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Searchable Full Text of Pistis
Sophia- A Gnostic Gospel
PISTIS
SOPHIA
A
GNOSTIC GOSPEL
A
GNOSTIC GOSPEL (WITH EXTEACTS FROM THE BOOKS OF
THE
SAVIOUE APPENDED) ORIGINALLY TRANSLATED
FROM
GREEK INTOCOPTIC AND NOW FOE THE FIRST
TIME
IN ENGLISH FROM SCHWAETZE'S LATIN VERSION
OF
THE ONLY KNOWN COPTIC MS. AND CHECKED BY
AMELINEAU'S
FRENCH VERSION
WITH
AN INTRODUCTION BY G. R. S. MEAD
The
Secret Doctrine by H P Blavatsky
Return to Searchable Text Index
The Theosophical Publishing Society
26
NEW YOBK: THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING
SOCIETY, 65 FIFTH
AVENUE
TABLE OF SUMMARIES.
INTRODUCTION.
PAGE
The documents and general literature of
Gnosticism . xvii
The method of the best Gnostic doctors ....
xxiii
Description and criticism of the MS xxv
General analysis of contents xxix
The date and authorship of the Greek original
. . xxx
The Books of the Saviour xxxi
The probable history of the treatise xxxiii
The translator's apologia .......
The work that has been previously done ....
THE FIRST BOOK OF
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Wales-------
206 Newport Road, Cardiff, Wales, UK. CF24 - !DL
PISTIS SOPHIA
Jesus hitherto instructeth his disciples
only up to the region
of the first mystery ........ 1
What the first mystery surroundeth .....
The regions of the great invisible 2
The treasure of light
The light-world 3
Jesus and his disciples are seated on the
A great light-stream descendeth on Jesus
....
It surroundeth him entirely 5
Jesus ascendeth into heaven
The confusion of the powers and the great
earthquake . . 6
The dismay of the disciples
Jesus descendeth again
The nature of his glory 7
Jesus addresseth them ........
He draweth his light unto himself ...... 8
He promiseth to tell them all things
How the vesture of light was sent unto him
.... 9
Of the souls of the disciples and their
incarnation ... 10
Of the incarnation of John the Baptist . .
. . .11
That John was Elias in a former birth 12
IV CONTENTS.
PAGE
Of his own incarnation through Mary 13
More concerning the light-powers in the
disciples .
Why they should rejoice that the time of his
investiture had
come 14
The mystery of the five words on the
vesture .... 15
The interpretation thereof 16
The three robes of light
The first vesture 17
The second vesture
The third vesture
The day of " Come unto us " 18
Jesus putteth on his vesture 19
He entereth the firmament
The powers of the firmament are amazed and
fall down and
worship him 20
He entereth the first sphere
The powers of the first sphere are amazed
and fall down and
worship him
He entereth the second sphere 21
The powers of the second sphere are amazed
and fall down
and worship him
He entereth the aeons 22
The powers of the aeons are amazed and fall
down and wor-
ship him
Adamas and the tyrants fight against the
light ... 23
He taketh from them a third of their power
.... 24
He changeth the motion of their spheres
....
Mary asketh and receiveth permission to
speak ... 25
Mary interpreted the above from the words
of Isaiah . . 26
Jesus commendeth Mary. She further questioneth
him on
the changing of the spheres 28
Jesus oxplaineth further the conversion of
the spheres . . 29
Philip questioneth Jesus 31
Why the path of the aeons was changed 32
Mary questioneth him again 33
The coming of Melchisedcc 34
Of the fabrication of the souls of men
The rulers devour their matter so that
souls may not be fabri-
cated 36
Adamas and the tyrants battle against the
light-vesture . . 37
Jesus taketh from them a third of their
power and changeth
their course 38
They no more have the power of devouring
their matter . 39
The powers adore the light-vesture 40
CONTENTS. V
PAGE
The tyrants become as the dead 41
Jesus entereth the thirteenth aeon and
findeth Pistia Sophia 42
Sophia and her fellow-powers behold the
light
Mary desireth to hear the story of Sophia
.... 48
The rulers hate her for ceasing in their
mystery ... 44
Arrogant uniteth himself with the rulers of
the twelve seons
and emanateth a lion-faced power to plague
Sophia . . 45
Sophia taketh the lion-faced power of
Arrogant for the true
light 46
She descendeth to the twelve aeons and
thence into chaos
The emanations of Arrogant squeeze the
light-powers out of
Sophia 47
The first repentonce of Sophia
Mary interpreted the first repentance from
Psalm Ixviii. . 52
The second repentance of Sophia 55
Peter complaineth of Mary 57
Peter interpreteth the second repentance
from Psalm Ixx. . 58
Jesus promiseth to perfect the disciples in
all things . . 59
The third repentance of Sophia 60
Martha asketh and receiveth permission to
speak .
Martha interpreteth the third repentance
from Psalm Ixix. . 61
The fourth repentance of Sophia 62
John asketh and receiveth permission to
speak ... 64
John interpreteth the repentance^from Psalm
ci. . . 65
Jesus cominendeth John ........ 66
The emanations of Arrogant again squeeze
the light out of
Sophia 67
The fifth repentance of Sophia
Philip, the scribe, complaineth 69
Jesus explaineth that the appointed scribes
are Philip and
Thomas and Matthew 70
Mary interproteth the words of Jesus
concerning the three
witnesses
Philip is now given permission to speak 71
Philip interproteth the fifth repentance
from Psalm xlvii. . 72
Philip is commended and continueth writing
.... 73
The sixth repentance of Sophia 74
Andrew interpreteth the sixth repentance
from Psalm cxxix. . 75
Jesus cominendeth Andrew. He promiseth that
the tyrants
shall be judged and consumed by the fire of
wisdom
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus 76
The repentance of Sophia is not yet
accepted. She is mocked
by the aeons 77
The seventh repentance of Sophia 78
VI CONTENTS.
PAGE
Thomas interpreteth the seventh repentance
from Psalm
xxiv 80
Jesus commendeth Thomas 82
Jesus leadeth Sophia to a less confined
region, hut without
the command of the first mystery
The emanations of Arrogant cease for a time
to constrain
Sophia 83
The eighth repentance of Sophia 84
The emanations of Arrogant constrain her
again ... 85
She continueth her repentance
Matthew interpreteth the repentance from
Psalm xxx. . . 87
Jesus commendeth Matthew, and promiseth his
disciples that
they shall sit on thrones with him 88
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus 89
The ninth repentance of Sophia
James interpreteth the repentance from
Psalm xxxiv. . . 93
Jesus commendeth James, and promiseth the
first place unto
the disciples 95
Mary interpreteth the words of Jesus 96
The repentance of Sophia is accepted. Jesus
is sent to help
her
The tenth repentance of Sophia 98
Peter interpreteth the repentance from
Psalm cxix.
Jesus commendeth Peter 99
The eleventh repentance of Sophia
Arrogant aideth his emanations, and they
again constrain
Sophia 102
The twelfth repentance of Sophia 103
Andrew interpreteth the repentance from
Psabn cviii. . . 105
The thirteenth repentance of Sophia 108
Martha interpreteth the repentance from
Psalm 1. . . . 109
Jesus sendeth forth a light-power to aid
Sophia
Sophia uttereth a song of praise 110
Salome interpreteth the song of Sophia from
the Odes of
Solomon 112
The power sent by Jesus formeth a crown of
light on Sophia's
head . . -
Sophia uttereth another song of praise 113
Mary, the mother, asketh and receiveth
permission to speak . 114
Mary, the mother, interpreteth the song of
Sophia from the
nineteenth Ode of Solomon 115
Jesus commendeth his mother
The statute of the first mystery is fulfilled
for taking Sophia
entirely out of chaos
CONTENTS. Vll
PAGE
The first mystery and Jesus send forth two
streams of light-
powers to help Sophia 116
Mary interpreteth the mystery
Mary, the mother, further interpreteth the
scripture . . 118
The story of the phantom spirit
Of the spiritual and material hodies of
Jesus .... 119
The other Mary further interpreteth the
same scripture from
the baptism of Jesus 121
Mary, the mother, again further
interpreteth the same
scripture from the meeting of herself with
mother of John the Baptist 122
Of the incarnation of Jesus
THE NOTE OF A SCRIBE.
A note by a later hand 128
THE SECOND BOOK OF
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Wales-------
206 Newport Road, Cardiff, Wales, UK. CF24 - !DL
PISTIS SOPHIA
John further explaineth the same scripture
.... 125
Of Saba6th, Barb&o, labraoth and the
light-vesture . . 126
Gabriel and Michael are summoned to help
Pistis Sophia . 127
The light-stream rostoreth the light-powers
into Sophia . . 128
The light-stream, having accomplished its
purpose, departeth
from Sophia 129
Peter interpreteth the narrative from the
Odes of Solomon . 130
The emanations of Arrogant cry aloud to him
for help . . 134
He sendeth forth another more violent
power, like unto a
winged arrow 135
The creation of the serpent, basilisk and
dragon powers .
The dffimonial power of Adamas dasheth
Sophia to the ground 186
Sophia again crieth to the light 137
Gabriel and Michael and the light-stream
again go to her aid .
The transfiguration of Sophia 138
Jesus, the first mystery, looking without,
causeth Sophia to
triumph 139
James interpreteth the narrative from Psalm
xc. . . . 140
Sophia bingeth a song of praise 147
Thomas interpretcth the song of Sophia from
the Odes of
Solomon 149
Sophia singeth another song of praise 153
Matthew interpreteth the song of Sophia
from the Odes of
Solomon 155
Sophia continueth to sing 160
Vlll CONTENTS.
PAGE
Mary is afraid of Peter 160
Mary interpreted the song of Sophia from
the Psalms . . 161
Sophia continueth her song 162
Martha interpreteth from the Psalms
Sophia continueth her song
Mary iuterpreteth from the Psalms 163
Sophia is led to a region below the
thirteenth 83on and given
a new mystery 164
She continueth her song
Andrew interpreteth from the Psalms 166
The conversation of Sophia and the Light
.... 166
The Light promiseth to seal the regions of
Arrogant . . 167
How Sophia shall know that the time of her
final deliverance
hath como
What shall come to pass at that time 168
The time for the final deliverance of
Sophia is fulfilled . . 169
Adanias sondeth forth two emanations of
darkness to plague
Sophia 170
Sophia again singcth a song to the Light .
. . .171
James interpreteth the song from Psalm vii
173
Sophia addresseth Adamas and his rulers
.... 174
Sophia yet again singeth to the Light 175
Martha interpreteth the words of Sophia
from Psalm vii. . 176
Jesus bringeth Sophia again to the
thirteenth a?on .
Sophia singeth the praises of the Light to
her fellow-invisibles 177
Philip interpreteth the song from Psalm cvi
180
Mary questioneth Jesus 182
Of the four and twenty invisibles ......
184
Of the twelve aeons 186
Of the thirteenth jpon ........
Of the midst 187
Of the right
Of the treasure
Of the inheritance 188
Mary again questioneth Jesus 189
Of the twelve saviours and their regions in
the inheritance . 190
Of the ascension of them of the treasure
into the inheritance . 192
Of their respective ranks in the kingdom
193
Of the powers of the light and their
emanation and ascension
Of the powers of the midst and their
ascension . . . 194
But this shall not take place till the end
of the aeon . . 195
Of the ascension of the souls of the
perfect . . . .196
Of the rank of the souls of the perfect 197
Mary interpreteth the narrative from the
Scriptures . . 198
CONTENTS. IX
PAGE
Of the last supporter 199
That the region beyond the supporters is
indescribable . . 200
Mary further questioneth Jesus 201
Of the second supporter
Of the third, fourth, and fifth supporters
202
Mary again questioneth Jesus
Of them that receive the mystery in the
last supporter . . 203
John questioneth Jesus 204
Of the first statute
Of the first space 205
Of the second space
Of the third space
Of the tri'-spirituals in the third space,
i.e., the first space of
the ineffable 206
Of the absolute mystery
Of the gnosis of the absolute mystery 207
The gnosis of the mystery of the ineffable
continued . . 210
Of the hierarchies of powers 212
The disciples lose courage 215
Jesus cxplaineth that that mystery is
really simpler than all
mysteries 216
Of the fission and emanation of the powers
of the pleroma . 218
Of them of the second space of the
ineffable ....
Of them of the first space of the ineffable
. . . .221
Jesus promise th to explain further all in
detail . . . 223
Of the mystery succinctly
Of the one and only word of the ineffable
.... 224
Of the ascension of the soul of him who
shall receive the abso-
lute mystery 225
Of tho rank of such a soul 226
Such souls are " christs," and
shall be kings in the kingdom 228
Of the dignity of the thrones in the
kingdom .... 229
Of the gnosis of the word of the ineffable
.... 230
Of the distinction between the absolute
gnosis and the mys-
teries of light 231
Of the ascension of the souls of them that
receive the twelve
mysteries of the first mystery 233
Mary questioneth Jesus 235
Of the three mysteries and five mysteries
....
Of tho first of the three mysteries 236
Of the second of the three mysteries
Of its efficacy with regard to the
uninitiated . . . .237
Of the third of the three mysteries 238
Of its efficacy with regard to the
uninitiated .... 239
X CONTENTS.
PAGE
Further concerning the three and five
mysteries . . . 239
Of the one and only mystery 240
Of the mysteries of the second space 241
Of the mystery of the third space, the
first from without
Of the reign of a thousand years of light
242
What is a year of the light
Of them of the first space in the kingdom
of the thousand
years 248
Of them of the second space 244
Of them of the third space, the first from
without .
Of the Books of leou 245
Andrew questioneth Jesus 246
That all men are potentially all powers 247
As to how men differ from the powers
Of the purifying mysteries 248
That all who are purified shall be saved
250
That finally they shall be higher than all
powers ,
Jesus pardoneth the ignorance of Andrew
.... 251
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR.
Of the members of the ineffable 252
Jesus the great initiator is all the
mysteries ....
Of the dignity of them who are initiated
into the mysteries . 253
THE SECOND BOOK OF PISTIS SOPHIA
(CONTINUED).
Of the preaching of the disciples 254
What men should avoid
What men should practise 259
Unto such the mysteries of light are to be
given . . . 260
The mysteries are for the remission of sins
.... 261
Mary again questioneth Jesus
Of the soul of the righteous man who is not
initiated when it
passeth from the body
John questioneth Jesus 263
Of the initiated who sinneth and repcnteth
until seven times 265
A former saying explained
Of the reward of the savers of souls
John continueth his questioning 266
That the mysteries shall be given unto a
repentant brother
even up to the three of the second space
....
The limit of the power of the disciples to
remit sins . , 268
A former saying explained
CONTENTS. xi
PAGE
Of the absolute mystery of the remission of
sins . . . 269
John contimieth his questioning
The teaching with regard to sinners who
receive the mysteries
further extended 270
John continueth his questioning 272
Of hypocrites who receive the mysteries 273
A former saying explained 274
Mary again questioneth Jesus 275
How the souls of them that have passed from
the body may
be helped by those on earth 276
Mary continueth her questioning 277
How an initiate can escape from the death
of the body with -
out pain
Mary continueth her questioning 279
The mystery of the resurrection of the dead
....
The disciples became frenzied at the
sublimity of the teaching 280
How the disciples shall preach
What mysteries they shall give 281
The mystery of the resurrection not to be
given to any .
Of the constitution of man 282
Of the counterfeit of the spirit 283
The state of the sinful soul after death
284
How a sinful soul is brought back to
rebirth .... 285
Of the glorious ascension after death of
the righteous soul
that hath received the mysteries 286
Of the state after death of one that hath
received the mysteries
and yet hath transgressed 288
The apology of the rulers of the midst 290
The apology of the rulers of the fate
Of the ascension of that soul into the
inheritance . . . 291
Mary interpreteth the teaching from former
sayings . . 292
The piece of money that was brought unto
Jesus . . . 293
A baying of Paul 294
The foes of one's own house
A saying concerning rebirth 295
Mary continueth to question Jesus 297
Of the workmen of wrath 298
How the soul of the sinner is stamped with
its sins . . 299
How the baptisms purify sins
The separation of the " principles
" by the mystery of baptism 300
Mary interpreteth the same from a former
saying .
Mary further questioneth Jesus 302
Of the remission of sins according to the
mysteries
Mary interpreteth the same from the Psalms
.... 303
Xll CONTENTS.
PAGE
Of the forgiveness oven unto twelve times
of them who have
received the mystery of the first mystery
.... 304
Of such initiated who die without
repentance .... 305
Of the unending forgiveness of them that
have received the
mystery of the ineffable 306
Of such initiated who die without repentance
.... 307
Mary interpreteth the same from a former
saying .
Of the absolute compassion of the absolute
mystery . . 309
That the initiated are watched over in
passing from the body
Mary intcrpreteth the same from a former
saying . . . 310
If even men on earth are compassionate, how
much more then
the highest mystery 311
Jesus trieth Peter 312
Mary interpreteth the incident from a
former saying . . 313
In the case of repentance only higher
mysteries than those
previously received can remit sins 314
There is no limit to the number of
mysteries the faithful may
receive .......... 315
The fate of the initiated who sinneth is
more terrible than that
of the ignorant sinner ....... 31G
Mary interpreteth the same from a former
saying .
Of them who procrastinate, saying they have
many births
before them 317
They who procrastinate are excluded from
the light . . 318
Their entreaties at the gates of light
Mary interpreteth the same 319
Of the dragon of outer darkness ...... 320
Of the rulers of the twelve dungeons and
their names
Of the doors of the dungeons 322
The angels that watch at the doors ......
What souls pass into the dragon, and how
....
The nature of the names of the dragons
..... 323
Of the severity of the torments of the
dragon .... 324
Of the various degrees of the fires of the
torments .
The disciples bewail the fate of sinueis
..... 325
Mary further questioneth Jesus
How to save the souls of the uninitiated
after death . . 326
How the mystery will even save them that
have no more
chance of rebirth ........ 327
Of the light-streams 329
Mary pleadeth for them who have neglected
the mysteries . 330
Of the efficacy of the names of the twelve
rulers of the dun-
geons 332
The souls who know the names escape from
the dragons and
are taken to leou 333
CONTENTS.
Of their subsequent fate
Mary interpreted the same from a former
saying , . . 335
Of the light of the sun and the darkness of
the dragon
Of the rulers of the fate and the draught
of oblivion . . 336
The meaning of the term " counterfeit
of the spirit " . . 337
Of the fashioning of a new soul ......
Of the inbreathing of the power ...... 333
Jesus promiseth to reveal all in detail
..... 339
The teaching as to the light-power and
counterfeit of the
spirit summarised ........ 340
Who are the " parents " we are to
abandon .... 341
Salome is in doubt as to the matter ......
Mary removeth the doubt of Salome ..... 342
Of the charge given unto the counterfeit of
the spirit . . 343
Of the charge given unto the builders .....
344
Of the embryonic stages of incarnation
..... 345
Of the karmic compulsion of the parents
..... 346
The occult process of gestation .......
Of the incarnation of the " principles
" ..... 347
Occult physiognomy .........
Of the nature of the destiny ....... 349
Of how a man comcth by his death ......
There is no escape from destiny ...... 350
Of the nature of the mysteries .......
The mysteries are for all men ....... 351
A prophecy of John the Baptist ...... 352
The criterion of orthodoxy ....... 353
The Books of leou .........
Few only will really comprehend the
mysteries . . . 354
No soul had entered into the light before
the coming of the
first mystery ......... 355
None of the prophets had been initiated
.....
The patriarchs have not yet entered into
the light . . . 356
Of the souls of the righteous from Adam to
Jesus .
The disciples know of a surety that Jesus
is the Great
Initiator .......... 357
EXTEACT FROM THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR.
The disciples ask a boon of Jesus 359
The prayer of Jesus
The grouping of the disciples
The interpretation of the word ia& 359
He prayeth for a boon to be given to his
disciples .
XIV CONTENTS.
PAGE
He commandeth the veils of the heavens to
be withdrawn . 359
The figure of the disk of the sun 360
The figure of the disk of the moon
Jesus and the disciples are transported to
the ways of the
midst
Of the repentant and unrepentant rulers
Of the hierarchies of the rulers and the
names of their five
regents 361
Of the powers that leou infused into the
five regents . . 362
Of the functions of Zeus, the chief regent
....
The mystery names of the regents 363
Mary questioneth Jesus on the ways of the
midst .
Of the mysteries which Jesus will give unto
his disciples . 364
Of the constitution of the ways of the
midst .... 365
Of the regent of the first dsemonial
hierarchy ....
Of leou and Melchisedec 366
How the dsemonial rulers carry off souls
367
The length of their torments
Of the time when souls are freed from the
torments of their
rulers 368
The regent of the second dsemonial
hierarchy ....
The length of their torments 369
Of the time when souls are freed from their
torments
The regent of the third dasmonial hierarchy
....
The length of their torments 370
Of the time when souls are freed from their
torments
The regent of the fourth dcemonial
hierarchy .... 371
The length of their torments
Of the time when souls are freed from their
torments
The regent of the fifth daemonial hierarchy
.... 372
The length of their torments
Of the time when souls are freed from their
torments . . 373
The disciples beseech Jesus to have mercy
upon sinners
Jesus encourageth his disciples 374
Jesus and his disciples ascend higher
He breatheth on their eyes
Their eyes are opened 375
Jesus explaineth the vision of fire and
water, and wine and
blood
The same further explained from former
sayings . . . 376
Jesus and his disciples descend to the
earth ....
Jesus promiseth to give them the mystery of
remission . . 377
The mystic sacrament
The sacramental invocation 378
CONTENTS. XV
PAGE
The rite is consummated 379
Directions as to the future use of the rite
.... 880
Of three other great rites
Of the highest of all mysteries and of the
great name
Of the efficacy of that name 381
The punishment of him that curseth .....
382
Of the punishment of the slanderer 383
The punishment of the murderer ...... 385
Peter protesteth against the women 386
The punishment of the contemptuous .....
387
The'.punishment of the blasphemer 389
The punishment of him that hath intercourse
with males
The punishment of a foul act of sorcery
..... 390
Of the after-death state of the righteous
391
The cup of wisdom ......... 392
A man suffereth for each separate sin
Even the greatest of sinners, if he repent,
shall inherit the
kingdom 393
Of the time favourable for the birth of
thorn who shall find
the mysteries
The disciples beseech Jesus to have mercy
upon them . . 394
The preaching of the disciples .......
INTRODUCTION.
IT is with somewhat of the feelings of one
setting forth
on a forlorn hope that the writer ventures
to T ^ do
plunge into the chaos of syncretism
generally ments
classified under the vague term Gnosticism.
a ^ cral
Indeed no subject connected with the
history literature
of religion is fraught with greater
difficulty, as f s ^ nosti "
may be seen from the comparative paucity of
general works on Gnosticism from the pens
of European
scholars. In fact the English reader,
outside of a few
translations, must content himself with
Lectures, MansePs Gnostic Heresies,
Norton's History of the
Gnostics, King's Gnostics and their
Remains, and an article
by Salmon.
Not only did the persecution of the early
Gnostics cause
the loss of nearly all their documents, but
also some of the
most important writings of the Fathers,
which might have
thrown more light on the subject, have
disappeared ; among
these may be mentioned the Syntagma of
Justin, and the
Syntagma of Hippolytus.
Our chief authorities among the Fathers are
Justin Martyr,
Irenfeus, Clement of
lytus, Thilastcr, Epiphanius, Jerome and
Theodoret. But
as all, with the solitary exception of
Hippolytus, quote the
Gnostic documents in the briefest possible
manner, and
devote almost all their space to the refu
tation of heretical
opinions, it is exceedingly difficult to
make out from such
controversial writings what the real views
of the various
Gnostic schools were ; and this in spite of
the immense
labour and acumen which have been brought
to the task
b
XV111 INTEODUCTION.
by such raen as Massuet, Beausobre and
Mosheim in the
last century, and in the present by
Neander, Matter, Baur,
Moller, Lipsius and others who will be
mentioned later.
(The general literature of the subject
consists of the
Church Histories of Neander, Baur and
Sehaff ; Neander :
Genet. Entw. d. Gnost, Tub., 1831 ;
Lectures on Heresies of the Apost. Age,
Oxf., 1830; Mohler:
Ursprung d. Gnost., Tub., 1831 ; Baur : D.
christl. Gnosis,
Tub., 1835; Norton: Hist, of the Gnostics,
Boat., 1845;
Moller : Gesch. d. Kosmologie,
Gnosticismus, Leip., 1860; Harnack : Zur
Quellcncritik d.
Gesch. d. Gnost., Leip., 1873^ Mansel :
Gnostic Heresies,
Lond., 1875.)
In fact, research into this obscure subject
has given
rise to one of the most brilliant feats of
scholarship on
record. This was achieved by R. A. Lipsius,
the learned
professor of divinity in the
Quellencritik des Epiphanios (1865). From
the accounts
of Epiphanius and Philaster he reconstructs
to some ex-
tent the lost Syntagma of Hippolytus, of
which a description
is given by Photius. This treatise was
founded on certain
discourses of Ireiueus. By comparing
Philaster, Epiphanius,
and the Pseudo-Tortullian, he recovers Hippolytus
; and by
comparing his restored Hippolytus with
Irenams he infers
a common authority, probably the lost
Syntagma of Justin,
or, as I ventured to suggest in my essay on
Simon Magus
(1892 ; p. 41), the work from which Justin
obtained his
information.
This brilliant attempt was owing to the
revival of interest
in Gnostic studies aroused by a lucky find.
In 1842
Minoides Mynas, a learned Greek, sent on a
literary mission
by the French government, discovered what
is said to be a
fourteenth century MS. in one of the
monasteries on Mount
Athos. This purported to be a Refutation of
all Heresies
in ten books, the first three and a half of
which were un-
fortunately missing. Emmanuel Miller
published the first
edition of this literary treasure at
INTRODUCTION. XIX
erroneously attributing it to Origen.
Further research,
however, demonstrated beyond a doubt that
the author was
Hipppljtus Romanus, Bishop of Ostia, in the
first quarter
of the third century. (See Bunsen,
Hippolytus and His Age,
1852 ; Dollinger, Hippolytus und Kallistus,
1853, of which
there is an English translation by Plummer
; and Words-
worth, St. Hippolytus and the Church of
Rome, 1880, 2nd
ed.) As this treatise, entitled
Philosophumena or the Refu-
tation of all Heresies, iw by far the most
important work on
Gnosticism from the pen of any Church
Father, owing to
its lengthy quotations from original
Gnostic documents, it
may be useful to state hei^ that in 1859
Duncker, after
Schneidewin's death, edited and published
his colleague's
excellent text and moderate Latin
translation at
in 1860 Cruice published a less reliable
text and Latin
translation at
a passable translation by J. H. Macmahon in
the Aute-
Niceiie Christian Library entitled The
Writings of Hippo-
lytuis, vol. i., 1868.
Curiously enough it was in the same year in
which the
text of the Philosophumena was published,
1851, that our
present document, Pistis Sophia, was first
brought into
general notice.
Of Gnostic works that have come down to us,
undoubtedly
the most valuable is the Coptic codex, of
which we are
treating in the present work. In fact, the
only other im-
portant relic of the Gnosis which is so far
known to have
withstood the ravages of time and escaped
the destruction
of Christian and Mohammedan vandalism, is
the Coptic
papyrus, known as the Codex Brucianus and
preserved in the
Bodleian at
In the same library there is also another
Coptic MS., a
small quarto of 236 pages, entitled
Treatise on the Mysteries
of the Greek Letters, to which an Arabic
translation is
appended. The author was a priest called
Atasius, who,
somewhat in the fashion of the Gnostic
doctor Marcus,
deduces from the form of the letters of the
Greek alphabet
XX INTBODUCTION.
and the meaning of their names, the
development of the
dogmas of creation, providence and
redemption, as Dulaurior
tells us (op. inf. cit., p. 538). Dulaurier
in 1847 promised to
publish the text and a French translation
of this work, but
his labours have never seen the light.
To this may be added, as connected with the
magical side
of the subject, some Greek Papyri mostly in
fragments.
Two of the Leyden Papyri of the third
century have
recently been edited, translated, and
commentated upon
by A. Dieterich (Abraxas : Studien zur
Religionsgeschichte
des Spatorn Altertums ;
Parisian Papyri, of the third or fourth
century, have been
edited by Wessely ; in 18. r >2 C. W.
Goodwin also did some
good work on the subject (Fragment of a
Gra?co-Kgyptian
Work upon Magic from a Papyrus in the
Goodwin edited, translated and annotated
this fragment).
Aim'linoiu (P. S., Intr. iv.) says that
Rossi (F.), the
Egyptologist of Turin, has published a
papyrus containing
an invocation similar to those in the
Pistis Sophia, but I
have not been able to find this work. It is
not in I Papyri
Copti
and translated (Turin, 1887-1892).
There is also a short Hebrew treatise, The
Sword of
Moses (CM.,
(Master's text and translation, Journal of
Royal Asiatic
Society, 1896, i. and ii.).
The above magical works, however, arc more
connected
with the superstitions of sorcery than with
magic proper,
and when attached to Gnosticism
characterise its degrada-
tion in the hands of the superstitious and
ignorant.
We may also mention the Codex Nazarams,
although it
is said at earliest to be post-Mohammedan,
of which there
are no less than four MS, copies, dated
respectively 15GO,
1632, 1688 and 1730, in the Bibliothcuue
Nationale alone.
This Codex is the scripture of the
so-called Sahacana, or
Christians of St. John, or Mandaites, and
is known aa
INTEODUCTION. xxi
Sidra Adam or The Book of Adam. The text,
in a strange
Chald30-Syrinc idiom, was first published
at
1816), by Matth. Norberg, the learned
Swede, together
with a vocabulary and a Latin translation,
in four quarto
volumes. There is also a French translation
by F. Tempes-
tini in Mignc's Dictionnaire des Apocryphes
(185G). Compare
also the thesis, Stclkc Nasaneorum /Eoncs
ex Sacro Gent is
Codice, by Olof Svanander, presumably a
pupil of Norberg
(
Finally we may mention the .Ethiopic
Enochian litera-
ture. In 1773 Bruce brought back from
copies of the /
Archbishop Laurence issued a translation in
1821 (2nd ed.,
1833 ; 3rd, 1838), under the title The Book
of Enoch.
Hoffman published a German translation, Das
Buch Henoch
(
1840) ; Dillmann a critical text and also a
German version
(Leip/ig, 1S51 ; 2nd ed., 1853); Migne's
Dictioimahv des
Apocryphes (1856) contains an anonymous
French transla-
tion ; there is also an anonymous reprint
of Laurence's
translation, with a controversial
introduction (
1883); and finally Charles recently (1893)
published an
English translation from Dillmann's text.
This year Charles
has also published The Book of the Secrets
of Enoch (Oxford),
a translation from Slavonic, which presents
us with a new
tradition entirely, namely, the Slavonic
Enoch, from a Greek
original which he places from B.C. 30 to
A.D. 70, the Greek
having in its turn a Hebrew background of a
still earlier
date. In an Appendix is a translation from
the Slavonic of
a fragment of Melchisedecian literature.
For more than
1200 years this version of Enoch has been
unknown save in
Russia, and in Western Europe >\as not
known to exist
even in Kussia till 1892.
Outside of apocryphal scriptures and the ^
orld-biblcs,
these arc all the documents connected
directly or indirectly
with the Gnosis, which, to my knowledge, we
possess ; and,
in spite of the good work that has been
done since 1850,
INTRODUCTION.
the chaos of Gnosticism still remains to a
large extent in-
tractable, refusing to submit to the
ordering of even the
most praiseworthy and painstaking industry
.
Nor is the reason of this ill-success
mostly due to the
paucity of material, but rather to the
intrinsic difficulty of
the subject itself, which is not only
replete with the most
involved mysticism, but also bound up with
magic and
mystery and occasionally sorcery of every
kind. It is,
therefore, not a matter of gre"at
surprise, when we remember
thefabsojute disbelief of scholarship in
magic of any kind,
and the distaste of the present age for
everything connected
with mysticism, to find that no single
writer on the subject,
except perhaps King in a very feeble
fashion, has really
grappled with the problem. The point of
view of the most
liberal-minded scholars with regard to this
tabooed subject
may be seen from the remarks of Dr.
(taster, who would
have magic treated after the fashion of
folklore. The
translator of The Sword of Moses in the
second paragraph
of his introduction Hoc. sup. cit.) writes
: " it is remarkable
that we do not possess a good work, or
exhaustive study,
on the history and development of magic. It
is true that
we find allusions to it, and sometimes
special chapters
devoted to the charms and incantations and
other super-
stitious customs prevailing among various
nations in books
dealing with such nations. But a
comprehensive study
of magic is still a pious (or impious)
wish." And, even
were such a task attempted by some
venturesome scholar,
the result, we may venture to suggest,
would at best be
merely a guess-work compilation, and of no
real value,
unless the compiler in addition to his
scholarship had not
only a belief in but also a knowledge of
the art.
To treat of Gnosticism, then, in a really
comprehensible
manner, requires not only a writer who at
least believes
in the possibilities of magic, but also a
mystic or at least
one who is in sympathy with mysticism a person
difficult
to find nowadays, when the very names of
magic and
mysticism evoke nothing but a smile of
contempt and
INTRODUCTION . xxiii
a frown of disapproval from the world of
science and
letters.
The present Introduction, however, is only
concerned
with the purely historical and critical
side of the subject,
and even this is restricted to the
consideration of one
document.
Though it would be highly presumptuous to
endeavour
to define Gnosticism without a previous
analysis The
and classification of the various schools,
sects method of
and offshoots which have been grouped under
Gnostic
this vague heading, we may nevertheless
venture doctors,
to suggest the probable point of view which
led the best
of the Gnostic doctors, pre-eminently
Valentinus, to compile
their various treatises. Let us then
consider the movement
about the year 150 A.D. By that time the
original Logia
or the Urevangelmm of Christianity had
disappeared, and
the Synoptic Gospels were all set, in the
framework of the
traditional life of the great Master of the
Faith. The
popular tidal-wave of the new religion had
come exclusively
from the ocean of Jewish tradition, and was
engulfing
a more universal view of Christianity in
the same flood of
intolerance and exclusiveness which had
characterised the
Hebrew nation throughout the whole of its
previous
history.
This startling phenomenon was now
attracting the
attention of minds which were not only
skilled in the
philosophy of the schools, but also imbued
with the eclectic
spirit of a universal theosophy and a
knowledge of the
inner doctrines of the ancient religions,
Such men
thought that they saw in the Christian
Gospel a similarity
of doctrine and a uni versalism which was
consanguineous
with these inner teachings of the ancient
faiths, and set to
work to endeavour to check the exclusive
and narrowing
tendencies which they saw so rapidjy
developing among
the less instructed, who made faith
superior to knowledge,
even to such an extent as to openly
cojnclemn eyjery other
form of religion and scoff at all
philosophy and education.
INTRODUCTION.
It is true that about this time such meii
arose as Clement
of
views and laid the foundations of Christian
theology, but
they were exceptions to the rule.
The Gnostic doctors could not believe that
the Jews were
the only nation in the past to whom God had
revealed
himself, and that the scriptures of the nations
were to be
cast on the dustheap of falsehood and
error. And yet they
saw that the old order of things had
received a rude shock,
and that the fierce faith which had been
aroused among the
people in the personality of Jesus, and the
social revolution
which was rushing along with leaps and
bounds under their
very eyes, could never be dammed back
again. All they
could hope to do was to turn the energy
generated into a
more universal channel. Accordingly they
used the tradi-
tional story of Jesus which had roused such
mighty enthu-
siasm, as the framework into which they
wove the u wisdom"
of the great religions. Believing, as they
did, that truth
was one, and at no time a respecter of
persons or nations ;
that all the nations had received of that
truth in proportion
to their needs and capacities, they wove
these ideas into
the Christian tradition, and compiled
gospels and apocalypses
of that veiled and mysterious wisdom which
had been
guarded so carefully in the temples
throughout the ages,
and into which they believed Jesus had been
initiated and
was in his turn an initiator. Nor did they
so much invent
these things out of their own heads as it
would appear, but
rather compiled them from, existing
scrijjtures, many of
which have since disappeared. Tliey drew
from the wisdom
of
the books of Orpheus, Pythagoras and Plato,
of the Magi
and Zorojister ; and even perhaps in some
indirect way from
those of the Brfihnmns. Their source of
information was for
the most part the Orient. : "' '''-*-
^ . / '
Believing as they did, that the orthodox
life of Jesus was
legendary and allegorical, and finding many
other legends
current which were not included in the
Synoptic account ;
INTRODUCTION. XXV
devoted to the mystic life, and making
light of the historical
side of religion, with faith alone in the
watchword " now
and within," it is evident that their
views met with little
favour among the orthodox who clung above
all things to
what they held to be the greatest fact of
all history. The
ancient wisdom, however, proved far too
difficult for
popular comprehension, and being also
misunderstood even
by the followers of the great doctors
themselves in many
cases, often degenerated into superstition
and the wildest of
speculations.
But, as we are not attempting to trace the
evolution of
the movement, but simply presenting one of
the better
sides of the endeavour, we will proceed to
a consideration of
the document we are especially interested
in, at the same
time reminding the reader that in this
Introduction only a
brief outline of the MS. will be attempted,
and all further
considerations will be postponed for a
further Commentary
which the writer has the intention of
undertaking.
The only MS. of the Pistis Sophia known to
exist was
bought by the
Dr. Askew at the end of the last century,
and is t j on ai ,<j
now catalogued as MS. Add. 5114. The title
on criticism
the back of the binding is Piste Sophia
Coptice,
and below is printed Mus. Brit. Jure
Emptionis. On the
top of the first page of the MS. is the
signature A. Askew,
M.I). On the first page of the binding is
the following note,
probably in Woide's hand : "Codex
dialecti Supcrioris ^Egypti,
quam Sahidicam seu Thebaidicam vocant, en
jus titulus
exstat pagina 115: Pinch suaou ntomos
htpiste Sophia
Touios secundus fidelis Sapient he Deest
pagina 337-344."
The title Piste Sophia is incorrect ;
nowhere is this form
found in the book, and the suggested
emendation of
Dulaurier and Renan from Pistis Sophia to
Piste Sophia
" La fidele Sagessc," has
received no support from other
scholars.
Where Askew found it or bought it, I cannot
discover.
It is not mentioned in his biography, and
the reference
XXVI INTRODUCTION.
given by Kostlin (v. i.) is unverifiable.
When the Museum
bought it is not stated. It was evidently
before the great
sale of the Askew library which lasted
twenty days in 1785,
for the Pistis Sophia is not mentioned in
the catalogue
(Bibliotheca Askeviana Manuscripta, etc.,
1785; v. Askew,
A., Cat. B.M.). The MS. is written on
vellum in Greek
uncial letters, and is in the Upper
Egyptian dialect, called
Thebaidic or Sahidic. It consists of 346
quarto pages
written in double column, and for the most
part is in an
excellent state of preservation ; several
pages, however, are
badly defaced, and a number faint. Perhaps
the most
competent expert who has yet given a
decided opinion as
to its date is Woide, whose knowledge of
such matters was
very extensive, and cannot be easily
surpassed. It was by
Woidc that the New Testament, according to
the text of
the famous Codex Alexandrinus, was edited,
in uncial types
cast to imitate those of the MS., in 1786.
In an Appendix
to this great undertaking, in 1799, he
added certain frag-
ments of the New Testament in the
Thebaico-Coptic dialect,
together with a dissertation on the Coptic
version of the
New Testament. The date of the Codex
Alexandrinus is
pretty generally assigned to the fifth
century, and with the
exception of the Codex Vaticanus and the
Codex Sinaiticus,
which are sometimes assigned to the fourth
century, is the
oldest extant MS. of the New Testament.
This being
the case, it is of interest to read Woidc's
description
and opinion of the MS. of Pistis Sophia,
which was lent to
this ripe scholar by Dr. Askew and his
heirs long enough
for him to copy it out from the first word
to the last.
Woide was, therefore, eminently fitted in
every way to form
an opinion ; in fact, no one of equal
fitness seems to have
appeared in the field since his time. In
Cramer's Beytrage
(op. inf. cit., pp. 82 sq.), Woide wrote as
follows in 1778 :
"It [P. S.J is a very old MS. in 4 to
on parchment in Greek
uncial characters, which are not so round
as those in the
Alexandrine MS. in
in Paris [Codex Regius Parisiensis, also an
Alexandrine text].
INTEODUCTION. XXV11
The characters of the MS. [P. S.] are
somewhat longer and
more angular, so that I take them to be
older than both the
latter MSS., in which the letters eta,
theta, omicron, rho
and sigma are much rounder. There are no
capital letters
in the whole book ; the letters are all
equal, only at the end
of the lines there are sometimes smaller
letters to bring the
word in. There are no other marks of
distinction than a
full stop or colon. The words are not
separated from each
other ; the paragraphs arc not
distinguished by breaks, but
by full stops. At the beginning of the
book, of the second
part and of the two appendices, the first
letter is not in
advance of the line. If the paragraph
begins with the line,
1 have sometimes, though seldom, remarked
that the first
letter is in advance of the line. If the
paragraph begins in
the middle of a line sometimes, but not
often, the first letter
of the following line is somewhat advanced.
Here and
there also a section is noted on the edge
by a mark that
looks almost like a Greek zeta, or by a
line from the edge
to above the word. If the paragraph begins
at the
beginning of the line, the marks arc on the
same line ; if
it begins in the middle of the line, they
are at the beginning
of the following line. The folios are
numbered in Greek
letters."
Thus we see that Woide places the date of
the MS. at
latest about the latter end of the fourth
century. It is also
quite evident that the whole MS. from first
to last is by the
same hand, and that it is a copj\of another
MS. There
are also a few corrections at the top or
bottom of the
columns by a hand of the same date. An
inspection of its
contents reveals the further indisputable
fact that the Coptic
text was not only a translation from a
Greek original, but
that it has preserved an enormous quantity
of the original
Greek terms without any attempt at
translation. This
may at once be seen from Schwartze's Latin
version, in
which he has also preserved these
innumerable Greek
words without translation.
The whole style of the work, moreover, is
foreign to
XXV111 INTRODUCTION.
the Coptic idiom, as may be seen from
Amelineau's Intro-
duction to his French version (p. x), where
he writes :
"Whoever has any knowledge of the
Coptic language
knows that this idiom is foreign to long
sentences ; that
it is a tongue eminently analytic and by no
means syn-
thetic ; that its sentences are composed of
small clauses
exceedingly precise, and almost independent
of each other.
Of course all Coptic authors are not
equally easy, some of
them are even exceedingly difficult to
understand ; but this
much is certain, that never under any
circumstances in
Coptic do we come across those periods with
complicated
incidental sentences, of three or four
different clauses,
whose elements are synthetically united
together so that
the sense of the entire sentence cannot be
grasped before
we arrive at the last clause. Nevertheless,
this is just
what the reader meets with in this work.
The sentences
are so entangled with incidental and
complicated propo-
sitions, that often, indeed very often, the
Coptic translator
has lost the thread, so to say, and made
main propositions
out of incidental clauses, so that we find
the continuation
of the first proposition three or four
pages further on.
This peculiarity is not calculated to
facilitate the trans-
lation of a work, the ideas in which are in
themselves very
difficult to comprehend ; the one thing
that it conclusively
proves is that the book w;is originally
written in a learned
language ; that consequently none of the
idioms spoken in
the Orient could have been the original
language in which
the work in question was conceived and
written ; that we
must accordingly choose between Greek and
Latin ; that
only one of these languages at this period,
the second
century [the date assigned to the original
by Amelineau] ,
is at all likely in Egypt, namely,
Greek."
Amelineau makes rather too much of the
abstruse nature
of the subject ; for, though many passages
are transcendent-
ally mystical, nevertheless the whole is
conceived in a
narrative or descriptive style. There is no
attempt at
philosophical argument, no involved logical
propositions ;
INTEODUCTION.
there may also be another reason, as we
shall suggest later
on, for the " losing of the
thread." Nevertheless the main
argument of this learned Coptic scholar is
unanswerable.
And not only is it evident that we are
dealing with a
translation into Coptic from Greek, but
also that
^ i i- . i . , , General
we are not dealing with a single work, but
at analysis
least with two treatises, fragments of one
of which of con '
have been in two places inserted in the
body of
the main treatise, and a larger fragment
appended at the
end of the MS. The main narrative also is
broken by
several important lacuna;, due in one case
to the loss of
several leaves of the MS., and generally to
the carelessness
of the scribe ; the MS. is, moreover,
evidently incomplete.
A general analysis of the contents reveals
the following
general outline of contents, the references
being to the
pagination of the MS. adopted in
Schwartze's text, which
is retained between brackets in the present
translation.
Pistis Sophia, Book I 1-124
Pistis Sophia, Book II. . . . 126-357
From the Books of the Saviour . . 357-390
There is, however, no title to Book 1., nor
does there
seem to be any reason why the title "
The Second Book of
Pistis Sophia " should be inserted
where it is, right in the
middle of the narrative.
Book II. ends halfway down page 357, and
the whole
subject abruptly changes with the heading,
" Extract from
the Books of the Saviour."
In addition to these three main divisions
of the MS., two
pages (253-254:), with the same heading,
" Extract from the
Books of the Saviour/' are inserted at
haphazard in the
middle of Book II. They have no reference
to what goes
before or what follows ; nor are they quite
of the same
nature as the lengthier Extract at the end
of the MS.
There is, moreover, a note which occupies
the last column
of Book I., and which has not the slightest
reference to the
rest of the narrative ; why it is inserted
in this place is a
XXX INTRODUCTION.
mystery. It was probably copied in by
mistake, or the
Coptic translator for some reason or other
added a note
from some other book, most probably one of
the Books of
the Saviour.
At the end of the MS., and after the
conclusion of the
narrative, there is an extra loaf which has
only the left-hand
column partially filled with writing. The
subject is here
again completely changed, and leads us to
suppose that
some leaves are missing before it.
Finally, at page 379 eight pages or four
leaves of the
MS. have disappeared.
A general view of the nature of the
subjects treated of
may be seen from the contents table, which
consists of the
indented summaries I have added to the
text.
The question that next arises is what was
the original
Greek work from which the Coptic
translation of
and a C the Pistis Sophia was made. I am
convinced that
author- ^ or jg ma i W as no other than the
famous Apoca-
thc P Greek lypse of Sophia, composed by
Valentinus, the most
origiual. ] earnec i doctor of the Gnosis,
who lived for thirty
years in
was also a master of the Greek language, in
which he wrote
hi* treatises. But the further
consideration of this point
must be postponed for the Commentary I
propose to write,
and in which a comparison between the
Pistis Sophia and
the rest of the fragments of the writings
of Valentinus
which have come down to us, will be
attempted. It is
sufficient to state here that this view is
supported by
Woide, Jablonski, La Croze, Scholtze,
Dulaurier, Schwartze,
Renan, Revaillaiit, Usener, and Amclineau,
the last of whom,
in his Essay on Egyptian Gnosticism and in
the introduction
to his translation of the Pistis Sophia,
has dealt at length
with the matter. The guarded opinion of
Harnack also
allows for the date of Valentinus. In his
essay on the
subject in 1891 (op. inf. cit., pp. 95
sq.), the famous Biblical
critic gives the terminus a quo as 140, and
the terminus
ad quern as 302. He bases the earliest
limit on the fact
INTRODUCTION. XXXI
that the Gospels and Pauline Epistles are
regarded in the
text as Holy Scripture, and even a passage
from the Epistle
to the Romans is quoted by the author as a
saying of Jesus
by the mouth of Paul. Now, the Pauline
writings \yere
never spoken of as Holy Scripture before
the time of
Antoninus Pius (138). The latest limit is
arrived at by the
passage about persecution on page 277,
which leads Harnack
to conjecture that the author was writing
at a time when
the Christians were still lawfully
persecuted ; but on the
other hand the author does not seem to have
written in a
persecution he had gone through. Thus
Harnack eliminates
the persecution of Maximin and arrives at
the 302 limit.
But all this is very unsatisfactory ; and
deductions made
from internal evidence, though an essential
part of the
higher criticism, arc in this case based on
too slender
premises. The method of Ameliueau, who
compares the
known fragments of Valeiitinus with the
text of Pistis
Sophia, is the only really satisfactory
test.
But what of the fragments from the Books of
the
Saviour which have been iiisertgd in and
added _to
the text of the Pistis Sophia proper ? On
pages Books
246 and 354 mention is made of certain
Books f t l ie
Saviour.
of leou, which Jesus promises to give to
his disciples
when he has finished the teaching on which
he is engaged.
In the first case, a fevs pages later on
(253) the lirst short
extract is inserted in the text, and in the
second,
almost immediately after, the Pistis Sophia
treatise is
concluded (page 357), and we find the rest
of the MS.
devoted to a far longer extract from the
Books of the Saviour.
These extracts bear a remarkable similarity
to the contents
of the Coptic Papyrus, which the famous
Scottish traveller
Bruce brought to England in 1769 from Upper
Egypt,
and bequeathed to the care of the Bodleian
Library. This
Papyrus consists of 78 leaves, each
containing from 27
to 34 lines, 29 centimetres high by 17
wide, not in roll
but in book form. It is written in Greek
characters and
is in the Thebaico-Coptic dialect like the
Pistis Sophia.
XXX11 INTBODUCTION.
Some twenty leaves at least are missing,
and even when
Bruce found it it was in a very dilapidated
condition.
It was further injured by neglect and damp
in the
Bodleian, when Woide found it and carefully
copied it.
Woide considered that it was the Egyptian
form of the
Pistis Sophia written by Valentinus in
Coptic. It is, how-
ever, evidently a translation like the
Pistis Sophia from
the Greek, and like the Pistis Sophia is
crammed full of
the Greek original technical terms.
Schwartze also copied
it. Tn 1891 Amelineau published a text and
a French
translation at Paris, and in 1892 Schmidt
published a text
and a German translation at Leipzig.
Schmidt has sorted out this puzzling chaos
of leaves
with the following results :
The Codex consists of two treatises quite
distinct in
matter and character. The first is divided
into two parts,
the two Books of Icon, under the general
title, The Book
of the Great Logos according to the Mystery
[? of IcouJ.
The second treatise has no title, and is
followed by a long
Hymn to the Gnosis, also without title. The
First Book of
leou opens with the title, "This is
the Book of the Know-
ledge of the Invisible God."
One thing is abundantly clear on every
page, namely,
that we are dealing with a MS. which
contains the ideas
of the same school as that to which the
Pistis Sophia and
the Books of the Suviour belong. In fact,
the longer Extract
from the Books of the Saviour practically
gives the same
account of the three baptisms as that found
in far greater
fulness in the Codex Brucianus.
Whether or not the Extracts from the Books
of the
Saviour appended to the MS. of the Pistis
Sophia belong
to the miswing portions of the Codex
Brucianus, or
whether the translator from the Greek
abridged some
portion of the Books of Icon to give his
readers an idea of
these books to which the text of the Pistis
Sophia had
just made reference, it is impossible to
say ; this much is
certain, that the Books of the Saviour and
the treatises of
INTRODUCTION. XXxiii
the Codex Brucianus are united by the
closest ties of con-
sanguinity, and that a commentator on the
one mast be
intimately acquainted with the contents of
the other.
The frequent mention of the name
Melchisedec through-
out the text of the Pistis Sophia reminds
us of the frag-
ment of Melchisedecian literature
translated by Charles
(v. s.), and its close connection with the
Enochian literature,
and points perhaps to one of the sources of
the Greek
original of the Books of the Saviour, and
also of Pistis
Sophia.
The disconnected column at the end of Book
I. un-
doubtedly belongs to the same collection of
writings
as the Books of the Saviour, and also the
two pages (253,
254) inserted in the middle of Book II.
Finally the odd
column at the end of the MS. may either
come from the
same source or be an unaided effort of the
translator or
scribe.
Let us now run over the probable history of
our
treatise, and suggest the accidents which
may have The pro-
befallen it before it reached the hands of
Antony t^of the
Askew. treatise.
The original Greek treatise of the Pistis
Sophia was
compiled by Valentinus in the latter half
of the second
century, perhaps in Alexandria. By
"compiled" I mean
that the Apocalypse of Sophia, or whatever
its title may
have been, was not invented from first to
last by Valentinus.
The traditional framework of the narrative,
the selection of
texts and passages from qtl^er scriptures,
Hebrew, Christian,
Egyptian, Chaldrean, ^Ethiopic, etc., or
whatever they may
have been, and the adaptation of nomenclature,
were his
share of the task ; but it is evident that
in many places he
was translating or paraphrasing himself,
and that he had
great difficulty in turning some of the
Oriental terms into
Greek, the original of the name Pistis
Sophia being not
the least difficult of such n[ \\ i\y hj'mg
left in its
present barbaric and un-Greek form.
Of this original of Valentinus doubtless
several copies
XXXiv INTRODUCTION.
were made, and mistakes may have crept in.
One of these
copies was carried up the Nile and
translated into the
vernacular, Greek being but little
understood so high up
the river. The translator was evidently not
a very accurate
person, as may be seen from his casual
insertion of scraps
from other books ; moreover, his knowledge
of the subject
was so superficial that he had to leave
many terms in the
original, and doubtless made guesses at
others. It is also
probable that he added some things and
subtracted others
on the score of orthodoxy, as may be seen
by an inspection
of the rest of the fragments of Valentinus.
The wearisome
length of the Psalms, for instance, which
Pistis Sophia
recites in her repentances, followed by the
shorter excerpts
from the Salornonic Odes, leads one to
suppose that Valen-
tinus quoted only a few striking verses
from each Psalm ;
and that the more orthodox translator, with
that love of
wearisome repetition so characteristic of
monkish piety,
added the other less apposite verses, with
which he was
very familiar, while he was compelled to
leave the Salomonic
Odes as they stood owing to his lack of
acquaintance with
the originals.
Moreover, the translator must have either
translated, or
possessed a translation of, The Books of
the Saviour and
The Books of Teou. These were also most
probably a com-
pilation of Valentinus, or perhaps The
Books of the Saviour
were a compilation of Valentinus from the
older Books of
leou, which may have belonged to the
vEthiopic Enochian
literature, for they are stated in the
Pistiw Sophia (pages
246 arid 354) to have been written down in
Enoch, and preserved from the Flood.
The MS. of the Coptic translator was copied
towards the
end of the fourth century by some ignorant copyist,
who
made many mistakes of orthography. It was
copied by
one man, as a task, and hurriedly executed
; and I should
suggest that two copies were then made and
occasionally
a page of one copy substituted for a page
of the other ; and,
as the pages were not quite exact to a word
or phrase,
INTRODUCTION. XXXV
we thus may account for some puzzling
repetitions and for
equally puzzling lacunre.
What was the history of the MS. after that
date is
almost impossible even to conjecture. Its
history must,
however, have been exciting enough for it
to have escaped
the hands of fanatics both Christian and
Mohammedan, it
was during this period also that some of
the pages, as we
have seen, were lost. May we not also hope
that
and
throw further light on this obscure but
most interesting
subject? In fact, I was told in 1891 by
Achinoff, chief of
the Free Cossacks, a resident in the
country, that the
monasteries of
ancient MSS. which would be of exceeding
great value to the
scholarship of
In presenting the following translation- to
the English-
reading public, I may say that I should not
have The
ventured on wiich an undertaking if any
Coptic
scholur had undertaken the task, or I had
heard apolo-
that such a task was contemplated. In a
matter gia -
of such difficulty every possible liability
to error should be
eliminated, and it stands to reason that
the translation of a
translation must needs be but an apology
for a first-hand
version. Nevertheless I am not without
predecessors. The
Coptic MS. itself is in the first place a
translation, so that
even Coptic scholars must give us the
translation of a
translation. I am persuaded also that the
anonymous and
imperfect French translation in the
Appendix to Migne's
Dictionnaire des Apocryphes (vol. i.) is
made from Schwartze's
Latin version and not from the Coptic text.
C. W. King
in his Gnostics and their Remains has also
translated a
number of pages of the Pistis Sophia from
Schwartze.
Some three or four years ago Mr. Nutt,
King's publisher,
sent out a notice for the publication of
the whole of King's
translation, but the project fell through.
Last year I
offered to edit this translation of King's,
but was informed
that the literary legatee of the deceased
scholar was of
XXXVI INTRODUCTION.
the opinion that it would be unfair to his
memory to publish
a MS. that was in so incomplete a
condition.
In 1890 I had already translated
Schwartze's Latin
version into English and published pages 1
to 252, with a
commentary, notes, etc., in magazine form
from April, 1890,
to April, 1891. But I hesitated to put it
forward in book
form, and should not have done so, but for
the appearance
of Ame'lineaii's French version in 1895. I
then retranslated
the whole book again and checked it by
Ani61incau's version.
1 was further induced to venture 011 this
undertaking,
because the narrative, though dealing with
mystical and
therefore obscure subjects, is in itself
exceedingly simple,
and therefore mistakes cannot so readily
creep in as into a
difficult philosophical work. I, therefore,
present my trans-
lation with all hesitation, but at the same
time think that
the English public, which is steadily
increasing its interest
in mysticism and allied subjects, will be
better satisfied with
half a loaf than with no bread.
In conclusion it only remains for me to
append a brief
Thc summary of the work that has already
been done
work on the subject. This may best be seen
by treating
beenpre- ^ from a chronological point of
view. In addition
viously to a few scattered articles in
magazines which are
not of the first importance, the chief
contributions
to the subject are :
a. 1770. Article in Brittnche Theol.
Ma^azin; st-e Kostl in infra.
b. 1773. Woide (C. A.). Article in Journal
<le .Savants.
c. 1778. Woide. Article in J. A. Cramer'n
Beylriige zur 15efo-
(lei-ung theologisther und audrer wiclitigen
Remit -
nisse (
d. 1799. Woide. Appendix ad Editionem Novi
Testament!
Grajci e Cudice MS. Alexandnno a Carol o
God-
fredo Wuide Description qua conthientur
Fragmenta
appellatur e Codicibus Oxoniensibus maxima
ex
parte Desumpta. cum Dissertatione de
Vereione
INTRODUCTION. XXXvii
Bibliorum ^E^yptiaca quibua subjictur
Codicis
Woide not only carefully copied the whole
of the MS.
but also the Codex Brucianus at
of the MS. as about the fourth century, and
considers the
writer to have been Valcntinus. He,
however, published
no work on the subject.
e. 1812. Milliter (F.). CM*, Gnosticre
Salomoni Tiibuta?, The-
buice et Latine, Prefatione et
Adnotatiouibus Philo-
logicis Illustrate* (Hafnisp).
Bishop Munter, a learned Dane, probably got
his text
from Woide's copy ; his brief pamphlet is
of no particular
importance, nevertheless it was solely upon
these few brief
selections, the seven Odes of Solomon,
that, with the ex-
ception of Dulaurier, scholars formed their
opinion of the
Pistis Sophia up to the time of the
publication of Schwartze's
work in 1851. Munter believes that the
original treatise
belongs to the second century.
/. 1843. Matter (J.). Histuire Critique du
Gnosticism^ et de son
Influence zur le^ Series religieiiHes et
philosophises
ties six premier* Sieeles de 1'fere
cliretienne (
2nd ed. ii. 41 t<q., 350 sq. The tirst
edition appeared
in 1828 and contains no reference to P. S.
In Dor-
ner's German tran^lat ion llie references
tire, n. CD w|.
and 1<>3 sq.
Matter rejects the idea of Valentinus, but
he had no
acquaintance whatever with the text and
bases himself
entirely on Woide. He states that the MS.
can scarcely
be prior to the fourth century, and (p.
352) places the date
of the original treatise between the end of
the second and
the end of the fifth. He gives no opinion
as to the school
to which it belongs.
g. 1838. Dulaurier (E). Article in the
Moniteur (27th Sept.).
h. 1847. Dulaurier. Article in the Journal
Asiatique, Quatneme
Serie, Tome ix., juin, pp. 534-548 ;
entitled 4t Notice
XXXV111 INTBODUCTION .
pur le Manuscript copte-thebain, intituld
La Fiddle
Sagesse ; et sur la Publication projet^e du
Texte et
de la Traduction franchise de ce
Manuscript."
On page 542 Dulaurier tells us that he had
made a
French translation from the Coptic in the
following words :
" The translation of the Pistis Sophia
and the glossary
which forms a complement to it are
finished, and will be
sent to the printers, when I have convinced
myself that I
have fulfilled the requirements that this
task imposes, taking
into consideration the present state of
science and my own
capabilities. The MS. from which I have
made my transla-
tion is a copy which I have taken from the
original, during
my stay in
MM. de Salvandy and Villemaiu, successive
ministers of
public instruction, with the commission of
proceeding to
how r ever, did not publish his labours,
nor have I as yet
come across any record of the fate of his
MSS. He ascribes
the treatise to Valentino*.
i. 1851. Schwartze (M. G.). Pisti^ Sophia,
Opus Gnosticnm
Valentino adjudication, e Codice
Manuscripto
Coptico Londmensi descriptum, Latine vertit
M. (T. Schwartze, edidit J. II. Peterinann
(Bero-
lini).
Schwartze died at an early age before the
completion of
his labours on the Pistis Sophia, and the
MS. translation
he left behind contained a number of blanks
and passages
which he intended to fill up and correct.
Petermaim has
confined himself in his notes strictly to
verbal corrections
and suggestions as to variee lectiones. The
consequence
is that we have a translation without the
notes of the trans-
lator, and without a word of introduction,
Petermann
says the task of editing was so severe that
he frequently
suffered from fits of giddiness. Schwartze
copied out the
whole of the Coptic MS. of Pistis Sophia
and also the
Oxford Codex Brucianus. He considers the
original treatise,
INTRODUCTION. XXXIX
as we see from the title of his work, to be
written by
the hand of Valentinus ; but Petermann is
of the opinion
that it is the work of an Ophite, and
promises to set forth
his reasons at length in a treatise, which
has unfortunately
never seen the light. Kostlin and Schmidt
also hold this
view, and as far as the Extracts from the
Books of the
Saviour are concerned, I see no reason why
there should not
be some truth in the idea. For we may
connect these
Books closely with the Books of leou, and
the latter connect
us at once with the Enochian literature.
The Ophites
were pre-Valentinian and mostly Syrian.
They were the
first to take the distinct name of
Gnostics. Some of their
books were translated into Greek. This fits
in with the
hypothesis put forth above that Valentinus
compiled the
Books of the Saviour from a prior set of
Gnostic writings.
The Melchisedecian ideas would also come
through the
Syrian Gnosis, and be cognate to the
Enochian tradition.
A review of Schwartze's work appeared in
the Journal des
Savants of 1852 (p. 333).
j. 1852. Bunsen (C. C. J.). Hippulytus und
.seine Zeit, Anfange
und Aussichten des Christenthums und der
Men&ch-
heit (Leipzig), i. 47, 48. Hippulytus and
hit? Age
(London, 185'J), i. Gl, G2.
"Great, therefore, were my hopes in
1842, that the
ancient Coptic manuscript of the British
Museum, inscribed
Sophia, might be a translation, or at least
an extract, from
that lost text-book of Gnosticism [the work
quoted by
Hippolytus, sub Valent.] : but
unfortunately the accurate
and trustworthy labours of that patient and
conscientious
Coptic scholar, Dr. Schwartzc, so early
taken away from
us, have proved to me (for 1 have seen and
perused his
manuscript, which I hope will soon appear),
that this
Coptic treatise is a most worthless (I
trust, purely Coptic)
offshoot of the Marcosian heresy, of the
latest and stupidest
mysticism about letters, sounds, and
words." Bunsen
stands absolutely alone in this opinion,
and we doubt
whether he could have read Schwartze's MS.
with any care.
