CHAPTER 1
And Jesus had not told his
disciples of the whole extent of the emanations of the treasury, nor
their ranks how they extend, nor had he told them of their saviours,
according to the rank of each one, how they are. Nor had he told them
which watcher is over each of the doors of the Treasury of Light. Nor
had he told them of the place of the twin saviour who is the child of
the child. Nor had he told themof the place of the three amens, in
which places they extend, and he had not told them in which places
the five trees are spread, nor of the seven other amens, namely the
seven voices, which their place is and how they extend. And Jesus had
not told his disciples of what type are the five helpers
(Parastatai). Or into which places they are brought. Nor had he told
them in what manner the great light extends, or into which places it
is brought- Nor had he told them of the five incisions, nor
concerning the first ordinance, into which places they are brought.
But he had only spoken to them in general, teaching them that they
existed. But he had not told them their extent and the rank of their
places according to how they exist. Because of this they also did not
know that other places existed within that mystery. And he had not
said to his disciples : "I came forth from such and such places until
I entered that mystery, until I came forth from it." But he had said
to them as hen thaught them : "I came forth from that
mystery". Because of this they thought
now of that mystery that it was the completion of all completions,
and that it was the head of the All, and that it was (the) whole
pleroma, since Jesus had said to his disciples : "That mystery
surrounds the totalities of which I have told you all from the day on
which I met you until today". Because of this the disciples thought
now that there was nothing existing within that mystery. CHAPTER 2. It happened as the disciples
were sitting with one another upon the Mount of Olives, as they spoke
these words they rejoiced with great joy, and they were very
jubilant, and they said to one another: "We are blessed beyond all
men who are on earth because the Saviour has revealed these things to
us, and we have received the pleroma and the whole completion". As
they were saying these things to one another, Jesus was sitting at a
short distance fromthem. It happened, however, on the
1sth of the moon in the month of Tôbe, which is the day on
which the moon becomes full, now on that day when the sun had risen
on its path , there came forth after it a great power of light,
giving a very great light, and there was no measure to its accom-
panying light , for it came forth from the Light of Lights,
exceedingly, with (a) light to which there was no measure. And the
disciples gazed after him, and not one of them spoke until he had
reached heaven, but they all kept a great silence. Now these things
happened on the 15th of the moon, on the day on which it is full in
the month of Tôbe. Now it happened when Jesus went up to
heaven, after three hours all the powers of the heavens were
disturbed, and they all shook against one another, they and all their
aeons, and all their places and all their ranks and the whole earth
moved with all who dwelt upon it. And all the men in the world were
agitated, and also the disciples. And they all thought : "Perhaps the
world will be rolled up". And all the powers which are in the heavens
did not cease from their agitation, they and the whole world, and
they all moved against one another from the third hour of the 15th of
the moon in (the month of) Tôbe until the ninth hour of the
following day. And all the angels and their archangels and all the
powers of the height all sang praises to the innermost of the inner ,
so that the whole world heard their voices, and they did not cease
until the ninth hour of the following day. CHAPTER 2. It happened as the disciples
were sitting with one another upon the Mount of Olives, as they spoke
these words they rejoiced with great joy, and they were very
jubilant, and they said to one another: "We are blessed beyond all
men who are on earth because the Saviour has revealed these things to
us, and we have received the pleroma and the whole completion". As
they were saying these things to one another, Jesus was sitting at a
short distance fromthem. It happened, however, on the
1sth of the moon in the month of Tôbe, which is the day on
which the moon becomes full, now on that day when the sun had risen
on its path , there came forth after it a great power of light,
giving a very great light, and there was no measure to its accom-
panying light , for it came forth from the Light of Lights,
exceedingly, with (a) light to which there was no measure. And the
disciples gazed after him, and not one of them spoke until he had
reached heaven, but they all kept a great silence. Now these things
happened on the 15th of the moon, on the day on which it is full in
the month of Tôbe. Now it happened when Jesus went up to
heaven, after three hours all the powers of the heavens were
disturbed, and they all shook against one another, they and all their
aeons, and all their places and all their ranks and the whole earth
moved with all who dwelt upon it. And all the men in the world were
agitated, and also the disciples. And they all thought : "Perhaps the
world will be rolled up". And all the powers which are in the heavens
did not cease from their agitation, they and the whole world, and
they all moved against one another from the third hour of the 15th of
the moon in (the month of) Tôbe until the ninth hour of the
following day. And all the angels and their archangels and all the
powers of the height all sang praises to the innermost of the inner ,
so that the whole world heard their voices, and they did not cease
until the ninth hour of the following day. CHAPTER 3. Now it happened when the
light-power had come down upon Jesus, it gradually surrounded him
completely. Then Jesus rose or ascended to the height, giving light
exceedingly, with (a) light to which there was no measure. And the
disciples gazed after him, and not one of them spoke until he had
reached heaven, but they all kept a great silence. Now these things
happened on the 1sth of the moon, on the day on which it is full in
the month of Tôbe. Now it happened when Jesus went up to
heaven, after three hours all the powers of the heavens were
disturbed, and they all shook against one another , they and all
their aeons, and all their places and all their ranks and the whole
earth moved with all who dwelt upon it. And all the men in the world
were agitated, and also the disciples. And they all thought :
"Perhaps the world will be rolled up". And all the powers which are
in the heavens did not cease from their agitation, they and the whole
world, and they all moved against one another from the third hour of
the 1sth of the moon in (the month on Tôbe until the ninth hour
of the following day. And all the angels and their archangels and all
the powers of the height all sang praises to the innermost of the
inner , so that the whole world heard their voices, and they did not
cease until the ninth hour of the following day. CHAPTER 4. The disciples, however, sat
with one another in fear, and were greatly agitated. ( They were
afraid, however, on account of the great earthquake which happened,
and they wept together, saying: "What will happen now? Perhaps the
Saviour will destroy all the places". As they were saying these
things and were weeping to one another, on the ninth hour of the
following day the heavens opened, and they saw Jesus coming down,
giving light exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light in
which he was. For he gave more light than in the hour -that he went
up to heaven, so that the men in the world were not able to speak of
the light which was his, and it cast forth very many rays of light,
and there was no measure to its rays. And his light was not equal
throughout, but it was of different kinds, and it was of different
types, so that some were many times superior to others, and the whole
light together was in three forms, and the one was many times
superior to the other; the second which was in the middle was
superior to the first which was below; and the third which was above
them all was superior to the second which was below. And the first
ray which was below them all was similar to the light which had come
down upon Jesus before he went up to heaven, and it was quite equal
to it in its light. And the three light-forms were of different kinds
of light and they were of different types. And some were many times
superior to others. CHAPTER 5. It happened, however, when the
disciples saw these they were greatly afraid and agitated. Now Jesus,
the com- compassionate and tender-hearted, when he saw that his
disciples were in great agitation, he spoke to them saying : "Be
courageous. It is I, do not fear" . CHAPTER 6. Now it happened when the
disciples heard these words, they said : "Lord, if it be thou, draw
thy light-glory to thyself so that we can stand, otherwise our eyes
are darkened and we are agitated, and also the whole world is
agitated 1, because of the great light which is thine". Then Jesus
drew to himself the glory of his light. And when this had happened
all the disciples took courage, they came before Jesus, they all
prostrated themselves at the same time, they worshipped him,
rejoicing with great joy. They said to him : "Rabbi, where didst thou
go, or what was thy service in which thou didst go, or for what
reason were all these disturbances and all these earthquakes which
happened ?" Then Jesus, the compassionate,
said to them : "Rejoice and be glad from this hour because I have
been to the places from whence I came forth. From today onwards now I
will speak with you openly from the beginning of the truth until its
completion. And I will speak with you face to face, without parable .
I will not conceal from you, from this hour onwards, anything of the
things of the height and of the place of the truth . For I have been
given authority , through the Ineffable and through the First Mystery
of all the mysteries, that I should speak with you from the beginning
until the pleroma, and from within outwards, and from without
inwards. Hear now, so that I tell you all things. It happened as I
was sitting at a short distance from you upon the Mount of Olives, I
was thinking of the rank of the service for which I was sent, that it
should be completed, and that my garment was not yet sent to me by
the First Mystery, which is the 24th mystery from within outwards.
These (24 mysteries) are in the second space of the First Mystery in
the rank of that space. It happened now when I knew that the rank of
the service for which I had been sent was completed, and that that
mystery had not yet sent me the garment, which I had left behind
within it until the time was completed - as I thought of these
things, I was sitting upon the Mount of Olives at a short distance
from you. CHAPTER 7 It happened when the sun rose
in the East now after- wards, through the First Mystery which had
existed from the beginning, because of which ( the All existed, from
which I myself have come just now - not prior to my crucifixion , but
now - it happened through the command of that mystery, it sent me my
garment of light, which it had given to me from the beginning, which
I had left behind in the last mystery which is the 24th mystery from
within outwards, these (24 mysteries) which are in the ranks of the
second space of the First Mystery. That garment (of light) now I had
left behind in the last mystery until the time was completed that I
should put it on me, and that I should begin to speak with the race
of mankind, and reveal to them all things from the beginning of the
truth until its completion, and speak to them from the innermost of
the inner to the outermost of the outer, and from the outermost of
the outer to the innermost of the inner. Rejoice and be glad , and
rejoice still more, that it is given to you that I should speak with
you first from the beginning of the truth until its com- pletion.
Because of this indeed I have chosen you from the beginning ( through
the First Mystery. Rejoice now and be glad , because when I entered
the world I brought the twelve powers with me, as I told you from the
beginning, which I took from the twelve saviours of the Treasury of
Light, according to the command of the First Mystery. These now I cast into the wombs of your mothers
when I came into the world, and it is these which are in your bodies
today. For these powers have been given to you above the whole world,
for you are those who are able to save the whole world, so that you
should be able to withstand the threat of the archons of the world,
and the sufferings of the world and their dangers, and all their
persecutions which the archons of the height will bring upon you. For
I have said to you many times that the power which is within you I
have brought from the twelve saviours, which are in the Treasury of
Light. For this reason I have indeed said to you from the beginning
that you are not from the world; I also am not from it . For all men
who are in the world have received souls from (the power) of the
arclions of the aeons. The power, however, which is in you, is from
me but your souls belong to the height. I have brought twelve powers
of the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the Light, taking them from
the part of my power which I received at first. And when I entered
the world I came to the midst of the archons of the sphere, and I
took the likeness of Gabriel, the Angel of the aeons, and the archers
of the aeons did not recognise me . But they thought that I was the
Angel Gabriel. Now it happened that when I came into the midst of the
archons of the aeons, I looked down at the world of mankind, at the
command of the First Mystery. I found Elisabeth, the mother of John
the Baptist , before she had conceived him and I cast into her a
power which I had received from the Little Jao , the Good, who is in
the Midst, so that he should be able to preach before me, and prepare
my way and baptise with water of forgiveness . Now that power was in
the body of John. And again, in place of the soul of the archons
which he was due to receive, I found the soul of the prophet Elias in
the aeons of the sphere; and I took it in and I took his soul again;
I brought it to the Virgin of the Light, and she gave it to her
paralemptors . They brought it to the sphere of the archons, and they
cast it into the womb of Elisabeth. But the power of the Little Jao,
he of the Midst, and the soul of the prophet Elias were bound in the
body of John the Baptist. You doubted now at the time when I spoke to
you because John said : 'I am not the Christ' and you said to me :
'lt is written in the scripture : when the Christ shall come, there
will come Elias before him and he will prepare his way'. But when you
said this to me, I said to you : 'Elias has indeed come and he has
prepared all things, as it is written : And they did to him as they
pleased. And when I knew that you did not understand what I said to
you concerning the soul of Elias, which was bound in John the
Baptist, I answered you openly in speech, face to face, saying : 'lf
it pleases you to accept John the Baptist, he is Elias of whom I have
said that he will come'". CHAPTER 8. Jesus continued again
speaking and said:
"Now it happened after this, through the command of the First
Mystery, I looked down again upon the world of mankind, I
found
Mary, who is
called my
mother according to
the material body. I spoke to her in the type of Gabriel , and when she turned to the height
towards me, I cast into her the first power which I had received from
the Barbelo, which is the body which I wore in the height. And in
place of the soul, I cast into her the power which I received from
the great Sabaoth, the Good , who is in the place of the right. And
the twelve powers of the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the
Light, which I received from the twelve servers which are in the
Midst, I cast into the sphere of the archons. And the decans of the archons and their ministers
thought that they were souls of the archons, and the ministers
brought them, they bound them in the bodies of your mothers. And when
your times were completed, they bore you into the world without there
being souls of the archons in you. And you have received your parts
from the power which the last helper (parastates) had breathed into
the mixture, this (power) which is mixed with all the invisible ones
and all the archons and all the aeons. In a word, it is mixed with
the world of destruction, namely the mixture. This (power) which,
from the beginning, I brought out of myself, I cast into the first
ordinance. And the first ordinance cast a part of it into the great
light. And the great light cast a part of what it received into the
five helpers (parastatai), and the last helper (parastates) took a
part from what it received and cast it into the mixture. And (the
part) has come to be in all who are in the mixture, as I have just
said to you." Now Jesus was saying these
things to his disciples upon the Mount of Olives. Jesus now continued
again in the discourse with his disciples: "Rejoice and be glad , and
add joy to your joy, because the times are completed that I should
put on my garment which was prepared for me from the beginning, which
I left behind in the last mystery until the time of its completion.
But the time of its com- pletion is the time when I am commanded by
the First Mystery to speak to you from the beginning of the truth to
its fulfilment, and from the innermost of the inner (to the outermost
of the outer), because the world will be saved by you. Rejoice and be
glad because you are blessed beyond all men upon earth, because it is
you who will save the whole world." CHAPTER 9 It happened now when Jesus
finished saying these words to his disciples, he continued again with
the discourse, and he said to them: "Behold, I have put on my garment
and all authority is given to me through the First Mystery. Yet a
little time, and I will tell you ( the mystery of the All and the
pleroma of the All, and I will not hide anything from you from this
hour, but in completion I will complete you in every pleroma and in
every completion and in every mystery ; these are the completion of
all completions and the Pleroma of all Pleromas and the gnosis of all
gnoses, these which are in my garment. I will tell you all the
mysteries from the outermost of the outer to the innermost of the
inner. Hear, nevertheless, and I will tell you everything which has
happened to me. CHAPTER 10. It happened now when the sun
rose in the East, a great power of light came down, in which was my
garment which I had left in the 24th mystery, as I have just been
telling you. And I found a mystery in my garment, written in the
manner of writing of those of the height :<lacuna
untranslateable> whose interpretation is : 'O Mystery which art
outside the world , because of which the All exists - this is the
whole coming forth and the whole ascent which has emanated all
emanations and all that is within them, and because of which all
mysteries and all their places exist - come forth to us because we
are thy fellow-members. But we all with thee alone, we
and thou are one and the same. Thou art the First Mystery which has
existed from the beginning in the Ineffable One, before he went
forth, and the name of that one is all of us. Now all together we
will approach thee at the last boundary , which is the last mystery
from within, itself a part of us. Now we have sent thee thy garment
which has belonged to thee from the beginning, which thou didst leave
in the last boundary, which is the last mystery from within, until
its time was completed according to the command of the First Mystery.
Behold, the time is completed.
