PISTIS SOPHIA;
The First Book of Pistis Sophia
Chapter 1What the First Mystery surroundeth.
And moreover Jesus had not told his disciples.
The regions of the great Invisible.
The Treasury of the Light.
The Light-world.
them their expansion and the order of their regions, how they are. For this cause they have not known that there were also other regions within that mystery.
And he had not told his disciples:

Chapter 2
A great light-power descendeth on Jesus.
It surroundeth him entirely.
The confusion of the powers and the great earthquake.
It came to pass then, when Jesus had reached the heaven, after three hours, that all the powers of the heaven fell into agitation, and all were set in motion one against the other, they and all their æons and all their regions and all their orders, and the whole earth was agitated and all they who dwell thereon. And all men who are in the world fell into agitation, and also the disciples, and all thought: Peradventure the world will be rolled up.
And all the powers in the heavens ceased not from their agitation, they and the whole world, and all were moved one against the other, from the third hour of the fifteenth day of the moon of Tybi until the ninth hour of the morrow. And all the angels and their archangels and all the powers of the height, all sang praises to the interiors of the interiors, so that the whole world heard their voices, without their ceasing till the ninth hour of the morrow.
Jesus deseendeth again.
The nature of his glory
Chapter 6
He draweth his light unto himself.
He promiseth to tell them all things.
"It came to pass, when I sat a little removed from you on the Mount of Olives, that I thought on the order of the ministry for the sake of which I was sent, that it was completed, and that the last mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from within without,--those which are in the second space of the First Mystery, in the orders of that space,--had not yet sent me my Vesture. It came to pass then, when I had known that the order of the ministry for the sake of which I had come, was completed, and that that mystery had not yet sent me my Vesture, which I had left behind in it, until its time was completed, thinking then this, I sat on the Mount of Olives a little removed from you.
Chapter 7
crucifixion, but now,--it came to pass, through the command of that mystery, that there should
Of the souls of the disciples and their incarnation.
bring upon you.
Of the incarnation of John the Baptizer.
That John was Elias in a former birth.
Chapter 8
crucifixion, but now,--it came to pass, through the command of that mystery, that there shouldHow the Vesture of Light was sent unto him. be sent me my Light-vesture, which it had given me from the beginning, and which I had left behind in the last mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from within without,--those which are in the orders of the second space of the First Mystery.
Of the souls of the disciples and their incarnation.
bring upon you.
Of the incarnation of John the Baptizer.
That John was Elias in a former birth.
Chapter 10
The solution thereof.
therein and for whose sake all mysteries and all their regions have arisen,--come hither unto us, for we are thy fellow-members. We are all with thyself; we are one and the same. Thou art the First Mystery, which existed from 1 the beginning in the Ineffable before it came forth; and the name thereof are we all. Now, therefore, are we all come to meet thee at the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within; itself is a portion of us. Now, therefore, have we sent thee thy Vesture, which hath belonged to thee from the beginning, which thou hast left behind in the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within, until its time should be completed, according to the commandment of the First Mystery. Lo, its time is completed; put it on [thee].
The three robes of light.
The first vesture."'In the first is the whole glory of all the names of all mysteries and all emanations of the orders of the spaces of the Ineffable.
The second vesture."'And in the second vesture is the whole glory of the name of all mysteries and all emanations which are in the orders of the two spaces of the First Mystery.
"And in this [third] vesture, which we have just sent thee, is the glory of the name of the mystery of the Revealer, which is the First Commandment, and of the mystery of the five Impressions, and of the mystery of the great Envoy of the Ineffable, who is the great Light, and of the mystery of the five Leaders, who are the five Helpers.
"'Lo, therefore, we have sent thee this vesture, which no one knew from the First Commandment
The day of 'come unto us.'downwards, for the glory of its light was hidden in it, and the spheres and all regions up from the First Commandment downwards [have not known it]. Haste thee, therefore, clothe thyself with this vesture and come unto us. For we draw nigh unto thee, to clothe thee by command of the First Mystery with thy two vestures [other] which existed for thee from the beginning with the First Mystery until the time appointed by the Ineffable is completed.
Chapter 11
He entereth the firmament.
The powers of the firmament are amazed and fall down and adore him."And all rulers and all authorities and all angels therein were thrown all together into agitation because of the great light which was on me. And they gazed at the radiant vesture of light with which I was clad, and they saw the mystery which contains their names, and they feared most exceedingly.
Chapter 12
The powers of the first sphere are amazed and fall down and adore him.
The powers of the second sphere are amazed and fall down and adore him."And all the rulers and all those who are in the Fate, were thrown into agitation and fell on one another and were in exceeding great fear on seeing the great light that was about me. And they gazed on my vesture of light and saw the mystery of their name on my vesture and fell into still greater agitation; and they were in great fear, saying: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And all the bonds of their regions and of their orders and of their houses were unloosed; they all came at once, fell down, adored before me and sang praises all together to the interiors of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.
The powers of the æons are amazed and fall down and adore him."
Chapter 15
"It came to pass then, when they fought against the light, that they were weakened all together one with another, were dashed down in the æons and became as the inhabitants of the earth, dead and without breath of life.
He taketh from them a third of their power.
He changeth the motion of their spheres.
Chapter 16
It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she gazed fixedly into the air for the space of an hour. She said: "My Lord, give commandment unto me to speak in openness."
Mary Magdalene asketh and receiveth permission to speak. And Jesus, the compassionate, answered and said unto Mary: "Mary, thou blessed one, whom I will perfect in all mysteries of those of the height, discourse in openness, thou, whose heart is raised to the kingdom of heaven more than all thy brethren."
Chapter 18
Mary interpreteth the discourse from the words of Isaiah."
"The power then which was in the prophet Isaiah, prophesied before thou didst come, that thou wouldst take away the power of the rulers of the æons and wouldst change their sphere and their Fate, in order that they might know nothing from now on. For this cause it hath said also: 'Ye shall then know not of what the lord Sabaōth will do '; that is, none of the rulers will know what thou wilt do from now on,--for they are 'Egypt,' because they are matter. The power then which was in Isaiah, prophesied concerning thee aforetime, saying: 'From now on ye shall then know not what the lord Sabaōth will do.' Because of the light-power which thou didst receive from Sabaōth, the Good, who is in the region of the Right, and which is in thy material body to-day, for this cause then, my Lord Jesus, thou hast said unto us: 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,'--in order that thou mightest know whose heart is ardently raised to the kingdom of heaven."
Chapter 19
Jesus commendeth Mary.
Jesus answered and said unto Mary: "Discourse in openness and fear not; all things on which thou questionest, I will reveal unto thee."
Jesus explaineth further the conversion of the spheres.
Chapter 21
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary:
Chapter 22
And the compassionate Saviour answered and said unto Philip: "Authority is given thee to bring forward the word which thou willest."
And Philip answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, on account of what mystery hast thou changed the binding of the rulers and their æons and their Fate and their sphere and all their regions, and made them confounded in confusion on their path and deluded in their course? Hast thou then done this unto them for the salvation of the world or hast thou not?"
Chapter 23
For this cause then I have changed their path, that they might be deluded and fall into agitation and yield up the power which is in the matter of their world and which they fashion into souls, in order that those who shall be saved, might be quickly purified and raised on high, they and the whole power, and that those who shall not be saved, might be quickly destroyed."
The Saviour, full of compassion, answered and said unto Mary: "Speak the word which thou willest, and I will reveal it to thee in all openness."
Mary answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, in what way will the souls have delayed themselves here outside, and in what type will they be quickly purified?
Chapter 25
therefore, from now on will I hide nothing from you, but I will reveal unto you all things with surety and openness. Hearken then, Mary, and give ear, all ye disciples: Before I made proclamation to all the rulers of the æons and to all the rulers of the Fate and Of the sphere, they were all bound in their bonds and in their spheres and in their seals, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had bound them from the beginning; and every one of them remained in his order, and every one journeyed according to his course, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had established them.
Of the fashioning of the souls of men."And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light; purifieth those powers and carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light, while the servitors of all the rulers gather together all matter from them all; and the servitors of all the rulers of the Fate and the servitors of the sphere which is below the æons, take it and fashion it into souls of men and cattle and reptiles and wild-beasts and birds, and send them down into the world of mankind. And further the receivers of the sun and the receivers of the moon, if they look above and see the configurations of the paths of the æons and the configurations of the Fate and those of the sphere, then they take from them the light-power; and the receivers of the sun get it ready and deposit it, until they hand it over to the receivers of Melchisedec, the Light-purifier. And their material refuse they bring to the sphere which is below the æons, and fashion it into [souls of] men, and fashion it also into souls of reptiles and of cattle and of wild-beasts and of birds, according to the circle of the rulers of that sphere and according to all the configurations of its revolution, and they cast them into this world of mankind, and they become souls in this region, as I have just said unto you.
Chapter 26
"It came to pass then, when they had perceived this at the time, and when the number of the cipher of Melchizedek, the Receiver [of the Light], happened, then had he to come out again and enter into the midst of the rulers of all the æons and into the midst of all the rulers of the Fate and of those of the sphere; and he threw them into agitation, and made them quickly abandon their circles. And forthwith they were constrained, and cast forth the power out of themselves, out of the breath of their mouth and the tears of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.
The rulers devour their matter so that souls may not be fashioned."And Melchizedek, the Receiver of the Light, purifieth them, as he doth continually; he carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light. And all the rulers of the æons and the rulers of the Fate and those of the sphere turn to the matter of their refuse; they devour it and do not let it go and become souls in the world. They devour then their matter, so that they may not become powerless and exhausted and their power cease in them and their kingdom become destroyed, but in order that they may delay and linger a long time until the completion of the number of the perfect souls who shall be in the Treasury of the Light.
