*' I entered into the houses of the sphere, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light that was about me. And all the rulers and all those who are in that sphere, fell into agitation one against another. And they saw the great light that was about me, and they gazed upon my vesture and saw thereon the mystery of their name. And they fell into still greater agitation, and were in great fear, saying: ' How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knov/ing? ' | And all their bonds were unloosed and their regions and their orders; and every one left his order, and they fell down all together, adored before me, or before my vesture, and all sang FIRST BOOK 17 praises together to the interiors of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.
'* And I left that region behind me and came chap. 13. to the gate of the second sphere, which is the JJ® ^"^^^^^^^ *-* ^ ' the second Pate. Then were all its gates thrown into sphere. agitation and opened of themselves. And I entered into the houses of the Pate, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, for I shone in the Pate forty-and-nine times more than in the [first] sphere.
*' And all the rulers and all those who are in The powers the Pate, were thrown into agitation and fell ond sphere on one another and were in exceeding great fear and^fSr^^ on seeing the great light that was about me. ^own and And they gazed on my vesture of light and saw him. the mystery of their name on my vesture and fell into still greater agitation; and they were in great fear, saying: ' How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And all the bonds of their regions and of their orders and of their houses were unloosed; they all came at once, fell down, adored before me and sang praises all together | to the interiors 23. of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.
" And I left that region behind me and ascended chap. 14. to the great aeons of the rulers and came before Jf® ®^*®^^*^ *-;. the aeons.
their veils and their gates, shining most exceed- ingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve aeons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord, and their gates opened one 2 18 PISTIS SOPHIA The powers of the aeons are amazed and fall down and adore him.
24.
over against the other. And I entered into the aeons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the hght that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the Hght with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.
*' And all the angels of the aeons and their archangels and their rulers and their gods and their lords and their authorities and their tyrants and their powers and their light-sparks and their light-givers and their unpaired and their in- visibles and their forefathers and their triple- powers saw me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. And they were thrown into agitation the one over against the other and great fear fell upon them, when they saw the great light that was about me. And in their great agitation and their great fear they withdrew as far as | the region of the great invisible Forefather, and of the three great triple-powers. And because of the great fear of their agitation, the great Forefather, he and the three triple-powers, kept on running hither and thither in his region, and they could not close all their regions because of the great fear in which they were. And they agitated all their seons together and all their spheres and all their orders, fearing and being greatly agitated because of the great light which was about me — not of the former quality that it was about me when I was on the earth of man- kind, when the light-vesture came over me, — for the world could not bear the Ught such as it was in its truth, else would the world at once be destroyed and all upon it, — but the light which was about me in the twelve aeons was FIRST BOOK 19 eight-thousand-and-seven-hundred-myriad times greater than that which was about me in the world among you.
'* It came to pass then, when all those who chap. 15.
are in the twelve aeons saw the great light which ^nd the was about me, that they were all thrown into tyrants . fight agitation one over against the other, and ran against the hither and thither in the aeons. And all aeons ^^ and all heavens and their whole ordering were agitated one over against the other | on account 25.
of the great fear which was on them, for they knew not the mystery which had taken place.
And Adamas, the great Tyrant, and all the tyrants in all the aeons began to fight in vain against the light, and they kneAV not against whom they fought, because they saw nothing but the overmastering light.
'* It came to pass then, when they fought against the light, that they were weakened all together one with another, were dashed down in the aeons and became as the inhabitants of the earth, dead and without breath of life.
<l.And I took from all a third of their power, Hetaketh that they should no more be active in their evil a^ third IT doings, and that, if the men who are in the world, *^®^^ power, invoke them in their mysteries — those which the angels who transgressed have brought down, that is their sorceries, — in order that, therefore, if they invoke them in their evil doings, they may not be able to accomplish them.
'* And the Pate and the sphere over which He they rule, I have changed and brought it to pass the motion that they spend six months turned to the left ^^^^^^ and accomplish their influences, and that six months they face to the right and accomplish leres.
20 PISTIS SOPHIA 26.
CHAP. 16.
CHAP. 17.
Mary Magdalene asketh and receiveth permission to speak.
CHAP. 18.
27.
their influences. For by command of the First Commandment and by command of the First Mystery | Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had set them facing the left at every time and accom- plishing their influences and their deeds.
*' It came to pass then, when I came into their region, that they mutinied and fought against the light. And I took the third of their power, in order that they should not be able to accomplish their evil deeds. And the Fate and the sphere, over which they rule, I have changed, and set them facing the left six months and accomplishing their influences, and I have set them turned another six months to the right and accomplishing their influences."
