facing to the right. I have changed their whole path and their whole course, and I have made the path of their course to hurry, so that they may be quickly purified and raised up quickly. And I have shortened their circles, and made their path more speedy, and it will be exceedingly hurried. And they were thrown into confusion in their path, and from then on were no more able to devour the matter of the refuse of the purification They no of their light. And moreover I have shortened ^e^power^ their times and their periods, so that the perfect?^ ^^hdr^' number of souls who shall receive the mysteries matter. and be in the Treasury of the Light, shall be quickly completed. For had I not changed their courses, and had I not shortened their periods, they would not have let any soul come into the world, because of the matter of their refuse | which they devoured, and they would 40. have destroyed many souls. For this cause 1 said unto you aforetime: * I have shortened the times because of my elect; otherwise no soul would have been able to be saved.' And I have shortened the times and the periods because of the perfect number of the souls who shall receive the mysteries, that is to say, the ' elect '; and had I not shortened their periods, no material soul would have been saved, but they would have perished in the fire which is in the flesh of the rulers. This then is the word on which thou dost question me with precision."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that they fell down all together, adored him and said to him: '* Blessed are we before all men, for unto us thou hast revealed these great exploits."
32 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 28.
The powers adore the light-ves- ture.
41.
The tyrants become as the dead.
And Jesus continued again in his discourse and said unto his disciples: '' Hearken concerning the things which befell me among the rulers of the twelve aeons and all their rulers and their lords and their authorities and their angels and their archangels. When then they had seen the vesture of light which was about me, they and their unpaired, then every one of them saw the mystery of his name, that it was on my | vesture of light, which was about me. They fell down all to- gether, adored the vesture of light which was about me, and cried out all together, saying: * How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing it? ' And they all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors. And all their triple-powers and their great forefathers and their ungenerated and their self-generated and their generated and their gods and their light-sparks and their light-bearers — in a word all their great ones — saw the tyrants of their region, that their power was diminished in them. And they were in weakness and them- selves fell into great and immeasurable fear. And they gazed on the mystery of their name on my vesture, and they had set out to come and adore the mystery of their name which was on my vesture, and they could not because of the great light which was about me; but they adored a little removed from me, and they adored the light of my vesture and all cried out together, singing praises to the interiors of the interiors.
*' It came to pass then, when this befell among the tyrants who are below these rulers, that they all lost power and fell down to the ground in their aeons and became as the dead world- FIRST BOOK 33 dwellers with no breath in them, as they | be- 42. came in the hour when I took from them their power.
'* It came to pass then thereafter, when I left those aeons, that every one of all those who were in the twelve aeons, was bound to their order all together, and they accomplished their works as I have established them, so that they spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their works in their squares and their triangles and in those which are in their aspect, and that further they spend another six months facing to the right and towards their triangles and their squares and those which are in their aspect. Thus then will those who are in the Fate and in the sphere travel.
'' It came to pass then thereafter that I ascended chap. 29. to the veils of the thirteenth aeon. It came tof®^^,l^i?"
tereth the pass then, when I had arrived at their veils, that thirteenth they drew apart of their own accord and opened findeth Pis- themselves for me. I entered in into the thir- *^^ Sop^^^- teenth aeon and found Pistis Sophia below the thirteenth aeon all alone and no one of them with her. And she sat in that region grieving and mourning, because she had not been admitted into the thirteenth aeon, her higher region. And she was moreover grieving because of the torments which Self-willed, who is one of the three triple-powers, had inflicted on her. But this, — when I shall come to speak with you respecting their expansion, | I will tell you the 43. mystery, how this befell her.
*' It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia saw sopWa and me shining most exceedingly and with no measure powSs^bl* for the light which was about me, that she was in hojd the 34 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 30.
Mary desir- eth to hear the story of Sophia.
44.
great agitation and gazed at the light of my vesture. She saw the mystery of her name on my vesture and the whole glory of its mystery, for formerly she was in the region of the height, in the thirteenth aeon, — but she was wont to sing praises to the higher light, which she had seen in the veil of the Treasury of the Light.