Xl INTBODUCTION.
k. 1853. Baur (F. C.). Dae Christenthum und
die christliche
Kirche der drei ersten Jahrlmnderte
(Ttibingen)
notes on pp. 185, 186, and 205, 206.
Baur evidently added these notes at the
last moment
before publication. On page 206 n., he
leans to the idea
of an Ophite origin.
/. 1854. Kostlin (K. R.). Two articles in
Baur and Zeller's
Theologische Jalirbucher (Tubingen), xiii.
1-104 and
137-196 ; entitled " Das gnostische
System des
Buches Pistis Sophia."
Kostlin was the first to make an exhaustive
analysis of
the contents of the treatise, and his
labours are used by
Lipsius in his article in Smith and Waco's
Dictionary of
Christian Biography. He assigns its date to
the first half
of the third century, and assumes that it
is of Ophite
origin.
In a note to page 1, Kostlin writes :
" The MS. from which the work is
published belongs
to the collection of MSS. collected by Dr.
Askew of London
during his travels in Italy and Greece, of
which the
British Theological Magazine (das
Brittischc theol. Magazin)
for the year 1770 (vol. i. part 4, p. 223)
gives more particu-
lars."
There is 110 such magazine in the catalogue
of the
British Museum. The Theological Repository
for 1770
contains no information on the subject; and
no permutation
of names solves the mystery. There were
very few
magazines published at that early date, so
that the choice
is limited.
ra. 1856. An anonymous translation in
Migne's Dictionnaire
des Apocryphes, torn. i. app. part ii.
coll. 1181-
1286 ; this tome forms vol. xxiii. of his
third
Encyclopedic
The translation is a sorry piece of work,
more frequently
a mere paraphrase from Schwartze's version
than a trans-
lation ; there are also frequent omissions,
sometimes as
INTRODUCTION. xli
many as 40 pagesof the Coptic Codex; e.g.,
pp. 18, 19,
36 sq., 50, 51, 72, 73, 86-90, 108-135,
139, 157-160, 162,
171, 179, 180, 184-186, 221-243, 245-255,
281-320, 324-
342. These are some of the omissions ; but
there are many
more. It is, therefore, entirely useless to
the student. The
anonymous writer vaguely suggests a late
date for the
treatise because of the complicated nature
of the system.
71. 1860. Lipsius(R. A.). Article "
Gnosticism us " in Erach and
Gruber's Encyclopaedic, separately
published at
Leipzig, 1860, pp. 9,5 sq. and 157 sq. ;
also Article
" Pistis Sophia " in Smith and
Wace's Dictionary
of Christian Biography (London), vol. iv.,
1887.
Lipsius considers Pistis Sophia an
Egypto-Ophite treatise,
and with Kostlin assigns its date to the
first half of the
third century.
o. 1877. Jacobi. Article " Gnosis
" in Herzog's Theolog. Real
Enryclopadie (Leipzig) ; 2nd ed., 1888 ;
Translation,
New York ; 1882, 1883.
Jacobi believes in an Ophite origin.
p. 1875-1883. The Palaeograpliical Society,
Facsimiles of MSS.
and Inscriptions, Oriental Series, ed. by
William
Wright (London).
Plate xlii. The editor, or whoever is
responsible for the
letter-press, says that the original is
later than Valentinus,
and places the MS. in the seventh century.
There is a care-
ful analysis of the text from the technical
standpoint, and
the facsimile is of f . 11 a.
q. 1887. King(C. W.). The Gnostics and
their Remains, Ancient
and Medieval (London), 2nd ed. The first
ed.
appeared in 1864, but contains no reference
to
P. S.
King regards the Pistis Sophia as the most
precious
relic of Gnosticism. Besides many
references scattered
throughout the volume, there are
translations from
C*
Xlii INTRODUCTION.
Schwartze ofvpages 227-239, 242-244,
247-248, 255-259,
261-263, 282-^298-308, 341, 342, 358, 375
of the Codex.
King, who was moreNrf a numismatologist and
antiquarian
than a critic, does not venture an opinion
either on the date
or author.
r. 1887. Amelineau (E.). Essai aur lo
Gnosticisme gyptien,
ses D6veloppementa et son Origitie
c*gyptienne, in
the Annals du MustSe Quiinet (Paris), torn.
xiv. Of.
especially the third part for system of
Valeutinus
and Pirtis Sophia, pp. 166-322.
s. 1880. Amelineau. Article "Lea
Trait*** gnostiques d'Oxford ;
iStude critique," in the Revue dc
1'Hiatoire des
Religions (Paris, edited by Rdville), an
essay of 72
pp., 8vo.
t. 1891. Ame'lineau. Notice sur les Papyrus
gnostique Bruce,
Texte et Traductiun (Paris), 305 pp., 4to.
u. 1895. Amliiieau. Pistis Sophia, Ouvrage
gnostique de
Valentin, traduit du copte en fraucois,
avec urie
Introduction (Paris), pp. xxxii. and 204,
8vo.
Amelineau goes thoroughly into the
Valentinian origin
of the treatise, but leans almost
exclusively to an Egyptian
origin of the ideas. The MS. itself,
however, he places very
late, writing on page xi. of his
Introduction as follows:
" After an examination of the enormous
faults which the
scribe has committed, I cannot attribute to
the MS. which
has preserved the Pistis Sophia to us, a
date later than the
ninth or tenth century, and that too the
minimum. For
this 1 have several reasons. Firstly, the
MS. is written on
parchment, and parchment was hardly ever
commonly used
in Egypt before the sixth or seventh
century. Secondly,
the writing, which is uncial, though
passable in the first
pages of the MS., becomes bastard in a
large number of
leaves, when the scribe's hand is fatigued
; no longer is it
the beautiful writing of the Egyptian
scribes of the great
periods, but slack, inconsistent, almost
round and hurried.
Thirdly, the faults of orthography in the
use of Greek words
INTRODUCTION. xliii
evidently show that the scribe belonged to
a period when
Greek was almost no longer known."
In a footnote Amelineau says that he is
perfectly aware
that this opinion of his will " raise
a tempest," and begs
for a suspension of judgment till he has
published his
reasons as to the late use of parchment, at
greater length.
Now it was Ptolemy II. (Philadelphia), King
of Egypt
from 283-247 B.C., who forbade the
exportation of papy-
rus from Egypt, and forced the rival
bibliophiles at
Pergamus to copy their books on parchment.
The library
of Pergamus was bequeathed to the Senate of
Rome, and
Antony handed it over to Cleopatra
somewhere about 35
B.C. ; this library, consisting for the
most part of parchment
rolls and books, was placed in the new
Bruchei6n at
Alexandria, to replace the old Library
which was totally
destroyed by the fire of Caesar's fleet in
47. Parchment,
then, was common enough as a book-fabric in
Alexandria,
at least 600 years before Amolineau's
limit.
An examination of the MS. does not entirely
substantiate
the strictures of Amelineau on the careless
writing of the
scribe ; the writing though hurried is
fairly consistent,
while the first dozen pages are most
admirably written.
The faults of spelling only prove that this
particular scribe
did not know Geeek, a likely enough thing
if the copy was
made in Upper Egypt and not at Alexandria.
I am, there-
fore, far from convinced by any one of the
reasons Ame"-
lineau brings forward.
v. 1891. Hfirnack (A.). Ub<;r das
gnostische Buch Pistis
Sophia
T have already given Haruack'a views on the
date ; he
attributes the authorship to a modified
Ophite origin. He
suggests that Book I. only is properly
Pistis Sophia ; Book
II. should be called the Questions of Mary
(p. 94).
w. 1892. Schmidt (C.). Gnostische Scbriften
in koptischer
Sprache aus dem Codex Bruciauus,
herausgegeben,
ubersetzt und bearbeitet, pp. 680, 8vo ; in
von
xliv INTBODUCTION.
Gebhardt and Harnack'sTexte und
Uiitersuchungen
zur Geschichle der alt christlichen
Literatur (Leip-
zig), viii. Band.
Schmidt agrees with Harnack as to date, and
thinks that
the Pistis Sophia may be attributed to an
Ophite school.
In the works of the three writers referred
to above there is a
mass of information with regard to the
Pistis Sophia, but as
only the date and to some extent the
authorship are being
dealt with in this Introduction, the
further consideration of
their views must be postponed until a
Commentary to form
a complement to the present translation is
attempted.
[THE FIRST BOOK OF PISTIS SOPHIA.]
(l) IT came to pass, when Jesus had risen
from
the dead, that he passed eleven years
. Jesus
speaking with his disciples, and in-
hitherto
. . . . instructed
structing them up to the regions of hisdis-
j_i_ r* * , . , i i j_ ciples only
the first statutes only, and up to up to
the
the regions of the first mystery, the
thirst
mystery within the veil, within the mys ery
'
first statute, which is the four and
twentieth
mystery, and below those which are in the
second space of the first mystery, which is
before all mysteries the father in the
likeness
of a dove.
And Jesus said to his disciples : "I
am come
from that first mystery, which is also what
the
the last mystery, the four and twen-
^|S"
tieth mystery." For his disciples knew
roundeth -
not that mystery, nor did they understand
that
there was anything within that mystery ;
but
they thought that that mystery indeed was
the
chief of the pleroma, and the head of all
that
exists ; and they thought it was the end of
all
ends, for Jesus had said to them concerning
2
-------Cardiff Theosophical Society in
Wales-------
206 Newport Road, Cardiff, Wales, UK. CF24 - !DL
PISTIS SOPHIA
that mystery : " It surroundeth the
first statute,
(2) and the five impressions, and the great
light, and the five supporters, and even
the
whole treasure of light."
Moreover, Jesus had not told his disciples
the
The regions whole distribution of all the
regions of
of the great . . M , , , ,
invisible, the great invisible, and of the
three
triple powers, and of the four and twenty
in-
visibles, with all their regions, their
seons, and
their orders, according to the manner of
their
distribution, for they are the emanations
of the
great invisible ; nor of their ungenerated,
self-
generated, and generated, their
light-givers and
unpaired, their rulers and authorities,
their lords
and archangels, their angels and decans,
their
workmen and all the habitations of their
spheres, and all the orders of each one of
them.
Nor had Jesus told his disciples the whole
The tna- distribution of the emanations of
the
sure of light, treasure, nor their orders,
according to
which they are distributed ; nor had he
told
them their saviours, according to the
orders of
each as they are ; nor had he told them
what
are the guardians which are beside each
[gate]
of the treasure of light ; nor had he told
them
the region of the saviour of the twins, (3)
who
is the child of the child ; nor had he told
them
the regions of the three amens, in what
regions
they are distributed ; nor had he told them
in
FIRST BOOK. 3
what region are the five trees, or the
seven
amens, which are also the seven voices,
what
is their region, according to the manner of
their
distribution.
Nor had Jesus told his disciples of what
type
are the five supporters, or from what The
light-
region they were brought forth; nor
world>
had he told them how the great light had
emanated, or from what region it had been
brought forth ; nor had he told them of the
five
impressions, nor of the first statute, from
what
region they had been brought forth ; but he
simply spoke of them, and taught them that
they existed, without speaking of their
emana-
tion and the order of their regions. And
this
is why they did not know that there were
other
regions within that mystery.
Nor had he told his disciples : " I
pass through
such or such a region until I enter that
mystery,
or [when] I leave it " ; but, in
instructing them,
he merely said : " I have come from
that mys-
tery." And this is why they thought
concern-
ing that mystery, that it was the end of
ends, (4)
and that it was the chief of the pleroma,
and
even that it was the pleroma itself. For
Jesus
said to his disciples : " It is that
mystery which
surroundeth all the pleromas of which I
have
spoken, from the day on which I first met
with
you even unto this day." And this is,
there-
4
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PISTIS SOPHIA
fore, why the disciples thought there was
nothing
within that mystery.
It came to pass, therefore, that the
disciples
Jesus and were sitting together on the
Mount of
aresiate 9 ] 68 0^ ves j speaking of these
things, re-
Mount of J icin g with s reat Jy> and
bein g ex -
oiives. ceeding glad and saying one to
another :
" Blessed are we before all men who
are on the
earth, for the saviour hath revealed this
unto
us, and we have received all fulness and
all
perfection." And while they were
saying these
things the one to the other, Jesus sat a
little
removed from them.
It came to pass, therefore, on the
fifteenth
A great da 7 ^ ^6 month of Tobe, the day of
de^cendetlb 1 t^e ^ u ^ m IJ > on that
day, when the
on Jesus. sun ^ad r j gen j n jt s going,
that there
came forth after it a great stream of light
shining exceedingly ; there was no measure
to
the light with which it was surrounded, for
it
came forth from the light of lights, and it
came forth from the last mystery, (5) that
is to
say, the four and twentieth mystery, from
the
interiors to the exteriors which are in the
orders
of the second space of the first mystery.
And
this stream of light poured over Jesus, and
surrounded him entirely. He was seated
apart
from bis disciples, and was shining
exceedingly ;
there was no measure^o the light in which
he was.
FIRST BOOK.
But the disciples saw not Jesus because of
the great light in which he was, or i t8Ur
.
which proceeded from him ; for their im en*
h
eyes were blinded by the great light
tirely>
in which he was. They saw the light only,
shooting forth great rays of light. And the
rays of light were not equal together, but
the
light was of every kind, and of every type,
from the lower to the higher part thereof ;
each
[ray] more admirable than its fellow, in
in-
finite manner, in a great glory of
immeasurable
light, which stretched from the earth to
the
heavens. And when the disciples saw the
light,
they were in great fear and great
confusion.
(6) It came to pass, therefore, when this
stream
of light had come upon Jesus, and had Jesus
as _
gradually surrounded him, that Jesus ^t^
was borne upward or soared aloft, heaven -
shining exceedingly in an immeasurable
light.
And the disciples gazed after him, none of
them
speaking, until he had entered into the
heaven.
They were all in great silence. These
things
then .came to pass on the fifteenth day of
the
moon, the day on which it is full in the
month
of Tobe.
It came to pass, when Jesus had ascended
into
heaven, after the third hour, that all the
powers
of the heavens were confused, and all were
thrown one on another in turn, they and all
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PISTIS SOPHIA
their seons, all their regions, and all
their orders,
^ and the whole earth was shaken, and
The confu-
sion of the a ll the inhabitants thereof.
And con-
the great fusion was upon all men in the
world,
earthquake. * . in
and also upon the disciples, and all
thought that the world would surely be
destroyed.
And all the powers which are in the heavens
did not cease to be in confusion, they and
the
whole world, and all were shaken the one on
the
other in turn, from the third hour of the
fifteenth
day of the moon of Tobe, until the ninth
hour
of the morrow.
And all the angels with their archangels,
and
The dismay all the powers of the height,
(7) all
ofthedis- r , . . - ,
cipies. sang from the interior of the
interiors,
so that the whole world heard their voice ;
they
ceased not till the ninth hour of the
morrow.
But the disciples sat together in fear, and
were
in the greatest possible distress. They
feared
because of the great earthquake which was
taking place, and they wept together,
saying :
" What will be ? Surelv the saviour
will riot
v
destroy all the regions?" Thus saying,
they
wept together.
On the ninth hour of the morrow, the
heavens
Jesus de- were opened, and they saw Jesus
de-
soendeth . . ,. , ,
again. scendmg, shining exceedingly ; there
was no measure to the light which
surrounded
PIBST BOOK. 7
him, for he shone more brightly than when
he
had ascended to the heavens, so that it is
impossible for any in this world to
describe the
light in which he was. He shot forth rays
shining exceedingly ; his rays were without
measure, nor were his rays of light equal
to-
gether, but they were of every figure and
of
every type, some being more admirable than
the others in infinite manner. And they
were
all pure light in every part at the The
nature
same time. It was of three degrees, Ofhi8 g
lor y-
one surpassing the other in infinite
manner. The
second, which was in the midst, excelled
the
first which was below it, and the third,
the most
admirable of all, surpassed the two below
it.
The first glory was placed below all, like
to the
light which came upon Jesus (8) before he
as-
cended into the heavens, and was very
regular
as to its own light. And the three degrees
of
light were of every variety of light and
type,
each excelling the others in infinite
manner.
It came to pass, when the disciples had
seen
these things, that they feared exceed-
ingly, and were troubled. But Jesus, them.
the compassionate and merciful-minded, when
he saw that his disciples were troubled
with
great confusion, spake unto them, saying:
"Take courage. It is I, be not
afraid."
It came to pass, when the disciples heard
8
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PISTIS SOPHIA
these words, that they said : "
Master, if it be
thou, withdraw thy glorious light that we
may
be able to stand, so that our eyes be not
blinded.
We have been dismayed, and the whole world
hath been dismayed, by the greatness of the
light
which is in thee."
Then Jesus drew to himself the glory of his
He draweth tight ; and when this was done,
all the
untoMm- disciples took courage and came to
self> Jesus, and cast themselves
together at
his feet and worshipped him, rejoicing with
great
joy. They said unto him : " Master,
whither
didst thou go ? or on what ministry wentest
thou ? or wherefore are all these
confusions and
shakings which have taken place ? "
Then Jesus, the compassionate, said unto
them:
He pro- "Rejoice and be glad from this
hour,
tSuhem f r I h ave gone to the regions
whence
ail things, i came forth ( 9 ) F rom t hi s
day
forth, therefore, will I speak with you
freely,
from the beginning of the truth unto the
com-
pletion thereof; and I will speak to you
face to
face without parable. From this hour will I
hide nothing from you of the things which
pertain to the height, and of those of the
region
of truth ; for authority hath been given me
by
the ineffable and by the first mystery of
all
mysteries to speak to you, from the
beginning
to the end, from the interiors to the
exteriors,
FIEST BOOK. 9
and from the exteriors to the interiors.
Hearken, therefore, that I may tell you all
things.
" It came to pass, as I was sitting a
little re-
moved from you on the Mount of Olives,
medi-
tating on the duties of the ministry for
which I
was sent, which they said was completed,
and
[how] the last mystery had not yet sent me
my
vesture it is the four and twentieth
mystery
from the interiors to the exteriors, of
those
which are in the second space of the first
mys-
tery, in the orders of that space it came
to
pass, therefore, when I understood that the
duty
of the ministry for which I had come was
ful-
filled, and that that mystery had not yet
sent
me my vesture, which I had placed in it,
until
its time should be fulfilled I was
meditating
on this on the Mount of Olives, a little
removed
from you it came to pass, when the sun rose
in the place of its rising, that then
through the
first mystery, which was from the
beginning, on
account of which the universe hath been
created,
(10) from which also now 1 am come, now and
not formerly before they had crucified me ;
it
came to pass, by order of that mystery,
, . -. ,. , How the
that this vesture of light was sent vesture
of
me, which he had given me from the sent
unto
beginning, and which I had placed lim
"
in the last mystery, which is the four and
10 PI8TIS SOPHIA.
twentieth mystery, from the interior of
those
which are in the orders of the second space
of
the first mystery. This is the vesture,
then,
which I had left in the last mystery, until
the
time should be fulfilled when I should take
it
again, and should begin to speak to the
human
race, and reveal to them all things from
the
beginning of the truth to its completion,
and
speak to them from the interiors of the
interiors
to the exteriors of the exteriors, and from
the
exteriors of the exteriors to the interiors
of the
interiors. Rejoice, therefore, and be glad
and
rejoice more than greatly, for it is to you
that it
hath been given, that I first speak from
the
beginning of the truth to its completion.
"For this cause have I chosen you from
the
beginning through the first mystery.
Ofthesouls * . 6 . . . . ; , ,
of the disci- Rejoice, therefore, and be
glad, in that
their incar- when I came into the world,
(11) from
the beginning, I brought with me
twelve powers, as I told you from the
begin-
ning. I took them from the hands of the
twelve saviours of the treasure of light,
accord-
ing to the command of the first mystery.
These
powers, therefore, 1 cast into the wombs of
your
mothers, when I came into the world, and
they
are those which are in your bodies this
day.
For these powers have been given unto you
before the whole world, for it is ye who
are to
FIBST BOOK. 11
save the whole world, and that ye may be
able
to bear the threat of the rulers of the
world,
and the calamities of the world, and their
dangers, and all the persecutions which the
rulers of the height must bring upon you.
Many times have I said unto you, the power
which
is in you, I have brought it from the
twelve
saviours which are in the treasure of
light. For
which cause I said unto you from the beginning
that ye were not of this world. And I also
am
not of this world, for all men who are of
this
world have taken their soul from the rulers
of
the seons. But the power which is in you is
from me. Ye are souls which pertain to the
height, which I have brought from the
twelve
saviours of the treasure of light, and
which I
have received as a share of my power, which
I
received from the beginning. (12) And when
I set forth to come into this world, I
passed
through the midst of the rulers of the sphere
;
I assumed the likeness of the angel
Gabriel, in
order that the rulers of the seons might
not
recognise me, but think that I was the
angel
Gabriel.
" It came to pass, when 1 had passed
through
the midst of the rulers of the aeons,
that I looked down on the world of
men, by order of the first mystery ; Ba P
tist -
I found Elizabeth, mother of John the
Baptist,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
before she had conceived him ; I cast into
her a
power which I had received from the hand of
,the little Ia6, the good, who is in the
midst,
that he might preach before me and prepare
my
way, and baptise in the water of the
remission
of sins. This power, then, is in the body
of
John.
"Moreover, in the region of the soul
of the
That John rulers, destined to receive it, I
found
Holder 5 in the soul of the prophet Elias,
in the
birth. aeons of the sphere, and I took him,
and receiving his soul also, I brought it
to the
virgin of light, and she gave it to her
receivers ;
they brought it to the sphere of the
rulers, and
cast it into the womb of Elizabeth.
Wherefore
the power of the little lao, who is in the
midst,
and the soul of Elias the prophet, are
united
with the body of John the Baptist. (13) For
this cause have ye been in doubt aforetime,
when I said unto you, 'John said, I am not
the Christ ' ; and ye said unto me, ' It is
written
in the Scripture, that when the Christ
shall
come, Elias will come before him, and
prepare
his way/ And I, when ye had said this unto
me, replied unto you, ' Elias verily is
come,
and hath prepared all things, according as
it
is written ; and they have done unto him
what-
soever they would/ And when I perceived
that
ye did not understand that I had spoken
con-
FIRST BOOK. 13
cerning the soul of Elias united with John
the
Baptist, I answered you openly and face to
face
with the words, ' If ye will receive it,
John the
Baptist is Elias who, I said, was for to
come.' "
And Jesus continued his conversation, and
said: "It came to pass, after these O
f his own
things, that I looked down again into ^^ xm
'
the world of men ; I found Mary, who Mar y-
is called my mother, after the material
body ; I
spoke to her also in the form of Gabriel ;
and
when she had betaken herself into the
height
towards me, I implanted in her the first
power
which I had received from the hands of
Barbelo,
that is to say, the body which I bore in
the
height, and instead of the soul, I
implanted
in her the power which I had received from
the hands of the great Sabaoth, the good,
(14)
who is in the region of the right.
" And the twelve powers of the twelve
saviours
of the treasure of light, which I had More
con-
received from the twelve ministers of
the midst, I cast into the sphere of
the rulers ; and the decans of the P les -
rulers, with their workmen, thought that
they
were the souls of the rulers ; and the
workmen
brought them, and I bound them into the
bodies
of your mothers. And when your time was
full,
ye were brought forth into the world, no
soul
of the rulers being in you. Ye have
received
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PISTIS SOPHIA
your portion from the power which the last
supporter breathed into the mixture, which
[power] was blended with all the invisibles
and
rulers, and all the seons. Once only was it
blended
with the world of destruction, which is the
mix-
ture. This [power] I brought out from
myself
from the beginning; I cast it into the
first
statute, and the first statute cast a
portion
thereof into the great light, and the great
light
cast a portion of that which it received
into the
five supporters, and the last supporter
took a
portion of that which it received, and cast
it
into the mixture. (15) And this [power]
dwelleth
in all those who dwell in the mixture, in
the
manner in which I have just told you."
When Jesus, therefore, had said these
things
, , , to his disciples on the Mount of
Why they r
should re- Olives, he continued in his
conversa-
joice that . ... -^
the time of tion to his disciples, and said
: " Re-
his invest!- . . .
turehad joice, and be glad, and add joy to
joy, for the times are fulfilled for me
to put on my vesture, which hath been
prepared
for me from the beginning; the same which I
laid up in the last mystery, until the time
of
its completion. The time of its completion
is
the time when I shall receive commandment
from the first myster)* to speak to you
from
the beginning of the truth to the end
thereof,
and from the interiors of the interiors,
for the
FIEST BOOK. 15
world is to be saved by you. Rejoice,
therefore,
and be glad, for ye are more blessed than
all
men who are on the earth, for it is ye who
shall
save the whole world."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these things to his disciples,
that he
again continued in his conversation, and
said
unto them : " Lo, I have put on my
vesture,
and all power hath been given me by the
first
mystery. Yet a little while and I will tell
you
the mystery of the pleroma and the pleroma
of
the pleroma ; I will conceal nothing from
you
from this hour, but in perfectness will I
perfect
you in the whole pleroma, and all
perfection,
and every mystery, (16) which things,
indeed,
are the perfection of all perfections, the
pleroma
of all pleromas, and the gnosis of all
grioses,
which are in my vesture. I will tell you
all
mysteries from the exterior of the
exteriors, to
the interior of the interiors. Hearken, I
will
tell you all things which have befallen me.
"It came to pass, when the sun had
risen in
the regions of the east, that a great
stream of light descended in which
teryofthe
five words
was my vesture, the same which 1 had on the
vesture.
laid up in the four and twentieth
mystery, as I have said unto you. And I
found a mystery in my vesture, written in
these five words which pertain to the
height,.
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PISTIS SOPHIA
zama zama ozza racharna $zai. And this is
the interpretation thereof:
" The mystery which is beyond the
world,
The inter- that whereby all things exist :
It is
pretation . in- -, .
thereof. all evolution and all involution ;
it
projected all emanations and all things
therein.
Because of it all mysteries exist and all
their
regions.
" ' Come unto us, for we are thy
fellow -mem-
bers. We are all one with thee. We are one
and the same, and thou art one and the
same. This is the first mystery, (17) which
hath existed from the beginning in the in-
effable, before it came forth ; and the
name
thereof is all of us. Now, therefore, we
all live
together for thee at the last limit, which
also is
the last mystery from the interior. That
also is
a part of us. Now, therefore, we have sent
thee
thy vesture, which, indeed, is thine from
the be-
ginning, which thou didst leave in the last
limit,
which also is the last mystery from the
interiors,
until its time should be fulfilled,
according to
the commandment of the first mystery. Lo,
its
time being fulfilled, I will give it thee.
" 'Come unto us for we all stand near
to clothe
The three thee with the first mystery and
all his
robes of
light. glory, by commandment of the same,
in that the first mystery gave us two
vestures
to clothe thee, besides the one we have
sent
FIRST BOOK. 17
thee, since thou art worthy of them, and
art
prior to us, and came into being before us.
For this cause, therefore, the first
mystery hath
sent for thee through us the mystery of all
his
glory, two vestures.
" c The first hath in it the whole
glory of all
the names of all the mysteries, and of The
^^
all the emanations of the orders of the
vesturo -
spaces of the ineffable.
(18) "'And the second vesture hath in
it
the whole glory of the name of all the The
Becond
mysteries, and of all the emanations
vesture -
which are in the orders of the two spaces
of the
first mystery.
" ' And in this [third] vesture, which
we have
now sent thee, is the glory of the The
third
name of the mystery, the revealer, vesture
-
which also is the first statute, and the
mystery
of the five impressions, and the mystery of
the
great legate of the ineffable, which is
this
great light, and also the mystery of the
five
leaders, which are the five supporters.
There
is also in the vesture the glory of the
name
of all the orders of the emanations of the
treasure of light, with their saviours and
the
orders of their orders, to wit, the seven
amens,
which are the seven voices, and the five
trees
and the three amens, and the saviour of the
twins, which is the child of the child; and
2
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PISTIS SOPHIA
also the mystery of the nine guardians of
the three gates of the treasure of light.
There
is also therein all the glory of every name
which
is on the right, and of all those which are
in
the midst. Moreover, there is also therein
all
the glory of the great invisible, (19) that
is to
say, of the great forefather, and all the
mystery
of the three triple powers, and the mystery
of their whole region, and also the mystery
of
all their invisibles and of all those who
are in
the thirteenth aeon, and the name of the
twelve
*eons, with all their rulers, all their
archangels,
all their angels, and all who are in the
twelve
aeons, and every mystery of the name of all
those who are in the [sphere of] fate, and
in all
the heavens, and the whole mystery of the
name
of those in the spheres and their
firmaments, and
all that they contain, and their regions.
" ' Lo, therefore, we have sent thee
this ves-
The day of ture, without any knowing it
from
unto us." the first statute downwards,
because
the glory of its light was hidden in it
[the
first statute], aod the spheres with all
their
regions from the first statute downwards
[knew
it not]. Make haste, therefore, clothe
thyself
with this vesture. Come unto us ; for ever,
until the time appointed by the ineffable
was
fulfilled, have we been in need of thee, to
clothe
thee with two of the vestures, by order of
the
FIRST BOOK. 19
first mystery. (20) Lo, then, the time is
ful-
filled. Come, therefore, to us quickly,
that we
may put them on thee, until thou hast
accom-
plished the full ministry of the
perfections of
the first mystery, the ministry appointed
for
thee by the ineffable. Come, therefore, to
us
quickly, in order that we may clothe thee,
ac-
cording to the commandment of the first
mys-
tery ; for yet a little while, a very
little while,
and thou shalt come to us, and shalt leave
the world. Come, therefore, quickly, that
thou
mayest receive the whole glory, the glory
of the
first mystery/
" It came to pass, therefore, when I
saw the
whole mystery of those words in the Jesus
vesture which had been sent me, that MS
vesture.
I at once clothed myself therewith. I
became
exceedingly radiant, and soared into the
height.
" I drew nigh to the gate of the
firmament,
shining exceedingly; there was no He enter-
measure to the light in which I was.
firmament.
The gates of the firmament were shaken one
above the other in turn, and all were
thrown
open together.
"And all the rulers, all the powers,
and all
the angels therein, were at once thrown
into
confusion because of the great light which
was in
me. They gazed at the vesture of light with
which I was clothed, and which was
brilliantly
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PISTIS SOPHIA
shining ; they saw the mystery which
contained
The powers their names ; they feared
exceedingly;
mentw' ( 21 ) and a11 tlie bonds with which
^^
amazed, were bound were loosed ; each left
his
and fall
down and ran k and they bowed down before
me,
worship ' J
him - and worshipped me, saying, 'How
hath the lord of the pleroma changed us
without
our knowing ? ' And they sang together to
the
interior of the interiors, but me they saw
not; but
they saw only the light, and they were in
great
fear, and were exceedingly troubled, and
sent
forth their song to the interior of the
interiors.
"And having left that region behind
me, I
He enter- came unto the first sphere,
shining
first sphere, exceedingly, far more
brightly than 1
shone in the firmament, forty and nine
times.
It came to pass, therefore, when I had come
to
the gate of the first sphere, that its
gates were
shaken, and opened of themselves all
together.
" I entered into the mansions of that
sphere,
The powers shining exceedingly; there was
no
of the first measure to the light that was
in me.
sphere are
"T!^' And all the rulers, with all
those who
and lall
down and were [ u that sphere, were in
confusion
worship Jr
M- one with another ; they saw the great
light that was in me, and they gazed upon
my
vesture ; they saw in it the mystery of
their
name, and were more and more distressed.
And
they were in great fear, saying, ' How hath
the
FIRST BOOK. 21
lord of the pleroma changed us without our
knowing?' (22) And all their bonds were un-
loosed, as well as their regions and their
orders ;
and each abandoned his order, they bowed
them-
selves all together, they worshipped before
me or
before my vesture, and they all sang
together to
the interior of the interiors, being in
great fear
and great confusion.
"And having left that region behind
me, I
came unto the second sphere, which He
enter-
is the fate. All its gates were thrown
^cond
into confusion, and opened one after 3 P
here -
another in turn ; and I entered into the
man-
sions of the fate, shining exceedingly ;
there was
no measure to the light that was in me, for
I
shone in the fate more than in the sphere
forty
and nine times.
" And all the rulers and all those who
were in
the fate were thrown into confusion ; The
powerg
they fell on one another, they were
in exceeding great fear on seeing the
great light that was in me. They gazed
on my shining vesture, they saw the him -
mystery of their names on my vesture, and
were
more and more confused, and were in great
fear,
saying, ' How hath the lord of the pleroma
changed us without our knowing?' And all
the bonds of their regions, of their
orders, and
of their mansions were unloosed ; they drew
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PISTIS SOPHIA
nigh all together, they bowed themselves,
they
worshipped before me, and sang all together
to
the interior of the interiors, (23) being
in great
fear and great confusion.
" And having left that region behind
me, I
Heenteroth ascended to the great aeons of
the
theaxms.
their gates, shining exceedingly ; there
was no
measure to the light which was in me. It
came
to pass when I came unto the twelve aeons,
that
their veils and their gates were shaken one
on
another; their veils were drawn aside of
their
own accord, and their gates opened of them-
selves. And I entered into the aeons,
shining
exceedingly ; there was no measure to the
light
that was in me, which was brighter than the
light with which I shone in the regions of
the
fate, forty and nine times.
" And all the angels of the aeons,
their arch-
angels, their rulers, their gods, their
The powers o > > & >
of the seons lords, their authorities,
their tyrants,
are amazed, . . J
and fail their powers, their sparks, their
light-
down and . , . i i - .i,
worship givers, their unpaired, their
invisibles,
their forefathers, and their triple
powers, saw me, shining exceedingly ; there
was
no measure to the light which was in me.
They
were thrown into confusion the one on the
other ;
great fear fell upon them when they saw the
great light that was in me. And their great
FIRST BOOK. 28
confusion (24) and great fear reached to
the
region of the great invisible forefather,
and of
the three great triple powers. Because of
the
great fear of their confusion, the great
forefather
himself, and the three triple powers, began
to
run hither and thither in their region, and
they
could not close all their regions because
of the
great fear in which they were. They threw
into
confusion all their aeons together, with
all their
spheres and orderings, fearing and being
greatly
troubled because of the great light that
was in
me far different from what it was when I
was
on the earth of human kind, when my shining
vesture came upon me, for the earth could
not
have borne the light such as it was in
reality,
else would the world be resolved and all
upon it
at the same time. But the light which was
in
me in the twelve aeons was . . . myriad,
and seven thousand and eight hundred times
greater than when I was in the world among
you.
" It came to pass, therefore, when all
those
who are in the twelve aeons had seen
the great light which was in me, that
they were all thrown into confusion ^Lt the
one on another, and ran from one side li %
hi '
to the other in the aeons ; and all the
aeons,
with all their regions and all their ordering,
were shaken on account of the great fear
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PISTIS SOPHIA
which came upon them, (25) because they
knew not the mystery which had taken place.
And Adamas, the great tyrant, and all the
tyrants which are in all the aeons, began
to fight
in vain against the light, and they knew
not
with what they fought, for they saw nothing
be-
yond the exceeding great light. It came to
pass,
when they fought against the light, that
they
expended their strength one against the
other,
they fell down in the aeons, they became as
the
inhabitants of the earth who are dead, and
who
have no breath in them.
" And I took from all of them a third
of their
power, in order that they should no
Hetaketh r ' . m J
from them more prevail in their evil doings
; and
a third of f , . , ,
their in order that, if the men who are in
the world should invoke them in
their mysteries which the transgressing
angels
brought down from above that is to say,
their
magic rites in order that, therefore, if
they
should be invoked in evil practices, they
should
not accomplish them.
" And the fate and sphere of which
they are
the lords I changed, and I brought
changeth it to pass that for six months
they
the motion *
of their should turn to the left and accom-
plish their influences, and for six
months turn to the right and accomplish
their
influences. For by order of the first
statute, and
FIBST BOOK. 25
by order of the first mystery, (26) leou,
the over-
seer of the light, had placed them facing
the left
for all time, accomplishing their
influences and
actions. It came to pass, therefore, that
when
I had entered into their regions, they
rebelled
and fought against the light. I took from
them
the third part of their power, in order
that they
should not accomplish their evil actions.
And
the fate and sphere over which they rule I
changed, and set them facing the left for
six
months, accomplishing their influences, and
set
them to turn six months to the right,
accom-
plishing their influences."
And when he had spoken these things unto
his disciples, he said unto them : "
He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear."
It came to pass, when Mary had heard the
words which the saviour said, that she
gazed,
as one inspired, into the air for the space
of an
hour. She said unto him : " Master,
give com-
mandment unto me to speak freely."
And Jesus, the compassionate, answered and
said unto Mary : " Speak freely, Mary,
thou blessed one, whom I will perfect
asketh and
receiveth
in all the mysteries of the dwellers on
permission
high, thou, whose heart is right for the
kingdom of the heavens more than all thy
brethren."
Then said Mary to the saviour : "
Master,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
the word that thou hast spoken, to wit, (27)
' he that hath ears to hear, let him hear/
thou
hast said it unto us, in order that we may
understand the word which thou hast spoken.
Give ear, therefore, Master, that I may
speak freely.
"The word which thou hast spoken, to
wit,
' I changed their fate and their
Mary inter-
preteth the spheres over which they rule,
in order
same from * .
the words that, if the race of men should
invoke
of Isaiah. . . .
them, in the mysteries which the
transgressing angels taught them for the
accom-
plishing of their evil deeds, and all that
is un-
lawful in the mystery of their magic ' in
order
[then], that they might no more from this
hour
accomplish their impious works, (for thou
hast
taken from them their power, and their or-
dainers of the hour, and diviners, and
those who
teach the men of the world all that shall
come
to pass,) in order that they should no more
from
this hour have a mind for teaching them
what
will come to pass, (for thou hast changed
their
revolution, and thou hast made them turn to
the left for six months, accomplishing
their
influences, and thou hast made them face to
the right for the six remaining months,
accom-
plishing their influences) concerning this
word,
Master, the power which was in Isaiah, the
prophet, spake as follows, and delivered it
in a
FIRST BOOK. 27
spiritual parable, at the time when he
spake of
the vision of Egypt, saying, * Where, then,
Egypt, where are thy diviners and ordainers
of
the hour, (28) and those whom they evoke
from
the earth, and those whom they evoke from
themselves ? Let them show thee from this
hour the deeds which the lord Sabaoth shall
do!'
"Thus then the power which was in
Isaiah,
the prophet, prophesied before thy coming ;
it
prophesied concerning thee that thou
shouldst
take away the power of the rulers of the
aeons ;
that thou shouldst change their sphere and
their fate, in order that they might know
no-
thing from henceforth. This is why it said,
' Ye shall know nothing of that which the
lord
Sabaoth shall do ' ; that is to say, none
of the
rulers shall know what thou wilt do unto
them
henceforth from this hour ; that is to say,
with
' Egypt,' for they are the inefficacious
matter.
The power, therefore, which was in the
prophet
Isaiah, prophesied concerning thee
aforetime,
saying, 'Henceforth, from this hour, ye
shall
not know what the lord Sabaoth shall do
unto
them/ because of the light-power which thou
didst receive from the hand of Sabaoth, the
good, who is in the region of the right,
the
power which is in thy material body to-day.
For
this cause, therefore, Jesus, my master,
thou
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PISTIS SOPHIA
hast said unto us, 'He that hath ears to
hear, let
him hear,' since thou wouldst know whose
heart
is earnestly set on the kingdom of the
heavens."
It came to pass, when Mary had finished
saying these things, that Jesus said unto
her:
" Well said, Mary, since thou art
blessed before
all women who are on the earth, (29) for
thou
shalt be the pleroma of all pleromas, and
the
perfection of all perfections."
When Mary heard the saviour speak these
Jesus com- words, she rejoiced greatly, and
came
Mary. et she to J esus > an( ^ bowed
herself before him,
anc * worshipped his feet, and said unto
him " Master, give ear unto me, that
the spheres, j ma y question thee on this
matter,
before that thou tellest us the regions
whither
thou hast gone."
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary :
" Speak freely, and fear not. All
things thou
seekest, I will reveal unto thee."
Mary said : " Will all men who know
the
mystery of the magic of all the rulers of
all the
aeons of the fate, and of those of the
sphere, in
the way in which the transgressing aiigels
have
taught them ; if they invoke them in their
mysteries, that is to say, in their evil
magic
rites, to the hindering of good deeds will
they
accomplish them, henceforth from this hour,
or
not?"
FIRST BOOK. 29
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary :
"They will not accomplish them as j
esuaex .
they accomplished them from the be-
ginning, for I have taken from them
the third of their power; but they 8 P
heres -
will make use of those who know the mysteries
of the magic of the thirteenth aeon ; (30)
they
will accomplish them perfectly and at their
ease, for I have not taken away the power
in
that region, according to the command of
the
first mystery."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
saying these words, that Mary insisted
further,
and said : " Master, surely the
ordainers of the
hour, and diviners, will no more tell men
what
will come to pass, henceforth from this
hour ? "
But Jesus answered and said unto Mary :
" If the ordainers of the hour chance
upon the
fate, and the sphere, turning towards the
left,
according to their first emanation, their
words
shall come to pass, and they will say what
is
to take place ; but if they chance on the
fate, or
the sphere, turning to the right, they
cannot
obtain any truth, since I have changed
their
influences, their four angles, their three
angles,
and their eight configurations; for
originally
their influences were constant, then when
they
turned to the left, as well as their four angles,
their three angles, and their eight
configura-
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PISTIS SOPHIA
tions ; but now that I have made them turn
to
the left for six months and turn to the
right for
six months, he who, verily, shall find
their
numbering from the time when I changed
them, and when I set them for six months to
face their left hand, and for six months to
face their right hand course, (31) he who,
verily, shall thus observe them, will
discover
their influences with certainty ; he will
fore-
tell all that a man shall do. In the same
way,
also, the diviners, if they invoke the name
of
the rulers, if they meet with them facing
the left,
all things which they shall ask of their
decans,
the latter will tell them with accuracy.
But if
the diviners invoke their names at the time
when their revolution is to the right, they
will
not give ear unto them, because they are
facing
in another way from the first figure in
which
leou had placed them ; for other are their
names
when they turn to the left, and other are
their
names when they turn to the right ; and if
they
are invoked when they turn to the right,
the
truth will not be obtained, but confusion
will
seize upon them, and with threatening they
will
threaten them. Those, therefore, who do not
know their revolution, when they turn to
the
right, their three angles, and their four
angles,
and all their configurations, will find no
truth,
but will be greatly confused, and will be
in
PIEST BOOK. 31
great error, 'because the operations which
they
were accustomed formerly to effect in their
four angles, at the time when they turned
to
the left, and in their three angles, and in
their
eight configurations, the operations in
which
they were constant, at the time when they
turned to the left these I have now
changed,
and I have caused them to make all their
con-
figurations turning to the right for six
months,
in order that they may be confused in all
their
extent; (32) on the other hand, I have made
them turn to the left for six months,
accom-
plishing the actions of their influences
and of
all their configurations, in order that
they may
be thrown into confusion, and wander in
error
the rulers who are in the aeons, in their
spheres, in their heavens, and in all their
regions, so that they may not, even them-
selves, understand their path."
It came to pass, that when Jesus had said
these words Philip was sitting writ- Philip
Q| *- -
ing all the words that Jesus spake it J<
came to pass, therefore, after this, that
Philip
drew nigh, bowed himself, and worshipped
the
feet of Jesus, saying : " Master and
saviour,
grant me permission to speak before thee
and
to question thee on this word, before that
thou
tellest us of the regions whither thou
didst go
for thy ministry."
uostioneth
esus.
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PISTIS SOPHIA
The saviour, the compassionate, answered
and
said unto Philip : " Permission is
given thee to
speak what thou wilt."
And Philip answered and said unto Jesus :
"Master, on account of what mystery
hast thou
changed the manner in which were bound the
rulers, their aeons, and their fate, their
sphere,
and all their regions ; and why hast thou
plunged them into dire confusion in their
path ;
and why do they wander in their course ?
Hast
thou done this unto them for the salvation
of
the world, or hast thou not ? "
And Jesus answered and said unto Philip,
Why the and to all the disciples together:
(33)
^wa? 6 "! have changed their path for
the
changed. salvation of all souls. Amen,
amen, I
say unto you, if I had not changed their
path,
they would have destroyed a host of souls,
and
a long period would have elapsed before the
rulers of the aeons would have been
dissolved,
together with the rulers of the fate and of
the sphere, of all their regions, and of
all
their heavens, with those of all their
aeons ;
and the souls would have continued without
this region a long period of time, and the
number of perfected souls would have been
kept back from its accomplishment, of those
souls which shall be counted in the
heritage
of the height, by means of the mysteries,
and
FIRST BOOK. 33
shall dwell in the treasure of light. For
this
cause, therefore, I changed their path that
they
might be disturbed and thrown into
confusion,
so that they might lose their power, which
is
in the matter of their world, which they
make
into souls, in order that they might be
quickly
purified ; that those who are to be saved,
they
and all their power, might be carried on
high,
while those who are not to be saved, might
be
quickly resolved."
It came to pass, when Jesus had said
these things unto his disciples, that
11 Mary ques-
Mary, the fair in speech and the tionethhim
blessed one, drew nigh, she bowed
herself at the feet of Jesus, saying : (34)
"Master, suffer me to speak in thy
presence,
and be not wroth with me, if I distress
thee
with frequent questioning."
The saviour answered with compassion, and
said unto Mary : " Speak the word thou
desirest,
and I will explain it to thee in all
freedom."
Mary answered and said unto Jesus : "
Master,
how would the souls have delayed outside
tliis
region; and how will they be speedily
purified?"
And Jesus answered and said unto . Mary :
"Well said, Mary; thou questionest
fairly with
a fair question, and thou approachest
every-
thing with diligence and precision. Now,
therefore, henceforth from this hour, I
will
3
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PISTIS SOPHIA
conceal nothing from you, but I will reveal
everything unto you with certainty and all
freedom. Hearken, then, Mary, and ye all,
my
disciples, give ear. Before I had published
[the
tidings] to all the rulers of the aeons, to
all the
rulers of the fate and of the sphere, they
were
all bound in their bonds, in their spheres,
and
in their seals, as leou, the overseer of
the light,
had bound them from the beginning ; each of
them remained in his order, and each of
them
went in his course, as leou, the overseer
of the
light, had placed them. And when
The coming .
ofMeichiso- the time of the number of
Melchise-
cLoc
dec, the great receiver of the light,
had come, he came into the midst of the
aeons and of all the rulers, (35) bound in
the sphere and in the fate ; he took away
the
bright light of all the rulers of the
aeons, and
of all the rulers of the fate, and also of
those
of the sphere for he took away that which
troubled them and he roused up the
caretaker
who was over them, to make their circles
turn
swiftly, and he took away the power which
was
in them, the breath of their mouth, the
tears of
their eyes, and the sweat of their bodies.
" And Melchisedec, the receiver of
light, puri-
Of the ^ e d a ll these powers, in order to
carry
S b the a so^ their tig* 1 * into the
treasure of light,
of men. while the workmen of all the rulers
FIRST BOOK. 35
gathered together all their matter, and the
workmen of all the rulers of the fate, with
the rulers of the sphere, they who are be-
neath the aeons, took it to make therefrom
the
souls of men, of cattle, of reptiles, of
beasts, or
of birds, and send them into the world of
men.
The receivers of the sun and the receivers
of the
moon also, having observed the heaven, and
having seen the configurations of the paths
of
the aeons, and the configurations of the
fate,
and those of the sphere, then took from
them
the power of the light, and the receivers
pre-
pared to set it apart, (36) until they
should hand
it over to the receivers of Melchisedec,
the puri-
fier of light ; and their material
purgation they
carried into the sphere, which is below the
aeons,
that they might make thence the souls of
men,
and make also the souls of reptiles, or of
cattle, or
of beasts, or of birds, according to the
cycle of
the rulers of this sphere, and according to
all the
configurations of its revolution, in order
to cast
them into this world of men, so that they
might be souls in this region, as I have
just
told you.
" These things they accomplished
persever-
ingly, before their power diminished in
them
and they became feeble, without energy, and
powerless. It came to pass, therefore, that
when they were without power, when their
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power began to diminish in them, and they
became feeble in their power, that the
light which
was in their region, ceased, their kingdom
was
dissolved, and all quickly passed through
it ; it
came to pass, therefore, when they began to
understand these things in the course of
time,
and when the number of the reckoning of
Melchisedec, the receiver, was
accomplished,
that he came again, he entered into the
midst
of the rulers of all the seons, and into
the midst
of all the rulers of the fate, as well as
of those of
the sphere, and he threw them into
confusion,
and caused their circles to be quickly
abandoned.
(37) And forthwith they were constrained,
and
cast forth their power from themselves by
the
breath of their mouth, by the tears of
their eyes
and the sweat of their bodies.
" And Melchisedec, the receiver of
light, puri-
The rulers fied them, as he had constantly
done ;
matter^so 11 he carried their light into
the treasure
may notbe f Mght ; and as tO the matter of
pur-
fabricated. gatioilj a u t j ie ru i ers O
f t h e 8eons> thie
rulers of the fate, and those of the
sphere, sur-
rounded it and devoured it. They did not
let it
go, to become souls in the world, for they
had
devoured their matter, so that they might
not
become without power, without energy, and
that their power might not cease to be in
them,
and their kingdom might not be dissolved ;
but
FIRST BOOK. 37
they devoured it, in order that they might
not
be destroyed, but that they might linger,
and
cause a long delay to the completion of the
number of perfected souls, who shall dwell
in
the treasure of light.
" It came to pass, therefore, as the
rulers of
the aeons, and those of the fate, with
those of
the sphere, persevered in so doing, in
turning
on themselves, in devouring the purgation
of
their matter, and in preventing the birth
of souls
into the world of men, in order that they
might
be kings for a longer period, and that the
powers,
which are the powers in them, might be for
a
long time excluded from this world they
con-
tinued to do this persistently for two
cycles it
came to pass, therefore, when I set forth
to ac-
complish the ministry, (38) to which I had
been
called by commandment of the first mystery,
that I passed through the midst of the
tyrants
of the rulers of the twelve aeons, my
vesture of
light being on me, and shining exceedingly,
there being no measure to the light which
was
in me.
"It came to pass, therefore, when
these
tyrants had seen the great light which
Adamasand
i ^ *. A j ^ the t
was in me, that great Adamas, the battle
tyrant, and all the tyrants of the
twelve aeons, all began to battle
against the light of my vesture, desiring
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PISTIS SOPHIA
to keep it with them, in order to remain
the longer in their kingdom. And this they
did, not knowing then against whom they
fought.
"Then, when they had rebelled,
fighting
against the light, then, by command-
takethfrom ment of the first mystery, I
changed
third of the path and course of their
aeons,
their
power, and the path of their fate and of
their
their sphere ; I caused them to face for
six
course.
months their three angles to the left,
their four angles, and those in front of
them,
and their eight configurations, as they had
formerly been; but their manner of turning,
and
their manner of facing, I changed to
another order,
and caused them for the other six months to
face
the actions of their influences by the four
angles of the right, and their three
angles, and
by them which are before them, and by their
eight configurations. And I caused them to
be
in great confusion, (39) and to wander in
great
error, the rulers of the aeons, and all the
rulers
of the fate, with those of the sphere, and
I
greatly distressed them. And from that
hour,
they have not had the power to turn towards
the
purgation of their matter to devour it, in
order
that their regions should endure permanently,
and they should still reign for a long
period.
FIRST BOOK. 39
" But when I had taken away the third
part
of their power, I changed their re- They
volution, so that for a period they
faced the left, and for another period
they faced the right; I changed the matter
*
whole of their path and the whole of their
course, and I caused the path of their
course to
be hastened, so that they might be quickly
purified, and they might speedily rise. And
I
shortened their circles, and I caused their
path
to be lightened, and they were greatly
hurried,
and were thrown into confusion in their
path.;
and from that hour, they have no more had
the
power of devouring the matter of the
purgation
of the brilliancy of their light. Moreover,
their
times and their periods were shortened, in
order
that the perfect number of souls who shall
re-
ceive the mysteries, and dwell in the
treasure of
light, should be speedily completed. For
had I
not changed their course, had I not
shortened
their times, they would not have permitted
any
soul to come into the world, because of the
matter
of their purgation, which they devoured,
(40)
and they would have destroyed a host of
souls.
For this cause I said unto you before, c I
have
shortened the times because of my elect/
for
there would not have been a soul that could
have been saved, if I had not shortened the
times and the periods, because of the
perfect
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PISTIS SOPHIA
number of souls who -shall receive the
mysteries,
that is to say, the 'elect'; and had I not
shortened their times, there would not have
been a single material soul saved, but they
would have perished in the fire which is in
the
flesh of the rulers. Such, then, is the
matter on
which thou hast questioned me
straitly."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speak-
ing these things unto his disciples, that
they
bowed themselves together, and worshipped
him, saying : " Blessed are we among
all men,
for unto us thou hast revealed these
sublime
immensities."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
The powers sa ^ unto ^ 8 disciples :
"Give ear and
Sght-v^ e hearken concerning the things
which be-
ture. f e ii me am id the rulers of the
twelve
aeons, amid all their rulers, their lords,
their
authorities, their angels, and their
archangels.
When, then, they had seen the vesture of
light
which was on me, they and their unpaired,
each
of them, saw the mystery of their name,
which
was in my vesture of light, with which I
was
clothed ; (41) they bowed themselves
together,
they adored the vesture of light, which was
on me,
and cried out all together saying, ' How
hath the
lord of the pleroma changed us without our know-
ing?' And they all sang together to the
interior
of the interiors. And all their triple
powers, their
FIRST BOOK. 41
great forefathers, their ungenerated, their
self-
generated, their generated, their gods,
their
sparks, their light-bearers, in a word, all
their
great ones, saw the tyrants of their region
with
their power diminished in them, and become
feeble ; and they also were in great and
bound-
less fear, and they saw the mystery of
their
name in my vesture, and they strove to draw
nigh to adore the mystery of their name,
which
was in my vesture, but they could not
because
of the great light that was with me ; but
they
adored a little removed from me, they wor-
shipped the light of my vesture, and they
all
cried out together, singing to the interior
of
the interiors.
" It came to pass, when this was done
to the tyrants, who are amid the
aeons, that they lost courage, they
become*^ 8
fell down in their seons, and became the
dead '
as the men of the world who are dead, who
have
not in them any breath, (42) just as when
I took from them their power. It came
to -pass, therefore, after this, when I had
left these aeons, that every one of those
who
were in the twelve aeons was bound to his
order,
and they accomplished their works as it had
been appointed them; so that they spent six
months turning to the left, accomplishing
their
actions in their four angles, their three
angles,
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and those in front of them, and that they
spent
also six months facing the right, [facing]
their
three angles, their four angles, and those
in front
of them. This, therefore, will be the path
of
those who are in the fate and in the
sphere.
" It came to pass, after these things,
that I
Jesus en- came into t ' ie height, to the
veils
thirteen^ of the thirteenth aeon. It came
to
P ass > when * kad arrived at its
tis Sophia. ve il Sj that they were
withdrawn of
their own accord ; they opened before me ;
I
entered into the thirteenth aeon, I found
Pistis
Sophia below the thirteenth aeon, quite
alone,
no one being near her ; she was sitting in
that
region, grieving and mourning, because she
had
not been brought into the thirteenth aeon,
her
proper region in the height. And she was
grieving because of the vexations which she
had been made to suffer by Arrogant, who is
one of the three triple powers. When I come
to tell you of their emanation, I will tell
you the
mystery, how that that had come about.
(43) " It came to pass, therefore,
when
Pistis Sophia had seen me shining
Sophia and
her fellow exceedingly, there being no
measure
powers be- . . ,
hold the to the light which was in me, that
she
was in great distress, and gazed into
the light of my vesture ; she saw the
mystery
of her name in my vesture, and all the
glory of
FIRST BOOK. 43
her mystery, for formerly she had been in
the
region of the height, in the thirteenth
seon ; so
she began to sing a song to the light which
is
in the height, which she had seen in the
veil of
the treasure of light. It came to pass,
therefore,
when she had finished singing her song to
the
light which is in the height, that all the
rulers,
who were near the two great triple powers,
and
her invisible paired with her, gazed [upon
my
vesture], as well as the two and twenty re-
maining invisible emanations ; for Pistis
Sophia
and her consort, together with the two and
twenty remaining emanations, make up the
four
and twenty emanations, which were emanated
by
the great invisible forefather and the two
great
triple powers."
It came to pass, when Jesus had spoken
these things unto his disciples, that Mary
a e sir-
Mary came forward and said : " Master,
^^^
I have heard thee say formerly that of
Sophia.
Pistis Sophia was also one of the four and
twenty emanations. How, then, was she not
in
their region ? For thou hast said, (44) c I
found her below the thirteenth aeon/"
And Jesus answered and said unto his dis-
ciples : "It came to pass, when Sophia
de-
Pistis Sophia was in the thirteenth t^e
0611 "
seon, in the region of all her brother u *
ht - world -
invisibles, who are the four and twenty
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PISTIS SOPHIA
emanations of the great invisible; it came
to
pass, therefore, by order of the first
mystery,
that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height,
she
saw the light of the veil of the treasure
of
light, and she desired to go into that
region, but
she could not. She ceased to do the mystery
of the thirteenth aeon, and began to sing a
song
to the light of the height, which she had
seen in
the light of the veil of the treasure of
light.
" It came to pass, therefore, when she
began
to sing her song to the region of the
height, that all the rulers who are in
the twelve seorfls, those who are below,
mystery. hated h er> because she had
ceased in
their mysteries, and because she had
desired
to go into the height and be above them
all.
For this cause, therefore, they were
enraged
against her and hated her. And the great
triple
power Arrogant, that is to say, the third
triple
power, who is in the thirteenth seon, the
dis-
obedient one, who had not emanated the
purity
of the power which was in him, and had not
given the purity qf his light at the time
when
the rulers gave their purity, for he wished
to
rule over all the thirteenth aeon, and
those who
are below it
(45) " It came to pass, therefore,
when the
rulers of the twelve aeons were enraged
against
Pistis Sophia, who is above them, and hated
PIBST BOOK. 45
her exceedingly, that the great triple
power
Arrogant, of whom I have just been
telling you, joined himself to the
number of the twelve aeons ; he also
became enraged against Pistis Sophia,
and hated her exceedingly, because she
had thought to go towards the light
which was above him, so he emanated E la fc
bopJb
from himself a great lion-faced power ;
and from the matter which was in him, he
eman-
ated a host of other material emanations,
very
violent ; he sent them into the lower
regions,
into the parts of the chaos, in order that
they
might lie in wait for Pistis Sophia, and
take
away the power that was in her, because she
had thought to go to the height which is
above
them all ; because she had ceased to do
their
mystery, and continued to lament, seeking
the
light which she had seen. And the rulers
who
stand, or remain, in the mystery which they
do, hated her, and so also all the
guardians
who are at the gates of the aeons.
" It came to pass, therefore, after
these things,
by commandment of the first statute, that
this
great arrogant triple power, who is one of
the
three triple powers, (46) pursued Sophia in
the
thirteenth seon, to cause her to gaze into
the
lower parts, in order that she might there
see
his light-power which hath the face of a
lion,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and that she might long after it, that she
might
betake herself to that region [of chaos],
and
that it might take from her the light which
was
in her.
" It came to pass, therefore, after
these things,
Sophia that she gazed below; she saw the
takeththe .. . * A ^-^.1.1
lion-faced light-power of Arrogant in the
lower
Arrogant parts, and she knew not that it
true light, belonged to this triple power
Arro-
gant, but thought that it came from the
light
which she had seen from the beginning in
the
height, which came from the veil of the
treasure
of light ; and she thought to herself, ; I
will go
into that region, without my consort, to
take
the light, which the aeons of light have
produced
for me, so that I may go to the light of
lights,
which is in the height of heights/
"Thus pondering, she went forth from
her
shede- own region, the thirteenth ason, and
came into the twelve aeons. The
ru l ers f ^e aeons pursued after her ;
chaos. they were enraged against her, in
that she had thought to come into the
great-
ness. Thence she went forth from the twelve
seons, and came into the regions of the
chaos ;
she drew nigh to that lion-faced
light-power to
devour it. (47) But all the material
emanations
of Arrogant surrounded her, and the great
lion-
faced light-power devoured all the
light-powers
FIKST BOOK. 47
which were in Sophia ; it expelled her
light
and swallowed it, and as to her matter, The
eman-
they cast it into the chaos. So it Arrogant
became a lion-faced ruler in chaos, light-
26
of which the one half is fire and the
other darkness that laldabaoth of which I
have
spoken to you many times. Now, when this
was
done, Sophia was most exceedingly weakened,
and that lion-faced light-power began to
take
away from Sophia all her light-powers ; and
all the material powers of Arrogant
surrounded
Sophia at the same time, and constrained
her ;
and Pistis Sophia cried out exceedingly,
she
cried on .high to that light of lights,
which she
had seen from the beginning, in which she
had
trusted, and recited this repentance,
saying :
" ' light of lights, in whom I have
trusted
from the beginning, hearken now, The first
repentance
therefore, light, unto my repent- of
Sophia.
ance. Save me, light, for evil thoughts
have come upon me. I gazed, light, into
the lower parts ; I saw a light there, and
I thought, (48) I will go into that region,
to take that light. And I went forth, and
[fell] into the midst of the lower chaos,
and
I can no more leave it to go to my region,
for
I am oppressed by all the emanations of
this
Arrogant, and this lion-faced power hath
taken
away the light which was in me. And I have
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PISTIS SOPHIA
cried for help, but my voice ascended not
in the
darkness. And I have gazed into the height,
that the light, in which I had trusted,
might
help me; and when I looked into the height,
I saw all the rulers of the aeons in great
number,
angered against me, rejoicing over me,
although
I had done them no ill ; but they hated me
without a cause. And when the emanations of
Arrogant had seen the rulers of the aeons
rejoic-
ing over me, they knew that the rulers of
the
aeons would not aid me ; they took courage,
those
emanations which constrained me with
violence,
and the light which I had not taken from
them,
they took from me. Now, therefore, Q light
of
truth, thou knowest that I have done these
things in my foolishness, believing that
this
lion-faced light-power belonged unto thee ;
and
the sin which I have done is clear in thy
sight.
Suffer me no more to be weakened, lord, for
I have trusted in thy light from the
beginning.
lord, light of powers, suffer me no more to
lack my light, for it is because of thy
induce-
ment and light that I am in this agony, and
shame hath covered my face. (49) And
because
of thy light, I am a stranger to my
brethren,
the invisibles, and also to the great
emanations
of Barbelo. These things have befallen me,
light, because I have ardently longed for
thy
dwelling ; and the wrath of Arrogant is
fallen
FIEST BOOK. 49
upon me, of him who would not give ear to
thy
command to send forth the emanation of his
power, for I dwelt in his aeon, without
doing its
mystery, and all the rulers of the seons
have
held me in derision. And I am in this
region,
grieving, seeking after the light, which I
saw
in the height. And the guardians of the
gates
of the seons have questioned me, and all
those
who keep to their mystery have mocked me.
But as for me, I gazed into the height,
towards
thee. light of lights, I am oppressed in
the
darkness of this chaos, until it be thy
good
pleasure to come and save me. Great is thy
mercy ; hear me in truth, and preserve me,
save
me from the matter of this darkness, that I
may
no longer be plunged therein, that I may be
saved from the emanations of god Arrogant
which constrain me, and from their evil
doings.