Put it on, come to us, that we all approach thee to put on thee the
First Mystery with all his glory, through his own command; as the
First Mystery, having two garments, has given it to us that we should
put it on thee, apart from this which we have sent thee because thou
art worthy, since thou art first among us and thou didst exist before
us . Because of this the First Mystery has sent to thee through us
the mystery of his whole glory, having two garments. That is, in the
first is all the glory of all the names of all the mysteries and all
the emanations and the ranks of the spaces of the Ineffable One. And
in the second garment is the whole glory of the name of all the
mysteries and all the emanations which are in the ranks of the two
spaces of the First Mystery. And in this garment which we have now
sent thee is the glory of the name of the mystery of the informer,
which is the first ordinance, and the mystery of the five incisions,
and the mystery of the great messenger of the Ineffable, who is the
great light, and the mystery of the five leaders who are the five
helpers (parastatai). And furthermore, there is in that garment the
glory of the name of the mystery of all the ranks of the emanations
of the Treasury of the Light, and their saviours, and (the mystery on
the ranks of the ranks, which are the seven amens and the seven
voices and the five trees and the three amens and the twin saviour,
namely the child of the child, and the mystery of the nine watchers
of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light . And further- more
there is in it the whole glory of the name (of all those) who are on
the right, and all those who are in the Midst. And furthermore there
is in it the whole glory of the name of the great invisible one, who
is the great forefather , and the mystery of the triple power, and
the mystery, of their whole place, and the mystery, of all their
invisible ones and of all those who are in the thirteenth aeon , and
the name of the twelve aeons and of all their archons and all their
archangels and all their angels, and of all those which are in the
twelve aeons, and the whole mystery, of the names of all those which
are in the Heimarmene and all the heavens. And the whole mystery of
the name of all those in the sphere, and their firmaments and all
those which are in them, and all their places. Behold now, we have
sent thee that garment which no one knew, from the first ordinance
downwards, because the glory of its light was hidden within it. And
the spheres and all the places from the first ordinance down- wards
(did not know it). Behold now, put on this garment quickly.
Come to us that we approach
thee to put on thee thy two garments, through the command of the
First Mystery they having been for thee with the First Mystery since
the beginning until the time appointed by the Ineffable One which
contained their name. They were exceedingly afraid and all their
bonds in which they were bound were loosened, and each one abandoned
his rank. And they all prostrated themselves in my presence, they
worshipped, saying : 'How has the Lord of the All passed through us
without our knowing?' And they all sang praises at once to the inner-
most of the inner. However they did not see me, but they saw the
light alone and they were in great fear . And they were greatly
agitated, and they sang praises to the innermost of the inner.
CHAPTER 11 It happened now, when I saw
the mystery, of all these words in the garment which was sent to me,
I put it on in that hour, and I gave light exceedingly, and I flew to
the height, and I came before the gate of the firmament, shining
exceedingly, there being no measure to the light which I had. And the
gates of the firmament were agitated against one another, and they
all opened at the same time. And all the archons and all the powers
(exousiai) and all the angels therein were all agitated at the same
time because of the great light which I had. And they looked upon the
shining garment of light which I wore, they saw the mystery is
completed. Behold the time is completed. Come now quickly to us that
we put them on thee, until thou hast completed the whole service of
the completion of the First Mystery, which is appointed by the
Ineffable One. Come now quickly to us that we put them on thee,
according to the command of the First Mystery. For yet a little time,
an insignificant one, and thou wilt come to us and leave the world.
Come now quickly, and thou shalt receive the whole glory which is the
glory of the First Mystery ii. It happened now, when I saw the
mystery, of all these words in the garment which was sent to me, I
put it on in that hour, and I gave light exceedingly, and I flew to
the height, and I came before the gate of the firmament, shining
exceedingly, there being no measure to the light which I had. And the
gates of the firmament were agitated against one another, and they
all opened at the same time. And all the archons and all the powers
(exousiai) and all the angels therein were all agitated at the same
time because of the great light which I had. And they looked upon the
shining garnient of light which I wore, they saw the mystery of their
name within it. And they were increasingly agitated and they were in
great fear, saying : "How has the Lord of the All passed through
without our knowing?" And all their bonds were loosened, and their
places and their ranks. And each one abandoned his rank. And they all
prostrated themselves at the same time, they all worshipped in my
prescense or in the prescense of my garment. And they all sang
praises at the same time to the innermost of the inner, being in
great fear and great agitation. Chapter 12. Nevertheless I left that place
behind me, I came up to the first sphere shining exceedingly, 49
times more than when I gave light within the firmament. Now it
happened when I reached the gate of the first sphere, its gates were
agitated and they opened of themselves at the same time. I came into
the houses of the spheres shining exceedingly, there being no measure
to the light which I had. And all the archons and all those who were
in that sphere were agitated together. And they saw the great light
which I had. And they looked upon my garment, they saw the mystery of
their name within it. And they were increasingly agitated, and they
were in great fear, saying: 'How, has the Lord of the All passed
through us without our knowing?' And all their bonds were loosened,
and their places and their ranks. And each one abandoned his rank.
And they all prostrated themselves at the same time, they all
worshipped in my presence or in the presence of my garment. And they
all sang praises at the same time to the innermost of the inner,
being in great fear and great agitation. CHAPTER 13. And I left that place behind
me, I came to the gate of the second sphere, which is the Heimarmene.
But all its gates were agitated and they opened of themselves . And I
entered into the houses of the Heimarmene, shining exceedingly, there
being no measure to the light which I had, for I was shining in the
Heimarmene 49 times more than in the sphere. And all the archons and
all those who are in the Heimarmene were agitated and they fell upon
one another, and were in very great fear as they saw the great light
which I had. And they looked at my garment of light, they saw the
mystery of their name in my garment, and they were increasingly
agitated. They were in great fear, saying : 'How has the Lord of the
All passed through us without our knowing?' And all the bonds of
their places and their ranks and their houses were loosened. They all
came at the same time, they prostrated themselves, they worshipped in
my presence. And they all sang praises at the same time to the
innermost of the inner, being in great fear and great agitation.
CHAPTER 14.
And I left that place behind
me, I came upwards to the great aeons of the archons, I came before
their veils and their gates shining exceedingly, and there was no
measure to the light which I had. Now it happened when I reached the
twelve aeons , their veils and their gates were agitated against one
another. The veils drew themselves aside and the gates opened of
themselves , and I entered into their aeons shining exceedingly,
there being no measure to the light which I had, 49 times greater
than the light with which I was shining in the houses of the
Heimarmene. And all the angels of the aeons and their archangels and
their archons and their gods and their lords and their powers
(exousiai) and their tyrants and their powers and their light-sparks
and their luminaries and their unpaired ones and their invisible ones
and their forefathers and their triple-powered glories, they saw me
shining exceedingly, there being no measure to the light which I had.
And they were agitated against one another, and great fear came upon
them as they saw the great light which I had. And their great
agitation and their great fear reached to the place of the great
invisible fore- father and the three great triple-powered ones.
However, because of the great fear from their agitation, the great
forefather continued to run from side to side in his place, he and
the three triple-powered ones, and they could not close all their
places because of the great fear in which they were. And they moved
all their aeons at the same time, and all their spheres, and all
their orders, fearing and greatly agitated because of the great light
which I had. Not as at the time when I had it, in which I was upon
the earth of mankind, when the garment of light came down upon me,
for the world would not be able to bear the light as it is in its
reality, else the world and all that is upon it would be dissolved at
the same time. But the light which I had in the twelve aeons was 8700
myriad times greater than that which I had with you in the world.
CHAPTER 15. Now it happened when all those
that were in the twelve aeons saw the great light which I had, they
were all agitated against one another, and they ran from side to side
in the aeons. And all the aeons and all the heavens and their whole
order moved against one another, because of the great fear which they
had because they did not know the mystery which had happened. And
Adamas, the great tyrant , and all the tyrants which are in all the
aeons began to wage war in vain against the light. And they did not
know against whom they waged war, because they saw nothing except the
greatly surpassing light. Now it happened when they
waged war against the light, they were all exhausted together, and
they were cast down into the aeons, and they became like the
earth-dwellers who are dead and have no breath in them. And I took a
third part of all their power so that they should not work their
wicked actions, and in order that when men who are in the world call
upon them in their mysteries - those which the transgressing angels
brought down, namely their magic - that when now they call upon them
in their wicked actions, they are not able to complete them. And (as
for) the Heimarmene and the sphere over which they rule, I turned
them and caused them to spend six months turned to the left, as they
complete their (periods of) influence, and to look to the right for
six months, as they complete their (periods on influence. However,
through the command of the first ordinance and through the command of
the First Mystery, Jeu the Overseer of the Light had placed them so
that they were looking to the left at all times, as they completed
their (periods of) influence and their actions. CHAPTER 16 Now it happened when I came to
their place, they rebelled and waged war against the light. And I
took a third part of their power, so that they should not be able to
complete their wicked actions. And (as for) the Heimarmene and the
sphere over which they rule, I turned them, I placed them looking to
the left for six months, as they complete their (periods of)
influence, and I placed them for another six months turning to the
right, as they complete their (periods of) influence. CHAPTER 17. Now when he had said these
things to his disciples, he said to them : "He who has ears to hear,
let him hear" . Now it happened when Mariam heard these words as the
Saviour was saying them, she stared for one hour into the air and
said : "My Lord, command me that I speak openly". Jesus, the compassionate,
answered and said to Mariam : "Mariam, thou blessed one, whom I will
complete in all the mysteries of the height, speak openly, thou art
she whose heart is more directed to the Kingdom of Heaven than all
thy brothers". CHAPTER 18. Then Mariam said to the
Saviour: "My Lord, the
word which thou hast spoken to us : 'Who has ears to hear, let him
hear', thou sayest so that we may understand the word which thou hast
spoken. Hear now, my Lord, for I will speak openly. The word which
thou hast spoken: 'I have taken a third part of the power of the
archons of all the aeons, and I have turned their Heimarmene and
their sphere over which they rule, so that when the race of mankind
call upon them in their mysteries - these which the transgressing
angels have taught them for the completion of their evil and
iniquitous deeds in the mystery of their magic - from this hour now
they should not be able to complete their iniquitous deeds, because
thou hast taken their power from them and from their astrologers and
from their soothsayers and from those who tell men who are in the
world all things which will happen, so that from this hour they will
not understand anything which will happen so as to tell it. For thou
hast turned their sphere, and thou hast made them spend six months
turned to the left, com- pleting their (periods of) influence, and
six months looking to the right, completing their (periods of)
influence.' Now concerning this word, my Lord, the power within the
prophet Isaiah has spoken thus and has related once in a spiritual
parable, speaking about the vision of Egypt : 'Where now Egypt, where
are thy soothsayers and thy astrologers, and those who call from the
earth, and those who call from their bellies? Let them now tell thee,
from this hour, the things which the Lord Sabaoth will do.' Now
before thou didst come, the power within Isaiah, the prophet,
prophesied concerning thee, that thou wouldst take away the power of
the archons of the aeons, and that thou wouldst turn their sphere and
their Heimarmene, so that from this hour they would know nothing.
Concerning this also it has said : 'You will not know what the Lord
Sabaoth will do'. That is, none of the archons will know what things
thou wilt do from this hour. They (the archons) are Egypt, because
they are matter. The power within Isaiah has once prophesied about
thee saying : 'You will not know from this hour what the Lord Sabaoth
will do' Concerning the power of light which thou hast taken from
Sabaoth the Good, who is in the place of the right, and which today
is in thy material body, concerning this now, thou hast said to us,
my Lord Jesus: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear'~, so that thou
shouldst know whose heart is directed towards the Kingdom of Heaven."
CHAPTER 19. Now it happened when Maria
finished saying these words, he said : "Excellent, Maria. Thou art
blessed beyond all women upon earth, because thou shalt be the
pleroma of all Pleromas and the completion of all completions."
But when Maria heard the
Saviour saying these words, she rejoiced greatly and she came before
Jesus, she prostrated herself in his presence, she worshipped at his
feet, she said to him : "My Lord, hear me that I question thee on
this word before thou speakest with us of the places to which thou
hast gone". Jesus answered and said to
Mariam : "Speak openly and do not fear. I will reveal all things
which thou seekest". CHAPTER 20. She said : "My Lord, all men
who know the mystery of the magic of all the archons of all the
aeons, and the magic of the archons of the Heimarmene and those of
the sphere, as the transgressing angels have taught them, when they
call upon them in their mysteries, that is their evil magic to
prevent good things: will they, from this hour, fulfil them or
not?" Then Jesus answered and said
to Maria : "They will not fulfil them in the manner in which they
fulfilled them from the beginning, because I have taken a third part
of their power. But they will borrow from those who know the
mysteries of the magic of the third aeon. And when they call upon the
mysteries of the magic of those who are in the third aeon, they will
fulfil them well and certainly because I have not taken power from
that place, according to the command of the First Mystery".
CHAPTER 21. It happened, however, when
Jesus finished speaking these words, Maria answered again and said :
"My Lord, will the astrologers and the soothsayers not tell men, from
this hour, what will happen?" Jesus answered, however, and
said to Maria : "When the astrologers find the Heimarmene and the
sphere turned to the left, according to their first distribution,
then their words concur and they will say what is due to happen. But
when they meet the Heimarmene or the sphere turned to the right, they
do not speak anything of the truth, because I have turned their
(periods of) influence and their quadrangles and their triangles and
their figures of eight , since their (periods of) influence remained
turned to the left from the beginning, together with their
quadrangles and their triangles and their figures of eight. However,
I have now caused them to spend six months turned to the left, and
six months turned to the right. He who now will find their reckoning
from the time when I turned them, placing them to spend six months
looking to their left hand parts, and six months looking to their
right hand paths, and who will now consult them in this way, will
know their (periods of) influence with cer- tainty, and he will
predict all things that they will do. Likewise also the soothsayers,
when they call upon the name of the archons, and they meet them
looking to the left, everything concerning which they will seek of
their decans, they will tell them with certainty. However, when their
soothsayers call upon their names as they are looking to the right,
they will not hear them, because they look in another form than their
first ordinance in which Jeu established them, since their names are
other when they are turned to the left than when they are turned to
the right. And when they call upon them as they are turned to the
right, they will not speak the truth to them, but in confusion they
will confuse them, and with threats they will threaten them. Those
now who do not know their paths as they are turned to the right, with
their triangles and their quadrangles and all their figures, they
will find nothing of truth, but they will be confused in great
confusion, and they will be in great error, and they will be deluded
in great delusion, because the works which they did in in the time
when they were turned to the left in their quadrangles, in their
triangles and in their figures of eight, these in which they
continued as they were turned to the left, I have now turned. And I
have caused them to spend six months making all their patterns turned
to the right, so that they should be confused in confusion in their
whole circuit. And furthermore I have caused them to spend six months
turned to the left, doing the works of their (periods of) influence
and all their patterns, so that the archons which are in the aeons
and in their spheres and in their heavens and in all their places
should be confused in confusion, and should wander in error, so that
they should not understand their own paths". CHAPTER 22. It happened when Jesus
finished saying these words, Philip sat writing every word as Jesus
said them. Now after this it happened that Philip came forward, he
prostrated himself and worshipped at the feet of Jesus, saying : "My
Lord, Saviour, give me authority that I speak in thy presence and
that I question thee on this discourse before thou speakest with us
of the places to which thou hast gone for the sake of thy
service". The compassionate Saviour
answered, he said to Philip : "The authority is given to thee to
deliver the discourse which thou dost wish". Then Philip answered and spoke
to Jesus: "My Lord, for the sake of what mystery hast thou turned the
bondage of the archons and their aeons and their Heimarmene and their
sphere and all their places, and in confusion hast thou caused them
to be confused in their paths, and to wander in their course? Hast
thou now done this for the sake of the salvation of the world or
not?" CHAPTER 23. Jesus answered, however, and
said to Philip and all the disciples together : "I have turned their
paths for the salvation of all souls. Truly, truly, I say to you :
unless I had turned their paths a multitude of souls would have been
destroyed. And they would have spent a long period if the archons of
the aeons and the archons of the Heimarmene and the sphere and all
their places and all their heavens and all their aeons were not
dissolved. And the souls would have spent a great (period of) time
outside. And there would have been delay in the completion of the
number of perfect souls, which will be accounted among the
inheritance of the height, through the mysteries, and will be in the
Treasury of Light. Because of this, I have turned their paths so that
they are confused and agitated, and give up the power which is in the
matter of their world, which they make into souls, so that those that
will be saved with all the power are purified quickly and ascend, and
those who will not be saved are quickly dissolved". CHAPTER 24. It happened now when Jesus
finished speaking these words to his disciples, Maria, the beautiful
in her speech, came forward. The blessed one prostrated herself at
the feet of Jesus and said : "My Lord, suffer me that I speak in thy
presence, and be not angry with me because I trouble thee many times,
questioning thee". The Saviour answered compassionately, he said to
Maria: "Speak the discourse which thou dost wish, and I will reveal
it to thee openly"" Maria answered and said to Jesus : "'My Lord, in
what manner would the souls be delayed outside or in what form will
they be quickly purified?" CHAPTER 25. However Jesus answered and
said to Maria : "Excellent, Maria. Thou dost ask well with an
excellent question and thou dost seek everything with certainty and
with accu- racy. Now indeed I will not conceal anything from you from
this hour, but I will reveal everything to you with certainty and
openly. Hear now, Maria, and give ear, all you disciples. Before I
preached to all the archons of the aeons, and all the archons of the
Heimarmene and the sphere, they were all bound with their bonds, in
their spheres and their seals, according to the manner in which Jeu,
the Overseer of the Light, had bound them from the beginning. And
each one of them was continuing in his rank and each one was pro-
ceeding according to his course, according to the manner in which
Jeu, the Overseer of the Light, had settled it. And when the time
came of the number of Melchizedek, the great Paralemptor of Light, he
came to the midst of the aeons, and to all the archons which were
bound in the sphere and in the Heimarmene, and he took away what is
purified of the light from all the archons of the aeons, and from all
the archons of the Heimarmene, and from those of the sphere, for he
took away that which agitated them. And he moved the hastener that is
over them and made their cycles turn quickly, and he (Melchizedek)
took away their power which was in them, and the breath of their
mouths, and the tears of their eyes, and the sweat of their bodies.