Chapter 27
"It came to pass then, when I wished to ascend for the ministry for the sake of which I was called by command of the First Mystery, that I came up into the midst of the tyrants of the rulers of the twelve æons, with my light-vesture about me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me.
Adamas and the tyrants fight against the light-vesture.
Jesus taketh from them a third of their power and changeth their course.
"But when I had taken away a third of their power, I changed their spheres, so that they spend a time facing to the left and another time facing to the right. I have changed their whole path and their whole course, and I have made the path of their course to hurry, so that they may be quickly purified and raised up quickly. And I have shortened their circles, and made their path more speedy, and it will be exceedingly hurried. And they were thrown into confusion in their path, and from then on were no more able to devour the matter of the refuse of the purification They no more have the power of devouring their matter.of their light. And moreover I have shortened their times and their periods, so that the perfect number of souls who shall receive the mysteries and be in the Treasury of the Light, shall be quickly completed.
It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that they fell down all together, adored him and said to him: "Blessed are we before all men, for unto us thou hast revealed these great exploits."
Chapter 28
The tyrants become as the dead."It came to pass then, when this befell among the tyrants who are below these rulers, that they all lost power and fell down to the ground in their æons and became as the dead world dwellers with no breath in them, as they became in the hour when I took from them their power.
"It came to pass then thereafter, when I left those æons, that every one of all those who were in the twelve æons, was bound to their order all together, and they accomplished their works as I have established them, so that they spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their works in their squares and their triangles and in those which are in their aspect, and that further they spend another six months facing to the right and towards their triangles and their squares and those which are in their aspect. Thus then will those who are in the Fate and in the sphere travel.
Chapter 29
Sophia and her fellow-powers behold the light."It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia saw me shining most exceedingly and with no measure for the light which was about me, that she was in great agitation and gazed at the light of my vesture. She saw the mystery of her name on my vesture and the whole glory of its mystery, for formerly she was in the region of the height, in the thirteenth æon,--but she was wont to sing praises to the higher light, which she had seen in the veil of the Treasury of the Light.
"It came to pass then, when she persisted in singing praises to the higher light, that all the rulers who are with the two great triple-powers, and her invisible who is paired with her, and the other two-and-twenty invisible emanations gazed [at the light],--in as much as Pistis Sophia and her pair, they and the other two-and-twenty emanations make up four-and-twenty emanations, which the great invisible Forefather and the two great triple-powers have emanated."
Chapter 30
Sophia desireth to enter the Light-world.
And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass, when Pistis Sophia was in the thirteenth æon, in the region of all her brethren the invisibles, that is the four-and-twenty emanations of the great Invisible,--it came to pass then by command of the First Mystery that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height. She saw the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she longed to reach to that region, and she could not reach to that region. But she ceased to perform the mystery of the thirteenth æon, and sang praises to the light of the height, which she had seen in the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light.
The rulers hate her for ceasing in their mystery.
Self-willed uniteth himself with the rulers of the twelve æons and emanateth a lion-faced power to plague Sophia."
"It came to pass then thereafter by command of the First Commandment (Source) that the great triple-powered Self-willed, who is one of the three triple-powers, pursued Sophia in the thirteenth æon, in order that she should look towards the parts below, so that she might see in that region his lion-faced light-power and long after it and go to that region, so that her light might be taken from her.
Chapter 31
The first repentance of Sophia.
"'2. I gazed, O Light, into the lower parts and saw there a light. thinking: I will go to that region, in order that I may take that light. And I went and found myself in the darkness which is in the chaos below, and I could no more speed thence and go to my region, for I was sore pressed by all the emanations of Self-willed, and the lion-faced power took away my light in me.
"'3. And I cried for help, but my voice hath not reached out of the darkness. And I looked
unto the height, that the Light, in which I had had faith, might help me.
"'4. And when I looked unto the height, I saw all the rulers of the æons, how in their numbers they looked down on me and rejoiced over me, though I had done them no ill; but they hated me without a cause. And when the emanations of Self-willed saw the rulers of the æons rejoicing over me, they knew that the rulers of the æons would not come to my aid; and those emanations which sore pressed me with violence, took courage, and the light which I had not taken from them, they have taken from me.
"'5. Now, therefore, O Light of Truth, thou knowest that I have done this in my innocence, thinking that the lion-faced light-power belonged to thee; and the sin which I have done is open before thee.
"'6. Suffer me no more to lack, O Lord, for I have had faith in thy light from the beginning; O Lord, O Light of the powers, suffer me no more to lack my light.
"'7. For because of thy inducement and for the sake of thy light am I fallen into this oppression, and shame hath covered me.
"'8. And because of |the illusion of thy light, I am become a stranger to my brethren, the invisibles, and to the great emanations of Barbēlō.
"'9. This hath befallen me, O Light, because I have been zealous for thy abode; and the wrath of Self-willed is come upon me--of him who had not hearkened unto thy command to emanate from the emanation of his power--because I was in his æon without performing his mystery.
"'10. And all the rulers of the æons mocked me.
"'11. And I was in that region, mourning and seeking after the light which I had seen in the height.
"'12. And the guards (Guardians) of the gates of the æons searched for me, and all who remain in their mystery mocked me.
"'13. But I looked up unto the height towards thee and had faith in thee. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, I am sore pressed in the darkness of chaos. If now thou wilt come to save me,--great is thy mercy,--then hear me in truth and save me.
"'14. Save me out of the matter of this darkness, that I may not be submerged therein, that I may be saved from the emanations of god Self-willed which press me sore, and from their evil doings.
"'15. Let not this darkness submerge me, and let not this lion-faced power entirely devour the whole of my power, and let not this chaos shroud my power.
"'16. Hear me, O Light, for thy grace is precious, and look down upon me according to the great mercy of thy Light.
"'17. Turn not thy face from me, for I am exceedingly tormented.
"'18. Haste thee, hearken unto me and save my power.
"'19. Save me because of the rulers who hate me, for thou knowest my sore oppression and my torment and the torment of my power which they have taken from me. They who have set me in all this evil are before thee; deal with them according to thy good pleasure.
"'20. My power looked forth from the midst of the chaos and from the midst of the darkness, and I waited for my pair, that he should come and fight for me, and he came not, and I looked that he should come and lend me power, and I found him not.
"'21. And when I sought the light, they gave me darkness; and when I sought my power, they gave me matter.
"'22. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, may the darkness and the matter which the emanations of Self-willed have brought upon me, be unto them for a snare, and may they be ensnared therein, and recompense them and may they be made to stumble and not come into the region of their Self-willed.
"'23. May they remain in the darkness and not behold the light; may they behold the chaos for ever, and let them not look unto the height.
"'24. Bring upon them their revenge, and may thy judgment lay hold upon them.
"'25. Let them not henceforth come into their region to their god Self-willed, and let not his emanations henceforth come into their regions; for their god is impious and self-willed, and he thought that he had done this evil of himself, not knowing that, had I not been brought low according to thy command, he would not have had any authority over me.
"'26. But when thou hadst by thy command brought me low, they pursued me the more, and their emanations added pain to my humiliation.
"'27. And they have taken light-power from me and fallen again to pressing me sore, in order to take away all the light in me. Because of this in which they have set me, let them not ascend to the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness.
"'28. But let them not be reckoned in the lot of those who purify themselves and the light, and let them not be reckoned with those who will quickly repent, that they may quickly receive mysteries in the Light.
"'29. For they have taken my light from me, and my power hath begun to cease in me and I am destitute of my light.
"'30. Now, therefore, O Light, which is in thee and is with me, I sing praises to thy name, O Light, in glory.
"'31. May my song of praise please thee, O Light, as an excellent mystery, which leadeth to the gates of the Light, which they who shall repent will utter, and the light of which will purify them.
"'32. Now, therefore, let all matters rejoice; seek ye all the Light, that the power of the stars which is in you, may live.
"'33. For the Light hath heard the matters, nor will it leave any without having purified them.
"'34. Let the souls and the matters praise the Lord of all æons, and [let] the matters and all that is in them [praise him].
"'35. For God shall save their soul from all matters, and a city shall be prepared in the Light, and all the souls who are saved, will dwell in that city and will inherit it.
"'36. And the soul of them who shall receive mysteries will abide in that region, and they who have received mysteries in its name will abide therein.'"
Mary again came forward and said: "My Lord, my indweller of light hath ears, and I hear with my light-power, and thy spirit which is with me, hath sobered me. Hearken then that I may speak concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, speaking of her sin and all that befell her. Thy light-power hath prophesied thereof aforetime through the prophet David in the sixty-eighth Psalm:
Mary interpreteth the first repentance from Psalm lxviii"'
"'2. I sank, or am submerged, in the slime of the abyss, and power was not. I have gone-down into the depths of the sea; a tempest hath submerged me.
"'3. I have kept on crying; my throat is gone, my eyes faded, waiting patiently for God.
"'4. They who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; mighty are my foes, who violently pursued me. They required of me that which I took not from them.
"'5. God, thou hast known my foolishness, and my faults are not hid from thee.
"'6. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord, Lord of powers, be ashamed for my sake; let not those who seek thee be ashamed for my sake, O Lord, God of Israel, God of powers.
"'7. For thy sake have I endured shame; shame hath covered my face.
"'8. I am become a stranger to my brethren, a stranger unto the sons of my mother.
"'9. For the zeal of thy house hath consumed me; the revilings of them that revile thee have fallen upon me.
"'10. I bowed my soul with fasting, and it was turned to my reproach.
"'11. I put on sackcloth; I became unto them a bye-word.
"'12. They who sit at the gates, chattered at me; and they who drink wine, harped about me.
"'13. But I prayed with my soul unto thee, O Lord; the time of thy well-liking is [now], O God. In the fulness of thy grace give ear unto my salvation in truth.
