Pistis Sophia

and hand him over one to another, until they bring him before the Virgin of Light. And the Virgin of Light will seal him with a higher. seal, which is this [ . . .?], and in that month will she let him light down into the righteous body which will find the godhead in truth and the higher mystery, so that he inherit the Light-kingdom.

“And moreover the receivers of the Light hand it over to the great Sabaōth, the Good, who is at the gate of the Life in the region of those of the Right, who is called 'Father.”

“but if the salt becometh sterile, with what are they to salt it? It is fit neither for the dunghill nor for the earth; but they throw it away,'--that is: Blessed are all the souls which shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable; but if they once transgress, they are not fit to return to the body henceforth from this hour onwards nor for anything at all, but they are cast into the outer darkness and perish in that region.”

“3. Thou hast hindered my adversaries and they have not been revealed, because thy face was with me, saving me in thy grace. 4. I was despised in the sight of many and cast out; I have become as lead in their sight.”

“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.”

for I shone in the Fate forty-and-nine times more than in the [first] sphere.

“It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had heard Peter speak these words, that he said unto him: Well said, blessed Peter. This is the solution of the words which have been spoken.”

“The Saviour answered and said unto all his disciples: Concerning this word on which ye question me, I have spoken unto you at another time; but hearken again that I may say it unto you anew:”

“Thereon Mary, the mother of Jesus, also came forward and said: My Lord and my Saviour, give commandment unto me also that I repeat this word.” Jesus said: “Whose spirit is understanding,”

“It came to pass then, when they had perceived this at the time,”

“I will give you the mystery of the twelve æons of the rulers and their seals and their ciphers and the manner of invocation for reaching their regions.”

“This then is now, therefore, my Lord, the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. While thy light-power hath roused me, I have spoken it according to thy desire.”

“And the portion of that power remaineth within in the soul, | unloosed and existing on its own authority for the economy unto which it hath been inset, to give sense unto the soul, in order that it may seek after the works of the Light of the Height always. And that power is like the species of the soul in every form and resembleth it.”

“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, O Lord, have I hoped. Let me never be put to shame; save me according to thy righteousness. “2. Incline thine ear unto me, save me quickly. Be thou unto me a protecting God and 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; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, God of Truth. “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, O 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 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 encompass me round about. Massing themselves together against me, they took counsel to take away my soul from me.”

and come into the region of the Midst.

“and why the matter of wax hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why herbs, that is the vegetables, have arisen”

I sang praises to the Light. It saved me out of all my afflictions.

“When then the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said: My Lord,”

“Say unto them: Be ye loving-unto-men, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

And when he said this, the disciples rejoiced in great joy.

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had finished setting forth these words unto the disciples,

“5. Through thee I have gotten a power which helped me; for thou hast set lamps on my right and on my left, so that no side of me may be without light.”

“This then is the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the Light.”

“And all the rulers and all those who are in the Fate, were thrown into agitation and fell on one another and were in exceeding great fear on seeing the great light that was about me.”

“And the First Mystery continued again in the discourse and said: It came to pass then, before I had led forth Pistis Sophia out of the chaos, because it was not yet commanded me through my Father, the First Mystery which looketh within,--at that time then, after the emanations of Self-willed had perceived that my light-stream had taken from them the light-powers which they had taken from Pistis Sophia, and had poured them into Pistis Sophia,”

knoweth wherefor all these have arisen of whom I have spoken unto you in openness, and through which all these have arisen.

And that soul giveth him the glory of his songs of praise and his seals and his apologies.

This, therefore, is the gift of the third mystery of the Ineffable.

“And when she had said this, the Saviour said: Well said, thou spiritual light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word.”

“Say unto them: Be ye gentle, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

“him I do not prevent, but I urge him on still more to speak the thought which hath moved him. | Now, therefore, Mary, my mother according to matter, thou in whom I have sojourned, I bid thee that thou also speak the thought of the discourse.”

and when the number of the cipher of Melchisedec, the Receiver [of the Light], happened, then had he to come out again and enter into the midst of the rulers of all the æons and into the midst of all the rulers of the Fate 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 tears of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.