And Melchizedek, the Paralemptor of the Light, puri- fied those
powers, he carried their light to the Treasury of the Light.
And all their matter was
gathered together by the ministers of all the archons. And the ministers of all the archons of the
Heimarmene and the ministers of the sphere which are below the aeons
took them (the matter) and made them into souls of men and cattle and
reptiles and beasts
and birds. And they sent them
to this world of mankind. And furthermore the paralemptors of the sun
and the paralemptors of the moon when they looked up and they saw the
patterns of the paths of the aeons, and the patterns of the
Heimarmene and those of the sphere, they took the lightpower from
them. And the paralemptors of the sun prepared to lay it down until
they gave it to the paralemptor of Melchizedek, the purifier of the
light. And their material dregs they brought to the sphere which is
below the aeons, and they made it into the souls of men and they also
made it into (souls of) reptiles and cattle and beasts and birds,
according to the cycle of the archons of that sphere, and according
to all the patterns of its revolution. And they cast them into this
world of mankind, and they became souls in that place, according to
what I have just told you. CHAPTER 26 These things were now fully
completed before their power diminished within them, and they
declined and they weakened or they became powerless. It happened when
they became weak, their power began to cease within them, and they
became weak in their power. And their light, which was in their
place, ceased. And their kingdom dissolved. And the All was quickly
carried up. It happened now when these
things in their time were known, and when the number of the cipher of
Melchizedek, the Paralemptor (of the Light), occurred, he came forth,
and he went into the midst of the archons of all the aeons, and to
the midst of all the archons of the Heimarmene and those of the
sphere. And he agitated them, and he caused them quickly to abandon
their circles, and immediately they were afflicted, and they cast the
power out of themselves, out of the breath of their mouths, and out
of the tears of their eyes, and out of the sweat of their bodies. And
Melchi- zedek, the Paralemptor of the Light purified them, according
to the manner in which he did so continually. And he took their light
to the Treasury of the Light. And the matter of their dregs was
surrounded and swallowed by all the archons of the aeons and the
archons of the Heimarmene and those of the sphere, and they did not
allow them to go and become souls in the world. They now swallowed
their matter, that they might not become powerless and weak, that
their power might not cease within them and their rulership (kingdom)
dissolve. And they swallowed them so that they should not dissolve,
but that they should be retarded, and should spend a great time until
the completion of the number of perfect souls which would be in the
Treasury of the Light. CHAPTER 27. It happened now as the archons
of the aeons and those of the Heimarmene and those of the sphere
continued acting after this type; as they turned themselves they ate
the dregs of their matter, they did not allow them to become souls in
the world of mankind, so that they might be retarded as rulers. And
the powers, namely the powers within them which were souls, spent a
great time outside this. Now these remained making two cycles
continually. It happened now when I came to
go forth for the service for the sake of which I was appointed,
through the command of the First Mystery, I came forth to the midst
of the tyrants of the archons of the twelve aeons. And my garment of
light was upon me, and I was shining exceedingly, there being no
measure to the light which I had. Now it happened, when those
tyrants saw the great light which I had, the great Adamas, the
Tyrant, and all the tyrants of the twelve aeons all began to wage war
with the light of my garment, wishing to restrain it for themselves,
so that they might still be retarded in their rulership (king- dom).
These now acted thus, not knowing with whom they waged war. When they
now rebelled and waged war with the light, I then turned the paths
and the courses of their aeons, and the paths of their Heimarmene and
their sphere, according to the command of the First Mystery, and I
caused them to spend six months looking to the triangles of the left,
and to the quadrangles, and to those in their aspect , and to their
pattern of eight, according to the manner in which they were at
first. But I turned their rotation or their aspect to another rank.
And I caused them to spend another six months looking to the works of
their (periods of) influence in the quadrangles of the right, and in
their triangles, and in those which are in their aspect, and in their
pattern of eight. And I caused the archons of the aeons to be
confused with much confusion, and I caused them to wander in error,
together with all the archons of the Heimarmene and those of the
sphere. And I agitated them greatly. And they were now, from this
time, not able to turn themselves to the dregs of their matter in
order to swallow it, so that their places might be continually
retarded, and so that they might spend a great time as rulers. But
when I had taken a third part of their power, I turned their sphere
to cause them to spend (a period of) time looking to the left and to
spend another (period of) time looking to the right. I turned their
whole path and their whole course, and I caused the path of their
course to be accelerated, so that they might be purified quickly, and
they might go upwards quickly. And I lessened their cycles, and I
made their path easier, and it was greatly accelerated, and they were
confused in their path, and from this time they were not able to
swallow the matter of the dregs of what is purified of their light.
And further I lessened their times and their periods, so that the
perfect number of souls which will receive mysteries and which will
be in the Treasury of the Light should be completed quickly. And
unless I had turned their courses and unless I had lessened their
periods, they would not have allowed any souls to come to the world,
on account of the matter of their dregs which they swallowed, and
they would have destroyed a multitude of souls. On account of this
now, I have said to you at this time : 'I have lessened the times for
the sake of my chosen ones, otherwise none of the souls could have
been saved'. But I have lessened the times and the periods for the
sake of the perfect number of the souls which will receive mysteries,
which are the chosen ones. And had I not lessened their periods, none
of the material souls would have been saved, but they would have been
consumed in the fire which is in the flesh of the archons. This now
is the discourse on which you have questioned me with
accuracy". It happened, however, when
Jesus finished saying these words to his disciples, they all
prostrated themselves at once, they worshipped him and they said to
him : "We are blessed beyond all men, for thou hast revealed to us
these great events". CHAPTER 28. Jesus continued again with the
discourse, he said to his disciples : "Hear [hear] concerning the
things which happened to me among the archons of the twelve aeons,
and all their archons and their lords and their powers (exousiai) and
their angels and their archangels. Now when they saw the garment of
light which was upon me, they and their unpaired ones, each one of
them saw the mystery of his name which was in the garment of light
which was upon me. They all prostrated themselves together, they
worshipped the garment of light which was upon me. And they all cried
out at once, saying : 'How has the Lord of All passed through us
without our knowing?' And they all sang praises at once to the
innermost of the inner. And all their triple-powered ones and their
great forefathers and their unbegotten ones and their self-begotten
ones and their begotten ones and their gods and their light-sparks
and their luminaries, in a word, all their great ones saw the tyrants
of their place, that their power was diminished within them, and that
they were in a state of weakness. And they were in great fear, to
which there was no measure. And they contemplated the mystery of
their name in my garment and they tried to come to worship the
mystery of their name in my garment, and they were not able, on
account of the great light which I had. But they worshipped at a
little distance from me. However, they worshipped the light of my
garment, and they all cried out at once as they sang praises to the
innermost of the inner. It happened moreover, when
these things happened to the tyrants which are among the archons,
they were all enfeebled, they fell down in their aeons, and they
became like men of this world who are dead, having no breath within
them, as they did moreover at the time when I took away their power
from them. It happened now after this,
when I came forth from those aeons, each one of all those who are in
the twelve aeons were all bound within their ranks, and they
completed their works according to the manner in which I had disposed
it, that they should spend six months turned to the left, doing their
works in their quadrangles, and their triangles and those in their
aspects; and furthermore that they should spend another six months
looking to the right, and to their triangles and their quadrangles
and those in their aspects. Furthermore, this is the manner in which
those who are in the Heimarmene and the sphere will proceed. CHAPTER
29. Now it happened after these things I came to the height to the
veils of the thirteenth aeon. Now it happened that when I reached
their veils, they drew themselves and they opened to me. I entered
into the thirteenth aeon, I found the Pistis Sophia below the
thirteenth aeon alone, none of them being with her. But she dwelt in
that place, sorrow and grieving because she had not been taken to the
thirteenth aeon, her place in the height. And furthermore she was
sorrowful on account of the torments which the Authades inflicted on
her, he being one of the three triple- powered ones. But when I tell
you about their extent, I will tell you the mystery of how these
things happened. Now it happened, when the Pistis Sophia saw me
shining exceedingly, there being no measure to the light which I had,
she was in great agitation and she looked at the light of my garment.
She saw the mystery of her name in my garment and the whole glory of
its mystery because she was previously in the place of the height in
the thirteenth aeon. But she was wont to sing praises to the light in
the height which she saw in the veil of the Treasure of the Light. It
happened now when she continued to sing praises to the light in the
height, all the archons, which are with the two great triple-powered
ones, looked on, and also her invisible one which is paired with her,
and the other 22 invisible emanations - since the Pistis Sophia with
her partner, with the other 22 emanations make up the 24 emanations ,
which the great invisible forefather with the two great
triple-powered ones has emanated." CHAPTER 30. It happened now when
Jesus said these things to his disciples, Mariam came forward and
said : "My Lord, I heard thee at the time when thou didst say that
the Pistis Sophia herself is one of the 24 emanations. How is she not
in their place? Moreover thou hast said : 'I found her below the
thirteenth aeon'." Jesus answered and said to his disciples : "It
happened as the Pistis Sophia was in the thirteenth aeon in the place
of all her brethren, the invisible ones who are the 24 ema- nations
of the great invisible one it happened now, through the ordinance of
the First Mystery, the Pistis Sophia looked to the height, she saw
the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she desired
to go to that place. And she was not able to go to that place.
Moreover she ceased performing the mystery of the thirteenth aeon,
but she sang praises to the light of the height which she saw in the
light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light. Now it happened, as
she sang praises to the place of the height, all the archons which
are in the twelve aeons beneath hated her because she ceased from
their mystery, and because she wished to go to the height and to make
herself above them all. Now on account of these things they were
angry with her, and they hated her. And the great triple-powered
Authades - the third triple-powered one who is in the thirteenth
aeon, who had been disobedient - had not emanated all that was
purified of his inner power, nor had he given what was purified of
his light at the time when the archons had given their purification,
and he had wished to be lord over the whole thirteenth aeon and those
beneath it. Now it happened when the archons of the thirteenth aeon
were angry at the Pistis Sophia, who was above them, they hated her
greatly. And the great triple-powered Au- thades, about whom I have just been
speaking to you now, was also included among the archons of the
twelve aeons, and he also was angry at the Pistis Sophia, and he
hated her greatly, because she thought to go to the light which was
above him. And he emanated from within himself a great lion-faced
power. And from out of the matter within him, he emanated forth a
further multitude of material emanations which were very powerful.
And he sent them to the places below, to the parts of the Chaos, so
that they should pursue the Pistis Sophia there and take her power
from her, because she thought to go to the height which is above them
all, and because she ceased to perform their mystery, but she
remained sorrowing, seeking the light which she saw. And the archons
which continued or persisted in performing the mystery hated her. And
all the watchers which were at the gates of the aeons also hated her.
It happened now after this, through the ordinance of the first
ordinance, the great triple-powered Authades, -who is one of the
three triple-powered ones, persecuted the 'Sophia in the thirteenth
aeon, so that she should look at the parts below, so that she should
see in that place his light power, which has a lion-face, and she
should desire it, and come to that place, and her light would be
taken from her. CHAPTER 31. It happened now after this she
looked down. She saw his power of light in the parts below, and she
did not know that it was that of the triple-powered Authades. But she
thought that it was from the light which she had seen from the
beginning in the height, which was from the veil of the Treasury of
the Light. And she thought to herself : "I will go to that place
without my partner, and take the light, and create of it for myself
aeons of light, so that I shall be able to go to the Light of Lights
which is in the highest height." Now as she was thinking these
things, she came forth from her place in the thirteenth aeon, and she
came out to the twelve aeons . The archons of the aeons perse- cuted
her, and they were angry with her, because she had thought to have
greatness . However, she came forth from the twelve aeons, she came
to the places of the Chaos. And she made her way to the light-power
with a lion-face in order to swallow it. But all the material
emanations of the Authades surrounded her. And the great light-power
with a lion-face swallowed the light-powers in the Sophia. And it
purified her light and swallowed it, and her matter was cast forth to
the Chaos. There existed an archon with a lion- face in the Chaos,
whose one half was fire and whose other half was darkness, namely
Jaldabaoth, of whom I have spoken to you many times. Now when these
things had happened, the Sophia became very greatly weakened. And
again that light-power with a lion-face began to take away all the
light-powers from the Sophia. And all the material powers of the
Authades surrounded the Sophia at the same time, they oppressed her.
CHAPTER 32. The Pistis Sophia cried out
very much. She cried out to the Light of Lights which she had seen
from the beginning, in which she had believed, and she said this
repentance, speaking thus : 1. 'O Light of Lights, in whom
I have believed from the beginning, hear my repentance now at this
time, O Light; save me, O Light, for wicked thoughts have entered
into me. 2. I looked, O Light, to the
parts below. I saw a light in that place, and I thought : I will go
to that place to receive that light. And I went, and I came to be in
the darkness which is in the Chaos below. And I was not able to
proceed out to go to my place, because I was oppressed among all the
emanations of the Authades. And the lion-faced power took away my
inner light. 3. And I cried out for help,
and my voice did not pene- trate the darkness. And I looked to the
height, so that the Light in which I had believed might help
me. 4. And when I looked to the
height, I saw all the archons of the aeons, that they were numerous
and they looked down upon me, rejoicing over me, although I had done
nothing evil to them, but they had hated me without cause. And when
the emanations of the Authades saw the archons of the aeons rejoicing
over me, they knew that the archons of the aeons would not help me.
And those emanations which oppressed me without cause were
encouraged. And they took from me the light which I did not take from
them. 5. Now at this time, O true
Light, thou knowest that I have done these things in my simplicity,
thinking that the lion-faced light belonged to thee, and the sin
which I have committed is manifest in thy presence. 6. Do not now let me be
lacking, O Lord, for I have believed in thy light from the beginning,
O Lord, Light of the powers, do not let me now lack my light.
