GOSPEL OF THOMAS

GREEK TEXT B

The Writing of the holy Apostle Thomas concerning the conversation of the Lord in his childhood.

I. I, Thomas the Israelite, have thought it needful to make known unto all the brethren that are of the
Gentiles the mighty works of childhood which our Lord Jesus Christ wrought when he was
conversant in the body, and came unto the city of Nazareth in the fifth year of his age.

II. 1 On a certain day when there had fallen a shower of rain he went forth of the house where his
mother was and played upon the ground where the waters were running: and he made pools, and the
waters flowed down, and the pools were filled with water. Then saith he: I will that ye become clean
and wholesome waters. And straightway they did so. 2 But a certain son of Annas the scribe passed
by bearing a branch of willow, and he overthrew the pools with the branch, and the waters were
poured out. And Jesus turned about and said unto him: O ungodly and disobedient one, what hurt
have the pools done thee that thou hast emptied them? Thou shalt not finish thy course, and thou
shalt be withered up even as the branch which thou hast in hand. 3 And he went on, and after a little
he fell and gave up the ghost. And when the young children that played with him saw it, they
marvelled and departed and told the father of him that was dead. And he ran and found the child
dead, and went and accused Joseph.

III. 1 Now Jesus made of that clay twelve sparrows: and it was the Sabbath day. And a child ran and
told Joseph, saying: Behold, thy child playeth about the brook, and hath made sparrows of the clay,
which is not lawful. 2 And he when he heard it went and said to the child: Wherefore doest thou so
and profaneth the Sabbath? But Jesus answered him not, but looked upon the sparrows and said: Go
ye, take your flight, and remember me in your life. And at the word they took flight and went up into
the air. And when Joseph saw it he was astonished.

IV. 1 And after certain days, as Jesus passed through the midst of the city, a certain child cast a stone
at him and smote his shoulder. And Jesus said unto him: Thou shalt not finish thy course. And
straightway he also fell down and died. And they that were there were amazed, saying: From whence
is this child, that every word which he speaketh becometh a perfect work? 2 But they also departed
and accused Joseph, saying: Thou wilt not be able to dwell with us in this city: but if thou wilt, teach
thy child to bless and not to curse: for verily he slayeth our children: and every thing that he saith
becometh a perfect work.

V. And as Joseph sat upon his seat, the child stood before him; and he took hold upon his ear and
pinched it sore. But Jesus looked upon him earnestly and said: It sufficeth thee.

VI. 1 And on the morrow he took him by the hand and led him to a certain teacher, Zacchaeus by
name, and said unto him: Take this child, O master, and teach him letters. And the other said: Deliver

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 him unto me, my brother, and I will teach him the scripture, and I will persuade him to bless all men
and not to curse them. 2 And when Jesus heard that he laughed and said unto them: Ye speak that ye
know, but I have knowledge more than you, for I am before the worlds. And I know when the fathers
of your fathers were begotten, and I know how many are the years of your life. And every one that
heard it was amazed. 3 And again saith Jesus unto them: Marvel ye because I said unto you that I
know how many are the years of your life? Of a truth I know when the world was created. Behold,
now ye believe me not: when ye shall see my cross then will ye believe that I speak truth. And they
were astonished when they heard all these things.

VII. 1 Now Zacchaeus wrote the alphabet in Hebrew, and saith unto him: Alpha. And the young
child said: Alpha. And again the master said: Alpha, and the young child likewise. Then again the
third time the master said: Alpha. Then Jesus looked upon the teacher and said: Thou that knowest
not the Alpha, how canst thou teach another the Beta? And the child beginning at the Alpha said of
his own accord the two and twenty letters. 2 And thereafter saith he: Hear, O master the ordinance of
the first letter, and know how many incomings and lines it hath, and marks, common, going apart,
and coming together. And when Zacchaeus heard such designations of the one letter he was amazed
and had nothing to answer; and turning about he said unto Joseph: My brother, this child is of a truth
not earthly born: take him away therefore from me.

VIII. 1 And after these things one day Jesus was playing with other boys upon the top of an house of
two stories. And one child was pushed down by another and thrown down to the ground and died.
And the boys which were playing with him, when they saw it, fled, and Jesus was left alone standing
upon the roof whence the boy was thrown down. 2 And when the parents of the boy that was dead
heard of it they ran weeping, and when they found the boy lying dead upon the earth and Jesus
standing alone, they supposed that the boy had been thrown down by him, and they looked upon him
and reviled him. 3 But Jesus, seeing that, leaped down straightway from the upper story and stood at
the head of him that was dead and saith to him: Zeno, did I cast thee down? Arise and tell. For so
was the boy called. And with the word the boy rose up and worshipped Jesus and said: Lord, thou
didst not cast me down, but when I was dead thou didst make me alive.

IX. 1 And a few days after one of the neighbours was cleaving wood and did cut off the sole of his
foot with the axe, and by loss of blood was at the point to die. 2 And much people ran together and
Jesus came thither with them. 3 And he took hold on the foot of the young man that was smitten, and
healed him forthwith, and saith unto him: Arise, cleave thy wood. And he arose and worshipped him,
giving thanks, and cleft the wood. Likewise also all they that were there marvelled and gave thanks
unto him.

X. Now when he was six years old, Mary his mother sent him to fetch water from the spring: and as
he went his pitcher was broken. And he went to the spring and spread out his upper garment and
drew water out of the spring and filled it and took it and brought back the water to his mother. And
when she saw it, was amazed and embraced him and kissed him.

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 XI. 1 And when he came to the eighth year of his age Joseph was required by a certain rich man to
build him a bed, for he was a carpenter. And he went forth into the field to gather wood, and Jesus
also went with him. And he cut two beams of wood and wrought them with the axe, and set one
beside the other and measured and found it too short; and when he saw that he was vexed and sought
to find another. 2 But Jesus seeing it saith unto him: Set these two together so that the ends of both
be even. And Joseph, though he was perplexed concerning this, what the child should mean, did that
which was commanded. And he saith again unto him: Take firm hold of the short beam. And Joseph
took hold on it, marvelling. Then Jesus also took hold of the other end and pulled the [other] end
thereof and made it also equal to the other beam, and saith unto Joseph: Be no more vexed, but do
thy work without hindrance. And he when he saw it was exceedingly amazed and said within
himself: Blessed am I for that God hath given me such a son. 3 And when they departed into the city
Joseph told it to Mary, and she when she heard and saw the wonderful mighty works of her son
rejoiced, glorifying him with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and for ever and world without end.
Amen.

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