“I will give you moreover the mystery of the thirteenth æon and the manner of invocation for reaching their regions,”

who now then is the man in the world who hath not sinned at all, who is pure of iniquities?

“It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words which Salome spake, that he said: Well said, Salome. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: I will perfect you in all mysteries of the kingdom of the Light.”

“and why all matters have arisen. And the mystery knoweth why the waters of the earth and all things in them have arisen”

“It cannot be outside the soul, but remaineth inside it, as I have commanded it from the beginning. When I willed to cast it into the first Commandment, I gave it commandment to remain outside [? inside] the souls for the economy of the First Mystery. And so I will tell you at the expansion of the universe all these words concerning the power and also concerning the soul, after what type they are fashioned, or what ruler fashioneth them, or what are the different species of the souls. And so will I tell you at the expansion of the universe how many fashion the soul.”

“14. But I have trusted in thee, O 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. “16. Reveal thy face over thy slave, and free me according to thy grace, O Lord. 17. Let me not be put to shame, for I have cried unto, thee. Let the impious be put to shame and turn towards hell. 18. Let the crafty lips be struck dumb, which allege iniquity against the righteous in pride and scorn.”

“Jesus said unto them: This is the manner and way and this is the mystery which ye are to perform for the men who have faith in you, in whom is no deceit and who hearken unto you in all good words.”

Not only ye, but every man who will accomplish that first mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable,

And those of the Midst will baptize them and give unto them the spiritual unction and seal them with the seals of their mysteries.

“20. Thou sentest thy stream; it gave me power and saved me out of all my afflictions. 21. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works in the race of men.”

nor as to the First Commandment, into what region they have been brought.

“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.”

“that he said unto them: Who hath understood the solution of these words, let him come forward and say it in openness.” Mary again came forward and said: “My Lord, concerning these words with which Pistis Sophia hath sung praises, thus thy light-power prophesied them through David: 1. My soul, praise the Lord, let all that is in me praise his holy name. 2. My soul, praise the Lord and forget not all his requitals.”

“6. Thou hast overshadowed me with the shadow of thy grace, and I was relieved of the coats of skin. 7. It is thy right hand which hath raised me up, and thou hast taken the sickness from me. 8. I have become powerful in thy truth and purified in thy righteousness.”

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples,

And they gazed on my vesture of light and saw 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 when they again had seen Pistis Sophia, that she shone as she had done from the beginning, that they were enraged against Pistis Sophia

“And Mary answered and said: My Lord, concerning the word which thy power hath prophesied through David: 'Grace and truth met together,”

“Say unto them: Be ye peaceful, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

and I will give you their ciphers and their seals.

“And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light, purifieth them, as he doth continually; he carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light. And all the rulers of the æons and the rulers of the 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 cease in them 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.”

For if he is pure of one, he will not be able to be pure of another, so that he may find the mysteries which are in the Books of Yew?

“And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: It came to pass then thereafter, that I drew near unto the chaos, shining very exceedingly, to take away the light from that lion-faced power. As I shone exceedingly, it was in fear and cried out to its self-willed god, that he should help it. And forthwith the self-willed god looked out of the thirteenth æon, and looked down into the chaos, exceedingly wrathful |105. and desiring to help his lion-faced power. And forthwith the lion-faced power, it and all its emanations, surrounded. Pistis Sophia, desiring to 'take away the whole light in Sophia.”

--he who, therefore, shall perform that mystery and accomplish it in all its figures and all its types and all its stations, in performing it, he will not come out of the body; but after he hath accomplished that mystery in all its figures | and all its types,

And their sins and their iniquities will be blotted out up to the day on which ye have performed for them this mystery. But hide this mystery and give it not unto all men, but unto him who shall do all the things which I have said unto you in my commandments.

