Part 12

It happened therefore, I having come unto the Chaos to help her, she saw me, I being comprehensible and enlightening greatly, becoming in mercifulness toward her. For I was not being self-willed as the power of face of lion, this which took away the power of light from the Sophia, and also this which oppressed her to take away all the light which (is) in her. [90^a] Saw therefore me enlightening, the Sophia, more than the power of face of lion a number of ten thousand times, and I am becoming in great mercifulness toward her. And she knew that I am out of the Height of the Heights, this whose light she believed from at first. Was confident of heart the Pistis Sophia, and she said the tenth Repentance, saying, I cried up unto thee, O Light of the Lights, in my being oppressed, thou heardest me. O Light, deliver my power out of lips of violence and the unlawful, and out of snares of guile, O Light, that which they will take away from me by a snare of guile, they would not have brought it to thee. For the snares of the Self-willed are spread abroad and with the traps of the unmerciful (ones). Woe [90^b] to me indeed, because my place of dwelling was distant, and I became in the places of dwelling of the Chaos: my power became in Places which are not mine; and I flattered those unmerciful (ones): and whenever I should flatter them they are wont to fight against me without a cause. These therefore Jesus having said them to his disciples, said he to them, Now therefore he whose spirit moveth him, let him come forward and say the explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.

Answered Petros, said he, O Lord, concerning this also thy power of light prophesied by David once, saying in the hundred and nineteenth psalm, I cried up unto thee, O Lord, in my being oppressed, thou heardest me, O Lord, deliver my soul [91^a] out of lips of violence and from a tongue of guile. What will they give to thee, and what will they add unto thee with a tongue of guile? The arrows of the strong one are sharp with the coals of the desert. Woe to me because my place of dwelling became far away. I dwelt in the places of dwelling of Kedar. My soul was made sojourner in a multitude of places. I was being peaceable with those who hate the peace, whenever I should speak with them they are wont to fight with me without a cause. This therefore now, O Lord, is the explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia, that which she said while are oppressing her the material emanations of the Self-willed, they with his power of face of lion afflicted her greatly. Said he [91^b] to him Jesus, Well (done) Petros and fairly (said). This is the explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.

Added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore, having seen me the power of face of lion, I having come near unto the Pistis Sophia enlightening greatly, it was angry unto the more, and it emanated out of it other multitudes of emanations being fierce greatly. These therefore having become, said the eleventh Repentance the Pistis Sophia saying, Why exalted itself the power of the strong (one) among evils? Its thought is taking away the light from me at every time; and as iron they are cutting, [92^a] they took away a power from me. I loved to come down unto the Chaos, more than to remain in the Place of the thirteenth Aeon the Place of the righteousness; and they wished to take me by guile, for to swallow down all my light. Because of this therefore the Light will take away all their light, and (will) be overthrown all their other matter and it will take away their light, and not let them dwell in the thirteenth Aeon their place of dwelling, and not leave their name in the Place of those who will live: and will see the (things) which happened to thee O power of face of lion, the twenty-four emanations, and they (will) fear and not be disobedient, but they (will) give up the purgation of their light, and they will see thee, and (will) rejoice over thee, and (will) say, Behold, an emanation [92^b] which did not give up the purgation of its light, that it should be delivered, but it boasteth itself in the multitude of the light of its power, because that it did not emanate out of the power which is in it, and it said, I shall take away the light of the Pistis Sophia, this which they will not take from her. Now therefore he whose power was exalted in him let him come forward and utter the explanation of the eleventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia.

Then came forward Salome, said she, My Lord, concerning this thy power of light prophesied once by David, saying in the fiftieth with one psalm, Why doth the powerful boast himself in his wickedness? Thy tongue meditateth the violence all the day; as a razor [93^a] being sharp thou didst beguile. Thou lovedst the evil more than the good. Thou lovedst the violence more than speaking of the righteousness. Thou lovedst all the words of the deceit with a tongue of guile. Because of this God will overthrow thee for ever, he will pluck thee up, and he (will) drag thee out of thy abode: and he will tear (away) thy root, and he (will) cast it outside of those who live. Diapsalma. The righteous will see and they (will) fear and they will mock at him and they (will) say, Behold a man who put not God to him for helper. But he trusted upon his wealth which is much, and he presumed upon his vanity. But I, I am being as a tree of olive yielder of fruit in the house of the God, I trusted unto the mercy of God even unto age of the age. [93^b] And I shall manifest to thee because thou workedst with me, and I have patience upon thy name because kind it is in presence of thy holy (ones). This therefore now, my Lord, is the explanation of the eleventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia, thy power of light having moved me, I said it according to thy wish.