Let not this darkness cover me, and this
lion-
faced power, suffer it not to devour the
whole
of my power entirely, and let not this
chaos
hide my power.
(50) " ' Hear me, light, for thy mercy
is
good, and look upon me according to the
great
mercy of thy light ; turn not thy face from
me,
for I am exceedingly tormented. Haste thee
hearken unto me, and preserve my power.
Save
me from the rulers which hate me, for thou
knowest my afflictions, and my danger, and
the
4
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PISTIS SOPHIA
peril of my power which they have taken
from
me. They who have set me in all these evils
are in thy sight. Do unto them according
to thy good pleasure. My power looketh
forth
from the midst of the chaos, and from the
midst
of the darkness I have gazed after my
consort,
to see if he would come and battle for me,
and
he came not, and I looked that he should
come
and give me power, and I found him not, and
when I asked for light, they gave me
darkness ;
and when I asked for my power, they gave me
matter. Now, therefore, light of lights,
let the
darkness and the matter, which the
emanations of
Arrogant have brought upon me, be snares
for
them, and let them be ensnared therein ;
recom-
pense them, and let them meet with
stumbling-
blocks, in order that they may not come
into the
region of their own Arrogant. Let them
remain
in darkness, and let them not see the light
; let
them ever behold the chaos and look not
into
the height. Bring upon them their [own]
ven-
geance, and let thy judgment seize upon
them,
(51) let them not henceforth enter into
their
region near their god Arrogant ; let his
emana-
tions no longer enter into their region,
for their
god is impious and arrogant, and thought
that
he had brought these evils upon me of
himself,
not knowing that, hadst thou not humbled me
by thy commandment, he would not have pre-
FIRST BOOK. 51
vailed against me. But when thou hadst hum-
bled me, they pursued the more after me,
and
their emanations added pains to my
humiliation ;
they took from me of my light-power, and
began
again to be hostile to me ; they have
constrained
me mightily to take away all the light
which
was in me. Because, therefore, of the evils
in
which they have planted me, suffer them not
to enter into the thirteenth seon, the
region of
righteousness. Let them riot be reckoned in
the number of those whose light is
purified,
let them not be reckoned in the number
of those who will quickly repent, that they
may speedily receive the mystery in the
light ;
for they have taken my light from me.
My power hath begun to cease in me, and
I am destitute of my light.
" ' Now, therefore, light [light]
which is
with thee and is [also] with me I sing thy
name
in glory. May my song please thee, light,
as an excellent mystery, which Icadeth to
the
interior of the gates of light, and of
which they
will tell who shall repent, and whose light
shall
be purified. Now, therefore, let all matter
rejoice.
(52) Seek ye all the light, that the power
of
the stars which is in us may be revealed,
for
the light hath heard the matters, nor will
it leave
any without purging them. Let all souls and
matters praise the lord of all the aeons,
and all
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PISTIS SOPHIA
that is therein, for God shall save their
soul
from all matter, and they shall prepare a
city in
the light, and all the souls that shall be
saved
shall dwell in that city, and shall inherit
it.
And the soul of them that shall receive the
mystery shall dwell in that region, and
they
that shall have received the mystery in its
name
shall dwell therein/ "
It came to pass, when Jesus had spoken
these things unto his disciples, that he
said unto
them : " This is the song which Pistis
Sophia
uttered in her first repentance, when she
repented
of her sin, reciting all things which had
befallen
her. Now, therefore, he that hath ears to
hear,
let him hear."
And Mary came forward and said : "
Master,
my indweller of light hath ears, and I hear
in
my light-power, and thy spirit which is
with
me is sober. Hearken, therefore, I will
speak
concerning the repentance, (53) which
Pistis
Sophia made, speaking of her sin and all
that
befell her. Thy light-power hath prophesied
of
old on this matter through the prophet
David,
in the sixty-eighth Psalm, saying :
" ' Save me, God, for the waters are
come
Mary inter- ^ even unto m j sou l- I Stick
fast, Or
sink > in the mire of the abyss, and I
have no power. I am come into the
lrviii - depths of the sea, a tempest hath
over-
FIBST BOOK. 53
whelmed me. I am a- wearied with crying, my
throat is hoarse. My eyes failed me, when I
set my heart on God. They that hate me
with-
out a cause are more than the hairs of my
head.
My foes have prevailed against me, they who
pursued after me with violence. They asked
me for that which I never took from them.
God, thou knowest my simpleness, and my
faults are not hid from thee. Let not them
that
wait on thee, lord, be ashamed for my sake.
lord of powers, let not those who seek thee
be confounded through me, lord, God of
Israel, lord of powers ; for it is for thy
sake
that I have suffered reproach, that shame
hath
covered my face, that I am become a
stranger
unto my brethren, even an alien unto my
mother's children ; for the heat of thy
mansion
hath devoured me, and the reproaches of
them that
reproached thee have fallen upon me. I
bowed
my soul with fasting, and that was turned
to
my reproach. I put on sackcloth ; I became
a
bye-word among them. They who sat at the
gates mocked at me, and the drunkards made
a
song about me.
" ' But as for me, I prayed in my soul
to thee,
lord. (54) The time is thine, God. In
the greatness of thy mercy, give ear unto
my
salvation, in truth. Take me out of this
mire,
that I sink not ; let me be delivered from
them
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PISTIS SOPHIA
that hate me, and from the pit of the
waters.
Let not the water-flood drown me, neither
let
the deep devour me, let not the pit seize
me
with its mouth. Hear me, lord, for thy
mercy is sweet. According to the multitude
of
thy mercies look upon me. Turn not thy face
from thy servant, for I am oppressed. Hear
me
speedily. Give heed to my soul and save it.
Save me from my enemies, for thou hast
known
my rebuke, my shame, and my affliction. All
they who afflict me are in thy sight. My
heart
gazeth on rebuke and misfortune. I looked
for
him who should sorrow with me, but I found
him
not; for him who should comfort me, and I
found him not. They have given me gall for
meat ; and in my thirst they gave me
vinegar to
drink. Let their table be unto them a
snare, a net,
a retribution and a stumbling-block. Bend
their
back for all time. Trample them under foot
in
thy auger, let the wrath of thy displeasure
seize
hold upon them. Let their habitation be
deso-
late, let no one dwell in their realm ; for
they
have persecuted him whom thou hast smitten.
They have added bitterness to their pain.
They have added iniquity to their
iniquities.
Let them not come into thy righteousness ;
(55)
let them be wiped out of the book of the
living.
Let them not be inscribed among the
righteous.
I am poor, an endurer of grief. The
salvation
FIRST BOOK. 55
of thy countenance hath received me unto
itself.
I will bless the name of God in a song, and
I
will magnify it with a benediction. This
shall
please the lord better than a calf new-born
that
putteth forth its horns, or than a young
kid. Let
the poor see and be glad. Seek ye God, that
your souls may live ; for the lord hath
heard the
poor, and despiseth not them who are in the
bands of brass. Let heaven and earth bless
the
lord, the sea and all that is therein. For
God
will save and preserve in Sion, and they
will
build the cities of Judaea, that they may
dwell
in them, and find in them their
inheritance.
The seed of his servants shall possess it,
and
they who love his name shall dwell therein/
"
It came to pass, when Mary had spoken
these words unto Jesus, in the midst of the
disciples, that she said unto him : "
Master, this
is the interpretation of the mystery of the
re-
pentance of Pistis Sophia."
(56) It came to pass, when Jesus had heard
Mary speak these words, that he said unto
her : " Well said, Mary, thou blessed
one, the
perfection of women, the most blessed of
perfec-
tions, thou whom they shall beatify in
every
generation."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said : " Pistis Sophia then sang her
The second
r repentance
second repentance, saying: 'Light of of
Sophia.
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PISTIS SOPHIA
lights, in whom I have trusted, leave me
not in
the darkness until the end of my time. Aid
me, and save me, in thy masteries. Incline
thine ear unto me, and save me. May the
power of thy light protect me, and carry me
to
the seons of the height ; for it is thou
who shalt
save me, and take me into the height of thy
aeons. Preserve me, light, from the hand of
this lion-faced power, and from the hands
of the
emanations of god Arrogant ; for thine is
the
light in which I have trusted ; I have
trusted in
thy light from the beginning, I have
trusted in
it from the hour when it sent me forth ;
thou it
is, who causedst me to emanate. As for me,
I
have trusted in thy light from the
beginning.
And when I trusted in thee, the rulers of
the
seons mocked at me, saying,' " She
hath ceased in
her mystery." Tis thou who shalt save
me,
(57) thou my saviour, thou my mystery,
light. My mouth hath been filled with
praise, that I may tell of the mystery of
thy
greatness for all time. Now, therefore,
light,
leave me not in chaos, until the end of all
my
time. Leave me not behind thee, light, for
they have taken from me my light-power en-
tirely, and all the emanations of Arrogant
have
surrounded me. They sought to take away the
whole of my light to the very exterior ;
they
have set a watch on my power, saying one
FIEST BOOK. 57
to another, together for my light had aban-
doned me "Seize her, take from her all
the
light which is in her." Therefore,
light, go
not far from me ; save me, light, save me
from the hands of these pitiless ones. Let
them
that would take away my power fall, and be
without strength. Let them that would take
away my light-power be clothed with
darkness,
and let them be impotent/
" This is the second repentance which
Pistis
Sophia spake, singing a song to the
light."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disciples,
that he
said unto them : "Do ye understand how
I
speak unto you ? "
And Peter starting forward, said unto Jesus
:
" Master, we cannot endure this woman
_
Peter com-
to thus take our place from us, and not
piaineth of
r Mary.
suffer us to speak, but she speaks
many times."
And Jesus answered and said unto his dis-
ciples : " Let him in whom the power
of his
spirit seethes, to make him understand what
1
say, let him come forward and speak. (58)
But
as for thee, Peter, I see that thy power in
thee
understandeth the interpretation of the
mystery
of the repentance which Pistis Sophia
spake.
Now, therefore, Peter, expound the meaning
of
her repentance in the midst of thy
brethren."
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And Peter answered and said unto Jesus :
Peter inter- " Master, give ear that I
may expound
second re- 6 the meaning of her repentance,
of
fro^Psaim which of old thy power prophesied
lxx * through David the prophet, who spake
her repentance in the seventieth Psalm :
" ' In thee, God, my God, I have put
ray
trust, let me not be put to confusion for
ever.
Preserve me in thy righteousness, and save
me.
Incline thine ear unto me to preserve me.
Be
thou unto me a strong God, and a stronghold
to preserve me. For thou art my foundation
and my refuge. my God, save me from the
hand of the sinner, from the hand of the
trans-
gressor of the law, and from the impious,
for
thou art my support, lord, thou art my hope
from my childhood ; by thee have I been
holden
up from the beginning, when thou causedst
me
to come forth from my mother's womb. I will
call thee to mind for ever. (59) I was as one
of the foolish for the crowd. Thou art my
help
and my support ; thou art my saviour, lord.
My mouth is filled with blessing, that I
may
bless the glory of thy greatness all the
day long.
Cast me not away in the time of age, and
cause
not my soul to be without strength. Cast me
not behind thee, for mine enemies speak
evil
against me ; and they who keep watch on my
soul have taken counsel together, saying,
" God
FIBST BOOK. 59
hath forsaken him. Run and take him, for
there is no one to help him." God,
haste
thee to my help. Let them be ashamed, let
them cease to accuse my soul, let them be
covered with shame and affliction who seek
to
do me evil/
" This, then, is the interpretation of
the second
repentance which Pistis Sophia made."
The saviour answered and said unto Peter :
"It is well, Peter ; that is the
inter-
Jesus pro-
pretation of her repentance. Blessed
misethto
i 11 i i perfect the
are ye beyond all men who are on the
disciples in
:; . all things.
earth, in that I have revealed unto you
these mysteries. Amen, amen, I say unto
you,
(60) I will perfect you in every
perfection, from
the mysteries of the interior to the
mysteries of
the exterior ; I will fill you with the
spirit, so
that ye shall be called spiritual, perfect
in all
perfections. And, amen, amen, I say unto
you
I will give unto you all the mysteries of
all the
regions of my father, and of all the
regions
of the first mystery, so that he whom ye
shall receive on earth, shall be received
in the
light of the height; and he whom ye shall
reject on earth, shall be rejected in the
kingdom
of my father who is in the heavens.
Hearken,
therefore, and give ear to all the
repentances
which Pistis Sophia spake. She continued
and spake her third repentance, saying:
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" ' light of powers, give heed and
save me.
Let them that seek to take away
repentance my light be destitute, and let
them
of Sophia. J
dwell in the darkness. Let them
that seek to take my power be turned into
chaos, and let them be ashamed. Let them
descend speedily into the darkness, who
constrain
me, saying, " We have mastered
her." But let
all those who seek for the light, rejoice
and be
glad ; let them that desire thy mystery,
say ever,
"May the mystery be exalted."
(61) Now,
therefore, light, preserve me, for 1 lack
my
light which they have taken away ; and I am
destitute of my power which they have taken
from me. Thou, therefore, light, thou art
my
saviour. Tis thou who preservest me, light.
Haste thee, save me from this chaos/ "
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disciples,
saying,
" This is the third repentance of
Pistis Sophia,"
that he said unto them : " Let him in
whom a
perceptive mind is awakened, come forward,
and
let him expound the meaning of the
repentance
which Pistis Sophia spake."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
Martha speaking, that Martha came forward ;
asketh and * ,
receiveth she bowed herself at the feet of
Jesus
to speak. and kissed them ; she cried
aloud, and
wept with groaning and humbleness, saying :
FIRST BOOK. 61
" Master, have mercy upon me, and be
com-
passionate unto me, and suffer me to
expound
the interpretation of the repentance which
Pistis
Sophia spake."
And Jesus, taking Martha by the hand, said
unto her : " Blessed is every one who
humbleth
himself, for on him they shall have mercy.
Now,
therefore, Martha, thou art blessed.
Expound,
therefore, the interpretation of the
meaning of
the repentance of Pistis Sophia."
And Martha answered and said unto Jesus,
in the midst of the disciples : (62) Martha
in.
" Concerning the repentance uttered
the P third h
by Pistis Sophia, O Jesus, my master, j^pE^
thy light-power of old prophesied lxix
"
through David, in the sixty-ninth Psalm,
say-
ing :
" ' lord, my God, haste thee to my
help.
Let them be ashamed and confounded that
seek
after my soul ; let them be turned backward
and be put to shame, who say unto me,
" There,
there." But let all those that seek
thee be
joyful ; let them rejoice for thy sake ;
let ail
them that love thy salvation, say ever,
" The lord
be exalted." But as for me, I am poor,
I am
destitute ; lord, be thou my help. Thou art
my help and protection, lord, make no long
tarrying/
" This, then, is the interpretation of
the third
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repentance spoken by Pistis Sophia, when
she
sang a song to the height."
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard
Martha
speak these words, that he said unto her :
" Well
said, Martha ; it is well."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said unto his disciples : " Pistis
Sophia con-
tinued with a fourth repentance, reciting
it be-
fore they had constrained her a second
time, so
that they might once more take away all the
light that was in her that lion-faced
power,
and all the material emanations which were
with
it, those which Arrogant had sent into the
chaos (63) she recited then her repentance
as
follows :
" ' light, in whom I have trusted,
hear my
The fourth repentance, and let my voice
come
repentance r ' J
of Sophia. i n t thy dwelling-place. Turn
not
thy image of light from me, but regard me.
If
they constrain me, haste thee, arid save
me,
when I shall cry unto thee, for my time
passeth
away as vapour, and I am become as matter.
They have taken away my light, and my power
is dried up. I have forgotten my mystery
which 1 performed in the beginning ;
because of
the din of the fear and power of Arrogant,
my
power hath failed in me. I am become as a
mere daemon dwelling in matter ; I am
become
like the counterfeit of the spirit, which
is in a
FIBST BOOK. 63
material body, in which there is no
light-power ; I
am become like as a mere decan of the air.
The emanations of Arrogant have constrained
me mightily, and my consort hath said to
him-
self, " Instead of the light which was
in her, they
have filled her with chaos." 1 have
myself de-
voured the sweat of my matter, and the
anguish
of the tears of the matter of my eyes, that
they
who were constraining me might not take
what
remains. (64) All these things have been
done
unto me, light, by thy order and command-
ment, and it is thy commandment that I am
therein. Thy commandment hath brought me
below, and I am descended like a power of
chaos, my power hath grown cold in me.
" ' But thou, lord, thou art the light
eternal,
and thou dost visit them whom they
constrain,
at all times. Now, therefore, light, arise,
seek
my power and the soul which is in me. Thy
commandment is accomplished, which thou
didst decree for me in my afflictions. My
time
is come for thee to visit my power and my
soul.
This is the time which thou didst decree
that
thou wouldst visit me, so that the saviours
should seek for the power which is in my
soul
(for its number is accomplished), and that
they
should also save the matter thereof. At
that time,
then, all the rulers of the material aeons
shall fear
thy light, and all the emanations of the
thir-
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PISTIS SOPHIA
teenth material seon shall fear the mystery
of thy
light, and thus cause the others to put on
the
glory of their light, for the saviour shall
visit
the power of their soul. He hath revealed
his
mystery, for he will regard the repentance
of
them who inhabit the lower regions, nor
will he
disregard their repentance. This, then, is
that
mystery which hath become the type for the
race which shall be engendered ; and the
race
which shall be engendered will sing a song
to the height, for the light hath regarded
from
the height of its light. (65) It will
regard
every matter, to hear the sighs of them
that
are bound, to unloose the power of the
souls
whose power is bound, and to place his name
in
the soul, and his mystery in the power/
"
It came to pass that when Jesus had spoken
these words unto his disciples, saying
John ask- . . P /
eth and re- unto them, " This is the
fourth repent-
ceivethper- -11 n* n i
mission to ance recited by ristis Sophia ;
now,
therefore, let him who understandeth,
understand " it came to pass when
Jesus had
spoken these words, that John came forward
;
he adored the breast of Jesus, and said
unto
him : " Master, give commandment to me
also,
and suffer me to utter the explanation of
the
fourth repentance recited by Pistis
Sophia."
And Jesus said unto John : "I give
thee
commandment, and I bid thee expound the in-
FIRST BOOK. 65
terpretation of the repentance recited by
Pistis
Sophia."
And John answered and said : " My
master,
and saviour, concerning this repentance
recited
by Pistis Sophia, thy power of old which
was in
David hath prophesied, in the one hundred
and
first Psalm, saying :
" * Hear my prayer, lord, and let my
crying
come unto thee. Turn not thy face
. . John inter-
from me ; incline thine ear unto me preteth
the
T , , Tint repentance
in the day when 1 shall be constrained.
fromPsaim
Haste thee, and hear me, in the day
when I shall cry unto thee, for my days are
consumed like smoke, (66) and my bones are
parched like stone. I am mowed down like
the
grass, and my heart is withered, for I have
for-
gotten to eat my bread. Because of the
sound
of my groaning, my bones have cleaved to my
flesh. I am become like the pelican in the
wilderness ; like the owl in a house. I
have
passed the night long in watching ; I am
become
as the sparrow alone upon the house-top. My
enemies revile me all the day long, and
they
who honoured me, cursed me ; for I have
eaten
ashes as though it were bread, and mingled
my
drink with tears, before thy indignation
and thy
wrath ; for thou hast lifted me up and cast
me
to the earth. My days have declined like a
shadow, and I am dried up like the grass.
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" ' But thou, lord, thou art for ever,
and thy
remembrance is from generation to
generation.
Arise, therefore, and have mercy upon Sion,
for
the time hath come to have mercy upon her,
yea, thy time hath come. Thy servants have
sought her stones, and will take pity on
her soil,
that the nation may fear the name of the
lord,
and the kings of the earth thy glory ; for the
lord shall build Sion to reveal himself in
his
glory. He hath regarded the prayer of them
that are humble, and hath not despised
their
supplication. Let them write this in
another
book, and the people that will be
engendered
shall bless the lord, for he hath looked
down
from his holy height. The lord hath gazed
upon the heaven and the earth, to hear the
sighs
of them that are bound ; (67) to unloose
the
children of them whom they have killed,
that
they may utter the name of the lord in Sion
and his praise in Jerusalem/
" This, Master, is the interpretation
of the
mystery of the repentance, recited by
Pistis
Sophia."
It came to pass, when John had finished
Jesus com- speaking these words to Jesus,
in the
mendeth
John. midst of the disciples, that Jesus
said
unto him : " Well said, John, the
virgin, who
shall rule in the kingdom of light."
And Jesus continued his conversation, and
FIRST BOOK. 67
said unto his disciples : " It came to
pass again
that the emanations of Arrogant once
Theemana-
more constrained Pistis Sophia in the
tionsof
A Arrogant
chaos, and the commandment had not
'
squeeze the
yet come from the first mystery, to light
out of
J J Sophia.
set her free from chaos. It came to
pass, therefore, when the material
emanations of
Arrogant constrained her, that she cried
out
reciting this fifth repentance, saying :
61 ' Light of my salvation, I send forth a
song
unto thee in the region of the height, and
The fifth
repentance
also in chaos. I will hymn thee in my of
Sophia.
song which I sang in the height ; which I
have
sung too in chaos. Let it come into thy
presence. Give heed, light, to my repent-
ance, (68) for my power is filled with
darkness,
and my light hath come into chaos. I am
become, also, like as the rulers of chaos,
they
who go into the lower darkness. I have
become
as a material body, which hath no one to
save it in
the height. I am become also like matter
from
which the power hath been taken ; [matter]
cast
into chaos, which thou hast not preserved,
which hath perished by thy commandment.
Now, therefore, 1 have been set in the
lower
darkness ; in darkness, and in dead matter,
in
which there is no power. Thou hast brought
thy commandment upon me, and upoji every-
thing as thou hast decreed. Thy spirit hath
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PISTIS SOPHIA
departed, and left me. Moreover, by thy com
mandment, the emanations of my seon have
not
come to my aid. They have held me in
detesta-
tion, and kept themselves from me. Yet am I
not utterly ruined, though my light is
diminished
in me. I have cried to the light with all
the
light that was in me, and I have stretched
forth
my hands unto thee.
" c Now, therefore, light, surely thou
wilt
fulfil thy commandment in chaos. Surely the
saviours, who should come by thy command,
surely they will arise in the darkness and
come
to learn of thee ? Surely they will utter
the
mystery of thy name in chaos ? Surely, at
least, they will utter thy name in the
matter of
chaos, [the name] whereby thou wilt
illuminate
it?
" ' But, as for me, I send forth a
song unto
thee, light, and my repentance shall reach
unto thee in the height. (69) Let thy light
come upon me, for they have taken away my
light, and I am in affliction because of
the light
from the time I was made to emanate ; when
I
gazed into the height towards the light,
and I
gazed below towards this light-power which
is in
chaos ; when I rose up and fell down. Thy
commandment hath come upon me, and the
terrors, which thou didst decree, have
thrown
me into confusion ; they have surrounded me
in
PIBST BOOK. 69
numbers like water, they have seized upon
me
by thy commandment, and thou hast not
suffered
my fellow-emanations to help me, nor hast
thou
permitted my companion to save me in my
tribulations. 1
"This is the fifth repentance which
Pistis
Sophia recited in the chaos, when all the
material
emanations of Arrogant began [again] to
con-
strain her."
Jesus, therefore, having spoken these words
unto his disciples, said unto them :
"He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear ; and let
him in
whom his mind seethes, come forward, and
expound the interpretation of the meaning
of
the fifth repentance of Pistis
Sophia."
And when Jesus had finished speaking,
Philip
started forward, and rose up, and left
phiiip the
on the ground the book which had p t h m
"
been in his hands ; for it was he who
recorded
all the discourse which Jesus uttered, and all
that he did. Philip, therefore, came
forward
and said unto him : (70) " Master,
surely it is
not on me alone that thou hast imposed the
task
of taking care of this world, to write all
that
we shall say and do, and hast not suffered
me to
come forward and interpret the mysteries of
the
repentance of Pistis Sophia. My spirit hath
seethed in me many a time and oft; it hath
revealed the interpretation, it hath
constrained
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me mightily to come forward to expound the
in-
terpretation of the repentance of Pistis
Sophia ;
but I have not been able to do so, for it
is I
who write down all the words."
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard
Philip,
Jesus ex- that he said unto him : "
Hearken,
plainoth
that the Philip, thou blessed one, while I
speak
appointed _
scribes are unto thee, for tis thou, and
Ihomas,
Thomas and Matthew, who have been charged,
thew. by the first mystery, to write down
every word which I shall speak, and
everything
which I shall do, and everything which ye
shall
see. But as for thee, the tale of the words
which thou hast to write, is not completed.
But when it shall be completed, thou shalt
come
forward, thou shalt utter that which thou
shalt
desire. Now, therefore, it is ye three who
shall
write every word which I shall speak, and
everything which I shall do and see, and I
will
bear witness to you of all things which are
in the
kingdom of the heavens." And when
Jesus had
spoken these words, he said unto his
disciples :
" He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear."
(71) And Mary started forward again, she
., . . came into the midst, she stood by
Mary inter- J
preteth the Philip, and said unto Jesus :
" Master,
words of r '
Jesus con- m y in-dweller of light hath
ears, and I
cernmg the J ~
three wit- am ready to hear in my power,
and I
have understood the discourse which
FIRST BOOK. 71
thou hast uttered. Now, therefore, my
Master,
hearken that I may speak in freedom. Thou
hast said unto us, ' He that hath ears to
hear,
let him hear/ Concerning the discourse
which
thou hast uttered unto Philip, 'It is to
thee,
and Thomas, and Matthew, to whom it hath
been
entrusted to you three by the first
mystery,
to write down every word of the kingdom of
light, in order that ye may bear witness
thereof ;
hearken, therefore, while I expound the
inter-
pretation of this word, which thy
light-power
prophesied of old through Moses, saying, '
By
two or three witnesses everything shall
abound/
The three witnesses are Philip, Thomas, and
Matthew."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard these words, that he said : Philip is
-Well said, Mary, this is the inter- %*^
pretation of the word. Now, therefore, to
speak<
do thou, Philip, come forward, expound the
in-
terpretation of the mystery of the fifth
repent-
ance of Pistis Sophia, and afterward, take
thy
seat, and write down every word which I
shall
utter until thou hast accomplished the
number
which hath fallen to thy lot, and which
thou
hast to write in the words of the kingdom
of
light. Afterwards, thou shalt come forward,
and expound what thy spirit shall have
under-
stood. (72) Now, therefore, expound the in-
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PISTIS SOPHIA
terpretation of the mystery of the fifth
repent-
ance of Pistis Sophia."
And Philip answered and said unto Jesus :
" Master, give ear, while I expound
the inter-
pretation of her repentance, for thy power
hath
prophesied of old concerning this through
David,
in the forty-seventh Psalm, saying :
" c lord, God of my salvation, I have
cried
Philip in- unto fc* 166 day anc * Big* 1 *-
Let my
^fifthfre- P ra 7 er enter i nto *hy
presence. In-
From a p^Lm cline ttline ear > lor(1 '
UUt my
xivii. supplication, for my soul is full of
evil, and my life draweth nigh unto hell. I
am
counted among them that go down into the
pit.
I have become as a man who hath no help.
Free among the dead, like unto the wounded,
stretched out and sleeping in the tombs, of
whom thou, in truth, thinkest not, and who
have
been laid low by thy hands. They have left
me
in a pit below, in darkness and in the
shadow
of death. Thy wrath is hard upon me, and
all
thy disquietude hath come upon me. (Dia-
psalma.) Thou hast put away mine acquaint-
ance far from me ; they have looked on me
as
an abomination. They have abandoned me,
and I cannot get forth. My eye hath become
feeble in my poverty, and I have cried unto
thee,
lord, the whole day long; I have stretched
forth my hands unto thee. Wilt thou riot
show
FIRST BOOK. 73
thy wonders among the dead? Shall not the
physicians arise to confess thee? Shall
they
not utter thy name in the tombs ; (73) and
thy
righteousness in a land which thou hast
for-
gotten ?
" c But as for me, I have cried unto
thee,
lord, and my prayer shall reach thee early
in the morning ; turn not thy face far from
me. For, as for me, I am poor, I am in
misery
from my childhood. When I exalted myself, I
was abased ; but I have risen up again. Thy
wrath is come upon me, and thy fears have
troubled me. They have surrounded me like
water, they have seized upon me the whole
day
long. My comrades hast thou put away from
me, and also my acquaintances, in my
misery/
" This is the interpretation of the
mystery of
the fifth repentance, recited by Pistis
Sophia,
when she was constrained in chaos."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard the words which Philip had phm . g
spoken, that he said : " Well said,
commended
r and con-
Philip, thou well -beloved. Now, tinueth
r writing.
therefore, go and take thy seat, and
write thy portion of all the words which I
shall
speak, and of all things which I shall do,
and of
all that thou shalt see." And
immediately
Philip sat down and wrote.
It came to pass again, after that, that
Jesus
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PISTIS SOPHIA
continued to speak. He said unto his
disciples :
"Then did Pistis Sophia cry to the
light, in
order that her sin might be forgiven her,
in
leaving her region and going into the
darkness.
She recited her sixth repentance, saying :
(74) " ' I sing a song unto thee,
light,
in the darkness of the lower regions ;
The sixth fe '
repentance give ear to my repentance, and
may thy
of Sophia. f . / , , . i J
light give heed to the voice of my
prayer. light, if thou bearest in mind my
sin, I shall not be able to come nigh thee,
and
thou wilt abandon me ; for thou, light,
thou
art my saviour, because of the light of thy
name.
I have trusted in thee, light, and my power
hath trusted in thy mystery, and also my
power
hath trusted in the light which is in the
height ;
it hath trusted also in the chaos below.
Let all
the powers which are in me, trust in the
light,
while I am in the lower darkness ; may they
also
trust in the light, if they go into the
region of
the height, for it is [the light] which
shall see
and save us, and there is a great mystery
of
salvation in it. It is the light that shall
save
all the powers of chaos because of my
trans-
gression, for I have left my region. I am
come
into chaos.'
u Now, therefore, he whose mind is exalted,
let him understand."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
FIBST BOOK. 75
finished speaking these words unto his dis-
ciples, that he said: "Understand ye
how I
speak ? "
And Andrew came forward and said : "
Master,
concerning the sixth repentance of Pistis
Sophia,
thy power hath prophesied of old through
David, in the one hundred and twenty-ninth
Psalm, saying :
(75) " ' I have cried unto thee, lord,
from
the depth of the abyss. Hear my Andrew in-
voice. Let thine ears give heed to th?s?xth
the voice of my prayer. lord, if foomTsafm
thou remarkest my sins, who will be
CXX1X<
able to stand? For pardon is in thy hands.
Because of thy name, I have waited, lord.
My
soul hath waited for thy words ; my soul
hath
trusted in the lord, from morning until
evening.
Let Israel trust in the lord from the
morning
until the evening, for mercy is in the hand
of
the lord, and there is great salvation in
him ;
and he shall redeem Israel from all his
sins/ "
Jesus said unto him : " Well said,
Andrew,
thou blessed one. That is the inter-
pretation of her repentance. Amen,
amen, I say unto you, I will perfect
you in all the mysteries of light, and
all the ffnoses. from the interior of
judged and
& ' consumed
the interiors to the exterior of the by the
fire
of wisdom.
exteriors, from the ineffable to the
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darkness of darknesses, and from the light
of
lights to the depths of matter, from all
the gods
to all the daemons, from all the lords to
all the
decans, from all the powers to all the
workmen,
from the creation of men to beasts, cattle
and
reptiles, in order that you may be called
perfect,
perfected in every perfection. (76) Amen,
amen,
I say unto you, in the region where I shall
be
in the kingdom of my father, there shall ye
be
also with me. And when the number of the
perfect shall be completed, so that the
mixture
may be resolved, I shall give order for
them to
bring all the tyrant gods, who refused to
give
the glory of their light, and shall give
command-
ment to the fire of wisdom, through which
the
perfect pass, to consume to the interior
those
tyrants until they shall have yielded up
the last
glory of their light."
It came to pass, when Jesus had spoken
these
Mary inter- words unto his disciples, that
he said
wo e rd e s^f the unto them : "
Understand ye how I
Jesus - speak unto you ? "
And Mary said unto him : " Yea,
Master, I
have understood the word which thou hast
spoken. Concerning, then, that which thou
hast said, namely, that in the dissolution
of the
whole mixture, thou shouldst take thy seat
on a
light-power, and thy disciples, that is to
say,
ourselves, should sit at thy right, that
thou
FIKST BOOK. 77
shouldst judge the tyrant gods, those who
have
not given the glory of their light, and
that the
fire of wisdom should devour them, until
they
should have yielded the last light which is
in
them concerning this word, thy light-power
prophesied of old through David, in the
eighty-first Psalm, saying, 'God shall sit
in
the congregation of the gods, to judge the
gods.' "
(77) Jesus said unto her : " Well
said, Mary/'
And Jesus continued to speak unto his The
repent .
disciples, saying: "It came to pass,
when Pistis Sophia had finished recit-
ing the sixth repentance for the remis- She
1 is , ,
* mocked by
sion of her sin, that she turned [again]
the aw>n8 -
toward the height, to see if they had par-
doned her sin, and to see whether they
would
lead her upwards from chaos. But, by com-
mandment of the first mystery, not yet had
they
heard her, so that her sin should be
pardoned,
and she should be raised from chaos. And
when
she turned to see whether her repentance
were
accepted, she saw all the rulers of the
twelve
aeons, mocking at her, and rejoicing that
her
repentance had not been accepted. When,
therefore, she saw them mocking at her, she
was in great tribulation, and raised her
face
to the height, saying, in her seventh
repent-
ance :
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PISTIS SOPHIA
"'0 light, I have lifted up my face
unto
rp^ thee. light, I have trusted in thee.
Repentance Suffer me not to be put to
confusion ;
of Sophia. } et not t k e ru i ers O f the
twelve aeons,
who hate me, rejoice over me; for whosoever
trusteth in thee shall not he ashamed. Let
them that have taken away my power, dwell
in
darkness. They shall get from it no profit,
but
it shall be taken from their hands. (78)
light,
teach me thy paths, and I shall be
preserved in
them. Teach me thy ways, that I may be pre-
served from the chaos, and guide me in thy
light.
Let me know, light, that it is thou who
wilt
be my saviour. I will trust in thee for all
my
time. Apply thyself to my salvation, light,
for thy mercy is eternal. As to the
transgres-
sion which I have committed, from the
begin-
ning, through my ignorance, impute it not
to
me, light, but save me in thy great mystery
that remitteth sins, because of thy
goodness,
light, for thou art good and righteous,
light. For this cause, will [the light]
show me
my path, that I may be saved from my trans-
gression ; and my powers which were
weakened
through fear of the material emanations of
Arro-
gant, shall be collected from them, by its
com-
mandment. My powers, which were weakened
because of these merciless ones, shall be
instructed
in its gnosis ; for all the gnoses of the
light are
FIRST BOOK. 79
means of salvation and mysteries for those
who
seek the region of its inheritance and its
mys-
teries, because of the mystery of thy name,
light. Remit my transgression, for it is
great.
Whoever trusteth in the light, to him will
it give
the mystery that it will ; and his soul
shall be
in the region of the light, and his power
shall
have its portion in the treasure of light.
(79)
It is the light which giveth power to them
that
believe in it; and the name of its mystery
is
with them that trust in it. It shall
instruct
them concerning the region of the
inheritance
which is in the treasure of light.
" ' As for me, I have for ever trusted
in thy
light, for it is [the light] which shall
preserve
my feet from the bonds of the darkness.
Give
hoed unto me, light, and save me, for they
have taken my name from me in chaos. Be-
cause of all the emanations, my
tribulations and
my affliction are multiplied exceedingly.
Save
me from my transgression and from this
dark-
ness, and look upon the grief of my
affliction.
Remit my transgression. Give heed to the
rulers of the twelve aeons who have hated
me
through jealousy; watch over my power and
save me. Leave me not to dwell in this
darkness,
for I have trusted in thee, O light. Now,
there-
fore, light, save my powers from the emana-
tions of Arrogant, whereby I am
constrained/
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" Now, therefore, he that is sober,
let him be
sober."
And when Jesus had spoken these things to
his disciples, Thomas came forward and said
:
" Master, I am sober, I am more than
sober, and
my mind is quick in me, and I rejoice
greatly
that thou hast revealed these things unto
us.
Now, therefore, I have endured my brethren
unto this moment, for I have felt no wrath
against them, but I have endured that each
of
them should come to thee and expound the
in-
terpretation of the repentance of Pistis
Sophia.
. . . (80) Now, therefore, my Master,
concerning
the interpretation of the seventh
repentance of
Pistis Sophia, thy light-power hath
prophesied
through David, the prophet, in the twenty-
fourth Psalm, saying :
" ' Unto thee, lord, have I lifted up
my
Thomas in. soul. My God, I have placed my
heart in thee. let me not be asham-
Q &> an( ^ 1* not m i ne enemies
mock
at me ; for whosoever hopeth in thee
shall not be ashamed. Let them who do
iniquity without a cause, be ashamed. Show
me thy path, lord, and teach me thy ways.
Lead me in the way of truth, and teach me,
for
thou art my God, and my saviour. I will
hope
in thee all the day long. Call to
remembrance,
lord, thy mercies, and thy
loving-kindnesses
FIRST BOOK. 81
which have been ever of old. remember not
the sins of my childhood and my ignorance.
But think upon me according to the
abundance
of thy mercy, because of thy goodness,
lord.
The lord is gracious and righteous ;
therefore
shall he teach sinners in the way. (81) He
will
guide the gentle with judgment, he will
teach
the gentle his ways. All the ways of the
lord
are good, in sooth, for them that seek his
righteousness and his testimonies. For thy
name's sake, lord, pardon my sin, for it is
very great. What man is he who feareth the
lord, with him shall he establish a law in
the
way he shall choose. His soul shall dwell
at
ease, and his seed shall inherit the land.
The
lord is the support of them that fear him ;
and
the name of the lord is with them that fear
him, to teach them his covenant. Mine eyes
gaze upon the lord for ever, for it is he
who
shall pluck my feet out of the snare. Look
upon me, have mercy upon me, for I am an
only
son, 1 am a beggar, I. The sorrows of my
heart
are enlarged ; bring me out of my
constraints.
Look upon my abasement, my misery, and for-
give me all my sin. Consider mine enemies,
how many they are, and they hate me with
cruel hatred. guard my soul, and save me ;
let me not be ashamed, for I have hoped in
thee.
(82) The simple and the righteous clung to
me,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
for I hoped in thee. lord God, preserve
Israel from all her troubles/ "
And when Jesus had heard the words of
Jesus com- Thomas, he said unto him :
" Well
ThomL. said, Thomas ; it is well. This is
the
interpretation of the seventh repentance of
Pistis
Sophia. Amen, amen, I say unto you, all the
families of the world shall proclaim you
blessed
on the earth, because I have revealed unto
you
these things, and that ye have received of
my
spirit, and have become understanding and
spiritual, comprehending that which I have
said
unto you. Beyond this, I will fill you with
all
the li^ht and all the power of the spirit,
in
order that ye may understand from this hour
all that shall be said unto you, and which
ye
shall see. Yet a little while and I will
tell you
all that pertains to the height from the
exterior
to the interior, and from the interior to
the
exterior. "
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
Jesus lead- said unto his disciples :
" It came to
pass, therefore, when Pistis Sophia had
uttered her seventh repentance in the
cliaos > tlmt although the commandment
had nOt COme tO m6 fr m the firSt
tery- mystery to save her, (83) and lead
her
upwards in the chaos, nevertheless, I, of
myself,
in pity, without commandment, 1 conducted
her
FIB8T BOOK. 83
into a region slightly less confined in
chaos. And
when the material emanations of Arrogant
saw
that I had conducted her into a region slightly
less confined in chaos, they ceased for a
time to
constrain her, thinking that she would be
taken
out of chaos entirely. Now, when this was
done, Pistis Sophia knew not that it was I
who
was bringing her help, and she did not
recognise
me at all, but she continued singing a song
to
the light of the treasure, which she had
seen of
old, and in which she had trusted, thinking
that
it was the light of truth, and that it was
because she had trusted in the light which
belongeth to the truth of the treasure,
that there-
fore she had been taken up in the chaos,
and
her repentance would be accepted. But the
commandment of the first mystery was not
yet
fulfilled for her repentance to be
accepted.
"But hearken while I tell you all
things that
happened unto Pistis Sophia. It came
to pass, when I had led her to a region
nations of
r 7 m Arrogant
slightly less confined in chaos, that the
cease for a
to . time to
emanations of Arrogant ceased to con-
constrain
. . Sophia.
strain her exceedingly, thinking that
she would be taken out of chaos entirely.
(84)
It came to pass, therefore, when the
emanations
of Arrogant discovered that Pistis Sophia
had
not been taken out of chaos, they returned
all
together constraining her exceedingly. And,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
therefore, she uttered her eighth
repentance, in
that they had ceased to constrain her, and
that
they had returned, and again constrained
her
mightily. And she spake this repentance,
saying :
" ' I have placed my heart on thee,
light,
The eighth leave me not in the chaos. Save
me
repentance . .. .
of Sophia, and deliver me by thy gnosis.
Give
heed unto me and save me. Be unto me a
saviour, light, and preserve me ; lead me
unto thy light, for thou art my fcaviour,
and
thou shalt lead me unto thee. Because of
the
mystery of thy name, lead me ; give unto me
thy mystery. Thou shalt save me from this
lion-faced power, with which they have lain
in
wait for me, for tliou art my saviour ; and
I will
give the glory of my light into thy hands.
Thou shalt have set me free, light, by thy
gnosis. Thou art wroth with them that watch
over me, who could not possess themselves
of
me entirely. But as for me, I have trusted
in
the light, I will rejoice ; I will sing a
song, for
thou hast been compassionate unto me, and
thou
hast considered the affliction in which I
am,
and shalt save me. Moreover, thou shalt
deliver
my power from chaos, and thou hast not left
me in the hands of the lion-faced power,
but
thou hast led me into a region where I am
not
constrained/ "
FIRST BOOK. 85
And when Jesus had said these things unto
his disciples, he continued in his con-
r The ema-
versation, and said : " It came to
pass, nations of
L Arrogant
therefore, when that lion-faced power
constrain
her again.
discovered that Pistis Sophia had not
been taken entirely out of chaos, (85) that
it
came again with all the other material
emanations
of Arrogant. They constrained Pistis Sophia
anew. It came to pass, therefore, when they
had constrained her, that she cried out in
the
same repentance, saying :
" ' Have mercy upon me, light, for
they
have constrained me anew. By thy S he con-
commandment, the light which is in *^ lm
me, hath been troubled, and so also anoe -
my power and mind. My power hath begun
to cease, while 1 am in these afflictions,
and the
number of my time is in chaos. My light is
enfeebled, for they have taken away my
power,
and all the powers which were in me have
been
tossed about. I am become without power
before all the rulers of the aeons, who
hate me,
and before the four and twenty emanations
in
whose region I dwell. And my brother, my
consort, feared to help me, because of
those
among whom I have been set ; and all the
rulers
of the height have regarded me as matter in
which
there is no light. I am become like a
material
power which hath fallen from the rulers,
and
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PISTIS SOPHIA
of whom all they who dwell in the aeons
have
said, "She hath become chaos."
And then all
the pitiless powers surrounded me together,
and plotted to take away all the light
which was
in me. But as for me, I have trusted in
thee,
light, and I have said, " Thou art my
saviour,
and the commandment which thou hast decreed
for me is in thy hands." Save me from
the
hands of the emanations of Arrogant, who
con-
strain me, and persecute me. Send thy light
upon me, for I am as nothing before thee,
(86)
and save me by thy mercies. Let me not be
ashamed ; for it is to thee that I sing my
song,
light. Let chaos cover the emanations of
Arrogant, let them be led down into the
dark-
ness. Let the mouth of them that wish to
devour me with guile, who say, "Let us
take
all the light that is in her/ 7 although I
have
done them no ill, [let their mouth] be
stopped.'"
Arid when Jesus had spoken these things,
Matthew came forward, and said : "
Master, thy
spirit hath roused me, and thy light moveth
me
to reveal this eighth repentance of Pistis
Sophia,
for thy power hath prophesied thereof of
old
through David, in the thirtieth Psalm,
saying :
" ' On thee, Lord, have I set my
heart, let
me never be ashamed ; save me in thy
righteous-
ness. Incline thine ear unto me, haste
thee,
save me. Be thou unto me a strong God,
FIRST BOOK. 87
and a house of refuge to save me, for thou
art
my support and my refuge. For thy Matthew
name's sake thou shalt guide me, and
thou shalt feed me, and thou shalt draw
me out of this snare, which they xxx>
have laid privily for me; for thou art my
strength. I will place my spirit in thy
hands ;
thou hast preserved me, lord, God of truth.
(87) Thou hatest them that hold to vanity
with-
out a cause. But as for me, I have trusted,
and
1 shall rejoice in my saviour. I shall be
glad in
thy spirit, for thou hast regarded my
humble-
ness, and thou hast saved my soul from my
con-
straints. Thou hast not closed my mouth, in
the hands of the wicked, thou hast planted
my
feet steadily in a spacious region. Have
mercy
upon me, lord, for I am in tribulation. My
eye is confused because of their anger, and
also
my heart ; for my years have been spent in
sadness of heart, and my life is spent in
groan-
ing. My strength is enfeebled in poverty,
and
my bones are troubled. I am become an
object
of derision for all my enemies and them
that
draw nigh unto me. (88) I am become an
object
of fear for them who knew me, and they who
have
seen me, have fled far from me. They have
forgotten me in their heart as a corpse,
and I
have been as a vessel that is lost. For I
have
heard the cursing of the hosts that
surrounded
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PISTIS SOPHIA
me, when they all massed themselves
together
against me ; they laid plots to take away
my
soul. But as for me, I have trusted in
thee,
lord, I have said, "Thou art my God,
my lot
is in thy hands." Save me from the
hand of
mine enemies, and deliver me from them that
persecute me. Show thy face unto thy
servant,
and save me in thy mercy, lord. Let me
not be ashamed, for I have cried unto thee.
Let the unrighteous be ashamed, and let
them
descend into hell. Let the crafty lips be
put
to silence, which speak iniquity against
the
righteous with pride and cursing/"
And when Jesus had heard these words, he
Jesus com- said: "Well said, Matthew.
(89)
Matthew, Now, therefore, amen, I say unto
you,
when the number of the perfect shall be
fulfilled, and when the pleroma shall
rise upwards, I shall take my seat in
with him. k e treasure of light, and ye
also, ye
shall take your seats on twelve light-
powers, until ye shall have restored all
the
orders of the twelve saviours in the region
of the
inheritance pertaining to each of
them." And
when he had spoken these things, he said :
" Understand ye what I say ? "
And Mary came forward again, and said :
" Master, on this matter thou hast
spoken to
us aforetime in parable, 'Ye have endured
FIRST BOOK. 89
trials with me, and I will establish for
you a'
kingdom, as my father established one Mary
inter .
for me, that ye may eat and drink CdsV^
at my table in my kingdom ; and ye
Jesus<
shall sit on twelve thrones, to judge the
twelve
tribes of Israel/ " He said unto her :
" Well
said, Mary."
And Jesus continued again and said unto his
disciples : " It came to pass,
therefore, after
this, when the emanations of Arrogant had
constrained Pistis Sophia in chaos, that
she
uttered her ninth repentance, saying :
" ' light, smite them that have taken
away
my power, and take the power of them The
ninth
. repentance
that have taken mine ; for I am thy of
Sophia.
power and thy light. Come [unto me], and
save me. (90) Let the great darkness cover
them that constrain me. Say unto my power,
" I will set thee free/ 7 Let all them
be deprived
of their power, who wish to take away my
light entirely. Let their power be as dust
; let
leou, thy angel, smite them. Arid if they
shall
endeavour to go into the height, let the
darkness
seize them ; let them fall, let them return
into
the chaos. Let thy angel leou pursue them ;
let
him cast them down into the lower darkness.
For they have set snares for me with a
lion-faced
power, although I have done them no ill, [a
power] from which shall be taken the light
that
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PISTIS SOPHIA
is in it. They have constrained the power
that
is in me, and which they could not take.
Now,
therefore, light, take away the glory of
the
lion-faced power, without its knowing, and
for
the thought which Arrogant hath had to take
my light, take from him also his [light].
Let
the light be taken from the lion-faced
power,
which hath laid snares for me. My own power
shall rejoice in the light, it shall be
glad ; for
[the light] shall preserve it, and all the
rays of
my power shall say, "There is no
saviour but
thee " ; for thou shalt save me from
the hands
of this lion-faced power which hath taken
my
power from me. Thou preservest me from them
that have taken away my power and my light
;
for they have risen against me, they have
lied
against me, saying (91) that I know the
mys-
tery of the light which is in the height,
[the light]
in which I trusted ; and they have
constrained
me, saying, " Tell unto us the
mysteries of the
light which is in the height " [a
thing] which
I knew nut. They have recompensed me with
all these evils, because I trusted in the
light of
the height ; and they have deprived my
power
of its light. As for me, when they
constrained
me, I was seated in the darkness, my soul
humbled in mourning.
" ' But do thou, light, to whom I sing
my
song, deliver me ; I know that thou wilt
deliver
FIRST BOOK. 91
me, for I acted according to thy will, when
I
was in my seon. I did according to thy
will,
like those invisibles who are in my region,
and
as my consort. And I was in grief, looking,
searching for the light. Now, therefore,
all the
emanations of Arrogant have surrounded me,
they have rejoiced over me, and have
mightily
constrained me in my ignorance. They fled
away, they left me, but they had no pity
upon
me ; they returned, they tried me, they
con-
strained me in great affliction ; they
gnashed
their teeth against me, seeking to take
away my
light completely. How long, therefore,
light,
wilt thou suffer them to constrain me? Save
my power from their evil imaginations, and
save
me from the hands of this lion-faced power
; for
I alone of the invisibles am in this region.
(92)
I will sing a song unto thee, light, though
I
am in the midst of all them that are massed
together against me ; I will cry unto thee
in the midst of them that constrain me.
Now, therefore, light, let not them that
hate
me, and desire to take away my power,
rejoice
over me them that hate me and flash their
eyes against me, though I have done nothing
unto them ; for they have spoken flattering
words unto me, asking for the mysteries of
the
light which I knew not ; speaking unto me
with
guile, and being enraged against me,
because I
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trusted in the light which is in the
height.
They have opened their mouth against me,
saying, " Yea, we will take from her
her light."
Now, therefore, light, thou knowest their
guile ; suffer them not, and let not thy
help be
far from me. Haste thee, light, bring about
my retribution and my vindication, and
judge
me in thy goodness. Now, therefore, light
of lights, let them not take away my light,
and
let them not say among themselves, "
Our power
is glutted with her light." Let them
not say,
" We have devoured her power."
But let dark-
ness fall upon them, let them that desire
to take
away my light, become without power ; let
them
be clothed with chaos and darkness, who
say,
" We will take away her light and her
power."
Now, therefore, save me that I may rejoice,
for
I long for the thirteenth aeon, the place
of
righteousness, and I shall say for ever,
(93)
" May the light of thy messenger leou
shine
more and more," and my tongue shall
sing a
song in thy gnosis all my time in the
thirteenth
neon.' "
Arid when Jesus had said these words unto
his disciples, he said unto them : "
Let him
who is sober among you, utter their
interpreta-
tion."
And James came forward, and kissed the
breast of Jesus, and said : " Master,
my spirit
FIRST BOOK. 93
hath moved me, and I am eager to pronounce
their interpretation. For this cause also
thy
power hath prophesied of old, through
David,
in the thirty-fourth Psalm, saying
concerning
the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia :
" ' Pronounce judgment, lord, against
them
that do me violence ; and fight thou j ames
m-
against them that fight against me. the P
regent-
Lay hand on arm and buckler, and %%**
stand up to help me. Draw forth a anmv -
sword, and sheathe it in them that
constrain me.
Say unto my soul, " 1 am thy
salvation." Let
them be ashamed and confounded who seek
after my soul ; let them be turned backward
and put to shame who imagine evils against
me ; let them become as- dust before the
wind,
(94) and let the angel of the lord pursue
after
them. Let their way be dark and slippery,
and
let the angel of the lord constrain them ;
for
without cause have they privily set a snare
for
me for their own hurt, and they have mocked
at my soul in vain. Let a snare come upon
them unawares, and let the nets that they
have
privily laid for me, seize hold upon them ;
and they shall fall into this snare. But my
soul shall rejoice in the lord, and shall
be joyful
in his salvation. All my bones shall say,
"Lord, who is like unto thee?"
Thou pre-
servest the poor from the hand of him who
is
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PISTIS SOPHIA
too strong for him, (95) and thou
deliverest the
poor and him that is in misery from the
hands
of them that spoil him. False witnesses did
rise up ; they asked me things that I never
knew. They rewarded me evil for good, to
the
making sterile of my soul. But as for me,
when they were violent against me, I put on
sackcloth, and I humbled my soul in
fasting,
and my prayer shall return unto my bosom.
1 did that which pleased thee, as though to
one
of my kinsmen and my brother ; and I
humbled
myself as one in mourning and one who is
sad.
But they rejoiced over me, and they were
not
ashamed. Evils have poured themselves upon
me unawares ; they held apart from me and
were not sad. They -have tried me and
railed
at me with mocking; (96) they have gnashed
their teeth against me.
" ' Lord, when wilt thou look upon me
?
Cause my soul to stand out of their evil
deeds, and save my sweet offspriog from the
lions. I will confess thee, lord, in the
great
assembly, and I will praise thee in the
midst of
a countless people. let not them that are
my
violent enemies, rejoice over me, them that
hate
me without a cause and wink with their
eyes; for
assuredly they have spoken unto me with
words
of peace, and imagined wrath with guile.
They
opened their mouths wide against me,
saying,
FIRST BOOK. 95
" Ha, ha ! our eyes are filled with
the sight of
him." Thou hast seen, lord. lord, keep
no longer silence ; go not far from me,
lord.
(97) Arise, lord; give heed to my retribu-
tion ; give heed to my vindication, my God
and
my lord. Let them not rejoice over me, my
God, and let them not say, " Well
done, our
soul." Let them not say, " We
have devoured
him." Let them be ashamed, and let
them
be also confounded, who rejoice at my
evils.
Let them be covered with shame and confusion
who speak great words against me. Let them
that favour my righteousness, rejoice and
be
glad; let them say, "May the lord be
great";
let them be exalted who desire the peace
of his servants. My tongue shall be joyful
in thy righteousness and praise all the day
long.' "
(98) And when James had spoken these
words, Jesus said unto him : " Well j
es us com-
said ; it is well, James. This is the
james, and
interpretation of the ninth repentance
of Pistis Sophia. Amen, amen, 1 say
unto you, ye shall be the first in the
ciples '
kingdom of the heavens before all the
invisibles
and all the gods, save only the rulers who
are
in the thirteenth aeou, and they who are in
the
twelfth aeon ; and not only ye, but also
every
one who shall do my mysteries." And
when he
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PISTIS SOPHIA
had thus spoken, he said unto them: "
Under-
stand ye how I speak unto you ? "
And Mary came forward again and said :
Mary inter- "Yea, Master, this is what
thou didst
wo e rd6 h of the Sa 7 to us aforetime, to
wit, ' The last
Jesus. sha u b e g rst? an( j tlie firgt
shal j be
last/ The first, they who were created
before
us, therefore, are the invisibles, for they
were
created before men, they and the gods, and
the
rulers ; and the men who shall receive the
mystery shall be with them in the region of
the heavens."
Jesus said unto her : " Well said,
Mary."
And Jesus continued and said unto his
The repent- disciples : "It came to
pass, there-
ance of r ^ .
Sophia is f ore when Pistis Sophia had
recited
accepted. r
Jesus is her ninth repentance, that this
lion-
sent to L
help her. faced power compressed her again,
wishing to take from her the whole power
which
was in her. She cried out again to the light,
saying : (99) ' light, in whom I have
trusted
from the beginning, for thy sake have. I
endured
this great affliction ; aid me.' And in
this hour
her repentance was accepted, the first
mystery
heard her, and I was sent by his
commandment ;
I came and helped her ; I led her out of
chaos,
in that she had repented and that she had
also
trusted in the light ; that she had endured
these
great tribulations and these great perils;
that
FIRST BOOK. 97
they had tried to deceive her by the orders
of
this god Arrogant, and had not been able to
deceive her in anything, save by a stream
of
light, because of its resemblance to the
light in
which she had trusted. For this cause was I
sent by order of the first mystery, to
succour
her in secret, for I had not yet [openly]
entered
the region of the aeons ; but I had passed
through the midst of them, without any
power
knowing it, either those of the interior of
the
interior, or those of the exterior of the
exterior,
save only the first mystery.
" It came to pass, therefore, on my
entering
into chaos to succour her, that she saw me,
in-
asmuch as I was of an intellectual (noeric)
nature,
and shone exceedingly; and I was full of
com-
passion for her, for I was not arrogant
like that
lion -faced power which had taken from
Sophia
the power of her light, and which still
constrained
her to take from her the whole light which
was
in her. Sophia, therefore, saw me shining
more
brightly than that power, tens of thousands
of
times ; [she saw that I was] full of
compassion
for her, (100) and she knew that I had come
forth from the height of the heights, from
him
in whose light she had trusted from the
begin-
ning. Pistis Sophia, therefore, took con-
fidence, and uttered her tenth repentance,
saying :
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PISTIS SOPHIA
" * I have cried unto thee, light of
lights ;
The tenth save my power from the lips of
the
of Sophia, unrighteous and impious, and
from
the snares of guile. light, that which they
would have taken from me by perfidious
snares,
they would not have brought unto thee ; for
the snares of Arrogant are scattered about,
and
so are the traps of these merciless ones.
Woe
is me, for my dwelling is far off, and I am
in
the habitations of chaos. My power is in
regions
which are not mine, and I have entreated
them
that are without pity ; arid when I
entreated
them, they fought against me without a
cause.' "
And when Jesus had spoken these things unto
his disciples, he said unto them : "
Now, there-
fore, let him whose spirit urgeth him, come
forward, and utter the interpretation of
this
tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia."
And Peter answered and said : "
Master,
concerning this, thy light-power prophesied
of
old through David, in the one hundred and
nineteenth Psalm, saying :
" ' When I was in peril, I cried unto
thee,
Peter inter- lord ; and thou hast heard me.
preteth the .
repentance (101) O lord, save my soul from
fromPsalm V . . ' .. _ . J . . ^ 1
cxix. violent lips and from a deceitful
tongue. What will they give unto thee, or
what will they add unto thee, like unto a
de-
ceitful tongue ? The arrows of the powerful
PIBST BOOK. 99
have been whetted with coals of the desert.
Woe is me, for my dwelling is far off. I
have
dwelt in the habitations of Kedar; my soul
hath been a stranger in many regions. I was
peaceful with them that hate peace ; if I
spake
unto them, they fought against me without a
cause.'
" This, Saviour, is the interpretation
of the
tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia, which
she
uttered when the material emanations of
Arro-
gant constrained her, they and his
lion-faced
power, and when they mightily constrained
her."
And Jesus said unto him : " Well said,
Peter ;
it is well. This is the interpreta- Jesus
com-
-n- mendeth
tion of the tenth repentance of Jristis
Peter.
Sophia."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said unto his disciples : "It came to
pass, there-
fore, when this lion-faced power saw me
draw
nigh unto Pistis Sophia, shining
exceedingly, that
it became the more and more enraged, and
cast
forth from itself other hosts of
exceedingly evil
emanations. Arid when these were produced,
Pistis Sophia uttered her eleventh
repentance,
saying :
" ' Why doth this mighty power boast
itself
in evils ? It thought to take away my The
vi P n vi ^i JJL . eleventh
light for all time, like the iron that is
rop entance
smitten ; they have taken away my op lft '
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PISTIS SOPHIA
power from me. (102) I chose rather to de-
scend into chaos than to dwell in the
thirteenth
seon, the region of righteousness ; and
they
desired to take me with guile, in order to
de-
vour the whole of my light. For this cause,
therefore, the light shall take away the
whole of
their light ; all their matter hath been in
con-
fusion also ; and it will take away their
light,
and not suffer it to dwell in the
thirteenth seon,
their dwelling place. It shall not set
their name
in the region of the living ; and the four
and
twenty emanations shall see what hath
befallen
thee, lion-faced power, that they may fear
and no longer be disobedient, but yield the
glory of their light. And they shall see
thee ;
they shall rejoice over thee, they shall
say,
"Lo, an emanation which hath not given
the
glory of its light, that it may be saved ;
but
boasteth itself in the abundance of the
light of its
power, for it did not project in the power
which
was in it, and hath said, * I will take
away the
light of Pistis Sophia/ which [light] they
will
now take from it." '
" Now, therefore, let him in whom his
power
is aroused, come forward, and utter the
inter-
pretation of the eleventh repentance of Pistis
Sophia."
Then Salome came forward, and said : "
Mas-
ter, concerning this thy light-power
prophesied
FIRST BOOK. 101
of old, through David, in the fifty-first
Psalm,
saying :
" ' Why doth the mighty boast himself
in his
iniquity? (103) Thy tongue hath im- Salome
in.
agined violence all the day long, like
th7repent-
the sharp razor of a barber. Thou hast
Psahn u?
acted guilefully; thou lovedst evil more
than
good ; thou lovedst violence more than to
speak
righteousness ; thou hast loved all words
that
bring about destruction, and a deceitful
tongue.
Wherefore shall God destroy thee utterly,
he
shall pluck thee forth and uproot thee from
thy
dwelling, and he shall pluck up thy root to
cast
it from among the living. (Diapsalma.) The
just shall see, and shall fear, and laugh
at him ;
they shall say, " Lo, a man that took
not God for
his help, but trusted unto the multitude of
his
riches, and grew strong in his
vanity." (104)
But as for me, I am like a green olive tree
in
the house of the lord ; and I have trusted
in
the mercy of the lord from eternity to
eternity.
I will confess thee, for thou hast dealt
with me,
and I will hope in thy name, for it is
sweet in
the presence of thy holy ones.'
"This, then, Master, is the
interpretation
of the eleventh repentance of Pistis
Sophia,
which thy light-power hath prompted me [to
utter], and I have uttered it according to
thy
will."
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It came to pass, when Jesus had heard the
mendeth m 8 P eec ^ which Salome had
uttered, that
Salome. he said i "Well said, Salome.
Amen,
amen, I say unto you, I will perfect you
in all the mysteries of the kingdom of
light."
And Jesus continued his conversation, and
Arrogant 8a> ^ un t o j^g disciples :
"It came to
aideth his r
emanations, p ass after this that I
approached nearer
again con- to chaos than formerly, shining
ex-
strain J
Sophia. ceedingly, to take away the power
from that lion-faced power. And as I shone
exceedingly it feared and cried out to its
god
Arrogant, that he should come and aid it.