When then he had said this to his disciples, he said unto them: '* Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she gazed fixedly into the air for the space of an hour. She said: '* My Lord, give commandment unto me to speak in openness."
And Jesus, the compassionate, answered and said unto Mary: " Mary, thou blessed one, whom I will perfect in all mysteries of those of the height, discourse in openness, thou, whose heart is raised to the kingdom of heaven more than all thy brethren."
Then said Mary to the Saviour: '' My Lord, the word which thou hast spoken unto us: * Who I hath ears to hear, let him hear,' thou say est in order that we may understand the word which thou hast spoken. Hearken, therefore, my Lord, that I may discourse in openness.
FIRST BOOK 21 ** The word which thou hast spoken: * I Mary inter- have taken a third from the power of the rulers discourse ^ of all the aeons, and chanered their Fate and their ^''^"^ *^® \ ^ ^ ^ words of sphere over which they rule, in order that, if the isaiah. race of men invoke them in the mysteries — those which the angels who transgressed have taught them for the accomplishing of their evil and lawless deeds in the mystery of their sorcery,' — in order then that they may no more from this hour accomplish their lawless deeds, because thou hast taken their power from them and from their horoscope - casters and their consulters and from those who declare to the men in the world all things which shall come to pass, in order that they should no more from this hour know how to declare unto them any thing at all which will come to pass (for thou hast changed their spheres, and hast made them spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their in- fluences, and another six months facing the right and accomplishing their injBuences), — concerning this word then, my Lord, the power which was in the prophet Isaiah, hath spoken thus and proclaimed aforetime in a spiritual simili- tude, discoursing on the * Vision about Egypt ': ' Where then, 0 Egypt, where are thy consulters and horoscope-casters and those who cry | out 28. of the earth and those who cry out of their belly? Let them then declare unto thee from now on the deeds which the lord Sabaoth will do! ' *' The power then which was in the prophet Isaiah, prophesied before thou didst come, that thou wouldst take away the power of the rulers of the aeons and wouldst change their sphere and their Fate, in order that they might 22 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 19.
29.
Jesus com- mendeth Mary. She further questioneth him on the changing of the spheres.
CHAP. 20.
know nothing from now on. For this cause it hath said also: * Ye shall then know not of what the lord Sabaoth will do '; that is, none of the rulers will know what thou wilt do from now on, — for they are ' Egypt,' because they are matter. The power then which was in Isaiah, prophesied concerning thee aforetime, saying: * From now on ye shall then know not what the lord Sabaoth will do.' Because of the light-power which thou didst receive from Sabaoth, the Good, who is in the region of the Eight, and which is in thy material body to-day, for this cause then, my Lord Jesus, thou hast said unto us: * Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,' — in order that thou mightest know whose heart is ardently raised to the kingdom of heaven."
It came to pass then, when Mary had finished saying these words, that he said: ''Well said, Mary, for thou art blessed before all women on the earth, | because thou shalt be the fulness of all fulnesses and the perfection of all perfections."
Now when Mary had heard the Saviour speak these words, she exulted greatly, and she came before Jesus, fell down before him, adored his feet and said unto him: " My Lord, hearken unto me, that I may question thee on this word, before that thou discoursest with us about the regions whither thou didst go."
Jesus answered and said unto Mary: *' Dis- course in openness and fear not; all things on which thou questionest, I will reveal unto thee."
She said: '* My Lord, will all the men who know the mystery of the magic of all the rulers of all the aeons of the Pate and of those of the sphere, in the way in which the angels who transgressed FIRST BOOK 23 have taught them, if they invoke them in their mysteries, that is in their evil magic, to the hindering of good deeds, — will they accomplish them henceforth from now on or not? " Jesus answered and said unto Mary: " They Jesus ex- will not accomplish them as they accompHshed flj^Jher the them from the beginning, because I have taken ^°^^^^^^^" away a third of their power; but they will raise a spheres. loan from those who know the mysteries of the magic of the thirteenth aeon. And if they invoke the mysteries of the magic of those who are in the thirteenth aeon, | they will accomplish them so. well and surely, because I have not taken away power from that region, according to the command of the First Mystery."
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished CHAP. 21. saying these words, that Mary continued again and said: *' My Lord, will not then the horoscope- casters and consulters from now on declare unto men what will come to pass for them?"