It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words which said them Salome, said he, Well (done) Salome. Amen, amen I say to you, I shall complete you in every mystery of the kingdom of the light. But added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore after these (things) I drew near unto the Chaos enlightening greatly greatly, that I should take away the light of that power of face of lion: while I am enlightening [94^a] greatly, it (she MS.) feared and it cried up unto its God Self-willed, for him to help it: and at that hour looked out of the thirteenth Aeon the God Self-willed, he looked down unto the Chaos being angry greatly, wishing to help his power of face of lion, and at that hour surrounded the Pistis Sophia the power of face of lion, itself with all its emanations, wishing to take away all the light which (is) in the Sophia. It happened therefore, they having oppressed the Sophia, she cried up unto the Height, crying up unto me for to help her. It happened therefore, she having looked unto the Height she saw the Self-willed being angry greatly, and she feared, she said the twelfth [94^b] Repentance concerning the Self-willed (God) with his emanations. But she cried up against me saying thus, Forget not, O Light, my hymn; because opened mouths upon me the Self-willed with his power of face of lion: they make guile unto me, and they surrounded me wishing to take away my power; and they hated me because I hymned unto thee. Instead of loving me, they slandered me. But I, I was hymning, they plotted for to take away my power because I hymned unto thee, O Light; and they hated me because I loved thee. Let the darkness come upon the Self-willed, and let remain at his right (hand) the Ruler of the Darkness which (is) outer: and in thy giving judgment unto him [95^a] take away his power from him: and the work which he thought unto himself to take away my light from me, thou shalt take away his own from him: and let fail all his powers of his lights which (are) in him. And let another take his greatness among the three Triple-powered: Let become lightless all the powers of his emanations, and (let) his matter become having not light in it. Let his emanations remain in the Chaos, and (let) them not allow them to go unto their Place: let their light fail which (is) in them, and allow them not to go up unto the thirteenth Aeon their Place. Let [95^b] the Receiver, the purifier of the lights, purify all the lights which become in the Self-willed, and let him take them from him (them?). Let them lay hold upon his emanations, the Rulers of the Darkness below; and let not any (one) accept him in his Place, and let not any obey the power of his emanations in the Chaos: let them take away the light which is in his emanations and (let) them blot out their name in the thirteenth Aeon, and his own also (let) them take away his name out of that Place for ever: and the power of face of lion let them bring upon it the sin of him who emanated it in presence of the Light, and (let) them not blot out the unlawfulness of the matter which he sent out, (the Self-willed); [96^a] and their sin altogether shall become in presence of the Light for ever; and (let) them not allow them to see out; and (let) them take away their name from every Place. Because that they spared me not, and they oppressed her (his, MS) whose light they took away with her (his MS.) power. And furthermore those in whom they planted me they wished to take away all my light from me: they loved to come down unto the Chaos; they shall become in it, and they shall not bring them up from this hour. They wished not the place of dwelling of the Place of the righteousness, and they shall not receive them unto it from this hour. He clothed him(self) with the darkness as clothing, and it went into his belly as water, and it went into all his powers as oil. [96^b] Let him wrap him(self) up in the Chaos as in a garment, and (let) him bind him(self) with the darkness as with a girdle of leather at every time. These (things) are happening to those who brought these upon me because of the light, and those who said, Let us take away all her power. But, thou, O Light, have compassion on me because of the mystery of thy name; and save me in the kindness of thy mercy: because that they took away my light with my power, and my power was shaken within me, and I was not able to stand in their midst. I was as matter which fell; they cast me unto this part and that, as a demon being in the air. My power perished, because I have not mystery; and my matter is worn out (?) because of my light, because they took it away. And I, they were deriding me, [97^a] they are wont to look at me beckoning unto me. Help me according to thy compassion. Now therefore he whose spirit is ready, let him come forward and say the explanation of the twelfth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.