7. For on account of thee and
thy light I have come to be in this oppression, and shame has covered
me. 8. And because of the delusion
of thy light, I have become a stranger to my brothers, the invisible
ones, and also to the great emanations of the Barbelo. 9. These things happened to
me, O Light, because I was eager for thy dwelling-place. And the
anger of the Authades came down upon me - this one who did not obey
thy command to emanate from the enlanation of his power - because I
was in his aeon and not performing his mystery. 10. And all the archons of the
aeons mocked me. 11. And I was in that place,
sorrowing and seeking the light which I had seen in the
height. 12. And the watchers of the
gates of the aeons were seeking me, and all those who continued in
their mystery mocked me. 13. But I looked up to the
height to thee, O Light. And I believed in thee. Now at this time, O
Light of Lights, I am oppressed in the darkness of the Chaos. If now
thou dost wish to come to save me - great is thy compassion - hear me
truly and save me. 14. Save me out of the matter
of this darkness, so that I shall not be immersed in it, and that I
shall be saved from the emanations of the deity, Authades, which
oppress me, and from their evils. 15. Do not allow this darkness
to immerse me, and do not allow this lion-faced power to swallow up
all my power completely. And do not allow this Chaos to cover over my
power. 16. Hear me O Light, for thy
mercy is precious, and look down upon me, according to the great
compassion of thy light. 17. Do not turn away thy face
from me, for I am greatly afflicted. 18. Hear me quickly and save
my power. 19. Save me, on account of the
archons which hate me, for thou knowest my affliction and my torment,
and the torment of my power which they have taken from me. Those who
have put me into all these evils are in thy presence. Deal with them
according to thy will. 20. My power looked forth from
the midst of the Chaos, and from the midst of the darkness. I looked
for my partner, that he should come and fight for me, and he did not
come. And I looked that he should come and give power to me, and I
did not find him. 21. And when I sought for light, I was given
darkness. And when I sought for my power, I was given matter .
22. Now at this time, O Light
of Lights, let the darkness and the matter which the emanations of
the Authades have brought upon me become a snare for them, and let
them be ensnared therein. And do thou repay them and bring disgrace
upon them, so that they do not come to the place of their
Authades. 23. Let them remain in
darkness and not see the light. Let them look at the Chaos at all
times, and do not let them look at the height. 24. Bring down upon them their
vengeance, and let thy judgement seize them. 25. Do not let them go to
their place from this time, to their deity, Authades. And do not let
his emanations go to their places from this time. Because their god
is impious and insolent, because he thought that he had done these
wicked things of himself, not knowing that, unless I was humbled
according to thy ordinance, he would have had no power over
me. 26. But when thou didst humble
me, according to thy ordinance, I was persecuted the more. And their
emanations inflicted torments upon my humiliation. 27. And they took a
light-power from me. And further- more they began to torment me
greatly , in order to take away all the light that was in me. On
account of these things into which I was put, do not let them go up
to the thirteenth aeon, the place of righteousness. 28. And do not let them be
numbered within the por- tion of those who purify themselves and
their light. And do not let them be numbered among those who will
repent quickly, so that they will quickly receive mysteries in the
light. 29. For they have taken my
light from me. And my power has begun to decrease within me. And I
lack my light. 30. Now at this time, O Light
which art in thee and with me, I sing praises to thy name, O Light,
in glory. 31. And may my song of praise,
O Light, please thee, like an excellent mystery which is received
into the gates of light, which those who will repent, will recite,
and whose light they will purify. 32. Now at this time, let all
material things rejoice; seek the light, all of you, so that the
power of your souls, which is within you, may live. 33. Because the Light has
heard the material things, and it will not leave any material things
which it has not purified. 34. Let the souls and the
material things bless the Lord of all the aeons ; the material things
and all things in them. 35. For God will save their
souls out of all matter, and a city will be prepared in the light;
and all souls which will be saved will dwell in that city, and they
will inherit it. 36. And the soul of those who
will receive mysteries will be in that place, and they who have
received mysteries in his name will be within it'." CHAPTER 33. Now it happened, as Jesus said
these words to his disciples, he said to them : "This is the song of
praise which the Pistis Sophia spoke in the first repentance, as she
repented for her sin. And she spoke of all the things which had
happened to her. Now at this time, he who has ears to hear, let him
hear ." Maria came forward again and
said : "My Lord, there are ears to my man of light , and I hear in my
light-power, and thy Spirit, which is with me, has made me sober.
Hear now, that I may speak concerning the repentance which the Pistis
Sophia said, as she spoke of her sin, and all the things which had
happened to her. Thy light-power once prophesied about it through
David, the prophet, in the 68th Psalm : 1. 'Save me, O God, for the
waters have come in to my soul. 2. I have sunk or been
immersed by the mire of the abyss, and there was no power. I came to
the depths of the sea ; a storm wind overwhelmed me. 3. I have suffered as I cried
out. My throat has gone. My eyes have failed as I waited upon
God. 4. Those who hate me without
cause have become more numerous than the hairs of my head. My enemies
that persecute me with violence have become strong. They deprived me
of those things which I did not steal. 5. O God, thou knowest my
foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from thee. 6. Let not them that wait on
thee be ashamed on my account, O Lord, Lord of the powers. Let not
those that seek thee be put to shame on my account, O Lord, God of
Israel, God of the powers. 7. For I have borne disgrace
on thy account; shame has covered my face. 8. I have become a stranger to
my brothers, a stranger to the sons of my mother. 9. For the zeal of thy house
has eaten me up. The reproaches of those who reproach thee have
fallen upon me. 10. I bowed down my soul with fasting; it became a
re- proach to me. 11. I put sackcloth upon
myself; I became a proverb to them. 12. They that sat in the gates
talked against me ; and they that drink wine sang against me.
13. But I was praying in my
soul to thee, O Lord ; it is the time of thy pleasure, O God ; in the
magnitude of thy mercy, hear truly for my salvation. 14. Save me from this mire,
that I do not sink in it. Let me be saved from those that hate me and
from the depths of the waters. 15. Let not the water flood
immerse me. Let not the abyss swallow me up ; let not a pit close its
mouth over me. 16. Hear me, O Lord, for
beneficent is thy mercy; ac- cording to the magnitude of thy
compassion look down upon me. 17. Turn not away thy face
from thy servant, for I am afflicted. 18. Hear me quickly; give heed
to my soul and save it. 19. Save me on account of my
enemies; for thou knowest my reproach and my shame and my infamy. All
that afflict me are before thee. 20. My heart has looked for
reproach and wretchedness ; I have looked for one to be sorrowful
with me, I did not find him ; and for one to comfort me, I did not
meet him. 21. They gave me gall for my
food; they made me drink vinegar for my thirst. 22. Let their table become a
snare in their presence; and a stumbling block and a retribution and
a disgrace. 23. Do thou bend their backs
at all times. 24. Pour out upon them thy
wrath, and let the fury of thy wrath take hold of them. 25. Let their dwelling-place
be made desolate and let there be no inhabitant in their
dwelling-places. 26. For they have persecuted
him whom thou hast smitten ; they have added to the pain of their
blow . 27. They have added iniquity
to their iniquities; let them not come into thy righteousness.
28. Let them be effaced from
the book of the living, and let them not be written with the
righteous. 29. I am a poor man and also a
sorrowful one; the salvation of thy face, O God, is that which has
accepted me. 30. I will bless the name of
God in song, and raise him up in blessing. 31. It will please God more
than a young bull which carries horns and hoofs. 32. Let the poor see and
rejoice ; seek God that your souls may live. 33. For the Lord has heard the
poor and he has not despised those in fetters . 34. Let the heavens and the
earth bless the Lord, the sea and all that are within it.
35. For God will save Zion ;
and the cities of Judaea will be built, and (men) will dwell there
and inherit it. 36. The seed of his servants
will take possession of it, and they that love his name will dwell in
it'." CHAPTER 34. Now it happened when Mariam
finished saying these words to Jesus in the midst of the disciples,
she said to him ; "My Lord, this is the interpretation of the mystery
of the repentance of the Pistis Sophia". It happened now when Jesus
heard Mariam saying these words, he said to her : "Excellent, Mariam,
thou blessed one, thou Pleroma or thou all-blessed Pleroma, who will
be blessed among all generations" CHAPTER 35. Jesus continued again with the
discourse. He said : "The Pistis Sophia continued again, she also
sang a second repentance, in which she spoke thus : 1. 'O Light of Lights, I have
believed in thee. Do not leave me in the darkness until the
completion of my time. 2. Help me and save me in thy
mysteries. Incline thy ear to me and save me. 3. Let the power of thy light
save me and carry me to the aeons on high, for it is thou who savest
me and takest me to the height of thy aeons. 4. Save me, O Light, from the
hand of this lion-faced power, and from the hands of the enianations
of the deity, Authades. 5. For thou, O Light, art the
one in whose light I have believed and in whose light I have trusted
from the beginning. 6. And I have believed in it
from the hour that it emanated me forth. And thou indeed art he who
caused me to be emanated forth. And I have indeed believed in thy
light from the beginning. 7. And when I believed in
thee, the archons of the aeons mocked me, saying : she has ceased in
her mystery. It is thou who wilt save me. And thou art my Saviour.
And thou art my mystery, O Light. 8. My mouth has been filled
with glory, so that I might tell the mystery of thy greatness at all
times. 9. Now, O Light, do not leave
me in the Chaos during the completion of my whole time. Do not
abandon me, O Light. 10. For my whole light-power
has been taken away from me. And all the enianations of the Authades
have sur- rounded me. They wanted to take all my light from me
completely, and they watched for my power. 11. They were saying at the
same time to one another : the light has left her ; let us seize her
and take away all the light within her. 12. <illegible>.
13. May those who want to take
away my power fall and become powerless. May those who want to take
away my light-power from me be wrapped in darkness and exist in
powerlessness. This is the second repentance
which the Pistis Sophia said, singing praises to the light."
CHAPTER 36. It happened now, when Jesus
finished saying these words to his disciples, he said : "Do you
understand in what manner I am speaking with you?" Peter leapt
forward, he said to Jesus : "My Lord, we are not able to suffer this
woman who takes the opportunity from us, and does not allow anyone of
us to speak, but she speaks many times." Jesus answered, he said to his
disciples : "Let him in whom the power of his Spirit has welled up so
that he understands what I say, come forward and speak. Nevertheless,
thou Peter, I see thy power within thee understands the inter-
pretation of the mystery of the repentantce which the Pistis Sophia
spoke. Now at this time do thou, Peter, speak the thought of her
repentance in the midst of thy brethren." Peter answered, however, he
said to Jesus : "Lord, hear, so that I say the thought of her
repentance, about which thy power once prophesied through David the
prophet, saying her repentance in the 70th Psalm : 1. 'O God, my God, I have
trusted in thee; let me never be put to shame. 2. Save me in thy
righteousness and deliver me. Incline thy ear to me and save
me. 3. Be to me a strong God and a
fortified place to save me ; for thou art my strength and my place of
refuge. 4. My God, save me from the
hand of the sinner, and from the hand of the lawless and the
impious. 5. For thou, O Lord, art my
endurance; O Lord, thou art my hope from my youth. 6. I have relied upon thee
from the womb; thou hast brought me forth from my mother's womb; my
memory is of thee at all times. 7. I have become for many like
the crazy; thou art my help and my strength, thou art my Saviour, O
Lord. 8. My mouth has been filled
with blessings, so that I might bless the glory of thy greatness all
the day. 9. Cast me not out in the time
of my old age; when my soul diminishes, do not forsake me.
10. For my enemies have spoken
evil against me; and they who lie in wait for my soul have taken
counsel against my soul. 11. Saying at the same time :
God has forsaken him ; run and seize him, for there is none to save
him. 12. O God, give heed to my
help. 13. Let those that slander my
soul be brought to shame and diminished; let those who seek evil
against me be clothed with shame and disgrace.' This now is the interpretation
of the second repentance which the Pistis Sophia said." CHAPTER 37. The Saviour answered and said
to Peter : " Well done, Peter, this is the interpretation of her
repentance. You are blessed beyond all men upon earth, for I have
revealed to you these mysteries. Truly, truly, I say to you : I will
fulfill you in every pleroma, from the mysteries of the inner to the
mysteries of the outer. And I will fill you with Spirit so that you
are called Pneumatics, fulfilled in every pleroma. And truly, truly,
I say to you that I will give you all the mysteries of all the places
of my Father, and all the places of the First Mystery, so that he
whom you receive on earth will be received into the light of the
height. And he whom you cast out upon earth will be cast out of the
Kingdom of my Father which is in heaven . Nevertheless now hear and
give ear to all the repentances which the Pistis Sophia said. She
continued again and spoke the third repentance, saying : 1. 'O Light of the powers,
give heed and save me. 2. May those that want to take
away my light from me fail and he in darkness. Let them return to the
Chaos, and may those who want to take away my power be put to
shame. 3. May those that persecute me
and say : we have become lords over her, return quickly to the
darkness. 4. May all those who seek
after the light rejoice and flourish and may they who want thy
mystery say at all times : let the mystery be raised up. 5. Do thou now at this time
save me, O Light, for I am lacking in my light, which has been taken
away. And I need my power which has been taken from me. Thou, O
Light, thou art my Saviour, and thou art my rescuer, O Light. Save me
quickly out of this Chaos'." CHAPTER 38. It happened, however, when
Jesus finished saying these words to his disciples, saying: "This is
the third repentance which the Pistis Sophia said", he said to them :
"Let him in whom the Spirit of perception has arisen, come forward
and speak with understanding of the repentance which the Pistis
Sophia said". It happened now, before Jesus
had finished speaking, Martha came forward, she prostrated herself at
his feet, she kissed them. She cried out, she wept aloud in humility,
saying: "My Lord, have mercy on me, and be com- passionate towards
me, and allow me to say the inter- pretation of the repentance which
the Pistis Sophia said". And Jesus gave Martha his hand
, he said to her : "Blessed is every man who humbles himself, for to
him will mercy be given . Now at this time, Martha, thou art blessed.
Never- ' give now the interpretation of the thought of the repentance
of the Pistis Sophia". Martha, however, answered and
said to Jesus in the midst of the disciples : "Concerning the
repentance which the Pistis Sophia said, O my Lord Jesus, thy
light-power which was in David once prophesied in the 69th psalm,
saying : 1. O Lord God, give heed to my help. 2. Let those that seek after
my soul be put to shame and disgraced. 3. May those that say to me :
excellent, excellent, be turned back immediately and put to
shame. 4. May all those that seek
after thee be glad and rejoice over thee; and may those that love thy
salvation say at all times : let God be exalted. 5. But I am poor and I am
needy. O Lord, help me ; thou art my help and my defence. O Lord, do
not delay.' This now is the interpretation of the third repentance
which the Pistis Sophia said, singing praises to the height."
CHAPTER 39. It happened now when Jesus
heard Martha saying these words, he said : "Excellent, Martha, and
well done." Jesus continued again with the discourse. He said to his
disciples : "The Pistis Sophia continued again with the fourth
repentance, saying it when the lion-faced power and all the material
emanations with it, which the Authades had sent to the Chaos, had not
yet afflicted her for the second time, to take away all the remaining
light which was in her. She now said this repentance thus :
1. 'O Light whom I have
trusted, hear my repentance; and let my voice come into thy
dwelling-place. 2. Do not turn thy image of
light away from me, but give heed to me. If they oppress me, save me
quickly at the time when I cry to thee. 3. For my time has vanished
like a breath, and I have become matter. 4. My light has been taken
from me, and my power has dried up. I have forgotten my mystery which
I performed at first. 5. Through the voice of fear
and the power of the Authades, my power has diminished within
me. 6. I have become like a
peculiar demon, which dwells in matter, in whom is no light. And I
have become like a spirit counterpart which is in a material body, in
which there is no light-power. 7. And I have become like a
decan, which is upon the air alone. 8. The emanations of the
Authades have afflicted me greatly; and my partner has spoken of it
thus : in place of the light within her, they have filled her with
Chaos . 9. I have swallowed the sweat
of my matter myself and the anguish of the tears of the matter of my
eyes, lest those that oppress me take away these things also.
10. All these things have
happened to me, O Light, through thy ordinance and with thy command.
And it is thy ordinance that I should be among these things.