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: '* If the horoscope-casters find the Fate and the sphere turned towards the left, according to their first extension, their words will come to pass, and they will say what is to take place. But if they chance on the Fate or the sphere turned to the right, they are bound to say nothing true, for I have changed their influences and their squares and their triangles and their octagons; seeing that their influences from the beginning onwards were continuously turned to the left and their squares and their triangles and their octagons. But now I have made them spend six months turned to the left and six months turned to the right. He who then shall find their 24 PISTIS SOPHIA reckoning from the time when I changed them, setting them so as to spend six months facing towards their left and six months facing their right paths, — he who then shall observe them 31. in this wise, | will know their influences surely and will declare all things which they will do. In like manner also the consulters, if they invoke the names of the rulers and chance on them facing the left, will tell [men] with accuracy all things concerning which they shall ask their decans. On the contrary, if the consulters invoke their names when they face to the right, they will not give ear unto them, because they are facing in another form compared with their former position in which Yew had established them; seeing that other are their names when they are turned to the left and other their names when they are turned to the right. And if they invoke them when they are turned to the right, they will not tell them the truth, but they will con- found them with confusion and threaten them with threatening. Those then who do not know their path, when they are turned to the right, and their triangles and their squares and all their figures, will find nothing true, but will be confounded in great confusion and will find themselves in great delusion, because I have now changed the works which they effected aforetime in their squares, when turned to the left, and in their triangles and in their octagons, in which they were busied continuously turned to the left; and I have made them spend six months forming all their configurations turned to the right, in order that they may be confounded in 32, confusion in their whole range. | And moreover FIRST BOOK 25 I have made them spend six months turned to the left and accompHshing the works of their influences and all their configurations, in order that the rulers who are in the seons and in their spheres and in their heavens and in all their regions, may be confounded in confusion and deluded in delusion, so that they may not understand their own paths."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished chap. 22. saying these words, while Philip sat and wrote ^^^^p,^ all the words that Jesus spake, — thereafter then Jesus. it came to pass that Philip came forward, fell down and adored the feet of Jesus, saying: " My Lord and Saviour, grant me authority to discourse before thee and to question thee on this word, before thou discoursest with us con- cerning the regions whither thou didst go because of thy ministry."
And the compassionate Saviour answered and said unto Philip: '' Authority is given thee to bring forward the word which thou wiliest."
And Philip answered and said unto Jesus: *' My Lord, on account of what mystery hast thou changed the binding of the rulers and their aeons and their Pate and their sphere and all their regions, and made them confounded in confusion on their path and deluded in their course? Hast thou then, done this unto them for the salvation of the world or hast thou not? " And Jesus answered and said unto Philip and chap. 23. to all the disciples together: ''I have | changed 33. their path for the salvation of all souls. Amen, ^V *^®, ^ path of the amen, I say unto you: If I had not changed aBons was their path, a host of souls would have been ^ ^"^^ destroyed, and they would have spent a long time, if the rulers of the aeons and the rulers of 26 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 24.
Mary ques- tioneth him again.
34.
CHAP. 25.
the Fate and of the sphere and of all their regions and all their heavens and all their aeons had not been brought to naught; and the souls would have continued a long time here outside, and the completion of the number of perfect souls would have been delayed, which [souls] shall be counted in the Inheritance of the Height through the mysteries and shall be in the Treasury of the Light. For this cause then I have changed their path, that they might be deluded and fall into agitation and yield up the power which is in the matter of their world and which they fashion into souls, in order that those who shall be saved, might be quickly purified and raised on high, they and the whole power, and that those who shall not be saved, might be quickly destroyed."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary, the fair in her discourse and the blessed one, came forward, fell at the feet of Jesus and said: ** My Lord, suffer me that I speak before thee, and I be not wroth with me, if oft I give thee trouble questioning thee."
The Saviour, full of compassion, answered and said unto Mary: *' Speak the word which thou wiliest, and I will reveal it to thee in all openness."
Mary answered and said unto Jesus: '' My Lord, in what way will the souls have delayed themselves here outside, and in what type will they be quickly purified? " And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: " Well said, Mary; thou questionest finely with thy excellent question, and thou throwest light on all things with surety and precision. Now, FIRST BOOK 27 therefore, from now on will I hide nothing from you, but I will reveal unto you all things with surety and openness. Hearken then, Mary, and give ear, all ye disciples: Before I made pro- clamation to all the rulers of the aeons and to all the rulers of the Fate and of the sphere, they were all bound in their bonds and in their spheres and in their seals, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had bound them from the beginning; and every one of them remained in his order, and every one journeyed according to his course, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had estab- lished them. And when the time of the number of Melchisedec, the great Eeceiver of the Light, The coming came, he was wont to come into the midst of dL^^^^^^^" the seons and of all the rulers | who are bound in 35. the sphere and in the Fate, and he carried away the purification of the light from all the rulers of the seons and from all the rulers of the Fate and from those of the sphere — for he carried away then that which brings them into agitation — and he set in motion the hastener who is over them, and made them turn their circles swiftly, and he [sc. the hastener] carried away their power which was in them and the breath of their mouth and the tears [lit. waters] of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.