But came forward Andreas, said he, My Lord, the Saviour, thy power of light prophesied once by David concerning this repentance which said the Pistis Sophia. And it said in the hundred with eight psalm, O God be not silent unto my blessing, because the mouth of the sinner with the guile, they opened their mouth upon me: they spake at me in a tongue of guile; and they surrounded me in words [97^b] of hatred, and they fight with me without a cause: instead of loving me. They slandered me, but I, I was praying. They established against me evil (things) instead of good (things), and a hatred instead of my love. Set up a sinner over him, and let the Accuser stand at his right (hand). Whenever they should give judgment unto him, let him (come) out being condemned, and let his prayer become unto a sin. Let his days be shortened, and let another take his episcopate. Let his sons be orphans, and let his wife be widow. Let them turn out his children, and let them remove them away, and (let) them beg. Let them cast them out of their houses. Let the usurer demand [98^a] all the (things) which become to him; and let strangers rob all his toils. Let there not become him who will help him; nor let compassion become to his orphans. Let them blot his sons out, and let them blot his name out in one generation. Let them remember the sin of his fathers in presence of the Lord, and let them not blot out the unlawfulness of his mother. Let them become in presence of the Lord at every time. Let them scatter his remembrance out of the earth. Because that he remembered not to do a mercy, and on the contrary he persecuted a poor man and miserable, and he persecuted after one being [98^b] pained at heart unto putting him to death. He loved the curse, and it shall come to him. He did not wish the blessing, it shall be far from him. He clothed him with the curse as a tunic, and it went unto his inside as water, it was as oil in his bones. Let it become to him as vesture which he will wrap about him, and as a girdle, being about to gird him with it at every time. This is the work of those who slander with the Lord and those who say contrary to lawful (things) against my soul. But thou, O Lord, do mercy with me because of thy name. Save me because I am poor and I am miserable: my heart was disturbed in my inward part, they took me away from the midst, as a shadow which declined. They drive me away [99^a] as locusts. My knees weakened in the fasting, and my flesh changed because of (the want of) the oil. But I, I became to them for reproach: they saw me, they moved their heads. Help me, O Lord God, and save me according to thy mercy. Let them know that this is thy hand, and thou, thou fashionedst it, O Lord. This therefore is the explanation of the twelfth repentance, this which said the Pistis Sophia being in the Chaos.

But added again Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened also after these (things), cried up at me the Pistis Sophia, saying, O Light of the Lights, I transgressed in the twelve [99^b] Aeons, I came down from them. Because of this I said twelve Repentances according to each one of the Aeons. Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, forgive to me my transgressions, because great greatly it is, because I forsook the Place of the Height, I came, I dwelt in the Place of the Chaos. These therefore, having said them the Pistis Sophia, she added also in the thirteenth Repentance, saying, Hear me while I hymn unto thee, O Light of the Lights. Hear me saying the Repentance of the thirteenth Aeon, the Place out of which I came down, that should be completed the thirteenth Repentance of [100^a] the thirteenth Aeon: these Aeons which I transgressed, I came down out of them. Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, hear me while I hymn unto thee in the thirteenth Aeon, my Place out of which I came. Deliver me, O Light, in thy great mystery, and forgive my transgression in thy forgivingness. And give to me the baptisms and forgive my sins, and cleanse me out of my transgression. And my own transgression is the power of face of lion, this which shall not be hidden from thee in every time, because I came down because of it. And I, I transgressed alone among the Invisibles, in whose Place I become. I came down unto the Chaos, [100^b] I transgressed before thee, that thy precept should be completed. These therefore said the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore, he whose spirit moveth him for to understand her words, let him come forward and utter their meaning. Came forward Martha, said she, O Lord, my spirit moveth me for to utter the explanation of those (words) which said the Pistis Sophia. Thy power prophesied once concerning them by David in the fiftieth psalm, saying thus, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy. According to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my sin. Wash me greatly out of my unlawfulness. And my sin is in my presence [101^a] at every time: that thou shouldst be justified in thy words, and conquer in thy giving judgment unto me. This is the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia.

