Part 17

Added again in the word Jesus, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore after all these (things) I took away the Pistis Sophia, I brought her in unto the thirteenth Aeon, I, shining greatly greatly, there being not measure unto the light which was becoming from me, I came in unto the Place of the twenty-four (fourth, MS) Invisibles, I, shining greatly greatly; and they were disturbed with great disturbance: they looked, they saw the Sophia who was being with me, they recognised her. [165^a] But I, they recognised me not who I (was), but they were thinking of me as of an emanation of the land of the Light. It happened therefore, the Sophia having seen her fellow Invisibles, she rejoiced in great joy, and she was delighted greatly; she wished to show to them the wonders which I did with her below in the land of the mankind, until I delivered her. She came up unto the midst of the Invisibles, she hymned unto me in their midst, saying, I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou art a Saviour, and thou art a redeemer at every time: I shall hymn this hymn unto the Light because he delivered me: and he delivered out of the hand of the Rulers [165^b] mine enemies. And thou deliveredst me in all the Places, and thou deliveredst me from the exaltation and the humiliation of the Chaoses, and from the Aeons of the Rulers of the Sphere. And I having come out of the Height, I went astray in Places, there being not light in them. I could not return into the thirteenth Aeon my dwelling, because there is not light in me nor power, my power was defective altogether, and the Light delivered me from all my afflictions. I hymned up unto the Light, he heard me, they having afflicted me. He guided me in the creation of the Aeons, for him to bring me up unto the thirteenth Aeon, my dwelling. I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and (for) thy wonders in the race of [166^a] the mankind, I having become deficient of my power, thou gavest power to me, and I having become deficient of my light, thou filledst me with light being purified. I became in the darkness with the shadow of the Chaos, being bound in the bonds being cruel of the Chaos, there being not light in me: because I exasperated the precept of the Light, I transgressed, I gave anger to the precept of the Light, because I came out of my Place: and I having come down, I was deficient of my power, and I became lightless, and there was not any to help me: and in their afflicting me I hymned up unto the Light, and he delivered me out of all my afflictions: and also he burst all my bonds: he brought me up from the darkness with the oppression of the Chaos. I shall manifest [166^b] to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and thy wonders happened in the race of the mankind. And thou brokest-in-pieces the gates which (are) high of the darkness, and with the bars which (are) cruel of the Chaos, and thou madest me go down from the Place, from which I transgressed: and also they took away my power because I transgressed, and I ceased from the mysteries, I came down in the gates of the Chaos: and they having afflicted me, I hymned up unto the Light, he delivered me out of all my afflictions. Thou dispatchedst thine effluence, it gave power to me, and it delivered me out of all my oppressions. I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and (for) thy wonders in [167^a] the race of the mankind. This therefore is the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia, being in the midst of the twenty-four Invisibles, wishing, for them all to know all the wonders which I did with her, and wishing for them to know that I went unto the World of the mankind. I gave to them the mysteries of the Height. Now therefore he who is exalted in his understanding, let him come forward, and say the explanation of the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia. It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these words, came forward Philippos, said he, Jesus My Lord, exalted is my understanding and I understand the explanation of the hymn which said the Sophia: prophesied [167^b] also about it once David the prophet, saying in the hundred and sixth psalm, Manifest to the Lord that he is kind, because unto age is his mercy, let those whom the Lord redeemed say, This is he, he redeemed them out of the hand of their enemies: he gathered them in from their countries, out of the east with the west with the north with the sea. They went astray in the wilderness in a place in which there is not water; they found not the road to the city of their dwelling. Being hungry being thirsty their soul failed in them. He delivered them out of their necessity. They cried up unto the Lord, he heard them being distressed: he guided them unto a road, being straight [168^a] for them to go up unto the Place of their dwelling, Let them manifest to the Lord in his mercies, and his wonders among the sons of the men: because he satisfied a soul, being hungry, a soul being hungry he filled it with good. Those who sit in the darkness with the shadow of the death, those who are bound in a poverty with the iron; because he exasperated the word of God, they irritated the counsel of him who is exalted: their heart was humbled in their tribulations; they became weak and there was not he who helped them. They cried up unto the Lord in their being distressed; he delivered them out of their necessity, he brought them out of the darkness with the shadow of the death, and he burst their bonds. Let them manifest to the Lord in his mercies, and his wonders for the sons [168^b] of the men: because he broke gates of brass, he shattered bars of iron: he received them unto him in the road of their unlawfulness; for they were humiliated because of their unlawfulness: their heart abhorred every (kind) of meat, they approached unto the gates of the death. They cried up unto the Lord in their being distressed, he delivered them out of their necessity: he sent his word, he healed them, and he saved them out of their tribulation. Let them manifest to the Lord in his mercy and his wonders among the sons of the men. This therefore, my Lord is the explanation of the hymn which said the Sophia. Hear therefore, my Lord that I may say it plainly. The word indeed which said David, Manifest [169^a] to the Lord because he is kind, because an eternal is his mercy. That is the word which said the Sophia, I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou art a Saviour, and thou art a redeemer at every time. And the word which said David, Let those whom the Lord redeemed say this, He redeemed them out of the hand of their enemies. That is the word which said the Sophia, I shall say this hymn unto the Light, He delivered me; and he delivered me out of the hand of the Rulers mine enemies, with the rest also of the psalm. This therefore, my Lord is the explanation of the hymn which said the Sophia in the midst of the twenty-four Invisibles, wishing for them to know [169^b] all the wonders which I did with her, and she wished for them to know, that thou gavest thy mysteries of the race of the mankind.