And
immediately, god Arrogant looked down from
the thirteenth aeon, he gazed downward into
chaos, in exceeding wrath, (105) desiring
to aid
his lion-faced power. And in this hour, his
lion-faced power and all his emanations
turned
on Pistis Sophia, desiring to take away the
whole of the light which was in Sophia. It
came to pass, therefore, when Sophia was
con-
strained, that she cried on high, crying to
me
that I should aid her. It came to pass,
there-
fore, when she gazed on high, that she saw
Arro-
gant mightily enraged, and she feared, she
uttered her twelfth repentance because of
Arro-
gant and his emanations. She cried unto me,
saying :
FIRST BOOK. 103
" * Forget not my song, light, for
Arrogant
and his lion-faced power have opened
^JjJjJJjJ
their mouths against me ; they have of s P
hia -
acted with deceit towards me ; they have
sur-
rounded me, seeking to take away my power,
and they have hated me, because I sang a
song
unto thee ; instead of loving me, they have
accused me ; as for me, I sang a song. They
have plotted together to take my power,
because
I sang to thee a song, light ; and they
hated
me, because I loved thee. Let darkness fall
on
Arrogant, and may the ruler of the outer
dark-
ness remain at his right hand. When thou
passest sentence upon him, take from him
his
power, and that which he thought to do unto
me, in taking away my light, [do thou unto
him,] and take away his. May all the light-
powers which are in him, cease ; (106) and
may
another take his greatness among the three
triple powers ; may all the powers of his
ema-
nations be without light, and may his
matter
have no light in it ; suffer them not to
enter into
their region. May their light cease in them
;
may they not be allowed to enter into the
thir-
teenth reon, their region. Let the
receiver, the
purifier of lights, purify all the
light-powers that
are in Arrogant, and take them from them.
May
the rulers of lower darkness have power
over his
emanations. Let no one receive them into
his
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PISTIS SOPHIA
region ; let no one give ear to the power
of his
emanations which are in chaos. Let them
take
away the light which is in his emanations,
and
let them hide their name in the thirteenth
aeon ;
aye,, let them blot out his name for ever
in that
region.
" ' As for the lion-faced power, may
the sin
of him who sent it forth before the light,
fall
back upon him ; may the iniquity of the
matter
which it hath produced, be never wiped away
;
nay, may their sin be ever before the
light;
may they never see beyond [chaos] ; may
their
name be removed from every region, for they
have not spared me ; (107) they have
constrained
him from whom they have taken his light and
his power. Moreover, they among whom I have
been sent, desired to take away my light ;
they loved to descend into the darkness ;
let
them remain there, and let them not be
brought
forth therefrom from this hour. They sought
for
a habitation in the region of
righteousness, and
they shall no more be brought thither from
this
hour. He is robed in darkness as with a
vesture,
he hath entered into it as into water, and
he is
entered into all his powers like oil. Let
him
robe himself with chaos as a garment, and
gird
himself with darkness as with a girdle of
skin
for ever. Let this come upon them that have
brought these things upon me because of the
FIBST BOOK. 105
light, and on them that have said, "
Let us
take from her all her light." But as
for thee,
light, be merciful unto me, because of the
mystery of thy name, and save me in the
good-
ness of thy mercy ; for they have taken
from
me my light and my power, and my power hath
been shaken in me ; I could not stand in
their
midst. I have been like matter that is
fallen, I
have been driven this way and that like a
dsemon of the air. My power perished,
because
1 had no mystery in that region ; and my
matter
hath been bound, because of my light which
they have taken away. They have mocked at
me, they have winked upon me. Aid me ac-
cording to thy mercy/
(108) " Now, therefore, let him whose
spirit
is active, come forward and utter the
interpreta-
tion of the twelfth repentance of Pistis
Sophia."
And Andrew came forward and said : "
My
Master and saviour, thy light- power hath
pro-
phesied of old through David, concerning
this
repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered ; it
spake
thereof in the one hundred and eighth
Psalm,
saying :
" ' God, hold not my mouth from my
praise,
for the mouth of the ungodly and de-
fo " Andrew in-
ceitful is opened against me. They
terpreteth
, r . /the repent-
have spoken against me with a deceit- ance
from
- , , -, , Psalm cviii.
ml tongue, and have surrounded me
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PISTIS SOPHIA
with words of hate. They have fought
against
me without a cause ; instead of loving me
they
have accused me. But as for me, I continued
in prayer. They have raised up evil against
me in return for good, and hate for love.
Set
thou an ungodly one over him, and may the
accuser stand at his right hand. When
sentence
is given upon him, let him be condemned,
and
let his prayer be regarded as sin ; may his
days
be shortened, and may another receive his
over-
seership ; may his children be fatherless,
and his
wife a widow. May the head of his children
be
bowed, may they be transported, may they
beg,
may they be cast out of their dwelling. May
the money-lender sweep away all that he
hath,
and may strangers carry away all his
labour.
(109) Let there be no man to give him a
hand,
and let there be no one to take mercy on
his
fatherless children. Let his children be blotted
out, and let them blot out his name in a
single
generation. Let the sin of his fathers be
remem-
bered before the lord, and let not the sin
of
his mother be blotted out. Let them be ever
before the lord. Let his memory be
destroyed
on the earth, in that he hath not thought
of
mercy ; for he hath persecuted the poor and
helpless, he hath persecuted a wretched
creature
to put him to death. He hath loved cursing
;
let him fall into the midst thereof. He
hath
FIRST BOOK. 107
refused blessing, let it be far from him.
He
hath clothed himself with cursing as with a
garment, and it hath entered into his
bowels
like water, and like oil into his bones.
Let it
be for him as a vesture with which he shall
be
clothed, and like a girdle with which he
shall
be girded for all time. This is the work of
them
that accuse before the lord, and who speak
in-
justice against my soul.
" c But as for thee, lord God, have
pity on
me for thy name's sake. Save me, for I am
poor and in misery. My heart is troubled
within me; (110) they have carried me away
like a shadow that declineth, and they have
frightened me away like [a swarm of]
locusts.
My feet have become feeble with fasting,
and
my flesh is dried from [want of] oil. I
have
become an object of derision unto them ;
they
have gazed upon me, and wagged their heads.
Help, lord God, and save me according to
thy mercy. Let them know that it is thy
hand,
and that thou hast created it, lord/
"This is the interpretation of the
twelfth re-
pentance uttered by Pistis Sophia, when she
was in chaos."
And Jesus continued, and said unto his dis-
ciples : "It came to pass after this
that Pistis
Sophia cried unto me, saying : ' light of
lights, I have transgressed in the twelve
aeons,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
I have descended from them. Therefore, have
I
uttered these twelve repentances, [one] for
each
aeon. Now, therefore, light of lights,
forgive
me my transgression, for it is exceeding
great,
for I have left behind me the regions of
the
height, I have come to dwell in the regions
of
chaos.' When Pistis Sophia had said this,
she
continued to recite her thirteenth
repentance,
saying :
" ' Hear me when I sing a song unto
thee,
The thir- light of lights ; hear me when I
make
perSance'of repentance for the thirteenth
aeon, the
Sophia. region whence I came forth, in
order
that the thirteenth repentance of the thir-
teenth aeon may be accomplished. (HI) I
have transgressed, I have descended from
among
them ; now, therefore, light of lights,
hear me
when I sing a song in the thirteenth aeon,
the
region from which I came forth. Save me,
light, by thy great mystery ; pardon me my
transgression in thy remission ; give unto
me the
baptism; remit my sins, and purify me from
my
transgression. And my transgression is this
lion-faced power, which hath never been
hidden
from thee ; for because of it am I
descended.
Tis I alone who have transgressed among the
invisibles, in whose regions I was ; I have
de-
scended into chaos, I have transgressed
before
thee, that thy statute might be
accomplished. 1
FIRST BOOK. 109
" This, then, Pistis Sophia said. Now,
there-
fore, let him whose spirit urgeth him to under-
stand her words, come forward, and expound
their meaning."
And Martha came forward, and said : "
Mas-
ter, my spirit urgeth me to expose the
inter-
pretation of the things which Pistis Sophia
hath
spoken ; thy power hath prophesied of old
con-
cerning them, through David, in the
fiftieth
Psalm, saying :
(112) "'Have mercy upon me, God,
according to thy great mercy ; and Martha
in-
-,. / T . -, n terpreteth
according to the multitude of thy the
repent-
, 1 . ~ ance from
mercies blot out my sin. Save me Psaimi.
throughly from my wickedness ; my sin is
before thee every day, that thou mayest be
justified in thy words, and mayest prevail
when
thou shalt judge me. 1
61 This is the interpretation of the words
which
Pistis Sophia spake."
Jesus said unto her : " Well said ; it
is well,
Martha, thou blessed one."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said unto his disciples : "It came to
j es us
pass, when Pistis Sophia had said these
forth 6 a
words, that the time was fulfilled to
draw her out of chaos; and of Sophia '
myself, without the first mystery, I
produced
from myself a light-power ; I sent it forth
into
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PISTIS SOPHIA
chaos to bring Pistis Sophia forth from the
depths of chaos, until the command should
come
from the first mystery to take her entirely
out
of chaos. And my light-power led Pistis
Sophia
into the region which is above in the
chaos.
It came to pass, when the emanations of
Arrogant discovered that Pistis Sophia had
been
conducted into the higher region of chaos,
that
they also sped after her into the height,
seeking
to bring her again into the lower regions
of
chaos ; and my light-power, which I had
sent
unto Sophia in chaos, was shining exceedingly.
It came to pass, therefore, (113) when the
emanations of Arrogant pursued Sophia, when
she had been conducted into the higher
region
of chaos, that she again sang a song, and
cried
out unto me, saying.:
" c I will sing a song unto thee, light,
for
Sophia I have desired to come unto thee ; I
rong r of ha wil1 sin g thee a son g kg* 1
*' for
praise. thou art my saviour ; leave me not
in chaos. Save me, light of the height, for
unto
thee have I sung a song. Thou hast sent me
thy light from thyself, and thou hast saved
me.
Thou hast brought me to the higher regions
of
chaos. Let the emanations of Arrogant,
which
pursue me, therefore, fall below into the
lower
regions of chaos, and let them not come
into the
higher regions of chaos to see me. Let
great
FIEST BOOK. Ill
darkness cover them, and let the mighty
gloom
of darkness come upon them, and let them
not
see me in the light of thy power, which
thou hast
sent unto me .to save me, that they may no
longer have any power over me. And let the
counsel which they have imagined against
me,
to take away my power, no longer be accom-
plished for them ; and as they have spoken
about me to take away my light, take from
them
theirs in place of mine. They have designed
to
take away my light, and have not been able
to
take it ; for thy light-power is with me,
and they
have taken counsel together without thy
com-
mandment, light. For this cause have they
not been able to take away my light,
because
1 have trusted in the light. (114) I shall
not
be afraid ; the light is my saviour, and I
will
not fear.'
" Now, therefore, let him whose power
is
exalted, utter the interpretation of the
words
which Pistis Sophia spake."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking those words unto his disciples,
that
Salome came forward, and said : "
Master, my
power constraineth me to utter the
interpreta-
tion of the words which Pistis Sophia
spake.
Thy power hath prophesied of old through
Solomon, saying :
"'I will confess myself unto thee,
lord,
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for thou art my God. Leave me not, lord,
for
. thou art my hope. Thou hast given
terpreteth m e justice for naught ; and I
have been
the song of J G
Sophia saved by thy hand, Jjet them that
from the /.
Odes of persecute me fall, and let them not
see
Solomon.
me. Let a cloud of darkness cover
their eyes, and a tempest of wind blind
them.
Let them not see the day lest they should
seize
upon me. Let their counsel be impotent, and
let their own conspiracy fall upon
themselves.
They have designed a plot, and it hath
failed
for them. The mighty have vanquished them,
and the evils which they have prepared are
fallen upon them. My hope is in the lord,
and
I will not fear, for thou art my God and my
saviour/"
It came to pass when Salome had finished
speaking these words, that Jesus said unto
her :
(115) "Well said, Salome; it is well.
This is
the interpretation of the words which
Pistis
Sophia spake."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said unto his disciples : " It came to
The power f
sent by pass, when Pistis Sophia had
finished
Jesus form- . /
ethacrown saying these words in the chaos,
that
of light on J
Sophia's I caused the light-power, which I
had
head.
sent to help her, to form a crown of
light on her head, in order that henceforth
from
that hour the emanations of Arrogant should
FIRST BOOK. 113
not prevail against her. And when it had
made a crown of light on her head, all the
matters
which were in her were shaken, and were all
purified in her. They perished and remained
in chaos, while the emanations of Arrogant
gazed upon them and rejoiced. And the
glories
of pure light which were in Sophia, added
their power of light to my light-power,
which
had become a crown upon her head. It came
to pass, therefore, again, when [my
light-power]
surrounded the pure light, which was in
Sophia, and her pure light did not depart
from the crown of power, the brilliant
flame, so
that the emanations of Arrogant should rob
her
of it when this was done unto her, the
power
of unmixed light which was in Sophia began
to
sing a song. And she sang a song unto my
light-power which was a crown unto her
head,
and she sang a song, saying :
44 ' light, be thou a crown unto my head;
nor
shall I ever cause it to depart, so that
the emanations of Arrogant may as-
sail me ; and though all the matters be of
P raise/
shaken, yet shall I not be shaken. (116)
And though all my matters be lost, and
remain in chaos, and the emanations of Ar-
rogant gaze upon them, yet shall I not
perish,
for the light is with me, and I am with the
light.'
8
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PISTIS SOPHIA
"These words, then, were spoken by
Pistis
Sophia. Now, therefore, let him who knoweth
the meaning of these words come forward,
and
utter their interpretation."
Then Mary, the mother of Jesus, came
forward,
Mary, his an( ^ sa ^ : " ^7 son,
according to the
asketiT'and wor ld, m 7 Gd an d saviour,
according
pemlssk>n to the height, bid me utter
the inter-
to speak, pretation of the words which
Pistis
Sophia spake."
And Jesus answered, and said unto her :
"Thou also, Mary, thou who didst
receive
the form which is in Barbelo, according to
matter, and didst receive the similitude of
the
regions of light, according to the light,
thou and
the other Mary, the blessed one ; the
darkness
hath existed because of thee, and moreover
from
thee did come forth the material body in
which I
dwell, and which I have purified now,
there-
fore, I bid thee utter the interpretation
of the
words spoken by Pistis Sophia."
And Mary, the mother of Jesus, answered,
and said : " My Master, thy
light-power hath
prophesied of old concerning these words,
through Solomon, in his nineteenth Ode,
say-
ing :
" ' The lord is above my head as it
were a
garland, and I shall never be without it.
The
garland of truth hath been woven for me ;
FIRST BOOK. 115
(117) and he hath caused its branches to
flourish in me, for it is not like unto
Mary> the
a garland that withereth and flourish-
eth not. Thy branches are full [of
sap] ; they are perfect, filled with thy
salvation.' " mon -
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard these
words which Mary, his mother, had Jesus com
-
* ' J mendeth
spoken, that he said unto her : " Well
his mother.
said ; it is well. Amen, amen, I say unto
thee,
they shall proclaim thee blessed from one
end of
the earth to the other, for the covenant of
the
first mystery hath dwelt in thee, and by
this
covenant shall be saved all worlds and all
heights, and this covenant is the beginning
and
the end."
And Jesus continued in his conversation,
and
said unto his disciples; "It came to
The statute
pass, when Pistis Sophia had uttered ^yS^S*
her thirteenth repentance, that in that ^^
d for
hour was fulfilled the statute of all the
^* u * n -
tribulations with which Pistis Sophia
ofchaos -
had been disgracefully inflicted, for the
consum-
mation of the first mystery, which is from
the
beginning ; and the time had come to rescue
her
from chaos, and lead her out of all the
darkness,
for her repentance had been accepted by the
first mystery ; and moreover that mystery
sent
me a mighty light-power from the height,
that
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I might rescue Pistis Sophia and lead her
out
The first O f c haos. And I gazed towards
the
mystery
seift J forth h e igh ts f kh e ^ons, I saw
that light-
two streams power which the first mystery
had sent
powers to m e, that I might rescue Pistis
Sophia
Sophia. from chaos. It came to pass,
therefore,
when I had seen it, issuing forth from the
aeons
and coming towards me, I being in chaos,
that another power of light-powers also
went
forth from me, to aid Pistis Sophia. And
the
light-power which had issued from the
heights,
sent by the first mystery, descended upon
the
light-power which had issued from me, and
they
met together, and became a mighty stream of
light."
And when Jesus had spoken these things
unto his disciples, he said unto them :
"Under-
stand ye how I speak unto you ? "
And Mary started forward again, and said :
Mary in- " Master, I understand that
of which
th?m^s- h thou speakest. Concerning the
inter-
tery * pretation of this word, thy
light-power
hath prophesied of old through David, in
the
forty -fourth Psalm, saying : ' Mercy and
truth
are met together, tighteousness and peace
have
kissed each other. Truth hath flourished on
the
earth, and righteousness hath looked down
from
heaven/ Mercy, therefore, is this
light-power
which was sent by the first mystery ; for
the
FIRST BOOK. 117
first mystery had heard Pistis Sophia,
(119) he
had had mercy on her in all her
tribulations.
Truth, also, is that power which issued
from
thee, for that thou hast fulfilled the
truth in
order to save me from chaos. Righteousness,
again, is that power which was sent by the
first
mystery, which will guide Pistis Sophia.
Peace,
also, is that power which issued from thee
to
enter into the emanations of Arrogant to
take
from them the light, which they had taken
from
Pistis Sophia ; that is to say, in order
that thou
mightest gather them together into Sophia,
and
make them at peace with her power. Truth,
also, is the power which issued from thee,
when
thou wast in the lower regions of chaos.
For
this cause thy power hath said through
David,
' Truth hath flourished on the earth,' for
thou
wert in the lower regions of chaos. *
Righteous-
ness also hath looked down from heaven ' ;
this
is the power which issued from the height,
[sent]
by the first mystery, [the power] which
entered
into Sophia."
And when Jesus had heard these words, he
said : " Well said, Mary, thou blessed
one, who
shalt inhabit every kingdom of light."
Then also Mary, the mother of Jesus, came
forward, and said : " My Master and my
God,
bid me also utter this word of
interpretation."
Jesus said unto her: "He whose spirit
is
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PISTIS SOPHIA
intelligent, I will in no way prevent, but
I the
more and more urge him to utter the meaning
(120) which prompteth him. Now, therefore,
Mary, my mother according to matter, thou
in
whom I dwelt, I bid thee also utter the
meaning
of the word."
And Mary answered and said : " My
Master,
Mary, the concerning the word which thy
power
Srther' prophesied through David, to wit,
e*hthe et ~ 'Mercy and truth are met
together,
scripture, righteousness and peace have
kissed
each other ; truth hath flourished on the
earth,
and righteousness hath looked down from
heaven/
thy power prophesied this word of old con-
cerning thee.
" When thou wert a child, before the
spirit
The story h&d descended upon thee, when
thou
phantom wert ^ n t^e V i ne 7 ar( l with
Joseph, the
spirit. spirit came down from the height,
and
came unto me in the house, like unto thee,
and
1 knew him not, but thought that he was
thou.
And he said unto me, ' Where is Jesus, my
brother, that T may go to meet him ? ' And
when he had said this unto me, I was in
doubt,
and thought it was a phantom tempting me. I
seized him and bound him to the foot of the
bed
which was in my house, until I had gone to
find
you in the field, thee and Joseph ; and I
found
you in the vineyard ; Joseph was putting up
the
FIKST BOOK. 119
vine poles. It came to pass, therefore,
when
thou didst hear me saying this thing unto
Joseph, that thou didst understand, and
thou
wert joyful, and saidest, c Where is he,
that I
may see him? Nay [rather], I am expecting
him in this place/ And it came to pass,
when
Joseph heard thee say these words, that he
was
disturbed. (121) We went together, we
entered
into the house, we found the spirit bound
to the
bed, and we gazed upon thee and him, and
found that thou wert like unto him. And he
that was bound to the bed, was unloosed, he
embraced thee and kissed thee, and thou
also
didst kiss him ; ye became one and the same
being.
" This, then, is the word and its
interpretation.
Mercy is the spirit which came from the
height,
[sent] by the first mystery, to take pity
on the
human race ; he sent his spirit to pardon
the
sins of the whole world, that they might
receive
the mystery, that they might inherit the
king-
dom of light. Truth, also, is the power
which
dwelt in thee, issued from BarMLd. It
became
thv material body, and the herald below Of
thespir-
J ' itualand
the region of truth. Righteousness is
material
& m to bodies of
thy spirit which hath brought all the Jesus
-
mysteries from on high, to give them to the
race of men. Peace, also, is the power
which
dwelt in thy material body, according to
the world,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
[the body] which hath baptised the human
race,
to make it a stranger to sin, and at peace
with
thy spirit, that they may be at peace with
the
emanations of light, that is to say, that
mercy
and truth may kiss each other. As to that
which hath been said, 'Truth hath flourished
on the earth,' truth is thy material body
(122)
which germinated in me in the earth among
men, and is the herald below the place of
truth. Again, as to that which hath been
said,
'Righteousness hath flourished out of
heaven/
righteousness is the power which hath
looked
down from heaven, [the power] which will
give
the mysteries of light to the human race,
and
men shall become righteous, they shall be
good,
they shall inhabit the kingdom of
life."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard these words which Mary, his mother,
had
spoken, that he said : " Well said ;
it is well,
Mary."
And the other Mary came forward, and said :
"Master, suffer me, and be not wroth
with me,
nay, from the moment when thy mother uttered
the interpretation of these words, my power
hath urged me to come forward, and also ex-
pound their interpretation."
And Mary said : " Master, * Mercy and
truth
are met together/ Mercy, then, is the
spirit
which descended upon thee, when thou didst
FIRST BOOK. 121
receive the baptism of John. Mercy is the
spirit of divinity which descended
upon thee, which had pity on the thermter-
r 7 r J preteth the
human race ; it descended, it met with same
80ri P-
ture from
the power of Sabaoth which is in thee, ^ e
ba P-
tism of
which is the herald below the regions
Jesus.
of truth. It hath been said again, *
Righteousness
and peace have kissed each other.'
Righteous-
ness, then, is the spirit of light which
came upon
thee, which hath brought the mysteries of
the
height, (123) to give them unto the human
race. Peace, also, is the power of Sabaoth
the
good, who is in thee, who hath baptised and
hath pardoned the human race ; it [the
power]
hath made it at peace with the children of
light. And again, as thy power hath said,
through David, 'Truth hath flourished on
the earth/ this is the power of Sabaoth the
good.
" He hath said, c Truth hath
flourished on the
earth/ [for] it hath flourished in Mary,
thy
mother, who dwelleth on earth.
Righteousness,
also, which ' hath looked down from heaven/
is
the spirit which is in the height, which
hath
brought all the mysteries of the height,
and
hath given them to the human race ; men
have become righteous, they have become
good, they have inherited the kingdom of
light."
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And it came to pass, when Jesus had heard
the discourse which Mary uttered, that he
said :
" Well said, Mary, inheritor of
light."
And again Mary, the mother of Jesus, came
forward, she bowed herself at his feet,
mother, and kissed them, saying: "My
Master,
further in- my son, and my saviour, be not
wroth
th?same against me but pardon me, that I
may
fro^the' tell thee once more the
interpretation
herself g f of these words. ' Mercy and
truth are
Elizabeth, me t together/ 'tis I, Mary, thy
mother,
John the with Elizabeth, mother of John,
when
Baptist. j met her ( 124 ) Mercy theilj ig
the
power of Sabaoth which is in me, [the
power]
which went forth from my mouth, that is to
say, thyself. Thou hast had mercy on the
whole human race. Truth, also, is the power
which was in Elizabeth, that is to say,
John,
who came, and was the herald before the
truth,
that is to say, who was the herald before
thee.
And again, ' Mercy and truth are met
together,'
'tis thou, my saviour, when thou didst meet
John, on the day when thou wast to receive
the
baptism. Again 'tis thou and John who are
righteousness and peace that kissed each
other.
"'Truth hath flourished on the earth,
and
righteousness hath looked down from
Of the
incarnation heaven,' this is the time when
thou
of Jesus. . .
didst minister to thyself. Thou didst
FIRST BOOK. 123
take the form of Gabriel, thou didst look
down
upon me from heaven, thou didst speak unto
me, and when thou hadst spoken unto me,
thou
didst germinate in me. This is the truth,
that
is to say, the power of Sabadth the good,
which
is in thy material body, it is this truth
which
hath flourished on the earth."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard these words which Mary, his mother,
spake, that he said : t Well said ; it is
well.
This is the interpretation of all the words
con-
cerning which my light-power prophesied of
old, through David, the prophet."
THE NOTE OF A SCRIBE.
These are the names which I will give from
the infinite downward. Write them
A note by
with a sign, that the sons of God may a
later
hand.
manifest themselves from this region
downward. This is the name of the immortal
AAA flflfl. And this is the name of the
voice,
by reason of which the perfect man is
moved,
III. And here are the interpretations of
the
names of these mysteries. The first is AAA
;
its interpretation is 4><M>. The
second is MMM,
or flUfl ; its interpretation is AAA. The
third
is ^^F ; its interpretation is 000. The
fourth
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is 4>4>4> ; its interpretation is
NNN. The fifth
is AAA ; its interpretation is AAA. He who
is on the throne is AAA. This is the
interpre-
tation of the second AAAA AAAA AAAA.
This is the interpretation of the whole
name.
THE SECOND BOOK OF
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(126) AND John also came forward and said:
" Master, bid me as well expound the
interpre-
tation of the words which thy light-power
pro-
phesied of old through David."
And Jesus answered and said unto John :
" To thee also, John, I give
commandment to
expound the interpretation of the words of
which
my light-power prophesied by David, saying,
6 Mercy and truth have met together,
righteous-
ness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth
hath flourished on the earth, and
righteousness
hath looked down from heaven/ "
John answered and said : " This is the
word which thou didst say unto us ^\m
* further
once on a time, ' I came forth from the
expiaineth
the same
height, I entered into Sabaoth the
scripture.
good ; I embraced the light-power which was
in
him.' Now, therefore, mercy is thyself, who
wast sent from the regions of the height by
thy
father, the first mystery, looking within,
which
sent thee to have mercy on the whole world.
(127) Truth also is that power of Sabaoth
the
good, which was implanted in thee, which
thou
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hast sent forth to the left, thou the first
mystery
looking within. And the little Sabaoth the
Of Sabadth g OO( ^> ^ a ^ received it ;
he sent it forth
into matter and into Barbelo, and
became the herald of the regions of
ture. truth, in all the regions of those of
the left. The matter of Barb&o, then,
is that
which is in thy body to-day.
" ' Righteousness and peace have
kissed each
other.' Righteousness is thyself, who didst
bring
all the mysteries, by order of thy father,
the
first mystery looking within ; and thou
didst
baptise this power of Sabaoth the good, and
thou
didst go into the region of all the rulers
; thou
didst give them the mysteries of the height
;
they have become righteous, they have
become
good.
" Peace is also the power of Sabaoth,
which
indeed is thy soul, which entered into the
matter of Barbelo, and all the rulers of
the six
aeons, or labraoth, made peace with the
mystery
of the light.
" And c truth which hath flourished on
the
earth ' is that power of Sabaoth the good,
which
came forth from the region of the right,
which
is without the treasure of light, and came
into
the region of those of the left, it entered
into
the matter of Barbelo, and proclaimed unto
them
the mysteries of the region of truth.
SECOND BOOK. 127
(128) " Righteousness also which '
looked down
from heaven/ is thyself the first mystery
looking
without, come forth from the spaces of the
height, with the mysteries of the kingdom
of
light ; and thou didst descend upon this
light-
vesture, which thou didst receive from the
hands
of Barbelo, which [vesture] is Jesus, our
saviour,
descending upon him like a dove/'
The first mystery, then, continued :
"It came
to pass, therefore, that this power Gabriel
and
which had come forth from the height,
that is to say, myself, whom my father
sent to rescue Pistis Sophia from chaos, s
P hia -
[that] I, therefore, [as Jesus, the
saviour] with
this other power which had issued from me,
and
the soul which I had taken from the hands
of
Sabaoth the good, we went all together,
forming
but a single stream of light, which shone
ex-
ceedingly. I summoned Gabriel from above,
from the aeons, and also Michael, by order
of
my father, the first mystery looking
within.
I gave unto them the light-stream, and made
them descend into chaos, (129) to rescue
Pistis
Sophia, and seize upon the light-powers
which
the emanations of Arrogant had taken from
her, in order to take them from them and
give
them unto Pistis Sophia.
" And the moment that the light-stream
was
led into chaos, it lit up mightily the
whole of
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PISTIS SOPHIA
chaos, and extended itself in all their
regions.
And the emanations of Arrogant, when they
had
seen the great light of this stream, were
terror-
stricken one after the other ; and the
light-
stream drew forth from them all the
light-powers
which they had taken from Pistis Sophia.
The
emanations of Arrogant durst not possess
them-
selves of this light-stream in dark chaos ;
nor
could they possess themselves of it [even]
with
the art of Arrogant, who rules over the
emana-
tions.
"And Gabriel and Michael led the
light-
The light- stream over the material body of
Pistis
storethThe Sophia ; they infused into it
all the
h owersinto light-powers which had been
taken
Sophia. from her. And her material body be-
came shining throughout ; and also all the
powers which were in her, and from which
the
light had been taken, became radiant; they
ceased to lack their light, for the light
had
been taken back from those who had taken
it away, arid had been given back again
by my interposition. And Michael and
Gabriel
they were in attendance upon me, and had
led the light-stream into chaos, to give
them
the mysteries of light ; (130) for it was
to them
that the light-stream had been entrusted,
[the
same] which I gave unto them and brought
into
chaos and Michael and Gabriel took no light
SECOND BOOK. 129
for themselves from the light-powers of
Sophia
which they took from the hands of the
emana-
tions of Arrogant.
" It came to pass, therefore, when the
light-
stream had infused into Pistis Sophia all
her
light-powers, which it had taken from the hands
of the emanations of Arrogant, that she
became
entirely radiant; and the other
light-powers
which were in Pistis Sophia, those which
the
emanations of Arrogant had not taken away,
were also joyful, and full of light. And
the
light-powers which had been infused into
Pistis
Sophia vivified her material body, in which
there
had been no light ; which was to perish,
and
had perished. They vivified all her powers
which were not to perish. These powers also
became light-powers ; they became as they
were
originally. They were also exalted in their
perceptions of the light, and all the
light-powers
of Sophia knew one another by the
intervention
of the light-stream ; they were saved by
the
light of that stream. And when my The
light-stream had taken away the light-
powers from the hands of the emana-
tions of Arrogant, [the powers] which
they had taken away from Pistis
Sophia, (131) it infused them into Pistis
Sophia,
and turned itself about and ascended in
chaos."
This, then, is what the first mystery spake
9
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PISTIS SOPHIA
unto his disciples, concerning what had
happen-
ed to Pistis Sophia in chaos. He continued,
and said : " Understand ye how I speak
unto
you?"
And Peter came forward, and said : "
Master,
concerning the interpretation of the words
which
thou hast spoken, thy light-power hath pro-
phesied concerning them of old, through
Solo-
mon, in his Odes, [saying] :
" ' A flood hath taken place ; it hath
become a
Peter inter- g rea * stream, strong and
wide ; it hath
preteth the carr i ec l a ll away. It hath
turned to-
narrative J
from the wards the temple, nor could they
hold
Solomon. ft j n w fth enclosures and
structures.
The skill of them that check the waters
could
not stop it ; it spread over the whole
land, and
seized upon all of them. They that were in
the
sand of the desert have drunk ; their
thirst
departed and was quenched, when they had
received the draught from on high. Blessed
are
the ministers of that draught, to whom hath
been entrusted the water of the lord. They
have refreshed the parched lips. They who
were perishing, have felt their heart
rejoice ;
they who were breathing their last, have
pluck-
ed up courage so as not to die. They have
raised up the limbs which were fallen ;
they
have given power to their countenance, and
have given light to their eyes, for all of
them
SECOND BOOK. 131
know each other in the lord, and have been
saved by the water of life everlasting.'
" Hearken, therefore, my Master, that
I may
utter the word in freedom, as thy power
pro-
phesied, through Solomon. (132) 'A flood
hath
come forth ; it hath become a great stream,
strong and wide ' ; this is the
light-stream
which spread itself in chaos, in all the
region of
the emanations of Arrogant.
" And the word which thy power hath
again
uttered through Solomon, ' It hath carried
all
away ; it poured them over the temple ' ;
that
is to say, it carried away all the
light-powers
from the emanations of Arrogant, which they
had taken from Pistis Sophia, and it poured
them again into Pistis Sophia.
" And the word thy power again hath
said,
' The enclosures and structures have not
been
able to hold it in ' ; that is to say, the
emana-
tions of Arrogant have not been able to
hold the
light-stream within the walls of the
darkness of
chaos.
" And the word which it also uttered,
' It
spread over the whole land, and filled
every-
thing ' ; that is to say, when Gabriel and
Michael led it over the body of Pistis
Sophia, it
poured into Sophia all the light-powers
which
the emanations of Arrogant had taken from
her,
and her material body became radiant.
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"And the word which it also spake,
'They
who were in the parched land have drunk ' ;
that is to say, all that were in Pistis
Sophia
have been illuminated, [the powers] from
which
the light had previously been taken away.
"And the word which it uttered, *
Their
thirst hath departed and is quenched'; that
is to
say, (133) her powers ceased to lack their
light,
for they had had restored to them the light
which had been taken away.
" And, again, as to the utterance of
thy
power, * They have given them a draught
from
on high ' ; that is, the light hath been
given
unto them by the light-stream 'which came
forth from myself, [who am] the first mys-
tery/
" And as to the saying of thy power, '
Blessed
are the ministers of that draught/ that is
the
word which thou hast spoken, 'Gabriel and
Michael, they who were in attendance, led
the
stream into chaos and also brought it forth
again/ The mysteries of light which had
been
entrusted to the light-stream will be given
unto
them.
"And as to the further utterance of
thy
power, ' They have refreshed the parched
lips ' ;
that is, Gabriel and Michael have taken
nothing
for themselves from the light-powers of
Pistis
Sophia, [the powers] which they had wrested
SECOND BOOK. 133
from the emanations of Arrogant, but
infused
them into Pistis Sophia.
"And again the word which it spake,
'They
who were fainting, have felt their heart
rejoice ' ;
that is, all the other powers of Pistis
Sophia,
which had not been taken away by the emana-
tions of Arrogant, rejoiced greatly ; they
were
filled with light by their light-fellows,
for they
were infused into them.
"And the word which thy power again
uttered,
(134) 'They have revived the souls which
were
breathing their last, that they might not
die ' ;
that is, when they had poured their light
into Pistis Sophia, they vivified her
material
body from which the light had previously
been taken, but which was not destined to
perish.
" And again the word which thy power
spake,
'They have raised up firmly the limbs which
were fallen, so that they might not perish
' ; that
is, when they had poured into her her
light-
powers, they confirmed all the powers which
[otherwise] would have perished.
"And again as to the saying of thy
light-
power, * They have had their light renewed,
and
they have become what they were of old/
and also the word which it spake, 'They
have
given light to their eyes ' ; that is, they
have
gained perception in the light, and have
known
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the light-stream, for it was [previously]
hidden
in the height.
" And again the word which it spake, '
And
all knew each other in the lord ' ; that
is, all
the powers of Pistis Sophia knew one
another
through the light-stream.
" And again the word which it uttered,
* They
have been saved by the water of life
everlasting ;
it hath drawn them over the temple ' ; that
is,
when the light-stream had taken all the
light-
powers of Pistis Sophia, (135) and had
wrested
them from the emanations of Arrogant, it
poured
them into Pistis Sophia, and turned itself
about,
and departed from the chaos; it came upon
thee, for thou art the temple.
"This is the interpretation of all the
words
which thy light-power spake in the Ode of
Solomon."
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had heard all these words which
Peter
had spoken, that he said unto him : "
Well
said, blessed Peter ; this is the
interpretation
of the words which have been spoken."
The first mystery continued, and said :
"It
The eman- came to pass, therefore, as
Pistis Sophia
Arrant ^ad no * 3^ [ en ti re ty] ascended
out of
cry aloud chaos, because my father, the
first
to him for ' J '
help. mystery, looking within, had not yet
given her commandment, that then, when the
SECOND BOOK. 135
emanations of Arrogant discovered that my
light-stream had taken unto itself the
light-
powers, which they had taken from Pistis
Sophia,
and had poured them again into Pistis
Sophia,
when they saw again Pistis Sophia radiant
as
she had been in former times, they were
enraged
against Pistis Sophia, they cried out,
moreover,
to Arrogant to make him come and help them,
that they might again take away all the
powers
which were in Pistis Sophia.
" And Arrogant sent from on high, from
the
thirteenth aeon, he sent another great
Hesendeth
light-power. It descended into chaos other
more
like a winged arrow, to help his eman-
ations, (136) that they might once
more take away the light-powers of
Pistis Sophia. And when this power had de-
scended, the emanations of Arrogant, which
were in chaos and had caused Pistis Sophia
all
her woe, were mightily encouraged. They
perse-
cuted Pistis Sophia afresh with great fears
and
mighty pains ; and some of the emanations
of
Arrogant constrained her. One of them The
crea .
changed itself into the form of a monster
serpent ; another changed itself also in-
to the form of a seven-headed basilisk ; P
wers -
another changed itself into the form of a
dragon.
Moreover, the first power of Arrogant, the
lion-faced, and all his emanations, in
mighty
arrow -
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multitude, assembled together ; they
constrained
Pistis Sophia, they brought her again into
the
lower regions of chaos, and harassed her
afresh
exceedingly.
" It came to pass, thereafter, that
there looked
he . . down from the height of the twelve
dteinomal e>
power of aeons, Adamas the tyrant, he who
had
Adamas J
dasheth been enraged against Pistis Sophia,
Sophia to . .
theground. because she had desired to enter
into
the light of lights, (137) which was above
them
all, and therefore was he wroth against
her. It
came to pass, therefore, when Adamas the
tyrant
had looked down from the height of the
twelve
aeons, that he saw the emanations of
Arrogant
which were constraining Pistis Sophia until
they should take from her all the light-
powers which were in her. It came to pass,
when the power of Adamas descended into
chaos unto the emanations of Arrogant, it
came
to pass, therefore, when this daemonial
power
descended into chaos, that it dashed Pistis
Sophia to the earth ; and the lion-faced
power,
and also the basilisk-headed one, and the
dragon-
faced, and all the emanations of Arrogant,
in
mighty multitude, surrounded Pistis Sophia
all together, seeking to take from her
again the
powers which were in her; they mightily
con-
strained Pistis Sophia, and threatened her.
It
came to pass, therefore, when they
constrained
SECOND BOOK. 137
her and harassed her mightily, that she
cried
out to the light, and sang a song unto it,
saying :
" ' light, 'tis thou who didst rescue
me.
Let thy light descend upon me, for Sophia
thou hast received me unto thyself,
criethto
and I was -going unto thee, light. theli g
ht -
I trust in thee, light; for thou art my
saviour against the emanations of Arrogant,
and against Adamas the tyrant. Thou shalt
relieve me from all his violent threats.'
" And when Pistis Sophia had said
this, then,
by order of my father, the first mys-
Gabriel and
tery looking within, (138) I sent again and
the
Gabriel and Michael, and that great stream
light-stream, that they might rescue
herald* 10
Pistis Sophia. I gave order to Gabriel and
Michael to bear Pistis Sophia in their
hands,
so that her feet should not touch the lower
darkness ; and I gave them commandment
further to guide her in the regions of
chaos,
from which they were taking her.
" It came to pass, therefore, when the
messengers descended into chaos, they and
the
light-stream, when all the emanations of
Arrogant and the emanations of Adamas again
saw the light-stream which shone mightily,
there being no measure to the light
therein,
that they became terror-stricken and left
Pistis
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Sophia. And the great light-stream
surrounded
Pistis Sophia on every side, on the right
and on
the left, on every side, and became a crown
of
light upon her head.
" It came to pass, therefore, when the
light-
stream had surrounded Pistis Sophia, that
she
took courage most exceedingly, and the
stream
ceased not to surround her on every side ;
and
Pistis Sophia no longer feared the emanations
of Arrogant, which were in chaos, nor did
she
any more fear that new power of Arrogant,
which he had cast into chaos like a winged
arrow; (139) nor did she tremble before the
dsemonial power of Adamas, which had come
from the aeons.
" And again, by my order, [by order
of] the
first mystery looking without, the light-
The trans-
stream which had surrounded Pistis of
Sophia.
Sophia on all sides, became most
exceedingly
radiant ; and Pistis Sophia was tabernacled
in
the midst of the light, a mighty light
being on
her left and on her right, and on all
sides,
forming a crown on her head. And all the
emanations of Arrogant could no longer
change
their appearance, nor could they stand the
shock of the great light of the stream
which
formed a crown on the head of Sophia ; and
all
the emanations of Arrogant collapsed, a
host of
them at its right, because of its mighty
radiance,
SECOND BOOK. 139
and other hosts of them at its left. They
could
no longer at all draw nigh unto Pistis
Sophia
because of the great light ; but they fell
all one
on the other, and could do no harm unto
Pistis
Sophia, because she had trusted in the
light.
" And by order of my father, the first
mys-
tery looking, within. I also descended
Jesus, the
J b ' ^ first mys-
into chaos, shining most exceedingly ;
tery, look-
x T ' , , . ingwith-
(140) 1 directed my attack against
out,causeth
\ n. i-i i - Sophia to
that lion-faced power, which was shin-
triumph.
ing exceedingly, and took from it all its
light ;
I prevented all the emanations of Arrogant
from
entering from that hour into their region,
which
is the thirteenth aeon ; I took away the
power
of all the emanations of Arrogant, and they
all
fell into chaos powerless. And I led forth
Pistis
Sophia, who was on the right of Gabriel and
Michael ; and the great light-stream
entered
into them. And Pistis Sophia gazed upon her
enemies, from whom 1 had taken their light-
power. And 1 led Pistis Sophia forth from
chaos, treading under foot the
serpent-headed
emanation of Arrogant, and the seven-headed
basilisk emanation, the lion-faced power,
and
the dragon-faced. I made Sophia stand upon
the seven-headed basilisk emanation of
Arrogant,
which was more powerful than all of them in
his evil doings. And 1, the first mystery,
stood
over it ; I took all the powers which were
in
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it, and destroyed all its matter, so that
no
seed should arise from it from that
hour."
(141) The first mystery, having spoken
these
things unto his disciples, continued, and
said :
" Understand ye how I speak unto you ?
"
And James came forward, and said : "
Master,
concerning the interpretation of the words
which thou hast said, thy light-power pro-
phesied concerning them of old, through
David,
in the ninetieth Psalm, saying :
" ' Whoso dwell eth under the defence
of the
most high shall abide under the sha-
the narra. ^ow of the God of heaven. He
will
tive from
Psalm xc. sa y unto the lord, "Thou
hast re-
ceived me unto thyself; [thou art] my place
of refuge." He is my God in whom I
have
trusted ; for he shall save me from the
snares of
the hunters and from them that utter
violent
words. He shall shelter thee beneath his
breast, and thon shalt take courage beneath
his
wings. His truth shall surround thee like a
breast-plate ; thou shalt not be afraid for
the
terror of the night nor for the arrow which
flieth
by day, for the thing that strideth in
darkness,
that proceedeth from the destruction of the
rlsemomal one at mid-day. (142) A thousand
shall fall on thy left, and ten thousand at
thy
right hand ; but they shall not come nigh
thee.
Thou shalt gaze upon them, thou shalt see
them
SECOND BOOK. 141
receive the payment of sinners ; for thou,
O
lord, art my hope. Thou hast established
for
thyself places of refuge in the height ; no
one
shall come nigh thee, no plague come nigh
thy
dwelling ; for he hath given commandment to
his messengers concerning thee to keep thee
in
all thy ways, to bear thee in their hands,
lest
thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou
shalt
mount on the serpent and basilisk ; thou
shalt
trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
Because he hath trusted in me, I will save
him ;
I will shelter him, because he hath known
my
name. He will cry unto me, and I shall hear
him ; I am with him in his afflictions, and
I will
save him to glorify him, and increase him
with
wealth of days, and teach him my salvation/
" This, my Master, is the
interpretation of the
words which thou hast said. Hearken, there-
fore, that I may expound it unto thee in
free-
dom.
"The word, then, which thy power
spake,
through David, ' Who dwelleth under the de-
fence of the most high shall abide under
the
shadow of the God of heaven ' ; that is,
when
Sophia trusted in the light, she abode
under the
light of the light-stream which came down
from
the height from thee.
" And the word which thy power
uttered,
through David, ' I will say unto the lord,
" Thou
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PISTIS SOPHIA
hast received me unto thyself," and my
place of
refuge is my God, in whom I have trusted';
this
is the word which Pistis Sophia spake in
her
song, (143) 'Thou hast received me unto
thyself,
and I was going unto thee.'
" And, again, the word which thy power
uttered, ' My God, I trusted in thee ; for
thou
shalt save me from the snares of the
hunters, and
from them that utter violent words ' ; this
is
what Pistis Sophia said, '0 light, I have
trusted in thee; for thou shalt save me
from
the emanations of Arrogant and from those
of
tyrant Adamas ; thou, moreover, shalt save
me
from all their violent threats/
"And, again, the word which thy power
spake through David, 'He shall shelter thee
under his breast, and thou shalt take
courage
beneath his wings/ mearieth that Pistis
Sophia
hath dwelt in the light of that
light-stream
which came forth from thee, and she was as-
tonished in heart by the light which was on
her
left, and that which was at her right, that
is to
say, the wings of the light-stream.
" And the word which thy light-power
pro-
phesied through David, 'Truth shall
surround
thee like a breast-plate'; that is, the
light
of the light-stream which surrounded Pistis
Sophia like a breast-plate.
"And the word which thy power uttered,
SECOND BOOK. 143
' He shall not be afraid for the terror of
the night' ;
that is, that Pistis Sophia was not afraid
before
the terrors and troubles into which she had
been
sent in chaos, which is night.
"And the word which thy power spake,
(144) ' He shall not be afraid of the arrow
which
flieth by day ' ; that is, that Pistis
Sophia was
not afraid before that power which Arrogant
had
sent from the top of the heights, and which
descended into chaos like a flying arrow,
just as
thy light-power prophesied, ' Thou shalt
not be
afraid of the arrow that flieth by day ' ;
for this
power came forth from the thirteenth aeon
which
is lord of the twelve seons ; he it is who is
light
for all the aeons. Therefore he [David]
hath
used the word ' day/
" And again the word which thy power
uttered, ' He shall not be afraid of the
thing
that strideth in darkness ' ; that is, that
Sophia
did not fear before the serpent-headed emana-
tion, which made her afraid in chaos, which
is
' darkness/
" And the word which thy power spake,
* He
will not fear for the destruction, the
dsemonial
one at mid-day ' ; that is, that Pistis
Sophia was
not afraid before the dsemonial emanation
of
tyrant Adamas, which cast Pistis Sophia to
the
earth in great destruction, that which came
forth
from Adamas, from the twelfth aeon. (145)
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Therefore, thy power prophesied, ' He will
not
fear the destruction of the dsemonial one
at mid-
day ' ; mid-day, because it came forth from
the
twelfth seon, which is mid-day [the twelfth
hour] ;
and again because it descended into chaos,
which
is night, or rather the night which
descended from
the twelfth seon which is between the two.
Therefore, thy light-power spake of
mid-day,
because the twelve aeons are between the
thir-
teenth and chaos.
" And again the word which thy
light-power
spake through David, ' A thousand shall
fall on
thy left, and ten thousand at thy right
hand,
but they shall not come nigh thee ' ; that
is to
say, when the emanations of Arrogant, which
were very many in number, could not stand
the
great light of the light-stream, a host of
them
fell on the left hand of Pistis Sophia, and
a host
at her right, and they could not at all
come
nigh her to do her harm.
" And the word which thy power spake
through David, ' But thou shalt gaze upon
them,
and thou shalt see the reward of sinners;
for
thou, lord, art my hope ' ; that is, that
Pistis
Sophia looked upon her enemies, which are
the
emanations of Arrogant, who had fallen all
the
one on the other; (146) and not only did
she
gaze upon them in this state, but thou
also, my
Master, the first mystery, thou didst take
away
SECOND BOOK. 145
the light-power which was in that
lion-faced
power, and further thou didst take away the
power of all the emanations of Arrogant,
and
moreover thou didst prevent them from that
hour entering their own region from chaos.
Therefore did Pistis Sophia look on her
enemies ;
that is to say, the emanations of Arrogant
just
precisely as David prophesied concerning
her,
saying, * But thou shalt look upon them,
and
thou shalt see the payment of the sinners/
Not
only did she look upon them fallen the one
on
the other, but she also beheld the payment
which they have received. Just as the
emana-
tions of Arrogant thought to take away the
light which was in Pistis Sophia, so hast
thou
recompensed them ; thou hast paid them
their
payment, and thou hast taken the
light-power
which was in them, instead of the light of
Sophia
who had trusted in the light of the height.
" And as thy light-power spake through
David,
' Thou hast established the height for
thyself
as a place of refuge ; no evil shall come
nigh
thee, no plague shall enter into thy house
' ;
that is to say, when Pistis Sophia trusted
in
the light, and when she was in peril, she
sang
unto it a song, and the emanations of
Arrogant
could not do her any harm, (147) they could
not injure her, they could not at all come
nigh
her.
10
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" And the word which thy light-power
uttered
through David, ' He will give commandment
to
his messengers concerning thee, to keep
thee in
all thy ways, to bear thee in their hands,
lest
thou dash thy foot against a stone ' ; that
is to
say also, thou hast given commandment to
Gabriel and Michael to guide Pistis Sophia
in
all the regions of chaos, to bear her in
their
hands until they had helped her rise up, so
that
her feet should not touch the lower
darkness,
and they of the lower darkness should not
seize
hold of her.
" And the word which thy light-power
spake
through David, c Thou shalt trample on the
serpent and the basilisk, and thou shalt
tread
under foot the lion and the dragon ;
because he
hath had trust in me, I will save him, and
I will
shelter him, because he hath known my name
7 ;
that is to say, when Pistis Sophia was just
leaving chaos, she trod under foot the
emana-
tions of Arrogant ; she trampled on them
that
had serpent heads, and basilisk heads, and
seven
heads ; and she trod under foot that
lion-faced
power, and that dragon-headed one, because
she
had trusted in the light, and it had saved
her
from them all.
" This, Master, is the interpretation
of the
words which thou hast said."
It came to pass, when the first mystery had
SECOND BOOK. 147
heard these words, that he said: "Well
said,
James, thou well beloved/'
(148) And the first mystery again continued
in his conversation, and said to his
disciples :
" It came to pass, when I had led
Pistis Sophia
out of chaos, that she cried out anew, say-
ing :
" ' I have been rescued from chaos ; I
have
been loosed from the bonds of dark- Sophia
ness. I have come unto thee, light, |^S*
for thou hast been for me light on all
praise -
sides, preserving and helping me. And the
ema-
nations of Arrogant, which fought against
me,
thou hast kept therefrom by thy light, and
they
have not been able to draw nigh unto me ;
for
thy light was with me and preserved me
through
thy light-stream, because the emanations of
Arrogant constrained me, they took away my
power, and cast me into chaos deprived of
my
light, and I became as gross matter before
them.
Then came forth the power of the
light-stream
unto me from thee to save me ; it shone on
my
left and on my right, surrounding me on all
sides, so that no part of my being was
without
light, and thou didst hide me in the light
of thy
stream. Thou didst purge in me all my evil
matters, and I rose superior to all my
matters,
because of thy light and of thy
light-stream,
which hath raised me up, and hath kept far
from
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me the emanations of Arrogant which
constrained
me. (149) I became stout of heart in thy
light,
and in the pure light of thy stream. And
the
emanations of Arrogant which constrained me
withdrew themselves from me, and I became
radiant in thy great power. Thou hast saved
me and hast preserved me for ever/
"This is the repentance which Pistis
Sophia
uttered, when she came forth from chaos and
was freed from the bonds of chaos. Now,
therefore, he that hath ears to hear, let
him
hear."
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had finished saying these words
unto
his disciples, that Thomas came forward,
and
said : " Master, my light-dweller hath
ears, and
my spirit understandeth the words which
thou
hast said. Now, therefore, give commandment
unto me to expound clearly the
interpretation of
the words."
The first mystery answered, and said unto
Thomas : " I give thee commandment to
expound
the interpretation of the song which Pistis
Sophia sang in my honour."
Thomas answered, and said : " My
Master,
concerning the song which Pistis Sophia
uttered,
because she was preserved from chaos, thy
light-
power prophesied of old concerning thee,
through
Solomon, the son of David, in his Odes,
saying :
SECOND BOOK. 149
(150) " ' I have been loosed from my
bonds ; I
have run unto thee, lord, for thou Thomas
wert at my right hand preserving me,
preserving and helping me. Thou hast
prevented them that fought against
me, and. they did not show themselves
Solomon,
because thy countenance was with me,
preserv-
ing me by its beauty. I was despised before
the crowd, and have been cast out ; I was
as
lead in their presence. But a power came
forth
unto me from thee, helping me ; for thou
hast
set lamps on my right hand and on my left,
so that no part of my being should be
without
light. Thou didst shelter me under the
shadow
of thy mercy, and I was placed above the
coats
of skin. Thy right hand hath raised me up,
and hath taken my sickness from me. I have
become strong in thy truth, pure in thy
righteousness. They that fought against me
have withdrawn themselves from me, and I
have been justified by thy goodness, for
thy
rest is from eternity to eternity/
" This, Master, is the interpretation
of the
repentance which Pistis Sophia spake, when
she
was preserved from chaos. Hearken,
therefore,
while I expound it in freedom.
"The word, then, which thy power spake
through Solomon, 'I have been loosed from
bonds, I have run unto thee, lord ' ; this
is
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the word which Pistis Sophia spake, *I have
been loosed from the bonds of darkness ; I
have
come unto thee, light/
(151) "And the word which thy power
uttered, ' Thou wert at my right hand,
preserv-
ing and helping me ' ; this is again the
word
which Pistis Sophia spake, 'Thou hast been
a
light for me on all sides, and thou hast
helped
me/
" And the word which thy light-power
spake,
c Thou hast prevented them that fought
against
me, and they did not show themselves ' ;
this
is the word which Pistis Sophia spake, 'And
the emanations of Arrogant, which fought
against
me, thou hast prevented by thy light, and
they
have not been able to draw nigh unto me/
" And the word which thy power spake,
c Thy
countenance was with me, preserving me by
its
beauty ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, 'Thy light was with me, preserving
me
in thy light-stream/
" And the word which thy power spake,
' I
was despised before the crowd, and have
been
cast out ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, f The emanations of Arrogant
constrained
me, they took away my power, and I became
for them an object of derision ; they cast
me
into chaos, deprived of my light/
" And the word which thy power spake,
* I
SECOND BOOK. 151
was as lead in their presence ' ; this is
the word
which Pistis Sophia spake, 'When they had
taken away my light-powers, I became as
gross
matter before them.'
"And the word which thy power spake, '
But
a power came forth unto me from thee,
helping
me'; (152) this is again the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, ' And then the power of the
light-stream came forth unto me from thee,
preserving me.'
"And the .word which thy power spake,
' Thou hast set lamps on my right hand and
on
my left, so that no part of my being should
be
without light ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, 'Thy power shone on my right
and on my left hand, surrounding me on all
sides, so that no part of my being was
without
light/
"And the word which thy power spake,
c Thou didst shelter me under the shadow of
thy
mercy ' ; this is again the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, ' And thou didst clothe me in
the light of thy stream/
" And the word which thy power spake,
' I
was placed above the coats of skin ' ; this
is
again the word which Pistis Sophia spake, '
And
they have purged in me all my evil matters,
and
I rose superior to them by thy light/
"And the word which thy power spake
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through Solomon, ' Thy right hand hath
raised
me up, and hath taken my sickness from me '
;
this is the word which Pistis Sophia said,
' And
thy light-stream hath raised me up in the
light,
and hath removed from me the emanations of
Arrogant, who constrained me.'
(153) " And the word which thy power
spake,
' I have become strong in thy truth, and
pure
in thy righteousness ' ; this is the word
which
Pistis Sophia spake, c I became stout of
heart
in thy light, and I am become a pure light
in
thy light-stream/
And the word which thy power spake, ' They
that fought against me, have withdrawn
them-
selves from me ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, c And the emanations of Arro-
gant which constrained me, withdrew them-
selves from me.'
" And the word which thy power spake
through Solomon, c And I have been
justified by
thy goodness, for thy rest is from eternity
to
eternity ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, ' I have been preserved in thy
goodness ;
for thou dost preserve the whole world/
"This, then, my Master, is the whole
interpretation of the repentance which
Pistis
Sophia uttered, when she had been rescued
from
chaos and freed from the bonds of
darkness."
It came to pass, when the first mystery had
SECOND BOOK. 153
heard Thomas utter these words, that he
said :
"Well said; it is well, Thomas, thou
blessed
one. This is the interpretation of the song
sung
by Pistis Sophia."
The first mystery continued in his
conversa-
tion, and said unto his disciples : "
Pistis Sophia
continued, and sung a song unto me, saying
:
" ' I sing a song unto thee, unto
thee, who,
(154) by thy commandment, hast led S ophia
me forth from a high seon which is ^^
above ; and thou hast made me come of P
ralse -
into the lower regions; and again, by thy
commandment, thou hast preserved me from
the
lower regions. By thy grace thou hast
removed
the matter which was in my light-power, and
I
have seen. Thou hast scattered far from me
the emanations of Arrogant, which
constrained
me and were my enemies. Thou hast given me
power to unloose the bonds of the
emanations of
Adamas ; and thou hast smitten the seven-
headed basilisk-serpent. Thou hast cast it
far
from rny hands ; and thou hast set me above
its
matter. Thou hast caused it to perish, so
that
its seed should not arise from this hour
forth.
Thou wert with me, giving me power in all
this [affliction]. And thy light hath
surrounded
me in all the region. And of thyself thou
didst
make all the emanations of Arrogant
powerless ;
for thou hast taken away the light-power which
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was in them. Thou hast made straight my
path to lead me out of chaos. Thou hast
carried
me far from this material darkness, and
thou hast
taken from it all my powers, from which the
light
had been taken. Thou hast infused into them
a pure light, (155) and unto my limbs,
which
had no light, thou hast given a pure light
from
the light of the height. Thou hast made
straight the way before them, and the light
of
thy countenance hath become for me a life
that
can never be destroyed. Thou hast brought
me
forth from the higher part of chaos, the
region
of chaos and of destruction, in order that
all the
matters that were therein, might be
scattered,
[the matters] which are in that region.
And, in
order that all my powers might be renewed
and
thy light be in them all, thou hast set the
light
of thy stream in me; I have become a pure
light-power.'
" This is the second song which Pistis
Sophia
uttered. Now, therefore, let him who under-
standeth the repentance come forward, and
ex-
pound it."
It came to pass, when the first mystery had
finished speaking those words, that Matthew
came forward, and said : " 1 have
understood
the interpretation of the song which Pistis
Sophia uttered. Now, therefore, give com-
mandment unto me, to expound it in
freedom."
SECOND BOOK. 155
The first mystery answered, and said:
"I
give thee commandment, Matthew, to ex-
pound the interpretation of the song which
Pistis Sophia uttered."
And Matthew answered, and said : "
Con-
cerning the interpretation of the song
which
Pistis Sophia spake, thy light-power pro-
phesied of old concerning it, through
Solomon,
saying :
" ( He who hath made me to descend
from
the lofty regions of heaven, (156) and
Matthew
who hath led me into the regions which
eti^tfie 6
are in the lower foundation ; who hath
gophia
taken therefrom them that were in the j ^ Q
middle region, and who hath instruct-
Solomon -
ed them ; who hath scattered my enemies and
my adversaries ; who hath given me power
against the bonds to unloose them ; who
hath
smitten the seven-headed serpent in my
hands,
and set me up upon his root, that I may
blot
out his seed he is thyself who wert with
me,
and helped me in every region. Thy name
hath surrounded me; thy right hand hath
destroyed the venom of the speaker of evils
;
thy right hand hath opened the path for thy
righteous ; thou hast preserved them in the
tombs, and hast borne them from the midst
of
the corpses. Thou hast taken dead bones,
and
hast clothed them with a body, and to them
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that stirred not thou hast given the energy
of
life. Thy way is void of destruction, and
so
also thy countenance. Thou hast led thine
aeon
into destruction, that all might be
destroyed
and be again renewed, and that thy light
might
become a foundation for them all. Thou hast
poured out thy wealth upon them, and they
have become a holy place.'
" This is the interpretation, Master,
of the
song which Pistis Sophia uttered. Hearken,
therefore, that I may expound it openly.
"The word which thy power spake
through
Solomon, 'He who hath made me to descend
from the lofty regions of heaven, and who
hath,
moreover, made me enter into the regions of
the
lower foundation ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, (157) 'I sing a song unto
thee,
thou, who, by thy commandment, hath made
me come forth from this high seon above the
heaven, and who hath led me into the lower
regions; and thou hast preserved me also by
thy commandment, thou hast made me rise up
from the lower regions.'
"And the word which thy power spake
through Solomon, ' Who hath taken therefrom
them that were in the middle region, and
hath
instructed me ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, And also by thy commandment,
thou hast caused the matter which was in
the
SECOND BOOK. 157
midst of my power to be purified ; and I
have
seen it/
" And also the word which thy power
spake
through Solomon, 'Who hath scattered my
enemies and my adversaries ' ; this is the
word
which Pistis Sophia spake, ' Thou hast
scattered
far from me the emanations of Arrogant,
which
constrained me, and were my enemies/
" And also the word which thy power
spake,
* Who hath given me wisdom over the bonds
to
unloose them ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, 'He hath given me -wisdom to
unloose the bonds of these emanations/
"And the word which thy power spake,
' Who hath smitten the seven-headed serpent
in
my hands, and set me up upon his root, that
I
may blot out his seed ' ; this is the word
that
Pistis Sophia spake, (158) 'Thou hast
smitten
the seven-headed serpent by my hands, and
thou hast set me up above his tribes ; thou
hast
caused it to perish, so that its seed
should not
arise from this hour/
" And the word which thy power spake,
' But
thou wert with me, helping me ' ; this is
the
word which Pistis Sophia spake, ' Thou wert
with me, giving me power in all this
[affliction]/
" And the word which thy power spake,
' Thy name hath surrounded me in every
region ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
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spake, 'And thy light hath surrounded me in
all the regions/
"And the word which thy power spake,
' Thy right hand hath destroyed the venom
of
the speakers of evils ' ; this is the word
which
Pistis Sophia spake, ' And of thyself thou
didst
make all the emanations of Arrogant
powerless ;
for thou hast taken from them their power/
"And the word which thy power hath
said,
* Thy right hand hath opened the path for
thy
faithful ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, ' Thou hast made straight my path to
lead me out of chaos, for I have trusted in
thee/
"And the word which thy power spake,
* Thou hast rescued them from the tombs,
and
thou hast borne them from the midst of the
corpses ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, ' Thou hast rescued me from chaos,
thou
hast carried me far from this material
darkness
(159) which is the murky emanation of
chaos,
from which thou hast taken away the light/
"And the word which thy power spake,
' Thou hast taken dead bones and hast
clothed
them with a body, and to them that stirred
no^
thou hast given the energy of life ' ; this
is the
word which Pistis Sophia spake, 'And thou
hast taken all my powers which had no light
in them, and hast infused into them a pure
SECOND BOOK. 159
light, and unto all my limbs which had no
light
in them, thou hast given a living light
from on
high/
"And the word which thy power spake,
6 Thy way is void of destruction, and so
also
thy countenance ' ; this is the word which
Pistis
Sophia spake, e Thou hast made straight thy
way for me and the light of thy countenance
;
they have been a way void of destruction
unto
me/
"And the word which thy power spake,
1 Thou hast led thine aeon into
destruction, that
all might be destroyed and be again renewed
' ;
this is the word which Pistis Sophia spake,
' Thou
hast brought me, thy power, into chaos and
destruction, that all the matters which
were in
that region might be dissolved, and all my
power be renewed in the light. '
"And the word which thy power spake,
* And thy light hath become a foundation
for
them all ' ; this is the word which Pistis
Sophia
spake, (160) 'And thy light hath been in
them all. 1
" And the word which thy light-power
uttered
through Solomon, 'Thou hast poured out thy
wealth upon him, and he hath become a place
of holy habitation ' ; this is the word
which
Pistis Sophia spake, * Thou hast
concentrated
the light of thy stream upon me, and I have
become a pure light-power/
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" This, then, my Master, is the
interpretation
of the song which Pistis Sophia
spake."