Said he to her, Jesus, Well (done) (and) fairly, Martha the happy. But added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore, the Pistis Sophia having said these words, completed was the time for bringing her up from the Chaos, and through my own self, without the First Mystery I brought a power of light out of myself; I sent it down unto the Chaos for it to bring the Pistis Sophia up from the Place which is deep of the Chaos [101^b], and bring her unto the Place which (is) upper of the Chaos, until the command (should) come out from the First Mystery for them to bring her up from the Chaos absolutely. And my power of light brought the Pistis Sophia up unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos. It happened therefore, the emanations of the Self-willed having known that they brought the Pistis Sophia up unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos they again persecuted her unto the high (part), wishing to take her again unto the Places which (are) of the Chaos below. And was enlightening greatly my power of light, this which I sent to bring the Pistis Sophia up from the Chaos. It happened therefore, having persecuted the Sophia, the emanations [102^a] of the Self-willed, they having brought her unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos, she hymned again, and she cried up at me saying, I shall hymn up unto thee, O Light, because I wished to come (close) to thee. I shall hymn up unto thee, O Light, because thou art my deliverer: leave me not in the Chaos: deliver me, O Light of the Height, because thou art he unto whom I hymned: thou dispatched to me thy light through thyself and thou deliveredst me: thou broughtest me unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos. Let them fall therefore below unto the Places which (are) beneath of the Chaos, the emanations of the Self-willed, these which are persecuting me: and let them not come unto the Places which (are) upward, for to [102^b] see me. And let great darkness cover over them, and let come to them an obscurity of darkness: and let them not see me in the light of thy power, this which thou dispatchedst to me to deliver me, that they should not lay hold upon me: and their plot which they thought for to take away my power, let it not happen for them: and according as they spake of me to take away my light from me, take away theirs also instead of mine. And they said to take away all my light, and they were not able to take it away, because thy power of light becometh indeed with me, because they plotted without thy precept, O Light, because of this they were not able to take away my [103^a] light, because that I believed the light, and I shall not fear; and the light is my deliverer, and I shall not fear. Now therefore he whose power is exalted, let him say the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia. But it happened, Jesus having finished saying these words unto his disciples, came forward Salome, said she, My Lord, my power forced me for to say the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia. Thy power prophesied once by Solomon saying, I shall manifest to thee, O Lord, because thou art my God. Leave me not, O Lord, because [103^b] thou art my hope: thou gavest to me thy judgment without a cause, and I was delivered through thee. Let fall those who are persecuting me; and let them not see me. Let a cloud of smoke cover over their eyes, and a mist of air let it make darkness unto them: and let them not see the day, that they should not lay hold on me. Let become powerless their plot, and the (things) which they plotted let them come upon themselves they deliberated unto a plot, and it did not happen for them: and they conquered them though being mighty; and the (things) which they prepared evilly fell down upon them. My hope (is) being in the Lord, and I shall not fear: because thou art my God, [104^a] my Saviour.

It happened therefore, Salome having finished saying these words, said he to her, Jesus, Well (done) Salome and fairly: this is the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia.

But added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore, the Pistis Sophia having finished saying these words in the Chaos, I caused the power of Light which I sent to her for to deliver her, I caused it to make a crown of light unto her head, that should not be able to prevail against her from this hour the emanations of the Self-willed. And it having made a crown of light unto her head, moved all the matter which (are) evil, which (are) in her, and they were all purged from her [104^b], they perished and they became in the Chaos, looking at them the emanations of the Self-willed, and rejoicing at them. And the purities of true light which (are) in the Sophia, her true light combined to give power with the light of my power of Light, this which made a crown for her head. It happened therefore also, while (my power) surroundeth the true light which (is) in the Sophia, her true light did not become outside of the crown of the power of the flame of light, that should not steal it, the emanations of the Self-willed. These (things) therefore having happened to her, the power of true light which (is) in the Sophia began (and) hymned. But she hymned unto my power of Light which became for a crown unto her head: [105^a] but she hymned saying, The Light becometh for a crown unto my head, and I shall not become outside it, that should not rob me the emanations of the Self-willed: and (even) if should move all the matters, but I shall not be moved: and (even) if should perish all my matters, and remain in the Chaos, these which were seen by the emanations of the Self-willed. But I shall not perish, because the light becometh with me, and I also become with the light. But these words said the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore he who understandeth the meaning of these words, let him come forward and utter their explanation. But came forward Maria the mother of Jesus, said she, My son according to the world, [105^b] my God and my Saviour according to the Height, command to me and (let) me utter the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia. But answered Jesus, said he, Thou also Maria, this (one) who tookest form which (is) in the Barbelo according to the matter, and thou tookest likeness which (is) in the Virgin of the Light according to the Light, thou with the other Mariham the happy. And the darkness became because of thee, and also came out of thee the body of the matter in which I am becoming, this which I cleansed and I purified it. Now therefore I command to thee for to utter the explanation of the words, these which said the Sophia.