His uthras rose up and gave him advice and spoke to him:
“Grant us to call forth a world and establish škina for you, which shall be named as yours.”
And the Second gave them some of his radiance and his light and some of that which the Life gave him.
He gave them some of his radiance and ordered them to call forth a world.
The sons of the Second arose, they went and descended to the Place of Darkness.
They called forth Ptahil-Uthra, they called him forth and set him in his place.
They called forth the “sons of perfection” and set them on their thrones.
They called forth and created the škinas and created uthras in them.
They arrived at the streams, they saw and beheld the Place of Darkness.
B’haq-Ziwa shone by himself, and he held himself to be a mighty one.
He held himself to be a mighty one and abandoned the name that his father had
called him by. And he spoke:
“I am the father of the uthras.”
The father of the uthras am I, I made skinas for the uthras.’
He pondered over the turbid water and said: ‘I shall call forth a world.’
He took no advice and did not perceive the turbid water.
He called Ptahil-Uthra, embraced him, and kissed him like a mighty one.
He bestowed names on him, which are hidden and protected in their place.
He gave him the name “Gabriel, the Messenger," he called him, gave command, and spoke to him:
“Arise, go, descend to the place where there are no škinas or worlds. Call forth and create a world for yourself, just like the sons of perfection, whom you saw. Set up and establish a world, establish a world for yourself and make uthras in it.”
The father of the uthras in his greatness told him nothing about the adversaries, he neither armed him nor instructed him.
Ptahil-Uthra rose up, he went out and descended below the škinas, to the place where there is no world.
He trod in the filthy mud, he entered the turbid water.
He spoke with his voice, as the living fire in him changed.
When the living fire in him changed, he was troubled in his heart and said:
“Since I am a son of the Great One, why has the living fire in me changed?”
When Ptahil said this, Ruha took heart.
Ruha took heart, she herself became arrogant.
She spoke:
“His radiance has changed, his radiance has become deficient and imperfect.”
She arose, destroyed her property, and clothed herself in a capacious robe.
She changed her spirit into arrogance, she conducted herself, as she was not.
She spoke to the ’warrior, the foolish one who has no sense or understanding.
She spoke to him:
“Arise, see how the radiance of the alien Man has diminished, how his radiance has become deficient and imperfect. Arise, sleep with your mother, and you will be released from the chain which binds you, which is stronger than all the world.”
When the evil one heard this he trembled in his bones.
He slept with Ruha, and she conceived seven forms by the one act.
After seven days she was in labor and brought forth the despicable ones.
She gave birth to the Seven Planets from which seven forms emanated.
When she caught sight of them, her heart fell down from its support.
Ptahil washed his hands in the turbid water and spoke:
“May an earth come into being as it did in the house of the mighty ones.”
When he immersed his hands solidification took place.
A solidification took place, which was thrown down and ran here and there, as though there were no solidification.
When no earth came into being and solidified, his heart was torn with discord.
When his heart was torn with discord, Ruha again took heart, and she spoke:
“I will get up and destroy my property, I will go to the king of the world.”
She spoke to him:
“Rise, great monster, rise, behold, the whole world is yours! “
"I am your sister! if you sleep with me, your strength shall be doubled.”
When he slept with her, she conceived twelve monsters by the one act.
She conceived twelve monsters by him, none of which was good for anything.
After twelve days Ruha was in travail.
She was in labor and gave birth to twelve forms, none of which resembled any other.
They did not resemble one another, and each one rose on the other’s lap.
Ptahil stood engrossed in thought, engrossed in thought Ptahil stood and cried;
“I shall leave the world.”
When Ruha heard, her heart righted itself again on its support, and she spoke:
“The alien is no match for me, the alien has no more power in the world.”
She prepared to go, destroyed her property, and went to the source of the Place of Darkness.
She spoke to the base warrior, who is without hands and feet:
“Rise, my father, behold: I am your daughter. Embrace me, kiss me, and sleep with me.”
He kissed her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
She conceived five scoundrels by him, who disavowed one another.
They disavowed one another and practiced anything that was unworthy and ugly.
She was in labor and gave birth to five forms, none of which resembled any other.
None resembled the other, and they stumbled over one another.
Through them imperfection came into being with which the worlds are unable to cope.
Ptahil pondered in his mind he conferred in his wisdom and said:
“I shall get ready, fall at the feet of the Life, and cast myself before the Great Life. I long to put on a clothing of living fire, and walk in the turbid water. In the turbid water I shall walk and indicate all that shall take place.”
When Ptahil in the wisdom which he devised, had fallen down and praised the Life, he received a garment of living fire and walked in the turbid water.
When the living fire intermingled with the turbid water, at the aroma of the clothing of living fire dust ascended from the earth Siniawis.
Dust flew up from the earth Siniawis and dispersed in all directions.
All the seas were stopped up, and all the mines were filled.
Dryness came into being, and solidification took place and fell into the water.