11. Thy ordinance has brought
me down, and I have come down like a power of the Chaos.; and my
power has congealed within me. 12. But thou, O Lord, art
eternal light; and at all times thou dost seek those who are
oppressed. 13. Now at this time, O Light,
arise and seek after my power and my soul within me. Thy ordinance is
completed, which thou hast ordained for me in my affliction. My time
has come, that thou shouldst seek after my power and my soul, and
this is the time which thou hast ordained to seek me ; 14. For thy saviours have
sought after the power which is in my soul, because the number is
completed, and that they should save its matter also. 15. And then in that time all
the archon. of the material aeons will fear before thy light: and all
the emanations of the thirteenth material aeon will fear before the
mystery of thy light, that the others may put on themselves what is
purified of their light. 16. For the Lord will seek
after the power of your souls; he has revealed his mystery.
17. For he will look at the
repentance of those who are in the places below; and he has not
overlooked their repen- tance. 18. This is that mystery which
has become a type for the race which will be born ; and the race
which will be born will sing praises to the height. 19. For the light has looked
forth from the height of his light. He will look down upon all matter
; 20. To hear the groaning of
those that are bound; to release the power of the souls whose power
is bound. 21. To place his name in the
soul, and his mystery in the Power CHAPTER 40. It happened, however, while
Jesus was speaking these words to his disciples, saying to them :
"This is the fourth repentance which the Pistis Sophia said; now at
this time let him who understands understand" - now it happened when
Jesus said these words, John came forward. He kissed (lit.
worshipped) the breast of Jesus, he said : "My Lord, command me also
and allow, me that I speak the inter- pretation of the fourth
repentance which the Pistis Sophia spoke". Jesus said to John: "I
command thee and I allow thee to give (lit, say) the interpretation
of the repentance which the Pistis Sophia spoke." John answered, he said : "My
Lord Saviour, concerning this repentance which the Pistis Sophia
spoke, thy light- power, which was in David, once prophesied about it
in the 101st Psalm: 1. 'Lord, hear my prayer and
let my voice come to thee. 2. Turn not thy face away from
me ; incline thy ear to me in the day of my affliction ; hear me
quickly in the day when I shall cry to thee. 3. For my days have vanished
like smoke, and my bones are parched like a stone. 4. I am scorched like grass
and my heart is dried up ; for I have forgotten to eat my
bread. 5. From the voice of my
groaning my bone has cleaved to my flesh. 6. I have become like a
pelican in the wilderness. I have become like an owl in a
house. 7. I have spent nights of
vigil; I have become like a spar- row alone upon a roof. 8. My enemies have reproached
me all day long ; and those that honour me have sworn against me.
9. For I have eaten ashes in
place of my bread; I have mixed my drink with tears; 10. In the presence of thy
wrath and thy anger; for thou hast lifted me up, thou hast cast me
down. 11. My days have declined like
a shadow, and I am dried up like grass- l2. But thou, O Lord, dost
exist for ever ; and thy memory from generation to generation
. 13. Do thou arise and be
compassionate to Zion; for it is (lit. has happened) time for
compassion to her; for the appointed time has come. 14. Thy servants have desired
her stones; and they will show pity on her land. 15. The peoples will fear the
name of the Lord and the kings of the earth will fear thy
glory. 16. For the Lord will build
Zion and be manifest in his glory' 17. He has looked upon the
prayer of the humble, and he has not despised their petition.
18. Let this be written for
another generation; and the people which will be created will bless
the Lord. 19. Because he has looked
forth upon his holy height; the Lord has looked forth from heaven
upon the earth; 20. To hear the groaning of
those that are bound, to release the sons of those who have been
killed; 21. To speak the name of the
Lord in Zion, and his blessing in Jerusalem. This, my Lord, is the
interpretation of the mystery of the repentance which the Pistis
Sophia spoke." CHAPTER 41. Now it happened when John
finished saying these words to Jesus in the midst of his disciples,
he said to him : "Excellent, John, thou virgin who wilt rule in the
Kingdom of the Light," Jesus, however, continued
again with the discourse, he said to his disciples : "it happened
again thus : the emanations of the Authades oppressed the Pistis
Sophia in the Chaos (es). They wanted to take away all her light, and
the ordinance was not yet completed to bring her forth from the
Chaos, and the command had not yet come to me through the First
Mystery to save her from the Chaos. Now it happened, when all the
material emanations of the Authades oppressed her, she cried out and
spoke the fifth repentance, saying : 1. 'O Light of my salvation, I
sing praise to thee in the place of the height, and again in the
Chaos. 2. I will sing praise to thee
in my song, with which I have praised thee in the height, and with
which I have praised thee when I was in the Chaos; may it reach thee.
And give heed, O Light, to my repentance. 3. My power has been filled
with darkness; and my light has come down to the Chaos. 4. I have become like the
archons of the Chaos which have gone to the darkness below; I have
become like a material body, which has no one in the height who will
save it. 5. I have become like material
things whose power has been taken from them as they were cast into
the Chaos, which thou hast not saved; and they have been destroyed by
thy ordinance. 6. Now at this time I have
been placed in the darkness below, in dark things and in material
things which are dead ; and there is no power within them.
7. Thou hast brought thy
ordinance upon me ; with all things which thou hast ordained.
8. And the Spirit has departed
and left me; and again, through thy ordinance, the emanations of my
aeon have not helped me ; and they have hated me and they have ceased
towards me, and yet I am not completely destroyed. 9. And my light has diminished
within me, and I have cried out to the light with all the light that
is in me ; and I have stretched out my hands to thee. 10. Now at this time, O Light,
wilt thou perhaps fulfill thy ordinance in the Chaos? And will the
saviours, perhaps, who came according to thy ordinance, arise in the
darkness and come and be disciples to thee? 11. Will they, perhaps, say
the mystery of thy name in the Chaos? 12. Or will they not rather
say thy name in matter of the Chaos, this in which thou wilt not
purify? 13. But I have sung praises to
thee, O Light, and my repentance will reach thee in the
height. 14. May thy light come down
upon me. 15. My light has been taken
from me and I am in distress on account of the light, from the time
when I was emanated forth. And when I looked to the height to the
light, I looked down to the light-power which is in the Chaos ; I
rose, I came down. 16.Thy ordinance came down
upon me, and the fears which thou didst ordain for me, agitated
me. 17. And they surrounded me
roaring like water, they seized me at once for all my time.
18. And through thy ordinance,
thou didst not allow my fellow-emanations to help me ; and thou didst
not allow my partner to save me from my afflictions.' This now is the fifth
repentance which the Pistis Sophia said in the Chaos, when all the
material emanations of the Authades continued to afflict her."
CHAPTER 42. Now when Jesus said these
things to his disciples, he said to them: "He who has ears to hear,
let him the things which I will do, and the things which you will
see. And you will bear witness to all things of the Kingdom of
Heaven." CHAPTER 43. Now when Jesus said these
things he said to his disciples : "He who has ears to hear, let him
hear." Mariam sprang up again, she came to the midst, she stood
beside Philip, she said to Jesus : "My Lord, my man of light has
ears, and I am prepared to hear by means of my power. And I have
understood the word which thou hast spoken. Now at this time, my
Lord, hear, so that I speak openly, for thou hast said to us : 'He
who has ears to hear, let him hear.' Concerning the word which thou
didst say to Philip: 'Thou and Thomas and Matthew are the three to
whom it has been given, through the First Mystery, to write every
word of the Kingdom of the Light, and to bear witness to them'; hear
now that I give the interpretation of these words. It is this which
thy light-power once prophesied through Moses: 'Through two and three
witnesses everything will be established. The three witnesses are
Philip and Thomas and Matthew". Now it happened when Jesus heard
these words, he said : Excellent, Maria, this is the interpretation
of the word. Now at this time, do thou, Philip, come forward and give
the interpretation of the mystery of the fifth repentance of the
Pistis Sophia. And afterwards sit and write every word which I shall
speak until the completion of the number of thy part in the words of
the Kingdom of the Light, which thou wilt write. After this thou
shalt come forward and speak whatever thy Spirit shall understand.
Nevertheless now, at this time give the explanation of the mystery of
the fifth repentance of the Pistis Sophia. But Philip answered and
said to Jesus : "My Lord, hear that I say the interpretation of her
repentance. For thy power once prophesied about it through David in
the 87th Psalm, saying : 1. 'O Lord God of my
salvation, I have cried to thee by day and night. 2. Let my prayer come before
thy presence. Incline thy ear, O Lord, to my petition. 3. For my soul is filled with
evil ; my life has approached Amente . 4. I am numbered with those
who have gone down to the pit, I have become like a man without a
helper. 5. The free among the dead are
like the slain who are cast out and sleep in graves, whom now thou
dost not remember; and they are destroyed through thy hands.
6. I have been laid in a pit
below in darknesses and the shadow of death. 7. Thy anger has pressed down
upon me ; and all thy cares have come down upon me. Pause.
8. Thou hast caused those that
know me to be distant from me ; they have set me as an abomination to
themselves ; they have set me and I did not go. 9. My eye(s) became weak
through my poverty; I cried to thee, O Lord, all the day; I spread
out my hands to thee. 10. Wilt thou perhaps do thy
wonders among the dead? Will shades 1 rise that they confess thee?
11. Will thy name perhaps be
spoken in the graves? 12. And thy righteousness in a
land which thou hast forgotten? 13. But I have cried to thee,
O Lord, and my prayer will reach thee at the hour of daybreak.
14. Turn not thy face away
from me. 15. For I am poor; I have been
in distress since my youth ; but when I was exalted I humbled myself,
and I arose. 16. Thy rages have come down
upon me, and thy fears have agitated me. 17. They have surrounded me
like water; they have seized me all day. 18. Thou hast caused my
companions to be distant from me; and those that know me on account
of my wretchedness'. This now is the interpretation of the fifth
repentance which the Pistis Sophia said when she was afflicted in the
Chaos. CHAPTER 44. It happened now when Jesus
heard these words which Philip said , he said to him : " Excellent,
Philip, thou beloved one. Come now at this time, sit and write thy
part of every word which I shall say, and what I shall do, and
everything which thou shalt see". And immediately Philip sat down and
wrote. It happened furthermore after
this Jesus continued again with the discourse. He said to his
disciples : " Then the Pistis Sophia cried out to the Light. He
forgave her sin, that she had forsaken her place, she had come down
to the darkness. She spoke the sixth repentance in this way, saying :
1. I have sung praises to thee, O Light, in the darkness
below. 2.Hear my repentance, and may
thy light give heed to the voice of my entreaty. 3. O Light, if thou dost
remember my sins I shall not be able to come before thee, and thou
wilt forsake me. 4. For thou, O Light, art my
Saviour on account of the light of thy name. I have believed in thee,
O Light. 5. And my power believed in
thy mystery. And furthermore, my power trusted in the light, when it
was in those of the height, and it (my power) trusted it (the light)
when it (my power) was in the Chaos below. 6. May all the powers within
me trust the light, when I am in the darkness below, and may they
trust it when they come to the place of the height. 7. For it (the light) is
merciful to us and saves us, and there is a great mystery of
salvation within it. 8. And it will save all the
powers from the Chaos on account of my transgression, because I have
forsaken my place, I have come down to the Chaos.' At this time now,
he whose understanding (mind) is uplifted , let him understand."
CHAPTER 45. Now it happened when Jesus
finished saying these words to his disciples, he said to them : "Do
you understand in what manner I am speaking with you?" Andrew came
forward, he said : "My Lord, concerning the interpretation of the
sixth repentance of the Pistis Sophia, thy light-power prophesied
once, through David, in the 129th
Psalm, saying : 1. 'Out of the depths I have
cried to thee, O Lord. 2. Hear my voice; let thine
ears be inclined to the voice of my supplication. 3. O Lord, if thou givest heed
to my iniquities who will be able to stand? 4. For forgiveness is with
thee; I have waited for thee, O Lord, for thy name's sake.
5. My soul has waited on thy
word. 6. My soul has hoped in the
Lord from morning until evening; may Israel hope in the Lord from
morning until evening. 7. For mercy is in the hand of
the Lord, and with him is a great salvation. 8. And he will save Israel out
of all his iniquities ". Jesus said to him :
"Excellent, Andrew, thou blessed one. This is the interpretation of
her repentance. Truly, truly, I say to you, I will fulfill you in all
the mysteries of the light, and every gnosis, from the innermost of
the inner to the outermost of the outer; from the Ineffable to the
darkness of darknesses ; and from the Light of Lights to the (?
matter) of matter ; from all the gods to the demons ; from all the
lords to the decans; from all the powers (exousiai) to the ministers
; from the creation of men to (that off beasts and cattle and
reptiles, in order that you be called perfect, fulfilled in every
pleroma. Truly, truly, I say to you that, in the place in which I
shall be in the Kingdom of my Father, you will also be there with me
. And when the perfect number is completed so that the mixture is
dissolved, I will command that all the tyrant gods who did not give
(up) what is purified of their light be brought. I will command the
fire of wisdom, which the perfect ones transmit, to consume those
tyrants until they give (up) the last of what is purified of their
light." It happened, when Jesus
finished saying these words to his disciples, he said to them : "Do
you understand in what manner I have spoken to you?" Maria said :
"Yes, O Lord, I have understood the discourse which thou hast spoken.
Concerning the word now which thou didst say : 'At the dissolving of
the whole mixture thou wilt sit upon a light-power, and thy
disciples, that is we, we will sit to the right of thee . And thou
wilt judge the tyrant gods which did not give (up) what is purified
of their light. And the fire of wisdom will consume them until they
give (up) the last of the light which is in them.' Now concerning
this word, thy light-power once prophesied, through David, in the
81st Psalm, saying : 'God will sit in the assembly of gods and will
judge the gods ". Jesus said to her : "Excellent, Maria." CHAPTER 46. Jesus continued again with the
discourse, he said to his disciples : "It happened when the Pistis
Sophia finished saying the sixth repentance concerning the
forgiveness of her transgression, she turned again to the height to
see whether her sins were forgiven her, and to see whether she would
be brought up from the Chaos. And she was not yet heard, through the
command of the First Mystery, that her sin would be forgiven, and
that she would be brought out of the Chaos. ( When she turned to the
height to see whether her repentance was accepted, she saw all the
archons of the twelve aeons mocking her and rejoicing over her,
because her repentance was not yet accepted. When she now saw them
mocking her, she was very sorrowful, she lifted up her voice to the
height, saying in the seventh repentance : 1. 'O Light, I have raised up
my power to thee, my Light. 2. I have believed in thee ;
do not make me to be despised. Do not make the archons of the twelve
aeons, which hate me, rejoice over me. 3. For all those that believe
in thee will not be brought to shame. May those who have taken away
my power remain in darkness, and have no profit from it, but have it
taken away from them. 4. O Light, show me thy ways,
and I will be saved by them ; and show me thy paths, so that I be
saved in the Chaos. 5. And lead me in thy light,
and may I know, O Light, that thou art my Saviour; I will trust thee
in my whole time. 6. Give heed, so that thou
savest me, O Light, because thy compassion exists for ever.
7. Concerning my transgression
which I have committed from the beginning in my ignorance, do not
count it against me, O Light, but rather save me through thy great
mystery of forgiveness of sins, for the sake of thy goodness, O
Light. 8. For the Light is good and
upright. Because of this he (the Light) will allow me (lit. give me
my way) to be saved from my transgression. 9. And my powers, which are
diminished through fear of the material emanations of the Authades,
he will draw out thence by his ordinance. And to my powers, which are
diminished through lack of mercy, he will teach his know-
ledge. 10. For all knowledges of the
light are salvations and are mysteries to everyone who seeks the
places of his inheritance and his mysteries. 11. For the sake of the
mystery of thy name, O Light, forgive my transgression, for it is
great. 12. To everyone who trusts the
light, he will give the mystery which pleases him. 13. And his soul will exist in
the places of the light; and his power will inherit the Treasury of
the Light. 14. It is the light which
gives power to those that believe in it. And the name of its mystery
is for those that trust it. And it will show them the place of the
inheritance which is in the Treasury of the Light. 15. Moreover I have believed
in the light at all times, that it is this which will save my feet
from the bonds of the darkneess. 16.Give heed to me, o Light,
and save me, for my name has been taken from me in the Chaos.
