Pistis Sophia

and all the orders of every one of them.

“The first [mystery of the First Mystery],--if thou accomplishest its mystery altogether and standest and accomplishest it finely in all its figures, then dost thou come straightway out of thy body, become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, while all are in fear of that soul, until it cometh to the region of its kingdom.”

“And when she had said this, the First Mystery said unto her: Every one who shall be filled with the spirit of light to come forward and set forth the solution of what I say,--no one shall be able to prevent him. Now, therefore, O Mary, set forth then the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered.”

“Say unto them: Renounce adultery, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom and be saved from the sulphur- and pitch-seas of the lion-faced [one].”

For in sooth Yew and the guard of the region of those of the Right and Melchisedec, the great receiver of the Light, and the two great guides have come forth out of the purified and utterly pure light of the first Tree up to the fifth.

For her repentance was accepted from her through the First Mystery;

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.

“--now, therefore, my Lord, what are we to do to remove him out of the chastisements and harsh judgments?”

that it grew still more furious and emanated from itself a multitude of exceedingly violent emanations.

for his dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness, and at the end of all this he will be frozen up [?] in the chastisements and perish for ever, because he hath received the gift of the First Mystery and hath not abided in it [sc. the gift].

“2. It tore away all to itself and turned itself against the temple. “3. Dams and buildings could not hold it, nor could the art of them who hold the waters. 4. It was led over the whole land and laid hold of all. 5. They who were on the dry sand, drank;”

“and why innocence and humbleness have arisen. And that mystery knoweth why sin hath arisen”

“And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have extended themselves, standing one behind the other and moreover bound one to the other with all their orders,”

“And the ruler of the eighth dungeon,--a vulture's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called 'Laraōch.' And the ruler of the ninth dungeon,--a basilisk's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called 'Archeōch.”

“For I have said unto all men: They are to seek the mysteries of the Light-kingdom which shall purify them and make them refined and lead them into the Light. For this cause, therefore, hath John the Baptizer prophesied concerning me, saying:”

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,

iēana menaman amanēi (of heaven) israi amēn amēn soubaibai appaap amēn amēn deraarai (behind) amēn amēn sasarsartou amēn amēn koukiamin miai amēn amēn iai iai touap amēn amēn amēn main mari mariē marei amēn amēn amēn.

“and give heed, O Light, to my repentance. 3. For my power is filled up with | darkness, and my light hath gone down into the chaos.”

Again he drew a power out of the Pistis the Sophia daughter of Barbēlō and bound it to Aphroditē.

“The second mystery of the First Mystery, on the other hand,--| if thou accomplishest it finely in all its figures,--the man, therefore, who shall accomplish its mystery, if he speaketh that mystery over the head of any man who goeth forth out of the body, and he speaketh it into his two ears, if indeed the man who goeth forth out of the body hath received mysteries for the second time and is sharing in the word of truth,”

--then the rulers of the region of that head give the old soul a cup of forgetfulness out of the seed of wickedness, filled with all the different desires and all forgetfulness.

and he is a god who hath found these words of the mysteries of the second space, which is in the midst;

“Say unto them: Renounce murder, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the crocodile-faced ruler,--this one who is in the cold, | is the first chamber of the outer darkness.”

“24. Pour out thy anger upon them, and let the wrath of thy anger lay hold upon them.”

And Jesus had not told his disciples

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.

“that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: It came to pass then after all this, that I took Pistis Sophia and led her into the thirteenth æon, shining most exceedingly, there being no measure for the light which was about me. I entered into the region of the four-and-twenty invisibles, shining most exceedingly.”

“and that mystery sent me a great light-power out of the height, that I might help Pistis Sophia | and lead her up out of the chaos. So I looked towards the æons into the height and saw that light-power which the First Mystery had sent me, that I might save Pistis Sophia out of the chaos. It came to pass, therefore, when I had seen it, coming forth from the æons and hastening down to me,--I was above the chaos,--that another light-power went forth out of me, that it too might help Pistis Sophia. And the light-power which had come from the height through the First Mystery, came down upon the light-power which had gone out of me; and they met together and became a great stream of light.”

“Yew in sooth is the overseer of the Light, who hath come forth first out of the pure light of the first Tree;”

“And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light; purifieth those powers and carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light,”

“When this then befell, Pistis Sophia uttered the eleventh repentance, saying: 1. Why hath the mighty power raised itself in evil?”

“and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the second Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder”

“and why purity hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why strength hath arisen”

“their thirst was quieted and quenched, when the draught from the hand of the Highest was given. 6. Blessed are the ministers of that draught, to whom the water of the Lord is entrusted. 7. They have refreshed parched lips;”

“Mary answered and said: My Lord, all men who shall receive the mysteries of the mystery of the Ineffable, and have turned again, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith, and again thereafter, when they are still in life, have turned and have repented, how many times will it be forgiven them?”