“And when Jesus had heard these words, he said: Finely [said], Matthew. Now, therefore, amēn, I say unto | you: When the perfect number is completed”

And they will pass through those of all the regions of the Midst, and they will pass through the region of the Right and the interior of the region of the nine guards and the interior of the region of the Twin-saviours and the interior of the region of the three | Amens and of the twelve saviours and the interior of the five Trees and of the seven Voices. Every one giveth unto them his seal of his mystery,

And I will tell you the name of all of them who fashion the soul.

“and why also the earth hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why the seas | and the waters have arisen”

It is the mystery which is in them all; and it is the out-going of them all,

But as for thee, the number of the discourses which thou hast to write, is so far not yet completed.

“Now, therefore, every one who shall receive one of the five mysteries of the Ineffable,”

“And Mary continued again | and said: My Lord, all men who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, those who have not transgressed, but whose faith in the mysteries was in sincerity, without play-acting,”

But he had discoursed with them generally, teaching that they exist,

“This then is the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four-and-twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which I had done for her, and desiring that they should know that I have gone to the world of men and have given them the mysteries of the Height. Now, therefore, who is exalted in his thought, let him come forward and say the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered.”

And Sabaōth, the Great and Good, sealeth it with his seals.

“3. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; who healeth all thy sicknesses;”

“9. My adversaries have withdrawn themselves from me, and I am justified by thy goodness, for thy rest endureth unto all eternity.”

“that he said unto them: Do ye understand in what manner I discourse with you?”

and sang praises all together | to the interiors of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.

and cried out again to their Self-willed, that he should come and help them, so that they might take away the powers in Pistis Sophia anew.

“and why the wild beasts in the seas have arisen. And that mystery knoweth why the matter of the world hath arisen and why it [the world] will be utterly destroyed.”

“righteousness and peace kissed each other. Truth sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven,'--thus hath thy power prophesied this word aforetime about thee. When thou wert little, before the spirit had come upon thee, whilst thou wert in a vineyard with Joseph,”

“It came to pass then, when the rulers of the æons 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,”

“And I will give you the mystery of the baptism of those of the Midst and the manner of invocation for reaching their regions, and I will announce unto you their ciphers and their seals.”

“Say unto them: Be ye merciful, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

For I say: A man in this world will not be able to be pure of sins;

It came to pass then, when they oppressed Sophia,

--if he cometh forth out of the body and inheriteth up to the region of that mystery,

“--they then have again sinned through the compulsion of the Fate and have again turned and repented and again prayed in any of the mysteries, how often will it be forgiven them?”

thereafter then at every time when he shall speak the name of that mystery, he will save himself from all that which is appointed him by the rulers of the Fate.

“and the universe is raised hence, I will take my seat in the Treasury of the Light, and ye yourselves will sit on twelve light-powers, until we have restored all the orders of the twelve saviours to the region of the inheritances of every one of them.”

When it is then completed, thou art to come forward and proclaim what pleaseth thee.

And the soul giveth its science and the glory of the songs of praise and the seals to the whole region of those of the Right.

“This then is the mystery in truth of the baptism for those whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are blotted out.”

And I will tell you the type, how the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny have been prepared.

“It came to pass then, when Jesus | had finished saying these words, that Philip came forward and said: “Jesus, my Lord, my thought is exalted, and I have understood the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. The prophet David hath prophesied concerning it aforetime in the one-hundred-and-sixth Psalm, saying: 1. Give ye thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his grace is eternal. 2. Let the delivered of the Lord say this, for it is he who hath delivered them out of the hand of their foes.”

but he had not told them their expansion and the order of their regions, how they are.

“and it is the up-going of them all, and it is the setting-up of them all. And the mystery of the Ineffable is the mystery which is in all these of whom I have spoken unto you, and of whom I will speak unto you at the expansion of the universe.”

“and they pass into the interior of them all and go to the region of the inheritances of the Light; and every one bideth in the region up to which he hath received mysteries in the inheritances of the Light. In a word, all the souls of men who shall receive the mysteries of the Light, will precede all the rulers who have repented,”

“Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: Yet further, O my disciples and companions and brethren,”

“4. Who redeemeth thy life from decay;”

“This then, my Lord, is the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was saved out of the chaos. Hearken, therefore, that I may say it in openness.”