"'14. Save me out of this slime, that I sink not therein; let me be saved from them that hate me, and from the deep of waters.
"'15. Let not a water-flood submerge me, let not the deep swallow me, let not a well close its mouth above me.
"'16. Hear me, O Lord, for thy grace is good; according to the fulness of thy compassion look down upon me.
"'17. Turn not thy face away from thy servant, for I am oppressed.
"'18. Hear me quickly, give heed to my soul and deliver it.
"'19. Save me because of my foes, for thou knowest my disgrace, my shame and my dishonour; all my oppressors are before thee.
"'20. My heart awaiteth disgrace and misery; I waited for him who should sorrow with me, but I could not come at him, and for him who should comfort me, and I found him not.
"'21. They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
"'22. Let their table be unto them for a trap and for a snare and for a retribution and for a stumbling-block.
"'23. Mayest thou bend their backs at all time.
"'24. Pour out thy anger upon them, and let the wrath of thy anger lay hold upon them.
"'25. Let their encampment be desolate, let there be no dweller in their habitations.
"'26. For they persecuted him whom thou hast smitten, and added to the smart of their woundings.
"'27. They added iniquity to their iniquities; let them not come into thy righteousness.
"'28. Let them be wiped out of the book of the living, and let them not be written in among the righteous.
"'29. I am a poor wretch who is heart-broken too; it is the salvation of thy face which hath taken me unto itself.
"'30. I will praise the name of God in the ode, and exalt it in the song of thanksgiving.
"'31. This shall please God better than a young bull which putteth forth horns and hoofs.
"'32. May the wretched see and make merry; seek ye God, that your souls may live.
"'33. For God hath heard the wretched and despiseth not the prisoners.
"'34. Let heaven and earth praise the Lord, the sea and all that is therein.
"'35. For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judæa will be built up, and they will dwell there and inherit it.
"'36. The seed of his servants shall possess it, and they who love his name shall dwell therein.'"
Chapter 34
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary speak these words, that he said unto her: "Well said, Mary, blessed one, the fulness, or all-blessed fulness, thou who shalt be sung of as blessed in all generations."
Chapter 35
"'1. Light of lights, in whom I have had faith, leave me not in the darkness until the end of my time.
"'2. Help me and save me through thy mysteries; incline thine ear unto me and save me.
"'3. May the power of thy light save me and carry me to the higher æons; for thou wilt save me and lead me into the height of thy æons.
"'4. Save me, O Light, from the hand of this lion-faced power and from the hands of the emanations of god Self-willed.
"'5. For it is thou, O Light, in whose light I have had faith and in whose light I have trusted from the beginning.
"'6. And I have had faith in it from the time when it emanated me, and thou thyself didst make me to emanate; and I have had faith in thy light from the beginning.
"'7. And when I had faith in thee, the rulers of the æons mocked at me, saying: She hath ceased in her mystery. Thou art |my saviour and thou art my deliverer and thou art my mystery, O Light.
"'8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may tell of the mystery of thy grandeur at all times.
"'9. Now, therefore, O Light, leave me not in the chaos for the completion of my whole time; forsake me not, O Light.
"'10. For all the emanations of Self-willed have taken from me my whole light-power and have surrounded me. They desired to take away my whole light from me utterly and have set a watch on my power,
"'11. Saying one to another together: The Light hath forsaken her, let us seize her and take away the whole light in her.
"'12. Therefore then, O Light, cease not from me; turn thee, O Light, and save me from the hands of the merciless.
"'13. May they who would take away my power, fall down and become powerless. May they who would take away my light-power from me, be enwrapped in darkness and sink into powerlessness.'
"This then is the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the Light."
Chapter 36
And Peter started forward and said unto Jesus: Peter complaineth of Mary. (Envy)"My Lord, we will not endure this woman, for she taketh the opportunity from us and hath let none of us speak, but she discourseth many times."
And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: "Let him in whom the power of his spirit shall seethe, so that he understandeth what I say, come forward and speak. But now, Peter, I see thy power in thee, that it understandeth the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Now, therefore, Peter, speak the thought of her repentance in the midst of thy brethren."
Peter interpreteth the second repentance from Psalm lxx.
"'1. O God, my God, I have trusted in thee, let me no more be put to shame for ever.
"'2. Save me in thy righteousness and set me free; incline thine ear unto me and save me.
"'3. Be unto me a strong God and a firm place to save me; for thou art my strength and my refuge.
"'4. My God, save me from the hand of the sinner and from the hand of the transgressor and from the impious [one].
"'5. For thou art my endurance, O Lord, thou art my hope from my youth up.
"'6. I have trusted myself to thee from my mother's womb; thou hast brought me out of my mother's womb. My remembrance is ever in thee.
"'7. I have become as the crazy for many; thou art my help and my strength, thou art my deliverer, O Lord.
"'8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may praise the glory of thy splendour the whole day long.
"'9. Cast me not away in the time of age; if my soul fades, forsake me not.
"'10. For mine enemies have spoken evil against me and they who lay in wait for my soul, have taken counsel against my soul,
"'11. Saying together: God hath forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no saviour.
"'12. God, give heed to my help.
"'13. Let them be ashamed and destroyed who calumniate my soul. Let them be enwrapped in shame and disgrace who seek evil against me.'
"This then is the solution of the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
Chapter 37
The third repentance of Sophia
"'2. May they who would take away my light, lack and be in the darkness. May they who would take away my power, turn into chaos and be put to shame.
"'3. May they turn quickly to darkness, who press me sore and say: We have become lords over her.
"'4. May rather all those who seek the Light, rejoice and exult, and they who desire thy mystery, say ever: May the mystery be exalted.
"'5. Save me then now, O Light, for I lacked my light, which they have taken away, and I needed my power, which they have taken from me. Thou then, O Light, thou art my saviour, and thou art my deliverer, O Light. Save me quickly out of this chaos.'"
Chapter 38
Martha asketh and receiveth permission to speak.
And Jesus gave his hand unto Martha and said unto her: "Blessed is every one who humbleth himself, for on him they shall have mercy. Now, therefore, Martha, art thou blessed. But proclaim then the solution of the thought of the repentance of Pistis Sophia."
Martha interpreteth the third repentance from Psalm lxix.
"'1. O Lord God, give heed to my help.
"'2. Let them be put to shame and con-founded who seek after my soul.
"'3. May they turn straightway and be put to shame, who say unto me: Ha, ha.
"'4. May all who seek thee, be joyful and exult because of thee, and they who love thy salvation, say ever: May God be exalted.
"'5. But I am wretched, I am poor; O Lord, help me. Thou art my helper and defence; O Lord, delay not.'
"This then is the solution of the third repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the height."
Chapter 39
And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples:
The fourth repentance of Sophia."'
"'2. Turn not away thy light-image from me, but have heed unto me, if they oppress me; and save me quickly at the time when I shall cry unto thee.
"'3. For my time is vanished like a breath and I am become matter.
"'4. They have taken my light from me, and my power is dried up. I have forgotten my mystery which heretofore I was wont to accomplish.
"'5. Because of the voice of the fear and the power of Self-willed my power is vanished.
"'6. I am become as a demon apart, who dwelleth in matter and light is not in him, and I am become as a counterfeiting spirit, which is in a material body and light-power is not in it.
"'7. And I am become as a decan who is alone in the air.
"'8. The emanations of Self-willed have sore oppressed me, and my pair hath said unto himself:
"'9. Instead of with light which was in her, they have filled her with chaos. I have devoured the sweat of my own matter and the anguish of the tears from the matter of my eyes, so that they who oppress me may not take the rest.
"'10. All this hath befallen me, O Light, by thy |64. commandment and thy command, and it is thy commandment that I am here.
"'11. Thy commandment hath brought me down, and I am descended as a power of the chaos, and my power is numbed in me.
"'12. But thou, O Lord, art Light eternal, and dost visit them who are for ever oppressed.
"'13. Now, therefore, O Light, arise and seek my power and the soul in me. Thy commandment is accomplished, which thou didst decree for me in my afflictions. My time is come, that thou shouldst seek my power and my soul, and this is the time which thou didst decree to seek me.
"'14. For thy saviours have sought the power which is in my soul, because the number is completed, and in order that also its matter may be saved.
"'15. And then at that time shall all the rulers of the material æons be in fear of thy light, and all the emanations of the thirteenth material æon shall be in fear of the mystery of thy light, so that the others may put on the purification of their light.
"'16. For the Lord will seek the power of your soul. He hath revealed his mystery,
"'17. So that he may regard the repentance of them who are in the regions below; and he hath not disregarded their repentance.
"'18. This is then that mystery which is become the type in respect of the race which shall be born; and the race which shall be born will sing praises to the height.
"'19. For the Light hath looked down from the height of its light. It will look down on |65. the total matter,
"'20. To hear the sighing of those in chains, to loose the power of the souls whose power is bound,--
"'21. So that it may lay its name in the soul and its mystery in the power.'"
Chapter 40
Jesus said unto John: "I give thee commandment, and I grant thee to speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
John answered and said: "My Lord and Saviour, concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, thy light-power which was in David, hath prophesied aforetime in the one-hundred-and-first Psalm:
John interpreteth the repentance from Psalm ci.
"'2. Turn not away thy face from me; incline thine ear unto me in the day when I am oppressed; quickly give ear to me on the day when I shall cry unto thee.
"'3. For my days are vanished as smoke and my bones are parched as stone.
"'4. I am scorched as the grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
"'5. From the voice of my groaning my bones cleaved to my flesh.
"'6. I am become as a pelican in the desert; I am become as a screech-owl in the house.
"'7. I have passed the night watching; I am become as a sparrow alone on the roof.
"'8. My enemies have reviled me all the day long, and they who honour me, have injured me.
