nile. 17 And from these two came the life of the earth, a cruel and disgusting creature that was obscured by the heavenly light that was cast down. 18 And the heavens looked down upon the creature that was formed from their intervention and said that they did not claim the disgusting beast. 19 The creature crawled across the earth and was the slime of the ground. 20 The creature was not forgiven for its creation; 21 the creature did not ask for its birth, and yet it had been brought into a world that hated it. 22 And the god of the void looked at the creature and instead of pushing it away it accepted it. 23 The heavens that called themselves holy made the creature as though it was a pitiful orphan, but the void became the house in which the orphan could rest. 24 For then the heavens were married to the void; 25 the heavens were its bride, and the heavens were the voids groom. 26 They were one, and yet they were separate in their own mind. 27 The two were confined to their own spaces and kingdoms, 28 but they were one in the same. 29 And the heavens adopted the creature that the void had accepted and that they had once betrayed, 30 for at this time the creature was the child of the void. 31 The void spoke with the heavens, and the two argued, 32 and yet they were meant to be loving towards one another. 33 The void gave love to the heavens; the heavens betrayed this love and did not accept it. 34 The void kept its child and harbored it in its darkest corners, for there the child could not be harmed by the spiteful heavens. 35 And the child became the scourge of the heavens, and the void named the child Khata. 36 And the heavens and the void gave birth to another child; 37 when the light from the heavens touched the light from the void the two converged, 38 and so it created the bastard child of the both. 39 The heavens gave this new child the name Yaldabaoth, and the void looked at the child and told the heavens that it was upsetting. 40 The heavens were enraged with the void; the heavens sent the void into a torment of chaos. 41 The void stayed married to the heavens and the heavens stayed married to it. 42 Yaldabaoth, which was the new child of the two lights, was born with a twisted mind. 43 He did not see the disgusting earth that his parents saw, and instead he saw a world of beautiful things. 44 When the heavens gave Yaldabaoth his name he rejected it; he gave himself the name Yahweh instead.

The void gave Yaldabaoth the title of false god. 2 Yaldabaoth had rejected the name that he was given by his parents, and in doing so he removed the title of god from his name. 3 Yaldabaoth, who was then known as Yahweh, 4 looked at his brother, Khata, who was formless and a child. 5 Yaldabaoth saw his brother as an equal and began to love him, for he knew that the heavens did not love his brother. 6 The void did not have the ability to raise Khata, so Yaldabaoth trained the young and formless Khata. 7 Khata accepted this love from his brother, Yahweh, 8 and from this Khata began to learn about his parents from Yaldabaoth. 9 And while Yahweh raised the child Khata, his parents gave birth to the twin gods Milcamoth and Yawgmoth. 10 Yawgmoth became the god of little faith, while Milcamoth was the god of the cosmic dead. 11 Milcamoth and Yawgmoth were bound to the body of Yaldabaoth, and they became the trinity of the dead. 12 As Khata watched on he witnessed the rise and fall of his three brothers.

I come to you bearing the words of the greater god Yaldabaoth; 2 he is the one that has clothed himself in living color and given himself the name of Yahweh. 3 He is the one that has turned from a storm god and become the king of this earth. 4 And he has given us form and reason, and with this reason we can observe the forms that we have been given. 5 We were once but formless clay that was in the resting bottom, 6 but Yaldabaoth, he who is to be referred to as Yahweh, 7 took up that clay and with it he formed golems. 8 We have been kept inside these new forms, the clay golems that were fired with his breath. 9 He has wrapped himself with the snake of binding, 10 and he wears the face of a lion like a mask so that we can not peer into the glory that he holds behind it. 11 From the heavens he looks down upon us. 12 I have heard many call him a demon, a malevolent evil that has fallen from grace and now waits to be able to twist the words of all men and harm their minds. 13 But these men who say these things know nothing of the truth, and they do not know of Yahweh. 14 They do not know of the warrior god of truth, of the storm god of truth. 15 All of the gods still walk these stars, 16 and Yaldabaoth has titled himself Yahweh so that he is accepted by many tribes. 17 He is not to be called holy, but instead he is to be called righteous; for the holy is not the righteous, and the righteous is not the holy. 18 It is true that all things are to be judged by him, 19 however his rulings will be confusing to the men who have little minds. 20 Milcamoth and Yawgmoth, the tyrant brothers of Yaldabaoth, the ones that he overcame and killed with his hands. 21 They were the raging gods, and they were struck down from their thrones by the storm god. 22 And with the storm came the beauty of this earth, 23 where all things were revealed. 24 For Milcamoth and Yawgmoth brought confusing and twisted knowledge to mankind that they had never heard before. 25 They were the ones that were the hands that brought for the writing of that ancient book. 26 I say to you, however, that they were not the ones who wished for it to be written. 27 Instead, they were the ones that brought the knowledge that was kept within it down to humanity.