It came to pass, when the first mystery
had heard these words which Matthew had
uttered, that he said: " Well said,
Matthew; it
is well, well-beloved. This is the
interpreta-
tion of the song which Pistis Sophia
spake."
And the first mystery continued in his con-
Sophia con- versation, and said : " '
I will declare
tinuetli to
sing. that it is thou, light most high,
that hast preserved ine, and hast brought
me unto thee ; who hast prevented the
emana-
tions of Arrogant, which were my enemies,
from
taking my light, light of light. I have
sung
a song unto thee; thou hast preserved me,
light ; thou hast brought my power out of
chaos ;
thou hast preserved me from them that
descend
into the darkness.'
" These words Pistis Sophia uttered.
Now,
therefore, let him who hath a comprehending
mind, and who hath understood the words
uttered by Pistis Sophia, come forward and
expound their interpretation."
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
Mary is mystery had finished speaking these
afraid of , , . ,. . , , ,r
Peter. words unto his disciples, that Mary
came forward, and said: (161) "
Master, my
mind is ever comprehending, so that I could
come forward every time and expound the
SECOND BOOK. 161
interpretation of the words which she spake
;
but I fear Peter, for he hath threatened
me, and
hateth our sex."
And when she had spoken these words, the
first mystery said unto her : " No one
shall
prevent whosoever shall be filled with the
spirit of light from coming forward and
expound-
ing the interpretation of what I say. Now,
therefore, Mary, expound the interpretation
of
the words uttered by Pistis Sophia."
And Mary answered and said unto the first
mystery in the midst of the disciples :
" Master,
concerning the interpretation of the words
uttered by Pistis Sophia, thy light-power
pro-
phesied of old, through David, saying :
" ' I will magnify thee, lord, for
thou hast
received me unto thyself, and thou Mary
inter .
hast not let mine enemies rejoice over P
retctl ? the
J song of
me. lord, my God, I have cried f r ^ he
unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Psalms
-
lord, thou hast drawn my soul forth from
hell, thou hast saved me from them that de-
scend into the pit/ ''
When Mary had spoken these things, the
first
mystery said unto her, " Well said ;
it is well,
Mary, thou blessed one."
He continued in his conversation, and said
unto
his disciples : (162) "And Sophia
continued in
her song, and said :
11
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" * The light hath been a saviour unto
me ; it
Sophia con- hath changed my darkness into
light ;
song. it hath cleft the darkness that sur-
rounded me, and hath girded me with light/
"
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had finished speaking these words,
that Martha came forward, and said : "
Master,
thy power hath prophesied of old through
David,
concerning this word, saying :
" ' The Lord hath been my succour ; he
hath
Martha in- changed my song of mourning into
fr e om e the h J O 7- He hath rent m y
Sackcloth,
Psalms. an( j girded me with joy/ "
It came to pass, when the first mystery had
finished hearing the words which Martha had
uttered, that he said : " Well said ;
it is well,
Martha/'
And the first mystery continued in his con-
versation, and said unto his disciples :
" Pistis
Sophia further continued with her song, and
said :
" c Sing a song, my power, to the
light, and
Irmeth^er ^ Or g et not a ^ *^ e %ht-powers
which
Bon s- it hath given unto thee, and all the
powers which are in thee. Sing the name of
his holy mystery, which remitteth every
trans-
gression ; [of him] who saveth thee from
all the
afflictions with which the emanations of
Arro-
gant have constrained thee ; who hath
preserved
SECOND BOOK. 163
their light from all the emanations of
Arrogant,
which are numbered for destruction; (163)
who
hath bestowed a crown of light upon thy
head
to preserve thee ; who hath filled thee
with
pure light, and thy source shall be renewed
as
an invisible of the heights.'
" These words Pistis Sophia said, in
that she
had been preserved and remembered all
things
which had been done unto her."
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had finished speaking these words
unto
his disciples, that he said unto them :
" Let him
who understandeth the interpretation of
these
words come forward and expound it in free-
dom."
Then Mary came forward, and said : "
My
Master, concerning the words which Pistis
Sophia uttered in her song, thy light-power
prophesied of old, through David, saying :
" ' Praise the lord, my soul ; let all
that is
within me praise his holy name and Mary
inter .
forget not all his recompenses ; [for he
f^m the
it is] who remitteth all thy iniquities ;
Psahns -
who healeth all thy infirmities ; who
saveth thy
life from destruction ; who putteth on thy
head
a crown of mercy and loving kindness; who
satisfieth thy desire with good things. Thy
childhood shall be renewed like an eagle's/
"That is to say, Sophia shall be like
those
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invisibles who are in the heights, for he
said,
'like an eagle/ for the dwelling of an
eagle is
in the heights, and the invisibles are also
in the
heights; (164) that is to say, that Pistis
Sophia
shall become radiant like the invisibles,
just as
she was in the beginning. "
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had heard these words which Mary
had spoken, that he said : " Well
said, Mary,
thou blessed one."
It came to pass, therefore, after this,
that
SPtoV 8 *ke ^ rst m y ster 7 continued
again in
region be- ^[ s conversation, and said unto
his
low the 9
thirteenth disciples : "I took Pistis
Sophia, I led
SBon, and r r
given a h er i n to a region below the
thirteenth
new mys-
tery. aeon, and I gave unto her a new mys-
tery which was not that of her own seon,
[the
mystery of] the invisible region. And I
gave
unto her also a song of light, so that from
that
hour the rulers of the seons should not
prevail
against her. And I left her in that region
until
I should come again to find her, and bring
her
into her region which is in the heights. It
came to pass, when I had left her in that
region,
that she again uttered her song, saying :
" ' In faith have I trusted in the
light ; it
She con- hath accomplished my desire, it
hath
tinuethher
song. brought my power out of chaos and
from the lower darkness of every matter. It
SECOND BOOK. 165
hath led me on high, it hath set me in an
lofty and firm. It hath set me on the path
which leadeth to my region, and hath given
unto me a new mystery, which is not that of
my seon. It hath given unto me a song of
light. Now, therefore, light, the rulers
shall
see what thou hast done ; (165) they shall
fear,
and they shall believe in the light/
" This song, therefore, Pistis Sophia
uttered,
rejoicing that she had been led out of
chaos'and
brought into regions below the thirteenth
aeon.
Now, therefore, let him whose mind is
stirred,
and who understandeth the interpretation of
the meaning of the song, which Pistis
Sophia
uttered, come forward and expound it."
And Andrew came forward and said : "
My
Master, this is what thy light-power
prophesied
of old concerning thee through David,
saying :
" ' With tarrying I waited for the
lord, and
he hath inclined his ear unto me, and An( j
rew i n -
hath heard my prayer. He hath f*^f
brought my soul out of the pit of PsahnB -
wretchedness, and from the mire of the mud
; he
hath stablished my feet on a rock, and hath
directed my steps. He hath put in my mouth
a
new song and benediction for our God. Many
shall see and shall fear, and shall hope in
the
lord/ "
It came to pass, when Andrew had expounded
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the meaning [of the song] of Pistis Sophia,
that
the first mystery said unto him : "
Well said,
Andrew, thou blessed one."
He continued again in his conversation, and
said unto his disciples : " These are
all the things
which befell Pistis Sophia. (166) It came
to
pass, therefore, when I had brought her to
the
region which is below the thirteenth aeon,
that
I was about to enter into the light and
cease
to busy myself concerning her. She said
unto
me :
" ' light of lights, thou art about to
go
The con- to *^ e light and to cease to busy
thyself
So r phiaand concerning me, and tyrant
Adamas
the light. wi]1 know that thou hagt cease d
to
busy thyself on my behalf ; he will know
that he
who should preserve me, is no longer
[here],
and he will come again to this region, he
and
all his rulers who hate me, and Arrogant
will again
give power unto his lion-faced emanation ;
they
will all come and will constrain me
together to
take away all the light which is in me,
that I
may become powerless and again without
light.
Now, therefore, light of my light, take
from
them their light, that they may no longer
from
this hour be able to constrain me/
"It came to pass, when I had heard
these
words which Pistis Sophia spake unto me,
that
I answered her, and said : ' My father, who
caused
SECOND BOOK. 167
me to emanate forth, hath not yet given me
commandment to take their light from
T MI 11 - /- The light
them ; but I will seal the regions of
promiseth
Arrogant and of all his rulers who hate
regions of
thee. And I will also seal the regions
rrogan
of Adamas and of his rulers, so that none
of
them may be able to fight against thee
until
their time is fulfilled, and until even the
time
hath come when my father shall give me com-
mandment to take away their light/
"Then I further said unto her: (167)
* Hearken that I may tell unto thee their
time,
when that which I have just said unto thee
shall come to pass. It shall come to pass
when
three times shall be accomplished/
" Pistis Sophia answered and said unto
me :
*0 light, how shall I know that three times
are accomplished, so that I may rejoice,
and be
in gladness in that my time shall be nigh
for
thee to bring me into my region? Moreover,
I shall rejoice when thou shalt take the
light-
power from all them that hated me, for I
have
trusted in thy light/
" And I answered and said unto her : '
When
thou shalt see the gate of the treasure How
of the great light it openeth in the
thirteenth seon, and is to the left
when this gate shall be opened, then
will the three times be accomplished/
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" Pistis Sophia continued and said : '
light,
how shall I know in this region, that that
gate
is opened ? '
" And I answered and said unto her : '
When
What shall thab gate shall be opened, all
who are
paM 6 at i n *^ e 8eons w iH know thereof,
because
that time. Q f the great jj^ ^^ wil ] stre
am
into all their regions. Lo, then, I have
set
them so, that none shall venture any ill
against
thee, until the three times are
accomplished.
And thou shalt have the power of going into
their twelve aeons, whenever thou mayest
wish,
(168) and also of returning into thy [own]
region,
which is below the thirteenth aeon, and in
which
thou now art ; but thou shalt not have the
power of passing through the gate of the
height,
which is in the thirteenth aeon, to come
into
thy region whence thou didst come forth [in
the
beginning]. Moreover, when the three times;
shall be fulfilled, Arrogant and all his
rulers
shall constrain thee, to take away "
the light
that is in thee, being enraged against
thee,
thinking that it is thou who hast kept his
power
in chaos, and also that it is thou who
didst take
away the light which was in it. He will be
enraged against thee to take from thee thy
light and cast it into chaos, and give it
to his
emanation, in order that it may have the
power
to come forth from chaos and go into its
own
SECOND BOOK. 169
region. And Adamas will aid it in this ;
but
I will take away all the light-powers which
are
in him, and I will give them unto thee ;
and I
will come to take them away. Now,
therefore,
when they shall constrain thee at that
time,
sing a song to the light ; I will hasten
unto thy
help ; I will quickly come unto thee from
the
regions below thee ; 1 will come to this
region
where I shall have left thee, and which is
below
the thirteenth aeon, until I shall make
thee
once more quickly enter into thy region,
whence
thou didst come forth/
(169) " It came to pass, therefore,
when Pistis
Sophia had heard these words which I spake,
that she rejoiced with great rejoicing. And
so
I left her in the region below the
thirteenth
aeon ; I passed into the light, and ceased
to busy
myself about her."
All these things, therefore, the first
mystery
spake unto his disciples, for they had
happened
unto Pistis Sophia ; he was seated on the
Mount
of Olives, narrating all these things in
the midst
of his disciples. He continued, therefore,
in his
conversation, and said unto them : "
It came to
pass, therefore, after all these things,
when I
was in the world of men, sitting beside the
way,
that is to say, in the place which is The
time
. for the final
the Mount of Olives, before they had
deliverance
r _ _ of Sophia ifi
sent unto me my [first] vesture, which
fulfilled.
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I had placed in the four and twentieth
mystery
of the interior, which is the first of the
exterior,
that is to say, the great uncontainable,
from
which I came forth, and before I had
entered
into the height, to receive my other two
vestures,
when I was seated near you in this place,
which
is the Mount of Olives, that the time of
which I
had spoken unto Pistis Sophia ' Adamas with
all his rulers will constrain thee ' was
fulfilled.
" It came to pass, therefore, when
this time
was fulfilled, that I was in the world of
men,
(170) sitting near you, on this hill, which
is the
Mount of Olives. Adamas looked down from
the height of the twelve aeons ; he saw his
dsemonial power, which was in chaos,
without
any light at all in it ; for I had taken
from it
its light. He saw that it was dark, and had
not
the strength to come to its own region,
which
sendeth * s *ke twelfth 8eon - [Then]
Adamas
forth two thought again on Pistis Sophia ;
he be-
emanations . .
of darkness came most mightily enraged
against her,
Sophia. thinking that it was she who had
kept
his power in chaos, thinking that it was
she
who had taken away its light; and he was
exceedingly wroth, he piled rage on rage,
he
sent forth from himself an emanation of
dark-
ness, and also a little chaos exceedingly
malig-
nant, to plague Pistis Sophia therewith.
And
he created a region of darkness in his
region, in
SECOND BOOK. 171
order to constrain Pistis Sophia therein.
He
assembled the hosts of his rulers ; they
pursued
after Pistis Sophia to make her enter into
the
dark chaos which [Adamas] had created, and
to
constrain her in that region, in order that
the
two emanations of darkness, which Adamas
had
created, might plague her, until they had
taken from her all the light which was in
her,
and until Adamas should take the light from
Pistis Sophia, and give it unto his two
dark and
malignant emanations, that they might carry
it
into the great lower chaos which is the
darkness,
(171) and cast it into his power which is
there,
thinking that so it might come into its own
region, for it was [now] exceedingly dark,
be-
cause I had taken from it its light.
" It came to pass, therefore, when
they pur-
sued after her, that Pistis Sophia cried
aloud,
she sang a song to the light, for I had
said unto
her, * If thou art constrained, sing unto
me a
song, and I will come in haste to aid
thee.' It
came to pass, therefore, when they
constrained
her I was seated near you in this place,
that
is to say, on the Mount of Olives that she
sang a song to the light, saying :
" ' light of lights, I have trusted in
thee,
save me from all these rulers who
pursue after me, and preserve me, lest ^
they should take from me my light, as
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that lion-faced power [once did] ; for thy
light
is no longer with me, nor thy light-stream
to
preserve me. Nay, Adamas is enraged against
me, saying, "Tis thou who hast kept my
power in the chaos/' Now, therefore, light
of lights, if I have done so, if I have
kept it
there, if I have done the least violence to
that
power, or if I have constrained it as it
con-
strained me, let all these rulers which
pursue
after me, take away my light, let them
leave
me empty ; let Adamas my foe pursue after
my power, let him seize upon it, let him
take
from me my light, let him cast it into his
dark
power, which is in chaos, let him put my
power
in chaos. (172) Now, therefore, light,
raise
thou me up in thy [just] wrath, lift up thy
power above mine enemies, who have raised
themselves up against me unto the end.
Haste
thee. restore me, as thou saidst unto 'me,
" I will
help thee." ' "
It came to pass, therefore, when the first
mystery had finished speaking these words
unto
his disciples, that he said : " Let
him who hath
understood the words which I have spoken,
come forward and expound their
interpretation."
And James came forward, and said : "
Master,
concerning this song which Pistis Sophia
sang,
thy light-power prophesied of old, through
David, in the seventh Psalm, saying:
SECOND BOOK. 173
" c lord, my God, in thee I have put
my
trust ; save me from them that perse- ^ am r
e e s te i ^j
cute me. and deliver me, lest they J he S(
J?g
J from Psalm
should tear my soul in pieces, like vii -
lions ; for there is no saviour and no
deliverer.
lord, my God, if I have done any such
thing,
if there hath been any malice in my hands,
if I
have exacted retribution from them that
have
recompensed me with evils ; [then] let me
fall
beneath my enemies, and be empty ; let mine
enemy persecute my soul, let him seize it,
let
him trample down my life on the earth, and
lay
my glory in the dust. (Diapsalma.) Arise,
lord, in thy wrath ; raise up thy power
above
my enemies ; arise in the statute which
thou
hast decreed.' "
(173) It came to pass, therefore, when the
first mystery had heard the words which
James
had spoken, that he said unto him : "
Well said,
James, thou well-beloved."
The first mystery continued again in his
conversation, and said unto his disciples :
" It
came to pass, therefore, when Pistis Sophia
had finished uttering the words of her
song,
that she turned herself round to see
whether
Adamas and his rulers had turned themselves
back to re-enter their aeon ; and she saw
them
pursuing after her. So she turned unto them
and said :
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PISTIS SOPHIA
" ' Why run ye after me, saying that I
have
no help to be preserved from you ?
Sophia ad- * * -,.,,.,
dresseth Now, therefore, my judge is the
light,
Adamas . .
and his and he is strong. He waiteth
patiently
filers. ., .
until the time of which he said unto
me, " I will come to thy help."
Shall he not
pour out his wrath upon you in this very
hour ?
Now is the time of which he spake unto me.
Now, therefore, if ye turn not back, if ye
cease
not to pursue after me, the light will
prepare
his power, he will make ready with all his
powers,
he will be ready in his power to take from
you
all that is light in you, and ye shall be
dark.
He hath created his powers to take from you
your power which is in you, that ye may
perish.'
" When Pistis Sophia had said these
words,
she turned her gaze towards the region of
Adamas ; she saw the region of darkness and
of
chaos which he had created ; (174) she saw
also
the two exceedingly malignant emanations of
darkness, which Adamas had sent forth to seize
upon Pistis Sophia and cast her into the
chaos
which he had created, to constrain her in
that
region and plague her until they had taken
from
her her light. It came to pass, therefore,
when
Pistis Sophia had seen these two emanations
of
darkness and the dark region which Adamas
had created, that she feared exceedingly,
and
cried aloud to the light, saying :
SECOND BOOK. 175
" ' light, Adamas, the worker of in-
justice, is enraged against me; he S
ophiayet
hath created an emanation of darkness, Jg^
^ g "
and he hath also sent forth another Li ht -
chaos ; he hath created another region of
dark-
ness and of chaos, and hath made it ready.
Now, therefore, light, in the [very] chaos
which he hath created in order to cast me
therein
and then take from me my light, take from
him
his own ; and for the plan that he devised
to
take away my light, his own shall be taken
from
him ; and for the injustice of which he
spake, to
take away the light-powers which are in me,
all of his shall be taken from him/
" These are the words which Pistis
Sophia
uttered in her song. Now, therefore, let
him
who is sober in mind come forward, and ex-
pound the interpretation of Pistis Sophia
in her
song."
And Martha came forward and said: (175)
" I am sober in my mind, and I
understand
the words which thou hast said. Now, there-
fore, give unto me commandment to expound
their interpretation in freedom."
The first mystery answered, and said unto
Martha : "I give unto thee
commandment,
Martha, to expound the interpretation of
the
words which Pistis Sophia uttered in her
song."
And Martha answered and said : " My
Master,
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these are the words which thy light-power
pro-
phesied of old through David, in the
seventh
Psalm, saying :
"'Gkxl is a righteous judge, strong
and
Martha in- patient, who showeth not his
wrath
tho p words ever y da y- But if y e wil1
not turn >
fr S p hii im he shall w het his sword, he
shall bend
vii - his bow ; he hath made it ready, he
hath made ready therefor instruments of
death.
He hath created his arrows to burn them up.
Behold, injustice hath been in labour, she
hath
conceived pain, she hath brought forth
mischief.
She hath digged a pit, she hath digged it
deep.
She shall fall into the pit which she hath
digged ; her pains shall fall on her own
head,
and her injustice on the midst thereof/
"
And when Martha had uttered these words,
the first mystery looking without said unto
her: "Well said; it is well, Martha,
thou
blessed one."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
Jegug finished narrating to his disciples
all
Sophia* the things wllic k had befallen
Pistis
Kenth 6 Sophia when she was in chaos, (176)
8eon - and how she had sung a song to the
light until it had rescued her, and brought
her
forth from chaos, and led her into the
twelve
aeons, and also how she had been preserved
from
all the afflictions with which the rulers
of chaos
SECOND BOOK. 177
had constrained her, because she had sought
to
go to the light, that Jesus continued in
his
conversation and said unto his disciples :
"It
came to pass, after these things, that I
took
Pistis Sophia, and led her into the
thirteenth
aeon, shining most exceedingly, there being
no
measure to the light which was in me. I
entered
into the region of the four and twentieth
in-
visible, shining most exceedingly. They
were
distressed with great perturbation ; they
looked
and saw Sophia, who was with me. Her they
recognised, but they knew not who I was,
they
thought that I was some emanation of the
light-
world.
"It came to pass, therefore, when
Pistis
Sophia saw her fellow invisibles, that she
rejoiced
with great joy, and was exceedingly glad.
She
longed to tell them of the wonderful things
which I had done for her below in the world
of
men, until I had rescued her ; [and so] she
came
forward into the midst of the invisibles,
and in
their midst she sang a song unto me, saying
:
(177) " ' I will confess thee, light,
for thou art
a saviour, thou art a deliverer for all
Sophia
time. I will utter this song to thy e
light, for it hath rescued me, and freed
me from the hand of the rulers, mine
invisibles -
enemies. Thou hast preserved me in all the
regions, thou hast preserved me in the
heights
12
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and in the depths of chaos, and in all the
aeons
of the rulers of the sphere. And when I
came
forth from the heights, I gazed into
regions
where there is no light ; nor could I
return to
the thirteenth seon, my abode, because
there
was no light in me, and no power, for my
power
was utterly afflicted ; but the light hath
pre-
served me in all my afflictions. I sang a
song
unto the light ; it heard me when I was
con-
strained, it guided me in the world of the
aeons,
to bring me into the thirteenth seon, my
abode.
" ' I will confess thee, light, for
thou hast
preserved me, and thy wonderful works in
the
race of men. When I had need of my power,
thou didst give my power unto me ; and when
I
had need of my light, thou didst fill me
with
pure light. I have been in the darkness and
the shadow of chaos, bound in the hard
bonds
of chaos, without light in me, for I had
pro-
voked the statute of light ; I had
transgressed, I
had made wroth the statute of light,
because I
had come forth from my own region. (178)
And when I had descended, I was destitute
of
my light, and became without light, and
there
was no one to rescue me. And when they con-
strained me, I cried out unto the light,
and it
preserved me from all my afflictions. It
also
broke asunder all my bonds, and brought me
forth from darkness and the anguish of
chaos.
SECOND BOOK. 179
" ' I will confess thee, then, light,
for thou
hast preserved me, and thy wonders have
been
wrought in the race of men ; thou hast
shattered
the proud gates of darkness and the hard
bolts
of chaos, and thou hast turned me away from
the region where I had transgressed, and when
they had taken my light away from me,
because
I had transgressed and had ceased to
perform
my mystery. I have come forth from the
gates
of chaos, and when I was constrained, I
sang a
song to the light. It hath preserved me
from
all my afflictions. Thou hast sent unto me
thy
stream ; it hath given me power, and hath
saved
me from all my anguish.
" c I will confess thee, light, for
thou hast
preserved me, and thy wonders have been
done
in the race of men/
" This, then, is the song which Pistis
Sophia
uttered, in the midst of the four and
twenty
invisibles, desiring to tell them of all
the
wonderful things which I had done with her,
that they might know that I had descended
into the world of men, and had given unto
them
the mysteries of the height. Now,
therefore,
let him who is exalted in his
understanding,
come forward, and expound the
interpretation of
the song which Pistis Sophia uttered."
(179) It came to pass, therefore, when
Jesus had
finished speaking these words, that Philip
came
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PISTIS SOPHIA
forward and said : " Jesus, my Master,
my under-
standing is exalted, and I have understood
the
interpretation of the song which Pistis
Sophia
uttered, and David, the prophet, prophesied
concerning it of old, in the one hundred
and
sixth Psalm, saying :
" ' Confess ye the lord, for he is
gracious, for
Philip in- his mercy endureth for ever ;
let them
terpreteth .. ..
the song speak it forth whom the lord hath
ovi. a preserved, for it is he who hath
pre-
served them from the hand of their enemies.
He hath gathered them together into their
own
land, from the east, from the west, from
the
north, and from the sea. They wandered in
the
desert, in a place where there is no water
; they
found not the way to the city where was
their
abode. They were hungry and thirsty, their
soul fainted in them; he hath saved them
from their constraints. They cried unto the
lord, and he hath heard them in their
danger.
He hath led them into a straight way that
they
might come to the place of their abode.
" c Let them confess the lord in his
mercies,
and his wonders among the children of men ;
for
he satisfieth the hungry soul ; he hath
filled
the hungry soul with good things. They who
sat in darkness and the shadow of death,
they
who were bound in misery and chains, (180)
because they had provoked the word of the
SECOND BOOK. 181
lord, and had made wroth the counsel of the
highest their heart is humbled in their
suffer-
ing, they have become powerless, and there
was
no one to help them. They cried unto the
lord when they were in peril, and he hath
saved them out of their constraints ; he
hath
brought them forth from darkness and the
shadow of death, and hath broken their
chains.
" c Let them confess the lord in his
mercies
and his wonders among the children of men ;
for he hath broken the gates of brass, he
hath
smitten the bolts of iron asunder. He hath
received them unto himself in the way of
their
iniquity. For when they had been brought
low
because of their iniquities, their heart
abhorred
all nourishment, they were near to the
gates of
death. They cried unto the lord in their
peril,
he preserved them from their afflictions.
" ' Let them confess the lord in his
mercies,
and his wonders among the children of men/
"This, then, my Master, is the
interpreta-
tion of the song, which Pistis Sophia
uttered.
Hearken, therefore, Master, that I may
expound
it clearly. The word, verily, which David
spake, ' Confess ye the lord, for he is
gracious,
for his mercy endureth for ever ' ; this is
the
word which Pistis Sophia spake, ' 1 will
confess
thee, light, for thou art a saviour and a
deliverer for all time/
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(181) "And the word which David spake,
1 Let them whom the lord hath preserved
say,
" He hath preserved us from the hand
of our
enemies " ' ; this is the word which
Pistis Sophia
spake, ' I will utter this song to the
light, for
it hath preserved me and freed me from the
hand of the rulers, mine enemies/ And so
for
the rest of the Psalm.
" This, then, my Master, is the
interpretation
of the song which Pistis Sophia uttered in
the
midst of the four and twenty invisibles,
desiring
to tell them of all the wonders which thou
hadst
done for her, and that they might know that
thou hast given thy mysteries to the race
of
men."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard these words which Philip had spoken,
that he said: "Well said, Philip, thou
blessed
one ; this is the interpretation of the
song
uttered by Pistis Sophia."
It came to pass, therefore, after these
things,
Mary ques- that Mary came forward : she
wor-
tioneth
Jesus. shipped the feet of Jesus, and said
unto him : " Master, be not wroth with
me
questioning thee, for we question
concerning
everything with earnestness and confidence.
For thou hast said unto us aforetime, '
Seek
that ye may find, knock that it may be
opened
unto you ; for every one that seeketh shall
SECOND BOOK. 183
find, and to whomsoever knocketh, it shall
be
opened/ Now, therefore, Master, from whom
shall we seek, or at whose door shall we
knock ?
Who hath the power to give out the
revelation
of the words on which we question thee ?
(182)
Who knoweth the power of the words concern-
ing which we make the questioning? For 'tis
thou who has given us in our minds a mind
of light ; thou hast given unto us the
highest
perception and conception. Therefore, is
there
no one in the world of men, there is no one
in
the height of the asons, who can give out
the
revelation of the words on which we make
our
questionings, save thee alone, who knowest
all,
who art perfect in all ; for I put not my
ques-
tions like the men of the world, but we
seek in
the science of the height, which thou hast
given
unto us ; and we frame our questions on the
type of the excellent questioning which
thou
hast taught us, that we might frame our
ques-
tions thereon. Now, therefore, Master, be
not
wroth with me, but reveal unto me the
matter
on which I question thee."
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard the
words which Mary Magdalene had spoken, that
he answered and said unto her : " Ask
what thou
wilt, and I will reveal it unto thee with
earnest-
ness and confidence. Amen, amen, I say unto
you, rejoice with great rejoicing, and be
in
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PISTIS SOPHIA
exceeding great gladness, questioning me
con-
cerning everything with diligence ; and I
shall
be in exceeding great gladness, because ye
ques-
tion me on every matter with earnestness,
and
that ye question in the manner in which ye
ought to question. Now, therefore, ask what
thou wilt, and I will reveal it unto thee
with
joy."
(183) It came to pass, when Mary had heard
the words which the saviour spake, that she
rejoiced with great joy, and was in
exceeding
great gladness ; she said unto Jesus :
" My
Master and saviour, how, then, are the four
and twenty invisibles ; of what type, of
what
quality ; or of what quality is their light
? "
And Jesus answered arid said unto Mary :
Of the four " What is there in this
world which is
and twenty . . . i ,
invisibles, comparable to them ; or what
region
in this world is like unto them ? Now,
there-
fore, to what shall 1 liken them ; or what
shall
I say concerning them ? for there is
nothing in
this world with which I can compare them ;
nor
is there a single form to which I can liken
them.
Indeed, there is nothing in this world
which is
of the quality of heaven. Amen, I say unto
you, every one of the invisibles is nine
times
greater than the heaven and the sphere
above it,
and the twelve aeons all together, as I
have
already told you on another occasion.
[Again]
SECOND BOOK. 185
there is no light in this world which is
superior
to that of the sun. Amen, amen, I say unto
you, the four and twenty invisibles are
more
radiant than the light of the sun which is
in
this world, ten thousand times, (184) as I
have
told you before on another occasion ; for
the
light of the sun in its true form is not of
this
world, since its light has to pierce
through a
host of veils of [various] regions. But the
light
of the sun in its true form, which is in
the
region of the virgin of light, is more
radiant
than the four and twenty invisibles, and
the
great invisible forefather, and also the
great
triple-powered god, ten thousand times more
radiant, as I have already told you on
another
occasion.
"Now, therefore, Mary, there is no
form
in this world, nor any light, nor any
shape, like
unto the four and twenty invisibles, and
with
which I could compare them. Yet a little
while and I will bring thee and thy fellow
dis-
ciples, thy brethren, into the three spaces
of
the first mystery, but only as far as the
space
of the ineffable, and ye shall see all
their con-
figurations as they really are and without
simili-
tude.
" And when I bring you into the
height, you
shall see the glory of them in the height ;
and
ye shall be in most mighty wonderment.
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u And when I bring you into the regions of
Of the glory *^ e rulers of the fate, ye
shall see the
of the fate. gj or y i n which they are,
and compared
with their greatly superior glory, ye will
regard
this world as the darkness of darkness;
(185)
and when y<e gaze down on the whole
world of
men, it will be as a speck of dust for you,
because of the enormous distance by which
[the
fate-sphere] will be distant from it, and
because
of the enormous superiority of its quality
over
it.
"And when I shall have brought you
into
Of the the twelve aeons, ye shall see the
glory
ons. in which they are ; and compared with
their greatly superior glory, the region of
the
rulers of the fate will appear to you as
the
darkness of darkness, and will become as a
speck
of dust for you, because of the enormous
dis-
tance it will be distant from you, and
because
of the enormous superiority of the quality
of
the aeons over it, as I have already said
unto
you on another occasion.
" And, again, when I shall have
brought you
Ofthethir- ^ nto *^ e thirteenth aeon,
there shall
teenthaeon. ye see ^ g l ory i n ^hick p to
i n _
habitants] are ; the twelve seons shall
appear to
you like the darkness of darkness, and ye
shall
gaze down upon the twelve aeons, and they
will
seem to you like a speck of dust because of
the
SECOND BOOK. 187
enormous distance they will be separated
from
you, because of the enormous superiority of
its quality over them
" And when I shall have brought you to
the
region of them of the midst, ye shall Of
the
see the glory in which they are ; the midst
-
thirteen seons shall seem to you like the
dark-
ness of darkness, and ye shall moreover
look
down on the twelve aeons; and all the fate,
(186)
and all the ordering, and all the spheres,
and all
the others which are in them all, shall be
for
you as a speck of dust, because of the
enormous
distance they will be distant, and because
of the
enormous superiority of its quality.
" And when I shall have brought you
into
the region of them of the right, ye O fthe
shall see the glory in which they are ;
nght *
the region of them of the midst shall seem
to
you like the night in this world of men ;
and
when ye look down on the midst, it will
seem
to you like a speck of dust because of the
enormous distance which the region of them
of
the right is distant from it.
" And when I shall have brought you to
the
light-world, which is the treasure of Qfthe
light, ye shall see the glory of them
treasure -
that dwell there ; the region of them of
the
right shall seem to you like the mid-day
light in
the world of men, when there is no sun ;
and
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PISTIS SOPHIA
when ye look down on the region of them of
the
right, it shall seem to you like a speck of
dust
because of the enormous distance it is
distant
from the treasure of light.
"And when I shall have brought you
into
Of the in- *^ e re gi n f them that -have
received
heritanco. fae inheritance, of them that
have re-
ceived the mysteries of light, ye shall see
the
glory of the light in which they are ; the
light-
world shall seem to you like the light of
the
sun which is in the world of men; (187) and
when ye look down on the light- world, it
will
seem to you like a speck of dust because of
the
enormous distance the light-world is
distant,
and because of the magnitude with which it
transcends it."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these things unto his disciples,
that Mary
Magdalene came forward, and said : "
Master,
be not wroth with me if I question thee,
for we
question concerning every matter with
earnest-
ness."
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary :
" Ask what thou wilt, and I will
reveal it to
thee freely, without parable; and
everything
which thou askest, I will tell unto thee
with
earnestness and certainty. I will perfect
you
in every power and every perfection, from
the
interior of the interiors, to the exterior
of the
SBOOND BOOK. 189
exteriors, from that ineffable to the darkness
of
darkness, that ye may be called perfections
perfected in every wisdom. Now, therefore,
Mary, ask what thou wilt, and I will reveal
it
to thee with great joy and great
gladness."
It came to pass, when Mary had heard these
words which the saviour had said, that Mary
again
she rejoiced exceedingly and was glad,
Jesus.
and said : " Master, will the men of
this world,
who have received the mysteries of light,
(188)
be higher than the emanations of the
treasure
in thy kingdom ? For I have heard thee say,
c When I shall have brought you to the
region
for receiving the mysteries, the region of
the
light- world will seem to you like a speck
of dust,
because of the great distance that it will
be
[from you], and because of the great light
which
is in it' [far greater than that of] the
world
of the treasure of light, the region in
which
are the emanations. Will, then, my Master,
the men who shall have received the
mysteries,
be higher than the light-world, and will
they
be any higher than them in the kingdom of
light?"
Jesus answered and said unto Mary : "
Ex-
cellently, indeed, dost thou question
concerning
every matter with earnestness and
confidence.
But hearken, Mary, that I may explain unto
thee the completion of the aeon and the
ascension
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PISTIS SOPHIA
of the pleroma. There would be no place for
this, had I not said unto you, * When I
shall
have brought you into the region of the in-
heritances of those who shall have received
the
mystery of the light of the treasure of
light,
(189) the region of the emanations shall
seem
to you like a speck of dust, and like the
simple
light of the day sun/
" It hath been said, ' These things
shall come
Of th * P ass a
twelve o f the aeon and of the ascension of
the
saviours
and their pleroma.' The twelve saviours of
the
regions in x
the inherit- treasure, and the twelve
orders of each
ance.
of them, which are the emanations of
the seven voices and of the five trees,
shall be
with me in the region of the inheritance of
light ;
they shall be kings with me in my kingdom,
each being king over his emanations, and
each
being king according to his glory, the
great
according to his greatness, and the little
accord-
ing to his littleness.
" And the saviour of the emanations of
the
first voice shall be in the region of the
souls
which shall have received the first mystery
of
the first mystery in my kingdom.
" And the saviour of the emanations of
the
second voice shall be in the region of the
souls
which shall have received the second
mystery
of the first mystery.
SECOND BOOK. 191
" In like manner, the saviour of the
emana-
tions of the third voice shall be in the
region
of the souls of them who shall have
received
the third mystery of the first mystery
(190)
in the inheritance of light.
"And the saviour of the emanations of
the
fourth voice of the treasure of light shall
be in
the region of the souls which shall have
received
the fourth mystery of the first mystery in
the
inheritance of the light.
"And the fifth saviour of the fifth
voice of
the treasure of light shall be in the
region of the
souls who shall have received the fifth
mystery
of the first mystery in the inheritance of
the light.
" And the sixth saviour of the
emanations of
the sixth voice of the treasure of light
shall be
in the region of the souls which shall have
re-
ceived the sixth mystery of the first
mystery.
" And the seventh saviour of the
emanations
of the seventh voice of the treasure of
light
shall be in the region of the souls which
shall
have received the seventh mystery of the
first
mystery in the treasure of light.
" And the eighth saviour, that is to
say the
saviour of the emanations of the first tree
of the
treasure of light, shall be in the region
of the
souls which shall have received the eighth
mys-
tery of the first mystery (191) in the
inheritance
of light.
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" And the ninth saviour, who is the
saviour of
the emanations of the second tree of the
treasure
of light, shall be in the region of the
souls which
shall have received the ninth mystery of
the
first mystery in the inheritance of light.
"And the tenth saviour, who is the
saviour
of the emanations of the third tree of the
treasure of light, shall be in the region
of the
souls which shall have received the tenth
mys-
tery of the first mystery in the
inheritance of
light.
" In the same manner, again, the
eleventh
saviour, who is the saviour of the fourth
tree of
the treasure of light, shall be in the
region of
the souls which shall have received the
eleventh
mystery of the first mystery in the
inheritance
of light.
" And the twelfth saviour, who is the
saviour
of the emanations of the fifth tree of the
trea-
sure of light, shall be in the region of
the souls
of them that shall have received the
twelfth
mystery of the first mystery in the
inheritance
of light.
(192) "And the seven amens, and the
five
Of the as- voices, and the three amens,
shall be
?hemo n f the n J right, being kings in the
inherit-
to e the^n- in ~ ance f li g ilt ' An(1 the
saviour f
heritance. t j ie twins, that is to say,
the child of
the child, and the nine guardians shall
remain
SECOND BOOK. 193
also at my left, being kings in the
inheritance of
light.
"And each of the saviours shall be
king over
the orders of his emanations in the of
their re-
inheritances of light, in the manner in
which they are also in the treasure of dom.
light.
"And the nine guardians of the
treasure of
light shall be higher than the saviours in
the in-
heritance of light. And the twin saviours
shall
be higher than the nine guardians in the
kingdom
[of light]. And the three ameris shall be higher
than the twin saviours in the kingdom [of
light].
And the five trees shall be higher than the
three
amens in the inheritance of light.
"And leou, with the guardian of the
veil of
the great light, and the receivers of
light, and the two great leaders, and
powers of
the great Sabaoth, the good, [all] shall
and their
. . . . f emanation
be kings in the first saviour of the first
and ascen-
voice of the treasure of light, (193)
who shall be in the region of them that
shall
have received the first mystery of the
first mys-
tery ; for leou, and the guardian of the
region
of them that are to the right, and
Melchisedec,
the great receiver of light, and the two
great
leaders emanated from the select and ever
ex-
ceedingly pure light of the first tree up
to the
fifth.
13
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" leou is the overseer of the light,
who
emanated from the beginning from the pure
light of the first tree ; the guardian also
of them
that are on the right emanated from the
second
tree ; the two leaders emanated also from
the
pure and select light of the third and
fourth
trees in the treasure of light ;
Melchisedec also
emanated from the fifth tree ; Sabaoth, the
good, also, whom I have called my father,
emanated from leou, the overseer of the
light.
"These six, then, by the command of
that
first mystery, the last of the supporters
made to
dwell in the region of those of the right,
ac-
cording to the regulation of the assembly
in the
light which is above the aeons of the
rulers, in
the worlds and in every race which they
include,
of each of which I will tell you the
mystery
[lit., thing] which hath been placed above
his
head, in the emanation of the pleroma. Be-
cause, therefore, of the sublimity of the mys-
tery which hath been placed in each, (194)
they shall be fellow kings in the first
mystery
of the first voice of the treasure of
light, which
shall be in the region of the souls which
shall have
received the first mystery of the first
mystery.
" And the virgin of light, and also
the great
Of the leader of the midst, whom the rulers
the midst of the seoris have named the
grea,t lao,
ascension, after the name of the great
ruler who
SECOND BOOK. 195
is in their region he and the virgin of
light
and the twelve ministers from whom ye
received
your form, and from whom ye received your
power,
shall all also be kings with the first
saviour of
the first voice in the region of souls
which shall
have received the first mystery of the
first mys-
tery in the inheritance of light.
"And the fifteen supporters of the
seven
virgins of light, who are in the midst,
shall
ascend from the [present] regions of the
twelve
saviours, with the rest of the angels, each
ac-
cording to his glory, that they may be
kings
with me in the inheritance of light. And I
shall be king over them all in the
inheritances
of light.
" All this, however, which I have
narrated
unto you, shall not be at this time, ^ u *
this A
J ' ' shall not
but it shall come to pass in the com- take
place
r till the end
plotion of the aeons, which is the as- f
the aeon,
cension of the pleroma ; this is the
complete
ascension of the number of perfect souls of
the
inheritances of light.
(195) "Before the completion of the
seons,
therefore, that which I have narrated unto
you
shall not take place, but each shall be in
his own
region where he hath been set since the be-
ginning, until the number of the assembly
of
perfect souls shall be accomplished.
"The seven voices, the five trees, the
three
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amens, the twin saviours, the nine
guardians,
the twelve saviours, they of the regions of
the
right, and they of the regions of the left,
each
shall dwell in the region in which he shall
have
been placed, until all have arrived to make
the
perfect number of souls of the inheritance
of
light.
" And all the rulers who shall have
repented
shall moreover dwell in the region where
they
have been set, until all have arrived to
make up
the number of souls of the light.
" They will all come, each in his
proper time,
Of the as- when he shall receive the
mystery.
the S souLsof And all will be carried
through the
the perfect. rulerg wh() ^j j^ repented>
and
they will come to the region of those of
the
midst ; and they of the midst will baptise
them,
and will give unto them the spiritual
unction ;
they will seal them with the seals of their
mysteries. And they shall be carried
through
those of all the regions of the midst, and
they
shall be carried through the regions of
them of
the right, and the region of the nine
guardians,
and the region of the twin saviours, arid
the
region of the three amens, and of the
twelve
saviours, (196) and the region of the five
trees
arid of the seven voices. Each will give
them
the seal of its mystery, and they shall
enter into
all to come to the regions of the
inheritance of
SECOND BOOK. 197
light, that each may dwell in the region of
which he shall have received the mystery in
the
inheritances of light.
" In a word, all the souls of men who
shall
have received the mystery of light O f the
rank
shall take precedence of all the rulers $
^"J^
who shall have repented, shall take fect -
precedence of all them of the region of
those of
the midst, and of all the region of them
that are
on the right ; they shall take precedence
of all
the region of the treasure of light. In a
word,
they shall take precedence of all those of
[that]
region, and they shall take precedence of
all
them of the regions of the first statute.
They
shall all come in ; they shall pass into
the in-
heritance of light into the region of their
mys-
tery, that each may dwell in the region of
which
he shall have received the mystery. And so
also they of the region of the midst, and
they of
the right, and they of the whole region of
the
treasure, each in the region of the order
in which
he hath been set from the beginning, until
the
pleroma should ascend ; each of them accom-
plishing the regulation in which he hath
been
set, because of the assembly of the souls
which
have received the mystery, because of this
regulation, (197) that their seal should be
given to all the souls which shall have re-
ceived the mystery, and shall have passed
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PISTIS SOPHIA
through their interior towards the
inheritance
of light.
" Now, therefore, Mary, this is the
matter
on which thou didst question me with
earnest-
ness and confidence. Now, then, moreover,
he
that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
finished speaking these words, that Mary
Mag-
dalene came forward and said :
" Master, my indweller of light hath
ears, and
Ma t 7 th 1 th r ^ comprehend every word
which thou
from a the s P ea kest. Now, therefore,
Master,
scriptures, concerning the word which thou
hast
spoken, to wit, 'All the souls of human
kind
which shall receive the mysteries of light,
shall,
in the inheritances of light, take precedence
of
all the rulers who shall repent, and all
them of
the region of those who are on the right,
and
the whole region of the treasure of light '
; con-
cerning this word, my Master, thou hast
said
unto us aforetime, 'The first shall be last
and
the last shall be first/ that is, the c
last ' are
the whole race of men who shall be first in
the
light-kingdom ; so also they that are in
the
region of the height are the 'first/ For
this
cause, therefore, Master, didst thou say
unto
us, ' He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear/
that is to say, (198) that thou wouldst
know
whether we comprehended all the words which
SECOND BOOK. 199
thou hast spoken unto us. Thus, then,
Master, stands the matter."
It came to pass, therefore, when Mary had
finished saying these words, that the
saviour
was greatly astonished at the exposition of
the
words which she had given, for she had
become
pure spirit entirely. And Jesus answered
again
and said unto her : " Well said,
spiritual
and pure Mary ; this is the interpretation
of
the word."
It came to pass, therefore, after all these
things, that Jesus continued in his
conversation,
and said unto his disciples : "
Hearken, while I
speak unto you concerning the glory of them
that are in the height, how they are, just
as I
have spoken to you concerning them up to
this
day.
" Now, therefore, when I shall have
brought
you to the region of the last supporter, Of
the last
who encircles the treasure of light, su PP
rter -
when I shall have brought you to the region
of
this last supporter, in order that ye may
see
the glory in which he is, the region of the
in-
heritance of light will seem to you simply
like a
city of this world, because of the
magnitude of
the last supporter, and because of the mighty
light in which he is.
"Hereafter I will speak unto you
further
concerning the glory of the supporter who
is
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PISTIS SOPHIA
above the little supporter ; but I will not
tell
That the y ou f *h e region of them that
are
yond n the e ' above all the supporters;
(199) for
i ? 8 U Fnde rters there is no ki & d
of language for them
scnbable. j n f^fe wor ] ( J ? nor an y
similitude 1U
this world like unto them, to compare them
therewith ; there is neither quality nor light
which resembleth them, not only in this
world,
but also no comparison in those of the
height of
righteousness from their lowest region
upwards.
For this cause, therefore, it is not
possible to
describe them in this world, because of the
stupendous glory of them of the height, and
because of their transcendently
immeasurable
quality. Therefore, indeed, there is no
possi-
bility of speaking of them in this
world."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
finished speaking these words unto his
disciples,
that Mary Magdalene came forward, and said
unto Jesus : " Master, be not wroth
with me if
I question thee, for I importune thee many
a.
time and oft. Now, therefore, Master, be
not
wroth with me if I question thee on every
matter with earnestness and confidence ;
for my
brethren will preach it unto the race of
human
kind, that they may hear and repent, (200)
and
be saved from the harsh judgments of the
evil
rulers, that they may enter into the height
and
inherit the kingdom of light ; for, my
Master,
SECOND BOOK. 201
not only are we compassionate among
ourselves,
but we are also merciful minded to the
whole
race of human kind, that they may be saved
from these harsh judgments. Now, therefore,
O Master, this is why we question on every
matter with earnestness and confidence,
that my
brethren may tell it forth to the whole
human
race, that they may not fall into the hands
of
the malignant rulers of the outer
diirkness."
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard the
word which Mary spake, that the saviour
answered with great compassion for her, and
said unto her : " Ask what thou wilt,
and I
will reveal it unto thee with earnestness
and
certainty, and without parable."
It came to pass, therefore, when Mary had
heard these words which the saviour Maryfur
.
spake, that she rejoiced with great re-
J^e^ 68 "
joicing, and was in exceeding gladness ;
Jesus -
she said unto Jesus : " Master, by how
much,
then, is the second supporter greater than
the
first supporter ? By what distance is the
former
separated from the latter? Or, again, how
many times is the former more radiant than
the
latter?"
Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the
midst of the disciples : " Amen, amen,
I say unto you, the second supporter is
second sup-
,* i porter.
removed from the first supporter by an
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PISTIS SOPHIA
immeasurable distance, both with regard to
height above and depth below, with regard
to
length and breadth ; for he is enormously
re-
moved by a mighty distance which is not to
be
measured either by angels, or archangels,
or
gods, or invisibles. (201) And the former
is
greater than the latter most exceedingly,
by a
measure which is not to be reckoned either
by
angels, or archangels, or gods, or
invisibles. And
the former is more radiant than the latter
by a
measure utterly impossible to compute ; for
there is no means of measuring the light
which
is in him, no possibility of computing it
either
by angels, or archangels, or gods, or
invisibles, as
I have already said unto you on another
occasion.
" In like manner, the third supporter
and the
Of the third, fourth and the fifth are
greater the
fitt^Bup^ ne than the other an infinite
number
porters. Q f ti mes . they are more radiant
the
one than the other, and are removed the one
from the other by a stupendous distance,
im-
measurable by angels, and archangels, by
gods
and all invisibles, as I have already said
unto
you on another occasion. Moreover, I will
tell
unto you the type of each of them in their
emanation."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
Mary again speaking these words unto his
dis-
Jesus! ne ciples, that Mary Magdalene came
for-
SECOND BOOK. 203
ward again, she continued [in her
questioning]
and said unto Jesus : " Master, of
what type in
the midst of the last supporter, will be
they
that shall have received the mystery of
light ? "
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary in
the midst of the disciples : " They
who shall
have received the mystery of light, when
they
shall have quitted the body of the 2L* h ^
ive
matter of the rulers, (202) each of the
mystery
7 x ' in the last
them shall be in his order, according
supporter.
to the mystery which he shall have
received.
They who shall have received a high
mystery,
shall be in a high order; and they who
shall
have received a low mystery, in a low order
;
in a word, of whatever regions each shall
have
received the mystery, he shall dwell in its
order
in the inheritance of light. For which
cause I
said unto you aforetime, ' In the region
where is
your heart, there also shall your treasure
be ' ;
that is to say, in the region of which each
shall
have received the mystery, there shall he
rest."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disciples,
that
John came forward, and said unto Jesus :
" My
Master and saviour, give me also
commandment
to speak in thy presence, and be not wroth
with
me if I question thee on every matter with
earnestness and confidence ; for, Master,
thou
hast promised to reveal unto us all that we
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PISTIS SOPHIA
should ask. Now, therefore, Master, hide
nothing from us at all of that on which we
question thee."
And Jesus answered with great compassion,
and said unto John : " To thee, also,
blessed
John, the well-beloved, I give commandment
to speak the word which thou desirest, and
I
will reveal it unto thee face to face,
without
parable, and I will tell thee all that thou
askest
me with earnestness and certainty."
And John answered and said unto Jesus :
John ques- "Master, concerning the
region, then,
tioneth ^ ' & r>
Jesus. i n which each shall have received
the
mystery and where he will have to rest,
will
there be no power of quitting it for other
higher
orders; (203) and will there be no power of
entering lower orders ? "
And Jesus answered and said unto John :
" Well, indeed, do ye question on
every matter
with earnestness and confidence ; now,
therefore,
John, hearken while I speak unto thee. Who-
soever shall have received the mystery of
the
light, every one will remain in the region
where
he shall have received the mystery, and
will
not have the power of going into the
heights,
into the higher orders.
" Thus he who shall have received the
mys-
Of the first ^ er 7 m *^ e ^ rst ' statute,
shall have the
statute. power of going into the lower
orders,
SECOND BOOK. 205
which are all the orders of the third space
; but
will not have the power of going towards
the
height into the higher orders.
" And he who shall have received the
mystery
of the first mystery looking without, Of
the firgt
which is the four and twentieth mvs- space
*
./
tery and the head of the first space
towards the
exterior he, then, shall have the power of
going into all the exterior orders ; but he
will
not have the power of going into the higher
regions or of exploring them.
" And they who shall have received the
mys-
tery in the orders of those four and Of th
, e
J second
twenty mysteries, each shall enter into s P
ace -
the region where he shall have received the
mystery, and each will have the power of
explor-
ing all the exterior orders and spaces ;
but will
not have the power of going into the higher
orders or of exploring them.
(204) " And he who shall have received
the
mystery in the orders of the first mys- of
the third
tery which is in the third space, shall
space<
have the power of going into all the lower
orders, and of exploring them all, but he
will
not have the power of going into the higher
regions or of exploring them.
" And he who shall have received the
mystery
of the first trispiritual, which is above
the four
and twenty mysteries, one after the other,
which
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belong to the space of the first mystery,
of which
Of the tri- j w yj t e }j y OU the regions
in the
spirituals J
in the third emanation of the pleroma he,
then,
the first ' who shall have received the
mystery of
space of the .11111 i
ineffable. this trispmtual , shall have the
power
of descending into all the lower orders ;
but he
will not have the power of going into the
height,
to the higher orders, which are all the
orders of
the space of the ineffable.
" And he who shall have received the
mystery
of the second trispiritual, shall have the
power
of going into all the orders of the first
trispirit-
ual, and of exploring them all and all the
orders
that are therein ; but he will not have the
power
of going into the orders of the height of
the
third trispiritual.
(205) " And lie who shall have
received the
mystery of the third trispiritual, which
leadeth
to the three trispirituals and the three
spaces of
the first mystery, one after the other
[shall
enter therein] ; but he will not have the
power of
going into the height, to the higher
orders,
which are the orders of the space of the
inef-
fable.
" But he who shall have received the
absolute
Of the ah- m ystery of the first mystery of
the
solute mys- J J j j
ter y- ineffable, that is to say, the
twelve
mysteries of the first mystery, one after
another,
which bring him into the spaces of the
first
SECOND BOOK. 207
mystery he, then, who shall have received
this
mystery, shall have the power of exploring
all
the orders of the spaces of the three
trispirituals
and of the three spaces of the first mystery,
and
also all their orders ; and he shall have
the
power of exploring all the orders of the
inherit-
ance of light, of exploring from without
within,
and from within without, from above below,
and
from below above, from the height to the
depth,
and from the depth to the height, from the
length to the breadth, and from the breadth
to
the length ; in a word, (206) he shall have
the
power of exploring all the regions of the
inherit-
ances of light, and he shall have the power
of
remaining in the region which he shall
choose,
in the inheritance of the light-kingdom.
" Amen, I say unto you, this man, in
the
dissolution of the world, shall be king
over all
the orders of the inheritance of light ;
and he
who shall have received the mystery of the
ineffable, that man is myself.
" That mystery knoweth why there
is darkness, and why light.
"That mystery knoweth why there ter y-
is the darkness of darknesses, and why the
light
of lights.
" That mystery knoweth why the chaos
exist-
eth, and why the treasure of light.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
judg-
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ments, and why the light-world hath been
created together with the region of the
inherit-
ances of light.
" That mystery knoweth why are all the
punishments of sinners, and why the rest of
the
kingdom of light.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
sin-
ners, and why inheritances of light.
(207) "That mystery knoweth why there
are
unrighteous, and why there are good.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
sen-
tences of punishment, and why are all the
emanations of light.
" That mystery knoweth why sin
existeth,
and why there are baptisms and mysteries of
light.
" That mystery knoweth why the fire of
punishment existeth, and why there are
seals of
light to escape the burning of the fire.
" That mystery knoweth why blasphemy
ex-
isteth, and why there are songs to the
light.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
prayers
to the light.
" That mystery knoweth why cursing ex-
isteth, and why blessing.
" That mystery knoweth why killing
existeth,
and why the enlivening of souls.
(208) " That mystery knoweth why
adultery
and fornication exist, and why there is
purity.
SECOND BOOK. 209
"That mystery knoweth why there is
inter-
course, and why continence.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
pride
and boasting, and why humility and gentle-
ness.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
tears,
and why laughter.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
slander,
and why good conversation.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
readi-
ness to hear, and why disregard.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
murmur-
ing, and why simpleness and holiness.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
sin, and
why purity.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
strength,
and why weakness.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
bodily
impropriety, and why decency.
(209) " That mystery knoweth why there
is
poverty, and why riches.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
wealth
in the world, and why bondage.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
death,
and why life."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
finished saying these words unto his
disciples,
that they rejoiced with great joy, and were
in
gladness on hearing his words. And Jesus
con-
14
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tinned further in his conversation, and
said unto
them :
" Hearken, therefore, now further, my
dis-
ciples, while I tell you the whole gnosis
of the
mystery of the ineffable.
The h gnosis "That mystery of the
ineffable
tery of the knoweth why there is
pitilessness,
ineffable J r '
continued, and why compassion.
"That mystery knoweth why there is de-
struction, and why everlasting increase.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
rep-
tiles, and why they shall be destroyed.
(210) "That mystery knoweth why there
are
wild beasts, and why they shall be
destroyed.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
beasts
of burden, and why birds.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
moun-
tains, and why there are precious stones
therein.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
matter of gold, and why that of silver.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
matter of brass, and why that of iron and
steel.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
matter of lead.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
matter of glass, and why the matter of wax.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
herbs
and plants, and why all matters exist.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
waters
SECOND BOOK. 211
on the earth, and why all the things that
are in
them, and why there is also earth.
(211) "That mystery knoweth why there
are
the seas with their waters, and why the
wild
denizens in the seas.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
matter of the world, and why it shall be
utterly
resolved."
And Jesus continued further in his
conversa-
tion, and said unto his disciples :
" Yet again, my disciples, my comrades
and
my brethren, let each be sober in mind, let
him
hear and understand all the words which I
shall
say unto you ; for, from this hour
henceforth, I
shall begin to speak with you concerning
the
gnosis of that ineffable.
" That mystery knoweth why there is a
west,
and why an east.
" That mystery knoweth why there is a
south,
and why a north.
" Yet again, my disciples, hearken and
con-
tinue to be sober, that ye may hear the
entire
gnosis of the mystery of that ineffable.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
de-
mons, and why men.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
heat,
and why the cool breeze.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
stars,
and why clouds.
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(212) "That mystery knoweth why the
earth
is dug out, and why the waters have come
over
it.
"That mystery knoweth why the earth is
dried up, and why the rain falleth upon it.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
famine,
and why abundance.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
white
frost, and why healthful dew.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
dust,
and why delightsome freshness.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
hail,
and why pleasant snow.
" That mystery knoweth why there is a
west
wind, and why an east wind.
" That mystery knoweth why there is a
south
wind, and why a north wind.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
the
Of the hie- pl ane ts of heaven and the
disks of
rarcmes of L
powers. the light-givers, (213) and why
there
is the firmament with all its veils.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
rulers
of the spheres, and why the sphere with all
its
types.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
rulers
of the aeons, and why the aeons and their
veils.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
rulers
of the tyrant aeons, and why there are
repentant
rulers.
SECOND BOOK. 213
" That mystery knoweth why there are
ser-
vants, and why decans.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
angels, and why archangels.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
lords,
and why gods.
" That mystery knoweth why there hath
been rivalry in the height, and why there
hath
been lack of rivalry.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
hate,
and why love.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
discord,
and why concord.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
avarice,
(214) and why renunciation of all things.
" That mystery knoweth why there hath
been
love of possessions.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
love of
fattening, and why satiety.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
paired,
and why unpaired.
"That mystery knoweth why there is
impiety,
[and why love of deity].
" That mystery knoweth why there are
light-
givers, and why sparks.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
triple-
powers, and why invisibles.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
fore-
fathers, and why purities.
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"That mystery knoweth why is the great
Arrogant, and why his faithful.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
great triple-power, and why the great
invisible
forefather.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
thirteenth aeon, (215) and why the region
of
them of the midst.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
the
receivers of the midst, and why the virgins
of
light.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
the
ministers of the midst, and why the angels
of
the midst.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
light-
world, and why the great receivers of the
light.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
the
guardians of the region of them of the
right, and
why the leaders of these [guardians].
" That mystery knoweth why there is
the
gate of life, and why Sabaoth, the good.
" That mystery knoweth why there is
the
region of them of the right, and why the
light-
world, which is the treasure of light.
" That mystery knoweth why there are
the
emanations of light, and why the twelve
saviours.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
the
three gates of the treasure of light, and
why the
nine guardians.
SECOND BOOK. 215
"That mystery knoweth why there are
the
twin saviours, (216) and why the three
amens.
"That mystery knoweth why there are
the
five trees, and why the seven amens.
"That mystery knoweth why there is the
mixture which once did not exist, and why
it
hath been purified."
And Jesus continued further in his
conversa-
tion and said unto his disciples : "
Be sober still,
my disciples, and let each of you bring the
power
of sensing the light before him, that ye
may
hear with earnestness ; for henceforth from
this
time I will describe for you the entire
region of
the truth of the ineffable, and of the
manner in
which it is."
It came to pass, therefore, when the
disciples
had heard the words which Jesus had
spoken, that they were cast down and
lost courage entirely. Mary Magdalene came
forward, she bowed herself at the feet of
Jesus,
and worshipped them ; she cried aloud and
wept,
eaying : " Have mercy upon me, Master
; for
Lave not my brethren heard and lost all
courage
because of the words which thou hast spoken
?
Now, therefore, Master, concerning the
gnosis
of all the things which thou hast said are
in the
mystery of that ineffable, (217) I heard
thee say,
* Henceforth from this time I shall begin
to tell
unto you the entire gnosis of this mystery
of
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that ineffable ' well then, as to these
words thou
hast not brought us to a perfect
understanding
thereof. Wherefore my brethren have heard;
they have lost courage, they have ceased to
sense the meaning of thy speech, and [that]
be-
cause of the words thou hast employed. Now,
therefore, Master, if the gnosis of all
these
things is in that mystery, who is the man
in this
world who shall be able to understand that
mystery and all its gnoses, and the fashion
of all
the words which thou hast spoken concerning
it? "
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
heard the words which Mary said, that he
under-
stood that the disciples had heard, but
that they
were beginning to lose courage. Therefore,
he
encouraged them, saying: " Grieve not,
my
disciples, concerning the mystery of that
ineffable,
thinking that ye will not understand it.
Amen,
I say unto you, that mystery is yours, and
every
one's who shall give ear unto you, and
shall
renounce the whole of this world, and all
the
matter therein, who shall renounce all the
evil
thoughts that are therein, and shall
renounce all
the cares of this aeon.
(218) " Now, therefore, will I tell
you : Whoso-
jesusex- ever shall renounce the whole
world
that that and all therein, and shall submit
him-
reaiiy simp- self to the divinity, to him
that mystery
mysteries, shall be far more easy than all
the
SECOND BOOK. 217
mysteries of the kingdom of light ; it is
far
simpler to understand than all the rest,
and it is
far clearer than them all. He who shall
arrive
at a knowledge of that mystery, hath
renounced
the whole of this world and all its cares.
For
this cause have I said to you aforetime, '
Come
unto me all ye that are oppressed with
cares and
labour under their weight, and I will give
you
rest, for my burden is light and my yoke
easy/
Now, therefore, he who shall receive that
mystery,
hath renounced the whole world, and all the
material cares that are therein.
