Pistis Sophia

It came to pass, when Jesus had risen from the chap. i. dead, that he passed eleven years ^discoursine; i. with his disciples, and instructing them only up hitherto to the regions of the First Commandment a-nd J^g*^^^*®*^^ up to the regions of the First Mystery, that within ^^ly up to ^ , , J J J ^ ^^Q regions the Veil, within the First Commandment, which of the First is the four-and-twentieth mystery without and ^^ ®^^* below — those [four-and-twenty] which are in the second space of the First Mystery which is before all mysteries, — the Father in the form of a dove. And Jesus said to his disciples : '* I am come what the forth out of that First Mystery, which is the last te^ gur^^" mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery." ^oundeth. And his disciples have not known nor understood that anything existeth within that mystery ; but they thought of that mystery, that it is the head of the universe and the head of all existence ; and they thought it is the completion of all completions, because Jesus had said to them concerning that mystery, that it surroundeth the First Commandment and the five Impressions and the great Light | and the five Helpers and the 2. whole Treasury of the Light.

And moreover Jesus had not told his disciples The regions of the great Invisible. The Treasury of the Light. the total expansion of all the regions of the great Invisible and of the three triple-powers and of the four-and-tAventj^i— invisibles, and all their regions and their seons and their orders, how they are extended — those which are the emanations of the great Invisible — and their ungenerated and their self-generated and their generated and their light-givers and their unpaired and their rulers and their authorities and their lords and their archangels and their angels and their decans and their servitors and all the houses of their spheres and all the orders of every one of them. And Jesus had not told his disciples the total expansion of the emanations of the Treasury, nor their orders, how they are extended ; nor had he told them their saviours, according to the order of every one, how they are ; nor had he told them what guard is at every [gate] of the Treasury of the Light ; nor had he told them the region of the Twin-saviour, who | is the Child of the Child ; nor had he told them the regions of the three Amens, in what regions they are expanded ; nor had he told them into what region the five Trees are expanded ; nor as to the seven Amens, that is the seven Voices, what is their region, how they are expanded.

And Jesus had not told his disciples of what type are the five Helpers, nor into what region they are brought ; nor had he told them how the great Light hath expanded itself, nor into what region it hath been brought ; nor had he told them of the five Impressions, nor as to the First Commandment, into what region they have been brought. But he had discoursed with them generally, teaching that they exist, but he had not told them their expansion and the order of their regions, how they are. For this cause they have not known that there were also other regions within that mystery. And he had not told his disciples : ** I have gone forth out of such and such regions until I entered into that mystery, and until I went forth out of it " ; but, in teaching them, he said to them : ** I am come forth from that mystery.'' For this cause then they thought of that mystery, that it is the completion | of completions, and that it is 4. the head of the universe and that it is the total Fulness. For Jesus had said to his disciples : *' That mystery surroundeth that universe of which I have spoken unto you from the day when I met with you even unto this day." For this cause then the disciples thought there is nothing within that mystery.

It came to pass then, when the disciples were chap. 2. sitting together on the Mount of Olives, speaking ^^^^?. ^?^ ^ ^ , . . . . ^ his disciples of these words and rejoicmg in great joy, and are seated exulting exceedingly and saying one to another : Mount of *' Blessed are we before all men who are on the ^^^^^^' earth, because the Saviour hath revealed this unto | us, and we have received the Fulness and the total ? completion," — they said this to one another, while Jesus sat a little removed from them. And it came to pass then, on the fifteenth day a great of the moon in the month Tybi, which is the day dfscendrth^ on which the moon is full, on that day then, when °^ '^^^^^' the sun had come forth in his going, that there came forth behind him a great light-power shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light conjoined with it. For it came out of the Light of lights, and it came out of the It surroundeth him entirely. Jesus ascendeth into heaven. The confusion of the powers and the great earthquake.

last mystery, which is the four-and-twentieth | mystery, from within without, — those which are in the orders of the second space of the First Mystery. And that light-power came down over Jesus and surrounded him entirely, while he was seated removed from his disciples, and he had shone most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was on him. And the disciples had not seen Jesus because of the great light in which he was, or which was about him ; for their eyes were darkened because of the great light in which he was. But they saw only the light, which shot forth many light-rays. And the light-rays were not like one another, but the light was of divers kind, and it was of divers type, from below upwards, one [ray] more excellent than the other, . . . , in one great immeasurable glory of light ; it stretched from under the earth right up to heaven. — And when the disciples saw that light, they fell into great fear and great agitation. | It came to pass then, when that light-power had come down over Jesus, that it gradually surrounded him entirely. Then Jesus ascended or soared into the height, shining most exceedingly in an immeasurable light. And the disciples gazed after him and none of them spake, until he had reached unto heaven ; but they all kept in deep silence. This then came to pass on the fifteenth day of the moon, on the day on which it is full in the month Tybi.

It came to pass then, when Jesus had reached the heaven, after three hours, that all the powers of the heaven fell into agitation, and all were set in motion one against the other, they and all their aeons and all their regions and all their orders, and the whole earth was agitated and all they who dwell thereon. And all men who are in the world fell into agitation, and also the disciples, and all thought : Peradventure the world will be rolled up. And all the powers in the heavens ceased not from their agitation, they and the whole world, and all were moved one against the other, from the third hour of the fifteenth day of the moon of Tybi until the ninth hour of the morrow. And all the angels and their archangels and all the powers of the height, all sang praises to the interiors of the I interiors, so that the whole world 7. heard their voices, without their ceasing till the ninth hour of the morrow. But the disciples sat together in fear and were chap. 4. in exceedingly great agitation and were afraid because of the great earthquake which took place, and they wept together, saying : '' What will then be ? Peradventure the Saviour will destroy all regions ? " Thus saying, they wept together.

While they then said this and wept together, jesus dethen, on the ninth hour of the morrow, the heavens a^iin.^ opened, and they saw Jesus descend, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for his light in which he was. For he shone more [radiantly] than at the hour when he had ascended to the heavens, so that men in the world cannot describe the light which was on him ; and it shot forth light-rays in great abundance, and there was no measure for its rays, and its light was not alike together, but it was of divers kind and of divers i type, some [rays] being more excellent than! others . . . ; and the whole light consisted to-/ The nature of his glory. He draweth his Hght unto himself. gether. It was of threefold kind, and the one [kind] was more excellent than the other. . . . The second, that in the midst, was more excellent than the first which was below, and the third, which was above them all, was more excellent than the two which were below. And the first glory, which was placed below them all, was like to the light which had come over Jesus before he had ascended | into the heavens, and was like only ^ itself in its light. And the three light-modes were of divers light-kinds, and they were of divers type, one being more excellent than the other. . . . ""

And it came to pass then, when the disciples saw this, that they feared exceedingly, and were in agitation. Then Jesus, the compassionate and tender-hearted, when he saw his disciples, that they were in great agitation, spake with them, saying : *' Take courage. It is I, be not afraid." It came to pass then, when the disciples had heard this word, that they said : '' Lord, if it be thou, withdraw thy light-glory into thyself that we may be able to stand ; otherwise our eyes are darkened, and we are agitated, and the whole world also is in agitation because of the great light which is about thee." Then Jesus drew to himself the glory of his light ; and when this was done, all the disciples took courage, stepped forward to Jesus, fell down all together, adored him, rejoicing in great joy, and said unto him : '* Rabbi, whither hast thou gone, or what was thy ministry on which thou hast gone, or wherefor rather were all these confusions and all the earth-quakings which have taken place? " Then Jesus, the compassionate, said unto them : He pro- *' Rejoice and exult from this hour on, for I have Su them gone to the regions out of which I had come forth. ^^^ things. Prom this day on then will I discouj-se with you in openn^eSB^ I from the beginning of the Truth 9. unto its completion ; and I will discourse with you face to face without similitude. Prom this hour on will I not hide anything from you of the [mystery] of the height and of that of the region of Truth. Por authority hath been given me through the Ineffable and through the Pirst Mystery of all mysteries to speak with you, \ from the Beginning right up to the Pulness, both j from within without and from without within. Hearken, therefore, that I may tell you all things.