" It came to pass then, when she persisted in singing praises to the higher light, that all the rulers who are with the two great triple-powers, and her invisible who is paired with her, and the other two-and-twenty invisible emanations gazed [at the hght], — in as much as Pistis Sophia and her pair, they and the other two-and-twenty emanations make up four-and-twenty emanations, which the great invisible Forefather and the two great triple-powers have emanated."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had said this unto his disciples, that Mary came forward and said: *' My Lord, I have heard thee say aforetime: * Pistis Sophia is herself one of the four-and- twenty emanations, — how then is she not in their region? | But thou hast said: * I found her below the thirteenth seon.' " [The Story of Pistis Sophia] Sophia de- And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: ente^the '' I^ ^amc to pass, whcH Pistis Sophia was in the Light-world, thirteenth aeon, in the region of all her brethren the invisibles, that is the four-and-twenty emana- tions of the great Invisible, — it came to pass then by command of the First Mystery that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height. She saw the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she FIRST BOOK 35 longed to reach to that region, and she could not reach to that region. But she ceased to perform the mystery of the thirteenth aeon, and sang praises to the light of the height, which she had seen in the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light.
** It came to pass then, when she sang praises The miers to the region of the height, that all the rulers in fj^^* ceasing the twelve aeons, who are below, hated her, because ^^ ^^^^ .. mystery.
she had ceased from their mysteries, and because she had desired to go into the height and be above them all. For this cause then they were enraged against her and hated her, [as did] the great triple- powered Self-willed, that is the third triple-power, who is in the thirteenth aeon, he who had become disobedient, in as much as he had not emanated the whole purification of his power in him, and had not given the purification of his light at the time when the rulers gave their purification, in. \ that he desired to rule over the whole thirteenth aeon | and those who are below it. 45.
" It came to pass then, when the rulers of the Seif-wiUed twelve aeons were enraged against Pistis Sophia, g^if^w^h^"^ who is above them, and hated her exceedinerlv, *J® f^H^^ °^ ', D J 7 the twelve that the great triple-powered Self-willed, of whom seons and I have just now told you, joined himself to the a non-faced rulers of the twelve aeons, and also was enraged pfagul*^ against Pistis Sophia and hated her exceedingly, SopMa. because she had thought to go to the light which is higher than her. And he emanated out of himself a great lion-faced power, and out of his matter in him he emanated a host of other very violent material emanations, and sent them into the regions below, to the parts of the chaos, in order that they might there lie in wait for Pistis 36 PISTIS SOPHIA 46.
CHAP. 31.
Sophia taketh the lion-faced power of Self-willed for the true Light.
She de- scendeth to the twelve aeons and thence into the chaos.
Sophia and take away her power out of her, because she thought to go to the height which is above them all, and moreover she had ceased to perform their mystery, and lamented continu- ously and sought after the light which she had seen. And the rulers who abide, or persist, in performing the mystery, hated her, and all the guards who are at the gates of the aeons, hated her also.
*' It came to pass then thereafter by command of the First Commandment that the great triple- powered Self-willed, who is one of the three | triple-powers, pursued Sophia in the thirteenth aeon, in order that she should look towards the parts below, so that she might see in that region his lion-faced light-power and long after it and go to that region, so that her light might be taken from her.
** It came to pass then thereafter that she looked below and saw his light-power in the parts below; and she knew not that it is that of the triple- powered Self-willed, but she thought that it came out of the light which she had seen from the beginning in the height, which came out of the veil of the Treasury of the Light. And she thought to herself: I will go into that region without my pair and take the light and thereout fashion for myself light-aeons, so that I may go to the Light of lights, which is in the Height of heights.
'* This then thinking, she went forth from her own region, the thirteenth aeon, and went down to the twelve aeons. The rulers of the aeons pursued her and were enraged against her, because she had thought of grandeur. And she FIRST BOOK 37 went forth also from the twelve aeons, and came into the regions of the chaos and drew nigh to that lion-faced light-power to devour it. But all | the material emanations of Self-willed surrounded 47. her, and the great lion-faced light-power devoured The emana- all the light-powers in Sophia and cleaned out her seif-wuied Hght and devoured it, and her matter was thrust i^lJt-powers into the chaos: it became a lion-faced ruler in^^^of . Ill Sophia.
. Ill Sophia.
the chaos, of which one half is fire and the other darkness, — that is Yaldabaoth, of whom I have spoken unto you many times. When then this befell, Sophia became very greatly exhausted, and that lion-faced light-power set to work to take away from Sophia all her light-powers, and all the material powers of Self-willed surrounded Sophia at the same time and pressed her sore.
" And Pistis Sophia cried out most exceedingly, chap. 32. she cried to the Light of lights which she had seen from the beginning, in which she had had faith, and uttered this repentance, saying thus: *' ' 1. 0 Light of hghts, in whom I have had The first laitn irom the beginning, hearken now then, of Sophia. 0 Light, unto my repentance. Save me, 0 Light, for evil thoughts have entered into me.
