E — Wisdom Literature

Fight against Evil Spirits (4Q444)

1The main purpose of the person reciting this prayer, of which six small fragments have survived, is to curse the spirits of wickedness. The genre is the same as 4Q510-11. For the editio princeps, see E. Chazon, DJD, XXIX, 367-78. Fr. 1-4 i I As for me, on account of my fear of God He has opened my mouth, And through His holy spirit... truth for all [thes]e. They have become spirits of dispute in my body, Precept[s of] ... [from] the frame of the flesh. And God has placed in [my] h[eart] the spirit of knowledge and understanding, truth and righteousness... And fortify yourself by the precepts of God, And to fight against the spirit of wickedness and not... His judgements. Cursed be ...