“And in the tenth dungeon is a multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dragon's heads in his authentic face. And he who is over them all is in his region with his name called Xarmarōch.”

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.

“And the First Mystery continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: It came to pass, when I had led Pistis Sophia out of the chaos,”

“Hear me, O Father, father of all fatherhood. I invoke you yourselves ye forgivers of sins, ye purifiers of iniquities. |”

“And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: Concerning this word, therefore, I have already spoken unto you at another time, but hearken that I may say it again, so that ye may be perfected in all mysteries and be called 'the perfected in every fulness.”

I indeed have baptized you with water unto repentance for forgiveness of your sins. He who cometh after me, is stronger than me. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purify his floor.

“Then Mary answered and said unto the First Mystery in the midst of the disciples: “My Lord, concerning the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, thus hath thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David: “1. I will exalt thee, O Lord, for thou hast received me, and thou hast not made glad my foes over me. 2. O Lord, my God, I cried up unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3. O Lord, thou hast led up my soul out of hell; thou hast saved me from them which have gone down into the pit.”

“4. I am myself become as the rulers of the chaos, who are gone into the darknesses below;”

And straightway, when that soul shall drink out of the cup, it forgetteth all the regions to which it hath gone, | and all the chastisements in which it hath travelled.

amēn, I say unto you: That man, if he goeth forth out of the body of matter, then will his soul become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions, until it cometh to the kingdom of that mystery.

“that she cried out again and said: “1. I am saved out of the chaos and loosed from the bonds of the darkness. I am come unto thee, O Light. 2. For thou wert light on all sides of me, saving me and helping me. 3. And the emanations of Self-willed, which fought against me, thou hast hindered through thy light,”

“And moreover he perceived that they needed a helm to steer the world and the æons of the sphere, so that they might not wreck it [the world] in their wickedness.”

“Say unto them: Renounce pitilessness and impiety, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the rulers of the outer darkness.”

“Now, therefore, all men, sinners or better who are no sinners,”

“25. Let their encampment be desolate, let there be no dweller in their habitations. 26. For they persecuted him whom thou hast smitten,”

the total expansion of the emanations of the Treasury, nor their orders, how they are extended;

“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.”

and he is a saviour and an uncontainable who hath found the words of the mysteries of the third space, which is within, and he is more excellent than the universe and like unto those who are in that third space. Because he hath found the mystery in which they are and in which they stand,--| for this cause, therefore, is he like unto them. He on the other hand who hath found the words of the mysteries which I have described unto you according to a likeness, that they are the Limbs of the Ineffable,

When then Jesus had said this unto his disciples,

Forgive the sins of the souls of these disciples who have followed me, and purify their iniquities and make them worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father,

while the servitors of all the rulers gather together all matter from them all;

“The chaff indeed he will consume with unquenchable fire, but the wheat he will gather into his barn.' The power in John hath prophesied concerning me, knowing that I would bring the mysteries into the world and purify the sins of the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, and make them into refined light and lead them into the Light.”

“2. Its plotting taketh away the light from me all the time, and as sharp iron have they taken away power | from me. 3. I chose to descend into the chaos”

they whose power was taken away, have gotten joy of heart

“and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the third Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder”

“And in the eleventh dungeon is a multitude of rulers,--and every one of them hath seven cat-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region Rōchar.”

“She uttered this repentance, saying thus: 1. On thee, O Light, have I hoped. Leave me not in the chaos; deliver me and save me according to thy gnosis.”

“The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: To every man who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable,”

And they fell into great commotion; they looked and saw Sophia, who was with me. Her they knew, but me they knew not, who I was, but held me for some sort of emanation of the Light-land.

“And when Mary had said this, the First Mystery said unto her, Well said, finely, Mary, blessed one.”

“And when the soul shall have said this, the receivers of the Light fly with it on high”

on the other hand the guard of the veil of those of the Right hath come forth out of the second Tree; and the two guides again have come forth out of the pure and utterly purified light of the third and fourth Trees of the Treasury of the Light;

“and why weakness hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why | motion of body hath arisen”

I am become as a material body, which hath no one in the height who will save it.

And that cup of the water of forgetfulness becometh body outside the soul, and it resembleth the soul in all [its] figures and maketh [itself] like it,--which is what is called the counterfeiting spirit.

“But if that man hath received no mysteries and is not sharing in the words of truth,--if he who accomplisheth that mystery, speaketh that mystery over the head of a man who cometh forth out of the body and who hath received no mysteries of the Light, and shareth not in the words of truth,”

“Say unto them: Renounce atheism, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the howling and grinding of teeth.”

not only if ye desire that they be taken out of the judgments and violent chastisements, but that they be removed into a righteous body which will find the mysteries of the godhead, so that it goeth on high and inheriteth the Light-kingdom,

nor had he told them their saviours, according to the order of every one, how they are;

He went into the Midst, drew forth a power out of the little Sabaōth, the Good, him of the Midst, and bound it to Zeus, because he is a good [regent], so that he may steer them in his goodness. And he set thus established the circling of his order, | that he should spend thirteen [? three] months in every æon confirming [it], so that he may set free all the rulers over whom he cometh, from the evil of their wickedness. And he gave him two æons, which are in face of those of Hermēs, for his dwelling.