" Wherefore, my disciples, grieve not,
thinking
that ye will never understand that mystery.
Amen, I say unto you, that mystery is far
simpler
to understand than all mysteries ; and
amen, I
say unto you, that mystery is yours and
also his
whosoever shall renounce the whole world
and
all the matter that is therein.
" Now, therefore, hearken, my
disciples, my
friends and my brethren, that I may impel
you
to the understanding of that mystery of the
in-
effable. (219) These things I say unto you,
because I have already instructed you in
every
gnosis in the emanation of the pleroma ;
for the
emanation of the pleroma is its gnosis.
" Now, therefore, that I may speak
with you
further for your understanding of these
mysteries.
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"That mystery knoweth why the five
sup-
porters rent themselves asunder, and why
they
emanated from the parentless.
Ofthefissi- "That mystery knoweth why
the
great light of lights rent itself asun-
der > and wh 7 the y emanated from the
parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the first
statute
rent itself asunder, and why it separated
itself
from the seven mysteries, and why they ema-
nated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the great
light
and the impression of light rent themselves
asunder, and why they remained without
emana-
tion, and why they came forth from the
parent-
less.
" That mystery knoweth why the first
mystery
rent itself asunder, that is to say, the
four and
twentieth mystery from the exterior, and
why it
equalled in itself the twelve mysteries
(220)
according to the number of the
uncontainable
impassables, and why it emanated from the
parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the twelve
im-
Of them of moveables rent themselves
asunder,
8ja e ce e oUhe and why they were
established with
ineffable. a jj ^eir or( jers, an( j w ^y
they ema-
nated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the
unshakeables
SECOND BOOK. 219
rent themselves asunder, and why they were
established, separated from the [or into]
twelve
orders, and why they emanated from the
parent-
less which pertain to the orders of the
space of
the ineffable.
" That mystery knoweth why the
ineoneeiv-
ables which pertain to the two spaces [?
second
space] of that ineffable rent themselves
asunder,
and why they emanated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the twelve
unmanifestables rent themselves asunder,
and
why they were established after all the
orders of
the unrevealables, which are also
uncontainable
impassables, and why they emanated from the
parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why these unreveal-
ables rent themselves asunder [they] which
did not reveal themselves, nor bring
themselves
into manifestation, according to the
regulation of
the one and only ineffable, (221) and why
they
emanated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the
super-depths
rent themselves asunder, and why they set
themselves in one order, and why they
emanated
from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the twelve
orders
of the unspeakables rent themselves
asunder,
and why they were divided into three
divisions,
and why they emanated from the parentless.
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"That mystery knoweth why all the
inde-
structibles in their twelve orders rent
themselves
asunder, and why they were set in a single
order, emanating one after the other, and
why
they were divided and formed separated
orders,
being also uncontainable impassables, and
why
they emanated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the
impassables
rent themselves asunder, and why they
emanated
from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the
impassables
rent themselves asunder, and why they were
formed into twelve impassable spaces, and
were
set in three orders of spaces, according to
the
regulation of the one and only ineffable,
and
why they emanated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the twelve
un-
containables which belong to the orders of
the
one and only ineffable, (222) rent
themselves
asunder, and why they emanated from the
parent-
less, until they reached the space of the
first
mystery which is the second space.
" That mystery knoweth why the four
and
twenty myriads of the laudables rent
themselves
asunder, and why they separated beyond the
veil of the first mystery, which is the
twin
mystery, looking within and without, of the
one and only ineffable, and why they also
emanated from the parentless.
SECOND BOOK. 221
"That mystery knoweth why all the
uncon-
tainables which I have just enumerated they
which are in the regions of the second
space of
the ineffable, that is to say, the space of
the
first mystery why they rent themselves
asun-
der, and why these uncontainables and im-
passables emanated from the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why the four and
twenty mysteries of the first trispirit- O
f them of
ual rent themselves asunder, and why
gpac^of the
they are called the four and twenty
ineffable -
spaces of the first trispiritual, and why
they
emanated from the second trispiritual.
" That mystery knoweth why the four
and
twenty mysteries of the second trispiritual
rent
themselves asunder, (223) and why they ema-
nated from the third trispiritual.
"That mystery knoweth why the four and
twenty mysteries of the third trispiritual
rent
themselves asunder they which are the four
and twenty spaces of the third trispiritual
and
why they emanated from the parentless.
" That mystery knoweth why the five
trees of
the first trispiritual rent themselves
asunder,
and why they developed in orderly sequence
and mutual connection, they and all their
orders,
and why they emanated from the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why the five
trees
of the second trispiritual rent themselves
asun-
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der, and why they emanated from the parent-
less.
"That mystery knoweth why the five
trees
of the third trispiritual rent themselves
asunder,
and why they emanated from the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why the foreun-
containables of the first of the three
trispirituals
rent themselves asunder, and why they ema-
nated from the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why the foreun-
containables of the second trispiritual
rent them-
selves asunder, and why they emanated from
the parentless.
(224) "That mystery knoweth why all
the
foreuncontainables of the third
trispiritual rent
themselves asunder, and why they emanated
from the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why the first
tri-
spiritual below, of them that pertain to
the
orders of the one and only ineffable, rent
itself
asunder, and why it emanated from the
second
trispiritual.
"That mystery knoweth why the third
tri-
spiritual, which is the first trispiritual
from
above, rent itself asunder, and why it
emanated
from the twelfth protrispiritual, which is
in the
last region of the parentless.
"That mystery knoweth why all the
regions
which are in the space of the ineffable
were
SECOND BOOK. 228
emanated, together with all them which are
in
them, and why they emanated from the last
of
the limbs of the ineffable.
" That mystery knoweth why he himself
also
rent himself asunder to emanate from the
in-
effable to wit, he who commands them all ;
he who caused them all to emanate according
to their orders.
(225) "All this will I explain unto
you when
speaking of the emanation of the Jc pspro-
r miseth to
pleroma. In a word, all that I have ex P J
ain
* further all
said unto you, both that which shall in
detail.
be, and that which shall come, they that
are
emanating, and they which have emanated,
they
which are without them, and they that act
in
them, they which shall be contained in the
region of the first mystery, and they which
shall be in the space of the ineffable all
these I will explain unto you, by region
and
order, when treating of the emanation of
the
pleroma; and I will reveal unto you all the
mysteries which command them with their
protrispirituals and supertrispirituals
which
command their mysteries and their orders.
"Now, therefore, it is the mystery of
the
ineffable which knoweth why all of ?*
which I have spoken unto you hath cinctl y-
come into existence; of a truth all this
hath
existed because of it. He is the mystery
which
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PISTIS SOPHIA
is in them all ; he is the emanation of
them all,
the re-absorption of them all, and the
support of
them all.
" This mystery of the ineffable is in
all those
of which I have spoken, and of which I
shall
speak in treating of the emanation of the
pleroma.
He is the mystery which is in them all, and
he
is the one mystery of the ineffable. (226)
And
the gnosis of that which I have said unto
you,
and of what I have not yet spoken unto you,
but
of all of which I shall speak when treating
of the
emanation of the pleroma, and the whole
gnosis
of each of them, one after another, that is
to say,
why they exist all this is the one word of
the
ineffable.
" And I will tell unto you the
emanation of
all their mysteries, the types of each of
them and
the manner of perfecting them in all their
con-
figurations. And I will tell unto you the
mystery of the one and only ineffable, and
all its
types, all its configurations and all its
regulation ;
and why also it emanated from the last of
the
limbs of the ineffable, for this mystery is
the
support of them all.
" And the mystery of the ineffable is
also the
Of the one one an( l on ty word, but there
is another
Sonhe [ word J on the ton g ue of the
ineffable ;
ineffable. it ig ^ rule Q f ^ interpretation
of all
the words which I have spoken unto you.
SECOND BOOK. 225
" And he who shall receive the one and
only
word of that mystery which I shall now tell
unto
you, with all its types, and all its
configurations,
and the manner of accomplishing its mystery
for
ye are all perfect perfect ones, and ye
shall achieve
all the gnosis of this mystery with all its
regulation
and its utterance, for unto you all
mysteries are
entrusted. Hearken, then, now, while I tell
you
that mystery, which is this .... (227) He,
there-
fore, who shall receive the one and only
word of
that mystery, of which I have told you,
when
he shall have come forth from the body of
the as-
of the matter of the rulers, when the re-
the S souiof
ceivers of wrath shall come and set
him free from the body of matter of the
seons for the receivers of wrath are m y
sfcer y-
they who set free every soul which shall go
forth
from the body when, then, the receivers of
wrath shall have set free that soul which
shall
have received this absolute mystery of the
in-
effable, which I have just told unto you,
then, in
that hour when it shall be set free from
the body
of matter, it shall become a great
light-stream
in the midst of those receivers, and the
receivers
shall fear exceedingly before the light of
that
soul, they shall be thrown into
consternation,
and shall sink down, and desist entirely,
for fear
of the great light which they shall have
seen.
" And the soul which shall have
received the
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226
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PISTIS SOPHIA
mystery of the ineffable, shall soar into
the
height as a great light-stream, and the
receivers
shall not be able to take hold upon it, nor
will
they know the way which it goeth, for it
hath
become a radiant stream, and flieth into
the
height, and no power shall be able to
restrain
it at all in any way, nor be able to come
nigh it.
(228) " It shall pass through all the
regions
of the rulers and all the regions of the
light-
emanations ; it shall give no explanation
in
any region, nor any apology, nor any
symbol,
for no power of the rulers, no power of the
light-
emanations, shall be able to come nigh that
soul.
But all the regions of the rulers, and all
the
regions of the light-emanations, each of
them in
its own region, shall sing a song unto it,
in fear
of the light of the stream that shall
clothe that
soul, until it hath passed through all of
them,
and entered into the region of the
inheritance of
the mystery which it hath received the
mystery
of that one and only ineffable and become
one
with the limbs [of the ineffable]. Amen, I
say
unto you, it shall be in all the regions
during
the time a man can shoot an arrow.
" Amen, I say unto you, every man who
shall
receive that mystery of the ineffable,
Of the rank J J > .
of such a and shall accomplish it in all
its types
and all its configurations, though he be
SECOND BOOK. 227
a man in the world, yet is he higher than
all
angels, and shall far surpass them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all archangels, and shall far
surpass
them all.
(229) "Though he be a man in the
world,
yet is he higher than all tyrants, and
shall be
exalted above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all lords, and shall be exalted
above
them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all gods, and shall be exalted
among
them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than* all light-givers, and shall be
exalted
above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all purities, and shall be
exalted
above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all triple powers, and shall be
ex-
alted above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all forefathers, and shall be
exalted
above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than all invisibles, and shall be
exalted
above them all.
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" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher thao all them of the midst, and
shall be
exalted above them all.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than the emanations of the treasure
of
light, and shall be exalted above them all.
"Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
higher than the mixture, and shall be
exalted
above the whole of it.
(230) " Though he be a man in the
world, yet
is he higher than the whole region of the
treasure, and shall be exalted above the
whole
of it.
"Though he be a man in the world, yet
shall
he be king with me in my kingdom. He is a
man in the world, but a king in the light.
" Though he be a man in the world, yet
is he
a man who is not of the world.
" Amen, I say unto you, that man is
myself,
and I am that man.
" And in the dissolution of the world,
that is
Such souls to say, when the pleroma shall
achieve
11 christs," its ascension, when the
number of all
be kings in the perfect souls shall have
ascended,
dom. mg and when I shall be king in the
midst of the last supporter, king over all
the
light-emanations, king over the seven
amens,
the five trees, the three amens, and the
nine
guardians, king over the child of the
child, that
SECOND BOOK. 229
is to say, over the twin saviours, king
over the
twelve saviours and the whole number of
perfect
souls which shall have received the mystery
in
the light then, all those men who shall
have
received the mystery in that ineffable,
shall be
fellow-kings with me, they shall sit on my
right
hand and on my left in my kingdom.
" Amen, I say unto you, those men are
my-
self, and I am these men.
" Wherefore I said unto you aforetime,
c Ye
shall sit on my right hand and on my left
in
my kingdom, and ye shall reign with me.'
(231) "For this cause, therefore, I
have not
hesitated, nor have I been ashamed to call
you
brethren and friends, for ye shall be
fellow-
kings with me in my kingdom. These things,
then, I said unto you, knowing that I would
give unto you the mystery of that ineffable
;
and that mystery is myself, and I am that
mystery.
" Now, therefore, not only shall ye
reign with
me in my kingdom, but all men who ^t^of tie
shall receive the mystery of that in-
effable, shall be fellow-kings with me dom
-
in my kingdom, and I am they and they are
myself, but my throne shall be more
excellent
than theirs. And because ye shall suffer
griefs
in this world beyond all men, until ye
shall
have heralded forth all the words which I
shall
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speak unto you, your thrones shall be close
to
mine in my kingdom.
"Wherefore have I said unto you
aforetime,
'In the place where I shall be, there will
be
also my twelve ministers, but Mary
Magdalene
and John, the virgin, shall be higher than
all
the disciples. 1
" And all men who shall receive the
mystery
in that ineffable, shall be on my left hand
and
on my right, and I am they, and they are
my-
self.
" They shall be your equals in all
things, and
yet your thrones shall be more excellent
than
theirs, and my throne shall be more
excellent
than yours (232) and [than those of] all
men
who shall have found the word of that inef-
fable.
" Amen, I say unto you, the man who
shall
f osisof know this word, shall know the
gnosis
the word of o f a }j the W0 rds which I
have said unto
the inef-
fable. y OU> both with regard to depth
and
height, with regard to length and breadth ;
in a
word, they shall possess the gnosis of all
the
words which I have said unto you, and of
those
which I have not spoken unto you, but which
I
will tell unto you, region by region and
order
by order, as I explain the emanation of the
pleroma.
" Amen, I say unto you, they shall
know how
SECOND BOOK. 231
the world is constituted, and they shall
know
why all them of the height are constituted
in
such or such type, and they shall know
where-
fore the pleroma existeth."
And when the saviour had said these things,
Mary Magdalene came forward and said :
" Mas-
ter, bear with me, and be not wroth with
me, if
I question on every matter with earnestness
and
confidence. Now, therefore, my Master,
surely
there is no other word of the mystery of
that
ineffable, nor any other word of the whole
gnosis ? "
The saviour answered and said : " Yea,
verily ;
there is another mystery of that ineffable
and
another word of the whole gnosis."
And Mary answered again and said unto the
saviour : " Master, bear with me if I
question
thee, and be not wroth with me. Now, there-
fore, Master, if we tarry not in life until
we
know the gnosis of the whole word of that in-
effable, shall we not inherit the
light-king-
dom?"
(233) The saviour answered and said unto
Mary : " Yea, verily ; every one of qf
the dis-
those who shall receive a mystery of
between
the light, shall enter therein to inherit
in the region of which he hath received
the mystery; but he shall not know
oflighfct
the whole gnosis, wherefore all things come
into
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existence, unless he knoweth the only word
of
that ineffable, that is to say, the gnosis
of the
pleroma ; further and in all openness, I am
the
gnosis of the pleroma. Nor is there any
pos-
sibility of knowing the one and only word
of
gnosis, without receiving the first mystery
of
that ineffable ; but all the men who shall
receive
a mystery of light, each shall enter
therein to
inherit up to the region of which he shall
have
received the mystery.
" Wherefore have I said unto you
aforetime,
c He that believeth on a prophet, shall
receive a
prophet's reward, and he that believeth on
a just
man, shall receive a just man's reward.' He
shall
enter into the region of which he shall
receive
the mystery. He who receiveth a lower
mystery,
shall inherit a lower region ; and he who
re-
ceiveth a higher mystery, shall inherit the
region
of the height. And each shall dwell in his
region
in the light of my kingdom, each shall have
power over the lower orders, but he will
riot
have power to enter into the higher orders
; he
shall dwell in the region of the
inheritance of
the light of my kingdom, (234) in
stupendous
light which cannot be measured either by
gods
or all the invisibles ; he shall be in
great joy
and great gladness.
" Now, therefore, also, hearken, I
will speak
with you concerning the glory of those also
SECOND BOOK. 233
who shall receive the mysteries of the
first
mystery.
"He, therefore, who shall receive the
[first]
mystery of that first mystery, when Of * he
as ;
j J ** * cension of
the time cometh for him to depart the souls
of
r them that
from the body of the matter of the receive
J the twelve
rulers, the receivers of wrath shall
mysteries
' of the first
come to lead the soul of that man out
mystery,
of the body, but his soul shall be a mighty
light-
stream, and these receivers shall be in
terror
before the light of that soul. That soul
shall
enter into the height, that it may pass
through
all the regions of the light- emanations,
and it
shall give neither explanation, nor
apology, nor
symbol, in any of the light-regions, but it
shall
pass through all, and be higher than them
all,
so that it shall enter and reign over all
the
regions of the first saviour.
" In like manner, also, he who shall
receive
the second mystery of the first mystery,
and the
third, and the fourth, up to the twelfth mystery
of the first mystery, (235) when the time
cometh
for him to depart from the body of the
matter
of the rulers, the receivers of wrath shall
ap-
proach him, to conduct his soul out of the
body
of matter ; and those souls shall become
mighty
light-streams in the hands of the receivers
of
wrath, and these receivers will become
terror-
stricken before the light of those souls,
they will
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be in consternation, they will sink down on
their
faces; and those souls shall straightway
enter
into the height, that they may be carried
above
all the regions of the rulers and all the
regions
of the light-emanations ; they shall give
neither
explanation, nor apology, in any region
whatever,
nor any symbol, but they shall pass through
all
the regions, they shall enter into all and
shall
reign over all the regions of the twelve
saviours,
so that they who shall have received the
second
mystery of the first mystery, shall reign
over all
the regions of the second saviour in the
inherit-
ances of light.
" In like manner, also, they who shall
have
received the third mystery of the first
mystery,
and also the fourth, the fifth, the sixth,
up to
the twelfth, each shall be king over all
the
regions of the saviour of which he shall
have
received the mystery. And he who shall have
received, after the others, the twelfth
mystery
of the first mystery, that is to say, the
authentic
mystery, concerning which I will speak with
you
(236) he, then, who shall have received
those
twelve mysteries which pertain to the first
mys-
tery, when he shall depart from the world,
shall
pass through all the regions of the rulers
and all
the regions of the light, as a mighty
light-stream,
and he also shall be king over all the
regions
of the twelve saviours. [Such souls,]
however,
SECOND BOOK. 235
shall not be equal to them who shall have
re-
ceived this one mystery of that ineffable.
But
he who shall have received this mystery shall
dwell in those orders, in that they are
excellent,
and he shall dwell in the orders of the
twelve
saviours."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disciples,
Mary ques-
r to tioneth
that Mary Magdalene came forward, Jesus.
and kissed the feet of Jesus, and said unto
him :
" Master, bear with me and be not
wroth witli me,
if I question thee ; but have mercy upon
us,
Master, and reveal unto us the matter on
which
we shall question thee. Now, therefore,
Master, how is it that the first mystery
hath
twelve mysteries, whereas that ineffable
hath
but one mystery ? "
Jesus answered and said unto her : "
Indeed,
it hath but one mystery ; yet that O f the
three
mystery maketh three mysteries, al- ^fi^ 68
though it is only one mystery; but m y
stenes -
the type of each of them is different. It
also
maketh five mysteries, while still
remaining one ;
but the type of each is different, so that
these
five mysteries are equal to one another
(237)
in the mystery of kingship in the
inheritance of
light, but the type of each of them is
different,
and their kingdom is higher and more
exalted
than all the kingdoms of the series of
twelve
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PISTIS SOPHIA
mysteries of the first mystery ; but they
are
not equal in the kingdom of the one and
only
mystery of the first mystery in the kingdom
of
light.
"In like manner, also, the three
mysteries
are not equal in the kingdom which is in
the
light, but the type of each of them is
different,
and they also are not equal in the kingdom
of
that one and only mystery of the first
mystery
in the kingdom of light.
" Different, moreover, is the type of
each of
these three ; and the types of the configuration
of each of them are different from one
another.
" For when thou shalt have
accomplished the
Of the first first mystery [of these
three], after
mysteries, passing through the other
[twelve], if
thou shalt establish thyself, and
accomplish it
properly in all its configurations, then
dost thou
depart from thy body at the proper time,
thou
becomest a great flame of light, a
light-stream
thou passest through all the regions of the
rulers
and all the light-regions, which became
terror-
stricken before such a soul, until it shall
have
come into the region of its kingdom.
(238) "When also thou shalt have
properly
Of the accomplished the second mystery of
?hethree the first mystery, in all its
configura-
mysteries. t j ong ^ man> ^en, W J 1Q
Qfaall aC-
complish its mystery, if he uttereth the
mystery
SBCONL BOOK. 237
over the head of any man who shall be on
the
point of departing out of the body, if he
speaketh
it into his two ears, even though the man
who
is on the point of departure should receive
the
mystery a second time, and though he should
already be a partaker in the word of truth
amen, I say unto you, when that man shall
depart from the body of matter, his soul
shall
become a great light-stream, it shall pass
through
every region until it hath come into the
king-
dom of that mystery.
" But if that man hath not received
the mys-
tery, and if he is not a participator in
^^^
the words of truth when he who per- regard
to
r the unin-
formeth that mystery, uttereth those
itiated.
mysteries over the head of a man on the
point of
departure from the body, [even] of him who
hath
not received the mystery of light, and is
not a
participator in the words of truth amen, I
say
unto you, that man, when he shall depart
from
the body, shall not be judged in any region
whatever, he shall not be punished in any
region
at all, the fire shall not touch him
because of the
great mystery of that ineffable, which is
with
him.
" But they shall make great haste to
pass him
from one to the other in turn, to conduct
him
throughout the regions and throughout the
orders, (239) until he be brought before
the
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virgin of light, all regions being
terror-stricken
before the mystery and the symbol of the
king-
dom of that ineffable, which is with him.
" And when he shall have been brought
unto
the virgin of light, the virgin of light
will see
the symbol of the mystery of the kingdom of
that ineffable which shall be with him; the
virgin of light will be amazed and will
prove
him, but he will not be brought unto the
light
until he have performed the whole polity of
the
light of that mystery, that is to say, the
strict
observance of the renunciation of the world
and
also of all the matter that is therein.
"The virgin of light will seal him
with an
excellent seal, which is this .... And no
matter in what month he departed from the
body of matter, she will have him sent into
a
righteous body, which shall find the
divinity of
truth and the higher mysteries, that he may
receive them as his inheritance and that he
may
receive the light for ever, that is to say,
the
boon of the second mystery of the first
mystery
of that ineffable.
"And the man who shall perform this
third
Of the third m y S tery of that ineffable,
not only
of the three J J - j
mysteries. w h en he [himself] shall have
departed
from the body, shall he inherit the kingdom
of the mystery ; but when he shall complete
that mystery, (240) and when he shall
perform
SECOND BOOK. 239
it with all its configurations, that is to
say,
when he shall have created that mystery for
himself, and shall have properly
accomplished
it, [then] when he shall have pronounced
the
name of that mystery over a man, departing
from the body with a knowledge of
that mystery, such an one, whether he r ?s
ard to
J J the unin-
have delayed or have not delayed, itiatea.
[even if] he pass through the dire
punishments
of the rulers, their harsh judgments and
their
various fires amen, I say unto you, on
depart-
ing from the body, when this mystery shall
have been uttered over him, they shall make
great haste to pass him on and hand him
from
one to the other, until he be brought to
the
virgin of light, and the virgin of light
shall seal
him with an excellent seal, which is this .
. . :
And no matter in what month he departed
from
the body, she will have him sent into a
righte-
ous body, which shall find the divinity of
truth
and the higher mystery, in order that he
may
inherit the kingdom of light. This, then,
is the
boon of the third mystery of that
ineffable.
"Now, therefore, whosoever shall have
re-
ceived one of the five mysteries of that
Further
concerning
ineffable, when he departeth from the the
three
body, he shall inherit up to the region
mysteries.
of that mystery. The kingdom of the five
mysteries is higher than the kingdom of the
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twelve mysteries of the first mystery, and
higher
than every mystery below them. (241) And
the five mysteries of that ineffable are
equal to
one another in their own kingdom, but they
are
not equal to the three mysteries of that
ineffable.
"And he that receiveth one of these
three
mysteries of that ineffable, on departing
from
the body shall inherit up to the kingdom of
that mystery. And these three mysteries are
equal to one another in the kingdom, and
are
higher than the five mysteries of the
ineffable
in the kingdom, and more exalted than them
;
but they are not equal to the one and only
mys-
tery of that ineffable.
" He that receiveth also the one arid
only
Of the one mystery of that ineffable, shall
inherit
mystery. the region of the whole kingdom
ac-
cording to its glory of which I have
already
spoken unto you on another occasion. Whoso-
ever shall receive the mystery which is in
the
whole space of that ineffable, and also all
the
other sweet mysteries which are in the limbs
of
that ineffable, of which I have not yet
spoken
unto you, both concerning their emanation,
and
the manner in which they are constituted,
and
the type of each of them as it is I have
not
told you why it is called the ineffable, or
why
it lies stretched out with all its limbs,
(242) or
how many limbs there are therein, or what
are
SECOND BOOK. 241
all its regulations, nor will I say this
unto you
immediately, but only when I come to speak
of
the emanation of the [whole] pleroma;
[then]
will I tell you every detail, one by one,
for it
hath emanated together with its own word,
just
as it is in itself, together with the sum
total
of all its limbs which belong to the
regulation
of the one and only one, the changeless god
of
truth in the region, therefore, of which
each
shall receive the mystery in the space of
that
ineffable, there shall he inherit up to the
region
which he shall have received, and also [as
far as]
the whole region of the space of that
ineffable ;
nor shall he give explanation throughout
the
regions, nor apology, nor symbol, for [such
souls]
are without symbol and have no receivers,
but
they shall pass through all the regions
until
they arrive at the region of the kingdom of
the
mystery which they have received.
" In like manner also, they who shall
receive the
mystery of the second space, they [also] Of
the mys .
require neither explanation, nor apology,
l^? OI l the
nor symbol, for they have no symbol in
space>
that world ; it is the space of the first
mystery.
" But of those of the third space
towards the
exterior, that is to say, the third space
from the interior, (243) every region
in this space hath its receivers, its from
with -
r ' out.
explanations, its apologies, and its
symbols, [all
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PISTIS SOPHIA
of] which I will tell you when I come to
speak
of this mystery, that is to say when I
shall
have finished explaining the emanation of
the
pleroma.
"But when the pleroma is completed,
that
Of the reign * s to Sa 7> when the
number of per-
sLd yea fect souls slia11 be reached, and
the
of the light. m ygte r y shall be
accomplished accord-
ing to which the pleroma is the pleroma, I
shall
pass a thousand years, according to the
years
of the light, reigning over all the emanations
of the light and the whole number of
perfect
souls who shall have received all the mys-
teries."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disciples,
that
Mary Magdalene came forward and said :
" Master, how many years in years of
the world
is a year of the light ? "
Jesus answered and said unto Mary : "
A day
what is a of the light is a thousand years
in the
year of the . .
light. world, so that thirty-six myriads of
years and a half myriad of years of the
world
make a single year of the light.
" I shall, therefore, pass a thousand
years
of the light reigning in the midst of the
last
supporter over all the emanations of the
light,
over the total number of the souls who
shall have
received the mysteries of the light.
SECOND BOOK. 243
"And ye, my disciples, and whosoever
shall
have received the mystery of that in- of
them of
effable, (244) shall rest with me, on
my right hand and on my left, reign-
ing with me in my kingdom. sand years.
"And they also who shall receive the
three
mysteries of the five mysteries of that
ineffable,
shall be fellow-kings with you, in the
kingdom
of light ; they shall not be equal with
you, with
you and with them who shall have received
the
[one and only] mystery of that ineffable,
but
they shall be after you, and yet shall be
kings.
" And they who shall have received the
five
mysteries of that ineffable, shall be after
[them
of] the three mysteries, and yet shall be
kings.
" And they who shall have received the
twelve mysteries of the first mystery,
shall
also be after [them of] the five mysteries
of
that ineffable, and they shall be kings
also,
according to the order of each one of them.
" And they who shall have received the
mys-
tery in all the regions of the space of
that in-
effable, shall also be kings, but they
shall be
after those who shall have received the
mystery
of the first mystery, distributed according
to
the glory of each of them, so that they who
shall have received a higher mystery, shall
be in
the higher regions, and they who shall have
244
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PISTIS SOPHIA
received a lower mystery shall be in a
lower
region, reigning in the light of my
kingdom.
" These only constitute the
inheritance of the
kingdom of the first space of that
ineffable.
(245) " They also who shall have
received all
Of them of ^he mysteries of the second
space,
the second J
space. which is the space of the first mys-
tery, shall be also in the light of my
kingdom,
distributed according to the glory of each
of
them, and each shall be in the mystery
which
he shall have received ; and they who shall
have
received a higher mystery, shall be in the
higher
regions, and they who shall have received a
lower mystery, shall be in the lower
regions in
my kingdom of light.
" This is the inheritance of the
second king,
for them who shall have received the
mystery of
the second space of the first mystery.
" They also who shall receive all the
mysteries
Of them of of the second space [of the
first mys-
space, the tery], which is the first space
from the
without. exterior, they also shall be after
the
second king, distributed also in the light
of my
kingdom, according to the glory of each of
them,
each being in the region of which he shall
have
received the mystery, so that they who
shall
have received higher mysteries, shall be in
higher regions, and they who shall have re-
ceived lower mysteries, shall be in lower
regions.
SECOND BOOK. 245
" These are the three inheritances of
the king-
dom of light.
"Now the mysteries of these three
inherit-
ances of light are exceedingly numerous. Ye
shall find them in the two great Books of
leou ;
but I will give you and tell you the great
mysteries of each inheritance, (246) those
which
are higher than all their regions, that is
to say,
those which are chief over all their
regions and
orders, those which can bring the whole
human
race into the higher regions, from space to
space
of the inheritance.
" But as for the rest of the lower
mysteries,
ye have no need thereof, but ye shall Of
the
J Books of
find them in the two Books of leou, leou.
which Enoch wrote when I spoke with him
from
the tree of knowledge, and from the tree of
life,
which were in the Paradise of Adam.
" Now, therefore, when I shall have
finished
explaining the whole of the emanation, I
will
give you and tell you the great mysteries
of the
three inheritances of my kingdom, those
which
are chief of the mysteries which I will
give you.
I will tell them unto you in all their
configura-
tions, in all their types, and in all their
numbers,
together with the seals of the third space,
which
is the first space from the exterior ; and
I will
tell you the explanations, apologies, and
symbols
of that space.
246
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PISTIS SOPHIA
" As to the second space towards the
interior,
they [who reach thereto] have no need
either of
explanation, or apology, or symbol, or
number,
or seal ; but only of types and
configurations."
(247) When the saviour had finished saying
these words unto his disciples, Andrew came
forward and said : " Master, be not
wroth with
me, but have mercy upon me, and reveal unto
me the mystery of the word concerning which
I
shall question thee, for it hath been hard
for me,
and I have not understood it."
The saviour answered and said unto him :
"Ask concerning that which thou
desirest to
question and I will reveal it unto thee
face to
face without parable."
And Andrew answered and said : "I am
in
Andrew great wonderment and amazement, how
Jesus. men of this world and in bodies of
matter when they depart from this world,
shall
pass through all those firmaments, and
those
rulers, all lords, all gods, all those
great invisibles,
and all those of the region of them of the
midst,
and those of the whole region of them that
are
on the right, and all the great emanations
of
them that are on the right, so that they
pass
through them and inherit the kingdom of
light.
This matter, then, is hard for me."
When Andrew had said these words, the
spirit
of the saviour was moved in him, and he
cried
SECOND BOOK. 247
out and said : " How long shall I bear
with
you, how long shall I suffer you ? Do That
ail
ye still not know and are ye ignorant ?
^ten^iaiiy
Know ye not, and do ye not under- all P
wers -
stand that ye are all angels, all
archangels, gods
and lords, all rulers, all the great
invisibles, all
those of the midst, (248) those of every
region of them that are on the right, all
the
great ones of the emanations of the light
with
all their glory ; that ye are all, of
yourselves and
in yourselves in turn, from one mass and
one
matter, and one substance ; ye are all from
the
same mixture.
" And by the commandment of the first
mys-
tery, the mixture is constrained until all
the
great light-emanations with all their glory
are
purified, until they are cleansed from the
mixture,
till they are purified not of themselves,
but of
necessity, according to the regulation of
that
one and only ineffable.
" They indeed have not at all [in
reality] under-
gone sufferings, nor changes of region, nor
have
they at all torn themselves asunder, nor
poured
themselves into different bodies, nor have
they
been in any affliction. /
" Whereas ye others, ye are the
purgations of
the treasure, ye are the purgations of Aa
to how
the region of them that are on the e
right, ye are the purgations of all the P
wers -
248
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PISTIS SOPHIA
invisibles and of all the rulers ; in a
word, ye
are the purgations of all of them. And ye
have
been in great afflictions and great
tribulations,
in your pourings into different bodies of
this
world. (249) And after all these
afflictions
which came from yourselves, ye have
struggled
and fought, renouncing the whole world and
all
the matter that is in it ; and ye have not
held your
hands in the fight, until ye found all the
mys-
teries of the kingdom of light, which have
puri-
fied you, and transformed you into refined
light,
most pure, and ye have become pure light
itself.
" For which cause have I said unto you
afore-
time, * Seek, that ye may find/ I said,
there-
fore, unto you, ' Ye shall seek out the
mysteries
of light, which purify the body of matter,
and
they will transform you into light of
exceeding
great purity.'
" Amen, I say unto you, the race of
human
pf thepuri- ki n d i s o f matter. I tore
myself asun-
lyiug mys- *
teries. (j er> j brought unto them the
mys-
teries of light, to purify them, for they
are the
purgations of all the matter of their
matter ;
otherwise, no soul in the whole of human
kind
would have been saved ; nor could it have
in-
herited the kingdom of light, unless I had
brought unto them the purifying mysteries.
"Now the light-emanations have no need
of
any mystery, for they are pure ; but the
human
SECOND BOOK. 249
race hath need of purification, for all men
are
purgations of matter. For this cause I said
unto you aforetime, ' They that are whole,
need
no physician, but they that are sick ' ;
(250)
that is to say, they that are of the light
have
no need of the mysteries, for they are pure
light-powers, but the human race hath need
of
them, for [men] are purgations of matter.
" For this cause, therefore, preach ye
to the
whole human race, saying, ' Cease not to
seek
day and night, until ye have found the
purify-
ing mysteries '; and say unto them,
'Renounce
the whole world, and all the matter
therein/ for
he who buyeth arid selleth in this world,
he who
eateth and drinketh of his own matter, who
liveth
in his own cares and in all his own
associations,
amasses ever fresh matter from his matter,
in
that the whole world, and all that is
therein,
and all its associations, are exceedingly
material
purgations, and they shall make enquiry of
every one concerning his purity.
" For which reason, then, I said to
you afore-
time, ' Renounce the whole world and all
the
matter therein/ that ye may not add other
matter to the matter which is already in
you.
Therefore, preach ye this to the whole
human
race, saying, ' Renounce the whole world
and all
its associations, (251) that ye may not add
fresh
matter to the matter which is already in
you ' ;
250
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and say unto them, 6 Cease not to seek day
and
night, and stay not your hands until ye
have
found the purifying mysteries which shall
cleanse you, and will transform you into
pure
light, that ye may enter into the height
and
inherit the light of my kingdom/
"Now, therefore, thou, Andrew, and all
That ail thy brethren and co-disciples,
because
who are .
purified of your renunciations, and all the
shall be . , . , _ .
saved. sufferings which ye have endured
in every region, because of your repourings
into different bodies, and because of all
your
tribulations, ye have, after all, received
the
purifying mysteries, and are become pure
light
exceedingly refined. For this cause,
therefore,
ye shall enter into the height, ye shall
come to
the interior of all the regions of all
these great
emanations of the light, ye shall be kings
in
the kingdom of light for ever. This is the
explanation of the words on which ye
question
me.
"Now, therefore, Andrew, still art
thou in
Thatfinaiiy unbelief and ignorance ; but
when ye
shall have departed from your bodies,
powers. and shall have entered into the
height,
and arrived at the region of the rulers,
all the
rulers shall be ashamed before you, in that
ye
are the purgations of their matter and yet
have
been transformed into purer light than all
of
SECOND BOOK. 251
them. And when ye shall have come into the
region of the great invisible, (252) and
into
the region of them of the midst, of them of
the
right, and into the regions of all those
great
emanations of the light, ye shall receive
glory
in the presence of all of them, in that ye
are
the purgations of their matter and are
trans-
formed into light purer than them all. And
all the regions shall sing a song before
you,
until ye have entered into the region of
the
kingdom."
When the saviour had said these things,
Andrew knew clearly, and not only Jesus
pardoiiethi
he but also all the other disciples, that
the ignor-
1 1 1 I 1 I i n r> ftnCe f
they should inherit the
light. Then they all cast themselves on the
ground, side by side, at Jesus 1 feet, they
cried
aloud, and wept, and besought the saviour,
saying : " Master, forgive our brother
the sin
of ignorance."
And the saviour answered and said : "I
forgive and will forgive ; for this cause
hath
the first mystery sent me, that 1 may
forgive
every one his sins."
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOKS OF THE
SAVIOUR.
"AND they that are worthy of the
mysteries
of the which lie in that ineffable, that is
to
members ga ^ ^y fa&t have not emanated
ineffable. they ftre ^^ ^ ^ firgt m y gtery
To use a similitude and correspondence of
speech
that ye may understand, they are the
members
of that ineffable ; and each is according
to the dig-
nity of its glory, the head according to
the dignity
of the head, the eye according to the
dignity of
the eye, (253) the ear according to the
dignity of
the ear, and the rest of the members [in
like
fashion] ; so that it is manifest that
there are many
members but only one body. Of this I speak
to
you in a paradigm, a correspondence, and a
simili-
tude, but not in the reality of its
configuration ;
I have not revealed the [whole] word in
truth.
" But the mystery of that ineffable
and
Jesus, every member which is in it> that
the great . .
initiator, is to sav, they that dwell in
the
is all *
mysteries, mystery of that ineffable, and
they
that dwell in [that ineffable] and also the
three spaces which follow after them,
mystery
by mystery, in truth and verity, all that
[is
myself]. I am the treasure of all of them,
apart
THE BOOKS OP THE SAVIOUR. 253
from which there is no treasure, apart from
which there is no individuality in the
world ;
but there are other words [besides the word
of
this world], other mysteries, other
regions.
" Now, therefore, blessed is he [among
men]
who hath found the mysteries of the Of the
dignity
space towards the exterior. He is a of them
god, who hath found the words of the
initiated
mysteries of the second space in the
mysteries.
midst. He is a saviour and free of every
space, who hath found the words of the
mysteries, the words of the third space
towards
the interior. He is the very pleroma itself
the object of desire of all who are in that
third
space who hath found the mystery (254) in
which they [all] are and in which they are
[all]
set. Wherefore is he equal to [all of
them].
He hath found also the words of the
mysteries,
which I have written down for you by a
simili-
tude, namely the members of the ineffable.
Amen, I say unto you, he who hath found the
words of these mysteries in the truth of
God,
that man is chief in the truth, he is its
peer,
because of these words and mysteries. The
pleroma verily oweth its being to that
mystery.
For which cause, he who hath found the
words
of these mysteries, is equal to the chief
[of all].
It is the gnosis of the gnosis of the
ineffable,
concerning which I speak unto you this
day."
THE SECOND BOOK OF
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PISTIS SOPHIA
(CONTINUED.)
JESUS continued in his conversation and
said
Of the unto his disciples : " When I
shall
of e the hmg have gone unto the light,
preach unto
disciples. j.] ie w h o l e world and say
unto them,
c Cease not day and night to seek until ye
have
found the mysteries of the kingdom of
light,
which will purify you and transform you
into
pure light, that ye may be brought to the
kingdom of light/
" Say unto them, c Renounce the whole
world
What men and all the matter that is in it,
all
should . .
avoid. its cares, all its sins, in a word,
all the
associations that are in it, (255) that ye
may
be worthy of the mysteries of light, and be
saved from all the torments which are in
the
judgments/
"Say unto them, * Renounce murmuring,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and be saved from the fire of the
dog-
faced one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce
superstition,
SECOND BOOK. 255
that ye may escape the judgment of that
dog-faced one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce all
spells, that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and escape the torments of Ariel/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce calumny,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
escape the rivers of fire of the dog-faced
one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce false
witness,
that ye may become worthy of the mysteries
of light, and escape, and be preserved from
the
rivers of fire of the dog-faced one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce boasting
and
pride, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and escape the pits of fire of
Ariel/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce gluttony,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
escape the judgments of Amenti/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce garrulity,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and preserved from the fires of Amenti/
(256) " Say unto them, * Renounce evil
caresses, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and preserved from the torments
which
are in Amenti/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce the
desires of
avarice, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and escape from the rivers of
fire of
that dog-faced one/
256
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PISTIS SOPHIA
" Say unto them, * Renounce the loves
of the
world, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and escape from the coats of
pitch and
fire of the dog-faced one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce robbery,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and escape the rivers of fire of Ariel/
" Say unto them, * Renounce evil
words, that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the torments of the rivers of
smoke/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce
wickedness,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and saved from the seas of fire of
Ariel/
" Say unto them, * Renounce
pitilessness, that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and saved from the judgments of the dragon-
faced one/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce wrath,
that ye
may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the rivers of smoke of the dragon-
faced/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce reviling,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and saved from the fire of the seas of the
dragon-faced/
(257) " Say unto them, ' Renounce
pillage,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and saved from the seething seas of
the
dragon- faced/
SECOND BOOK. 257
" Say unto them, ' Renounce robbery,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and saved from laldabaoth/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce
slandering, that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the rivers of fire of that
lion-faced.'
" Say unto them, c Renounce
quarrelling and
broiling, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and saved from the seething
rivers of
laldabaoth/
c< Say unto them, ' Renounce all
ignorance,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and saved from the workmen of lalda-
baoth and the fires of his seas/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce villainy,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from all the demons of laldabaoth and
all
his judgments/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce sloth,
that ye
may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the seething seas of pitch of
lalda-
baoth. 1
" Say unto them, ' Renounce adultery,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the
king-
dom of light, and saved from the seas of
sulphur
and pitch of the lion-faced.'
" Say unto them, * Renounce murder,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and saved from the crocodile-faced ruler,
who
17
258
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PISTIS SOPHIA
dwelleth in ice, (258) the first creation
of the
outer darkness/
" Say unto them, c Renounce hardness
of
heart, and impiety, that ye may be worthy
of
the mysteries of light, and saved from the
rulers of the outer darkness/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce atheism,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the weeping and gnashing of
teeth/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce [magic]
potions,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and saved from the great frost and
hail
of the outer darkness/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce blasphemy,
that
ye may be worthy of the mysteries of light,
and
saved from the great dragon of the outer
dark-
ness/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce the
doctrines of
error, that ye may be worthy of the
mysteries
of light, and saved from all the
punishments
of the great dragon of the outer darkness/
" Say unto them who teach the
doctrines of
error, and to them who are taught by them,
* Woe unto you, for if ye repent not, and
abandon not your errors, ye shall come into
the torments of the great dragon of the in-
exorable outer darkness, and ye shall not
be
set free from the world for the eternity,
ye
shall be without existence until the end/
SECOND BOOK. 259
(259) " Say unto them that abandon the
doctrines of truth of the first mystery, c
Woe
unto you, for your torment shall be worse
than
that of all men, for ye shall dwell in the
great
ice, and frost, and hail, in the midst of
the
dragon and the outer darkness, and ye shall
not
be set free from the world henceforth for
the
eternity, ye shall be frozen up in that
region,
and in the ascension of the pleroma, ye
shall
be lost, ye shall be non-existent for the
eternity/
" Say also unto the men of the world,
c Be
diligent, that ye may receive the what men
P T i i i should
mysteries of light, and enter into the
practise.
height of the kingdom of light/
" Say unto them, ' Be ye loving unto
men,
that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of
light, and enter into the height, into the
king-
dom of light/
" Say unto them, * Be ye gentle, that
ye
may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter
into the height, into the kingdom of the
light/
" Say unto them, * Be ye peacemakers,
that
ye may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter into the height, into the kingdom of
light/
" Say unto them, ' Be ye merciful,
that ye
may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter
into the height, into the kingdom of light/
" Say unto them, ' Be ye
compassionate, that
260
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PISTIS SOPHIA
ye may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter into the height, into the kingdom of
light/
" Say unto them, ' Minister unto the
poor and
sick and afflicted, (260) that ye may
receive
the mysteries of light, and enter into the
height,
into the kingdom of light/
" Say unto them, ' Be ye loving unto
God,
that ye may receive the mysteries of light,
and
enter into the height, into the kingdom of
light/
" Say unto them, c Be ye righteous,
that ye
may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter
into the height, into the kingdom of light/
" Say unto them, ' Renounce
everything, that
ye may receive the mysteries of light, and
enter
iu to the height, into the kingdom of
light/
"These are all the boundary marks of
the
paths of them that are worthy of the
mysteries
of light.
" Unto them, therefore, who shall have
made
Unto such this renunciation, give ye the
mysteries
the xnys-
teries of of light ; hide them not from
them
light are to . ,
be given. at all. Should they nave been
sinners, should they have been in all the
sins
arid all the iniquities of the world, of
which I
have spoken unto you, nevertheless, if they
turn
themselves, and repent, and have made the
renunciation which I have just described
unto
you, give ye unto them the mysteries of the
SECOND BOOK. 261
kingdom of light ; hide them not from them
at
all.
"It is because of sin that I have
brought
these mysteries into the world, for the
Them ys-
J teries are
remission of all the sins which they for
the re-
J mission of
have committed from the beginning. sins -
Wherefore have I said unto you aforetime, '
I
came not to call the righteous.' (261) Now,
therefore, I have brought the mysteries
that the
sins of all men may be remitted, and they
be
brought into the kingdom of light. For
these
mysteries are the boons of the first
mystery for
the destruction of the sins and iniquities
of
all sinners."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his dis- Ma *y
again
. 1 questioneth
ciples, that Mary came forward and Jesus,
said to the saviour : " Master,
surely, then, the
righteous perfect in all righteousness, the
man
in whom there is no sin at all, such a man
will
not be chastised in the torments and
judgments ?
Will they not surely bring him into the
kingdom
of the heavens ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" A righteous man who is perfect in
all of the soul
L B of the right-
righteousness, who hath committed no eous
man
m who is not
sin at any time, should such a one not
initiated,
_ when it
have received the -mystery of light,
passeth
i * f - from the
when the time cometh for him to pass hody.
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out of the body, the receivers of light of
the one
great triple power, who is the great one
among
them, shall immediately rescue the soul of
that
man from the hands of the receivers of
wrath.
Three days shall they journey round with it
in
all the creatures of the world, and after
the three
days they shall bring it from above into
chaos,
to pass it through the torments of the
judgments,
that they may instruct it in the torments.
(262)
The fires of chaos, however, will not
trouble it
greatly ; but they will trouble it somewhat
for a
short space.
" Quickly and with haste will they
take pity
on it, to bring it forth from chaos, and
set it in
the way of the midst of the rulers ; they
shall
not torment it with their harsh judgments,
but
the fire of their regions shall trouble it
some-
what. [So that] though they shall bring it
into
the region of these pitiless Achthanabas,
they
shall nevertheless not torment it in its
harsh
judgments, but [only] keep it there a short
space,
the fire of its torments troubling it
[only] some-
what.
" And again with haste will they take
pity on
it, to bring it forth from the regions
which
belong to those rulers, and in like manner
they
will cause it to pass through all the
torments.
" They shall take it out of the aeons
entirely,
lest the rulers of the aeons should carry
it off and
SECOND BOOK. 263
ravish it ; they shall lead it along the
way of
the sunlight, to bring it to the virgin of
light.
And she will prove it, to find it free of
all sin,
but will not have it brought to the light,
because
the sign of the kingdom of the mysteries is
not
with it. But she will seal it with an
excellent
seal that it may be carried into a
righteous
body of the aeons. (263) And [that man]
shall
be good so that he may find the signs of
the
mysteries of light, and inherit the kingdom
of
light for ever.
" And if a man have sinned once, or
twice, or
thrice, he shall be sent back into the
world
according to the type of the sins he hath
com-
mitted ; I will tell you these types when I
shall
come to explain the emanation of the
pleroma.
"But amen, amen, I say unto you, even
though a righteous man have not committed
any
sin at all, it is impossible to take him
into the
kingdom of light, because the sign of the
king-
dom of the mysteries is not with him. In a
word, it is not possible to bring a soul
into the
light without the mysteries of light."
It came to pass, therefore, when Jesus had
finished speaking these words unto his John
ques-
r tioneth
disciples, that John came forward and
Jesus,
said : " Master, if a man is a sinner,
a trans-
gressor, steeped in every iniquity, but
hath left
all this for the sake of the kingdom of the
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heavens, and hath renounced the whole world
and all the matter therein, and we should
give
him the first of the mysteries of light
which are
in the first space from the exterior, and
if a
short time after he have received the
mysteries,
he should return to his transgression, and
yet
once again should repent and cease from all
sin,
(264) and should renounce the whole world
and
all the matter therein, and if he should
come
[unto us], and be in great contrition, and
if we
should know really in truth that God
willeth that
we should give unto him the second mystery
of
the first space from the exterior ; should
he
moreover in like manner turn again and
trans-
gress, and be in the sins of the world, and
yet
once more again repent and cease from the
sins
of the world, and again renounce the whole
world and all the matter therein, and be in
great
contrition, and we should know it with
certainty,
and he is not a hypocrite, and we should
again
give him the mysteries of the first [space]
;
should he further, moreover, in like
manner,
turn again, and commit sin, and plunge into
every type [of sin], wilt thou or not that
we
remit [his transgressions] unto seven
times, and
give him the mysteries which are in the
first
space from the exterior unto seven times ?
"
The saviour answered again and said unto
John : " Remit ye his siri not only
unto seven
SECOND BOOK. 265
times, but amen, I say unto you, remit ye
it unto
him many times seven times, and each Of the
in _
time give ye him the mysteries from
the beginning, [the mysteries] which
are in the first space from the ex-
times>
terior ; perchance ye will win the soul of
that
brother, so that he may inherit the kingdom
of
light.
" For this cause, when ye questioned
me afore-
time 1 , saying, (265) * If our brother sin
A former
against us, wilt thou that we forgive
explained,
him unto seven times ? ' I answered and
said
unto you, ' Not only unto seven times, but
unto
seventy times seven/
" Now, therefore, remit ye his sin
many times,
and every time give unto him the external
mysteries, those which are in the first
space ;
perchance ye shall win the soul of that
brother,
so that he may inherit the kingdom of
light.
" Amen, I say unto you, he who shall
give
life unto a single soul, and shall save Of
the
it, in addition to his own proper light
in the kingdom of light, he shall further
souls '
receive an additional glory for the soul
which he
shall have saved, so that he who shall save
a
host of souls, in addition to his own
proper
glory in the glory, he shall receive a host
of ad-
ditional glories for the souls which he
shall have
saved."
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When, therefore, the saviour had spoken
these
John con- words, John came forward and said
:
Jue U stion hiS " Master, bear with me
if I question
ing * thee, for I will begin from this hour
to question thee on every matter,
concerning
the way in which we are to preach to human
kind.
" If, then, such a brother, after I
shall have
given him one of the mysteries of the
beginning,
which are in the first space from the
exterior,
after I have given him a number of
mysteries
[if, I say, such a brother] hath not become
worthy
of the kingdom of the heavens, wilt thou
that we pass him on to the mysteries of the
second space ? Perchance we shall win the
soul
of that brother, he might repent, and be in
contrition, and inherit the kingdom of the
heavens ; (266) wilt thou or not that we
pass him
on to the mysteries which are in the second
space ? "
The saviour answered and said unto John :
That the " If that brother is not a
hypocrite, but
longeth for God in truth, if ye shall
have iven bim man times
Unt ave g ven m man 7
even h up to mysteries of the beginning,
and yet be-
the second f cause ^ the necessity of the
elements
space. O f t k e f ate> h e k^k not p
rove( j worthy
of the mysteries of the kingdom of light,
[never-
theless] continue to remit his
transgressions, puss
SECOND BOOK. 267
him on, and give unto him the first mystery
of
the second space. Perchance ye shall win
the
soul of that brother.
"[Even then] if he be not worthy of
the
mysteries of light, if he commit
transgression
and any kind of sin, and then again should
re-
pent and be in great contrition, and
renounce the
whole world, and cease from all the sins of
the world, and ye know with certainty that
he is not a hypocrite, [then] turn ye [to
him]
again, and remit his sin, pass him on, give
unto
him the second mystery of the second space
of
the first mystery. (267) Perchance, indeed,
ye
shall win the soul of that brother, that he
may
inherit the kingdom of the heavens.
" Yet again, if he show himself not
worthy of
the mysteries, but commit transgression and
any
kind of sin, and yet again repent and be in
great
contrition, and renounce the whole world
and
all the matter therein ; and cease from the
sin
of the world, and ye know truly that he is
not
a hypocrite, but longeth for the truth,
turn ye
again [unto him], remit his sin and accept
his
repentance, for the first mystery is
compassion-
ate and merciful-minded ; yet again pass
him on,
and give him, one after another, the three
mysteries of the second space of the first
mys-
tery.
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" [But] if that man [again]
transgresseth, and
The limit * s * u aI1 7 kind of sin, ye
shall not remit
power of his sin again from that hour, nor
any
cipies S to HQore accept his repentance ;
let him be
remit sms. or y OU as a stumbling-block and
trans-
gressor.
" For, amen, I say unto you, those
three
mysteries shall witness against his last
repent-
ance, and there is no more repentance for
him
from that hour. Amen, I say unto you, (268)
the soul of that man shall have no more
pro-
bation for the world of the height
henceforth
from that hour, but it shall dwell in the
habita-
tions of the dragon of outer darkness.
" It is because of the souls of men of
this kind
A former that j S p a k e unto you
aforetime in
saying ex- x J
plained. parable, saying unto you, ' If thy
brother sin against thee, reprove him alone
; if
he hearken unto thee, thou shall have won
thy
brother ; if he hearken not unto thee, take
with
thee another [brother] ; if he still will
not hear
thee or that other [brother], bring him
before
the assembly ; if he hearken not unto the
rest
[of the brethren], let him be for you as a
trans-
gressor and a stumbling-block/
" If he prove not worthy in the first
mystery,
give him the second ; and if he prove
unworthy
in the second, give him the three, one
after
the other that is to say, the ' assembly '
and
SECOND BOOK. 269
if he prove unworthy in the third mystery,
let
him be for you as a stumbling-block and a
trans-
gressor.
" And the word which I spake to you
afore-
time, * By the mouth of two or three Of , *
he ab -
' J solute mys-
witnesses every word shall be estab- ter y
of the
J remission
lished,' signifieth that thesej three fsin
-
mysteries shall witness against his last
repent-
ance. (269) Amen, I say unto you, [even]
should that man repent, there is no mystery
which can remit his sins and accept his
repent-
ance, there is not the least possibility of
any
mystery at all listening unto him, save
only the
first mystery of the first mystery and the
mys-
teries of that ineffable. They alone will
accept
the repentance of that man and will remit
his
sins, for those mysteries are compassionate
and
merciful-minded, arid grant remission at
any
time."
When the saviour had said these words, John
continued [his questioning], and said John
oon .
to the saviour : " Master, if a
brother,
who is a very great sinner, hath re- mg *
nounced the whole world and all the matter
therein, all its sins and all its
interests, and we
shall prove him, and know that he is not a
de-
ceiver and a hypocrite, but that he hath a
real
desire to be in the truth, and we should
know
that he is worthy of the mysteries of the
second
270 P1STIS SOPHIA.
space or [even] the third, wilt thou or not
that
we give him of the [mysteries] of the
second
space and even of the third, before he have
re-
ceived any mystery at all of the
inheritance of
light ; wilt thou that we give them unto
him
or no ? "
And the saviour answered and said unto John
The teach- i n th midst of the disciples :
" If ye
l know with certainty (270) that that
man h&th renounced the whole world,
further 1 ex- a ^ ^ s i n terests, all its
associations, and
tended. a }j ^ s g j ng) ft y e know of a
certainty
that he is not a deceiver or a hypocrite,
or merely
curious to know what kind of things the
rites of
the mysteries are, but that he desireth God
in
truth, ye shall not hide [the mystery] from
this
man, but ye shall give him the mysteries of
the
second space and [even] of the third ;
after ye
have proved him to find out of what mystery
he is worthy, then give him that mystery
and hide it not from him, for should ye
hide
it from him, ye will be subject to a great
judgment.
" [Even] if, after ye have once given
him [of
the mysteries] of the second space or of
the third,
he should return again to his
transgression,
[nevertheless] ye shall again give them
unto him
a second time, and also a third time ; but
if he
still transgress, ye shall no longer give
him them,
SECOND BOOK. 271
for then these mysteries shall be witnesses
against him in his last repentance. Amen, I
say unto you, he who shall give the
mysteries
again unto such a man in the second or in
the third space, is subject to a great
judgment.
But let that man be for you as a
transgressor
and a stumbling-block.
" Amen, I say unto you, for the soul
of that
man there is no salvation in the world from
that
hour ; (271) his habitation shall be in the
midst
of the jaws of the dragon of outer
darkness, the
place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and
in the dissolution of the world, his soul
shall
be frozen up, and shall be lost in the
pitiless ice
and inexorable fire, and shall cease to
exist for
the eternity.
" Even should he again repent and
renounce
the whole world, all its interests, and all
its sins,
and be in severe penitential discipline and
great
contrition, [nevertheless] no mystery shall
accept
his repentance, none shall give ear unto
him to
accept hisrepentance, and grant him the
remission
of his sins, save only the mystery of the
first
mystery and the mystery of that ineffable.
These
alone will accept repentance from such a
man,
and grant him the remission of his sins,
for these
mysteries are compassionate and merciful-
minded, and grant remission of sins at any
time."
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When the saviour had said these words, John
John con- continued [his questioning]
further, and
que u stion hi8 said unto him : "
Master, bear with me,
mg -. for I question thee on every matter
with earnestness and confidence, as to the
man-
ner in which we are to preach to the men of
the
world."
The saviour answered and said unto John :
" Ask concerning every matter as thou
wilt, and
I will reveal it unto thee, face to face,
with
freedom, and without parable, and with cer-
tainty."
(272) And John answered and said : "
Master,
when we go forth to preach, -and enter into
a
city or a town, and the people of that city
come
to meet us, and we know not who they are,
if
they employ great deception and hypocrisy,
and
receive us, and take us into their houses,
wishing
to make trial of the mysteries of light ;
if they
are hypocrites with us in their submission,
and
we think that they love God, and we should
give
them the mysteries of the kingdom of light,
and
afterwards we should discover that they
have
not acted in a manner worthy of the
mysteries,
and we should find out that they have been
hypocrites with us, and have deceived us
and
have afterwards made a [mere] mock of the
mysteries of the several regions, mimicking
us
and [making forgeries of] our mysteries
also,
SECOND BOOK. 273
what, then, will happen to people of this
kind?"
The saviour answered and said unto John :
"When ye shall have entered into a
ofhypo-
city or a town, unto the house into
^elvethe
which ye shall enter and in which ye m y
steries -
shall be received, give ye one of the
mysteries ;
if they be worthy of it, ye shall surely
win their
souls and they shall inherit the kingdom of
light ; but if they be not worthy of it,
but have
deceived you, and have made a [mere] mock
of
the mysteries, mimicking you and the
mysteries,
(273) [then] shall ye appeal to the first
mystery
of the first mystery who hath compassion on
all
the world, saying, * The mystery which we
have
given unto these impious and iniquitous
souls,
they have not performed in a manner worthy
of
thy mystery, but they have [merely] copied
[what we did]; give back [therefore] that
mystery unto us, and make them for ever
strangers to the mystery of thy kingdom/
Shake ye off the dust of your feet as a
testimony
against them, and say unto them, ( May your
souls be as the very dust of your house/
Amen,
I say unto you, in that hour all the
mysteries
which ye have given unto them shall return
unto you ; every word and every mystery of
which they shall have received the form
shall be
taken from them.
18
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"Concerning people of this kind,
verily, have I
A^ former aforetime spoken unto you in
parable,
explained, saying, ' Into whatsoever house
ye
enter, and ye shall be received, say unto
them,
" Peace be with you," and if they
are worthy,
your peace shall rest upon them, and if
they are
not worthy, it shall return unto you again
' that
is to say, if these people act in a manner
worthy
of the mysteries of the kingdom of light ;
but
if they behave hypocritically and with
deception
towards you, without your being aware
thereof,
(274) and ye give unto them the mysteries
of
the kingdom of light, and afterwards they
make
a mock of the mysteries, and mimic you and
my masteries, [then] ye shall celebrate the
first
mystery of the first mystery, and he will
give
back unto you every mystery that ye shall
have
given unto them, and will make them
strangers
to the mysteries of light for ever.
" Men of this kind shall have no more
pro-
bation given them in this world from that
hour ; but, amen, I say unto you, their
habita-
tion shall be in the midst of the jaws of
the
dragon of outer darkness. And should they
even have again a time of repentance, and
should
they renounce the whole world, and all the
matter therein, and all the sins of the
world, and
should then make entire submission to the
mys-
teries of the light, no mystery will give
ear unto
SECOND BOOK. 275
them or grant them remission of their sins,
save
only the one and only mystery of that
ineffable,
who hath compassion on the whole world and
granteth the remission of the sins of the
whole
world."
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished
speaking these words unto his disci- Mary
again
. questioneth
pies, that Mary worshipped the feet Jesus.
of Jesus, and kissed them and said unto him
:
" Master, bear with me, if I question
thee, and
be not wroth with me."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Ask what thou wilt, and I will
reveal it unto
thee with freedom."
(275) And Mary said : " Master, well
then,
supposing that a brother is good and
righteous,
and we have perfected him with all the
mysteries
of light, and that this brother hath a
brother or
a kinsman or some connection or other, and
the
latter is a sinner and impious or even if
he be
not a sinner and on this person's passing
from
the body, the heart of the good brother
grieves
and mourns over him, in that [his friend]
is in
the judgments and torments ; now, then,
Master, what shall we do to carry him out
of the
harsh torments and judgments ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" I have already spoken unto you on
this subject
on another occasion, but hearken while I
tell you
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PISTIS SOPHIA
again, that ye may be perfected in every
perfec-
tion.
" Now, therefore, with regard to all
who com-
of m ** s * n > or t ^ lose w h do not
commit
have 1 sed
from the taken back out of the harsh
judgments
body may J G
be helped an( j torments, but also that
they should
by those on ' J
earth. be carried into a righteous body,
which
shall find the mysteries of the godhead, so
as to
enter into the height and inherit the
kingdom of
light [then] celebrate the third mystery of
that
ineffable, saying, (276) ' Set ye free the
soul of
the man of whom we think in our hearts, set
ye
it free from all the torments of the rulers
; haste
ye speedily to bring him unto the virgin of
light ; in this very month let the virgin
of light
seal him with an excellent seal, in this
very
month let the virgin of light cast him into
a
body that shall be righteous and good, that
he
may enter into the height, and inherit the
king-
dom of light.'
