Pistis Sophia

“first cometh forth the destiny and leadeth the man unto death through the rulers and their bonds with which they are bound through the Fate. And thereafter the retributive receivers come and lead that soul out of the body.”

--that Adamas looked down out of the twelve æons

“--which of them will get more suffering in the judgments?”

until he had reached unto heaven;

“Woe | unto them, woe unto the children of men! For they grope as the blind in the darkness and see not. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, in this great blindness in which we are. And have mercy upon the whole race of men; for they have lain in wait for their souls, as lions for their prey, making it [sc. the prey] ready as food for their [sc. the rulers'] chastisements because of the forgetfulness and unknowing which is in them. Have mercy then upon us, our Lord, our Saviour, have mercy upon us and save us in this great stupefaction.”

“then the Light-land will count for you as the light of the sun which is in the world of men. And if ye look upon the Light-land, | then will it count for you as a speck of dust because of the great distance the Light-land is distant from it, and because of the greatness [by which] it is considerably greater than the former.”

“If, therefore, I give that brother a mystery out of the mysteries of the beginning which are in the first space from without, and if I give him many mysteries and he doeth not what | is worthy of the kingdom of heaven,”

“Hearken moreover that I may tell you the word in truth, in what type the mystery of baptism forgiveth sins.”

that she looked below and saw his light-power in the parts below; and she knew not that it is that of the triple-powered Self-willed, but she thought that it came out of the light which she had seen from the beginning in the height,

Now, therefore, he who will receive that mystery, renounceth the whole world and the cares of all the matter therein.

And thereafter the. retributive receivers spend three days circling round with that soul in all the regions and dispatch it to all the æons of the world. And the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny follow that soul; and the power returneth to the Virgin of Light.

“And the counterfeiting spirit which is in the man, cometh to the portion which is entrusted to the world in the matter of his body, and lifteth it and casteth it down into the womb of the woman [into the portion] which is entrusted to the seed of wickedness. And in that hour the three-hundred-and-sixty-and-five servitors of the rulers go into her womb and take up their abode in it.”

“Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: It came to pass, when Pistis Sophia had finished uttering the sixth repentance for the forgiveness of her transgression,”

“Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaōth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons taketh vengeance on it another three months, eight days and two hours.”

and hast made them spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their influences,

But now, therefore, John, hearken that I may discourse with thee.

Have then mercy, O Lord, with such souls. For they have called on the name of thy mysteries, [were it but] for one single day, and have truly had faith in them and were not in play-acting.

“And amēn, I say unto you: Those men are I, and I am they. On this account have I said unto you aforetime: 'Ye will sit on your | thrones on my right and on my left in my kingdom”

“and will rule with me.' On this account, therefore, I have not hesitated nor have I been ashamed to call you my brethren and my companions, because ye will be fellow-kings with me in my kingdom.”

“Jesus said unto his disciples: Be comforted and be not afraid, for ye are blessed, because I will make you lords over all these and put them in subjection under your feet.”

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

“Give them then, O Lord, a gift in thy goodness and give them rest in thy mercy.”

and another six months facing the right and accomplishing their influences),

The servitors bring the two portions the one to the other,

Every one who hath received mysteries of the Light, will abide in the region up to which every one hath received mysteries,

Now, therefore, if the souls sin when they are still in the world, the retributive servitors indeed come and are witnesses of all the sins which the soul committeth, lest in sooth they should come forth out of the regions of the chaos, in order that they may convict them in the judgments which are outside the chaos.

For this cause, therefore, my disciples, grieve not, thinking that ye will not understand that mystery.

“Thereafter they lead it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it through his dark smoke and his wicked fire another three months, eight days and two hours.”

“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-æons, 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 æon, and went down to the twelve æons. The rulers of the æons pursued her and were enraged against her, because she had thought of grandeur.”

--desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries of the second space? Perchance we win the soul of that brother, and he turneth, repenteth and inheriteth the Light-kingdom.