"'9. For I have eaten ashes instead of my bread and mixed my drink with tears,
"'10. Because of thy wrath and thy rage; for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down.
"'11. My days have declined as a shadow, and I am dried up as the grass,
"'12. But thou, O Lord, thou endurest for ever, and thy remembrance unto the generation of generation[s].
"'13. Arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time is come to have mercy upon her; the proper time is come.
"'14. Thy servants have longed for her stones, and will take pity on her land.
"'15. And the nations will have fear of the name of the Lord, and the kings of the earth have fear of thy sovereignty.
"'16. For the Lord will build up Zion and reveal himself in his sovereignty.
"17. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their supplication.
"'18. This shall be recorded for another generation, and the people who shall be created will praise the Lord.
"'19. Because he hath looked down on his holy height; the Lord hath looked down from the heaven on the earth.
"'20. To hear the sighing of those in chains, to loose the sons of those who are slain,
"'21. To proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem.'
"This, my Lord, is the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
Chapter 41
The emanations of Self-willed again squeeze the light out of Sophia.
And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass again thus: The emanations of Self-willed again oppressed Pistis Sophia in the chaos and desired to take from her her whole light; and not yet was her commandment accomplished, to lead her out of the chaos, and not yet had the command reached me through the First Mystery, to save her out of the chaos. It came to pass then, when all the material emanations of Self-willed oppressed her, that she cried out and uttered the fifth repentance, saying:
The fifth repentance of Sophia.
"'1. Light of my salvation, I sing praise unto thee in the region of the height and again in the chaos.
"'2. I sing praise unto thee in my hymn with which I sang praise in the height and with which I sang praise unto thee when I was in the chaos. Let it come into thy presence, and give heed, O Light, to my repentance.
"'3. For my power is filled up with darkness, and my light hath gone down into the chaos.
"'4. I am myself become as the rulers of the chaos, who are gone into the darknesses below; I am become as a material body, which hath no one in the height who will save it.
"'5. I am become also as matters from which their power hath been taken, when they are cast down into the chaos,--[matters] which thou hast not saved, and they are condemned utterly by thy commandment.
"'6. Now, therefore, have they put me into the darkness below,--in darknesses and matters which are dead and in them [is] no power.
"'7. Thou hast brought thy commandment upon me and all things which thou hast decreed.
"'8. And thy spirit hath withdrawn and abandoned me. And moreover by thy commandment the emanations of my eon have not helped me and have hated me and separated themselves from me, and yet am I not utterly destroyed.
"'9. And my light is diminished in me, and I have cried up to the light with all the light in me, and I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
"'10. Now, therefore, O Light, wilt thou not accomplish thy commandment in the chaos, and will not the deliverers, who come according to thy commandment, arise in the darkness and come and be disciples for thee'?
"'11. Will they not utter the mystery of thy name in the chaos?
"'12. Or will they not rather utter thy name in a matter of the chaos, in which thou wilt not [thyself] purify?
"'13. But I have sung praises unto thee, O Light, and my repentance will reach unto thee |69. in the height.
"'14. Let thy light come upon me,
"'15. For they have taken my light, and I am in pain on account of the Light from the time when I was emanated. And when I had looked into the height to the Light, then I looked down below at the light-power in the chaos; I rose up and went down.
"'16. Thy commandment came upon me, and the terrors, which thou didst decree for me, have brought me into delusion.
"'17. And they have surrounded me, in numbers as water, they have laid hold on me together all my time.
"'18. And by thy commandment thou hast not suffered my fellow-emanations to help me, nor hast thou suffered my pair to save me out of my afflictions.'
"This then is the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the chaos, when all the material emanations of Self-willed had continued and oppressed her."
Chapter 42
Philip the scribe complaineth.
Jesus explaineth that the appointed scribes are Philip and Thomas and Matthew. It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip, that he said unto him: "Hearken, Philip, blessed one, that I may discourse with thee; for it is thou and Thomas and Matthew on whom it is enjoined by the First Mystery to write all the discourses which I shall speak and [all which I shall] do, and all things which ye shall see.
Chapter 43
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus concerning the three witnesses. (Mary corrects Jesus.)
"Concerning the word which thou hast spoken unto Philip: 'It is thou and Thomas and Matthew on whom it hath been enjoined--to you three by the First Mystery, to write all the discourses of the kingdom of the Light and thereto to bear witness '; hearken, therefore, that I may proclaim the solution of this word. This is what thy light-power prophesied aforetime through Moses: 'By two or three witnesses shall every matter be established.' The three witnesses are Philip and Thomas and Matthew."
Philip is now given permission to speak.
And Philip answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, hearken that I may speak the solution of her repentance. For thy power hath prophesied aforetime concerning it through David in the eighty-seventh Psalm, saying:
Philip interpreteth the fifth repentance from Psalm lxxxvii.
"'2. Let my weeping come before thee; incline thine ear to my supplication, O Lord.
"'3. For my soul is full of evil, my life hath drawn nigh to the world below.
"'4. I am counted among them who have gone down into the pit; I am become as a man who hath no helper.
"'5. The free among the dead are as the slain who are thrown away and sleep in tombs, whom thou no more rememberest, and they are destroyed through thy hands.
"'6. They have set me in a pit below, in darkness and shadow of death.
"'7. Thy wrath hath settled down upon me and all thy cares have come upon me. (Selah.)
"'8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me; they have made me an abomination for them. They have abandoned me, and I cannot go forth.
"'9. My eye hath become dim in my misery; I have cried unto thee, O Lord, the whole day and have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
"'10. Wilt thou not surely work thy wonders on the dead? Will not surely the physicians arise and confess thee?
"'11. Will they not surely proclaim thy name in the |73. tombs,
"'12. And thy righteousness in a land which thou hast forgotten?
"'13. But I have cried unto thee, O Lord, and my prayer shall reach thee early in the morning.
"'14. Turn not thy face away from me.
"15. For I am miserable, I am in sorrow from my youth up. And when I had exalted myself, I humbled myself and arose.
"'16. Thy angers are come upon me and thy terrors have brought me into delusion.
"'17. They have surrounded me as water; they have seized upon me the whole day long.
"'18. My fellows hast thou kept far from me and my acquaintances from my misery.'
"This is then the solution of the mystery of the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was oppressed in the chaos."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip speak these words, that he said: "Well said, Philip, well-beloved. Now, therefore, come, take thy seat and write thy portion of all the discourses which I shall speak, and [of all things which I shall] do, and of all that thou shalt see."
And forthwith Philip sat down and wrote.
It came to pass thereafter that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples:
"Then did Pistis Sophia cry to the Light. It forgave her sin, in that she had left her region and gone down into the darkness. She uttered the sixth repentance, saying thus:
The sixth repentance of Sophia."'
1. I have sung praises unto thee, O Light, in the darkness below.
"'2. Hearken unto my repentance, and may thy light give heed to the voice of my supplication.
"'3. O Light, if thou thinkest on my sin, I shall not be able to stand before thee, and thou wilt abandon me,
"'4. For thou, O Light, art my saviour; because of the light of thy name I have had faith in thee, O Light.
"'5. And my power hath had faith in thy mystery; and moreover my power hath trusted in the Light when it was among those of the height; and it hath trusted in it when it was in the chaos below.
"'6. Let all the powers in me trust in the Light when I am in the darkness below, and may they again trust in the Light if they come into the region of the height.
"'7. For it is [the Light] which hath compassion on us and delivereth us; and a great saving mystery is in it.
"'8. And it will save all powers out of the chaos because of my transgression. For I have left my region and am come down into the chaos.'
"Now, therefore, whose mind is exalted, let him understand."
Andrew came forward and said: "My Lord, concerning the solution of the sixth repentance of Pistis Sophia, thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the one-hundred-and-twenty-ninth Psalm, saying:
Andrew interpreteth the sixth repentance from Psalm cxxix.
"'2. Hearken unto my voice; let thine ears give heed to the voice of my supplication.
"'3. O Lord, if thou heedest my iniquities, who will be able to pass [the test]?
"'4. For pardon is in thy hands; for the sake of thy name have I waited for thee, O Lord.
"'5. My soul hath waited for thy word.
"'6. My soul hath hoped in the Lord from the morning until the evening. Let Israel hope in the Lord from the morning until the evening.
"'7. For grace standeth by the Lord and with him is great redemption.
"'8. And he will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.'
Jesus commendeth Andrew. He promiseth that the tyrants shall be judged and consumed by the wise fire.Jesus said unto him:
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus. It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I speak with you?"
Mary said: "Yea, Lord, I have understood the word which thou hast spoken. Concerning then the word which thou hast said: At the dissolution of the whole Mixture thou shalt take thy seat on a light-power and thy disciples, that is ourselves, shall sit on the right of thee, and thou shalt judge the tyrant gods, who have not given up the purification of their light, and the wise fire will bite into them, until they give up the last light in them,--concerning this word then thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David, in the eighty-first Psalm, saying:
"'God shall sit in the assembly (synagogue) of the gods and try the gods.'"
Jesus said unto her: "Well said, Mary."
Chapter 46
The seventh repentance of Sophia.
"'2. On thee have I had faith. Let me not be scorned; let not the rulers of the twelve æons, who hate me, rejoice over me.
"'3. For all who have faith in thee shall not be put to shame. Let them who have taken away my power, remain in darkness; and let them not get from it any profit, but let it be taken away from them. |78.
"'4. O Light, show me thy ways, and I shall be saved in them; and show me thy paths, whereby I shall be saved out of the chaos.
"'5. And guide me in thy light, and let me know, O Light, that thou art my saviour. On thee will I trust the whole of my time.
"'6. Give heed that thou save me, O Light, for thy mercy endureth for ever.
"'7. As to my transgression, which I have committed from the beginning in my ignorance, put it not to my account, O Light, but rather save me through thy great mystery of the forgiveness of sins because of thy goodness, O Light.