" And if ye say these words, amen, I
say unto
you, all those that are in service in all
the orders
of the judgments of the rulers, will set to
work
to pass that soul from one to the other,
until
they bring it unto the virgin of light. And
the
virgin of light shall seal it with the sign
of the
kingdom of that ineffable, and give it unto
her
receivers, and the receivers will cast it
into a
SECOND BOOK. 277
righteous body, and it will find the
mysteries
of light, and become good, and enter into
the
height and inherit the kingdom of light.
This is
the matter on which ye have questioned
me."
Mary continued and said : " Now, then,
Master, hast thou not brought the mys- Mary
teries into the world (277) that men
may not be distressed by the death that
mg>
shall come upon them from the rulers of the
fate ? For if it bef alleth any one to die
by the
sword, or die by water, by tortures and
question-
ing and the violence of the law, or by any
other evil death, surely hast thou not
brought
the mysteries into the world that men may
not
thus die at the hands of the rulers of the
fate,
but may die by a sudden death, and not be
tor-
tured by such kinds of death ? For they are
in
exceeding great number who persecute us be-
cause of thee, and multitudes pursue us
because
of thy name, so that if we be submitted to
the
torture, we shall utter the mystery, that
we may
immediately depart from the body without
suffering any pain."
The saviour answered and said unto his
disci-
ples : " Concerning the matter on
which How an
ye question me, I have spoken unto you
on another occasion ; but hearken once
more that I may tell it you again.
Not only ye, but all men who shall P ain '
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PISTIS SOPHIA
accomplish that first mystery of the first
mystery
of that ineffable ; [only] while a man is
[still]
engaged in completing that mystery in all
its
configurations and all its types and all
its states,
he shall not depart from the body [under
such
circumstances] ; but after the perfect
accom-
plishment of that mystery in all its
configura-
tions and all its types, (278) [then] after
this at
any moment when he shall name that mystery,
he shall be saved from all that might have
be-
fallen him at the hands of the rulers of
the fate.
In that moment he shall depart from the
body
of the matter of the rulers, and his soul
shall be-
come a great light-stream, it shall soar
into the
height, and shall pass through all the
regions of
the rulers and all the regions of the
light, until
it come into the region of its kingdom,
without
presenting explanation or apology in any
region,
for it is free of [all] symbol."
And when Jesus had spoken these words,
Mary again hastened to cast herself at
Jesus' feet,
and kissed them, saying : " Master, I
will question
thee [yet] again ; reveal it unto us and
hide no-
thing from us."
Jesus answered and said unto Mary : "
Ask
on whatever matter thou wilt, and I will
reveal
it unto thee with freedom, without
parable."
Mary answered and said : " Well, then,
Master, hast thou not [also] brought the
mysteries
SECOND BOOK, 279
into the world because of poverty and
riches,
of weakness and strength, of sickness
and health, in a word because of all
things of this kind, so that when ing -
we come into the regions of a country, and
they do not believe in us or give ear to
our
words, we should perform these mysteries in
those regions, in order that they may know
truly that we preach the words of the
perfec-
tion ? "
(279) The saviour answered and said unto
Mary in the midst of the disciples : "
The
mystery on which ye question me, [behold] I
gave it unto you on another occasion ; but
I
will answer again and explain unto you the
matter.
" Now, therefore, Mary, not only ye,
but all
men who shall achieve the mystery of
the resurrection of the dead which f? 8ur1
??;
tion of the
healeth from demonial possessions, and dead
-
sufferings and every disease, [which also
healeth]
the blind, the lame, the halt, the dumb,
and the
deaf, [the mystery] which I gave unto you
afore-
time whosoever shall receive of these
mysteries
and achieve them, if he ask for anything
what-
ever hereafter, poverty or riches, weakness
or
strength, disease or health, or the whole
healing
of the body, and the resurrection of the
dead,
the power of healing the lame, the blind,
the deaf
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and the dumb, of every disease and every
suffering in a word, whosoever shall
achieve
this mystery, if he ask any of the things
which
I have just told unto you, they shall at
once be
granted unto him."
When, therefore, the saviour had said these
words, the disciples came forward and cried
out
Thedis- all together, saying: "0
saviour, thou
came 8 e excitest us with exceeding great
frenzy
because of the transcendent height
which thou hast revealed unto us;
mg - and thou exaltest our souls, and they
have become paths on which we travel to
come
unto thee, (280) for they came forth from
thee.
Now, therefore, because of the transcendent
heights which thou hast revealed unto us,
our
souls have become frenzied, and they
travail
mightily yearning to go forth from us into
the
height to the region of thy kingdom."
And when the disciples had said these
words,
HOW the *hz saviour again continued his
con-
8haii ples versation, and said unto his
disciples :
preach. jf y e en t er into cities, or
princi-
palities, or countries, preach ye first
unto them,
saying : * Seek ye ever, and cease not,
until ye
have found the mysteries of the light,
which
will bring you unto the kingdom of light/
Say
unto them, 'Beware of the doctrines of
error/
for many shall come in my name, saying, '
It is
SECOND BOOK. 281
I,' and it shall not be so, and they shall
lead
astray many.
" Now, therefore, to every one that
cometh
unto you, and shall believe in you, ^ r ^ t
J s ~
and hearken unto my words, and act shaU
& VQ -
worthily of the mysteries of light, unto
him shall
ye give the mysteries of light, and hide
them
not from him. Unto him that is worthy of
the
higher mystery, give ye thereof, and to him
that
is worthy of the lower mystery, give ye
thereof,
and hide nothing from him.
" But as to the mystery of the
resurrection of
the dead, and of the healing of disease,
The mys _
give it unto none and teach it not, for
that mystery pertaineth to the rulers,
it and all its namings. (281) For this any
'
cause, therefore, give it unto none, and
teach it
not until ye have established the faith in
the
whole world, in order that, when you enter
into
cities or countries, and they do not
receive you,
nor believe on you, nor give ear unto your
words,
ye may then raise the dead in those
regions, and
heal the lame, the blind, and all kinds of
diseases
in those regions, and by all such means,
they
will believe on you, that ye preach the God
of
the perfection, and will have faith in all
your
words. For this cause have I given unto you
this mystery, until ye shall have
established the
faith in the whole world."
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And when the saviour had spoken these words
Of the con- ^ continued further in his
conversa-
stitutiou of
man - tion, and said unto Mary : "
Now, there-
fore, give ear, Mary. Concerning the word
on which thou hast questioned me, to wit, '
Who
constraineth a man to sin ? ' now,
therefore,
[will I tell it thee]. When the babe cometh
into
the world, the power is feeble in it, the
soul also
is feeble in it, and the counterfeit of the
spirit is
also feeble in it ; in a word, the three
are all of
them feeble. None of them hath sense enough
for any work, whether good or evil, because
of
the exceeding great weight of oblivion ;
and the
body too is feeble. And the babe eateth of
the
delights of the world of the rulers, (282)
and the
power absorbeth from the portion of the
power
which is in the delights, and the soul
absorb-
eth from the portion of the soul which is
in
the delights, and the counterfeit of the
spirit
absorbeth from the portion of the evil
which is
in the delights and their desires, and the
body
also absorbeth the unperceptive matter
which
is in the delights. As to the destiny, it
taketh
nothing from the delights, for it is not
mingled
with them, but it continueth of the same
quality
with which it came into the world.
" And little by little the power, the soul
and
the counterfeit of the spirit develop, and
each
of them senseth according to its nature.
The
SECOND BOOK. 283
power senseth after the light of the height
; the
soul also senseth after the region of mixed
righteousness, which is the region of the
mixture ;
the counterfeit of the spirit seeketh after
all
vices, and desires, and sins ; but the body
hath
no power of sensing unless it be an impulse
to
gain strength from matter.
" And so forthwith the three develop
sensa-
tion, each according to its nature. And the
receivers of wrath also give order unto
their
workmen to follow them, and be witness to
all
the sins that they commit, with a view to
the
manner in which they shall punish them in
the
judgments.
" Thereupon the counterfeit of the
spirit de-
viseth and senseth after all the sins ofthe
and evils (283) which the rulers of the of
rfeit
fate have decreed against that soul,
spirlt<
arid it bringeth them into operation
against that
soul.
" And so the power within impelleth
the soul
to seek after the region of light and the
whole
godhead ; whereas the counterfeit of the
spirit
draggeth down the soul and persistently
con-
straineth it to commit every kind of
iniquity
and mischief and sin, and persisteth as
some-
thing foreign to the soul, and is its
enemy, and
maketh it commit all these sins and evils.
" It spurreth on the workmen of wrath,
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moreover, to bear witness to all the sins
which
it will constrain the soul to commit. And
even
when [the soul] sleepeth by night or by
day, it
plagueth it in dreams with the desires of
the
world, and causeth it to long after all the
things
of this world. In a word, it bindeth it to
all
the actions which the rulers have decreed
for it,
and is the enemy of the soul, causing it to
do
what it would not.
" Now, therefore, Mary, this thing is
the
enemy of the soul ; this is the one that
con-
straineth it to commit all kinds of sin.
" Now, therefore, when the life period
of that
The state man * s fulfilled, (284) first
there cometh
fui^uf 11 " the destiny, and leadeth
that man to
after death. ki s death, by means of the
rulers and
the bonds in which they have been bound by
the fate. Next come the receivers of wrath,
to
lead that soul out of the body.
" And for three days the receivers of
wrath
travel round with that soul through all the
regions, taking it through all the aeons of
the
world, and the counterfeit of the spirit
and
destiny accompany that soul, but the power
withdraws itself to the virgin of light.
" And after three days, the receivers
of wrath
take that soul down into the depth of the
hell of
chaos, and when they have brought it to the
depth of chaos, they hand it over to them
that
SECOND BOOK. 285
administer punishment, and the receivers
return
unto their own regions according to the
regu-
lation of the operations of the rulers
concerning
the going forth of the souls.
" And the counterfeit of the spirit
becometh
the receiver of that soul, and haunteth it,
re-
buking it in every punishment because of
the
sins which it hath caused it to commit ; it
is in
exceeding great enmity to that soul.
" And when the soul hath endured the
punish-
ments in chaos according to the sins which
it
hath committed, (285) the counterfeit of
the
spirit leadeth it forth from chaos, and
haunteth
it, confronting it in every region with the
sins
which it hath committed, and it bringeth it
forth
into the way of the rulers of the midst.
And
when it hath come unto them, [the rulers]
con-
front it with the mysteries of the destiny,
and if
it have not discovered them, then they
examine
their destiny. And [then] these rulers
punish
that soul according to the sins of which it
is
guilty. I will tell you the type of their
punish-
ments in explaining the emanation of the
pleroma.
" When, then, it cometh to pass that
the period
of torment of that soul in the judgments
of the rulers of the midst is fulfilled,
the counterfeit of the spirit leadeth the
rebirth -
soul out of all the regions of the rulers
of the
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midst, and bringeth it into the light of
the sun,
according to the commandment of the first
man
leou, and taketh it before the judge, that
is to
say, the virgin of light. And she proveth
that
soul ; she findeth that it is a sinning
soul, and
casteth into it her light-power, to unite
it with a
body and common sensory. And I will tell
you
the type of all this in explaining the
emanation
of the pleroma. And the virgin of light
sealeth
that soul, and liandeth it over to one of
her
receivers, and will have it carried into a
body,
(286) which is the record of the sins which
it
hath committed.
" Amen, I say unto you, she will not
suffer
that soul to escape from transmigrations
into
bodies until it hath given signs of [being
in] its
last cycle according to its record of
demerit.
And concerning all this I will tell you the
types
and also the types of bodies into which
souls
shall be cast according to their sins ; all
this will
I tell you when I come to explain to you
the
emanation of the pleroma."
And Jesus continued further in his
conversa-
of the tion and said : " But [in the
case of] a
consign* **" soul w &ch hath not
hearkened unto the
of f the rig*- counterfeit of the spirit in
all its works,
? u ! OI ?l' but hath become righteous, and
hath
that natn
received received the mysteries of the
light
the mys- J
teries. which are in the second space, or
even
SECOND BOOK. 287
those which are in the third space towards
the
interior ; when the time of that soul is
come for
its passing from the body, then the
spiritual
counterfeit followeth after that soul, and
also the
destiny. They follow after it in the way
whereby
it shall pass into the height.
" And before it getteth far into the
height, it
uttereth the mystery of the breaking of the
seals
and all the bonds of the counterfeit of the
spirit
whereby the rulers bind it to the soul ;
and when
[the mystery] is uttered, the bonds of the
coun-
terfeit of the spirit are broken, so that
it ceaseth
to shackle that soul, arid letteth the soul
go,
according to the injunctions which the
rulers of
the great fate have given unto it, saying,
(287)
' Let not that soul go until it hath told
thee the
mystery of the breaking of all the seals
where-
with thou hast been bound to it.'
" It shall come to pass, therefore,
when a soul
hath uttered the mystery of the breaking of
the
seals and all the bonds of the counterfeit
of the
spirit, that the latter shall [at once]
cease to
impede that soul, and shall cease to be
bound to
it.
" [So then] it uttereth the mystery
and
causeth the destiny to depart to its own
region
with the rulers who are in the way of the
midst ;
and uttering the mystery, it dismisseth the
counterfeit of the spirit unto the rulers
of the
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fate, in the region in which it was bound
to
it.
" And forthwith that soul becometh a
mighty
light-stream, exceedingly radiant, and the
receiv-
ers of wrath, who have led it forth from
the body,
are terror-stricken before the light of
that soul,
and fall down upon their faces. Forthwith
that
soul becometh a mighty light-stream, it
becometh
entirely wings of light, and passeth
through all
the regions of the rulers and all the
orders of
light, until it arriveth at the region of
its king-
dom, of which it hath received the mystery.
" [Again in the case of] a soul which
hath
received the mystery in the first space
Of the state .
alter death towards the exterior, and after
receiv-
of one that
hath re- ing the mysteries and perfecting
them,
mysteries, (288) it then turneth back and
com-
andyet ...
hath trans- mitteth sin once more even
after the
perfecting of the mysteries ; when the
time hath come for that soul to depart, the
re-
ceivers of wrath come to lead that soul out
of
the body.
"Then the destiny and the counterfeit
of the
spirit pursue after that soul, for the
counterfeit
of the spirit, being bound to it by the
bonds
of the rulers, followeth after that soul as
it
travelleth on the ways of the counterfeit
of the
spirit.
" It uttereth the mystery of the
breaking of
SECOND BOOK. 289
all the bonds and all the seals with which
the
rulers have bound the counterfeit of the
spirit to
the soul ; and when the soul hath uttered
the
mystery of the breaking of the seals, forthwith
the bonds of the seals are broken, which
bind
the counterfeit of the spirit to the soul
within ;
and when the soul hath uttered the mystery
of
the breaking of the seals, then, forthwith,
the
counterfeit of the spirit is unbound and
ceaseth
to war against the soul. In that hour
[then],
the soul uttereth a mystery, which shall
domin-
ate the counterfeit of the spirit and the
destiny,
and suffer them [simply] to follow after
it, so
that they have no strength, while it hath
all
its strength.
(289) " And in that hour the receivers
of that
soul and of the mysteries it hath received,
come
and wrest that soul from the receivers of
wrath,
and those receivers go back to the
operations of
the rulers according to the regulation of
the
leading forth of souls.
" But the receivers of that soul, who
pertain
to the light, become wings of light for
that soul,
and will be a vesture of light for it ;
they will
not lead it into chaos, for it is not
lawful to bring
into chaos a soul that hath received the
mys-
teries ; but they will set it in the way of
the
rulers of the midst, and when it hath come
unto
the rulers of the midst the rulers advance
to
19
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meet that soul, in mighty fear and terrible
burning, in many forms, in a word, in
mighty
terror to which there is no measure.
"And in that hour the soul utteretb
the
mystery of their apology, and they are
stricken
with exceeding great fear, and fall on
their faces,
in terror of the mystery which it hath
uttered
and of their apology. (290) And that soul
Theapo- dismisseth their destiny, saying
unto
ri¬* tbem > ' Take y e UIito y
urselves y ur
the midst. Destiny ; I will not set foot in
your
region henceforth from this hour. I will be
a
stranger unto you for all time, for I go
unto the
region of my inheritance/
" When the soul hath finished speaking
these
words, the receivers of light will fly up
with it
into the height, and bring it into the
aeons of
the fate, where it will pronounce the
apology of
that region and present its seals, all of
which I
will explain to you in the emanation of the
pleroma. And it will present the
counterfeit of
the spirit to the rulers, and pronounce for
them
the mystery of the bonds whereby they have
The apo- bound it to it, saying unto them,
' Take
riderfof 16 y e unto yourselves your
counterfeit of
the fate. fae S pi r it . j w j}} no t se t
f oo t in your
region henceforth from this hour ; I will
be a
stranger unto you for all time.' And it
will
present unto each his seal and his apology.
SECOND BOOK. 291
"And when the soul hath finished
speaking
these words, the receivers of light will Of
tho as _
fly with it into the height, and take it
out of the seons of the fate, and carry
it up into the rest of the aeons. (291)
ance -
It will present the apology of every region
the apology of all the regions and seals
and
tyrants of king Adamas. It will present the
apology of all the rulers of all the
regions of the
left, of whom I will tell you all the
apologies
and seals when I shall explain the
emanation of
the pleroma.
"And then the receivers will bring
that soul
unto the virgin of light, arid then that
soul
presenteth unto the virgin of light the
seals and
the glory of its songs ; and the virgin of
light
and also the seven virgins of light all
examine
that soul, that they may all find their
signs in it,
their seals, their baptisms and chrisms.
And
the virgin of light sealeth that soul,
(292) and
the receivers of light baptise that soul to
give it
the spiritual chrism. And each of the
virgins of
light sealeth it with her seal.
" And then the receivers of light
mount up
unto the great Sabaoth, the good, who is
beside
the gate of life in the region of them of
the right,
whom they call father ; and that soul
ofiereth
unto him the glory of its songs, and also
his
seals and his apologies. And the great
Sabaoth
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sealeth it with his seals, and the soul
presenteth
its gnosis and the glory of its songs and
the
seals to every region of them that are on
the
right. And all seal it with their seals ;
and
then Melchisedec, the great receiver of
light,
who inhabiteth the region of them of the
right,
sealeth that soul, and all the receivers of
Mel-
chisedec seal that soul, and [Melchisedec]
bringeth it into the treasure of light.
" And it presenteth the glory and
worship and
honour of its songs, with all the seals of
all the
region of the light ; and all they of the
region
of the treasure of light seal it with their
seals,
and it cometh unto the region of the
inherit-
ance."
When, then, the saviour had spoken these
things unto his disciples, he said unto
them :
(293) " Understand ye how I speak unto
you ? "
And Mary came forward again and said :
Mary inter- " ^ ea Master, I
understand how thou
speakest unto me, and I comprehend
a ^ ^ ese things. Now, therefore, con-
cerning the words which thou hast said
unto us, my mind hath had four intuitions ;
my
indweller of light impelleth me, and
blissfully
seetheth within me, longing to come forth
from
me and enter into thee. Now, therefore,
Master, hearken while I tell thee the four
intui-
tions which have come unto me.
SECOND BOOK. 293
" The first intuition hath come unto
me con-
cerning the word which thou hast spoken, '
Now,
therefore, the soul presenteth the apology
and
seal unto all the rulers who are in the
region of
king Adamas, and it presenteth the apology
and
honour and glory of all their seals and of
the
songs of the region of the light'
concerning
this word, thou didst speak unto us
aforetime,
when that piece of money was brought The
iece
unto thee, thou didst see that it was of *
money
that was
silver and brass, and didst ask, c Whose
brought
unto Jesus.
is this image ? ' and they answered,
' It is the king's/ And when thou didst see
that it was of silver and brass, thou
saidst,
* Render unto the king that which is the
king's,
and unto God that which is God's ' ; that
is to
say, when the soul hath received the
mystery,
(294) it presenteth an apology to all the
rulers
and to the region of king Adamas, it
offereth
also honour and glory to all them of the
region
of the light. And the word, c It shineth,'
when
thou didst see that it was of silver and
brass,
this is the type of the man in whom is both
the light-power, that is to say refined
silver, and
also the counterfeit of the spirit, that is
to say
the brass of matter. This, Master, is the
first
intuition.
"The second intuition is concerning
what
thou hast just said unto us about the soul
which
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hath received the mysteries, to wit, * When
it
hath come into the region of the rulers of
the
way of the midst, then they advance to meet
it in
exceeding great terror, and the soul
presenteth
the mystery of fear unto them, and they are
in
terror before it ; it dismisseth the
destiny to its
own region and dismisseth the counterfeit
of the
spirit to its own region, and it presenteth
their
apology and seals to each of the rulers who
are
in the ways, and proffereth the honour and
glory
and worship of the seals, and its songs to
all
them of the region of light ' concerning
this
word, Master, thou didst say unto us afore-
time by the mouth of Paul, our brother, '
Give
A saying of revenue to whom revenue [is
due],
Paul fear to whom fear, tribute to whom
tribute, honour to whom honour, worship to
whom worship ; leave no account unpaid ' ;
(295) that is to say, the soul that hath
received the mysteries giveth apology in
every
region. This, Master, is the second
intuition.
" The third intuition is concerning
the word
which thou hast just now spoken unto us, '
The
counterfeit of the spirit is the enemy of
the soul,
and constraineth it to commit every kind of
sin
The foes of and mischief, and rebuketh it
in the
one's own
house. torments because of all the sins which
it hath caused it to commit ; in a word, it
is the
foe of the soul in every way ' concerning
this
SECOND BOOK. 295
word, therefore, thou hast spoken unto us
afore-
time, saying, ' The foes of a man are the.
dwellers
in his own house ' ; that is to say, the
dwellers in
the house of the soul are the counterfeit
of the
spirit and the destiny, who are ever the
foes of the
soul, and cause it to commit every kind of
sin and
iniquity. This, Master, is the third
intuition.
" The fourth intuition is concerning
the word
which thou hast said, ' When the soul hath
come
forth from the body and goeth on its way
with
the counterfeit of the spirit, if it hath
not found
the mystery of the breaking of all the
bonds and
the seals which are bound to the
counterfeit of
the spirit, so that it may cease to haunt
it
if, then, it hath not found it, the
counterfeit of
the spirit bringeth the soul before the
virgin of
light who is the judge, and the virgin of
light
examineth the soul, (296) to see if it hath
sinned and to find out also if it hath with
it
the mysteries of light. [The virgin of
light then]
handeth it over to one of her receivers,
and her
receiver leadeth it forth and casteth it
into a
body, and it is not set free from
transmigration
into bodies before it hath given [signs of
being
in] its last cycle * concerning this word,
then,
O Master, thou hast said unto us aforetime,
* Agree with thine enemy whilst thou ^J^Lg
art in the way with him, lest at any rebirtil
-
time thine enemy deliver thee to the judge,
and
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the judge deliver thee to the officer, and
the
officer cast thee into prison; thou shalt
not come
out thence till thou hast paid the
uttermost
farthing.'
" Manifestly is thy word concerning
this.
Every soul which shall come forth from the
body, and shall go on its way with the
counter-
feit of the spirit, and which hath not
found the
mystery of breaking all the seals and all
the
bonds, that it may be set free from the
counter-
feit of the spirit which is bound unto it ;
well,
then, that soul which hath not received the
mystery of light, and hath not found the
mystery of detaching the counterfeit of the
spirit which is bound to it within if,
then,
that soul hath not found it, the
counterfeit of
the spirit bringeth that soul unto the
virgin of
light, and the virgin of light, the judge,
handeth
over that soul to one of her receivers,
(297) and
her receiver casteth it into the spheres of
the
aeons, and it is not set free from
transmigrations
into bodies, until it giveth signs of being
in its
last cycle. This, then, Master, is the
fourth
intuition."
It came to pass, when Jesus had heard the
words which Mary had spoken, that he said :
"Well said, Mary, most blessed and
spiritual.
These are the interpretations of the words
which
I have spoken."
SECOND BOOK. 297
And Mary answered and said : " Yet
again,
Master, do I question thee, for hence- Mary
con-
forth from this hour I will begin to
^question
question thee on every matter with Jesu8 '
precision. Wherefore, then, Master, be
patient
with us, reveal every matter on which we
ques-
tion thee as concerning the manner in which
my
brethren shall preach to the whole race of
human
kind." This she said to the saviour.
And the saviour answered, in great
compassion
unto her, and said : " Amen, amen, I
say unto you,
not only will I reveal unto you every
matter on
which ye shall question me, but henceforth
I
will reveal unto you other matters of which
ye
think not to question me, matters which
have
not yet dawned upon the heart of man, of
which
even all the rest of the gods who are among
men are ignorant. Now, therefore, Mary, ask
what thou wilt, and I will reveal it face
to face,
without parable."
Mary answered and said: (298) "Well,
then,
Master, of what type are the baptisms which
remit sins ? I have heard thee say, ' The
work-
men of wrath follow the soul, bearing
witness to
all its sins, that they may rebuke it in
the judg-
ments/ Now, therefore, Master, do the mys-
teries of the baptisms cause the sins which
are in
the hands of the workmen of wrath to
disappear
so that they forget them ? Now, therefore,
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Master, tell unto us the types of the
remission
of sins ; nay, we would know them with pre-
cision."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
Of the "Well hast thou spoken.
Assuredly
workmen of r J
wrath. the workmen [of wrath] are those who
bear witness of all sins ; they are ever in
the judg-
ments, seizing the souls, rebuking every
soul
that sinneth and hath received no mystery ;
they
keep them in chaos and chastise them ; but
these receivers of wrath cannot go beyond
chaos,
so as to enter into the orders which are
higher
than chaos, to rebuke the souls which leave
those
regions. Now, therefore, it is not lawful
to do
violence unto the souls which have received
the
mysteries, or to bring them into chaos so
that
the workmen of wrath may rebuke them. The
workmen of wrath rebuke [only] the souls of
sinners ; (299) they seize upon those which
have
not received the mysteries and which have
been
brought into chaos. But as for the souls
which
have received the mysteries,, they have no
need
of rebuking them, for they do not go into
their
regions, and even if they should go into
their
regions, they would not be able to keep
them
there ; least of all have they the power of
taking
them into chaos.
" [But] hearken again that I may teU
you the
word in truth, of what type is the mystery
of
SECOND BOOK. 299
baptism which remitteth sins. Now,
therefore,
when souls have committed sin while HOW the
still in the world, yea, verily, the work-
men of wrath come to bear witness of ^h HS
every sin which a soul hath committed, sms
'
lest souls should escape from the region of
chaos,
and in order that they may rebuke the soul
in
the judgments which are within chaos ; and
the
counterfeit of the spirit beareth witness
to every
sin which the soul hath committed, that it
also
may rebuke it in the judgments which are
with-
out chaos ; not only doth it bear witness
con-
cerning the sins of the souls, but it
sealeth every
sin that it may be stamped on the soul, so
that
all the rulers of the torments of sinners
may
know that it is the soul of a sinner, and
may be
informed of the number of sins which it
hath
committed, by the number of seals which the
counterfeit of the spirit hath stamped upon
it,
so that they may chastise it according to
the
number of sins which it hath committed.
(300)
This is the fashion in which they treat the
soul
of the sinner.
" Now, therefore, when a man receiveth
the
mysteries of the baptisms, those mys-
^tianw
teries become a mighty fire, exceedingly P
urif y sins -
fierce, wise, which burneth up sins ; they
enter
into the soul occultly and devour all the
sins which
the spiritual counterfeit hath implanted in
it.
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"And when [the fire] hath purified all
the
The separa- s ^ ns w hich the counterfeit
of the spirit
J^ fthe hath implanted in the soul, [the
ttom "ste 7 m y ster i es ] enter into
the body occultly,
of baptism, tf,^ ^he fire] may secretly
pursue after
the pursuers and cut them off with the
body.
They chase after the counterfeit of the
spirit and
the destiny, to separate them from the
power
and the soul, and place them with the body,
so
that the spiritual counterfeit, the destiny
and the
body may be separated into one group, and
the
soul and power into another. And the
mystery
of baptism remaineth between the two, and
separateth the one from the other, in order
that
it may cleanse them and make them pure,
that
[the soul and power] may not be fouled in
matter.
" Now, therefore, Mary, this is the
way in
which the mysteries of the baptisms remit
sins
and every iniquity."
(301) And when the saviour had spoken these
words he said unto his disciples : "
Understand
ye how I speak unto you ? "
And Mary came forward and said : "
Yea,
Caster, in truth I understand thorough-
same from ly all that thou hast said. As to
the
a former J
saying. word, therefore, concerning the re-
mission of sins, thou didst speak unto us
in
parable aforetime, saying, ' I am come to
cast fire
SECOND BOOK. 301
on the earth, and how can I not will that
it
should burn ? ' nay, thou didst explain it
openly,
saying, c I have a baptism with which to
baptise,
and how shall I endure until it be
perfected?
Think ye that I have come to bring union on
the
earth ? Nay, but I am come to bring
separation ;
for, from this hour, five shall be in one
house,
three shall be separated against two, and
two
against three/ This, my Master, is the word
which thou didst speak openly.
" And the word which thou spakest, *I
am come
to cast fire on the earth, and how can I
not will
that it should burn ? ' that is to say,
Master, that
thou hast brought the mysteries of the
baptisms
into the world, and how canst thou not will
that
it should burn up all the sins of the soul,
and
purify them ? And afterwards thou didst
explain
it openly saying, ' I have a baptism with
which
to baptise, (302) and how shall I endure
until it
be perfected?' that is to say, thou shalt
not
remain in the world until the baptisms are
perfected and have made the souls perfect.
" And again the word which thou didst
speak
unto us aforetime, ' Think ye that I am
come to
bring union on the earth ? Nay, but I am
come
to bring separation ; for, from this hour,
five
shall be in one house, three shall be
separated
against two, and two against three ' ; that
is to
say, that the mystery of the baptisms which
thou
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PISTIS SOPHIA
hast brought into the world, hath brought
about
a division in the body of the world, for it
hath
separated the counterfeit of the spirit,
the body
and the destiny into one group, and the
soul
with the power it hath separated into
another ;
that is to say, that three shall be against
two
and two against three."
When Mary had spoken these words, the
saviour
said : " Well said, Mary, the
spiritual one of pure
light, that is the interpretation of the
word."
And Mary answered again and said : "
Master,
Mary ^ w ^ continue further to question
thee ;
f u?s h tioneth now > therefore, Master,
bear with
Jesus. me ^ j q ues tion thee. We now know
openly the type according to which the
baptisms
remit sins. Now, also, as to the mystery of
those
three spaces, the mysteries of that first
mystery,
and the mysteries of that ineffable,
according
to what type do they remit sins? Do they
grant remission after the type of the
baptisms or
not?"
(303) The saviour answered and said :
" Nay
Of the re- rather, all the mysteries of the
three
mission of J
sins accord- spaces remit to the soul, in
every
ing to the v . .
mysteries, region of the rulers, all the
sins which
the soul hath committed from the beginning.
All these they remit, and also they remit
unto it
the sins which it shall hereafter commit
until
the time when every one of these mysteries
shall
SECOND BOOK. 303
be in its complete possession. I will tell
you
the time when each of the mysteries shall
be
in its complete possession when I treat of
the
emanation of the pleroma.
" The mystery also of that first
mystery and
the mystery of that ineffable remit unto
the
soul, in every region, all the sins and
every
iniquity, which the soul shall have
committed ;
and not only shall all be remitted unto it,
but
no sin shall be imputed unto it from that
hour
until the [end of] the aeon of the seons,
because
of the boon of that great mystery and its
exceed-
ing great glory."
When, then, the saviour had spoken these
words, he said unto his disciples : "
Understand
ye how I speak unto you ? "
And Mary answered and said : " Yea,
Master,
already have I seized on all the words Mary
inter-
which thou hast spoken. Now, there- same
from 6
fore, my Master, as to the word which e sa
m8 '
thou hast said, (304) ' All the mysteries
of the
three spaces remit sins, they cover their
trans-
gressions ' ; David, the prophet, hath
prophesied
aforetime concerning this word, saying, '
Blessed
are they whose sins have been pardoned, and
whose iniquities have been covered/ Thus,
then,
he prophesied aforetime concerning this
word.
" And the word which thou hast spoken,
' As
to the mystery of that first mystery and
the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
mystery of that ineffable, every one who
shall
receive those mysteries, not only shall the
sins
which he hath committed from the beginning,
be remitted, but also they shall not be
imputed
to him henceforth from that hour for ever '
;
concerning this word David prophesied
aforetime,
saying, ' Blessed are they to whom the lord
shall
not impute their sins/ that is to say,
their sins
shall not be imputed from that hour to them
who shall have received the mysteries of
the
first mystery, and to them that shall have
received the mystery of that
ineffable."
He said : " Well said, Mary, thou
spiritual
one of pure light. That is the
interpretation of
the word."
And Mary continued further and said :
" Well,
then, Master, if a man receive th the
mystery
in the mysteries of the first mystery,
(305) and
turneth back once more, and committeth sin,
and
then turneth again and repenteth, and
offereth
prayers unto that mystery whatsoever [he
have
received], shall his sin be remitted or not
? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
of the for- "Amen, amen, I say unto
you, who-
giveness ' ' J J '
even unto soever shall receive the
mysteries
twelve J
times of of the first mystery, and then
shall
them who ""
have received turn back and trail egress
twelve times
the mys-
teryofthe [even], and then should again re-
first mys- . .
tery. pent twelve times, offering prayer in
SECOND BOOK. 305
the mystery of the first mystery, he shall
be
forgiven.
"But if he should transgress after
twelve
times, should he turn back and transgress,
it
shall not be remitted unto him for ever, so
that
he may turn again unto his mystery,
whatever
it be. For him there is no means of
repentance
upless he have received the mysteries of
that
ineffable, which hath compassion at all
times and
remitteth sins for ever and ever."
Mary continued further and said : " If
even
they who have received the mysteries of
the first mystery turn back and commit sin,
and if they pass out of the body without
repentance, shall they inherit the kingdom
or
not ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
41 Amen, amen, I say unto you, every ^ hini
~
one that shall have received the mys- who
die
J without
teries in the first mystery, (306) and
repentance,
.shall have transgressed for the first,
second or
third time, if he pass out of the body
without
repentance, his judgment is more severe
than
every other ; for his dwelling is in the
midst of
the jaws of the dragon of the outer
darkness, and
last of all he shall be frozen up in the
torments
and shall be lost for ever, in that he hath
re-
ceived the boon of the first mystery and
hath
not continued therein."
20
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Mary answered and said : " Well, then,
Of the un- Master, if a man shall receive
the mys-
ending for- ' J
giveness of ^ er y i n the mystery of that
ineffable,
them that J J J >
have re- an( j shall transgress and fall
away in
ceived the J
mystery of his faith, and afterwards,
during his
the inef-
fable. life, shall turn and repent, how
many
times will his sin be remitted ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Amen, amen, I say unto you, every
one who
shall receive the mysteries of that
ineffable, not
only if he transgress once and turn again
and
repent, shall his sin be remitted, but also
if he
transgress any number of times, and then,
while
still in life, turn again and repent, and
should
he not be a hypocrite, but turn again and
repent
and offer prayers in each of his mysteries,
it shall
be forgiven him every time, in that he hath
received the boon of the mysteries of that
in-
effable, (307) and in that those mysteries
are
compassionate and ever give pardon."
And Mary answered again and said unto
Jesus : " Well, then, Master, as to
those that
receive the mysteries of that ineffable,
and again
turn back and commit sin, and fall away in
their
faith, and who also pass from the body
without
repentance, what will happen to men of that
kind ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Amen, amen, I say unto you, all men
who shall
SECOND BOOK. 307
receive the mysteries of that ineffable,
blessed
indeed are the souls that shall receive
^^^"
those mysteries, but if they turn back ^ e
^ t thout
and sin, if they pass out of the body anoe
-
without repentance, for such men their
judgment
is worse than any, other, nay is the
severest of
all ; even should such souls be new and it
should
be their first coming into the world, they
shall
not pass back into the transmigration of
the
world of bodies from that time forth, and
shall have no further field for action, but
they
shall be cast forth without into the outer
dark-
ness, and they shall perish and be
non-existent
for the eternity."
And when the saviour had said these things,
he said unto his disciples : "
Understand ye how
I speak unto you ? " (308) Mary
answered and
said: "Yea, Master, I have seized upon
the
words which thou hast said. Now, Jgt-
therefore, Master, this is the word ^^ m
which thou hast said, ' They who shall
Baying,
receive the mysteries of that ineffable,
blessed
indeed are those souls ; but if they turn
back
and sin, and if they fall away in their
faith, and
pass out of the body without repentance,
from
that moment, they are no more fit to pass
back
into the transmigrations of body, nor for
any-
thing else ; but they shall be cast forth
without
into the outer darkness, they shall perish
in
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PISTIS SOPHIA
that region, and be non-existent for the
eternity.'
" Concerning this word thou hast
spoken unto
us aforetime, saying, ' Salt is good ; but
if the
salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it
be
salted ? It is fit neither for the dunghill
nor for
the earth ; they cast it away ' ; that is
to say,
the soul that shall receive the mysteries
of that
ineffable, is [indeed] blessed, but should
it once
transgress [without repentance], it is no longer
fit to come back into the body henceforth
from
that hour, nor [is it fit] for anything
else, but it
is cast out into the outer darkness, that
it may
perish there."
And when she had spoken these words, the
saviour said : " Well said, Mary, thou
spiritual
one of pure light ; that is the
interpretation of
the saying."
(309) And Mary continued and said : "
Again,
Master, as to them that shall have received
the mysteries of the first mystery and the
mystery of that ineffable, and who have not
yet transgressed, whose faith in the
mysteries
is true without hypocrisy, but who by the
necessity of fate shall come to sin again,
and
shall again turn and make repentance, and
offer
prayer anew in all the mysteries [they have
received], how often shall it be remitted
unto
them?"
SECOND BOOK. 309
The saviour answered and said unto Mary in
the
midst of his disciples : " All those
who O f theab-
shall have received the mysteries of the
ineffable and also the mysteries of the ,
the abs -
J lute mys-
first mystery, should they by the ne- ter
y-
cessity of the fate sin no matter how many
times,
but, while still in life, should turn and
repent,
and should continue each in his several
mysteries,
it shall be remitted unto them no matter
how
many times, for those mysteries are
compassion-
ate and ever give pardon. For those
mysteries
shall not only remit the sins which they
shall have
committed from the beginning, but they
shall
not impute [sin] to them henceforth from
that
hour, [for] I have said unto you that they
ever
receive repentance, and that they give
remission
for sins that are committed again and
again.
(310) "If, also, they who shall have
received
the mystery of that ineffable and the That
the
J . J initiated
mysteries of the first mystery, turn are
watched
. J J over in
back and commit sin, and if they pass
passing
from the
out of the body without repentance, body.
[then] they too shall be like those that
have
transgressed and have not repented. Their
habitation also shall be in the midst of
the jaws
of the dragon of outer darkness, they shall
perish,
they shall be non-existent for ever. For
this
cause have I said unto you that every man
who
shall receive the mysteries, and who shall
not
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PISTIS SOPHIA
know the time of his passing from the body,
he
shall receive guidance that he may not sin,
and
that he may inherit the kingdom of light
for
ever."
When, then, the saviour had thus spoken
unto his disciples, he said unto them :
" Under-
stand ye how I speak unto you ? "
Mary answered and said : " Yea,
Master,
Mary in- accurately and thoroughly have I
seized
th?same h ever 7 wor ^ which thou hast
uttered,
fomersa Concerning this saying, then, thou
hast
to* spoken unto us aforetime, ' If the
master
of the house should know at what hour the
thief
will come in the night to break into the
house,
he would keep awake and not suffer the
fellow
to break into his house/ "
And when Mary had said these things the
saviour said : " Well said, Mary, thou
spiritual
one ; that is the word."
The saviour then continued and said unto
his disciples : " Now, therefore,
preach ye unto
every man who shall receive the mysteries
in
the light, and speak unto them, saying,
(311)
1 Beware of falling back into sin, lest ye
be cast
from one into another, and pass from your
body without repentance, and be strangers
to
the kingdom of light for ever/"
And when the saviour had said these words
Mary answered and said : " Master,
great is the
SECOND BOOK. 311
compassion of those mysteries which ever
remit
sins."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary in
the midst of the disciples : "If even
if ev enmen
a king of to-day, a man of the world,
granteth boons unto them who are like
unto him, if he moreover granteth
pardon unto murderers, and them
that are guilty of intercourse with males,
and
other horrible and capital crimes ; if, I
say, it is
in the power even of one who is a man of
the
world to act thus, much more then have that
ineffable and that first mystery, who are
the lords
of the whole pleroma, power over everything
to
do as they will, and grant remission of sin
unto
every one who shall have received the
mystery.
" Again, if even a king of to-day
investeth a
soldier with the royal mantle, and sendeth
him
to foreign regions, and the soldier there
com-
mitteth murders and other grave offences,
worthy
of death, and yet they are not brought home
to
him, because he weareth the royal mantle,
how
much more, then, [is it the case with] them
who are mantled in the mysteries of the
vestures
of that ineffable and those of the first
mystery,
that are lords over all them of the height
and
all them of the depth ? "
After this Jesus saw a woman, who drew near
to make repentance; (312) he had baptised
her
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PISTIS SOPHIA
already three times, and yet she was not
worthy
Jesus trieth of the baptisms. And the
saviour de-
eter * sired to try Peter, to see if he
were com-
passionate and would grant remission, as he
had
given commandment unto them ; he said unto
Peter ; " Lo, thrice have I baptised
this soul,
and yet after three times is she not worthy
of
the mysteries of light ; therefore hath she
rendered her body unfit for baptism. Now,
therefore, Peter, do thou perform the
mystery
which cutteth off souls from the
inheritance
of light ; celebrate the mystery which
cutteth off
this woman from the inheritance of
light."
When, therefore, the saviour had said these
words, he tried Peter to see whether he
were
compassionate and would grant remission.
And
when the saviour had spoken these words,
Peter
answered and said : " Master, pardon
her yet
once again this time, so that we may give
unto
her the higher mysteries ; and, if she
prove her-
self fit [for receiving them], thou wilt
have her in-
herit the kingdom of light, but if she
prove unfit^
thou wilt cut her off from the kingdom of
light/'
When, therefore, Peter had thus spoken, the
saviour knew that Peter was compassionate
like
unto himself and would give pardon. And
when
all this was done, the saviour said unto
his dis-
ciples : " Have ye understood all
these words
and also the type of this woman ? "
SECOND BOOK. 313
(313) And Mary answered and said: "0
Master, I have understood the mys- Mary
inter-
teries of the words which have been
Fncident the
spoken concerning this woman. Of fomersay-
the things, therefore, which have been mg '
done unto her thou didst speak unto us
afore-
time in parable, saying, ' A certain man
had a
fig-tree in his garden, and came to find if
there were any fruit thereon, and found
none. He said to the gardener, " Lo
three
years that I come to find fruit on this
fig-
tree, and I find none thereon ; therefore
cut
it down, for it wasteth the soil." But
he
answered and said unto him, " Master,
let it
remain one more year, until I dig about it,
and
manure it ; and if it bear fruit next year,
thou
shalt let it remain, but if thou [still]
find none
thereon, thou shalt cut it down."'
This,
Master, is the interpretation of the
saying."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Well said, thou spiritual one ; that
is [the
interpretation of] the saying,"
And Mary continued and said unto the
saviour : " Again, Master, as to the
man, who
hath received the mysteries, and hath not
acted
in a manner worthy of them, but hath turned
back and sinned, and then again hath
repented
in great contrition, is it lawful for my
brethren
to give him once more the mystery which he
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PISTIS SOPHIA
hath received ; and if not, may they give
him
one of the lower mysteries ? "
(314) The saviour answered and said unto
in the case Mary : " Amen, amen, I say
unto you,
ancefoniy neither the mystery which he hath
mysteries received, nor any lower mystery
can
than those J.LI / i > t
previously grant the remission of his sins
; it must
mysteries higher than those
sms * which he hath received, which can
give
ear unto him and grant the remission of his
sins.
Now, therefore, Mary, let thy brethren give
him a higher mystery than that which he
hath
received, and his repentance shall be heard
and
his sins be forgiven him. The mystery which
he may receive a second time or any number
of
times, will not grant him the remission of
his
sin, but only a higher mystery to the one
he
hath [previously] received will grant him
re-
mission. But if he have [already] received
the
three mysteries in the two spaces or in the
third,
and [then] turneth back and transgresseth,
no mystery can give ear unto him to help
him
in his repentance, neither mysteries higher
nor lower than the one he hath received,
save
only the mystery of the first mystery and
the
mystery of that ineffable. It is these that
shall give ear unto him and receive his
repent-
ance".
And Mary answered and said : " Again,
SECOND BOOK, 315
Master, as to the man who hath received the
mysteries twice or thrice (315) in the two
spaces
and in the third, and hath not
transgressed, but
continueth in his faith truly and without
hypocrisy, [what of him] ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Every one who hath received the
mysteries in the two spaces or in the
number of
J r mysteries
third, and who hath not transgressed. the
faithful
' & ' may re-
but remaineth in his faith without
hypocrisy, it is lawful for such to receive
the
mysteries in any [of the rest of the]
spaces they
will, from the first to the last, for they
have not
transgressed."
And Mary continued and said : " Again,
Master, [as to] the man who hath known the
godhead and hath received one of the
mysteries
of light, and [then] hath turned back and
trans-
gressed and done iniquity, and hath not
turned
again and repented, and also [as to] the
man
who hath not found the godhead, and hath
not
known it, and who is a sinner, and still an
im-
pious person ; both of these men come to
pass
out of the body, which of the two, [then,]
will
suffer most in the judgments ? "
The saviour answered again and said unto
Mary : " Amen, amen, I say unto thee,
the man
who hath known the godhead, who hath
received
the mysteries of light, who hath sinned
without
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PISTIS SOPHIA
turning again and repenting, he shall
suffer in
the e inu? f ^ torments of the judgments,
in
atedwho pains and judgments (316) far more
more numerous and far more terrible than
terrible
than that of the impious and sinning man
who
the ignor-
ant sinner, hath not known the godhead.
Now,
therefore, he that hath ears to hear, let
him hear."
When the saviour had spoken these words,
Mary in- Mary came forward and said :
" Master,
th?saml h m y indweller of light hath ears
and I
former have understood every word which
thou
saying. fo^ S p O ken. Concerning this
saying
thou didst speak unto us aforetime in
parable,
saying, ' The servant who knoweth the will
of
his master, and yet hath not made ready nor
done the will of his master, shall receive
many
stripes, but he who hath not known and hath
not done [the will of his master], shall
receive
but few. For to whom more hath been en-
trusted, of him more shall be asked, and to
whom many things have been committed, of
him
many shall be required.' That is to say,
Master, he who knoweth the godhead and hath
found all the mysteries of the light, and
[then]
hath transgressed, he shall be punished
with
greater chastisements than him who hath not
known the godhead. This, Master, is the
interpretation of the word."
And Mary continued further and said unto
SECOND BOOK. 317
the saviour : " Master, if the faith
and mysteries
become generally known, now, therefore, if
souls
return to [birth in] the world for many
cycles,
and are indifferent so that they do not
receive
the mysteries, in the belief that when they
return to the world in another cycle, they
will
receive them, shall they not, then, suffer
misery
in order that they may be brought to
receive
the mysteries ? "
(317) The saviour answered and said unto
his
disciples : " Preach ye unto the whole
Of them
r J who pro-
WOrld, saying unto men, c Strive to-
crastmate,
. . saying they
gether that ye may receive the mys- have
many
. births be-
tenes of light in this time of stress, lore
them.
and enter into the kingdom of light. Put
not
off from day to day, and from cycle to
cycle,
in the belief that ye will succeed in
obtaining
the mysteries when ye return to the world
in
another cycle/
" Such men know not when the number of
perfect souls shall [be filled up] ; for
when the
number of perfect souls shall be completed,
I
will then shut the gates of the light, and
from
that time none will be able to come in
thereby,
nor will any go forth thereafter, for the
number
of perfect souls shall be [completed], and
the
mystery of the first mystery is perfected
[the
mystery] whereby all hath come into
existence,
and I am that mystery.
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" From that hour no one shall any more
enter
Of the time ^ n * *^ e ^g^ an( l none shall
come forth,
of the end. j n fo^ t ^ e time Q f ^ num
ber of
perfect souls shall be fulfilled, [only
just] before
I set fire to the world, that it may purify
the
aeons, and veils, the firmaments and the
whole
world, and also all the matters that are
still in
it, the race of human kind being still upon
it.
(318) "At that time, then, the faith
will
They who show itself forth more and more,
procrastin-
ate are ex- an( j a l so the mysteries in
those
eluded from J
the light, days. And many souls shall pass
through the cycles of transmigrations of
body
and come back into the world in those days
;
and among them shall be some who are now
alive and hear me teach concerning the con-
summation of the number of perfect souls,
[and
in those days] they shall find the
mysteries of
light, and shall receive them. They shall
mount
up to the gates of the light, and shall
find that
the number of perfect souls is complete,
which is
the consummation of the first mystery and
the
gnosis of the pleroma ; they will find that
1 have
shut the gates of the light, and that from
that
hour no one can come in or go forth
thereby.
" These souls then will cry within
through the
Their en- g ates f the ^g^' Sa 7 in g
'Master,
the^esof P ei1 UntO US *' ^ n( * * W ^ an
SWer
light. unto them, saying, ' I know not
whence
SECOND BOOK. 319
ye are.' And they will say unto me, 'We
have received the mysteries, and we have
fulfilled all thy doctrine; thou didst
teach us
on the high ways/ And I will answer unto
them saying, ' I know not who ye are, ye
who
have practised iniquity and evil even unto
this
day. Wherefore go [hence] into the outer
darkness/ (319) Forthwith they will depart
to
the outer darkness, where there is weeping
and
gnashing of teeth.
" For this cause, therefore, preach ye
to the
whole world, saying, 'Strive ye together;
re-
nounce the whole world and all the matter
therein ; receive the mysteries of light
before
the number of perfect souls is completed,
that ye may not be left before the gates
of the light and sent away into the outer
darkness/
" Now, therefore, he that hath ears to
hear,
let him hear."
When the saviour had said these words, Mary
came forward again and said: "0
Jg*"-
Master, not only hath my indweller of the
same -
light ears, but my soul also hath heard and
understood all the words which thou hast
spoken. Now, therefore, Master, concerning
the words which thou hast spoken, to wit,
'Preach ye to the men of the world and say
unto them, " Strive ye together,
receive ye the
320 PISTIS SOPHU.
mysteries of the light, in this time of
stress,
that ye may inherit the kingdom of light, .
. .
And Mary continued further and said unto
Jesus : " Again, Master, of what type
is the
outer darkness ? How many regions of
punish-
ment are there therein?"
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary :
Of the " The outer darkness is a huge
dragon,
outKrk. with its tail in its mouth ; it is
outside
ness> the world and surroundeth it com-
pletely. There are many regions of
punishment
therein, for there are in it twelve [main]
dungeons
of horrible torment.
(320) " In each dungeon there is a
ruler ;
ofthe and the faces of the rulers are all
thl e tweive different from one another.
firSt
names. geon, is crocodile-faced, and it
hath its
tail in its mouth. From the jaws of this
dragon
there come forth cold of every kind and
freez-
ing, and all diseases of every kind : it is
called
by its authentic name, in its region,
Enchthonin.
" And the ruler in the second dungeon
; its
authentic face is a cat's : it is called,
in its
region, Charachar.
" And the ruler in the third dungeon ;
its
SECOND BOOK. 321
authentic face is a dog's: it is called, in
its
region, Achardch.
"And the ruler in the fourth dungeon;
its
authentic face is a serpent's : it is
called, in its
region, Achrochar.
" And the ruler in the fifth dungeon ;
its
authentic face is a black bull's : it is
called, in
its region, Marchour.
"And the ruler in the sixth dungeon;
its
authentic face is a boar's : it is called,
in its
region, Lamchamdr.
(321) " And the ruler in the seventh
dungeon ;
its authentic face is a bear's : it is
called, in its
region, by its authentic name, Louchar.
" And the ruler in the eighth dungeon
; its
authentic face is a vulture's : it is
called, in its
region, Laradch.
"And the ruler in the ninth dungeon;
its
authentic face is a basilisk's : it is
called, in its
region, Archeoch.
" And in the tenth dungeon are many
rulers ;
each of them, in its authentic face, hath
seven
dragons' heads : and that which is above
them
all, in their region, is called, Xarmaroch.
" And in the eleventh dungeon, in this
region
also, are many rulers; each of them, with
authentic faces, hath seven cats' heads :
and the
great one that is over them, is called, in
their
region, Rhochar.
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" And in the twelfth dungeon there are
also
many rulers exceedingly numerous, each of
them
in its authentic face, hath seven dogs'
heads:
and the great one that is over them, is
called in
their region, Chremaor.
" These rulers, then, of these twelve
dungeons,
which are in the inside of the dragon of
outer
darkness, each hath a name for every hour,
(322)
and each of them changeth its face every
hour.
"And each of these dungeons hath a
door
Of the which openeth to the height, so that
doors of the r .
dungeons, the dragon of outer darkness
contameth
twelve dungeons of darkness, each of which
hath
a door that openeth to the height ; and an
angel
of the height watcheth at each of the doors
of
the dungeons.
"These leou, the first man, the
overseer of
The angels the light, the ancient of the
first statute,
at a thr atch h ath set to watc k over t^e
dragon, lest
doors. .^6 dragon arid its rulers should
turn
the dungeons that are in it upside
down."
And when the saviour had thus spoken, Mary
Magdalene answered and said : "
Master, are the
souls, then, that are brought into that
region,
led into it by these twelve doors, by each
accord-
ing to the judgment they have merited ?
"
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
What souls " No soul is brought into
the dragon
the 8 draon, t>7 tliese d rs 5 but the
SOuls f blaS "
and how. phemers, and of them that remain
in
SECOND BOOK. 323
the doctrines of error, and of those who
teach
such doctrines, and also of them that have
inter-
course with males, of the polluted and
impious,
atheists, murderers, adulterers, sorcerers,
all
souls, then, of this kind, if they have not
re-
pented while still in life, and have
remained
persistently in their sin, (323) and all
the other
souls which have remained without [the
light-
world], that is to say, who have exhausted
the
number of the cycles apportioned to them in
the
sphere without repenting they take hold of
those souls, in their last cycle, them and
all the
souls which I have just enumerated for you,
and
carry them through the opening in the tail
of
the dragon into the dungeons of the outer
dark-
ness. And when they have finished bringing
those souls into the outer darkness by the
open-
ing in its tail, it putteth back its tail
again into
its mouth and shutteth them in. This is the
way in which souls are brought into the
outer
darkness.
" And the dragon of the outer darkness
hath
twelve authentic names which are The nature
written on its doors, a name for the f j? f
' UnilJLlCD OI
door of every dungeon ; and these the dra s
n -
twelve names are all different from one
another,
but all twelve are contained one in the
other, so
that he who uttereth one name will utter
all.
And these will I tell you, when I explain
the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
emanation of the pleroma. This, then, is
the
way in which is the outer darkness, which
is also
the dragon."
When the saviour had spoken these things,
Mary
answered and said unto the saviour : (324)
" Master, are the torments of this
dragon terrible
beyond the punishment of all the judgments
? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
severft of " ^ Ot OI1 ^ ar6 ^7 more
the tor- a ii the chastisements of the
judgments,
the dragon, but every soul that shall be
carried into
that region shall be imprisoned in
relentless ice,
in the hail and scorching fire which are
therein.
And in the dissolution of the world, that
is to
say in the ascension of the pleroma, these
souls
shall perish in the relentless ice and
scorching
fire, and shall be non-existent for the
eternity."
Mary answered and said : " Woe for the
souls
of sinners ! Now, therefore, Master,
whether
is the fire in the world of human kind or
the fire
in Amenti the fiercer ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
Ofthevari- "Amen, I say unto thee, the
fire in
ous degrees ' J '
of the fires Amenti scorcheth far more than
the fire
of the tor-
ments. among men, nine times more.
" And the fire which is in the
punishments of
the great chaos is nine times fiercer than
the
fire in Amenti.
" And the fire which is in the
judgments of
SECOND BOOK. 325
the rulers who are in the way of the midst,
is
nine times fiercer than the fire of the
punish-
ments which are in the great chaos.
(325) " And the fire which is in the
dragon of
outer darkness, and all the torments which
it
containeth, are fiercer far than the fire
which is
in the chastisements and judgments of the
rulers
who are in the way of the midst this fire
is
fiercer than they seventy times."
And when the saviour had said this unto
Mary, she smote her breast, she cried
T^edis-
J ciples be-
out aloud, with tears, and all the dis- il
^ e
7 fate of
ciples with her, saying : " Woe for
the sinners.
sinners, for their torments are exceedingly
great."
And Mary came forward, she threw herself at
the feet of Jesus and worshipped them,
saying :
" Master, bear with me if I question
thee, and
be not wroth with me for troubling thee
many
times, for from this moment I will question
thee
on every matter with precision."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Ask on every matter that thou wilt,
and I will
reveal it unto thee in openness without
parable."
Mary answered and said : " Again,
Master,
[supposing] a righteous man, who hath M ary
fur-
accomplished all the mysteries, and he
ticket 8
hath a kinsman, in a word some [dear]
Jesus<
one, and this one is impious, and hath
committed
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sins which deserve the outer darkness, and
hath
not repented, or if he have exhausted the
number
of the cycles of transmigration into body,
and
hath not done one useful action, and hath
passed
from the body, and if we know for certain
that
he hath deserved the outer darkness, (326)
what,
then, shall we do to save him from the
torments
of the dragon of outer darkness, and have
him
carried into a righteous body which shall
find
the mysteries of the kingdom of light, that
he
may continue righteous and enter into the
height
and inherit the kingdom of light ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
HOW to rj n the case of] a sinner who hath
save the L J
souls of the deserved the outer darkness,
or again
uninitiated
after death. o f one w h o hath committed
sin deserv-
ing any of the punishments of the rest of
the
punishments, and hath not repented, or [in
the
case of] a sinner who hath exhausted the
num-
ber of cycles in the transmigration into
body,
and hath not repented in the case of such
men
whom I have mentioned, when they pass out
of
the body, they are taken into the outer
dark-
ness ; now, therefore, if you will have
them
taken out of the torments of the outer
darkness
and every judgment, and have them brought
into a righteous body which shall find the
mys-
teries of the light, that they may enter
into the
height and inherit the kingdom of light,
cele-
SECOND BOOK. 327
brate the one and only mystery of that
ineffable
which ever remitteth sins, and when ye have
finished the celebration of that mystery,
say,
* May the soul of such or such a man of whom
I think in my heart' if it be in the region
of
the torments of the dungeons of outer
darkness
or in the other torments of the dragons
(327)
' be taken out of these [torments] ' or if
it have
exhausted the number of its cycles of
trans-
migrations, c may it be brought unto the
virgin
of light,' that the virgin of light may
seal it
with the seal of the ineffable, and no
matter
what month it be, pour it into a righteous
body,
which shall find the mysteries of light,
that it
may become good, and enter into the height,
and inherit the kingdom of light.
" And if it have exhausted the cycles
of trans-
migration, that soul shall be brought HOW
the
unto the seven virgins of light who wuisave
. -. T . , i , j i even. them
preside over baptism, that they may that
have
baptise that soul, and seal it with the
sign of the kingdom of that ineffable, re '
birtl1 -
and bring it into the orders of the light.
This
then will ye say when ye have celebrated
the
mystery.
" Amen, I say unto you, if the soul
for which
ye shall pray, is in the dragon of outer
darkness,
[the dragon] shall take its tail out of its
jaws
and let that soul escape ; and if it be in
any
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PISTIS SOPHIA
region whatever of the judgments of the
rulers,
amen, I say unto you, the receivers of Mel-
chisedec shall speedily take charge of it,
whether
the dragon have let it escape, or it be in
the
judgment of the rulers, in a word, the
receivers
of Melchisedec shall take charge of it, no
matter
in what region it be, (328) and will bring
it into
the region of the midst unto the virgin of
light,
and the virgin of light will examine it to
see if
the sign of the kingdom of that ineffable
is in
that soul.
" And if it hath not yet completed the
num-
ber of the cycles of changes of soul or of
em-
bodiments, the virgin of light will seal it
with
an excellent seal and will have it poured
in that
very month into a righteous body which
shall find
the mysteries of light, and it shall become
good,
that it may enter into the height into the
king-
dom of light.
" And if that soul hath exhausted the
number
of the cycles, the virgin of light will
test it, but
will not suffer it to be chastised,
although it
have completed the number of its cycles,
but
will hand it over to the seven virgins of
light,
and the seven virgins of light will examine
that
soul, and will baptise it in their
baptisms, they
will give it the spiritual chrism, and will
bring
it into the treasure of light, to set it in
the
last order of the light, until the
ascension of
SECOND BOOK. 329
the whole number of perfect souls. And when
they shall be about to draw aside the veils
of
the region of them of the right, they shall
cleanse
that soul anew and will purify it, they
will
make it pure so as to set it in the orders
of the
first saviour in the treasure of
light."
(329) It came to pass when the saviour had
finished speaking these words unto his
disciples,
that Mary answered and said unto Jesus:
"Master, I have heard thee say, 'He
who shall
receive the mysteries of that ineffable or
who
shall receive the mysteries of the first
mysteries,
they will become flames of light, or
streams of
light, that they may pass through all the
regions
until they come into the region of the
inherit-
ance.' "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
"When they shall have received the f
jj e
mystery during their lifetime, and streams.
have passed from the body, they will become
flames of light and streams of light, that
they
may pass through every region until they
enter
the region of the inheritance.
"But if they be sinners who have
passed
from the body without repentance, and if ye
celebrate the mystery of that ineffable for
them,
to have them taken out of every punishment,
and poured into a righteous body which
shall be
good, and shall inherit the kingdom of
light, or
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PISTIS SOPHIA
even be set in the last order of the light,
[still]
they will not be able [of themselves] to
pass
through the regions, for they have not
celebrated
the mystery themselves ; but the receivers
of
Melchisedec shall come to find them, and
shall
bring them unto the virgin of light, (330)
and
the workmen of the judge-rulers shall make
exceeding great haste to hand them from one
to
the other in turn, until they bring them
unto
the virgin of light."
And Mary continued further and said unto
Mary , the saviour : " Again, Master,
in the
pleadoth
for them case of a man who hath received
the
who have
neglected mysteries of light, which are in
the
themys- J " ' .
teries. first space towards the exterior,
and
when the period for which those mysteries
are
efficacious is at an end, that man
proceedeth to
receive the mysteries which are in all the
mys-
teries within the mysteries which he hath
already received, and yet that man is
negligent,
and hath not uttered the prayer which
removeth
the evil of the delights which he hath
eaten and
drunk, and so by the evil of the delights
he is
bound to the wheel of the fate of the
rulers, and
by the necessity of the elements he hath
again
transgressed, after the period for which
the
mysteries were efficacious for him is at an
end,
in that he hath neglected to utter the
prayer
which removeth the evil of souls and
purifieth
SECOND BOOK, 331
them ; [supposing] such a man passeth out
of
the body without again repenting, and without
again receiving the mysteries in the
mysteries
which are within the mysteries which he
hath
previously received, [the mysteries] which
are
received again when a man .repenteth in
order that
his sins may be remitted ; (331) when
[then] such
a man passeth out of the body, and we know
for
certain that he hath been cast into the
belly of
the dragon of outer darkness because of the
sins
he hath committed, and he hath no help in
the
world, nor any one who in compassion may
cele-
brate the mystery of that ineffable, to
have him
taken out of the belly of the dragon of
outer
darkness, and bring him unto the kingdom of
light now, then, Master, what shall he do
to
be saved from the torments of the dragon of
outer darkness ? Abandon him not, Master,
for he hath endured pains in the
persecutions,
and because of the godhead in which he hath
been.