*' It came to pass, when I sat a little removed from you on the Mount of Olives, that I thought on the order of the ministry for the sake of which I was sent, that it was completed, and that the last mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from within without, — those which are in the second space of the Pirst Mystery, in the orders of that space, — had not yet sent me my Vesture. It came to pass then, when I had known that the order of the ministry for the sake of which I had come, was completed, and that that mystery had not yet sent me my Vesture, which I had left behind in it, until its time was completed,— thinking then this, I sat on the Mount of Olives a little removed from you. " It came to pass, when the sun rose in the east, CHAP. 7. thereafter then through the Pirst Mystery, which existed from the beginning, on account of which the universe hath arisen, | out of which also I am lo. myself now come, not in the time before my crucifixion, but now, — it came to pass, through

the command of that mystery, that there should How the be sent me my Light-vesture, which it had given Li^ht was i^® from the beginning, and which I had left be- &entunto jjJ3^(j jj^ j^Y^^ jg^gj^ mystcry, that is the four-and- twentieth mystery from within without, — those which are in the orders of the second space of the First Mystery. That Vesture then I left behind in the last mystery, until the time should be completed to put it on, and I should begin to discourse with the race of men and reveal unto them all from the beginning of the Truth to its completion, and discourse with them from the interiors of the interiors to the exteriors of the exteriors and from the exteriors of the exteriors to the interiors of the interiors. Eejoice then and exult and rejoice ^ more and more greatly, for to you it is given that I speak first with you from the beginning of the Truth to its completion. Of the souls *' For this cause have I chosen you verily from pies and ^^ ^^e beginning through the First Mystery. Rejoice their incar- then and cxult, for when I set out for the world, I

nation. ' x ^ ' ' 11. I brought from the beginning with me twelve powers, as I have told you from the beginning, which I have taken from the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the Light, according to the command of the First Mystery. These then I cast into the womb of your mothers, when I came into the world, that is those which are in your bodies today. For these powers have been given unto you before the whole world, because ye are they who will save the whole world, and that ye may be able to endure the threat of the rulers of the world and the pains of the world and its dangers and all its persecutions, which the rulers of the height will bring upon you. For many times have I said unto you that I have brought the power in you out of the twelve saviours who are in the Treasury of the Light. For which cause I have said unto ithnii^-J. you indeed from the beginning that ye are not ^ of the world. I also am not of it. For all men who are in the world have gotten their souls

out of [the power of] the rulers of the SBons. But the power which is in you is from me ; your souls \ belong to the height. I have brought twelve ' powers of the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the Light, taking them out of the portion of my power which | I did first receive. And 12. when I had set forth for the world, I came into the midst of the rulers of the sphere and had the form of Gabriel the angel of the aeons ; and the rulers of the aeons did not know me, but they thought that I was the angel Gabriel. ** It came to pass then, when I had come into of theinthe midst of the rulers of the aeons, that I looked ofXhn the down on the world of mankind, by command ^^p*^^®^- of the First Mystery. I found Ehzabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer, before she had conceived him, and I sowed into her a power which I had received from the little lao, the Good, who is in the Midst, that he might be able to make proclamation before me and make ready my way, and baptize with the water of the forgiveness of sins. That power then is in the body of John.

** Moreover in place of the soul of the rulers That John which he v/as appointed to receive, I found theTform^r'" soul of the prophet Elias in the aeons of the^'"^^* sphere ; and I took him thence, and took his soul and brought it to the Virgin of Light, and Of his own incarnation through Mary. she gave it over to her receivers ; they brought it to the sphere of the rulers and cast it into the womb of EHzabeth. So the power of the httle lao, who is in the Midst, and the soul of the prophet Elias, they were bound into the body of John the Baptizer. For this cause then were ye in doubt aforetime, | when I said unto you : ' John said : I am not the Christ,' and ye said unto me : ' It standeth written in the scripture : When the Christ shall come, Elias cometh before him and maketh ready his way.' But when ye said this unto me, I said unto you : ' Elias verily is come and hath made ready all things, as it standeth written, and they have done unto him as they would.' And when I knew that ye had not understood that I had discoursed with you concerning the soul of Elias which is bound into John the Baptizer, I answered you in the discourse in openness face to face : * If ye like to accept John the Baptizer : he is Elias, of whom I have said that he will come.' "

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said: "It came to pass then thereafter, that at the command of the First Mystery I looked down on the world of mankind and found Mary, who is called * my mother ' according to the body of matter. I spake with her in the type of Gabriel, and when she had turned herself to the height towards me, I cast thence into her the first power which I had received from Barbelo — that is the body which I have borne in the height. And instead of the soul I cast into her the power which I I have received from the great Sabaoth, the Good, who is in the region of the Right. '* And the twelve powers of the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the Light which I had received More confrom the twelve ministers of the Midst, I castught-"^ into the sphere of the rulers. And the decans of thJdiscipies the rulers and their servitors thought that they were souls of the rulers ; and the servitors brought them, they bound them into the body of your mothers. And when your time was completed, ye were born in the world without souls of the rulers in you. And ye have received your portion out of the power which the last Helper hath breathed into the Mixture, that [power] which is blended with all the invisibles and all rulers and all aeons, — in a word, which is blended with the world of destruction which is the Mixture.

This [power], which from the beginning I brought out of myself, I have cast into the First Commandment, and the First Commandment cast a portion thereof into the great Light, and the great Light cast a portion of that which it had received, into the five Helpers, and the last Helper took a portion of that which it received, and cast it into the Mixture. And [this portion] is in all who are in the Mixture, | as I have just said unto you." 15.