** ' 2. I gazed, 0 Light, into the lower parts and saw there a light, thinking: I will go to that region, | in order that I may take that light. 48. And I went and found myself in the darkness which is in the chaos below, and I could no more speed thence and go to my region, for I was sore pressed by all the emanations of Self-willed, and the lion-faced power took away my light in me.
*' ' 3. And I cried for help, but my voice hath not reached out of the darkness. And I looked 38 PISTIS SOPHIA unto the height, that the Light, in which I had had faith, might help me.
*' ' 4. And when I looked unto the height, I saw all the rulers of the aeons, how in their numbers they looked down on me and rejoiced over me, though I had done them no ill; but they hated me without a cause. And when the emanations of Self-willed saw the rulers of the aeons rejoicing over me, they knew that the rulers of the seons would not come to my aid; and those emanations which sore pressed me with violence, took courage, and the light which I had not taken from them, they have taken from me.
*' ' 5. Now, therefore, 0 Light of Truth, thou knowest that I have done this in my innocence, thinking that the lion-faced light-power belonged to thee; and the sin which I have done is open before thee.
'* ' 6. Suffer me no more to lack, 0 Lord, for I have had faith in thy light from the beginning; 0 Lord, 0 Light of the powers, suffer me no more to lack my light.
*' ' 7. For because of thy inducement and for the sake of thy light am I fallen into this oppres- sion, and shame hath covered me. 49. ** ' 8. And because of | the illusion of thy light, 1 am become a stranger to my brethren, the invisibles, and to the great emanations of Barbelo.
" ' 9. This hath befallen me, 0 Light, because I have been zealous for thy abode; and the wrath of Self-willed is come upon me — -of him who had not hearkened unto thy command to emanate from the emanation of his power — because I was in his seon without performing his mystery.
*' * 10, And all the rulers of the aeons mocked me.
FIRST BOOK 39 ** * 11. And I was in that region, mourning and seeking after the Hght which I had seen in the height.
*' ' 12. And the guards of the gates of the seons searched for me, and all who remain in their mystery mocked me.
*' ' 13. But I looked up unto the height towards thee and had faith in thee. Now, therefore, 0 Light of lights, I am sore pressed in the darkness of chaos. If now thou wilt come to save me, — great is thy mercy, — then hear me in truth and save me.
'* ' 14. Save me out of the matter of this darkness, that I may not be submerged therein, that I may be saved from the emanations of god Self-willed which press me sore, and from their evil doings.
** ' 15. Let not this darkness submerge me, and let not this lion-faced power entirely devour the whole of my power, and | let not this chaos 50. shroud my power.
'' * 16. Hear me, 0 Light, for thy grace is precious, and look down upon me according to the great mercy of thy Light.
*' ' 17. Turn not thy face from me, for I am exceedingly tormented.
*' * 18. Haste thee, hearken unto me and save my power.
*' ' 19. Save me because of the rulers who hate me, for thou knowest my sore oppression and my torment and the torment of my power which they have taken from me. They who have set me in all this evil are before thee; deal with them according to thy good pleasure.
** * 20. My power looked forth from the midst 40 PISTIS SOPHIA of the chaos and from the midst of the darkness, and I waited for my pair, that he should come and fight for me, and he came not, and I looked that he should come and lend me power, and I found him not.
*' * 21. And when I sought the light, they gave me darkness; and when I sought my power, they gave me matter.
** * 22. Now, therefore, 0 Light of lights, may the darkness and the matter which the emana- tions of Self-willed have brought upon me, be unto them for a snare, and may they be ensnared therein, and recompense them and may they be made to stumble and not come into the region of their Self-willed.
** ' 23. May they remain in the darkness and not behold the light; may they behold the chaos for ever, and let them not look unto the height.
** * 24. Bring upon them their revenge, and may thy judgment lay hold upon them. 61. *' * 25. Let them not henceforth | come into their region to their god Self-willed, and let not his emanations henceforth come into their regions; for their god is impious and self-willed, and he thought that he had done this evil of himself, not knowing that, had I not been brought low according to thy command, he would not have had any authority over me.
*' * 26. But when thou hadst by thy command brought me low, they pursued me the more, and their emanations added pain to my humiliation.
*' * 27. And they have taken light-power from me and fallen again to pressing me sore, in order to take away all the light in me. Because of this in which they have set me, let them not FIRST BOOK 41 ascend to the thirteenth aeon, the region of Eighteousness.
** * 28. But let them not be reckoned in the lot of those who purify themselves and the light, and let them not be reckoned with those who will quickly repent, that they may quickly receive mysteries in the Light.
" ' 29. For they have taken my light from me, and my power hath begun to cease in me and I am destitute of my light.