'* And Melchisedec, the Eeceiver of the Light, of the purifieth those powers and carrieth their Hght into oTthe^souis. the Treasury of the Light, while the servitors of ^^ °^^'^' all the rulers gather together all matter from them all; and the servitors of all the rulers of the Fate and the servitors of the sphere which is below the aeons, take it and fashion it into souls of men and cattle and reptiles and wild-beasts and birds, 28 PISTIS SOPHIA and send them down into the world of mankind. And further the receivers of the sun and the receivers of the moon, if they look above and see the configurations of the paths of the aeons and the configurations of the Pate and those of the sphere, then they take from them the light- 36. power; and the | receivers of the sun get it ready and deposit it, until they hand it over to the receivers of Melchisedec, the Light-purifier. And their material refuse they bring to the sphere which is below the aeons, and fashion it into [souls of] men, and fashion it also into souls of reptiles and of cattle and of wild-beasts and of birds, according to the circle of the rulers of that sphere and according to all the configurations of its revolution, and they cast them into this world of mankind, and they become souls in this region, as I have just said unto you.
CHAP. 26. *' This then they accomplished continuously before their power was diminished in them and they waned and became exhausted, or powerless. It came to pass then, when they became power- less, that their power began to cease in them, so that they became exhausted in their power, and their light, which was in their region, ceased and their kingdom was destroyed, and the uni- verse became quickly raised up.
** It came to pass then, when they had perceived this at the time, and when the number of the cipher of Melchisedec, the Keceiver [of the Light], happened, then had he to come out again and enter into the midst of the rulers of all the aeons and into the midst of all the rulers of the Pate and of those of the sphere; and he threw them into agitation, and made them quickly abandon FIRST BOOK 29 their circles. And forthwith they were con- strained, and cast forth the power out of them- selves, out of the breath of their mouth and the I tears of their eyes and the sweat of their 37. bodies.
*' And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light, The rulers purifieth them, as he doth continually; he carrieth matter so their Hght into the Treasury of the Light. And ^^* '^""^"/"i,^ all the rulers of the aeons and the rulers of the fashioned. Fate and those of the sphere turn to the matter of their refuse; they devour it and do not let it go and become souls in the world. They devour then their matter, so that they may not become powerless and exhausted and their power ceaseinthem and their kingdom become destroyed, but in order that they may delay and linger a long time until the completion of the number of the perfect souls who shall be in the Treasury of the Light.
*' It came to pass then, when the rulers of the chap. 27. seons and those of the Fate and those of the sphere continued to carry out this type, — turning on themselves, devouring the refuse of their matter, and not allowing souls to be born into the world of mankind, in order that they might delay in being rulers, and that the powers which are in their powers, that is the souls, might spend a long time here outside, — they then persisted doing this continually for two circles.
*^ It came to pass then, when I wished to ascend for the ministry for the sake of which I was called I by command of the First Mystery, that 38. I came up into the midst of the tyrants of the rulers of the twelve aeons, with my light-vesture 30 PISTIS SOPHIA Adamas and the tyrants fight against the light- vesture.
Jesus tak- eth from them a third of their power and chang- eth their course.
39.
about me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the Ught which was about me.
*' It came to pass then, when those tyrants saw the great hght which was about me, that the great Adamas, the Tyrant, and all the tyrants of the twelve aeons, all together began to fight against the light of my vesture, desiring to hold it fast among them, in order to delay in their rulership. This then they did, not knowing against whom they fought.
'' When then they mutinied and fought against the light, thereon by command of the First Mystery I changed the paths and the courses of their seons and the paths of their Pate and of their sphere. I made them face six months towards the triangles on the left and towards the squares and towards those in their aspect and towards their octagons, just as they had formerly been. But their manner of turning, or facing, I changed to another order, and made them other six months face towards the works of their in- fluences in the squares on the right and in their triangles and in those in their aspect and in their octagons. And I made them to be confounded in great confusion and deluded in great delusion | — the rulers of the aeons and all the rulers of the Pate and those of the sphere; and I set them in great agitation, and thence on they were no longer able to turn towards the refuse of their matter to devour it, in order that their regions may continue to delay and they [themselves] may spend a long time as rulers.
*' But when I had taken away a third of their power, I changed their spheres, so that they spend a time facing to the left and another time FIRST BOOK 31