"'8. For good and sincere is the Light. For this cause will it grant me my way, to be saved out of my transgression;
"'9. And for my powers, which are diminished through the fear of the material emanations of Self-willed, will it draw near after its commandment, and will teach my powers, which are diminished because of the merciless, its gnosis.
"'10. For all gnoses of the Light are saving means and are mysteries for all who seek the regions of its Inheritance and its mysteries.
"'11. For the sake of the mystery of thy name, O Light, forgive my transgression, for it is great.
"'12. To every one who trusteth in the Light it will give the mystery which suiteth him;
"'13. And his soul will abide in the regions of the Light and his power will inherit |79. the Treasury of the Light.
"'14. The Light giveth power to them who have faith in it; and the name of its mystery belongeth to those who trust in it. And it will show them the region of the Inheritance, which is in the Treasury of the Light.
"'15. But I have ever had faith in the Light, for it will save my feet from the bonds of the darkness.
"'16. Give heed unto me, O Light, and save me, for they have taken away my name from me in the chaos.
"'17. Because of all the emanations my afflictions and my oppression have become exceedingly manifold. Save me out of my transgression and this darkness.
"'18. And look upon the grief of my oppression and forgive my transgression.
"'19. Give heed to the rulers of the twelve æons, who have hated me through jealousy.
"'20. Watch over my power and save me, and let me not remain in this darkness, for I have had faith in thee.
"'21. And they have made of me a great fool for having had faith in thee, O Light.
"'22. Now, therefore, O Light, save my powers from the emanations of Self-willed, by whom I am oppressed.'
"Now, therefore, who is sober, let him be sober."
When then Jesus had spoken this unto his disciples, Thomas came forward and said: "My Lord, I am sober, I am plentifully sober, and my spirit is ready in me, and I rejoice exceedingly that thou hast revealed these words unto us.
Thomas interpreteth the seventh repentance from Psalm xxiv.
"'2. I have abandoned myself unto thee; let me not be put to shame and let not mine enemies mock at me.
"'3. For all who wait upon thee shall not be put to shame; let them be put to shame who do iniquity without a cause.
"'4. O Lord, show me thy ways and teach me thy paths.
"'5. Lead me in the way of thy truth and teach me, for thou art my God and my saviour; on thee will I wait all the day long.
"'6. Call to remembrance thy mercies, O Lord, and the favours of thy grace, for they are from eternity.
"'7. Remember not the sins of my youth and those of my ignorance. Remember me according to the fulness of thy mercy because of thy goodness, O Lord.
"'8. The Lord is gracious and sincere; therefore fore will he instruct sinners in the way.
"'9. He will guide the tender-hearted |81. in the judgment and will teach the tender-hearted his ways.
"'10. All the ways of the Lord are grace and truth for them who seek his righteousness and his testimonies.
p. 68
"'11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, forgive me my sin, [for] it is exceedingly great.
"'12. Who is the man who feareth the Lord? For him will he establish laws in the way which he hath chosen.
"'13. His soul will abide in good things and his seed will inherit the land.
"'14. The Lord is the strength of them who fear him; and the name of the Lord belongeth to them who fear him, to make known unto them his covenant.
"'15. Mine eyes are raised ever unto the Lord, for he will draw my feet out of the snare.
"'16. Look down upon me and be gracious unto me, for I am an only-begotten; I am wretched.
"'17. The afflictions of my heart have increased; bring me out of my necessities.
"'18. Look upon my abasement and my woe, and forgive me all my sins.
"'19. Look upon mine enemies, how they have increased themselves and hated me with unjust hatred.
"'20. Preserve my soul and save me; let me not |82. be put to shame, for I have hoped on thee.
"'21. The simple and sincere have joined themselves to me, for I have waited on thee, O Lord.
"'22. O God, deliver Israel from all his afflictions.'"
Jesus commendeth Thomas.And when Jesus had heard the words of Thomas, he said unto him: "Well said, Thomas, and finely. This is the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia.
Chapter 47
The emanations of Self-willed oppress her again."It came to pass, when I had led her unto a somewhat spacious region in the chaos, that the emanations of Self-willed ceased entirely to oppress her, thinking that she would be led up out of the chaos altogether. It came to pass then, when the emanations of Self-willed had noticed that Pistis Sophia had not been led up out the chaos, that they turned about again all together, oppressing her vehemently. Because of this then she uttered the eighth repentance, because they had not ceased to oppress her, and had turned about to oppress her to the utmost. She uttered this repentance, saying thus:
The eighth repentance of Sophia."'1. On thee, O Light, have I hoped. Leave me not in the chaos; deliver me and save me according to thy gnosis.
"'2. Give heed unto me and save me. Be unto me a saviour, O Light, and save me and lead me unto thy light.
"'3. For thou art my saviour and wilt lead me unto thee. And because of the mystery of thy name lead me and give me thy mystery.
"'4. And thou wilt save me from this lion-faced power, which they have laid as a snare for me, for thou art my saviour.
"'5. And in thy hands will I lay the purification of my light; thou hast saved me, O Light, according to thy gnosis.
"'6. Thou art become wroth with them who keep watch over me and will not be able to lay hold of me utterly. But I have had faith in the Light.
"'7. I will rejoice and will sing praises that thou hast had mercy upon me and hast heeded and saved me from the oppression in which I was. And thou wilt set free my power out of the chaos.
"'8. And thou hast not left me in the hand of the lion-faced power; but thou hast led me into a region which is not oppressed.'"
Chapter 48
She continueth her repentance."'
"'10. My power hath begun to wane whiles I am in these afflictions, and the number of my time whiles I am in the chaos. My light is diminished, for they have taken away my power from me, and all the powers in me are tossed about.
"'11. I am become powerless in the presence of all the rulers of the æons, who hate me, and in the presence of the four-and-twenty emanations, in whose region I was. And my brother, my
pair, was afraid to help me, because of that in which they have set me.
"'12. And all the rulers of the height have counted me as matter in which is no light. I am become as a material power which hath fallen out of the rulers,
"'13. And all who are in the æons said: She hath become chaos. And thereafter all the pitiless powers encompassed me together and proposed to take away the whole light in me.
"'14. But I have trusted in thee, O Light, and said: Thou art my saviour.
"'15. And my commandment, which thou hast decreed for me, is in thy hands. Save me out of the hands of the emanations of Self-willed, which oppress me and persecute me.
"'16. Send thy light over me, for I am as naught before thee, and save me according to thy compassion.
"'17. Let me not be despised, for I have sung praises unto thee, O Light. Let chaos cover the emanations of Self-willed, let them be led down into the darkness.
"'18. Let the mouth of them be shut up, who would devour me with guile, who say: Let us take the whole light in her,--although I have done them no ill.'"
Chapter 49
Matthew interpreteth the eighth repentance from Psalm xxx."'1. On thee, O Lord, have I hoped. Let
me never be put to shame; save me according to thy righteousness.
"'2. Incline thine ear unto me, save me quickly. Be thou unto me a protecting God and a house of refuge to save me.
"'3. For thou art my support and my refuge; for thy name's sake thou wilt guide me and feed me.
"'4. And thou wilt draw me out of this snare, which they have laid privily for me; for thou art my protection.
"'5. Into thy hands I will render my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, God of Truth.
"'6. Thou hast hated them who hold to vain emptiness; but I have trusted.
"'7. And I shall rejoice because of my Lord and make merry over thy grace. For thou hast looked down upon my humbleness and saved my soul out of my necessities.
"'8. And thou hast not shut me up in the hands of my foes; thou hast set my feet on a broad space.
"'9. Be gracious unto me, O Lord, for I am afflicted; my eye is distracted in the wrath and my soul and my body.
"'10. For my years have wasted away in sadness and my life is wasted in sighing. My power is enfeebled in misery and my bones are distracted.
"'11. I am become a mockery for all my foes and my neighbours. |88. I am become a fright for my acquaintances, and they who saw me, are fled away from me.
"'12. I am forgotten in their heart as a corpse, and I have become as a ruined vessel.
"'13. For I have heard the scorn of many who encompass me round about. Massing themselves together against me, they took counsel to take away my soul from me.
"'14. But I have trusted in thee, O Lord. I said: Thou art my God.
"'15. My lots are in thy hands. Save me from the hand of my foes and free me from my persecutors.
"'16. Reveal thy face over thy slave, and free me according to thy grace, O Lord.
"'17. Let me not be put to shame, for I have cried unto, thee. Let the impious be put to shame and turn towards hell.
"'18. Let the crafty lips be struck dumb, which allege iniquity against the righteous in pride and scorn.'"
Chapter 50
And when he had said this, he said: "Understand ye what I say?"
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus.Mary came forward and said: "O Lord, concerning this matter thou hast said to us aforetime in similitude: 'Ye have awaited with me in the trials, and I will bequeath unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath bequeathed it unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.'"
He said unto her: "Well said, Mary."
Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then thereafter, when the emanations of Self-willed oppressed Pistis Sophia in the chaos, that she uttered the ninth repentance, saying:
The ninth repentance of Sophia.
"'2. For I am thy power and thy light. Come and save me.
"'3. Let great darkness cover my oppressors. Say unto my power: I am he who will save thee.
"'4. Let all those who would take away my light from me utterly, lack their power. Let them face about unto the chaos and become powerless, who would take away my light from me utterly.
"'5. Let their power be as dust, and let Yew, thy angel, smite them.
"'6. And if they would go into the height, let darkness seize upon them and let them slip down and turn to the chaos. And let thy angel Yew pursue them and cast them down into the darkness below.
"'7. For they have set a lion-faced power as a trap for me, although I have done them no ill, from which its light will be taken; and they have oppressed the power in me, which they will not be able to take away.