This then Jesus said to his disciples on the Mount why they of Olives. Jesus continued again in the discourse joice that" with his disciples [and said] : *' Rejoice and exult ^g^i^^g^f and add joy to your joy, for the times are com- turehad pleted for me to put on my Vesture, which hath been prepared for me from the beginning, which I left behind in the last mystery until the time of its completion. Now the time"of its completion is the time when I shall be commanded through the First Mystery to discourse with you from the beginning of the Truth to the The mystery of the five words on the vesture. completion thereof, and from the interiors of the interiors [to the exteriors of the exteriors], for the world will be saved through you. Rejoice then and exult, for ye are blessed before all men who are on the earth. It is ye who will' save the whole world." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words to his disciples, that he continued again in the discourse, and said unto them : *' Lo, I have then put on my Vesture, and all authority hath been given me through ythe First Mystery ^>: Yet a little while and I^ will tell you the mystery of the universe and the fulness of the universe ; and I will hide nothing from you from this hour on, but in fulness will I perfect you in all fulness and | in all perfection and in all mysteries, which are the perfection of all perfections and the fulness of all fulnesses and the gnosis of all gnoses, — those which are in my Vesture. I will tell you all mysteries from the exteriors of the exteriors to the interiors of the interiors. But hearken that I may tell you all things which have befallen me_. _

" It came to pass then, when the sun had risen in the east, that a great light-power came down, in which was my Vesture, which I had left behind in the four-and-twentieth mystery, as I have said unto you. And I found a mystery in my Vesture, written in five words of those from the height : zama zama ozza rachama ozai, — whose solution is this : " * 0 Mystery, which is without in the world, for whose sake the universe hath arisen, — this is the total outgoing and the total ascent, which hath emanated all emanations and all that is therein and for whose sake all mysteries and all their regions have arisen, — come hither unto us, for we are thy fellow-members. We are all with thyself ; we are one and the same. Thou art the First Mystery, | which existed from u the beginning in the Ineffable before it came forth ; and the name thereof are we all. Now, therefore, are we all come to meet thee at the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within ; itself is a portion of us. Now, therefore, have we sent thee thy Vesture, which hath belonged to thee from the beginning, which thou hast left behind in the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within, until its time should be completed, according to the commandment of the First Mystery. Lo, its time is completed ; put it on [thee].

'' * Come unto us, for we all draw nigh to thee The three to clothe thee with the First Mystery and all hght. his glory, by commandment of himself, in that the First Mystery hath given us it, consisting of two vestures, to clothe thee therewith, besides the one which we have sent thee, for thou art worthy of them, since thou art prior to us, and existeth before us. For this cause, therefore, hath the First Mystery sent thee through us the mystery of all his glory, consisting of two vestures. " * In the first is the whole_ glory_ of all the The first 4^^ names of all mysteries and all emaiiations of ^^^ "^^' the orders | of the spaces of the Ineffable. is. *V* And in the second vesture is the whole glory The second of the name of all mysteries and all emanations which are in the orders of the two spaces qfjhe ^^-Ufh^i First Mystery. *' * And in this [third] vesture, which we have The third just Sent thee, is the glory of the name of the mystery of the Revealer, which is the First Commandment, and of the mystery of the five Impressions, and of the mystery of the great Envoy of the Ineffable, who is the great Light, and of the mystery of the five Leaders, who are the five Helpers. There is further in this vesture the glory of

the name of the mystery of all orders of the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and of their saviours, and [of the mystery] of the orders of the orders, which are the seven Amens and the seven Voices and the five Trees and the three Amens and the Twin-saviour, that is the Child of the Child, and of the mystery of the nine guards of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light. There is further therein the whole glory of the name [of all those] which are in the Right, and of all those which are in the Midst. And further there is therein the whole glory of

19. the name of the great Invisible, | which is the great Forefather, and the mystery of the three triple-powers and the mystery of their whole region and the mystery of all their invisibles and of all those who are in the thirteenth geon, and the name of the twelve aeons and of all their rulers and all their archangels and all their angels and of all those who are in the twelve aeons, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the Fate and in all the heavens, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the sphere, and of its firmaments and of all who are in them, and of all their regions. '' ' Lo, therefore, we have sent thee this vesture, which no one knew from the First Command- merit downwards, for the glory of its light was The day of hidden in it, and the spheres and all regions ^J^^ "^ from the First Commandment downwards [have not known it]. Haste thee, therefore, clothe thyself with this vesture and come unto us. For we draw nigh unto thee, to clothe thee by command of the First Mystery with thy two vestures [other] which existed for thee from the beginning with the First Mystery until the time appointed by the Ineffable is completed. | Come, 20. therefore, to us quickly, that we may put them on thee, until thou hast fulfilled the total ministry of the perfection of the First Mystery which is appointed by the Ineffable. Come, therefore, to us quickly, in order that we may clothe thee with them, according to the command of the First Mystery. For yet a little while, a very little while, and thou shalt come unto us and leave the world. Come, therefore, quickly, that thou mayest receive thy whole glory, that is the glory of the First Mystery.'

'* It came to pass then, when I saw the mystery chap. 11. of all these words in the vesture which was sent J^^us me, that straightway I clothed myself therewith, Ms vesture. and I shone most exceedingly and soared into the height. '* I came before the [first] gate of the firmament. He entershining most exceedingly, and there was no grmlment. measure for the light which was about me, and the gates of the firmament were shaken one over against another and all opened at once. ''And all rulers and all authorities and all The powers angels therein were thrown all together into men^t^^e""^' agitation because of the ^reat Kerht which was on ^TT^ ^^^ *-^ *^ ^ ^ fall down me. And they gazed at the radiant vesture of and adore He entereth the first sphere. The powers of the first sphere are amazed and fall down and adore him. light with which I was clad, and they saw the mystery which contains their names, | and they feared most exceedingly. And all their bonds with which they were bound, were unloosed and every one left his order, and they all fell down before me, adored and said : ' How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing ? ' And they all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors ; but me they saw not, but they saw only the light. And they were in great fear and were exceedingly agitated and sang praises to the interiors of the interiors.

'' And I left that region behind me and ascended to the first sphere, shining most exceedingly, forty-and-nine-times more brightly than I had shone in the firmament. It came to pass then, when I had reached the gate of the first sphere, that its gates were shaken and opened of themselves at once. *' 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 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 exceedingly, 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 The powers of the aeons are amazed and fall down and adore him. 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 invisibles and their forefathers and their triplepowers 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 mankind, 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

greater than that which was about me in the '* 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 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 Magdalene asketh and receiveth permission to speak. 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 accomplishing 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. ** The word which thou hast spoken: * I Mary interhave 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 influences, 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 similitude, 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 Jesus commendeth Mary. She further questioneth him on the changing of the spheres. 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 : *' Discourse 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 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 exwill 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 horoscopecasters 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

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 confound 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 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 ,^ *J "^ J- questioneth 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 concerning 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 Mary questioneth him again. 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, therefore, from now on will I hide nothing from you, but I will reveal unto you all things with surety and openness. Hearken then, Mary, and give ear, all ye disciples : Before I made proclamation to all the rulers of the 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 established 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, 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 powerless, 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 universe 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 their circles. And forthwith they were constrained, and cast forth the power out of themselves, 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 Adamas and the tyrants fight against the lightvesture. Jesus taketh from them a third of their power and changeth their course. 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 influences 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

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." The powers adore the light-vesture. 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 together, 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 themselves 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- 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?" pass then, when I had arrived at their veils, that thirteenth they drew apart of their own accord and opened findeth Pisthemselves 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 Mary desireth to hear the story of Sophia. 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-andtwenty 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 emanations of the great Invisible, — it came to pass then by command of the First Mystery that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height. She saw the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she longed to reach to that region, and she could not reach to that region. But she ceased to perform the mystery of the thirteenth 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 ^^ ^^^^ 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 triplepowered 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 Sophia taketh the lion-faced power of Self-willed for the true Light. She descendeth 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 continuously 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 triplepowered 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 triplepowered 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

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 emanaall 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 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 n.jip ti t • • 1 1 j^i repentance 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 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 oppression, 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.