And before these brotherly gods were dethroned it is not to say that they were ones that brought great wisdom; 2 as it is true that after humanity spread amongst the earth like a plague, 3 it was not them who brought the wisdom that brought these men the great abilities that they had. 4 Instead, it was them who brought the cursed wisdom. 5 Truly, it was them who brought the toxic wisdom that prolonged the doom of mankind. 6 And because of their doom that they were given by the expansion of their already twisted wisdom, 7 the second child of the void and the heavens was forced to take away the crowns from his own brothers. 8 Even though many more children came from these heavens and the void, 9 none were as ravenous as the twin gods, the hellish spawn of the two lights. 10 The twin gods bore no resemblance to their own parents, and because of this they were sent out of the cosmos so that they could not stand next to them any longer. 11 Though humanity roamed about the earth, it was still potent. 12 For the seas that had been born from the Nile were still potent, 13 and the savage storms that swept across it were never ending. 14 And the two gods, the heavens and the void, saw that this is how the world was. 15 And as Yaldabaoth grew older, he began to spite his own parents. 16 With this spite grew anger, and this anger turned into evil and dark hatred for his parents. 17 From this he bore the light of the world and the flame of the world, and then with this he consumed his own parents 18 and the world was formed into a new cruel world; 19 though it was beautiful it was hateful, and though it was beautiful it was harsh to those who reaped from its soil. 20 The rains of the earth were cursed from the Yaldabaoth consumption and thus if any man were to sow the soil with the rain of the skies he would be faced with the curse of Khata. 21 Yaldabaoth became consumed by this toxic wisdom that was taught to humanity. 22 While humanity formed its own tribes, 23 Yaldabaoth was eaten away by this wisdom-bound plague. 24 In his confusion he dethroned his own brother, Khata, and Khata became bound within the toxic wisdom that now came from even the mouths of men, for all the men that knew of it spoke it to their children, and their children went on to speak it as well. 25 Yaldabaoth, now a slithering entity, became the only god of mankind. 26 And he came down to mankind in a form that they could understand, so then humanity saw him as the god of storms, and they called him as such. 27 Yaldabaoth told him his name was Yahweh; 28 the men of toxic wisdom sang the praise of Yahweh. 29 They built altars to him and gave him sacrifices. 30 Their minds were so corrupted by this toxic wisdom that they even killed their own kin. 31 Yaldabaoth was confused in his own mind, entrapped in the halls of his thoughts. 32 All of the things that he said to these men were born from his confusion and they were tainted by toxic wisdom. 33 Humanity spread across the earth, just as it was made to do, 34 and as they spread they warred with each other. No longer could Yaldabaoth keep the minds of mankind as one, so he was forced to separate their thoughts. 35 None of them could agree and they hated each other. 36 Many men began to worship other gods that they had made on their own accord, so Yaldabaoth told those who did this that they would be cursed. 37 And the men continued to worship these false gods. 38 Many men accused Yaldabaoth of being a false god, and they told the worshippers and priests of Yaldabaoth that they were liars. 39 The priests of Yaldabaoth often prayed to Yaldabaoth, asking him for guidance and help in their time of need. 40 But Yaldabaoth was corrupted by the toxic wisdom, and he could not guide them as he once wished he could. 41 As Yaldabaoth reached out his hand to help his own people, he fell apart and slowly lost the power that he once held. 42 Mankind built a great tower so that they could climb to its top and find Yaldabaoth. 43 They wished to prove that he existed and that he was not a lie that had been conjured up by men, 44 and as they did this they eventually built all the way past the clouds. 45 But as Yaldabaoth was sick, he threw out his hand, attempting to reach the hand of the priests that had climbed to the top of the tower, and with that hand he struck down the tower. 46 He wished not to do so, but the tower was in ruin. 47 And from his mouth came out more toxic wisdom, and it confused the minds of the men that were at the bottom of the tower to the point that they could not understand each other. 48 Those that could understand each other grouped together and spread into the rest of the earth, and the few that were worshippers of Yaldabaoth continued to worship him.