"'8. Now, therefore, O Light, take away the purification from the lion-faced power without its knowing it,--the thought which Self-willed hath thought, to take away my light; take away his own and let the light be taken away from the lion-faced power, which set the trap for me.
"'9. But my power will exult in the Light and rejoice that he will save it.
"'10. And all the portions of my power shall say: There is no saviour but thee. For thou wilt save me out of the hand of the lion-faced power, which hath taken away my power from me, and thou savest me out of the hands of them who have taken away my power and my light from me.
"'11. For they have risen up against me, lying against me and saying that I know the mystery of the Light which is in the height, [the Light] in which I have had faith. And they have constrained me, [saying:] Tell unto us the mystery of the Light in the height,--that which I know not.
"'12. And they have requited me with all this ill because I have had faith in the Light of the height; and they have made my power lightless.
"'13. But when they constrained me, I sat in the darkness, my soul bowed down in mourning.
"'14. And do thou, O Light--for that reason sing I praise to thee--save me. I know that thou wilt save me because I fulfilled thy will ever since I was in my æon. I fulfilled thy will, as the invisibles who are in my region, and as my pair. And I mourned, looking unceasingly and searching for the Light.
"'15. Now, therefore, have all the emanations of Self-willed surrounded me and rejoiced over me and sore oppressed me without my knowing [paragraph continues] [them]. And they have fled away and ceased from me but have had no pity upon me.
"'16. They have returned again and made trial of me and they have oppressed me in great oppression and ground their teeth against me, desiring to take away my light from me utterly.
"'17. How long, therefore, O Light, dost thou suffer them, that they oppress me? Save my power from their evil thoughts and save me from the hand of the lion-faced power; for I alone of the invisibles am in this region.
"'18. I will sing praises unto thee, O Light, in the midst of all who are gathered together against me, and I will cry unto thee in the midst of all who oppress me.
"'19. Now, therefore, O Light, let not them who hate me and desire to take away my power from me, rejoice over me--who hate me and flash their eyes against me, though I have not done anything unto them.
"'20. For indeed they have fawned upon me with sweet words, asking me concerning the mysteries of the Light which I know not, and have craftily spoken against me and been enraged against me, because I have had faith in the Light in the height.
"'21. They have opened their chops against me and said.: Well indeed, we will take from her her light.
"'22. Now, therefore, O Light, thou hast known their guile; suffer them not and let not thy help be far from me.
"'23. Quickly, O Light, vindicate and avenge me,
"'24. And give judgment on me according to thy goodness. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, let them not take away my light from me,
"'25. And let them not say in their heart: Our power is glutted with her light. And let them not say: We have consumed her power.
"'26. But rather let darkness come upon them, and let those who long to take away my light from me, become powerless, and let them be clothed with chaos and darkness, who say there: We will take away her light and her power.
"'27. Now, therefore, save me that I may rejoice, for I long for the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness, and I shall say ever-more: May the light of thy angel Yew shine more and more.
"'28. And my tongue will sing praises to thee in thy gnosis my whole time in the thirteenth æon.'
Chapter 51
James came forward, kissed the breast of Jesus and said: "My Lord, thy spirit hath sobered me, and I am ready to proclaim their solution. Concerning them indeed thy power hath prophesied aforetime through David in the thirty-fourth Psalm, saying thus concerning the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia:
James interpreteth the ninth repentance from Psalm xxxiv."'1. Give sentence, O Lord, on them who do me injustice, and fight against them who fight against me.
"'2. Lay hand on weapon and shield and stand up to help me.
"'3. Draw forth a sword and conceal it [sic] from my oppressors. Say unto my soul: I am thy salvation.
"'4. Let them be put to shame and abashed who strive after my soul; let them fall back and be put to shame who imagine evil against me.
"'5. Let them be as chaff |94. before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord pursue after them.
"'6. Let their way be darkness and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord oppress them.
"'7. For without cause have they hid a snare for me for their own spoiling, and they have mocked at my soul in vain.
"'8. Let a snare come upon them which they know not, and let the net which they have hid for me, catch them, and let them fall into this snare.
"'9. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in its salvation.
"'10. All my bones shall say: O Lord, who can be like unto thee?--thou who settest free the wretched from the hand |95. of him who is stronger than him; and thou savest a wretched and poor [one] from the hands of them who spoil him.
"11. Unjust witnesses came forward and have asked me that which I knew not.
"'12. They have requited me evil for good and childlessness for my soul.
"13. But when they molested me, I clothed me in a sack and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will return into my breast.
"'14. I was pleasing unto thee, as unto my neighbour and as unto my brother; and I humbled myself as one in mourning and as one who is sad.
"'15. They have rejoiced over me, and they are put to shame. Scourges have gathered themselves together against me and I knew not; they were cut off and were troubled.
"'16. They have brought me to trial and mocked me with mocking; they have ground |96. their teeth against me.
"'17. O Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? Restore again my soul from their evil works and save my only one from the hands of the lions.
"'18. I will confess to thee, O Lord, in the great assembly, and I will sing praises to thee in the midst of a countless people.
"'19. Let not them who unjustly treat me as a foe, rejoice over me, who hate me without a cause and wink with their eyes.
"'20. For indeed they discourse with me with words of peace, though they plot wrath with craft.
"'21. They opened their chops wide against me and said: Well indeed, our eyes have filled our sight with him.
"'22. Thou hast seen, O Lord. Keep not silence, O Lord, withdraw not thyself from me.
"'23. Arise, O Lord, |97. and give heed to my vindication, give heed to my vengeance, my God and my Lord.
"'24. Judge me, O Lord, according to thy justice; let them not rejoice over me, my God.
"'25. And let them not say: Well done, our soul. Let them not say: We have consumed him.
"'26. Let them be put to shame and be scorned, who rejoice at my mischance. Let
them be clothed with shame and disgrace who speak boastingly against me.
"'27. Let them who desire my justification, exult and rejoice and let them who desire the peace of his slave, say: May the Lord be great and arise.
"'28. My tongue will exult over thy justification and over thy honour all the day long.'" |
Chapter 52
And when he had said this, he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus.Mary started forward again and said: "Yea, O Lord, this is what thou didst say unto us aforetime: 'The last shall be first and the first shall be last.' The first then, who were created before us, are the invisibles, for indeed they arose before mankind, they and the gods and the rulers; and the men who shall receive mysteries, will be first into the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus said unto her: "Well said, Mary."
The repentance of Sophia is accepted. Jesus is sent to help her.
"'O Light, in whom I have had faith from the beginning, for whose sake I have endured these great pains, help me.'
"And in that hour her repentance was accepted from her. The First Mystery hearkened unto her, and I was sent off at his command. I came to help her, and led her up out of the chaos, because she had repented, and also because she had had faith in the Light and had endured these great pains and these great perils. She had been deluded through the god-like Self-willed, and had not been deluded through anything else, save through a light-power, because of its resemblance to the Light in which she had had faith. For this cause then was I sent forth at the command of the First Mystery to help her secretly. I did not however yet go to the region of the æons at all; but I passed down through the midst out of them, without any single power knowing it, either those of the interior of the interior or those of the exterior of the exterior, save only the First Mystery.
"It came to pass then, when I came into the chaos to help her, that she saw me, that I was understanding and shone exceedingly and was full of compassion for her. For I was not self-willed as the lion-faced power, which had taken away the light-power from Sophia, and had also oppressed her in order to take away from her the whole light in her. Sophia then saw me, that I shone ten-thousand times more than the lion-faced power, and that I was full of compassion for her. And she knew that I came out of the Height of heights, in whose light she had had faith from the beginning. Pistis Sophia then took courage and uttered the tenth repentance, saying:
The tenth repentance of Sophia.
"'2. O Light, save my power from unjust and lawless lips and from crafty traps.
"'3. The light which was being taken from me in crafty snaring, will not be brought unto thee.
"'4. For the traps of Self-willed and the nooses of the merciless [one] are spread out.
"'5. Woe unto me, that my dwelling was far off, and I was in the dwellings of the chaos.
"'6. My power was in regions which are not mine.
"'7. And I entreated those merciless [ones]; and when I entreated them, they fought against me without a cause.'"
Chapter 53
Peter answered and said: "O Lord, concerning this thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the one-hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm; saying:
Peter interpreteth the tenth repentance from Psalm cxix.
"'2. O Lord, save |101. my soul from unjust lips and from crafty tongues.
"'3. What will be given unto thee or what will be added unto thee with a crafty tongue?
"'4. The arrows of the strong [one] are made sharp with the coal of the desert.
"'5. Woe unto me, that my dwelling is far off, and I dwelt in the tents of Kedar.
"'6. My soul hath dwelt in many regions as a guest.
"'7. I was peaceful with them who hate peace; if I spake unto them, they fought against me without a cause.'
"This is now, therefore, O Lord, the solution of the tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia, which she hath uttered when the material emanations of Self-willed oppressed her, they and his lion-faced power, and when they oppressed her exceedingly."
Jesus commendeth Peter.Jesus said unto him: "Well said, Peter, and finely.
Chapter 54
"'1. Why hath the mighty power raised itself in evil?
The eleventh repentance of Sophia."'
"'3. I chose to descend into the chaos rather than to abide in the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness.
"'4. And they desired to lead me craftily, in order to consume my whole light.
"'5. For this cause then will the Light take away their whole light, and also their whole matter will be made naught. And it will take away their light and not suffer them to abide in the thirteenth æon, their dwelling-place, and will not have their name in the region of those who shall live.
"'6. And the four-and-twenty emanations will see what hath befallen thee, O lion-faced power, and will be afraid and not be disobedient, but give the purification of their light.
"'7. And they will see thee and will rejoice over thee and say: Lo, an emanation which hath not given the purification of its light, so that it may be saved, but boasted itself in the abundance of the light of its power, because it did not emanate from the power in it, and hath said: I will take away the light from Pistis Sophia, which will now be taken from it.'
