Papyrus Egerton 2
The following translation is based on the Greek text printed in Kurt Ehrland's article "Papyrus Egerton 2: "'Missing Link' zwischen synoptischer und johanneischer tradition" found in New Testament Studies 42.1; the text is reprinted from A. de Santos Otero's Los Evangelios Apocrifos. Two different line numbers are printed because a new numbering system was developed after the identification of Papyrus Köln 255. The first line numbers use the most recent system; the original line numbers are printed second, when applicable.
. . . Then Jesus said to the lawyers, "Punish everyone that behaves unjustly and is lawless, but do not punish me . . . how he does what he does? Turning to the leaders of the people, he said this word: "Search the scriptures in which you think you have life. These are a testimony to me. Do not think that I came to accuse you to my father. The one accusing you is Moses, in whom you have hoped."
Then they said, "We know that God spoke through Moses, but you, we don't know where you've come from."
In reply, Jesus said to them, "Now you are being accused for your unbelief through the things that he bore witness to. For if you believed Moses, you would believe in me. For he wrote to your fathers about me. . ."
They plotted in the crowd to take up stones together and try to stone him. And the rulers laid their hands on him that they might seize him and hand him over to the crowd, but they were unable to seize him because the hour of his betrayal had not yet come. But the Lord went out right through the middle of them and withdrew.
Now a leper came to him and said, "Teacher Jesus, when I was traveling with lepers and eating with them in the inn, I also became leprous myself. But if you wish, I will be made clean."
So the Lord said to him, "I do wish. Be made clean." And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
Then Jesus said to him, "When you go, show yourself to the priest and offer the cleansing sacrifice commanded by Moses and sin no more. . ."
After coming to him, they exactingly
tested him, saying, "Teacher Jesus, we know that you have come from God.
For the things you do bear greater witness than all the prophets. Tell us then,
when it is possible to pay the rulers the things that belong to them, should we
pay them or not?"
But Jesus knew their plan and warned them sternly and said to them, "Why do you call me teacher with your mouths, since you are not hearing what I am saying? Well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far distant from me. In vain, they worship me . . . command[ments . . .
. . . being in a shut-in place . . .has been subordinated uncertainly . . . its unweighted weight . . . But although they were at a loss as to his bizarre question, Jesus, while he was wandering, stood on the lip of the Jordan river, and stretching out his right hand . . . and he sowed on the river, and at that time . . . water and then . . . and . . . before them, he brought forth fruit . . . much . . . to . . .
Fragment
1: Verso
(01/01) [. . .] i [. . .]
(02/02) [Then Jesus said] to the lawye[rs],
(03/03) "[Punish ev]eryone who does
unju[stly]
(04/04) [and is law]less, butnot me [. . .]
(05/05) [. . .] how he doe[s] what he does?
To
(06/06) [the] l[e]aders of the people
[tu]r[ning],
(07/07) he [sa]id thi[s] word:
"Se[arch]
(08/08) [t]he scriptures in which you
th[ink]
(09/09) that you have life. These a[r]e
(10/10) [the ones which witn]ess concerning
me. Do not
(11/11) t[hink t]hat I came to ac[c]use
(12/12) [you] to my father. [The one who]
is
(13/13) [accu]sing you is Moses, in whom
(14/14) [you] have hoped." Then t[h]ey
[said],
(15/15) "We know that through Moses
(16/16) God [spoke], but you, we do not
know
(17/17) [where you are from.] When Jesus
replied,
(18/18) he s[aid to th]em, "Now the
accusation has come
(19/19) [against your u]nbelie[f] through
the things which by him
(20/20) [have been w]itnessed. For if
(21/__) [you] be[lieved Moses,] you would
believe
(22/__) [in me]. For [co]n[c]erning me,
h[e]
(23/__) [wrot]e to you[r] f[at]hers
(24/__) [. . .] e [. . .]
Fragment 1: Recto
(25/22) [They plotted in the] crowd [that,]
(26/23) [taking up] stones together, they
might
(27/24) st[one h]im. And the [ruler]s laid
(28/25) their ha[nds] on him
(29/26) [th]at they might seize him and
han[d him]
(30/27) [over] to the crowd, but they were
u[nable]
(31/28) to seize him, because not yet had
(32/29) the hour of his betra[yal come].
(33/30) Then the Lord, going out [through
the middle]
(34/31) [of th]em, withdrew from t[hem.]
(35/32) And, [b]ehold, a leper, comi[ng to
him,]
(36/33) says, "Teacher Jesus,
[tra]veling with l[epers]
(37/34) and eatin[g with them]
(38/35) in the inn, I also became l[eprous]
(39/36) myself. If [t]hen [you wish,]
(40/37) I will be made clean." Then
the Lord [said to him,]
(41/38) "[I] wish, be made
clean." [And immediately]
(42/39) the lepro[sy w]ent away from him.
(43/40) Then Jesus [said] to him,
"W[hen you go,]
(44/41) show yourself to th[e priests]
(45/__) and offer the sacrifice [concerning
the]
(46/__) [cle]ansing as Moses com[m]a[nded]
and
(47/__) [si]n [n]o more. . ."
Fragment 2: Recto
(50/43) [After c]oming to him,
(51/44) they ex[acti]ngly tested him,
s[aying,]
(52/45) "Teacher Jesus, we know that
[from God]
(53/46) you have come. For the things you
do bear
(54/47) greater w[itness] than all t[h]e
prophets. [Talk then]
(55/48) with us. When it is possible [to
pay] to the rulers
(56/49) the things which be[l]ong to their
rule, should
(57/50) [we pay th]em or no[t]? Then Jesus,
knowing
(58/51) [the]ir [pl]an, wa[rned] them
sternly and
(59/52) said to t[hem], "For what
reason do you cal[l me]
(60/53) [te]acher with yo[ur mou]th, since
you are
(61/54) no[t hear]ing what I am [s]aying?
Well did Isaiah
(62/55) prophesy [concerning y]ou, when he
said, "Th[is]
(63/56) [people honors] me with the[ir
l]ips,
(64/57) [but] the[ir hear]ts are far
(65/58) [dis]tant from m[e. I]n vai[n, they
worship me]
(66/59) command[ments . . .]
Fragment 2: Verso
(67/60) [. . .] being in a [s]hut-in place
(68/61) [. . .]has been subordinate[d]
uncertainly
(69/62) [. . .]its/his(?) unweighe[d]
weight
(70/63) But although th[ey] were at a loss
(71/64) [as] to [his] bizarre question,
(72/65) Jesus, while he was [w]andering,
[s]tood
(73/66) [on the] lip of the Jo[rd]an
(74/67) [rive]r, and stretchin[g] out
(75/68) [hi]s right ha[nd . . .]
(76/69) [. . . a]nd [he] sow[ed o]n the
(77/70) [river(?)], and at that time [. .
.]
(78/71) [. . .wat]er(?)[. . .]and then
(79/72) [. . .] and [. . .]before
(80/73) them, he brought forth fruit
(81/74) [. . .] muc[h(?) . . .] to [. . .]
(82/75) [. . .]
Fragment 3: Recto
(83) [. . .]
(84) [. . .] if
(85) [. . .] of it /him(?)
(86) [. . .]
(87) [. . .] knowing
(88) [. . .]
Fragment 3: Verso
(89) one thing we a[re. . .]
(90) [. . .]
(91) [st]ones to [. . .]
(92) [th]ey may ki[ll . . .]
(93) he says, "the [. . .]
(94) [. . .] e [. . .]