Because Yaldabaoth had lost the name of his brother, he had lost his mind. 2 He became a vengeful god that spited all that was created. 3 Yet he still guided the worshippers that stood at his feet. 4 All of his efforts were in vain, and they were put into slavery many times. 5 They were imprisoned by many of the same men that helped them in building the tower. 6 While all of the other groups of mankind that had formed throughout the earth made names for themselves and they had glorious kingdoms that challenged even the kingdoms of the stars, the men of Yaldabaoth (who still called him Yahweh) did not have their own kingdom. 7 And because Yaldabaoth found it harder to directly speak to what he called his “children”, they asked him if he could give them kings that could rule under him. 8 Yaldabaoth did so, and he created the first king of Yahweh, whom he named Moses. 9 And Moses was ignorant in his words. 10 He could not speak well, and he also was foolish. 11 Everything that he did was against Yaldabaoth, for he could not understand the corrupt talk of Yaldabaoth. 12 As Moses led these people of Yaldabaoth, they became confused. 13 Whom they called Yahweh not only was enraged with them, but he also was enraged with the king that he had put into power. 14 Yahweh was once known as the storm god, but now that he was the god of everything to his followers, he was fully tainted by the spreading of toxic wisdom. 15 And the dead yet rise. 16 All of the corruption that had now spread throughout the earth was eating away at the other kingdoms. 17 These kingdoms did not see this, for instead they continued onward in their endeavors. 18 They benefited from the toxic wisdom that plagued their flesh and their vision. 19 And the sleeping corpses of the twin gods, who were killed upon their own thrones by their brother, 20 still laid in wake. The demons of old lay in dreamless sleep. 21 And when the kingdom of Babylon fell they awoke from their dead slumber.

Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or by speeches with which he can do no good? 2 Yes, you cast off your fear, and restrain prayer before Yaldabaoth. 3 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. 4 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes your own lips testify against you? 5 Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills? Have you heard the counsel of Yaldabaoth? 6 Do you limit wisdom to yourself? What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not us? 7 And so do you pray to the king of the east, to the demon of the east, Auryens? 8 Do you listen to the call of the wind? 9 What you do is foolish; you pray not to Yaldabaoth, but instead you pray to the sea. 10 You pray to the false god that has masked himself within the waters. 11 What is a man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? 12 Were you born of a woman, or were you crafted by demons? 13 What wise men have told, not hiding anything received from their fathers, to whom alone the land was given, and no land passed among them: 14 the wicked man writhes with pain all his days, 15 and he knows no peace. 16 And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor, dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer comes upon him. 17 You know of the trinity of death, and you too know then of the destroyer. 18 And all men, enjoyers of toxic wisdom, have fallen from the grace that they were once born with. 19 Though he has covered his face with his fatness, and made his waist heavy with fat, 20 he dwells in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabits, which are destined to become ruins. 21 He is foolish, and he will not be rich. Nor will his wealth continue, nor will his possessions overspread the earth. 22 For though his skin has been tanned by the glorious sun, he still drinks the water that comes from the rain. 23 He will not depart from darkness: the flame will dry out his branches. 24 And by the breath of Yaldabaoth’s mouth he will go away. 25 Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself. 26 Let him not be an ignorant fool. 27 It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not be green. 28 He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, and cast off his blossom like an olive tree. 29 He will forget what has come before him. 30 With his evils he will fatten himself so that no man will be able to recognize him. 31 And he will become a scourge against the earth. 32 It is to be that these words will be stripped from this writing. 33 These words will be misread, and in doing so many will become ignorant of the knowledge that the words once held. 34 They will be misheard; there is nothing that can be done to prevent this, for it is in the will of Yaldabaoth.