** * 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 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 emanations of Self-willed have brought upon me, be unto them for a snare, and may they be ensnared therein, and recompense them and may they be made to stumble and not come into the region of their Self-willed. ** ' 23. May they remain in the darkness and not behold the light ; may they behold the chaos for ever, and let them not look unto the height.

** * 24. Bring upon them their revenge, and may thy judgment lay hold upon them. 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 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. Mary interpreteth the first repentance 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 required of me that which I took not from them. *' * 5. God, thou hast known my foolishness, and my faults are not hid from thee. '' ' 6. Let not them that wait on thee, 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. *' * 8. I am become a stranger to my brethren, a stranger unto the sons of my mother. *' ' 9. For the zeal of thy house hath consumed me ; the reviHngs of them that revile thee have fallen upon me. *' ' 10. I bowed my soul with fasting, and it was turned to my reproach. *' ' 11. I put on sackcloth ; I became unto them a bye-word. '' ' 12. They who sit at the gates, chattered at me ; and they who drink wine, harped about me.

'' ' 13. But I prayed with my soul unto thee, | 0 Lord ; the time of thy well-hking is [now], 54« 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 dishonour ; 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. *' * 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. ** ' 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 repentance 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. '* * 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 '* ' 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 : ** My Lord, we will not endure this woman, Peter comfor 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, therefore, 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 '' ' 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 ; | Jesus pro,- miseth to perfect the disciples in all tilings. 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. *' ' 13. Let them be ashamed and destroyed who calumniate my soul. Let them be enwrapped in shame and disgrace who seek evil against me.' '' This then is the solution of the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." The Saviour answered and said unto Peter : '* Finely, Peter ; this is the solution of her repentance. Blessed are ye before all men on the earth, because I have revealed unto you these mysteries. Amen, amen, I say unto you : | I will perfect you in all fulness from the mysteries of the interior to the mysteries of the exterior and fill you with the spirit, so that ye shall be called ' spiritual, perfected in all fulness.' And, amen, amen, I say unto you : I will give unto you all the mysteries of all the regions of my Father and of all the regions of the First Mystery, so that he whom ye shall admit on earth, shall be admitted into the Light of the height ; and he whom ye shall expel on earth, shall be expelled from the kingdom of my Father in the heaven. But hearken, therefore, and give ear attentively

to all the repentances which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. She continued again and uttered the third repentance, saying : ** * 1. 0 Light of powers, give heed and save me. The third ** ' 2. May they who would take away my hght, ofso^lL!' lack and be in the darkness. May they who would take away my power, turn into chaos and be put to shame. *' * 3. May they turn quickly to darkness, who press me sore and say : We have become lords over her. ** * 4. May rather all those who seek the Light, rejoice and exult, and they who desire thymystery, say ever : May the mystery be exalted. ** * 5. Save me then now, 0 Light, for I lacked my light, | which they have taken away, and I 6i. needed my power, which they have taken from me. Thou then, 0 Light, thou art my saviour, and thou art my deliverer, 0 Light. Save me quickly out of this chaos.' " And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished chap. 38. speaking these words unto his disciples, saying : *' This is the third repentance of Pistis Sophia," that he said unto them : ** Let him in whom a sensitive spirit hath arisen, come forward and speak the thought of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

It came to pass then, before Jesus had finished Martha speaking, that Martha came forward, fell down receivetT at his feet, kissed them, cried aloud and wept ^o^g^eX"^ with lamentation and in humbleness, saying : '' My Lord, have mercy upon me and have compassion with me, and let me speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath Martha interpreteth the third repentance from Psalm Ixix. And Jesus gave his hand unto Martha and said unto her : *' Blessed is every one who humbleth himself, for on him they shall have mercy. Now, therefore, Martha, art thou blessed. But proclaim then the solution of the thought of the repentance of Pistis Sophia." And Martha answered and said unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples : '* Concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, prophesied aforetime in the sixty-ninth Psalm, saying : '' * 1. 0 Lord God, give heed to my help. *' ' 2. Let them be put to shame and confounded who seek after my soul. *' ' 3. May they turn straightway and be put to shame, who say unto me : Ha, ha. ** * 4. May all who seek thee, be joyful and exult because of thee, and they who love thy salvation, say ever : May God be exalted.

*' ' 5. But I am wretched, I am poor ; 0 Lord, help me. Thou art my helper and defence ; 0 Lord, delay not.' *' This then is the solution of the third repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the height." It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Martha speak these words, that he said unto her : *' Well said, Martha, and finely." And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples : '* Pistis Sophia again continued in the fourth repentance, reciting it before she was oppressed a second time, in order that the lion-faced power and | all the material emanations with it, which Self-willed had sent into the chaos, might not take away her total Hght in her. She uttered then this repentance as follows : *' ' 1. 0 Light, in whom I have trusted, give The fourth . , 11; • 1 repentance ear to my repentance, and let my voice reach of SopWa. unto thy dwelling-place. *' * 2. Turn not away thy light-image from me, but have heed unto me, if they oppress me ; and save me quickly at the time when I shall cry unto thee.

" * 3. For my time is vanished like a breath and I am become matter. *' * 4. They have taken my light from me, and my power is dried up. I have forgotten my mystery which heretofore I was wont to accomplish. *' * 5. Because of the voice of the fear and the power of Self-willed my power is vanished. '' ' 6. I am become as a demon apart, who dwelleth in matter and light is not in him, and I am become as a counterfeiting spirit, which is in a material body and light-power is not in it. ** * 7. And I am become as a decan who is alone in the air. ** ' 8. The emanations of Self-willed have sore oppressed me, and my pair hath said unto himself : ** * 9. Instead of with light which was in her, they have filled her with chaos. I have devoured the sweat of my own matter and the anguish of the tears from the matter of my eyes, so that they who oppress me may not take the rest. " ' 10. All this hath befallen me, 0 Light, by thy | commandment and thy command, and 64. it is thy commandment that I am here.

" ' 11. Thy commandment hath brought me down, and I am descended as a power of the chaos, and my power is numbed in me. 12. But thou, 0 Lord, art Light eternal, and dost visit them who are for ever oppressed. 13. Now, therefore, 0 Light, arise and seek my power and the soul in me. Thy commandment is accomplished, which thou didst decree for me in my afHictions. My time is come, that thou shouldst seek my power and my soul, and this is the time which thou didst decree to seek me. " * 14. For thy saviours have sought the power which is in my soul, because the number is completed, and in order that also its matter may be saved. *' ' 15. And then at that time shall all the rulers of the material seons be in fear of thy light, and all the emanations of the thirteenth material aeon shall be in fear of the mystery of thy light, so that the others may put on the purification of their light. '* * 16. For the Lord will seek the power of your soul. He hath revealed his mystery, '' ' 17. So that he may regard the repentance of them who are in the regions below; and he hath not disregarded their repentance.