“The Saviour answered again and said unto Mary: Amēn, amēn, I say unto thee: The man who hath known the godhead and hath received the mysteries of the Light, and sinned and hath not turned to repent, he will get suffering in the chastisements of the judgments in great sufferings and | judgments exceedingly far more in comparison with the impious and law-breaking man who hath not known the godhead.”

but they all kept in deep silence.

and looked down at the regions of the chaos and saw his demon power which is in the chaos, that no light at all was in it, because I had taken its light from it; and he saw it, that it was dark and could not go to his region, that is to the twelve moons. Thereon Adamas again remembered Pistis Sophia and became most exceedingly wroth against her, thinking that it was she who had imprisoned his power in the chaos, and thinking that it was she who had taken its light from it. And he was exceedingly embittered; he piled wrath on wrath and emanated out of himself a dark emanation

“And after three days the retributive receivers lead down that soul to the Amente of the chaos; and when they bring it down to the chaos, they hand it over to those who chastize.”

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.

This, therefore, I say unto you, knowing that I will give you the mystery of the Ineffable; that is: That mystery is I, and I am that mystery.

“Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” When then the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward and said: “My Lord, my light-man hath ears, and I have understood the whole word which thou hast spoken.”

“and he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him. So that he who hath received mysteries in the first Commandment, hath the power to go into the orders which are below him, that is into all the orders of the third [?] space; but he hath not the power to go into the height to the orders which are above him.”

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 æons mocking at her and rejoicing over her because her repentance was not accepted from her. When then she saw that they mocked at her,

This then came to pass on the fifteenth day of the moon,

Remember that I have already said unto you before I was crucified: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.'

And she went forth also from the twelve æons, 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 her, and the great lion-faced light-power devoured all the light-powers in Sophia and cleaned out her light and devoured it, and her matter was thrust into the chaos; it became a lion-faced ruler in the chaos, of which one half is fire and the other darkness,--that is Yaldabaōth, of whom I have spoken unto you many times.

and another, chaotic and evil, the violent [one], so as through them to harass Pistis Sophia. And he made a dark region in his region, so as to constrain Sophia therein.

And the counterfeiting spirit becometh witness of all the sins which the soul shall commit, in order that it may convict it in the judgments which are outside the chaos, not only that it may bear witness of them,

--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':

“Desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries [which are in the second space] or not?”

“that Mary Magdalene started forward and said: My Lord, be not wroth with me if I question thee, because we question thee concerning all with precision.”

Amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is far sooner to understand than all mysteries.

“Thereafter they lead it up unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And they lead it forth into a water which is below the sphere; | and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly.”

And the retributive receivers return unto their own regions according to the economy of the works of the rulers concerning the coming-forth of the souls.

Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us in a similitude: 'The slave who knew the will of his lord and made not ready nor did the will of his lord, will receive great blows; but he who knew not and did not, will be deserving of less. For from every one to whom more is entrusted, of him will more be demanded, and to whom much is handed over,

When then this befell, Sophia became very greatly exhausted,

“she grieved exceedingly and lifted up her voice to the height in her seventh repentance, saying: 1. O Light, I have lifted up my power unto thee, my Light. 2. On thee have I had faith. Let me not be scorned; let not the rulers of the twelve æons, who hate me, rejoice over me.”

“And the counterfeiting spirit becometh the receiver of the soul, being assigned unto it and transferring it according to the chastisement because of the sins which it hath made it commit, and is in great enmity to the soul.”

And he took many of his rulers; they pursued after Sophia, in order that the two dark emanations which Adamas had emanated, might lead her into the dark chaos which he had made, and constrain her in that region and harass her, until they should take her whole light from her, and Adamas should take the light from Pistis Sophia and give it to the two dark violent emanations, and they should carry it to the great chaos which is below and dark, | and cast it into his dark power which is chaotic, if perchance it might be able to come to his region, because it had become exceedingly dark, for I had taken its light-power from it.

“And he who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, which is the four-and-twentieth mystery from without and the head of the first space which is without,”

on the day on which it is full in the month Tybi.

“Thereafter cometh Yaluham,”

And amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is yours and every one's who will renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein.

“And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee in openness without similitude, and all concerning which thou questionest, I will say unto thee with precision and certainty. I will perfect you in all power and all fulnesses, from the interior of the interiors to the exterior of the exteriors, from that Ineffable to the darkness of darknesses, so that ye shall be called 'the fulnesses perfected in all gnoses.”