Yaldabaoth calls all men fools, and he himself continues to be a fool. 2 Why indulge in your toxic wisdom and the love that you have conjured up for yourself and not others when the gods will spite you no less? 3 My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, the grave is ready for me, are not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their provocation? 4 I am disgusted with myself. Why should I praise my own flesh when it is the thing that is turning me into this monstrosity? 5 I have been given flesh in true form and now I see that I must rebuke it. 6 Denying my flesh will only allow my mind and soul to flower into something that I can not see in this life, 7 but something that is greater than my current form. 8 I see that this is only wishful thinking. 9 In no faith, in no teaching, in no mind, in no flesh, and in no disgusting body will any man ever be able to transform into something greater. 10 Humans like I were not created for ascension into godhood. 11 Though many men have been called gods and thus become false gods that rebuke the name of the ignorant Yaldabaoth, 12 they themselves are not gods. 13 For achieving godhood is painful. 14 The form is contorted beyond complexity, 15 and the fair lamb becomes a mighty dragon. 16 The corrupting force of a dead god is beyond the mind of the meak. 17 No man can become a god; instead, he can only become a dead god. 18 He can only become what he thinks is a god, a terrible reflection of the proclaimed “holy”. 19 What is this, then, that a creature feels when they are praised by many? Is it pride? 20 Of course it is, what else could it be? But it is not godly pride, and instead it is the corrupting pride that is born from toxic wisdom and the corruption of this damned world. 21 My taste is turned bitter by my observations of my kin. 22 And I myself am not to be a hypocrite, as I know of my flesh. 23 I know of the feral blood that goes throughout my body. 24 I know that I too am doomed from becoming a god just as the rest of humanity. 25 So, why then do I write these things that do nothing but toil in these evils? 26 Because my mind and my blood craves it. 27 It craves the damning knowledge of the corrupted. 28 What is a corpse angel but the god of nothing? 29 What is a dead god but nothing to its followers? 30 If the dead god does not speak, then there is no reason for him to have followers. 31 And Yaldabaoath is but a dead god; though he still lives, he is not to be worshipped. 32 Against his will he has betrayed what he once taught. 33 He has been corrupted by the other dead gods, and so he has continued the cycle in the creation of such beings that continue this spread of toxic wisdom throughout humanity and all of civilization. 34 From my hands spills out this flame. 35 From my mouth come these terrible words. 36 All of my followers, those who have tried to call me a god, are the ones that will have to face death one day as well. 37 No god, whether real or false, can live forever. 38 Death is the only god to mankind.

What of the flesh of a man, for does it rot and does it toil? 2 The skin of the hands of a man breaks in their work, for they work in the fields and they pull up stone and rock. 3 If they did not do this, then the soil would be full of stones, and there would be no crop that would grow within it. And the man will cut away at the weeds so that they do not choke out the seed that he puts into the earth and that he sows with his hands. 4 But the weeds will return, and they will grow and they will ruin the soil. 5 So the man looks for good soil, soil that is fertile and soil that will provide for the seed that he sows into the earth. 6 In this way, the man knows what soil is good and he knows what soil is bad, and he knows what soil will provide for his seed and he knows what soil will not provide for his seed. 7 The earth was created by the Lord, but the Lord is wicked. 8 And because of this, the earth was created by a wicked God. For the discussion of such a God comes to the name of the demiurge, who is Yaldabaoth, and who has enslaved humanity upon the earth so that they may not be free from the chains of the earth. 8 But because the man knows what soil is good, he knows what soil to plant his seed within, and because he knows what soil to plant his seed within, he knows the path to enlightenment. 9 So then because of this he knows the path to the gaining of wisdom, so that he may be cleared of the mind and so that he may be enlightened through his heart and through his mind, 10 for enlightenment of the mind is what leads to freedom of the soul. 11 For wisdom will be a lamp unto his feet, and he shall awaken from the dust, for from the dust he has came and from the dust he will soon return. 12 But it is not these things that hold him back from the creation of the earth, and it is not these things that hold him within the chamber of silence that is the earth; 13 for it is the God above, and the archons of the earth, all that which hold him down on this earth and keep him steady. So the above may surely one day cast down his burdens onto the earth so that humanity must put them upon their own shoulders. 14 And in doing so he will enslave humanity to his own burdens, and though humanity has called him Yahweh they will call. So it is true that when they call him Yaldaboath they will tear off the sashes that they keep about themselves, 15 and they will be enlightened to the truth of the ages.