17. Beyond all the emanations,
my questions and my oppressions are very numerous; save me from my
transgression and this darkness. 18. And look upon the distress
of my oppression and forgive my transgression. 19. Give heed to the archons
of the twelve aeons which hate me with envy. 20. Watch over my power and
save me ; and let me not remain in this darkness, for I have believed
in thee. 21. And they have committed a
great folly for I have believed in thee, O Light. 22. Now at this time, O Light,
save my powers from the emanations of the Authades, by which I am
oppressed.' Now at this time, he who is sober, let him be sober." Now
when Jesus had said these things to his disciples, Thomas came
forward, he said: "My Lord, I am sober, I have become more sober, and
my Spirit is ready within me. And I rejoice greatly because thou hast
revealed to us these words. Nevertheless I have suffered my brothers
up till now lest I cause anger in them. But I suffer each one of them
to come before thee to say the interpretation of the repentance of
the Pistis Sophia. Now at this time, O Lord, concerning the
interpretation of the seventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia, thy
light-power prophesied about it, through David the prophet, saying it
thus in the 24th
Psalm : 1. O Lord, I have lifted up my
soul to thee, my God. 2. I have relied on thee; let
me not be put to shame, nor let my enemies mock at me. 3. Because everyone that waits
upon thee will not be put to shame. Let those that commit iniquity
without cause be ashamed. 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, my Saviour. I will wait on
thee the whole day. 6. Remember thy compassion, O
Lord, and thy mercies, for they are from eternity. 7. Remember not the sins of my
youth and those of my ignorance. Remember me rather according to the
greatness of thy mercy, for the sake of thy benificence, O
Lord. 8. Beneficent and upright is
the Lord; because of this, he will teach the sinners on the
way. 9. He will guide the
compassionate in judgment; he will teach the compassionate his
ways. 10. All the ways of the Lord
are mercy and truth for those that seek his righteousness and his
witness. 11. For thy name's sake, O
Lord, forgive me my sin, (for) it is very great. 12. Who is the man who fears
the Lord? He will appoint (the) law for him in the way which he has
chosen. 13. His soul will be in good
things; and his seed will inherit the earth. 14. The Lord is the strength
of those that fear him ; and the name of the Lord, to those that fear
him, is that which tells them of his covenant. 15. My eyes are directed to
the Lord at all times; for it is he who will draw my feet out of the
snare. 16. Look down upon me and have
mercy on me ; for I am an only son , l am poor. 17. The afflictions of my
heart have multiplied; lead me forth from my necessities. 18. Look upon my humbleness
and my distress, and forgive all my sins. 19. Look upon my enemies, for
they have multiplied and they have hated me with an unjust
hatred. 20. Guard my soul and save me
; let me not be put to shame for I have hoped in thee. 21. The harmless and the
upright have joined themselves to me ; for I have waited upon thee, O
Lord. 22. O God, save Israel from
all his afflictions' ". When however Jesus heard the words of Thomas,
he said to him : "Excellent, Thomas, and well done. This is the
interpretation of the seventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Truly,
truly, I say to you that all the generations of the world will bless
you upon the earth, because I have revealed this to you, and you have
received of my Spirit, and you have become understanding and
Pneumatic, since you have understood what I have said. And after this
I will fill you with all the light and all the power of the Spirit,
so that from this time you will understand all those things which
will be said to you, and those things which you will see. Yet a
little time and I will speak with you of all the things of the
height, from the outer to the inner, and from the inner to the
outer." CHAPTER 47 Jesus continued again with the
discourse, he said to the disciples : "Now it happened when the
Pistis Sophia said her seventh repentance in the Chaos, the command,
through the First Mystery, that I should save her and bring her up
from the Chaos, had not yet come forth to me. But I of myself, out of
compassion, without command, I brought her to a place in the Chaos
which was a little wider. And when the material emanations of the
Authades knew she had been brought to a place in the Chaos which was
a little wider, they ceased a little from oppressing her, thinking
she would be brought up from the Chaos completely. Now when these
things happened, the Pistis Sophia did not know that it was I who
helped her, nor did she know me at all. But she continued singing
praises to the light of the Treasury which she had once seen, and in
which she believed. And she thought, furthermore, that it was he who
helped her. And it was he to whom she sang praises, thinking that he
was the true light. But since she believed in the light which belongs
to the true Treasury, for this reason she will be brought up from the
Chaos and her repentance will be received. But the ordinance of the
First Mystery that her repentance should be received was not yet
completed. Therefore hear now, and I will tell you all the things
(lit. words) which happened to the Pistis Sophia. It happened when I brought her
to a place in the Chaos, which was a little wider, the emanations of
the Authades ceased from oppressing her greatly , thinking she would
be brought up from the Chaos completely. Now it happened when the
emanations of the Authades knew that the Pistis Sophia was not
brought up from the Chaos, they turned again at the same time to
oppress her greatly. Because of this she now said the eighth
repentance, because they had ceased from oppressing her, and they had
turned again to oppress her to the last. She spoke this repentance,
saying it thus : 1. 'I have hoped in thee, O
Light. Leave me not in the Chaos; save me and deliver me with thy
knowledge. 2. Give heed to me and save
me. Be to me a Saviour, O Light, and save me and bring me into the
presence of thy light. 3. For thou art my Saviour and
thou wilt bring me to thy presence. And for the sake of the mystery
of thy name, lead me and give me thy mystery. 4. And thou wilt save me as I
am ensnared by this lion-faced power; for thou art my Saviour.
5. And I will give what is
purified of my light into thy hands; thou hast saved me, O Light,
with thy knowledge. 6. Thou hast been angry with
those who watch for me, who will not be able to seize me at all. But
I have believed in the light. 7. I will rejoice and sing
praises, for thou hast had compassion on me ; and thou hast given
heed to the oppression in which I am. And thou hast saved me. And
also thou wilt deliver my power from the Chaos. 8. And thou didst not leave me
to be in the hands of the lion-faced power, but thou hast brought me
to a place which is not oppressed'." CHAPTER 48. When Jesus had said these
things to his disciples, he answered again and said to them : "It
happened now when the lion-faced power knew that the Pistis Sophia
was not brought up from the Chaos at all, it came again with all the
rest of the material/ emanations of the Authades. They oppressed the
Pistis Sophia again. Now it happened when they oppressed her, she
cried out in this same repentance, in which she spoke thus:
9. Have compassion on me, O
Light, for they have oppressed me again. The light within me has been
agitated on account of thy ordinance; and my power and my
understanding (mind). 10. My power has begun to
decrease while I am in these oppressions; and the reckoning of my
time while I am in the Chaos. My light has diminished, for they have
taken away my power from me, and all the powers within me have been
shaken. 11. I have become powerless
before 1 all the archons of the aeons which hate me, and before the
24 emanations in whose places I was. And my brother, my partner,
feared to help me, on account of those among whom I was held.
12. And all the archons of the
height have reckoned me to be matter without light in it. I have
become like a material power which has fallen out of the
archons. 13. And all those who were in
the aeons said : she has become Chaos. And after this the merciless
powers surrounded me at the same time, and spoke to take away all my
light that was in me. 14. But I trusted thee, O
Light, and I said : thou art my Saviour. 15. And my ordinance which
thou hast ordained for me is in thy hands; save me from the hands of
the emanations of the Authades which oppress me and pursue after
me. 16. Send down thy light upon
me, for I am nothing before thee; and save me in thy
compassion. 17. Let me not be despised,
for thou art he to whom I have sung praises, O Light. May the Chaos
cover over the emanations of the Authades, and may they be cast down
to the darkness. 18. May the mouth be shut of
those who, with cunning, want to swallow me ; who say : let us take
away all the light within her, although I have done nothing wicked to
them'." CHAPTER 49. When, however, Jesus had said
these things, Matthew came forward and said : "My Lord, thy Spirit
has moved me, and thy light has made me sober, so that I should tell
the eighth repentance of the Pistis Sophia. For thy power once
prophesied about it through David, in the 30th Psalm, saying :
1. 'I have hoped in thee, O
Lord. Let me not be put to shame for ever; save me in thy
righteousness. 2. Incline thine ear to me;
save me quickly, be to me a protecting God and a house of refuge to
save me. 3. For thou art my support and
my refuge; for the sake of thy name thou wilt guide me and nourish
me. 4. And thou wilt bring me
forth from this snare which they have hidden for me, for thou art my
protector. 5. I will give up my spirit
into thy hands. Thou hast saved me, O Lord, God of truth. 6. Thou hast hated those who
idly keep to what is vain. But I have trusted; 7. And I will rejoice over the
Lord , and I will be glad over thy mercy; for thou hast looked upon
my humbleness, and thou hast saved my soul out of my
necessities. 8. Thou hast not shut me in
the hands of the enemy ; thou hast set my feet in a wide
place. 9. Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am afflicted; my eye is I troubled with anger; and my soul and
my belly. 10. For my years have been
spent in distress and my life has been spent in groanings; my power
has become weak in poverty, and my bones are troubled. 11. I have become a reproach
to all my enemies and my neighbors. I have become a fear to those
that know me, and those that saw me ran away from me. 12. I have been forgotten like
a corpse in their hearts; and I have become like a broken
vessel. 13. I have heard contempt from
many at my side who surrounded me ; when they gathered together
against me, they took counsel to take away my soul from me.
14. But I have trusted thee, O
Lord, I have said : thou art my God. 15. My lots are in thy hands;
save me from the hand of my enemies, and deliver me from those that
persecute me. 16. Reveal thy face over thy
servant, and save me in thy mercy, O Lord. 17. Let me not be put to
shame, for I have cried to thee; let the impious be put to shame and
turned to Amente. 18. Let the cunning lips be
dumb, who speak iniquity against the righteous with pride and
contempt'." CHAPTER 50. When however Jesus heard these
words, he said: "Well done, Matthew. Now at this time truly I say to
you, when the perfect number is completed and the All is raised up, I
will sit in the Treasury of the Light, and you yourselves will sit on
twelve light-powers, until we have set up again all the ranks of the
twelve saviors at the place of the inheritance of each one of them."
But when he had said these things, he said : "Do you understand what
I say?" Maria came forward and said :
"O Lord, concerning this, thou didst once say to us in a parable:
'You have endured with me in temptations. I will establish a kingdom
for you in the way in which my Father established it for me , so that
you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit
upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel'."
He said to her : "Excellent,
Maria." Jesus continued again and said to his disciples : "Now it
happened after these things, when the emanations of the Authades
oppressed the Pistis Sophia in the Chaos, she spoke the ninth
repentance, saying : 1. 'O Light, smite down those
who have taken my power away from me ; and take the power from those
who have taken mine from me. 2. For I am thy power and thy
light ; come and save me. 3. May a great darkness cover
over those that oppress me ; say to my power : it is I who will save
thee. 4. All those who want to take
my light from me completely : may their power fail; those who want to
take my light from me completely : may they turn to the Chaos and
become powerless. 5. May their power become like
dust; and may Jeu, thine angel, smite them down. 6. And if they come to go to
the height, may a darkness seize them, so that they stumble and turn
to the Chaos; and may thine angel, Jeu, pursue them and send them to
the darkness below. 7. For without my having done
evil to them, they have ensnared me with a lion-faced power from
which their light will be taken; they have oppressed the power within
me, which they will not able to take away. 8. Now at this time, O Light,
take away what is purified from the lion-faced power, without his
knowing; and the thought which the Authades had (lit. thought), to
take away my light : take his own away; and let the light of the
lion-faced power, which ensnared me, be taken away. 9. My power will flourish in
the light and will rejoice because it will save it. 10. And all the parts of my
power will say : there is now no Saviour except thee; for it is thou
who wilt save me from the hands of the lion-faced power which has
taken my power from me. And it is thou who savest me from the hands
of those who have taken my power and my light from me. 11. For they stood up against
me and told lies about me. And they say : I know the mystery of the
light which is in the height, in which I have believed. And they have
compelled me, saying : Tell us the mystery of the light which is in
the height, this one which I do not know. 12. And they have repaid me
with all these wicked things, because I have believed in the light of
the height; and they have made my power to be without light.
13. But when I was compelled,
I sat in the darkness, while my soul was humble in sorrow.
14. And, O Light, concerning
whom I sing praises to thee, save me ; I know that thou wilt save me,
because I have done thy will since I was in my aeon. I have done thy
will like the invisible ones who are in my place, and like my
partner; and I became sorrowful as I looked, seeking for thy
light. 15. Now at this time all the
emanations of the Authades have surrounded me ; and have rejoiced
over me, and they have oppressed me greatly, without my knowing; and
they have run away, they have left me, and they have not been
merciful to me. 16. They turned again and
tempted me, and they oppressed me with great oppression; they gnashed
their teeth at me, wanting to take away my light from me
completely. 17. How long now, O Light,
dost thou suffer them, that they oppress me ? Save my power from
their wicked thoughts, and save me from the lion-faced power, for I
alone among the invisible ones am in this place. 18. I will sing praise to
thee, O Light, while I am in the midst of all those gathered against
me. And I will cry out to thee in the midst of all those that oppress
me. 19. Now at this time, O Light,
let not those that hate me and want to take away my power from me,
rejoice over me; these who hate me, as they move their eyes against
me, without my having done anything to them. 20. For indeed they flatter me
with sweet words while they seek from me the mysteries of the light
which I do not know; speaking to me with cunning against me, and
raging against me, because I have believed in the light which is in
the height. 21. They have opened their
mouths against me ; they have said : Yes. We will take away her
light. 22. Now at this time, O Light,
thou hast known their cunning ; suffer them not, and let not thy help
be far from me. 23. Make haste, O Light, judge
me and avenge me. 24. And give judgment to me in
thy goodness; now at this time, O Light of Lights, let them not take
my light from me. 25. And do not let them say in
their hearts : Our power has satisfied itself with her light; and let
them not say : We have swallowed her power. 26. But rather let darkness
come down upon them; and let those that want to take away my light
from me become powerless; and those that say : We will take away her
light and her power, let them be covered with Chaos and
darkness, 27. Now at this time, save me,
that I may rejoice, because I want the thirteenth aeon, the place of
righteousness. And I will say at all times : May the light of Jeu,
thy angel, give more light. 28. And my tongue will sing
praises to thee in thy knowledge, all my time in the thirteenth
aeon'." CHAPTER 51. It happened when Jesus
finished saying these words to his disciples, he said to them : "He
who is sober among you, let him give their interpretation."
James came forward, he kissed
the breast of Jesus and said : "My Lord, thy Spirit has made me sober
, and I am willing to give their interpretation. Concerning this,
indeed, thy power prophesied once, through David, in the 34th Psalm,
speaking thus about the ninth repentance of the Pistis Sophia
: 1. 'Judge, O Lord, those who
do injustice to me; fight with those who fight with me. 2. Take hold of a weapon and
shield, and rise to help me. 3. Draw forth a sword and
unsheathe it in the presence of those that afflict me ; say to my
soul : I am thy salvation. 4. May they be put to shame
and disgrace that seek my soul; may those that think wicked things
about me be turned back and be put to shame. 5. May they become like dust
before the wind; and may the angel of the Lord pursue them.
6. May their paths become dark
and slippery; and may the angel of the Lord afflict them. 7. For, without cause, they
have hidden for me a snare to their own destruction; and in vain they
have slandered my soul. 8. May the snare which they do
not know come to them; and may the net, which they have hidden for
me, catch them, and may they fall into this snare. 9. But my soul will rejoice
over the Lord, and be glad over its salvation. 10. All my bones will say : O
Lord, who can resemble thee? Thou dost save the poor out of the hand
of those that are stronger than he ; and thou dost save a poor man
and a needy from the hands of those that rob him. 11. Unjust witnesses have
arisen; they have questioned me about things which I do not
know. 12. They repaid me evil things
for good, and childlessness to my soul. 13. But I, when they troubled
me, I put on sackcloth, and I humbled my soul with fasting; and my
prayer will return again to my bosom. 14. I was agreeable as if to
my neighbor, and as if to my brother ; and I humbled myself like a
mourner and a sorrowful one. 15. They have rejoiced over me
and have been put to shame. Scourges were gathered against me and I
did not know; they were separated and they were not
distressed. 16. They tempted me, and they
sneered at me contemptuously; they gnashed their teeth against
me. 17. O Lord, when wilt thou
look down upon me ? Establish my soul away from their wicked deeds;
and save my only- begotten one from the lions. 18. I will confess thee, O
Lord, in a great congregation, and I will bless thee among countless
people. 19. Let not those who are
enemies to me unjustly, who hate me without cause and wink with their
eyes, rejoice over me. 20. For indeed they speak to
me with peaceful words ; and they imagine wrath with cunning.