"Now, therefore, let him in whom his power is raised, come forward and proclaim the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia."
Then Salome (Jesus's sister) came forward and said: "My Lord, concerning this thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the fifty-first Psalm, saying:
Salome interpreteth the repentance from Psalm li.
"'2. Thy tongue hath studied unrighteousness all the day long; as a sharp razor hast thou practised craft.
"'3. Thou lovedst wickedness more than goodness; thou lovedst to speak unrighteousness more than righteousness.
"'4. Thou lovedst all words of submerging and a crafty tongue.
"'5. Wherefor will God bring thee to naught utterly, and will uproot thee and drag thee out from thy dwelling-place, and will root out thy root and cast it away from the living. (Selah.)
"'6. The righteous will see and be afraid, and they will mock at him and say:
"'7. Lo, a man who made not God for his helper, but trusted to his great riches and was mighty in his vanity.
"'8. But I am as a fruit-bearing olive-tree in the house of God. I have trusted in the grace of God from all eternity.
"'9. And I will confess unto thee, for thou hast dealt faithfully with me; and I will wait on thy name, for it is auspicious in the presence of thy holy [ones].'
"This then is now, therefore, my Lord, the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. While thy light-power hath roused me, I have spoken it according to thy desire."
Jesus commendeth Salome.It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words which Salome spake, that he said: "Well said, Salome.
The twelfth repentance of Sophia.
"'2. For Self-willed and his lion-faced power have opened their chops against me and have acted craftily against me.
"'3. They have surrounded me, desiring to take away my power, and have hated me, because I have sung praises unto thee.
"'4. Instead of loving me they slandered me. But I sang praises.
"'5. They plotted a plot to take away my power, because I have sung to thee praises, O Light; and hated me, because I have loved thee.
"'6. Let the darkness come over Self-willed, and let the ruler of the outermost darkness abide at his right hand.
"'7. And when thou passest sentence, take from him his power; and the deed which he hath plotted, to take from me my light,--mayest thou take his from him.
"'8. And may all his powers of his light in him finish, and let another of the three triple-powers receive his sovereignty.
"'9. May all the powers of his emanation be lightless and may his matter be without any light in it.
"'10. May his emanations remain in the chaos and not dare to go to their region. May their light in them die away and let them not go to the thirteenth æon, their region.
"'11. May the Receiver, the Purifier of the lights, purify all the lights which are in Self-willed, and take them from them.
"'12. May the rulers of the lower darkness rule over his emanations, and let no one give them shelter in his region; and let no one hearken to the power of his emanations in the chaos.
"'13. Let them take away the light in his emanations and blot out their name from the thirteenth æon, yea rather take his name for ever out of that region.
"'14. And on the lion-faced power let them bring the sin of him who emanated it, before the Light, and not wipe out the iniquity of the matter which hath brought him [sc. Self-willed] forth.
"'15. And may their sin be altogether before the Light eternally, and may they let them not look beyond [the chaos] and take their names out of all regions;
"'16. Because they have not spared me and have oppressed him whose light and |107.whose power they have taken away, and also conformably with those who set me therein, they desired to take away my whole light from me.
"'17. They loved to descend to the chaos; so let them abide therein, and they shall not be brought up [therefrom] from now on. They desired not the region of Righteousness for dwelling-place, and they shall not be taken thither from now on.
'"18. He put on darkness as a garment, and it entered into him as water, and it entered in into all his powers as oil.
"'19. Let him wrap himself into the chaos as into a garment, and gird himself with the darkness as with a leathern girdle for ever.
"'20. Let this befall them who have brought this upon me for the Light's sake and have said: Let us take away her whole power.
"'21. But do thou, O Light, have mercy upon me for the sake of the mystery of thy name, and save me in the goodness of thy grace.
"'22. For they have taken away my light and my power; and my power hath inwardly tottered, and I could not stand upright in their midst.
"'23. I am become as matter which is fallen; I am tossed hither and thither as a demon in the air.
"'24. My power hath perished, because I possess no mystery; and my matter hath become dwindled because of my light, for they have taken it away.
"'25. And they mocked me; they looked at me, nodding at me.
"'26. Help me according to thy mercy.'
"Now, therefore, let him whose spirit is ready, come forward and utter the solution of the twelfth repentance of Pistis Sophia."
Chapter 56
Andrew interpreteth the twelfth repentance from Psalm cviii.
"'3. And they have surrounded me with words of hate and have fought against me without a cause.
"'4. Instead of loving me they have slandered me. But I prayed.
"'5. They showed evil against me for good and hate for my love.
"'6. Set a sinner over him, and let the slanderer stand at his right hand.
"'7. When sentence is passed upon him, may he go forth condemned and his prayer become sin.
"'8. May his days be shortened and another receive his overseership.
"'9. May his children become orphans and his wife a widow.
"'10. May his children be carried away and be driven forth and beg; may they be thrown out of their houses.
"'11. May the money-lender sift out all that he hath, and may strangers plunder all his best efforts.
"'12. Let there be no man to back him, and no one to take pity on his orphans.
"'13. May his children be exterminated and his name blotted out in a single generation.
"'14. Let the sin of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and the sin of his mother be not blotted out.
"'15. Let them be ever present to the Lord and his memory be rooted out from the earth;
"'16. In that he hath not thought of using
mercy and hath persecuted a poor and wretched man and hath persecuted a sorry creature to slay him.
"'17. He loved cursing,--and it shall come unto him. He desired not blessing,--it shall stay far from him.
"'18. He clothed himself with cursing as with a vesture, and it entered into his bowels as water, and it was as oil in his bones.
"'19. May it be for him as a garment in which he shall be wrapped, and as a girdle with which he shall ever be girded.
"'20. This is the work of them who slander [me] before the Lord, and speak unlawfully against my soul.
"'21. But do thou, O Lord God, be gracious unto me; for thy name's sake save me.
"'22. For I am poor and I am wretched; my heart is tumult within me.
"'23. I am carried away in the midst as a shadow which hath sunk down, and I am shaken out as grass-hoppers.
"'24. My knees have become weak from fasting, and my flesh is altered from [lack of] oil.
"'25. But I have become a mock unto them; they saw me and wagged their heads.
"'26. Help, O Lord God, and save me according to thy grace.
"'27. May they know that this is thy hand, and that thou, O Lord, hast fashioned them.'
"This is then the solution of the twelfth repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered, when she was in the chaos."
"O Light of lights, I have transgressed in the twelve æons, and have descended from them; wherefor have I uttered the twelve repentances, [one] for each æon. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, forgive me my transgression, for it is exceedingly great, because I have abandoned the regions of the height and have come to dwell in the regions of the chaos.'
"When then Pistis Sophia had said this, she continued again in the thirteenth repentance, saying:
The thirteenth repentance of Sophia."'1. Hearken unto me singing praises unto thee, O Light of lights. Hearken unto me uttering the repentance for the thirteenth æon, the region out of which I have come down, in order that the thirteenth repentance of the thirteenth æon may be accomplished,--those [æons] which I have overstepped and out of which I have come down.
"'2. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, hearken unto me singing praises unto thee in the thirteenth æon, my region out of which I have come down.
"'3. Save me, O Light, in thy great mystery and forgive my transgression in thy forgiveness.
"'4. And give unto me the baptism and forgive my sins and purify me from my transgression.
"'5. And my transgression is the lion-faced power, which will never be hidden from thee; for because of it have I gone down.
"'6. And I alone among the invisibles, in whose regions I was, have transgressed, and have gone down into the chaos. Moreover I have transgressed, that thy commandment may be accomplished.'
"This then Pistis Sophia said. Now, therefore, let him whom his spirit urgeth to understand her words, come forward and proclaim her thought."
Martha came forward and said: "My Lord, my spirit urgeth me to proclaim the solution of that which Pistis Sophia hath spoken; thy power hath prophesied aforetime concerning it through David in the fiftieth Psalm, saying thus:
Martha interpreteth the thirteenth repentance from Psalm l.
"'2. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
"'3. And may my sin be ever present to thee,
"'4. That thou mayest be justified in thy words and prevail when thou judgest me.'
"This is then the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
Jesus said unto her: "Well said, finely, Martha, blessed [one]."
Chapter 58
Sophia uttereth a song of praise.
"'2. Leave me not in the chaos. Save me, O Light of the Height, for it is thou that I have praised.
"'3. Thou has sent me thy light through thyself and hast saved me. Thou hast led me to the higher regions of the chaos.
"'4. May the emanations of Self-willed which pursue me, sink down into the lower regions of the chaos, and let them not come to the higher regions to see me.
"'5. And may great darkness cover them and darker gloom come over them. And let them not see me in the light of thy power, which thou hast sent unto me to save me, so that they may not again get dominion over me.
"'6. And let not their resolution which they have formed, to take away my power, take effect for them. And as they have spoken against me, to take from me my light, take rather from them theirs instead of mine.
"'7. And they have proposed to take away my whole light and have not been able to take it, for thy light-power was with me.
"'8. Because they have taken counsel without thy commandment, O Light, therefore have they not been able to take away my light.
"'9. Because I |114. have had faith in the Light, I shall not be afraid; and the Light is my deliverer and I shall not fear.'
"Now, therefore, let him whose power is exalted, speak the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Salome came forward and said: "My Lord, my power constraineth me to speak the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Thy power hath prophesied aforetime through Solomon, saying:
Salome interpreteth the song of Sophia from the Odes of Solomon.
"'2. Abandon me not, O Lord, for thou art! my hope.
"'3. Thou hast given me thy vindication for naught, and I am saved through thee.
"'4. Let them who pursue me, fall down and let them not see me.