" ' 30. Now, therefore, 0 Light, which is in thee and is with me, I sing praises to thy name, 0 Light, in glory.
** '* 31. May my song of praise please thee, 0 Light, as an excellent mystery, which leadeth to the gates of the Light, which they who shall repent will utter, and the light of which will purify them.
** ' 32. Now, therefore, let | all matters rejoice; ^2. seek ye all the Light, that the power of the stars which is in you, may live.
'' * 33. For the Light hath heard the matters, nor will it leave any without having purified them.
'' ' 34. Let the souls and the matters praise the Lord of all aeons, and [let] the matters and all that is in them [praise him].
" * 35. For God shall save their soul from all matters, and a city shall be prepared in the Light, and all the souls who are saved, will dwell in that city and will inherit it.
** * 36. And the soul of them who shall receive mysteries will abide in that region, and they who have received mysteries in its name will abide therein.' " It came to pass then, when Jesus had spoken chap. 33.
42 PISTIS SOPHIA 53.
Mary inter- preteth the first repent- ance from Psalm Ixviii.
these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: " This is the song of praise which Pistis Sophia uttered in her first repentance, repenting of her sin, and reciting all which had befallen her. Now, therefore: ' Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.' " Mary again came forward and said: *' My Lord, my indweller of light hath ears, and I hear with my light-power, and thy spirit which is with me, hath sobered me. Hearken then that I may speak concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, speaking of | her sin and all that befell her. Thy light-power hath prophesied thereof aforetime through the prophet David in the sixty-eighth Psalm: *' ' 1. Save me, 0 God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul.
*' * 2. I sank, or am submerged, in the slime of the abyss, and power was not. I have gone down into the depths of the sea; a tempest hath submerged me.
*' ' 3. I have kept on crying; my throat is gone, my eyes faded, waiting patiently for God.
*' * 4. They who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; mighty are my foes, who violently pursued me. They re- quired of me that which I took not from them.
*' * 5. God, thou hast known my foolishness, and my faults are not hid from thee.
'' ' 6. Let not them that wait on thee, 0 Lord, Lord of powers, be ashamed for my sake; let not those who seek thee be ashamed for my sake, 0 Lord, God of Israel, God of powers.
*' ' 7. For for thy sake have I endured shame; shame hath covered my face.
FIRST BOOK 43 *' * 8. I am become a stranger to my brethren, a stranger unto the sons of my mother.
*' ' 9. For the zeal of thy house hath con- sumed me; the reviHngs of them that revile thee have fallen upon me.
*' ' 10. I bowed my soul with fasting, and it was turned to my reproach.
'' ' 12. They who sit at the gates, chattered at me; and they who drink wine, harped about me.
'' ' 13. But I prayed with my soul unto thee, | 0 Lord; the time of thy well-hking is [now], 54« 0 God. In the fulness of thy grace give ear unto my salvation in truth.
*' ' 14. Save me out of this sHme, that I sink not therein; let me be saved from them that hate me, and from the deep of waters.
*' ' 15. Let not a water-flood submerge me, let not the deep swallow me, let not a well close its mouth above me.
*' * 16. Hear me, 0 Lord, for thy grace is good; according to the fulness of thy compassion look down upon me.
** ' 17. Turn not thy face away from thyservant, for I am oppressed.
*' * 18. Hear me quickly, give heed to my soul and deliver it.
*' ' 19. Save me because of my foes, for thou knowest my disgrace, my shame and my dis- honour; all my oppressors are before thee.
" * 20. My heart awaiteth disgrace and misery; 1 waited for him who should sorrow with me, but I could not come at him, and for him who should comfort me, and I found him not.
44 PISTIS SOPHIA *' * 21. They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
'* ' 22. Let their table be unto them for a trap and for a snare and for a retribution and for a stumbling-block.
*' * 23. May est thou bend their backs at all time.
*' ' 24. Pour out thy anger upon them, and let the wrath of thy anger lay hold upon them.
25. Let their encampment be desolate, let there be no dweller in their habitations.
*' * 26. For they persecuted him whom thou hast smitten, and added to the smart of their woundinc^s.
'' * 27. They added iniquity to their iniquities; 55. let them not come into | thy righteousness.
*' * 28. Let them be wiped out of the book of the living, and let them not be written in among the righteous.
'' ' 29. I am a poor wretch who is heart-broken too; it is the salvation of thy face which hath taken me unto itself.
'* ' 30. I will praise the name of God in the ode, and exalt it in the song of thanksgiving.
*' ' 31. This shall please God better than a young bull which putteth forth horns and hoofs.
" ' 32. May the wretched see and make merry; seek ye God, that your souls may live.