*' * 18. This is then that mystery which is become the type in respect of the race which shall be born ; and the race which shall be born will sing praises to the height. *' ' 19. For the Light hath looked down from 65. the height of its light. It will look down on | the *' * 20. To hear the sighing of those in chains, to loose the power of the souls whose power is bound, — *' ' 21. So that it may lay its name in the soul and its mystery in the power.' " It came to pass while Jesus spake these words chap. 40. unto his disciples, saying unto them: '' This is J^^naskthe fourth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath ceiveth peruttered ; now, therefore, let him who under- ^eak"^ *^ standeth, understand," — it came to pass then, when Jesus had spoken these words, that John came forward, adored the breast of Jesus and said unto him : " My Lord, give commandment to me also, and grant me to speak the solution of the fourth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." Jesus said unto John : '' I give thee commandment, and I grant thee to speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

John answered and said : '' My Lord and Saviour, concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, thy light-power which was in David, hath prophesied aforetime in the onehundred-and-first Psalm : '''1. Lord, give ear unto my supplication, John interand let my voice reach unto thee. fepenttn^e ** ' 2. Turn not away thy face from me ; incHne ^^^"^ ^^^^^ thine ear unto me in the day when I am oppressed ; quickly give ear to me on the day when I shall cry unto thee. '' * 3. For I my days are vanished as smoke, 66 and my bones are parched as stone. *' * 4. I am scorched as the grass, and my heart is dried up ; for I have forgotten to eat my bread. *' ' 5. From the voice of my groaning my bones cleaved to my flesh. ** ' 6. I am become as a pelican in the desert ; I am become as a screech-owl in the house. ** * 7. I have passed the night watching ; I am become as a sparrow alone on the roof. *' * 8. My enemies have reviled me all the day long, and they who honour me, have injured me.

" ' 9. For I have eaten ashes instead of my bread and mixed my drink with tears, " ' 10. Because of thy wrath and thy rage ; for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down. ** ' 11. My days have declined as a shadow, and I am dried up as the grass, *' * 12. But thou, 0 Lord, thou endurest for ever, and thy remembrance unto the generation of generation[s]. '* ' 13. Arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time is come to have mercy upon her ; the proper time is come. ** * 14. Thy servants have longed for her stones, and will take pity on her land. '' ' 15. And the nations will have fear of the name of the Lord, and the kings of the earth have fear of thy sovereignty. '* * 16. For the Lord will build up Zion and reveal himself in his sovereignty. *' * 17. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their supplication. *' ' 18. This shall be recorded for another generation, and the people who shall be created will praise the Lord. ** ' 19. Because he hath looked down on his holy height ; the Lord hath looked down from the heaven on the earth,

** * 20. To hear the sighing | of those in chains, 67. to loose the sons of those who are slain, ' '* ' 21. To proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem.' *' This, my Lord, is the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." It came to pass then, when John had finished chap. 41. speaking these words to Jesus in the midst of his ^'^^^^ ^?^" , . . , , , . T mendeth disciples, that he said unto him: "Well said, John. John, the Virgin, who shalt rule in the kingdom of the Light." And Jesus continued again in the discourse and The emanasaid unto his disciples : "It came to pass again geU-^^Ued thus : The emanations of Self-willed again op- ^^ain '-^ ^ squeeze the pressed Pistis Sophia in the chaos and desired to lig^t out of take from her her whole light ; and not yet was ^^ her commandment accomplished, to lead her out of the chaos, and not yet had the command reached me through the First Mystery, to save her out of the chaos. It came to pass then, when all the material emanations of Self-willed oppressed her, that she cried out and uttered the fifth repentance, saying :

"*L Light of my salvation, I sing praise The fifth unto thee in the region of the height and again of^sophS!^ in the chaos. " * 2. I sing praise unto thee in my hymn with which I sang praise in the height and with which I sang praise unto thee when I was in the chaos. Light, to my repentance. " ' 3. For my power is filled up with | darkness, 68. and my light hath gone down into the chaos. " ' 4. I am myself become as the rulers of the chaos, who are gone into the darknesses below ; I am become as a material body, which hath no one in the height who will save it. '' * 5. I am become also as matters from which their power hath been taken, when they are cast down into the chaos, — [matters] which thou hast not saved, and they are condemned utterly by thy commandment. '* ' 6. Now, therefore, have they put me into the darkness below, — in darknesses and matters which are dead and in them [is] no power. " ' 7. Thou hast brought thy commandment upon me and all things which thou hast decreed.

'' * 8. And thy spirit hath withdrawn and abandoned me. And moreover by thy commandment the emanations of my aeon have not helped me and have hated me and separated themselves from me, and yet am I not utterly destroyed. ** * 9. And my light is diminished in me, and I have cried up to the light with all the light in me, and I have stretched forth my hands unto thee. " ' 10. Now, therefore, 0 Light, wilt thou not accomplish thy commandment in the chaos, and will not the deliverers, who come according to thy commandment, arise in the darkness and come and be disciples for thee? *' ' 11. Will they not utter the mystery of thy name in the chaos ? *' * 12. Or will they not rather utter thy name in a matter of the chaos, in which thou wilt not [thyself] purify ? " * 13. But I have sung praises unto thee, 0 Light, and my repentance will reach unto thee | 69. in the height. *' * 14. Let thy light come upon me, *' ' 15. For they have taken my Ught, and I am in pain on account of the Light from the time when I was emanated. And when I had looked into the height to the Light, then I looked down below at the light-power in the chaos ; I rose up and went down.

** ' 16. Thy commandment came upon me, and the terrors, which thou didst decree for me, have brought me into delusion. ** * 17. And they have surrounded me, in numbers as water, they have laid hold on me together all my time. '' ' 18. And by thy commandment thou hast not suffered my fellow-emanations to help me, nor hast thou suffered my pair to save me out of my afflictions.' '* This then is the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the chaos, when all the material emanations of Self-willed had continued and oppressed her." When then Jesus had spoken these words chap. 42. unto his disciples, he said unto them : '* Who hath ears to hear, let him hear ; and let him whose spirit seetheth up in him, come forward and speak the solution of the thought of the fifth repentance of Pistis Sophia." And when Jesus had finished saying these PMiip the words, Philip started forward, held up and laid piameth?"^ down the book in his hand, — for he is the scribe of all the discourses which Jesus spake, and of all of that which he did, — Philip then | came for- 70. ward and said unto him : '' My Lord, surely then it is not on me alone that thou hast enjoined to take care for the world and write down all

Jesus explaineth that the appointed scribes are Philip and Thomas and Matthew. Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus concerning the three witnesses. the discourses which we shall speak and [all we shall] do ? And thou hast not suffered me to come forward to speak the solution of the mysteries of the repentance of Pistis Sophia. For my spirit hath ofttimes seethed in me and been unloosed and constrained me to come forward and speak the solution of the repentance of Pistis Sophia ; and I could not come forward because I am the scribe of all the discourses." It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip, that he said unto him : '* Hearken, Philip, blessed one, that I may discourse with thee ; for it is thou and Thomas and Matthew on whom it is enjoined by the First Mystery to write all the discourses which I shall speak and [all which I shall] do, and all things which ye shall see. But as for thee, the number of the discourses which thou hast to write, is so far not yet completed. When it is then completed, thou art to come forward and proclaim what pleaseth thee. Now, therefore, ye three have to write down all the discourses which I shall speak and [all things which I shall] do and which ye shall see, in order that ye may bear witness to all things of the kingdom of heaven."