“and added to the smart of their woundings. 27. They added iniquity to their iniquities; 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.”

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.

Melchisedec again hath come forth out of the fifth Tree; on the other hand Sabaōth, the Good, whom I have called my father, hath come forth out of Yew, the overseer of the Light.

“It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia saw her fellows, the invisibles, that she rejoiced in great joy and exulted exceedingly and desired to proclaim the wonders which I had wrought on her below in the earth of mankind, until I saved her.”

“When then Jesus had said this, Mary answered and said: My Lord, if men go to seek and they come upon the doctrines of error, I whence then are they to know whether they belong to thee or not?”

“he said: Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?” Mary started forward again and said: “My Lord, I understand what thou sayest. Concerning the solution of this word thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David in the eighty-fourth Psalm, saying: 10. Grace and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. 11. Truth sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven.”

and the servitors of all the rulers of the Fate and the servitors of the sphere which is below the æons, 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.

the father of the Treasury of the Light, for they have followed me and have kept my commandments.

“rather than to abide in the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness. 4. And they desired to lead me craftily, in order to consume my whole light.”

“and why its utility hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why poverty hath arisen and why wealth hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why the freedom [?] of the world hath arisen”

“and they have laid hold of souls, having poured in the breath, so that they should not die. 8. They have raised up limbs which were fallen; they have given power to their openness and light unto their eyes. 9. For they all have known themselves in the Lord and are saved through the water of Life eternal.”

“and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. And that mystery knoweth why the Fore-uncontainables of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder”

“2. Give heed unto me and save me. Be unto me a saviour, O 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 lion-faced 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, O Light, according to thy gnosis. 6. Thou art become wroth with them who keep watch over me and will not be able to lay hold of me utterly.”

--amēn, I say unto you: That man who hath found the words of these mysteries in divine truth, is the first in truth and like unto him [sc. the First, i.e. the Ineffable], for through those words and mysteries . . . and the universe itself standeth through that First. For this cause he who hath found the words of those mysteries, is like unto the First.

“and they could not come nigh me; for thy light was with me and saved me through thy light-stream. 4. Because in sooth the emanations of Self-willed constrained me, they took from me my power and cast me out into the chaos with no light in me. So I became as heavy-weighing matter in comparison with them. 5. And thereafter came a light-stream unto me through thee which saved me;”

not only if he transgresseth once, turneth again and repenteth, will it be forgiven, but if at any time he transgresseth, and if, when still in life, he turneth again and repenteth, without play- acting, and again if he turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any of his mysteries, then will it be forgiven him, because he hath received of the gift of the mysteries of | the Ineffable,

“And in the twelfth dungeon is an exceedingly great multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dog-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region 'Chrēmaōr.”

“And he continued | again in the discourse and said unto the disciples: “Sophia again continued in this song and said: 1. The Light hath become my saviour. 2. And it hath changed my darkness into light, and it has rent the chaos which surrounded me”

“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.”

“These six then by command of the First Mystery the last Helper hath caused to be in the region of those of the Right, for the economy of the ingathering of the upper light out of the æons of the rulers and out of the worlds and all races in them,--of every one of whom I will tell you the employment over which he hath been set in the expansion of the universe. Because, therefore, of the importance of the employment over which they have been set, |”

“it shone on my left and on my right and surrounded me on all sides of me, so that no part of me was without light. “6. And thou hast covered me with the light of thy stream and purged from me all my evil matters; and I shall be relieved of all my matters because of thy light. “7. And it is thy light-stream which hath raised me up and taken from me the emanations of Self-willed which constrained me. 8. And I | have become sure-trusting in thy light and purified light in thy stream. 9. And the emanations of Self-willed which constrained me, have withdrawn themselves from me; and I shone in thy great power, for thou savest for ever.”

--then perform the third mystery of the Ineffable | and say: Carry ye the soul of this and this man of whom we think in our hearts, carry him out of all the chastisements of the rulers and haste ye quickly to lead him before the Virgin of Light; and in every month let the Virgin of Light seal him with a higher seal, and in every month let the Virgin of Light cast him into a body which will be righteous and good, so that it goeth on high and inheriteth the Light-kingdom.

--amēn, I say unto you: That man, if he cometh forth out of the body, will be judged in no region of the rulers, nor can he be chastized in any region at all, nor will the fire touch him, because of the great mystery of the Ineffable which is with him.