'' ' 33. For God hath heard the wretched and despiseth not the prisoners.
" * 34. Let heaven and earth praise the Lord, the sea and all that is therein.
*' ' 35. For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judaea will be built up, and they will dwell there and inherit it.
FIRST BOOK 46 ** ' 36. The seed of his servants shall possess it, and they who love his name shall dwell therein/ " It came to pass then, when Mary had finished chap. 34. speaking these words unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples, that she said unto him: '' My Lord, this is the solution of the mystery of the repen- tance of Pistis Sophia." | It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard 56. Mary speak these words, that he said unto her: '' Well said, Mary, blessed one, the fulness, or all-blessed fulness, thou who shalt be sung of as blessed in all generations."
Jesus continued again in the discourse and said: chap. 35. *' Pistis Sophia aerain continued and still sang ^^^ ®f^^"^ ^ o ^ D repentance praises in a second repentance, saying thus: of Sophia.
'' * 1. Light of lights, in whom I have had faith, leave me not in the darkness until the end of my time.
*' * 2. Help me and save me through thy mysteries; incline thine ear unto me and save me.
** ' 3. May the power of thy light save me and carry me to the higher aeons; for thou wilt save me and lead me into the height of thy aeons.
*' ' 4. Save me, 0 Light, from the hand of this lion-faced power and from the hands of the emanations of god Self-willed.
*' * 5. For it is thou, 0 Light, in whose light I have had faith and in whose light I have trusted from the beginning.
" * 6. And I have had faith in it from the time when it emanated me, and thou thyself didst make me to emanate; and I have had faith in thy light from the beginning.
46 PISTIS SOPHIA '* * 7. And when I had faith in thee, the rulers of the seons mocked at me, saying: She hath ceased in her mystery. Thou art my saviour 5ii and thou art my dehverer and thou art | my mystery, 0 Light.
'* ' 8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may tell of the mystery of thy grandeur at all times.
*' * 9. Now, therefore, 0 Light, leave me not in the chaos for the completion of my whole time; forsake me not, 0 Light.
*' ' 10. For all the emanations of Self-willed have taken from me my whole light-power and have surrounded me. They desired to take away my whole light from me utterly and have set a watch on my power, *' * 11. Saying one to another together: The Light hath forsaken her, let us seize her and take away the whole light in her.
*' * 12. Therefore then, 0 Light, cease not from me; turn thee, 0 Light, and save me from the hands of the merciless.
** * 13. May they who would take away my power, fall down and become powerless. May they who would take away my light-power from me, be enwrapped in darkness and sink into powerlessness.'
'' This then is the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the Light." CHAP. 36. It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: " Do ye understand in what manner I discourse with you? " And Peter started forward and said unto Jesus: FIRST BOOK 47 ** My Lord, we will not endure this woman, Peter com- for she taketh the opportunity from us and hath Maiy! let none of us speak, but she discourseth many times.'* And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: *' Let him in whom the power of his spirit shall seethe, so that he understandeth what I say, | come forward and speak. But now, Peter, 1 58. see thy power in thee, that it understandeth the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Now, there- fore, Peter, speak the thought of her repentance in the midst of thy brethren."
And Peter answered and said unto Jesus: Peter inter- '' 0 Lord, give ear that I may speak the thought gjcond rl^^ of her repentance, of which aforetime thy power pentance prophesied through the prophet David, uttering ixx. her repentance in the seventieth Psalm: ** ' L 0 God, my God, I have trusted in thee, let me no more be put to shame for ever.
'' ' 2. Save me in thy righteousness and set me free; incline thine ear unto me and save me.
" ' 3. Be unto me a strong God and a firm place to save me; for thou art my strength and my refuge.
'' ' 4. My God, save me from the hand of the sinner and from the hand of the transgressor and from the impious [one].
'* ' 5. For thou art my endurance, 0 Lord, thou art my hope from my youth up.
" ' 6. I have trusted myself to thee from my mother's womb; thou hast brought me out of my mother's womb. My remembrance is ever in thee.
" ' 7. I have become as the crazy for many; | 48 PISTIS SOPHIA 59.
CHAP. 37.
Jesus pro,- miseth to perfect the disciples in all tilings.
60.
thou art my help and my strength, thou art my dehverer, 0 Lord.
*' * 8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may praise the glory of thy splendour the whole day long.
*' * 9. Cast me not away in the time of age; if my soul fades, forsake me not.
'' ' 10. For mine enemies have spoken evil against me and they who lay in wait for my soul, have taken counsel against my soul, '' * 11. Saying together: God hath forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no saviour.
" ' 12. God, give heed to my help.