"'5. May a smoke-cloud cover their eyes and an air-mist darken them, and let them not see the day, so that they may not seize me.
"'6. May their resolution be impotent, and may what they concoct come upon them.
"'7. They have devised a resolution, and it hath not taken effect for them.
"'8. And they are vanquished, although they be mighty, and what they have wickedly prepared is fallen upon them.
"'9. My hope is in the Lord, and I shall not be afraid, for thou art my God, my Saviour.'"
It came to pass then, when Salome had finished saying these words, that Jesus said unto her: "Well said, |115. Salome; and finely. This is the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."
Chapter 59
"It came to pass then moreover, when it surrounded the pure light in Sophia, and her pure light did not depart from the wreath of the power of the light-flame, so that the emanations of Self-willed should not rob it from it,--when then this befell her, the pure light-power in Sophia began to sing praises. And she praised my light-power, which was a wreath round her head, and she sang praises, saying:
"'1. The Light hath become a wreath round Sophia uttereth another song of praise.my head; and I shall not depart from it, so that the emanations of Self-willed may not rob it from me.
"'2. And though all the matters be shaken, yet shall I not be shaken.
"'3. And though all my matters perish and remain in the chaos,--those which the emanations of Self-willed see,--yet shall I not perish.
"'4. For the Light is with me, and I myself am with the Light.'
"These words then Pistis Sophia uttered. Now, therefore, let him who understandeth the thought of these words, come forward and proclaim their solution."
Mary, his mother, asketh and receiveth permission to speak.
And Jesus answered and said: "Thou also, Mary, hast received form which is in Barbēlō, according to matter, and hast received likeness which is in the Virgin of Light, according to light, thou and the other Mary, the blessed one; and on thy account the darkness hath arisen, and moreover out of thee did come forth the material body in which I am, which I have purified and refined,--now, therefore, I bid thee proclaim the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." (Jesus is acknowledging the Divine incarnation of his mother and who she represents and is, Barbelo incarnate from whom the Christos was brought forth.)
And Mary, the mother of Jesus, answered and said: "My Lord, thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime concerning these words through Solomon in the nineteenth Ode and said:
"'1. The Lord is on my head as a wreath, and I shall not depart from him.
Mary, his mother, interpreteth the song of Sophia from the xixth ode of Solomon.
"'3. For it is not like unto a wreath withered that sprouteth not. But thou art alive on my head and thou hast sprouted upon me.
"'4. Thy fruits are full and perfect, filled with thy salvation.'"
Jesus commendeth his mother.
Chapter 60
And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples:
When then Jesus had said this unto his disciples, he said: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"
Mary Magdalene interpreteth the mystery from Psalm lxxxiv.
"'10. Grace and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other.
"'11. Truth sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven.'
"'Grace' then is the light-power which hath come down through the First Mystery; for the First Mystery hath hearkened unto Pistis Sophia and hath had mercy on her in all her tribulations. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power which hath gone forth out of thee, for that thou hast fulfilled the truth, in order to save her out of the chaos. And 'righteousness' again is the power which hath come forth through the First Mystery, which will guide Pistis Sophia.
'Truth sprouted out of the earth,' because thou wert in the lower regions of the chaos. 'Righteousness' on the other hand which hath 'looked down from heaven,'--it is the power which hath come down from the height through the First Mystery and hath entered into Pistis Sophia."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words, that he said: "Well said, Mary, blessed one, who shalt inherit the whole Light-kingdom."
Thereon Mary, the mother of Jesus, also came forward and said: "My Lord and my Saviour, give commandment unto me also that I repeat this word."
Jesus said: "Whose spirit is understanding, him I do not prevent, but I urge him on still more to speak the thought which hath moved him. |120. Now, therefore, Mary, my mother according to matter, thou in whom I have sojourned, I bid thee that thou also speak the thought of the discourse."
Mary, the mother, further interpreteth the scripture.And Mary answered and said: "My Lord, concerning the word which thy power hath prophesied through David: 'Grace and truth met together, righteousness and peace kissed each other. Truth sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven,'--thus hath thy power prophesied this word aforetime about thee.
"When thou wert little, before the spirit had
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The story of the phantom spirit.come upon thee, whilst thou wert in a vineyard with Joseph, the spirit came out of the height and came to me in my house, like unto thee; and I had not known him, but I thought that thou wast he. And the spirit said unto me: Where is Jesus, my brother, that I meet with him?' And when he had said this unto me, I was at a loss and thought it was a phantom to try me. So I seized him and bound him to the foot of the bed in my house, until I went forth to you, to thee and Joseph in the field, and I found you on the vineyard, Joseph propping up the vineyard. It came to pass, therefore, when thou didst hear me speak the word unto Joseph, that thou didst understand the word, wert joyful and saidest: 'Where is he, that I may see him; else I await him in this place.' And it came to pass, when Joseph had heard thee say these words, that he was startled. And we went down |121. together, entered the house and found the spirit bound to the bed. And we looked on thee and him and found thee like unto him. And he who was bound to the bed was unloosed; he took thee in his arms and kissed thee, and thou also didst kiss him. Ye became one.
"This then is the word and its solution. 'Grace' is the spirit which hath come down out of the height through the First Mystery, for it hath had mercy on the race of men and sent its spirit that he should forgive the sins of the whole world, and they should receive the mysteries and inherit the Light-kingdom. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power which hath sojourned with me. When it had come forth out of Barbēlō,
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Of the spiritual and material bodies of Jesus.it became material body for thee, and hath made proclamation concerning the region of Truth. 'Righteousness' is thy spirit, who hath brought the mysteries out of the height to give them to the race of men. 'Peace' on the other hand is the power which hath sojourned in thy material body according to the world, which hath baptized the race of men, until it should make it stranger unto sin and make it at peace with thy spirit, so that they may be at peace with the emanations of the Light; that is, 'Grace and truth kissed each other.' As it saith: 'Truth sprouted forth out of the earth,'--'truth' is thy material body |122. which sprouted forth out of me according to the world of men, and hath made proclamation concerning the region of Truth. And again as it saith: 'Righteousness [looked down] from heaven'--'righteousness' is the power which looked out of the height, which will give the mysteries of the Light to the race of men, so that they will become righteous and good, and inherit the Light-kingdom."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words which his mother Mary spake, that he said: "Well said, finely, Mary."
Chapter 62
Jesus said unto her: "I bid thee speak their solution."
Mary said: "My Lord, 'Grace and truth met together,'--'grace' then is the spirit who hath
Of the spiritual and material bodies of Jesus.
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The other Mary further interpreteth the same scripture from the baptism of Jesus.come upon thee, when thou didst receive the baptism from John. 'Grace' then is the godly spirit who hath come upon thee; he hath had mercy on the race of men, hath come down and hath met with the power of Sabaōth, the Good which is in thee and which hath made proclamation concerning the regions of Truth. It hath said again: 'Righteousness and peace kissed each other,'--'righteousness' then is the spirit of the Light, which did come upon thee and hath brought the mysteries of the height, |123. to give them unto the race of men. 'Peace' on the other hand is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which is in thee,--he who hath baptized and hath forgiven the race of men,--and it hath made them at peace with the sons of the Light. And moreover as thy power hath said through David: 'Truth sprouted forth out of the earth,'--that is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which sprouted forth out of Mary, thy mother, the dweller on earth. 'Righteousness,' which 'looked down from heaven,' on the other hand is the spirit in the height who hath brought all mysteries of the height and given them to the race of men; and they have become righteous and good, and have inherited the Light-kingdom."
And it came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary speak these words, that he said: "Well said, Mary, inheritress of the Light."
And Mary, the mother of Jesus, again came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them and said: "My Lord, my son and my Saviour, be not wroth with me, but pardon me, that I may once more speak the solution of these words. 'Grace and truth met together,'--it is I, Mary,
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Mary, the mother, again further interpreteth the same scripture from the meeting of herself with Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptizer.thy mother, and Elizabeth, mother of John, whom I have met. |124. 'Grace' then is the power of Sabaōth in me, which went forth out of me, which thou art. Thou hast had mercy on the whole race of men. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power in Elizabeth, which is John, who did come and hath made proclamation concerning the way of Truth, which thou art,--who hath made proclamation before thee. And again, 'Grace and truth met together,'--that is thou, my Lord, thou who didst meet John on the day when thou hadst to receive the baptism. And again thou and John are 'Righteousness and peace kissed Of the incarnation of Jesus.each other.'--'Truth hath sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven,'--this is, during the time when thou didst minister unto thyself, thou didst have the form of Gabriēl, thou didst look down upon me from heaven and speak with me. And when thou hadst spoken with me, thou didst sprout up in me,--that is the 'truth,' that is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which is in thy material body, that is the 'truth' which 'sprouted up out of the earth.'"
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard his mother Mary speak these words, that he said: "Well said, and finely. This is the solution of all the words concerning which my light-power hath prophesied aforetime through the prophet David."
[The Note of a Scribe]
(Now these are the names which I will give from the Boundless onward. Write them with a sign, that the Sons of God may be revealed from here on.
This is the name of the Immortal: aaa, ōōō; and this is the name of the Voice, for the sake of which the Perfect Man hath set himself in motion: iii. And these are the interpretations of the names of these mysteries: the first [name], which is aaa, its interpretation is fff; the second, which is mmm or ōōō, its interpretation is aaa; the third, which is ps ps ps, its interpretation is ooo; the fourth, which is fff, its interpretation is nnn; the fifth, which is ddd, its interpretation is aaa. He on the throne is aaa. This is the interpretation of the second: aaaa, aaaa, aaaa; this is the interpretation of the whole name.)
JOHN also came forward and said: "O Lord, bid me also speak the solution of the words which thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David."
And Jesus answered and said unto John: "To thee too, John, I give commandment to speak the solution of the words which my light-power hath prophesied through David:
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