When then Jesus had said this, he said unto his disciples : '' Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." | Mary started forward again, stepped into the midst, placed herself by Philip and said unto Jesus : *' My Lord, my in-dweller of light hath ears, and I am ready to hear with my power, and I have understood the word which thou hast spoken. Now, therefore, my Lord, hearken that I may discourse in openness, thou who hast said unto us : * Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.' *' Concerning the word which thou hast spoken unto PhiHp : * It is thou and Thomas and Matthew on whom it hath been enjoined — to you three by the First Mystery, to write all the discourses of the kingdom of the Light and thereto to bear witness ' ; hearken, therefore, that I may proclaim the solution of this word. This is what thy light-power prophesied aforetime through Moses : ' By two or three witnesses shall every matter be established.' The three witnesses are Philip and Thomas and Matthew." It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard PhiUp is this word, that he said : " Well said, Mary, this pe^Sdon is the solution of the word. Now, therefore, do *^ ^p^^^" thou, Philip, come forward and proclaim the solution of the fifth repentance of Pistis Sophia, and thereafter take thy seat and write all the discourses which I shall speak, until the number of thy portion which thou hast to write of the words of the kingdom of the Light is completed. Then shalt thou come forward and speak what thy spirit shall understand. But do thou then | now proclaim the solution of the fifth repentance 72. of Pistis Sophia."

And PhiHp answered and said unto Jesus : *' My Lord, hearken that I may speak the solution of her repentance. For thy power hath prophesied aforetime concerning it through David in the eighty-seventh Psalm, saying : '' ' 1. Lord, God of my salvation, by day and PhiHpinby night have I cried unto thee. the^fifth*re- '' ' 2. Let my weeping come before thee ; incline pntance ,. ^ ^,.. ^Ti from Psalm tmne ear to my supplication, 0 Lord. ixxxvii. 3. For my soul is full of evil, my life hath drawn nigh to the world below. " ' 4. I am counted among them who have gone down into the pit ; I am become as a man who hath no helper. " ' 5. The free among the dead are as the slain who are thrown away and sleep in tombs, whom thou no more rememberest, and they are destroyed through thy hands. ** ' 6. They have set me in a pit below, in darkness and shadow of death. '' * 7. Thy wrath hath settled down upon me and all thy cares have come upon me. (Selah.) '* * 8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me ; they have made me an abomination for them. They have abandoned me, and I cannot go forth.

" ' 9. My eye hath become dim in my misery ; I have cried unto thee, 0 Lord, the whole day and have stretched forth my hands unto thee. *' ' 10. Wilt thou not surely work thy wonders on the dead ? Will not surely the physicians arise and confess thee ? '' ' 11. Will they not surely proclaim thy name 73. in the | tombs, '' ' 12. And thy righteousness in a land which thou hast forgotten ? ** ' 13. But I have cried unto thee, 0 Lord, and my prayer shall reach thee early in the morning. '* ' 14. Turn not thy face away from me. ** * 15. For I am miserable, I am in sorrow from my youth up. And when I had exalted myself, I humbled myself and arose. *' ' 16. Thy angers are come upon me and thy terrors have brought me into delusion. ** * 17. They have surrounded me as water ; they have seized upon me the whole day long. ** * 18. My fellows hast thou kept far from me and my acquaintances from my misery.' '' This is then the solution of the mystery of the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was oppressed in the chaos.'*

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard chap. 44. Philip speak these words, that he said : ** Well^^^^P^^, , J- ^ ^ ' commended said, Philip, well-beloved. Now, therefore, come, and contake thy seat and write thy portion of all the writing. discourses which I shall speak, and [of all things which I shall] do, and of all that thou shalt see." And forthwith Philip sat down and wrote. It came to pass thereafter that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples : *' Then did Pistis Sophia cry to the Light. It forgave her sin, in that she had left her region and gone down into the darkness. She uttered the sixth repentance, saying thus : '* * 1. I have sung praises | unto thee, 0 Light, 74, in the darkness below. ^^® »^^*^ 2. Hearken unto my repentance, and may of Sophia, thy light give heed to the voice of my supplication. *' * 3. 0 Light, if thou thinkest on my sin, I shall not be able to stand before thee, and thou wilt abandon me, '* * 4. For thou, 0 Light, art my saviour ; because of the hght of thy name I have had faith in thee, 0 Light.

*' * 5. And my power hath had faith in thy mystery ; and moreover my power hath trusted in the Light when it was among those of the height ; and it hath trusted in it when it was in the chaos below. Andrew interpreteth the sixth repentance from Psalm cxxix. ** * 6. Let all the powers in me trust in the Light when I am in the darkness below, and may they again trust in the Light if they come into the region of the height. ** ' 7. For it is [the Light] which hath compassion on us and delivereth us ; and a great saving mystery is in it. ** * 8. And it will save all powers out of the chaos because of my transgression. For I have left my region and am come down into the chaos.' ** Now, therefore, whose mind is exalted, let him understand." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them : '' Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you ? " Andrew came forward and said : *' My Lord, concerning the solution of the sixth repentance of Pistis Sophia, thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the one-hundredand-twenty-ninth Psalm, saying : |

** * 1. Out of the depths I have cried unto thee, 0 Lord. *' * 2. Hearken unto my voice ; let thine ears give heed to the voice of my supplication. ** * 3. 0 Lord, if thou heedest my iniquities, who will be able to pass [the test] ? *' ' 4. For pardon is in thy hands ; for the sake of thy name have I waited for thee, 0 Lord. *' ' 5. My soul hath waited for thy word. '* ' 6. My soul hath hoped in the Lord from the morning until the evening. Let Israel hope in the Lord from the morning until the evening. '' * 7. For grace standeth by the Lord and with him is great redemption. '' * 8. And he will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.' " Jesus said unto him: "Well said, Andrew, Jesus comblessed one. This is the solution of her repen- Andrew, tance. Amen, amen, I say unto you: I will ^^p^^^^'^ perfect you in all mysteries of the Light and all tyrants gnoses from the interiors of the interiors to the judged and exteriors of the exteriors, from the Ineffable down by^thrwise to the darkness of darknesses, from the Light of ^^^• lights down to the .... of matter, from all the gods down to the demons, from all the lords down to the decans, from all the authorities down to the servitors, from the creation of men down to [that] of the wild-beasts, of the cattle and of the reptiles, in order that ye may be called perfect, perfected in | all fulness.