A curtain was raised, ascended, and was installed in the heart of the sky.
When the firmament was spanned out Ptahil fell down and praised the man, his planter.
When he saw the lofty throne he rejoiced, and his heart was glad.
He seized the navel of the earth and tried to bind it to the heart of the sky.
When he attempted to seize the navel of the earth the “perishable ones” surrounded him.
The basket of the cunning ones surrounded him, which is full of false “wisdom.”
It is full of delusions, and redolent of false “wisdom.”
How full it is of delusions, a woman’s market basket of witchcraft!
The seven Planets encircled him and the twelve good-for-nothing monsters.
Atarpan and Lufan encircled him, the two princes of the world, Urpel and Marpel, who have dominion over anger in the TibiI.
They encircled the great dragon, ascended, and were installed in the vault.
When he seized the navel of the earth, took it up, and pinned it to the vault, when he seized the lofty circle of the firmament, took it up, and fixed it to his throne, then the seven Planets were bound they ascended, and took their place-in the vault.
The twelve monsters took up position; they were bound in their thongs.
As for their five leaders, they wailed: “Alas, alas.”
Ptahil sits there in his wisdom and asks them severally:
“Where do you come from, you wicked, you whose form is not from the father’s house?”
When he said this to them, Ruha answered him from below:
“We come wishing to be your servants, we would approach and be your helpers. We would be your helpers in everything you do, and leave you on your throne in peace. On your throne we would leave you in peace, we would approach and maintain order in the world. We would be good and be completely devoted to you.”
When the seven planets had thus spoken he said to them:
“You are my sons! If you perform good deeds then I will reckon you on my side!”
When Ptahil said this, his house was taken (away) from him.
His house was taken from him, and the “perishable ones” gained dominion over it, as before the firmament was spanned out and the earth had become compact by solidification.
When Ptahil spoke thus, Ruha searched into her “wisdom” and said:
“I shall call forth hmurthas and astartes, who shall be my children in the world. The planets and their demons shall rise up in opposition. The monsters and devs shall rise up and we shall disorganize the whole world. The five masters of the house shall rise up and wage war.”
When Ptahil beheld them, he shone in his wisdom.
He clenched his fist and beat upon the forecourts of his breast and said:
“Before I enter the father’s house, I shall appoint a master over this world. The masters of the house do not know that this world has a master.”
When I, Ptahil, was formed and came into being, I came into being from the source of the great radiance.
When my father considered and called me forth, he called me forth from the source of radiance.
He clothed me in a robe of radiance and wrapped me in a covering of light.
He gave me a great crown by whose radiance the worlds shine.
He spoke:
“0 son, arise, go and betake yourself to the Tibil earth and make a solidification in the black waters. Solidify the Tibil earth and disperse jordans and canals in it.”
I set off and came as far as the boundary of the Tibil earth.
My eyes were filled with black waters.
Up to my knees I stood in the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
Up to my thighs I stood in the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
Up to my first mouth I stood in the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
Up to my last mouth I stood in the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
I pronounced the name of the Life and of Manda d’Haiye over the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
Some of the seven garments of radiance, light, and glory, which my father gave to me, I cast upon the waters, but the waters did not solidify.
I rose up out of the black waters and presented myself before Abathur.
I went to my father Abathur, to speak to him about the mysteries of this world.
When Abathur saw me, he questioned me.
He said:
“The world which you called forth, what is it like, and your works, how have you set them up in it?”
Then I answered my father and said;
“You sent me to the world, a foul stanch, which has no ray of light, to the waters, which consume each other, and will not accept the name of the Life.”
When I had thus spoken to my father Abathur, he rose up to pray and to praise.
To pray and to praise he rose up, he prostrated himself and rendered full praise to the Life.
He ascended to the Life, his father, to speak to him concerning the works of this world.
He called Hibil-Ziwa and sent him to the flank of the stallion and from him he took the solidification.
The solidification he took from him, he came and gave it to Abathur.
Abathur wrapped it up in his pure wrapping, he brought it to his son Ptahil and gave it to him.
He spoke to him:
“Go, solidify the Tibil earth and span out the firmament in perfection”
I rose up from my father Abathur, and arrived at the boundaries of the Tibil earth.
I cast the solidification, which my father gave to me, upon the waters, and the waters solidified.
By my [Ptahil’s] first cry I solidified the earth and spanned out the firmament in perfection.
By my second cry I dispersed jordans and canals in it.
By my third cry I called forth the fish of the sea and feathered birds of every type and variety.
By my fourth cry I made all the plants and seeds every single one different from each other.
By my fifth cry evil reptiles came into being.
By my sixth cry the whole structure of darkness came into being.
By my seventh cry came into being Ruha and her seven sons.
Ruha and her seven sons came into being, they came and presented themselves before me. When I beheld them my heart fell down from its support.
(Ox-ford: (Word University Press, 1974),