21. They opened wide their
mouths against me and they said : Excellent, our eyes have had a full
view of him. 22. Thou hast seen, O Lord, be
not silent, O Lord; draw not back from me. 23. Arise, O Lord, give heed
to my judgment; give heed to my revenge, my God and my Lord.
24. Judge me, O Lord,
according to my righteousness; let them not rejoice over me, my
God. 25. Neither let them say :
Excellent, our soul; let them not say : We have swallowed him.
26. Let those that rejoice
over my misfortunes be put to shame, and disgraced at the same time;
let those that speak great words against me be covered with shame and
disgrace. 27. Let those that wish my
righteousness be glad and rejoice; and may those that wish the peace
of his servant say : let the Lord be magnified and lifted up.
28. My tongue will rejoice at
thy righteousness and thy glory all the day'." CHAPTER 52. When James had said these
things, Jesus said : Excellent, well done, James. This is the
interpretation of the ninth repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Truly,
truly, I say to you that you will become first in the Kingdom of
Heaven, before all the invisible ones, and all the gods, and all the
archons, which are in the thirteenth aeon, and in the twelfth aeon.
But not only you, but also everyone who will perform my
mysteries." When he had said these things,
he said to them : "Do you understand in what manner I am speaking
with you ?" Mariam sprang up again, she said : "Yes, O Lord. This is
what thou didst say to us once : 'The last will become first and the
first will become last.' Now the first, which were created before us,
are the invisible ones, since they existed before mankind, they and
the gods and the archons; and the men who will receive mysteries will
precede them in the Kingdom of Heaven." Jesus said to her :
"Excellent, Mariam." Jesus continued again, he said
to his disciples: "Now it happened when the Pistis Sophia had said
the ninth repentance, the lion-faced power oppressed her again,
wanting to take away all the power within her. She cried again to the
Light, saying : 'O Light, in whom I have
believed from the beginning, for whose sake I have suffered great
afflictions, help me.' And in that hour her repentance was accepted.
The First Mystery heard her. And I was sent at his command, I came to
help her, I brought her up from the Chaos because she had repented,
and also because she had believed in the light, and she had suffered
these great afflictions and these great dangers. She was deceived by
the deity Authades. And she was deceived by nothing except a
light-power, because of the likeness of the light in which she
believed. Now because of this I was sent, through the command of the
First Mystery to help her secretly. But I had not yet come to the
place of the aeons at all. But I came forth from the midst of them
all without any power knowing; neither the innermost ones of the
inner, nor the outermost ones of the outer, except for the First
Mystery alone. Now it happened when I came to
the Chaos, to help her, she saw that I was understanding, and that I
was shining exceedingly and with compassion towards her. For I was
not insolent like the lion-faced power, which had taken away the
power of light from the Sophia, and which had also afflicted her, to
take away all the light within her. Now the Sophia saw me, that I was
shining ten thousand times more than the lion-faced power, and that I
had great compassion towards her. And she knew that I was from out of
the height of heights, in the light of which she had believed from
the beginning. The Pistis Sophia took courage and she spoke the tenth
repentance, saying : 1. 'I have cried out to thee,
O Light of Lights, in my affliction, and thou hast heard me.
2. O Light, save my power from
unjust and iniquitous lips, and from cunning snares. 3. The light which was taken
away from me with a cunning snare will not be brought to thee.
4. For the snares of the
Authades are widespread, with the traps of the merciless. 5. Woe to me, for my dwelling
was far off and I was in the dwellings of the Chaos. 6. My power was in places
which were not mine. 7. And I flattered those
merciless ones, and when I flattered them, they attacked me without
cause'." CHAPTER 53. Now when Jesus had said these
things to his disciples, he said to them : "Now at this time let him
whose spirit moves him, come forth and say the interpretation of the
tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia." Peter answered and said : "O
Lord, concerning this also, thy power prophesied once, through David,
in the l19th Psalm, saying : 1. 'I cried to thee, O Lord,
in my affliction and thou didst hear me. 2. O Lord, save my soul from
unjust lips and from a cunning tongue. 3. What will be given to thee
and what will be taken from thee with a cunning tongue? 4. The arrows of the strong
are sharpened, together with the coals of the desert. 5. Woe on me, for my dwelling
was far off. I dwelt in the dwellings of Kedar. 6. My soul has been a
sojourner in many places. 7. I was peaceful with those
who hate peace. When I spoke with them they fought me without
cause.' Now at this time, O Lord, this
is the interpretation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia,
which she said when the material emanations of the Authades oppressed
her, they and his lion-faced power, and when they afflicted her
greatly." Jesus said to him :
"Excellent, Peter, and well done. This is the interpretation of the
tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia." CHAPTER 54. Jesus continued again with the
discourse, he said to his disciples: "Now it happened when the
lion-faced power saw me approaching the Pistis Sophia, that I was
shining exceedingly, it was more angry, and it emanated from itself
another multitude of very powerful emanations. Now when these things
happened, the Pistis Sophia spoke the eleventh repentance, saying
: 1. 'Why has the strong power
risen among the wicked? 2. Its thought took the light
away from me at all times. And like sharp iron they took power from
me. 3. I preferred to come down to
the Chaos more than to remain in the place of the thirteenth aeon,
the place of righteousness. 4. And they wanted to take me
by cunning, that they might swallow all my light. 5. Because of this now, the
light will take all their light, and also their whole matter will be
destroyed. And he will take their light, and he will not let them
exist in the thirteenth aeon, their dwelling place, and he will not
let their names be in the place of those that will live. 6. And the 24 emanations will
see what has happened to thee, O lion-faced power, and they will fear
and they will not be disobedient, but they will give what is purified
of their light. 7. And they will see thee, and
they will rejoice over thee and they will say : Behold an emanation
which has not given what is purified of its light, that it might be
saved, but it boasts of the magnitude of the light of its power,
because it did not emanate the power within it ; and it said : I will
take away the light of the Pistis Sophia, this which will be taken
from her.' Now at this time, let him in
whom his power has arisen come forward and give the interpretation of
the eleventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia." Then Salome came forward and
said : "My Lord, concerning this, thy light-power once prophesied,
through David, in the 51st Psalm, saying : I. "why does the mighty, boast
of his evil? 2. Thy tongue has devised
injustice all the day; like a sharp cutting knife thou hast practiced
deceit. 3. Thou hast loved evil more
than goodness; thou host loved injustice more than to speak
righteousness. 4. Thou hast loved all words
of subterfuge and a cunning tongue, 5. For this reason God will
destroy thee completely, He will uproot thee; and he will draw thee
from thy dwelling, and he will pluck out thy root and cast it outside
of those that are living, Pause. 6. The righteous will see and
will fear; and they will mock at him and say : 7. Behold a man who did not
make God his helper, but he trusted in his great wealth and he had
power upon his vanity. 8. But I am like a
fruit-bearing olive tree in the House of God ; I have trusted in the
mercy of God for ever and ever. 9. And I will give thanks to
thee, for thou hast dealt with me ; and I will wait upon thy name,
for it is beneficent in the presence of thy holy ones.' Now at this time, my Lord,
this is the interpretation of the eleventh repentance of the Pistis
Sophia. As thy light-power moved me, I said it according to thy
will." Now it happened when Jesus
heard these words which Salome said, he said : "Excellent, Salome.
Truly, truly , I say to you that I will complete you in all mysteries
of the Kingdom of the Light." CHAPTER 55. Jesus, however, continued
again with the discourse. He said to his disciples : "It happened now
after these things I entered into the Chaos, shining exceedingly, in
order that I might take away the light of that lion-faced
power. As I was of exceeding light,
it was afraid, it cried out to its deity, Authades, to help it. And
at that hour the deity Authades looked forth from the thirteenth
aeon, he looked down upon the Chaos. He was exceedingly angry,
wishing to help his lion-faced power. And at that hour the lion-faced
power and all its emanations turned to the Pistis Sophia, wishing to
take away all the light which was in the Sophia. It happened now when
they oppressed the Sophia, she cried out to the height, she cried out
to me, that I should help her. Now it happened when she looked to the
height, she saw the Authades who was very angry, and she was afraid.
She said the twelfth repentance because of the Authades and his
emanations. But she cried out to me, saying thus : 1. 'O Light, forget not my
song of praise. 2. For the Authades and his
lion-faced power opened their mouths against me, they dealt cunningly
with me. 3. And they surrounded me,
wishing to take away my power; and they hated me because I sang
praises to thee. 4. Instead of loving me, they
slandered me, but I sang praises. 5. They planned to take away
my power because I sang praises to thee, O Light. And they hated me
because I loved thee. 6. Let the darkness come over
the Authades, and may the archon of the outer darkness remain at his
right hand. 7. And when thou dost judge
him, take his power away from him ; and that which he thought - to
take away my light from me - do thou take his from him. 8. And may all his powers of
his light within him diminish; and may another one take his greatness
in the three triple-powered ones. 9. May all the powers of his
emanations become without light; and may his matter be without light
in it. 10. May his emanations remain
in the Chaos, and may they not be allowed to go to their place; may
their light which is in them diminish, and let them not be allowed to
go up to the thirteenth aeon, their place. 11. May the paralemptes, the
purifier of the lights, purify all the lights which are in the
Authades; and may he take them from them. 12. May the archons of the
darkness below rule over his emanations, and let not anyone receive
him to himself in his place ; and let not anyone hear the power of
his emanations in the Chaos. 13. May the light which is in
his emanations be taken away, and may their name be removed from the
thirteenth aeon; indeed rather may his name be taken away from that
place for ever. 14. And upon the lion-faced
power, may there be brought the sin of him who emanated it in the
presence of the light; and may the iniquity, of the matter which
brought him (the Authades) forth not be erased. 15. And may their sin
immediately be in the presence of the eternal light ; and may they
not be allowed to see, and may their name be removed from every
place; 16. Because they did not spare
me, and they oppressed the one whose light and power they took away.
And afterwards they put me among them, wishing to take away all my
light from me. 17. They loved to come down to
the Chaos; may they be within it, and not be brought forth from this
time hence. They did not want the place of righteousness as dwelling
place, and they will not be taken to it from this time forth.
18. He put on the darkness
like a garment; and it (the darkness) went into him like water, and
it went into all his powers like oil. 19. May he wrap himself in the
Chaos like a garment, and gird himself with the darkness like a
leather girdle at all times. 20. While these things happen
to those who brought these things upon me on account of the light;
and they said: let us take away all her power. 21. But thou, O Light, have
compassion on me, on account of the mystery of thy name; and save me
in the beneficence of thy mercy. 22. Because they have taken
away my light and my power, and my power is shaken within me, and I
have not been able to stand upright in their midst, 23. I have become like matter
which has fallen; I have been cast on this side and that, like a
demon which is in the air. 24. My power has been
destroyed, for I possess no mystery ; and my matter has faded because
of my light, for they took it away. 25. And as for me, they mocked
me ; they looked at me as they winked about me. 26. Help me according to thy
compassion.' Now at this time, he whose
spirit is eager, let him come forward and say the interpretation of
the twelfth repentance of the Pistis Sophia." CHAPTER 56. Andrew however came forward,
he said : "My Lord and Saviour, thy light-power prophesied once,
through David, concerning this repentance which the Pistis Sophia
said, and spoke in the 108th Psalm, saying : 1. 'O God, do not be silent to
my praise. 2. For the mouths of the
sinner and the cunning, they have opened against me ; they have
spoken about me with a cunning tongue. 3. And they surround me with
words of hatred; and they have fought against me without a
cause. 4. Instead of loving me, they
slandered me, but I prayed. 5. They established for me
evil in the place of good, and hatred in the place of my love.
6. Set a sinner over him, and
let the devil stand at his right hand. 7. When he is judged, may he
come forth condemned, and may his prayer become sin. 8. May his days be diminished,
and may another take his office. 9. May his sons become
orphans, and may his wife become a widow. 10. May his sons be moved, and
may they be turned out and beg ; may they be cast forth from their
house. 11. May the creditor search
all his belongings; and may strangers rob all his efforts.
12. May there not exist for
him anyone who gives him a hand, or who is compassionate to his
orphans. 13. May his sons be blotted
out; and may his name be blotted out in one generation. 14. May the sin of his fathers
be remembered in the presence of the Lord ; and let not the iniquity
of his mother be blotted out. 15. May they be in the
presence of the Lord at all times ; and may his memory be wiped out
from the earth. 16. Because he did not
remember to show mercy; and he pursued a poor man and a wretched one,
and he persecuted one who was afflicted, to kill him. 17. He loved cursing and may
it come to him; he did not wish to bless and may it be removed from
him. 18. He put on cursing like a
garment, and it went to his interior like water; it became like oil
in his bones. 19. May it be to him like the
garment with which he will wrap himself; and like a girdle with which
he will gird himself at all times. 20. This is the dealing for
those that slander me before the Lord, and those that speak lawless
things into my soul. 21. But thou, O Lord, Lord
show mercy on me, on account of thy name; save me. 22. For I am a poor man and I
am a wretched one ; my heart is agitated within me. 23. I have been taken into the
midst like a shadow which goes down; I am blown forth like
locusts. 24. My knees are weak with
lasting; and my flesh is changed on account of the (lack of)
oil. 25. But I have become a
mockery to them; they saw me and they shook their heads. 26. Help me, O Lord God, and
save me, according to thy mercy. 27. May they know that this is
thy hand, and thou hast created it, O Lord.' This is the interpretation of
the twelfth repentance which the Pistis Sophia said, as she was in
the Chaos." CHAPTER 57. Jesus continued again,
however, with the discourse. He said to his disciples : "It happened
again after these things, the Pistis Sophia cried out to me, saying :
'O Light of Lights, I have transgressed against the twelve aeons. I
came down from them. For this reason I have said the twelve
repentances, one according to each aeon. Now at this time, O Light of
Lights, forgive me my transgression, for it is very great. Because I
left the places of the height. I came to dwell in the places of the
Chaos.' Now when the Pistis Sophia
finished saying these things, she continued again with the thirteenth
repentance, saying : 1. 'Hear me as I sing praises
to thee, O Light of Lights. Hear me as I say the repentance of the
thirteenth aeon, the place from which I came down, so that the
thirteenth repentance of the thirteenth aeon be completed. These
(aeons) ( against which I have transgressed, from them I came
down. 2. Now at this time, O Light
of Lights, hear me as I sing praises to thee in the thirteenth aeon,
my place from which I came forth. 3. Save me, O Light, in thy
great mystery and forgive my transgression in thy forgiveness.
4. And give me the baptism and
forgive my sins and purify me from my transgression. 5. And this my transgression
is the lion-faced power, which was not hidden from thee at any time,
for on account of it I came down. 6. And I alone among the
invisible ones, in whose place I existed, transgressed, and I came
down to the Chaos. I transgressed before thee so that thy ordinance
should be fulfilled.' The Pistis Sophia now said
these things. Now at this time let him whose spirit moves him to
understand her words, come forth and give their thought." Martha came forward and said:
"My Lord, my spirit moves me to give the interpretation of those
things which the Pistis Sophia said. Concerning them, thy power once
prophesied through David in the 50th Psalm, speaking thus :
1. 'Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy great pity; according to the multitude of thy
mercies blot out my sin . 2. Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity. 3. And my sin is present to me
at all times. 4. That thou shouldst be
justified in thy words and victorious when thou judgest me.'