It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words, saying them Philippos, said he, Well (done), O happy Philippos, this is the explanation of the hymn which said the Sophia. It happened therefore also after all these (things) came forward Mariham, she worshipped at the feet of Jesus, said she, My Lord, be not angry with me seeking from thee, because we are seeking after every thing in an exactness with a certainty, for thou saidst unto us once, Seek that ye may find and knock that they may open to you. For every one who seeketh will find, and every one who knocketh [170^a] in, they will open to him. Now therefore, my Lord, who is he whom I shall find, or who is he unto (whom) we shall knock, or who, rather, is he for whom it is possible to say unto us the answer to the words about which we shall seek (from) thee, or who, rather, is he who knoweth the power of the words after which we shall seek, because that in a mind thou gavest mind to us of the Light, and thou gavest to us perception with a thought being exalted greatly? Concerning this therefore there is not anyone becoming in the World of the mankind, nor becoming in the Height of the Aeons, for whom it is possible to say unto us the answer to the words which we seek after, except thee alone, this who knoweth the Universe and who is complete in the Universe. [170^b] Because that I was not seeking after the manner (in) which seek the men of the World; but we are seeking indeed in the knowledge of the Height, this which thou gavest to us, and we are seeking also in the type of the search which is preferable, this which thou taughtest us for to seek in it.

Now therefore, my Lord, be not angry with me, but reveal to me the word about which I shall ask thee. It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words, saying them Maria, the Magdalene, answered then (but, MS) Jesus, said he to her, Seek after that which thou wishest to seek after, and I shall reveal it to thee in an exactness with a certainty, Amen, amen I say to you, Rejoice in great joy and be [171^a] glad greatly greatly, ye are seeking after every thing in an exactness, and I shall be glad greatly greatly, because ye seek after every thing in an exactness. And ye seek after the manner (in) which it is worthy to seek. Now therefore, seek after that which thou seekest after, and I shall reveal it to thee in joy. It happened therefore, Maria having heard these words, saying them the Saviour, she rejoiced in great joy, and she was glad for her greatly greatly. Said she to Jesus, My Lord and my Saviour, then of what kind are the twenty-four Invisibles, and being, also, of what type: or otherwise rather of what nature: or, then, being of what nature is their light? But answered Jesus, said he [171^b] to Maria, What is that which is in this World being like to them: or what, rather, of Place which is in this World is that which is resembling unto them? Now therefore unto what shall I compare them: or, rather, is that which I shall say concerning them: for there is not any one in this World unto whom I shall be able to compare them; and there is not any of appearance in it unto whom I shall be able to liken them? Now therefore there is not any in this World being of the nature of the heaven, Amen I say to you, Each Invisible, is great(er) than the heaven with the Sphere which is upon it, and with the twelve Aeons together nine times, according as I finished saying to you another time. And there is not any light in this World being preferable unto the light [172^a] of the sun. Amen, amen I say to you: The twenty-four Invisibles are of light more than the light of the sun which is in this World ten thousand times according as I finished saying to you another time. Because that the light of the sun in his truth of shape is not in this Place. Because that his light passeth through many veils of Places. But the light of the sun in his truth of shape, this which becometh in the Place of the Virgin of the Light shineth more than the twenty-four Invisibles and with the great Forefather invisible and with also the great Triple-powered God a ten thousand times, according as I finished saying to you another time. [172^b] Now therefore, Maria, there is not any appearance in this world, nor is there light, nor is there shape comparable to the twenty-four Invisibles, that I should compare them unto them: but yet another little time, thou with thy brothers of fellow-disciples, I shall take you unto all the Places of the Height, and I shall take you unto the three Spaces of the First Mystery, until the Places only of the Space of the Ineffable. And ye will see all their shape in truth without comparison. And whenever I should take you unto the Height, ye will see the glory of those of the Height. And ye will become in a great wonder greatly greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of the (Rulers of the) Destiny [173^a] ye will see the glory in which they become, and out of their great glory which is preferable, ye will reckon this World with you as darkness of darkness: and ye will look out upon all the World of the mankind, being about to become the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly greatly, with the great size which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the twelve Aeons, ye will see the glory in which they become, and from the great glory the Place of the Rulers of the Destiny will be reckoned with you as the darkness of the darknesses; and it will become the size of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly, with the great size in which it is great(er) than [173^b] it greatly, according as I finished saying unto you another time. And again whenever I should take you unto the thirteenth Aeon, and ye will see the glory in which it becometh, the twelve Aeons will be reckoned with you of the darkness of the darknesses: and ye will look out upon the twelve Aeons being about to become the likeness of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly, with the greatness of size in which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of the Middle, ye will see the glory in which they are, the thirteenth Aeon will be reckoned with you as the darkness of the darknesses. And also ye will look upon the twelve Aeons and with all the Destiny and all the arrangement, and with all the Spheres [174^a] with all their arrays in which they become, they will be the size of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it, and the great size (in) which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of those of the Right (hand), ye will see the glory in which they become, the Place of the Middle will be reckoned with you as the night which is in the World of the mankind: and if ye should look out upon the Middle, it will become the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which the Place of those of the Right (hand) are distant from it greatly. And if I should take you unto the Land of the Light, namely, the Treasury of the Light, and ye (will) see the glory in which it becometh, [174^b] the Place of those of the Right (hand) will be reckoned with you as the light of the hour of mid-day in the World of the mankind, the sun being not out (of cloud): and if ye should look upon the Place of those of the Right (hand), it will be the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which is distant from it greatly, the Treasury of the Light. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of those who received the Inheritance, of those who received the mysteries of the Light, and ye (will) see the glory of the light in which they become, the Land of the Light will be reckoned with you as the light of the sun which is in the World of the mankind: and if ye should look [175^a] upon the Land of the Light, it will be reckoned with you as a speck of dust, from the great distance which is distant from it, the Land of the Light, and from the greatness which it is great(er) than it greatly.