Amen, amen, I say 76. unto you : In the region where I shall be in the kingdom of my Father, ye will also be with me. And when the perfect number is completed, so that the Mixture shall be dissolved, I will give commandment that they bring all tyrant gods, who have not given up the purification of their light, and will give commandment to the wise fire, over which the perfect pass, to eat into those tyrants, until they give up the last purification of their light."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished Mary interspeaking these words unto his disciples, that he wo^rds of ^ said unto them : '* Understand ye in what manner '^®^^^* I speak with you ? " Mary said : '' Yea, Lord, I have understood the word which thou hast spoken. Concerning then the word which thou hast said : At the dissolution of the whole Mixture thou shalt take thy seat on a light-power and thy disciples, that is ourselves, shall sit on the right of thee, and thou shalt judge the tyrant gods, who have not given up the purification of their light, and the wise fire will bite into them, until they give up the last light in them, — concerning this word then thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David, in the eighty-first Psalm, saying : ** * God shall sit in the assembly (synagogue) | 77. of the gods and try the gods.' " Jesus said unto her : '* Well said, Mary." CHAP. 46. Jesus continued again in the discourse and The repent- ^^{^ unto his disciplcs I ** It Came to pass, when ance of . . , Sophia is Pistis Sophia had finished uttering the sixth

not yet ac- . p j.i j? • i? i j. cepted. She repcntanco tor the forgiveness oi her transthr^ons^ ^^ gression, that she turned again to the height, to see if her sins were forgiven her, and to see whether they would lead her up out of the chaos. But by commandment of the First Mystery not yet was she hearkened to, so that her sin should be forgiven and she should be led up out of the chaos. When then she had turned to the height to see whether her repentance were accepted from her, she saw all the rulers of the twelve aeons mocking at her and rejoicing over her because her repentance was not accepted from her. When then she saw that they mocked at her, she grieved exceedingly and lifted up her voice to the height in her seventh repentance, saying : The seventh '' * 1. 0 Light, I havo lifted up my power unto repentance , i t • i j. of Sophia, thee, my Light. ** ' 2. On thee have I had faith. Let me not be scorned ; let not the rulers of the twelve aeons, who hate me, rejoice over me.

*' ' 3. For all who have faith in thee shall not be put to shame. Let them who have taken away my power, remain in darkness ; and let them not get from it any profit, but let it be taken away from them. | *' * 4. 0 Light, show me thy ways, and I shall 78* be saved in them ; and show me thy paths, whereby I shall be saved out of the chaos. " ' 5. And guide me in thy light, and let me know, 0 Light, that thou art my saviour. On thee will I trust the whole of my time. " * 6. Give heed that thou save me, 0 Light, for thy mercy endureth for ever. " ' 7. As to my transgression, which I have committed from the beginning in my ignorance, put it not to my account, 0 Light, but rather save me through thy great mystery of the forgiveness of sins because of thy goodness, 0 Light. " ' 8. For good and sincere is the Light. For this cause will it grant me my way, to be saved out of my transgression ; " ' 9. And for my powers, which are diminished through the fear of the material emanations of Self-willed, will it draw near after its commandment, and will teach my powers, which are diminished because of the merciless, its gnosis.

*' * 10. For all gnoses of the Light are saving means and are mysteries for all who seek the regions of its Inheritance and its mysteries. '' * 11. For the sake of the mystery of thy name, 0 Light, forgive my transgression, for it is great. '' ' 12. To every one who trust eth in the Light it will give the mystery which suiteth him ; " ' 13. And his soul will abide in the regions of the Light and his power will inherit | the Trea- 79, sury of the Light. 14. The Light giveth power to them who have faith in it ; and the name of its mystery belongeth to those who trust in it. And it will show them the region of the Inheritance, which is in the Treasury of the Light. *' * 15. But I have ever had faith in the Light, for it will save my feet from the bonds of the darkness. '' ' 16. Give heed unto me, 0 Light, and save me, for they have taken away my name from me in the chaos. '' * 17. Because of all the emanations my afflictions and my oppression have become exceedingly manifold. Save me out of my transgression and this darkness.

*' ' 18. And look upon the grief of my oppression and forgive my transgression. ** ' 19. Give heed to the rulers of the twelve seons, who have hated me through jealousy. *' * 20. Watch over my power and save me, and let me not remain in this darkness, for I have had faith in thee. " ' 21. And they have made of me a great fool for having had faith in thee, 0 Light. *' * 22. Now, therefore, 0 Light, save my powers from the emanations of Self-willed, by whom I am oppressed.' *' Now, therefore, who is sober, let him be sober." When then Jesus had spoken this unto his disciples, Thomas came forward and said : '' My Lord, I am sober, I am plentifully sober, and my spirit is ready in me, and I rejoice exceedingly that thou hast revealed these words unto us. But indeed I have borne with my brethren until now, so that I should not anger them ; nay rather I have borne with every one that he should come before thee and speak | the solution of the so. repentance of Pistis Sophia. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia thy light-power hath prophesied through the prophet David in the twenty-fourth Psalm, thus :

*' * 1. 0 Lord, unto thee have I lifted up my Thomas in- ^ /^ r-i ^ terpreteth soul, 0 my (jOd. the seventh '* ' 2. I have abandoned myself unto thee ; from^'psaim let me not be put to shame and let not mine xxiv. enemies mock at me. *' * 3. For all who wait upon thee shall not be put to shame ; let them be put to shame who do iniquity without a cause. *' * 4. 0 Lord, show me thy ways and teach me thy paths. ** * 5. Lead me in the way of thy truth and teach me, for thou art my God and my saviour ; on thee will I wait all the day long. ** * 6. Call to remembrance thy mercies, 0 Lord, and the favours of thy grace, for they are from eternity. '' ' 7. Remember not the sins of my youth and those of my ignorance. Remember me according to the fulness of thy mercy because of thy goodness, 0 Lord. *' ' 8. The Lord is gracious and sincere ; therefore will he instruct sinners in the way. '' * 9. He will guide the tender-hearted | in the 8i. judgment and will teach the tender-hearted his ways.

'' ' 10. All the ways of the Lord are grace and truth for them who seek his righteousness and his testimonies. ** ' 11. For thy name's sake, 0 Lord, forgive me my sin, [for] it is exceedingly great. " ' 12. Who is the man who feareth the Lord ? For him will he establish laws in the way which he hath chosen. " ' 13. His soul will abide in good things and his seed will inherit the land. " * 14. The Lord is the strength of them who fear him ; and the name of the Lord belongeth to them who fear him, to make known unto them his covenant. '' ' 15. Mine eyes are raised ever unto the Lord, for he will draw my feet out of the snare. ** ' 16. Look down upon me and be gracious unto me, for I am an only-begotten ; I am wretched. '* ' 17. The afflictions of my heart have increased ; bring me out of my necessities. '' * 18. Look upon my abasement and my woe, and forgive me all my sins. *' ' 19. Look upon mine enemies, how they have increased themselves and hated me with unjust hatred.