This is the explanation of the
words which the Pistis Sophia said." Jesus said to her : ""Excellent,
well done Martha, thou blessed one". CHAPTER 58. Jesus however continued again
with the discourse. He said to his disciples : "Now it happened when
the Pistis Sophia said these words, the time was fulfilled that she
should be brought forth from the Chaos. And by myself alone, without
the First Mystery', I brought forth from myself a light-power, I sent
it down to the Chaos that it should bring the Pistis Sophia up from
the deep places of the Chaos and bring her to the upper place of the
Chaos, until the command came forth from the First Mystery that she
should be brought up from the Chaos completely. And my light-power
brought the Pistis Sophia up to the upper places of the Chaos. Now it
happened when the emanations of the Authades knew that the Pistis
Sophia was brought up to the upper places of the Chaos, they followed
her upwards, wanting to take her again to the lower places of the
Chaos. And my light-power, which I had sent to bring the Sophia up
from the Chaos, gave light exceedingly. Now it happened when the
emanations of the Authades followed the Sophia when she was brought
to the upper places of the Chaos, she sang praises again and she
cried out to me, saying : I. 'I will sing praises to
thee, O Light, for I wanted to come to thee. I will sing praises to
thee, O Light, for thou art my Saviour. 2. Leave me not in the Chaos.
Save me, O Light of the height, for thou art he to whom I have sung
praises. 3. By thyself thou hast sent
to me thy light and thou hast saved me. Thou hast brought me to the
upper places of the Chaos. 4. May the emanations of the
Authades which follow me fall down to the lower places of the Chaos.
And let them not come to the upper places so that they see me.
5. And may a great darkness
cover them over and may a cloud of darkness come to them. And let
them not see me in the light of thy power which thou hast sent to me
to save me, lest they gain power over me again. 6. And their plan which they
thought of, to take away my power, let it not happen for them. And
according to how they spoke against me to take away my light from me,
take theirs rather instead of mine. 7. And they have spoken to
take away all my light. And they were not able to take it, for thy
light-power was with me ; 8. Because they deliberated
without thy ordinance, O Light. On account of this they were not able
to take away my light. 9. Because I have believed in
the light, I will not fear; and the light is my Saviour, and I will
not fear.' Now at this time let him whose
power is elevated say the interpretation of the words which the
Pistis Sophia said." But it happened when Jesus finished saying these
words to his disciples, Salome came forward. She said : "My Lord, my
power compels me to say the interpretation of the words which the
Pistis Sophia said. Thy power prophesied once through Solomon, saying
thus : 1. I will give thanks to thee,
O Lord, for thou art my God. 2. Leave me not, O Lord, for
thou art my hope. 3. Thou hast given me thy
judgment freely, and I have been saved through thee. 4. May those that persecute me
fall and let them not see me. 5. May a cloud of smoke cover
their eyes, and may a misty air darken them; and let them not see the
day, lest they seize me. 6. May their counsels become
powerless; and may those things which they have devised come upon
them, 7. They have devised a
counsel, and it has not happened for them. 8. And they, the powerful, are
vanquished; and those things which they prepared with evil intent are
cast down . 9. My hope is in the Lord and
I will not fear ; for thou art my God, my Saviour'. " Now it happened when Salome
finished saying these words, Jesus said to her : "Excellent, Salome,
and well done. This is the interpretation of
the words which the Pistis Sophia said." CHAPTER 59. Jesus continued again,
however, with the discourse. He said to his disciples : "Now it
happened when the Pistis Sophia finished saying these words in the
Chaos, I caused the light-power which I had sent to save her, I
caused it to become a crown of light on her head, so that from this
hour the emanations of the Authades would have no power over her. And
when it became a crown of light on her head, all the evil materials
which were in her were moved, and they were all purified within her;
they were destroyed and came to be in the Chaos, while the emanations
of the Authades saw them and they rejoiced. And what was purified of
the pure light within the Sophia gave power to the light of my
light-power which had become a crown on her head. Now it happened
further, as it surrounded the pure light within the Sophia, her pure
light was not (left) without 1 the crown of the flame of the
light-power, so that the emanations of the Authades did not steal
it. Now when these things had
happened, the pure light-power within the Sophia began to sing
praises; but she sang praises to my light-power which had become a
crown on her head. She sang praises, saying thus : 1. 'The light has become a
crown on my head and I will not be (left) without it, so that the
emanations of the Authades do not steal it from me. 2. And even if all the
materials move, I however will not move. 3. And even if all my
materials are destroyed and remain in the Chaos - these which the
emanations of the Authades see - I however will not be
destroyed. 4. For the light is with me,
and I myself am with the light.' But the Pistis Sophia said
these words. Now at this time let him who understands the thought of
these words come forward and give their interpretation." Mary, the mother of Jesus,
came forward. She said : "My son according to the world, my God and
my Saviour according to the height, command me that I give the
explanation of the words which the Pistis Sophia said." But Jesus answered and said :
"Thou also, Mary, thou hast received form which is in the Barbelo
according to the matter, and thou hast received likeness which is in
the on her head. Now it happened further, as it surrounded the pure
light within the Sophia, her pure light was not (left) without the
crown of the flame of the light-power, so that the emanations of the
Authades did not steal it. Now when these things had
happened, the pure light-power within the Sophia began to sing
praises; but she sang praises to my light-power which had become a
crown on her head. She sang praises, saying thus : 1. 'The light has become a
crown on my head and I will not be (left) without it, so that the
emanations of the Authades do not steal it from me. 2. And even if all the
materials move, I however will not move. 3. And even if all my
materials are destroyed and remain in the Chaos - these which the
emanations of the Authades see - I however will not be
destroyed. 4. For the light is with me,
and I myself am with the light.' But the Pistis Sophia said
these words. Now at this time let him who understands the thought of
these words come forward and give their interpretation." Mary, the mother of Jesus,
came forward. She said : "My son according to the world, my God and
my Saviour according to the height, command me that I give the
explanation of the words which the Pistis Sophia said." But Jesus answered and said :
"Thou also, Mary, thou hast received form which is in the Barbelo
according to the matter, and thou hast received likeness which is in
the Virgin of the Light according to the light, thou and the other
Mary, the blessed one. And for thy sake the darkness exists and
furthermore, from thee has come forth the material body in which I
exist, which I have cleaned and purified. Now at this time I command
thee to give the interpretation of the words which the Sophia
said. However Mary, the mother of
Jesus, answered, she said : "My Lord, thy light-power once prophesied
about these words through Solomon in the 19th Ode and said :
1. 'The Lord is upon my head
like a crown and I shall not be without him. 2. They plaited for me the
true crown , and it caused thy branches to sprout in me. 3. For it is not like a
withered crown which does not sprout; but thou livest upon my head
and thou dost sprout upon me. 4. Thy fruits are full and
ripe, filled with thy salvation'. " Now it happened when Jesus
heard these words which Mary his mother spoke , he said to her :
"Excellent, well done. Truly, truly, I say that they will bless thee
from end to end of the earth , for the pledge of the First Mystery
was entrusted to thee. And by means of that pledge all those of the
earth and all those of the height will be saved. And that pledge is
the beginning and the end." CHAPTER 60 Jesus however continued with
the discourse. He said to his disciples : '"lt happened when the
Pistis Sophia said the thirteenth repentance, moreover at that hour
the ordinance was completed of all the afflictions which had been
ordained for the Pistis Sophia, because of the completion of the
First Mystery , which had been since the beginning. And the time came
that she should be saved from the Chaos and brought forth from all
the darknesses. For her repentance was received by the First
Mystery'. And that Mystery sent me a great light-power from the
height, so that I should help the Pistis Sophia and bring her up from
the Chaos. But I looked to the aeons of the height , I saw the
light-power which the First Mystery had sent to me so that I should
save the Sophia from the Chaos. Now it happened, when I saw it coming
forth from the aeons and it hastened towards me -- but I was above
the Chaos - another light-power also came forth from me, in order to
help the Pistis Sophia. And the light-power which came forth from the
height through the First Mystery came down upon the light-power which
came forth from me. And they met one another and became a great
outpouring of light." Now when Jesus had said these
things to his disciples he said: "Do you understand the manner in
which I am speaking with you?" Mariam sprang up, she said :
"My Lord, I understand what thou dost say. Concerning the
interpretation of these words, thy light-power once prophesied
through David in the 84th
Psalm, saying : 10. 'Mercy and truth have met
one another, and righteousness and peace have kissed one another.
11. Truth has sprouted from
the earth and righteousness has looked forth from heaven.' Now mercy
is the light-power which came forth through the First Mystery, for
the First Mystery, heard the Pistis Sophia, and had mercy on her in
all her afflictions. Truth, on the other hand, is the power which
came forth from thee, because thou didst fulfill the truth that thou
shouldst save her (the Pistis Sophia) from the Chaos. And
furthermore, righteousness is the power which came forth through the
First Mystery, which will guide the Pistis Sophia. And again peace is
the power which came forth from thee, because it will go into the
emanations of the Authades and take away from them the lights which
they took from the Pistis Sophia; that is, thou dost gather them
within the Sophia and dost make them to be at peace with her power.
Truth, on the other hand, is the power which came forth from thee
when thou wast in the lower places of the Chaos. Concerning this, thy
power spoke through David thus: 'Truth has sprouted from the earth',
because thou wast in the lower places of the Chaos. Righteousness, on
the other hand, which looked forth from heaven, is the power which
came forth from the height, through the First Mystery, and which
entered into the Sophia." CHAPTER 61. Now it happened when Jesus
heard these words, he said: "Excellent, Mariam, thou blessed one who
wilt inherit the whole Kingdom of the Light." After these things
Mary, the mother of Jesus, also came forward and said: "My Lord and
my Saviour, command me also that I answer this discourse."
Jesus said: "I will not
prevent him whose spirit has become understanding, but I urge him the
more to speak the thought which has moved him. Now at this time,
Mary, my mother according to the matter, to whom I was entrusted, I
command thee that thou also sayest the thought of the
discourse." Mary answered, however, and
said : "My Lord, concerning the word which thy power prophesied
through David : 10. 'Mercy and truth have met
one another; righteousness and peace have kissed one another.
11. Truth has sprouted from
the earth and righteousness has looked forth from heaven.'
Thy power once prophesied in
these words about thee. When thou wast small, before the Spirit came
upon thee, while thou wast in a vineyard with Joseph, the Spirit came
forth from the height ø, he came to me into my house, he
resembled thee. And I did not recognize him and I thought that he was
thou. And the Spirit said to me : 'Where is Jesus, my brother, that I
meet him ?' And when he said these things to me, I was confused and I
thought that he was a phantom to tempt me. But I took him, I bound
him to the leg of the bed in my house, until I came out to you in the
field, thou and Joseph, and I found you in the vineyard, as Joseph
was hedging the vineyard with reeds. Now it happened, when thou didst
hear me speaking the word to Joseph, thou didst understand the word
and thou didst rejoice. And thou didst say : 'Where is he that I may
see him? Or else I await him in this place'. But it happened when
Joseph heard thee saying these words, he was agitated and we came up
at the same time, we went into the house. We found the Spirit bound
to the bed. And we looked at thee with him, we found thee like him.
And he that was bound to the bed was released, he embraced thee, he
kissed thee. And thou also, thou didst kiss him and you became
one. This now is the discourse and
its interpretation. Mercy is the Spirit which came forth from the
height, through the First Mystery, because he (the First Mystery) had
mercy on the race of men. He sent his Spirit that it should forgive
the sins of the whole world so that they (men) should receive
mysteries and inherit the Kingdom of the Light. Truth, on the other
hand, is the power which was entrusted to me; when it came forth from
the Barbelo, it became for thee a material body. And it preached
about the place of the truth . Righteousness is thy Spirit which has
brought the mysteries forth from the height, to give them to the race
of mankind. Peace, on the other hand, is the power which was
entrusted to thy material body ,, according to the world, which
baptised the race of mankind until they became strangers to sin. And
it made them to be at peace with thy Spirit, and they came to be at
peace with the emanations of the light. That is, righteousness and
peace have kissed one another. And as it was said : 'Truth has
sprouted from the earth': truth however is thy material body , which
sprouted from me, according to the earth of mankind, and which has
preached about the place of the truth. And also as it was said:
'Righteousness (looked forth) from heaven': righteousness is the
power which looked forth from the height, which will give the
mysteries of the light to the race of mankind. And they will become
righteous and good and inherit the Kingdom of the Light." Now it
happened when Jesus heard these words which Mary his mother said, he
said : "Excellent, well done, Mary. " CHAPTER 62 The other Mary came forward
and said : "My Lord, suffer me and be not angry with me, for since
the time that thy mother spoke with thee concerning the
interpretation of these words, my power has agitated me that I should
come forward and also say the interpretation of these words. "
Jesus said to her : "I command
thee to say their interpretation." Maria said : "My Lord : 'Mercy and
truth have met one another'. Now mercy is the Spirit which came down
upon thee when thou didst receive baptism from John . Now mercy is
the Spirit of Godhood which came forth upon thee, which had mercy
upon the race of mankind. It came down, it met the power of Sabaoth
the Good which is within thee and which has preached on the places of
the truth. But it is said furthermore : 'Righteousness and peace have
kissed one another. Now righteousness is the Spirit of the light,
which came down upon thee, bringing the mysteries of the height in
order to give them to the race of mankind. Peace, on the other hand,
is the power of Sabaoth the Good which is within thee. It is this
which baptised and forgave the race of mankind and made them to be at
peace with the Sons of the Light . And furthermore, as thy power has
said through David : 'Truth has sprouted from the earth' : that is,
the power of Sabaoth the Good, [as it said : 'It sprouted from the
earth'] it is this which sprouted from Mary thy mother, the
earth-dweller . On the other hand, righteousness which looked forth
from heaven ~ is the Spirit which is in the height, which has brought
forth all the mysteries from the height. It gave them to the race of
mankind, and they became righteous and good and they inherited the
Kingdom of the Light." It happened however when Jesus
finished hearing these words which Mariam spoke, he said; "Excellent,
Mariam, thou inheritor of the light." Mary, the mother of Jesus, came
forward again. She prostrated herself at his feet, she kissed them,
and she said : "My Lord and my Son and my Saviour, be not angry with
me, but forgive me that I say the interpretation of these words a
second time: 'Mercy and truth have met one another'. I am Mary thy
mother, and Elisabeth, the mother of John whom I met . Now mercy is
the power in me of the Sabaoth which came forth from me, which is
thou. Thou hast had mercy on the whole race of mankind. On the other
hand, truth is the power which was in Elisabeth, which is John who
came and preached on the true way, which is thou, before whom he
preached. And furthermore: 'Mercy and truth have met one another' :
that is thou, my Lord, who didst meet John on the day when thou didst
receive baptism . But furthermore, thou and John are righteousness
and peace, which kissed one another. 'Truth has sprouted from the
earth and righteousness has looked forth from heaven': that is the
time when thou didst do service to thyself. Thou didst take the type
of Gabriel, thou didst look down upon me from heaven , thou didst
speak with me; and when thou didst speak with me thou didst sprout
from me . That is, the truth which is the power of Sabaoth the Good
which is in thy material body - that is the truth which sprouted from
the earth. " Now it happened when Jesus
heard these words which Mary, his mother, spoke, he said : "Excellent
and well done. This is the interpretation of all the words about
which my light-power once prophesied through David the
prophet. These, however, are the names
which I will give from the endless one. Write them with a sign so
that the sons of God will be manifest from here. This is the name of
the immortal one : []; and this is the name of the voice by which the
perfect man is moved : [] But these are the interpretations of the
names of these mysteries : the first name which is uuu, its
interpretation is []; the second which is ppp, its interpretation is
[]; the third which is [], its interpretation is ooo, the fourth
which is [], its interpretation is vvv, the fifth which is
ôôô, its interpretation is aaa. That which is on
the throne is uuu; this is the interpretation of the second :
aaaa,aaaa,aaaa ; this is the interpretation of the whole name.