This article discusses forms of imperative and optative in the translation from Greek into Gothic of The Our Father prayer. Lexically, Gothic translators of the Bible were as precise as the Greek prototype prescribed. Grammatically, they sought to adapt the categories, at some points, to the formal potential of Gothic, and, at other points, to the overall emotional modality of the text. The Greek text indicated close proximity of these modes, and, apparently, their mutual replaceability. Meanwhile, the Gothic translation of the Greek forms treats the categories of the mood differently. This permitted to create new shades of modality, as Gothic imperative and optative prompted the meaning which was absent from the Greek text. To conclude, in the general context of the Gothic translation of the prayer the difference and alternation of the modalities imposed by imperative and optative prove to be relevant both in terms of form and content.