'* ' 20. Preserve my soul and save me ; let me 82. not I be put to shame, for I have hoped on *' ' 21. The simple and sincere have joined themselves to me, for I have waited on thee, 0 Lord. '' * 22. 0 God, deliver Israel from all his afflictions.' " Jesus com- And when Jesus had heard the words of Thomas, he said unto him : '' Well said, Thomas, and finely. This is the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. Amen, amen, I say unto you : All generations of the world shall bless you on earth, because I have revealed this unto you and ye have received of my spirit and have become understanding and spiritual, understanding what I say. And hereafter will I fill you full with the whole light and the whole power of the spirit, so that ye may understand from now on all which shall be said unto you and which ye shall see. Yet a little while and I will speak with you concerning the height without within and within without." Jesus continued again in the discourse and said chap. 47. unto his disciples : '* It came to pass then, when Jfsusiead-

^ ■•■ ' eth Sophia Pistis Sophia had uttered the seventh repentance to a less in the chaos, that the commandment through region, but the First Mystery had not come to me | to save ^^^^and^° her and lead her up out of the chaos. Neverthe- mentof tho less of myself out of compassion without com- tery. mandment I led her into a somewhat spacious ^^ region in the chaos. And when the material emanations of Self-willed had noticed that she had been led into a somewhat spacious region in the chaos, they ceased a little to oppress her, for they thought that she would be led up out of the chaos altogether. When this then took place, Pistis Sophia did not know that I was her helper ; nor did she know me at all, but she continued and persisted withal singing praises to the Light of the Treasury, which she had seen aforetime and on which she had had faith, and she thought that it [sc. the Light] also was her helper and it was the same to which she had sung praises, thinking it was the Light in truth. But as indeed she had had faith in the Light which belongeth to the Treasury in truth, therefore will she be led up out

The emana. tions of SeH-wiUed cease for a time to oppress Sophia. The eighth repentance of Sophia. of the chaos and her repentance will be accepted from her. But the commandment of the First Mystery was not yet accomplished to accept her repentance from her. But hearken now in order that I may tell you all things which befell Pistis Sophia. *' It came to pass, when I had led her unto a somewhat spacious region in the chaos, that the emanations of Self-willed ceased entirely to oppress her, thinking that she would be led up out of the chaos altogether. It came to pass then, when | the emanations of Self-willed had noticed that Pistis Sophia had not been led up out the chaos, that they turned about again all together, oppressing her vehemently. Because of this then she uttered the eighth repentance, because they had not ceased to oppress her, and had turned about to oppress her to the utmost. She uttered this repentance, saying thus : *' ' 1. On thee, 0 Light, have I hoped. Leave me not in the chaos ; deliver me and save me according to thy gnosis. " ' 2. Give heed unto me and save me. Be unto me a saviour, 0 Light, and save me and lead me unto thy light.

'* * 3. For thou art my saviour and wilt lead me unto thee. And because of the mystery of thy name lead me and give me thy mystery. *' ' 4. And thou wilt save me from this lionfaced power, which they have laid as a snare for me, for thou art my saviour. ** * 5. And in thy hands will I lay the purification of my light ; thou hast saved me, 0 Light, according to thy gnosis. *' ' 6. Thou art become wroth with them who keep watch over me and will not be able to layhold of me utterly. But I have had faith in the Light. *' ' 7. I will rejoice and will sing praises that thou hast had mercy upon me and hast heeded and saved me from the oppression in which I was. And thou wilt set free my power out of the chaos. ** ' 8. And thou hast not left me in the hand of the lion-faced power ; but thou hast led me into a region which is not oppressed.' " When then Jesus had said this unto his dis- chap. 48. ciples, he answered again and said unto them : ^^LTf^^^" *' It came to pass then, when the lion-faced Seif-wiued

•11 T^' ' n ^ ' 1 ^ i_ opP^ess her power had noticed that ristis bopma had not again, been led up altogether out of the chaos, | that it 85. came again with all the other material emanations of Self-willed, and they oppressed Pistis Sophia again. It came to pass then, when they oppressed her, that she cried out in the same repentance, saying : *' ' 9. Have mercy upon me, 0 Light, for they She con- 1 T • -I-* p l^ tinueth her have oppressed me agam. Because ot tny com- repentance, mandment, the light in me is distracted and my power and my understanding. ** * 10. My power hath begun to wane whiles I am in these afflictions, and the number of my time whiles I am in the chaos. My light is diminished, for they have taken away my power from me, and all the powers in me are tossed about. ** ' 11. I am become powerless in the presence of all the rulers of the seons, who hate me, and in the presence of the four-and-twenty emanations, in whose region I was. And my brother, my pair, was afraid to help me, because of that in which they have set me.

** ' 12. And all the rulers of the height have counted me as matter in which is no light. I am become as a material power which hath fallen out of the rulers, '' ' 13. And all who are in the aeons said : She hath become chaos. And thereafter all the pitiless powers encompassed me together and proposed to take away the whole light in me. " ' 14. But I have trusted in thee, 0 Light, and said : Thou art my saviour. " ' 15. And my commandment, which thou hast decreed for me, is in thy hands. Save me out of the hands of the emanations of Self-willed, which oppress me and persecute me. '* * 16. Send thy light over me, for I am as 86. naught before thee, | and save me according to ** * 17. Let me not be despised, for I have sung praises unto thee, 0 Light. Let chaos cover the emanations of Self-willed, let them be led down into the darkness. ** ' 18. Let the mouth of them be shut up, who would devour me with guile, who say : Let us take the whole light in her, — although I have done them no ill.' " CHAP. 49. And when Jesus had spoken this, Matthew came forward and said : " My Lord, thy spirit hath stirred me and thy light hath made me sober to proclaim this eighth repentance of Pistis Sophia. For thy power hath prophesied thereof aforetime through David in the thirtieth Psalm, saying :

*' * 1, On thee, 0 Lord, have I hoped. Let me never be put to shame; save me according Matthew in- , . , • 1 , terpreteth to thy righteousness. the eighth '''2. IncKne thine ear unto me, save nie [^P^^^p^^^^ quickly. Be thou unto me a protecting God and ^xx. a house of refuge to save me. '' * 3. For thou art my support and my refuge ; for thy name's sake thou wilt guide me and feed me. *' ' 4. And thou wilt draw me out of this snare, which they have laid privily for me ; for thou art my protection. ** * 5. Into thy hands I will render my spirit ; I thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord, God of Truth. 87. ** * 6. Thou hast hated them who hold to vain emptiness ; but I have trusted. *' * 7. And I shall rejoice because of my Lord and make merry over thy grace. For thou hast looked down upon my humbleness and saved my soul out of my necessities. ** ' 8. And thou hast not shut me up in the hands of my foes ; thou hast set my feet on a broad space.

'* * 9. Be gracious unto me, 0 Lord, for I am afflicted ; my eye is distracted in the wrath and my soul and my body. '' ' 10. For my years have wasted away in sadness and my life is wasted in sighing. My power is enfeebled in misery and my bones are distracted. *' ' 11. I am become a mockery for all my foes and my neighbours. | I am become a fright 88. for my acquaintances, and they who saw me, are fled away from me. '* * 12. I am forgotten in their heart as a corpse, and I have become as a ruined vessel. '* ' 13. For I have heard the scorn of many who Jesus commendeth Matthew and promiseth his disciples that they shall sit on Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus. encompass me round about. Massing themselves together against me, they took counsel to take away my soul from me. " ' 14. But I have trusted in thee, 0 Lord. I said : Thou art my God. ** ' 15. My lots are in thy hands. Save me from the hand of my foes and free me from my persecutors.