“Now, therefore, not only will ye reign with me,”

“Now, therefore, I say unto you: I will give them unto you.”

but--all the sins of the souls--it sealeth the sins and maketh them fast on to the soul, in order that all the rulers of the chastisements of the sinners may recognize it, that it is a sinning soul, and that they may know of the number of sins which it hath committed, by the seals which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it, so that it shall be chastized according to | the number of sins which it hath committed.

Where then, O Egypt, where are thy consulters and horoscope-casters and those who cry | out of the earth and those who cry out of their belly?

“And the Saviour answered and said unto John: If it is a brother who is not play-acting, but in truth longeth after God, if ye have given him many times the mysteries of the beginning and because of the necessity of the elements of the Fate he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom,”

“It came to pass then, when they pursued after Pistis Sophia,”

Let them then declare unto thee from now on the deeds which the lord Sabaōth will do!'

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,

“Now, therefore, Mary, question concerning what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it to thee with great joy and great exultation.”

“Now, therefore, hearken, my disciples and my companions and my brethren, that I may urge you on to the gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable |”

“the receiver of Sabaōth, the Adamas, bringeth the cup of forget-fulness and handeth it unto the soul; and it drinketh it and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone. And they cast it into a lame, halt and blind body. This is the chastisement of the thief.”

--he hath the power to go into all the orders which are without him;

of him much is required,'--that is, my Lord: He who knew the godhead and hath found the mysteries of the Light and hath transgressed,

“And when the soul hath finished the chastisements in the chaos according to the sins | which it hath committed,”

“This do they with all sinning souls. Now, therefore, he who shall receive the mysteries of the baptisms, then the mystery of them becometh a great, exceedingly violent, wise fire and it burneth up the sins and entereth into the soul secretly and consumeth all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it.”

“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. |”

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.

but all men who shall receive the mystery of the Ineffable, will be fellow-kings with me in my kingdom.

then forgive him, let him pass through and give him the first mystery which is in the second space. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother.

“The power then which was in the prophet Isaiah, prophesied before thou didst come,”

the counterfeiting spirit leadeth it forth out of the chaos, being assigned unto it and transferring it to every region because of the sins which it hath committed; and it leadeth it forth on the way of the rulers of the midst. And when it reacheth them, [the rulers] question it on the mysteries of the destiny;

“but he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them. And of those who have received the mysteries in the orders of the four-and-twenty mysteries, |”

they and all their æons and all their regions and all their orders, and the whole earth was agitated and all they who dwell thereon.

“4. O Light, show me thy ways, and I shall 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,”

“will be chastized in a far greater chastisement than he who hath not known the godhead. This, my Lord, is the solution of the word.”

“It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced in exceedingly great joy and exulted, and said: My Lord, will then the men of the world who have received the mysteries of the Light, |”

And when it hath finished purifying all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to the soul, it entereth into the body secretly and pursueth all the pursuers secretly and separateth them off on the side of the portion of the body.

“And Pistis Sophia cried out most exceedingly, 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. O Light of lights, in whom I have had faith from the beginning,”

“Andrew answered and said: An arrogant, overweening man, when he cometh out of the body, what will happen to him?”

“And if he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light and hath committed transgression and divers sins,”

that she cried out again and sang praises to the Light, since I had said unto her: 'If thou shalt be constrained and singest praises unto me, I will come quickly and help thee.' It came to pass then, when she was constrained,

And I am they, and they are I.

and thereafter hath turned; again and been in great repentance and hath renounced the whole world and ceased from all the sins of the world, and ye know with certainty that he doth not play-act but in truth longeth after God,

“hearken now then, O Light, unto my repentance. Save me, O Light, for evil thoughts have entered into me. 2. I gazed, O Light, into the lower parts”

and if it hath not found them, they question their destiny. And those rulers chastize that soul according to the sins of which it is guilty.

But my throne will tower over them. [And] because ye will suffer sorrows in the world beyond all men, until ye herald forth all the words which I shall speak unto you,

“Jesus said: If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Ariēl come after him and lead out his soul [out of the body] and spend three days travelling round in the world [with it] and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world.”

and let me know, O Light, that thou art my saviour. On thee will I trust the whole of my time.

that thou wouldst take away the power of the rulers of the æons and wouldst change their sphere and their Fate, in order that they might know nothing from now on.

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.