" Now, therefore, saviour, have pity
upon
me, that none of our kin may be of such a
kind ;
and have mercy upon all the souls who shall
be
of this kind, for thou art the key that
openeth
the pleroma and shutteth the pleroma, and
thy mystery containeth all. Have mercy upon
such souls, Master, for [even though] it
were
only for one day, they pronounced the
mysteries,
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and really believed them and were not
hypocrites.
Yea, Master, grant them a boon in thy
goodness,
and give them rest in thy mercy."
And when Mary had said these things, the
saviour proclaimed her many many times
blessed,
because of the words which she had spoken ;
(332) and the saviour was in great
compassion,
and said unto Mary : " Unto all who
shall be of
the type of which thou hast spoken, unto
them
while still in life, give ye the mystery of
one of
the twelve names of the dungeons of the
dragon
of outer darkness, which I will give unto
you when
I shall come to explain unto you the
emanation
of the pleroma from the interior to the
exterior,
and from the exterior to the interior.
" And all those who shall obtain the
mystery
Oftheeffi- O f one O f the twelve names of
that
cacy of the
names of dragon of outer darkness, even
though
the twelve & &
rulers of they be sinners, and though they
the dun- J . J
geons. should have previously received the
mysteries of the light and then have transgressed,
or even if they should not have performed
any
mystery at all, such men when they shall
have
come to the end of their cycles of
transmigra-
tions such men, [then,] if they pass out of
the
body without again repenting, and if they
have
been carried into the torments which are in
the
belly of the dragon of outer darkness, and
re-
main in its cycles, remain in the torments
in the
SECOND BOOK. 333
belly of the dragon, such [souls, I say,]
if they
know the mystery of one of the twelve names
of
the angels, during their life, while they
are in
the world, and then pronounce one of their
names when they are in the midst of the
tor-
ments of the dragon, then, the moment they
shall
pronounce it, the whole dragon will be
shaken and
will be thrown into the greatest possible
distress,
and the door of the dungeon in which the
souls of
such men are, (333) will open above, and
the
ruler of the dungeon in which they are,
will cast
the souls of such men out of the belly of
the
dragon of outer darkness, in that they have
dis-
covered the mystery of the name of the
dragon.
"And when the ruler hath cast out
those
souls, one of the angels of leou, the The
80ulB
first man, those that watch over the ^J^B
dungeons of that region, instantly ^om the
hasteneth to take charge of such souls dra
s? and
are taken
and bring them unto leou, the first to Ieou
*
man, the legate of the first order ; and
leou, the
first man, inspecteth the souls, and
testeth them,
and findeth that they have exhausted their
cycles it is not lawful to bring them again
into
the world, for every soul that hath been
cast
into the outer darkness may not again be
brought into the- world the receivers hand
them over to leou, if they have exhausted
the
cycles of transmigrations into bodies,
until the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
mystery of that ineffable is performed for
them
and they are put into a good body, which
shall
find the mysteries of light, that it may
inherit
the kingdom of light.
" If, then, after examining them, leou
findeth
Of their that they have exhausted their
cycles,
subsequent J J
fate. an( j ft is not lawful for them to go
back again into the world, (334) and that
the
sign of that ineffable is not with them,
then
leou hath compassion 'upon them, and
bringeth
them unto the seven virgins of light, who
bap-
tise them in their baptisms, but do not
give
them the spiritual chrism ; they lead them
into
the treasure of light, but do not set them
in the
orders of the inheritance, because there is
not in
them the sign and seal of that ineffable.
But
they preserve them from every chastisement
and
set them in the treasure, separated and
apart,
until the ascension of the plerorna. And
when
the time cometh for drawing together the
veils
of the treasure of light, these souls shall
be
cleansed again and made exceedingly pure,
they
shall have the mystery given them again
that
they may be set in the last of the orders
in the
treasure, and these souls shall be
preserved from
all the chastisements of the
judgments."
And when the saviour had thus spoken, he
said unto his disciples : Cl Understand ye
how I
speak unto you ? "
SECOND BOOK. 335
Mary answered and said : " Master,
this is
the word which thou didst speak unto Mary
m-
us aforetime, in parable, saying, ' Make
to yourselves friends of the mammon former
of iniquity, (335) that when ye are
8aymg<
abandoned, it may bring you into everlasting
habitations.' What, then, is the mammon of
iniquity, if not the dragon of outer
darkness?
That is to say, whosoever shall understand
the
mystery of one of the names of the dragons
of
outer darkness, if he is abandoned in the
outer
darkness, or if he hath exhausted the
cycles of
transmigration, and if he pronounceth the
name
of the dragon, he shall be saved, and come
forth
from the darkness, and receive the light of
the
treasure. This is the word, Master."
The saviour answered again and said unto
Mary : " Well said, thou pure and
spiritual one ;
that is the interpretation of the
word."
Mary continued further and said : "
Master,
doth the dragon of outer darkness come into
this world or not ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
"When the light of the outer sun gJJ^^
shineth, it hideth the darkness of the sun
and the
7 ( darkness of
dragon ; but if the sun is below this the
dragon.
worM, the darkness of the dragon veileth
the
sun and the exhalation of the darkness
entereth
this world like to smoke in the night ;
that is to
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PISTIS SOPHIA
say, that were the sun to withdraw its
rays, it
would not be possible for the world to
endure
the darkness of the dragon in its true form,
without being dissolved and
perishing."
(336) And when the saviour had spoken these
things, Mary continued further and said to
the
saviour : " Yet further do I question
thee ; and
hide it not from me. Now, therefore,
Master,
who forceth a man to sin ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
"It is those rulers of the fate who
force a man
to sin."
Mary answered and said unto the saviour :
" Master, surely the rulers do not
descend into
the world to force a man to sin ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
Of the "No, they do not descend into
the
ttellte world in that fashion. But the
rulers
draught of ^ ^ e f ate > w ^ en an ^
SOul paSSeth
oblivion. through their hands and
descendeth
into the world, the rulers of that great
fate
[-sphere], who are in the region of the
head of
the aeons and this region is called the
region
of the kingdom of Adamas, and this region
is
before the virgin of light the rulers of
the
region of that head give unto that old soul
a
draught of oblivion composed of the seed of
iniquity, filled with all manner of desire
and all
forgetfulness. And the moment that that
soul
SECOND BOOK. 337
drinketh of that draught, it forgetteth all
the
regions (337) through which it hath
travelled,
and all the chastisements through which it
hath
passed ; and that deadly draught of
oblivion
becometh a body external to the soul, The
mean .
like unto the soul in every way, and
its perfect resemblance, and hence they fei
call it the counterfeit of the spirit.
spirit."
" But if it be a new soul they fashion
[such
tsoulsl from the sweat of the rulers or 9M
hefash -
ioning of
from the tears of their eyes, or from the a
new soul -
breath of their mouths in a word, if it be
a
new soul, one of the souls of this kind,
[say] one
fashioned out of sweat, the five great
rulers of
the great fate take of the sweat of all the
rulers
of their aeons, and knead their sweatings
together,
and mix in a portion of each, and fashion
it into
a soul ; or even if it be a purgation from
the
purified light which Melchisedec hath taken
from
the rulers, the five great rulers of the
great
fate knead this purgation together one
after the
other, and mix in a portion of each, and
fashion
it into a soul in such a way that every one
of
the rulers of the aeons may mix his portion
into
that soul. They knead all together in order
that each may have a share therein.
" And when the five great rulers have
fash-
ioned them into souls from the sweat of the
rulers in proper proportion, (338) or in
the case of
22
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PISTIS SOPHIA
a soul [fashioned] from the purgation of
the puri-
fied light, which MelchLsedec, the great
receiver
of light, hath taken from the rulers, or in
the
case of a soul [fashioned] from the tears
of their
eyes or the breath of their mouths, in a
word, in
any of these cases, when the five rulers
have
portioned [the matter] out so as to fashion
any
soul of this kind, or also if it be an old
soul, the
ruler himself that [ruleth] over the heads
of the
aeons, mixeth the draught of oblivion from
the
seed of iniquity, mixeth it with each of
the new
souls at the time when it is in the region
of the
head, and this draught of oblivion becometh
the
counterfeit of the spirit, and continueth
without
the soul as a vesture, like unto it in
every way,
being the envelope of the outer vesture.
" And the five great rulers of the
great fate
Of the in- ^ the 8Bons > an d the ruler
of the disk
StiS* 118 of the sun > and the ruler of
the disk of
power. foe moon, breathe within into the
heart
of that soul, and there cometh forth
therefrom
a portion of my power which the last
supporter
cast into the mixture, (339) and the
portion of
this power remaineth apart in the soul,
though
at the same time retaining full power over
itself,
according to the regulation that hath been
placed
upon it, to give [a higher] sense unto the
soul
whereby it may seek after the works of the
light of the height at any time.
SECOND BOOK. 339
" And this power resembleth the
configura-
tion of the soul in every way, though while
resembling it is in no way external to the
soul,
but remaineth within it, as I gave
commandment
unto it from the beginning ; for when I
cast it
into the first statute, I gave it
commandment to
dwell within souls, according to the
regulation
of the first mystery.
" And so I will explain all this to
you when
I come to speak of the emanation, both j e
sus pro-
,1 -, miseth to
concerning the power and concern- reveal
ail
ing the soul, after what type they m detai1
'
fashion it, or again what is the ruler that
fashioneth it, or what are all the dif-
ferent kinds of souls ; so will I tell you in
[the
revelation of] the emanation of the
pleroina how
many they are that have fashioned the soul,
and
I will tell you the name of all them that
have
fashioned the soul, and I will tell you the
types
according to which they have created the
counter-
feit of the spirit and the destiny, and I
will tell
you the name of the soul before it is
purified, and
its name after it hath been purified and
hath
become pure, and I will tell you the name
of the
destiny, and I will tell you the name of
all the
bonds (340) whereby the rulers have bound
the
counterfeit of the spirit to the soul, and
I will
tell you the name of all the decans that
work
upon the soul in the bodies which the soul
hath in
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PISTIS SOPHIA
the world, and I will tell you how they
work on
the soul, and I will tell you the type of
every
soul ; I will tell you the type of the
souls of
men, of those of birds, of those of wild
beasts, and
of reptiles ; and I will tell you the type
of all the
souls and of those of the rulers who send
them
into the world, that ye may be perfect in
every
gnosis, that ye may be called perfect in
every
gnosis. All this will I tell you in
explaining the
emanation of the pleroma. And after that I
will
tell you the reason of the existence of all
these
things.
" Hearken, therefore, while I speak
with you
The teach- concerning the soul as to how I
have
theHght- said that the five great rulers of
the
counterfeit great fate of the seons, and
the rulers
s5mma pirit of the disk of the sun, and the
rulers
rised ' of the disk of the moon, breathe
into
that soul, and that there issueth therefrom
a
portion of my power, as I have just said
unto
you, and the portion of this power dwelleth
within the soul so that it can endure,
(341) and
the counterfeit of the spirit is stationed
without
the soul, watching over it and dogging it,
and
that the rulers bind it to the soul with
their
seals and their bonds, they seal it to it
that it
may force it at all times to commit its
mischiefs
and iniquities unremittingly, that it may
be
their slave for ever, and be under their
subjection
SECOND BOOK. 341
for ever in the transmigrations into bodies
; and
they seal it to it that it may be in every
kind of
sin and all the desires of the world.
"It is because of things of this kind,
then,
that I have brought the mysteries into
^^< ar
this world, [mysteries] which break all
rents "we
3 L J J are to
the bonds of the counterfeit of the
abandon,
spirit and all the seals which are attached
to the
soul, which make the soul free, and ransom
it
from the hands of its parents, the rulers,
and
transform it into pure light, to bring it
into the
kingdom of the true father, the first
father, the
first everlasting mystery.
" For this cause have I said unto you
afore-
time, ' He who shall not leave father and
mother
to follow after me is not worthy of me.'
What
I said then was, ' Ye shall leave your
parents the
rulers, that ye may be all children of the
first
everlasting mystery/ "
(342) And when the saviour had said these
words, Salome came forward and said :
Salome is
" How, then, Master, since the rulers
* bt as
are our parents, is it written in the
matfcer *
Law of Moses, ' He who shall leave his
father or
mother, let him die the death ' ? Surely
the
Law doth not, then, speak of the same
matter ? "
And when Salome had said these words, the
light-power which was in Mary Magdalene,
seethed in her, and she said to the saviour
:
342 PTSTIS SOPHIA.
" Master, bid me speak with my sister
Salome,
to tell her the interpretation of the word
which
she hath uttered."
It came to pass, therefore, when the
saviour
had heard the words which Mary had said,
that
he proclaimed her blessed again and again.
The
saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" I bid
thee, Mary, utter the interpretation of the
word which Salome hath spoken."
And when the saviour had said these words,
Mary re- Mary hastened to Salome, and
kissed
too* of the her, saying : " Salome,
sister, concern-
Salome. -^ ^e saying which thou hast
uttered,
to wit, that it is written in the Law of
Moses,
' He who shall leave his father and mother,
let
him die the death ' ; now, therefore,
sister
Salome, the Law hath spoken this neither
con-
cerning the soul, nor concerning the body,
nor
concerning the counterfeit of the spirit,
(343) all
of which are the children of the rulers,
and come
forth from them ; but the Law hath spoken
it
concerning the power which came forth from
the
saviour, and which is the indweller of
light in
[each of] us unto this day. The Law hath
further said, ' Whoever shall remain
without the
saviour and his mysteries which are all his
parents, let him die the death, nay let him
be
lost in utter destruction/ "
And when Mary had said these words, Salome
SECOND BOOK. 343
threw her arms round Mary and kissed her
again. Salome said : " May the saviour
make
me illumined like unto thee ! "
It came to pass when the saviour had heard
the words of Mary, that he proclaimed her
blessed again and again. And the saviour
con-
tinued again in his conversation, and said
unto
Mary in the midst of his disciples : "
Hearken,
therefore, Mary, who [it is that] forceth a
man to sin.
" Now, therefore, the rulers seal the
counter-
feit of the spirit to the soul, not that of
the
it may agitate it every moment and
i - , , T the ooun-
make it commit every sin and every
terfeitof
iniquity. But they have given com- thes P
intt
mandment unto the counterfeit of the
spirit,
saying, ' If the soul passeth out of the
body, do
not agitate it, dogging it, reproaching it
in all
the regions of the judgments, region by
region,
because of all the sins which thou hast
caused it
to commit, that it may be chastised in all
the
regions of the judgments, and not be able
to go
on high towards the light, (344) and be
made
to come back into transmigrations into
bodies/
" In a word, they give commandment to
the
counterfeit of the spirit, saying, ' Do not
agitate
it at all at any time, unless it hath not
received
the breaking of all the seals and of all
the bonds
with which we have bound thee to it. But
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PISTIS SOPHIA
if it receiveth the mysteries, if it
breaketh all
the seals, all the bonds, with the apology
of the
region, and if it pass out, let it go, for
it per-
taineth to those of the light of the
height, it
hath become a stranger unto us and thee,
thou
canst not seize hold of it from that hour.
But
if it hath not received the mysteries of
the
breaking of thy bonds and of thy seals with
the
apologies of the region, seize hold upon
it, and
let it not go, rebuke it in the torments
and all
the regions of the judgments, because of
all the
sins which thou hast caused it to commit.
After
this, then, bring such souls unto the
virgin of
light, and she will send them round the
cycle
another time.' These are [the orders] which
the
rulers of the great fate have given unto
the
counterfeit of the spirit.
"Then the rulers summon the workmen of
Of the th^ geong to the number of three
charge 7
given unto hundred and sixty-five, and hand
over
the build- * '
era. to them the soul and counterfeit of
the
spirit bound together, the one to the
other, the
counterfeit of the spirit being outside the
soul,
and the compound of the power within the
soul
being inside both, that they may hold
together,
for the power holds the two together. (345)
And the rulers give commandment to the
work-
men, saying, c This is the type which ye
shall set
in the body of the matter of the world. Set
ye
SECOND BOOK. 345
the compound of the power which is in the
soul
within all of them, that they may hold
together,
for it is their support, and outside the
soul place
the counterfeit of the spirit/ This is the
order
which they have given to their workmen,
that
they may set the antitypes in bodies.
" Following this plan the workmen of
the
rulers bring the power, the soul, and ^^ em
"
the counterfeit of the spirit, and pour
stages of
x * incarna-
them all three into the world, passing tio
.
through the world of the rulers of the
midst.
The rulers of the midst also inspect the
counter-
feit of the spirit and also the destiny.
The
latter, whose name is the destiny, leadeth
on a
man until it hath him killed by the death
which
is destined for him. This the rulers of the
great
fate have bound to the soul. And the work-
men of the sphere bind the soul with the
power,
with the counterfeit of the spirit and with
the
destiny. And the whole is divided so as to
form two parts, to surround the man and
also
the woman in the world, in whom the sign
hath
been set for them to be sent unto them.
(346)
And they give one part to the man and the
other to the woman in the food of the
world,
either in the aery, or watery, or etheric
sub-
stance which they imbibe.
" All this 1 will tell unto you, and
the class of
every soul, and the type whereby they come
into
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PISTIS SOPHIA
bodies, either as men, or birds, or cattle,
or wild
beasts, or reptiles, or any other species
that
existeth in the world. I will tell you the
type
of [all of] them, and also how they enter
into
men, when I speak of the emanation of the
pleroma.
" Now, therefore, when the workmen of
the
rulers have cast one part into the woman
and
the other into the man in the manner which
I
have just related, even though [the pair]
be
removed a great distance from one another,
the
Thekarmic workmen compel them secretly to
be
ofTife Ulsl n united together in the union
of the
parents. WQrli Then t ^ counterfeit of the
spirit which is in the male cometh unto the
part
[of itself] which hath been sent into the
world
in the matter of the body [of the man], and
sacrificcth it and casteth it into the womb
of
the woman, a deposit of the seed of
iniquity.
And forthwith the three hundred and
sixty-five
workmen of the rulers enter into her, to
take up
their abode in her. The workmen of the two
parts are all there together.
(347) " And the workmen check the
blood that
The occult cometh from all the nourishment
that
process of
gestation, the woman eateth or drinketh,
and
keep it in the womb of the woman for forty
days. And after forty days, they work the
blood [that cometh] from the essence of all
the
SECOND BOOK. 347
nourishment, and work it together carefully
in
the woman's womb.
" After forty days, they spend another
thirty
days in building its members into the
likeness
of the body of a man ; each buildeth a
member,
I will tell you of the decans who thus
build [the
body] ; 1 will tell them unto you, when I
explain
the emanation of the pleroina.
66 Afterwards, when the workmen have com-
'pleted the body entirely with all its Of
the in-
r J J carnation
members in seventy days, they summon f t]l
? e
into the body which they have builded,
cipies."
first the counterfeit of the spirit, next
they
summon the soul within these, and finally
they
summon the compound of the power within
the soul, and the destiny they place
outside all,
for it is not blended with them, but
followeth
after and accompanieth them.
" And then the workmen seal them one
to
the other with all the seals which the Q ^
physiog-
rulers have given unto them. So they nom y-
seal them. The day on which they took up
their abode in the womb of the woman, they
seal on the left hand of the plasm ; (348)
the
day when they finished the body, they seal
on
the right hand ; the day on which the
rulers
handed [the three] over into their hands,
they
seal on the top of the head of the plasm ;
the
day on which the soul came forth from the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
rulers, they seal on the [left side of] the
head of
the plasm ; the day when they kneaded the
members and divided them out for the soul,
they seal on the right side of the head of
the plasm ; the day on which they bound the
counterfeit of the spirit to the soul, they
seal
on the back of the head of the plasm ; the
day
when the rulers breathed the power into the
body, they seal on the brain which is
within
the head of the plasm, and also within the
heart of the plasm ; and also the number of
years which the soul shall pass in the
body,
they seal on the forehead of the plasm ;
and
so they seal all these seals on the plasm.
Of
all these seals I will tell you the names
when
I speak of the emanation of the pleroma,
that
is to say, why every thing hath come into
exist-
ence ; and if ye would know it, I am that
mystery.
" Now, therefore, when the workmen
have
finished the man entirely, and have set all
these
seals on his body, (349) the workmen take
note
of the peculiarity [of the seals] and bring
it unto
the receivers of wrath who preside over all
the
punishments of the judgments, and they hand
it over to their receivers so that they may
be
able to take the souls apportioned to them
out
of their bodies ; [that is to say] those to
whom
the peculiarity of the seals is given that
they
SECOND BOOK. 349
may know the time when those souls shall be
taken out of body, and also know the time
when
the body shall be born, so as to send their
work-
men to keep themselves near, and follow the
soul, to bear witness of all sins it shall
commit
through the counterfeit of the spirit, to
know
how to punish it in the judgments.
"And when the workmen have given the
peculiarity .of the seals to the rulers of
of the
wrath, they withdraw to the adminis- the
destiny.
tration of the works which have been
imposed
upon them by the aeons of the great fate,
and
when the number of months of the child's
con-
ception is full, the babe is born, the
compound
of the power being small in it, the soul
being
small in it, and the counterfeit of the
spirit
being small in it; whereas the destiny,
being
vast, is not mingled with the body,
according to
the regulation of the three, (350) but
followeth
after the soul, the body, and the
counterfeit of
the spirit, until the soul passeth from the
body
according to the type of death whereby he
shall
die, according to what hath been decreed
unto
him by the rulers of the great fate.
" If he have to die by a wild beast,
the des-
tiny leadeth on that wild beast against of
how a
him to slay him ; or if he have to die
cometh by
by a serpent, or if he have to fall into
a pit to his destruction, or if he have to
strangle
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PISTIS SOPHIA
himself, or if he have to be drowned in the
water, or [die] by any death of this kind,
or by
one worse or better than any of the above,
in a
word, it is the destiny which forceth his
death
upon him. This is the work of the destiny,
and
it hath no other work but this. So the des-
tiny followeth after a man until the day of
his
death."
Mary answered and said : " Surely
every jot
which is set down in the account of every
man
in the world by the fate, whether good or
bad,
or sin, or death, or life, in a word, every
jot
which is set down in a man's account by the
rulers of the fate, will not be worked out
? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
That is no "Amen, I say unto you,
every jot
from* 6 *bat * s se * down in the account
of
destiny. every man by the fate, be it every
good, or be it every evil, in a word, every
jot
that hath been set down, will be worked
out.
"For this cause, therefore, (351) have
I
Of the brought the key of the mysteries of
the mys- f *^ e kmgdorn o f the heavens,
without
tones. which no flesh could have been saved
in the world ; for without the mysteries no
one
shall enter into the kingdom of light, be
he
righteous or a sinner.
" For this cause, therefore, have I
brought the
keys of the mysteries into the world, that
I
SECOND BOOK. 351
may save the sinners who shall believe on
me,
and shall give ear unto me, that I may
loose
them from the bonds and seals of the aeons
of the
rulers, and bind them to the seals and
vestures
and orders of the light ; so that every one
that
I should set free in the world from the
bonds
and seals of the aeons of the rulers should
also
be loosed in the height from the bonds and
seals of the aeons of the rulers, and every
one
that 1 should bind in the world to the
seals
and vestures and orders of the light,
should
be bound in the light-land to the orders of
the
inheritances of the light.
" It is for the sake of sinners,
therefore, that I
have torn myself open, at this time, and
have
brought unto them the mysteries, that I
might
free them from the aeons of the rulers, and
bind
them unto the inheritances of light ; and
not only
for the sake of sinners, but also of the
just, to
give them the mysteries and bring them unto
the light, for without the mysteries they
cannot
be brought thither.
(352) "For this cause, therefore, I
have
hidden nothing, but I have cried
aloud, I have not separated out the
sinners, but I have cried aloud, and have
spoken
to every man, unto sinners and unto the
righteous, I have said, * Seek that ye may
find,
knock that it may be opened unto you ; for
every
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PISTIS SOPHIA
one that seeketh in truth, shall find, and
to him
that knocketh, it shall be opened.' For I
have
spoken unto all men, that they may seek out
the mysteries of the kingdom of the light,
which
shall cleanse them and make them pure, that
they may be brought unto the light.
" For this cause, therefore, John the
Baptist
ofJofa^the P r phesied concerning me,
saying, 'I
Baptist. indeed baptise you with water unto
repentance and the remission of your sins.
But
he who cometh after me, is before me, whose
fan is in his hand, and he shall purge his
floor ;
the chaff he shall burn with fire
unquenchable,
but the wheat he shall gather into his garner/
The power which was in John, [thus]
prophesied
concerning me, knowing that I should bring
the
mysteries into the world, to cleanse the
sins of
those sinners who should believe in me, and
give
ear unto me, that I might transform them
into
pure light and bring them unto the light/'
And when Jesus had thus spoken, Mary
answered and said : " Again, Master,
if men
begin to seek, and come upon the doctrines
of
error, (353) how will they know whether
they
are thine or not ? "
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" I have said unto you aforetime, ' Be
ye as
wise money-changers/ that is to say, take
ye
what is good, but reject that which is
evil.
SECOND BOOK. 353
" Now, therefore, say ye unto every
one that
seeketh the godhead, ' When the wind J-JJ o
c f rite '
cometh from the north, ye know that
orthodox y-
there will be cold ; when the wind cometh
from
the south, ye know that there will be
burning
and heat/
" Now, therefore, say ye unto them, '
If
[then] ye know the face of the heaven and
of
the earth from the winds, if any [then]
shall
come unto you, to preach unto you the
godhead,
be very certain that their words unite and
couple with all the words which we have
spoken
unto you according to the witness of two or
of
three, and agree in the constitution of the
air, and
heavens, and cycles, and stars and
constellations,
and of the whole earth and all that is
therein '
say ye [then] unto them, ' All who come
unto
you, so that their words couple and unite
with
all the gnosis which hath been given unto
you,
receive ye them, they belong unto us.'
This,
then, is what ye shall say unto men,
preaching
unto them that they may keep themselves
aloof
from the doctrines of error.
(354) "Now, therefore, for the sake of
sinners have I torn myself asunder The
Books
and come into the world, to save ofleou -
them, and also because it is necessary that
the
righteous, who have never done evil, and
have
never committed sin, should find the
mysteries
23
354
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PISTIS SOPHIA
which are in the Books of leou, which I
made
Enoch write down in Paradise, when I spoke
to him from the tree of knowledge, and from
the tree of life, and which I made him
deposit
in the rock of Ararad ; and I set
Kalapatauroth,
the ruler that is over Skemmut, on whose
head
is the foot of leou the latter surroundeth
all
the seons and the fate [-sphere] I set
[then]
this ruler to preserve the Bojks of leou
from the
flood, and [also] lest any of the rulers
out of
enmity should destroy them. Those [books]
will I give unto you, when I have finished
telling you the emanation of the
ploroma."
When, then, the saviour had thus spoken,
Mary answered and said : " Master,
what man
is there in the world who hath not
committed
sin, who is entirely spotless of any
transgression'?
For if one is pure, will not another also
be pure,
so as to find the mysteries which are in
the
Books of leou? I, indeed, say that no man
in
this world will be pure of sin, for if one
is pure,
then why should not another be pure also ?
"
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" I tell you that there shall be found
one in
a thousand and two in ten thousand for the
Few only consummation of the mvstery of the
will really * J
compre- first mystery. (355) These things
hendthe , T T n
mysteries, will I tell unto you when I have
fin-
ished explaining the emanation of the
pleroma.
SECOND BOOK. 355
For this cause, therefore, I have torn
myself
asunder and brought the mysteries into the
world, for all are under sin, and all have
need
of the boon of the mysteries."
Mary answered and said unto the saviour :
" Master, had no soul entered into the
light,
before thou didst come into the region of
the
rulers and before thou didst come into the
world?"
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Amen, amen, I say unto you, before
NO soul
I came into the world, no soul had
entered into the light. But, now that
I am come, 1 have opened the gates
of the light, I have thrown open the
ways that lead to the light ; and now,
there-
fore, he who acteth worthily of the
mysteries,
shall receive the mysteries, that he may
enter
into the light."
And Mary answered again and said : "
But,
Master, I have heard it said that the
prophets
are entered into the light."
The saviour answered and said unto Mary :
" Amen, amen, I say unto you, no None
of
prophet hath entered into the light, but
phets had
the rulers of the wous who spake to
itiated.
them out of the peons, have given unto them
the
mysteries of the reons. And when I went
into
the region of the reons, I turned back
Elias
and despatched him into the body of John
the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Baptist, and the others also I turned back
into
righteous bodies, which will find the
mysteries
of the light, (356) and mount into the
height
and inherit the kingdom of light.
" Unto Abraham himself, and Isaac, and
Thepatri- J aco b I have remitted all their
sins
arcns have '
not yet en- an( j their iniquities ; I gave
them the
tered into ^ * ' o
the light. mysteries of the light in the
aeons, and
placed them in the region of labraoth and
of
all the rulers who have repented, and when
I
ascend into the height, that moment when I
shall enter into the light, I will take
with me
their souls into the light.
16 But, amen, I say unto you, Mary, he
[Abraham] shall not enter into the light,
before
I shall have taken thy soul and those of thy
brethren into the light.
" As to the rest of the patriarchs and
of the
A? e -Tl 8 righteous from the time of Adam
unto
of the right-
eousfrom this present time who arc in the
aeons,
Adam to r '
Jesus. and all the orders of the aeons,
when I
shall ascend into the region of the aeons,
the
region of light will sec that all are sent
back
into bodies which will be righteous, arid
find the
mysteries of the light, and enter into and
inherit
the kingdom of the light."
Mary answered and said : " Blessed are
we
before all men because of these great
[truths]
which thou hast revealed unto us."
SECOND BOOK. 357
The saviour answered and said unto Mary
and all his disciples : " I will also
reveal unto
you all the grandeurs of the height, from
the
interior of the interiors to the exterior
of the
exteriors, (357) that ye may be perfect in
every
gnosis, and in every pleroma, in every
height
of the heights and every deep of the
depths."
And Mary answered and said to the saviour :
" Now we know, O Master, freely, The
dis-
ciplos know
surely, plainly, that thou hast brought of
a surety
r i j
the keys of the mysteries of the king- is
the
dom of light which remit the sins of
initiator.
souls, that they may be cleansed, and be
trans-
formed into pure light and be brought unto
the
light.-
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOKS OF THE
SAVIOUR.
IT came to pass, therefore, after they had
cruci-
Thc dis- tied Jesus, our Master, that he
rose
a boon of from the dea<l on the third
day. And
esus< the disciples came together unto
him
and besought him, saying : " Master,
have mercy
upon us, for we have left- father and
mother, and
the whole world, and have followed
thce."
Then Jesus stood bv the sea of the Ocean,
The prayer with his disciples, and made
invocation
ofjesus - with this prayer, saying:
"Hear me,
O father, father of all fatherhood,
boundless
light : (tevioiio iao ctoi old p^iuotlter
thernops
Hopxitlter zrtyourv pw/oure net It i now ft
61 h> itepsio-
m<t 6tlt in a 1 *(i(:lt adt tit a tit
olxt ) v i lt (ibaii tit aruack -
aclmn z< > robot It ora, ieoti
naltabtli"
(358) And while Jesus was reciting this,
The group. Thomas, Andrew, James, and
Simon,
iiig of the ' ' '
disciples. the Canaanite, stood 011 the
west, with
their faces turned towards the east ;
Philip and
Bartholomew stood on the south, facing
towards
the north ; the rest of the disciples with
all the
women disciples stood behind Jesus.
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUB. 359
But Jesus stood at the altar. And Jesus
cried aloud, turning towards the four _, .
,
' Tho inter-
aiigles of the world, together with his P
rotati n of
m m . . tllc worci
disciples all clad in linen robes, saying :
^-
" iao iad lad. This is the
interpretation thereof :
idta, The pleroma hath gone forth ; alpha,
They
shall return within ; omega, There shall be
an
end of ends."
And when Jesus had thus spoken, he said :
" iaphtka iaphtha mottuadr moanaer
Heprayeth
* L for a boon
ennanouer enwmouvr. That is to say. to be 8
iven
J ' to his dis-
U father of every fatherhood of the ci P
les -
boundless [spaces], hear me because of ray
dis-
ciples whom I have brought into thy
presence,
that they may believe in all the words of
thy
truth ; grant unto them all things for
which I
have cried unto thee, for 1 know the name
of
the father of the treasure of light."
Yet again did Jesus, that is to say Aber-
amenthd, cry aloud, invoking the
narae of the father of the treasure of
light, and saying: "Lot all the
mysteries of the rulers, authorities, drawn
-
angels, archangels, and all the powers and
all
the works of the invisible gods, (359)
Agram-
machamareg and Barbelo Bdelle, withdraw
them-
selves, and roll themselves on to the
right."
And in that hour all the heavens moved to
the
west ; all the aeons, the spheres and their
rulers
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and all their powers sped to the west to
the left
of the disk of the sun and the disk of the
moon.
And the disk of the sun was a vast dragon
T h ^ fig ^ e i whose tail was in its
mouth, mounted
of the disk '
of tho sun. on seven powers of the left,
drawn by
four powers which bore the likeness of
white
horses.
But the car of the moon was like a ship,
The figure whose helms were a male dragon
and a
of tho disk female dragoll) j rawn b y two
w } lite
moon ' oxen. The figure of a babe was on
the poop steering the dragons who seized
the
light from the rulers ; and at the prow was
the
face of a cat.
And the whole world, with its mountains and
seas, sped to the west to the left.
And Jesus and his disciples remained in the
f an < ier i^l region, in the paths
pies are o f the way of the midst, which is
below
transported J
to the ways the sphere. And they came to
the first
of the r J
midst. order, on the way which is in the
midst. And Jesus halted in the atmosphere'
of
that region with his disciples.
The disciples said unto Jesus : " What
is this
region in which we are ? "
(360) Jesus said unto them : " These
are the
Of the re- regions of the way of the midst.
It
pentant J
and unre- h^h come to pass, that the rulers
of
pentant r '
rulers. Adamas, being in sedition, have
per-
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 361
sisted in congress and procreated rulers,
and arch-
angels, and angels, and workmen and decans.
[So]
leou, the father of my father, came forth
from the
right, arid bound them to the fate of the
sphere.
" For there are twelve aeons, Sabaoth
Adamas
ruling over six of them and his brother
labraoth
ruling over the remaining six. But labraoth
and
his rulers have believed in the mysteries
of the
light, and practising the mysteries of the
light
they have abandoned the mystery of
congress.
Whereas Sabaoth Adamas and his rulers have
continued to practise [the mystery of]
congress.
" Arid when leou, the father of my
father, saw
that labraoth had believed, he took him up
with
all the rulers that had believed with him.
Re-
ceiving [his soul] in the sphere, he
brought him
unto a pure atmosphere, near the light of
the
sun, between the regions of them of the
midst
and the regions of the invisible god. Thus
he
set him with the rulers that had believed.
" But he took Sabaoth Adamas with his
rulers,
who had riot practised the mysteries of the
light,
but had persisted in practising the
mysteries of
congress, and bound them to the sphere.
" He bound eighteen hundred rulers in
every
seon, and set three hundred and sixty Of
tho
\ -i r/ i n r> hierarchies
over them, (361) and [further] set five of
the
, 111 rulers and
other great rulers to rule over the three
the names
hundredand sixty and all the other rulers
regents.
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PISTIS SOPHIA
that are bound. The [five] they call in the
world of human kind by these names : the
first
is called Krouos ; the second, Ares ; the
third,
Hermes ; the fourth, Aphrodite ; the fifth,
Zeus."
And Jesus continued in his conversation and
Ofth , said: k ' Hearken further, that I
may
powers that J
leou infused e }} y ou their mystery. It
came to pass,
five regents, therefore, when leou had thus
bound
them, that lie drew forth a mighty power
from
the great invisible, and bound it to him
that
is called Kronos ; and he drew another
power
out of Ipsantachoundiuinrhoucheoch, who is
one
of the three triple-powered gods, arid
bound it
to Ares ; and he drew u power out of
(Jhai'n-
cliooodi, who is also one of the three
triple-
powered gods, and bound it to Hermes ; and
again he drew a power out of Pistis Sophia,
daughter of Barbelo, and bound it to
Aphrodite.
" Moreover, reflecting that they had
need of a
of the f unc- helm to steer the world and
the reons
tions of
Zeus, the of the spheres, that they might
not
Cllicfr - ! l I ,,...'". ,
gent. wreck them through their iniquity, he
ascended into the midst, and drew out a
power
from the little Sabaoth, the good, who is
in the
midst, and bound it to Zeus, for he is
good, so
that he might direct them by his goodness.
And he set the revolution of his order,
(362) so
that he passeth three months in each [of
the
remaining four aeons], establishing it, so
that
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 363
every ruler into which he cometh is freed
from
the evil of his iniquity. And he [leou]
gave
him [Zeus] two peons for his habitation,
near
those of Hermes.
" I have first told you the names of
these five
great rulers, which the men of the world
Tho mys .
employ. Hearken further, I will now ^ r { h
^ ames
tell you their incorruptible names also :
re s enU
Orimouth is [the name] of Kronos;
Mouniclioua-
phor, of Ares ; Tarpetunouph, of Hermes ;
Uhosi,
of Aphrodite ; Chonbal, of Zeus. These are
their incorruptible names."
When the disciples had heard these things,
they bowed down, and worshipped Jesus,
saying:
"Blessed are we beyond all men, for
thou hast
revealed unto us these mighty
wonders."
They continued further, and besought him,
saying : " We beseech thoe, reveal
unto us why
these ways exist."
And Mary came unto him, she bowed herself,
and worshipped his feet, and kissed J^ t
U6B "
his hands, say in 5- ; -'Yea, Master,
fcsuson
' J & ' ' the ways of
reveal unto us the need for the ways the
midst.
of the midst ; for we have heard thee say
that
they are set over great torments. How,
then,
Master, shall we go forth from them, or how
shall we escape from them? (363) Or how do
they seize hold of souls ? And how long are
[souls] in their torments ? Have mercy upon
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PISTIS SOPHIA
us, Master and saviour, lest the receivers
carry
off our souls to the judgments of the ways
of the
midst, and lest we be condemned in their
evil
torments, that we, too, may inherit the
light of
thy father, and may not be wretched and
starv-
ing without thee."
And when Mary had spoken these words in
Ofthemys- tears, Jesus answered in great
com-
which passion and said unto them : "Of
very
Jesus will
give unto truth, my brethren and
well-beloved,
ye who have left father and mother
for my name's sake, unto you will I give
all the
mysteries arid every gnosis.
" I will give unto you the mystery of
the
twelve aeons of the rulers, their seals,
their
numbers, and the manner of invocation to
enter
into their regions.
" I will give unto you, moreover, the
mys-
tery of the thirteenth aeon, and the manner
of
invocation to enter into their regions ; I
will
give unto you their seals and their
numbers.
"And I will give unto you the mystery
of
the baptism of them of the midst, and the
manner of invocation to enter into their
regions ;
and I will teach you their numbers and
their seals.
" And I will give unto you the baptism
of them
of the right, its numbers and its seals,
and the
manner of invocation to enter into its
region.
" And I will give unto you the great
mystery
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 365
of the treasure of light, and the manner of
invocation for entering therein.
(364) " I will give unto you all the
mysteries
and every gnosis, that ye may be called the
sons of the pleroma, perfect in every
gnosis and
every mystery. Blessed indeed are ye,
beyond
all men, who are on the earth, for the sons
of
light have come in your time."
And Jesus continued in his conversation and
said : " It came to pass, therefore, *
^ con -
* ' ' stitution
after these things, that the father of f {t
^ wa y
my father the same is leou de- midst -
scended and took further three hundred and
sixty rulers of the rulers of Adamas, who
had
not believed in the mystery of the light,
and
bound them in these aerial regions, in
which
we are now, below the sphere. He
established,
moreover, five great rulers over them, who
are
those who are in the way of the midst.
" The first ruler of the way of the
midst is
called Paraplex. She is a ruler of The
regent
female form, whose hair reacheth unto
aLmonia?
her feet. Under her authority are hicrarch
>'-
five and twenty arckcUemons, which rule
over
other hosts of daemons. These daemons enter
into men and make them rage and curse and
slander ; and these also hurry off and
ravish
souls and cast them into the smoke of their
darkness and their evil torments."
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PISTIS SOPHIA
(365) Mary said : " Shall I behave un-
seemly in questioning thee ? Be not wroth
with me searching out all things."
Jesus said unto her : " Ask what thou
wilt."
Mary said unto him : " Master, reveal
unto
us how they hurry off and ravish souls,
that
my brethren also may know thereof."
Jesus, that is to say, Aboramentho, said :
andMoi- " Wiien thc father of m J T
father the
chisedec. same is Teou who is the
providence
of all the rulers and gods and powers,
which
are in the matter of the light of the
treasure,
and Zorokothora Melohisedetj, who is the
legate
for all the light-powers which are purified
among thc rulers, to bring them into the
treasure of light these two alone are the
great
lights, and their appointed task is to
descend
below among thc rulers and purify them, and
then Zorokothora Melchisedec taketh away
the
pure radiance of their light from them whom
they have cleansed among the. rulers, that
they
may bring it unto the treasure of light.
" [This is done] when thc number and
time
of their task come to pass for them to de-
scend among the rulers and cast them down
and constrain them, taking away their
radiance
from the rulers.
" But when the time cometh for them
[leou
and Melchisedec] to cease from casting them
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 367
down and constraining them, and for them to
return to the regions of the treasure of
light,
it cometh to pass, when they come unto the
region of the midst, that Zorokothora Mel-
chisedec benreth away the light-radiances
and
bringeth them unto the gate of them of the
midst, (366) to carry them into the
treasure of
light. leou, also, withdraweth into the
regions
of them of the right, until the time of the
number ooracth for them again to descend.
" Forthwith, then, the rulers rebel
because of
the wrath of their iniquity, and march H
owthe
against the light-powers [of the souls],
^1'?* >
because they [leou and Melchisedec]
of!souls -
are then no longer among them, and the}'
hurry
off [all] the souls they can harry and
ravish, to
destroy them in the smoke of their darkness
and
their evil fire.
" Then it is that this power, the same
Paraplex,
with the daemons over which she rules,
hurrieth
off the souls of the passionate,
blasphemers, and
slanderers, that she may send them into the
smoke of her darkness, and destroy them in
her
malignant fire, that they may bt'gin to be
un-
done and dissolved. Thirty and three The
leu s th
J of their tor-
years and nine months do they pass ments.
in the punishments of her regions, while
she
tormenteth them in the fire of her
malignancy.
" It cometh to pass after these years,
when
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PISTIS SOPHIA
the sphere of little Sabaoth, [that is to
say] Zeus,
Of the time revolveth so as to come into
the first
& ou of the sphere, which is called in
the worl(1 fche Ram of Boubastis, that
theirruiers. j s to sa y Aphrodite ; when,
then, she
[Aphrodite] shall have come into the
seventh
house of the sphere, which is the Balance,
[it
cometh to pass that] the veils between them
of
the right and them of the left are drawn
aside,
and there glanceth forth from the height,
among
them of the right, the great Sabaoth, the
good,
(367) [lord] of the whole world and of all
the
sphere. But before he glanceth forth, he
gazeth
down on the regions of Puraplex, that they
may
be dissolved and perish, and that all the
souls
which are in her torments, may be brought
forth
and again led into the sphere, for they are
perishing in the torments of
Paraplex."
He continued further in his conversation
and
The regent said i " The second order
[of the five
second d- daemouial rulers], called
-^Ethiopic Ari-
hierarchy. outh, is a female ruler,
entirely black ;
and under her are fourteen [arch]daemons,
ruling over other hosts of daemons. And
these
daemons, under the sway of ^Ethiopic
Ariouth,
are they who enter into strife-makers, to
stir up
wars, so that there may be slaughter; who
harden their hearts and inflame them for
slaughter.
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 369
"And the souls, which this power
hurrieth
off and ravisheth, will pass one him- The
length
1 * of their tor-
dred and thirteen years in her regions,
naents.
while she torments them by the smoke of her
darkness and her malignant fire, so that
they
are brought nigh unto destruction.
" And then, when the sphere shall
turn, and
the little Sabaoth, the good, who is ^^5
called in the world Zeus, when he are freed
' from their
shall come to the fourth aeon of the
torments,
sphere, that is to say the Crab, and when
Boubastis shall come, who is called in the
world
Aphrodite, when she shall come into the
tenth
aeon of the sphere, which is called the
Goat,
(368) then the veils which are between them
of the left and them of the right, are
drawn
apart, that leou may gaze forth from the
right,
that the whole world may be troubled and
con-
fused, and all the aeons of the sphere ;
and he
will gaze on the habitations of ^Ethiopic
Ariouth,
so that her regions are dissolved and
perish, and
that all the souls which are in her
torments may
be restored to the sphere, for they are
perishing
in the smoke of her darkness and her
malignant
fire."
He continued further in his conversation
and
said : " Of the third order, called
The reg e nt
triple-faced Hekate, there are also
dLmoniai r
under her authority seven and twenty
hierarch y-
24
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PISTIS SOPHIA
[archjdsemons. . . . These are they who
enter
into men to cause them to commit perjury
and
speak lies, and covet what doth not belong
to
them.
" The souls, then, which Hekate will
hurry off
oUhefrTo^ anc * ravis h> she will hand
over to the
ments. daemons under her [sway], that they
may be tormented by the smoke of the
darkness,
and its malignant fire, that they may be
mightily
constrained by the daemons. One hundred and
five years and six months do they spend in
this
region, chastised in its malignant
torments, and
they come nigh unto destruction and
dissolu-
tion.
"After this, when the sphere shall
revolve
Of the time and the little Sabaoth, the
good, shall
when souls
are freed come, he of the midst, whom they
call
from their 1
torments, in the world Zeus, when he shall
come
into the eighth aeon of the sphere, (369)
called
the Scorpion, and when Boubastis, whom they
call
Aphrodite, shall come and enter into the
second
aeon of the sphere called the Bull, [then]
the
veils which are between them of the right
and
them of the left are drawn aside, that
Zoroko-
thora Melchisedec may look down from on
high,
and the world be thrown into confusion, and
its
mountains, and the aeons be troubled, that
he
may look down on all the regions of Hekat6,
that her regions may be dissolved and
perish,
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOTJB. 371
and that all the souls in her torments may
be
brought forth, and restored again to the
spheres,
for they are being undone in the fire of
her
torments."
He continued further in his conversation
and
said : " The fourth order is called
The regent
Typhon, the assessor. He is a powerful
fourth dse-
ruler, having under his authority two
hierarchy.
and thirty daemons. These are they who
enter
into men and make them lust, and commit
fornication and adultery, and be ever
engaged
in intercourse. The souls, then, which this
ruler will take and ravish, pass one The
length
hundred and twenty-eight years in his
torments.
region, while his daemons torment them with
the smoke of the darkness and its malignant
o
fire, so that they come nigh to dissolution
and
destruction.
"But it cometh to pass, when the
sphere
turneth, and the little Sabaoth, the good,
of the time
(370) he of the midst, whom they call w^lT
5
Zeus, cometh, when he shall have torment^
entered into the ninth *eon of the sphere,
called
the Bowman, and Boubastis, whom they call
in the world Aphrodite, shall have come
into
the third of the aeons of the sphere,
called the
Twins, that [then] the veils which are
between
them of the left and them of the right, are
drawn aside, that Zarazaz, whom the rulers
call
372
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Maskelli after the name of a powerful ruler
of
their own regions, may gaze down on the
regions of the habitations of Typh6n, the
assessor, so that his regions may be
dissolved
and perish, and that all the souls which
are in
his torments may be brought forth, and
again
restored to the sphere, for they are being
un-
done in the smoke of his darkness and his
malignant fire."
Again he continued further in his
conversation
The regent an( l sa ^ unto h* 8 disciples :
" Of the
dLmo'nfaf fift]l order tlie 7 Cal1 the
ruler
hierarchy. thanabas. He is a powerful
ruler, having
under him other hosts of daemons. These are
they who enter into men and make them
corrupt
treating the just with injustice, favouring
the
cause of sinners, taking money for a just
judg-
ment, and then upsetting it, forgetting the
poor
and needy, increasing the forgetfulness of
their
own souls, and of anything of which there
is no
profit [to be made] (371) so that they
should
do nothing worthy of record in their lives,
in order that when they have passed out of
their bodies they may be hurried off bank-
rupt.
" The souls, then, which this ruler
shall carry
T r h l l ? ngth off bankrupt, shall
continue in his
of their r '
torments, torments one hundred and fifty
years
and eight months, that he may destroy them
by
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUE. 373
the smoke of his darkness and his malignant
fire,
that they may be mightily constrained by
the
flames of his fire.
"And when the sphere turneth and there
cometh the little Sabaoth, the good, Of the
time
' when souls
whom they call in the world Zeus, are freed
J from their
when he cometh into the eleventh aeon
torments.
of the sphere, called the Waterer, and
Boubastis
cometh into the fifth aeon of the sphere,
called
the Lion, then the veils which are between
them
of the left and them of the right, are
drawn
aside, that the great lao. the- good, he of
the
midst, who presideth over the region of
lach-
thanabas, may gaze forth, that his regions
may
be dissolved and perish, and that all the
souls
which arc in his torments rnay be brought
forth
and again restored to the sphere, for they
are
perishing in his torments.
" These then are the operations of the
ways of
the midst concerning which ye have
questioned
me."
And when the disciples had heard this, they
bowed down and adored him saying : The dis
.
" Save us, Master, have mercy upon
^ecif Jesus
us, that we may be preserved from J^ e upon
these malignant torments which are 8lnners
-
prepared for sinners. (372) Woe unto them !
woe unto the children of men ! for they are
like
the blind feeling in the darkness, and
seeing not.
374
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Have mercy upon us, Master, in the great
blindness in which we are ; and have mercy
upon the whole race of human kind, for they
lie
in wait for their souls, as lions for their
prey, to
tear them in pieces and make food for their
tor-
ments, because of the forgetfulness and
ignorance
in which they are. Have mercy, therefore,
upon
us, Master, our saviour, have mercy upon
us,
preserve us from this great stupor."
Jesus said unto his disciples : " Have
courage,
Jesus en- f ear not > f r 7 e are
blessed ; nay, I
wil1 make y u lorrls over a11 thcse >
an( j pj acc them in subjection' under
your feet. Ye remember, that I have already
said unto you before my crucifixion, ' I
will give
unto you the keys of the kingdom of the
heavens/ Now again I say unto you, I will
give
them unto you."
When, then, Jesus had thus spoken, he
chanted
jesus and an invocation in the great name,
and
hisdis-
cipies as- the regions of the ways of the
midst
cend B m *
higher. were hidden from view, and Jesus
and
his disciples remained in an atmosphere of
exceeding great light.
Jesus said to his disciples : " Come
unto me."
He breath- ^nd ^hey came unto him. He
turned
eth on their J
eyes. towards the four angles of the world
;
he uttered the great name over their heads,
and
blessed them and breathed on their eyes.
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 375
Jesus said unto them : " Look up, and
mark
what ye see ! "
And they raised their eyes unto the height,
(373) and saw a great light, exceed-
Theireye8
ingly brilliant, which no man in the are P
ned -
world could describe.
He said unto them a second time : "
Look
into the light, and mark what ye see !
"
They said : " We see fire and water,
and wine
and blood."
Jesus, that is to say Aberamentho, said
unto
his disciples : " Amen, I say unto
you, Jesus ex-
i i T , , , plaineth
1 nave brought nothing into the world the
vision
, . n -, of fire and
when I came, save this fire and water,
water, and
this wine arid blood, I brought down Mood.
n
the water and fire from the region of the
light
of light, from the treasure of light ; I
brought
down the wine and the blood from the region
of
Barbelo. And shortly after my father sent
unto me the holy breath in the form of a
dove.
" The fire, the water, and the wine
are for
cleansing all the sins of the world ; the
blood
I had as a sign of the body of human kind,
and I received it in the region of Barbelo,
the
great power of the divine invisible ; while
the
breath draweth all souls and bringeth them
unto
the region of light.
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The same " ^ or *kis cause have I said
unto
plained ^ y U > ' ^ am come to cast re
on
' \ that is to say, I am come to
ings. purify the sins of the whole world
with
fire.
"For this cause I said to the
Samaritan
woman, ' If thou hadst known of the gift of
God, and who hath said unto thee, "
Give me
to drink/' (374) thou wouldst have asked
him
to give thee living water, that thou
mightest
have had a fountain welling up in thee for
life
eternal.'
" For this cause, also, 1 took a cup
of wine,
and blessed it, and gave it unto you,
saying,
c This is the blood of the covenant which
shall
be poured out for you, for the remission of
your sins/
" For this cause, also, they pierced
my side
with a spear, and there came forth water
and
blood.
" These are the mysteries of the light
which
remit sins ; that is to say, these are the
appella-
tions and names of [these mysteries of] the
light/'
It came to pass after this, that Jesus gave
jesus and the command, " Let all the
powers of
his dis- ' r
cipies de- the left return to their
regions." And
scend to the m
earth. Jesus and his disciples were [once
more] on the Mount of Galilee. And the dis-
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 377
ciples continued further and besought him :
"How long, then, will it be before
thou shalt
cause the sins and iniquities which we have
com-
mitted, to be remitted, that we may be
worthy
of the kingdom of thy father ? "
And Jesus said unto them : " Amen, I
say
unto you, not only will I purify your j e8
us pro-
sins, but I will also make you worthy
of the kingdom of my father ; and I ^
will give unto you the mystery of the sion
*
remission of sins on the earth, so that he
to
whom ye shall remit on earth, shall be
pardoned
in the heavens, and he whom ye shall bind
on
earth, shall be bound in the heavens. 1
will
give unto you the mystery of the kingdom of
the heavens, that ye also may give it unto
men."
(375) And Jesus said : " Bring me some
fire
and vine branches."
They brought them unto him. He set out
the offering, placing two vessels of Themys
tic
wine, the one on the right and the
sacrament -
other on the left thereof. The offering was
set in front [of the vessels]. He placed a
cup
of water in front of the vessel of wine on
the
right, and a cup of water in front of the
vessel
of wine on the left. Between the cups he
set
pieces of bread according to the number of
the
disciples. The cups were behind the bread.
378
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Jesus stood before the offering and grouped
his disciples behind him, all clad in linen
gar-
ments, holding in their hands the number of
the name of the father of the treasure of
light.
The sacra- jj e cr j e( 3 aloud, saying :
" Hear me,
mental in- J
vocation. father, father of all fatherhood,
bound-
less light ; iad ioud iad adi dia pszndt/wr
t/ferdpsin dpsither nephthomadth nephiomadth
marackach tha manna rack tha idanamenaman
amandi of heaven israi //amen hamSn
soubaibal
appaap liamen hamdn deraarai hapahou liamen
hamdn samrsartou hamdn hamen koukiamin
mia'i hamen hamen ial ial touap hamen hamen
hamdn hamen mainmari marie marei hamen
hamSn hamen.
" Hear me, father, father of all
fatherhood.
(376) I invoke you also, ye who remit sins
and
purify iniquities. Remit the sins of the
souls of
these my disciples who have followed me,
and
purge their iniquities ; make them fit to
be
reckoned in the kingdom of my father, the
father of the treasure of light, for they
have
followed me and kept my commandments.
" Now, therefore, father, father of
all father-
hood, let them approach who remit sins ;
for
these are their names : siphirepsnichieu
zenei
berimou sochabricMr euthari nanai dieisbal-
mSrich meunipos tftirie entair mouthiour
smour
peuchSr oouschous minionor isochobortha.
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 379
" Hear me, I invoke you, remit the
sins of
these souls, and blot out their offences.
Let
them be fit to be counted in the kingdom of
iny
father, the father of the treasure of
light.
" For I know the great powers and
invoke
them : auSr bebrd athroni eoureph Sone
souphen
knitousochredph maudnbi mnenor soudni
choche-
tedph chdcheetedph memdch anemph.
" Remit the sins of these souls, blot
out their
offences, both those which they have
committed
knowingly, and those they have committed
un-
knowingly, and those which they have
committed
in fornication and adultery even unto this
day,
remit them unto them, and make them fit to
be counted in the kingdom of my father, and
worthy to receive of this offering.
"Holy father, my- father, if then thou
hast
heard me, (377) if thou hast remitted the
sins
of these souls, and blotted out their
offences,
and made them fit to be reckoned in thy
king-
dom, give unto me the sign in this
offering."
And the sign of which Jesus spake, was
given.
Jesus said unto his disciples : "
Rejoice and
be glad, for your sins are remitted, ^ S1
J^ 1S
your offences blotted out, and ye have
mated -
been numbered in the kingdom of my
father."
And when he had thus spoken, the disciples
rejoiced with great joy.
380
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Jesus said unto them : " This is the
rite and
Directions ^is is the mystery which ye
shall
future h u e se celebrate for them who
believe in you.
of the rite. J there be nQ deceit in ^^ tf
they
hearken unto you in every good thing, their
sins and their offences shall be blotted
out
up to the very day on which ye shall have
celebrated for them this mystery. But hide
ye
this mystery, give it not unto every man,
but
unto him [only] who shall do all things
which I
have said unto you in my commandments.
" This then is the mystery of the
reality of the
baptism of them whose sins shall be
remitted
and their offences blotted out. This is the
baptism of the first offering, which
leadeth to
the region of truth and into the region of
light."
After this the disciples again said unto
him :
othtr'great " ^ aster > reveal unto
us the mystery
rites. O f the iigh t O f thy father, for
we have
heard thee say, ' There is a baptism of
incense ;
there is a baptism of the holy breath of
the
light ; and there is a spiritual chrism ;
(378)
these bring souls into the treasure of
light.'
Reveal unto us, therefore, their mystery,
that
we also may inherit the kingdom of thy
father."
Jesus said unto them : " As to these
mys-
ughestof teries which ye seek after, there
is no
*eriS y and m 7 ster y which is higher than
them.
of the great They will bring your souls
into the
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 381
light of lights, into the regions of truth
and
righteousness, into the region of the holy
of all
holies, into the region where there is
neither
female nor male, nor form in that region,
but
only light, unceasing, ineffable. No
mystery is
higher than these mysteries which ye seek
after, save only the mystery of the seven
voices
and their nine and forty powers and numbers
;
the name which is higher than them all, the
name which sums up all their names, all
their
lights and all their powers.
" If, then, a man knoweth that name,
when
he shall have passed from the body l the
* J emcacy of
of matter, no smoke, no darkness, no that
name,
authority, no ruler of the sphere of the
fate,
no angel, no archangel, no power, shall be
able to
hold back the soul that knoweth that name ;
but when it shall have passed out of the
world,
if it uttereth that name to the fire, it is
quenched and the darkness retireth.
(379) " If it uttereth it to the
daemons and
the receivers of the outer darkness, to
their
rulers, their authorities, or their powers,
they
shall all be destroyed, so that their
flames con-
sume [them], and they shall cry aloud,
'Thou
art holy, thou art holy, most holy of all
holies/
"And if a man uttereth that name to
the
receivers of the malignant torments, to
their
authorities and all their powers, and also
to
382
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PISTIS SOPHIA
Barbeld, to the invisible deity and the
three
triple-powered gods, the instant he shall
utter
that name in those regions, they shall all
fall
on their faces, and be dissolved and perish,
and
cry aloud, ' light of lights, that are in
the
boundless lights, remember us also and
purify
us/ "
When Jesus had finished speaking these
words, all the disciples cried aloud, with
great
sobs, saying :
The pun- * n 01> der that they may
chastise it for
Mi^foat * s ^ x more months and eight days,
and
curseth.
midst, that each of the rulers of the way
of the
midst may chastise it in Ins torments for
six
more months and eight days, and then bring
it
unto the virgin of light who judgeth the
good
and the evil, that she may judge it. And
when
the sphere shall turn, she will hand it
over to
her receivers, that they may cast it into
the
reons of the sphere. And the workmen of the
sphere will cast it into the lake which is
below
the sphere, so that this [lake] becometh a
seeth-
ing fire and eateth into it, (380) until it
hath
mightily purified it.
" Then cometh laluham, the receiver of
Sabaoth Adamas, who giveth the draught of
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 383
oblivion unto the souls, to bring a draught
full
of the water of oblivion and give it unto
the
soul, that it may drink, and forget every
place
and every region through which it hath
passed,
so that it be cast into a body which shall
live
out its time in constant sorrow.
"'This is the punishment of him that
curseth."
Mary continued further and said : "
Again,
Master, as to the man that persisteth in
slander,
when he passeth out of the body, whither
shall
he go, and what will be his punishment ?
"
Jesus said : " When the time [marked]
by the
sphere cometh for a man that persisteth Of
the
in calumny to pass out of the body, ^t^the
Abiout and Charmdn, the receivers of
slajlderer -
Ariel, come to draw that soul out of the
body,
and for three days travel round with it in-
structing it concerning the creatures of
the
world.
" Then they take it below into Amenti
unto
Ariel, that he may chastise it in his
torments
eleven months and one and twenty days.
"And then they bring it into chaos
unto
laldabaoth and his nine and forty daemons,
that
each of his daemons may assail it for
eleven
more months and one and twenty days,
scourging
it with whips of smoke.
" And then they cast it into rivers of
smoke
(381) and boiling seas of fire, to chastise
it
384
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PISTIS SOPHIA
therein for eleven more months and one and
twenty days.
" After that, they carry it into the
way of the
midst, that each of the rulers who are in
the
way of the midst, may chastise it in his
tor-
ments for eleven months and one and twenty
days.
" After that, they take it unto the
virgin of
light, who judgeth the righteous and
sinners,
that she may judge it, and, when the sphere
turneth, hand it over to her receivers, who
will
cast it into the aeons of the sphere, and
the
workmen of the sphere will carry it into
the
lake below the sphere, so that this [lake]
becometh a seething fire and eateth into it
until
it hath mightily purified it,
"And then laluham, the receiver of
Sabaoth
Adamas, bringeth a draught of oblivion,
that it
may drink it and forget every place and
every
region through which it hath passed, so
that it
may be put into another body which shall
pass
all its time in affliction.
"This is the punishment of the
slanderer."
Mary said: "Woe, woe, unto
sinners!"
And Salome spake and said : " Jesus,
Master, [in the case of] a murderer, who
hath
committed no other sin but that of murder,
when
he shall pass from the body, what will be
his
punishment ? "
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUB. 385
Jesus answered and said : (382) " [In
the
case of] a murderer, who hath commit-
Thepunish-
ted no other sin but that of murder,
murderer,
when the time is fulfilled by the sphere
for him
to pass out of the body, the receivers of
lalda-
badth come to lead his soul out of the
body,
and bind it by the feet to a great daemon
with
the face of a horse, to gallop round with
it three
days in the world.
"And then it is carried into the
regions of
ice and snow, to be there chastised for
three
years and six months.
" And then it is brought into chaos
unto
laldabaoth and his forty and nine daemons,
that
each of his daemons may scourge it for
another
three years and six months.
" After that it is brought into the
chaos unto
Persephone, to be punished in her torments
another three years and six months.
" After that it is brought into the
way of the
midst, that each of the rulers of the midst
may
punish it in the torments of its regions
another
three years and six months.
" After that it is brought unto the
virgin of
light, who judgeth the righteous and
sinners,
and, when the sphere turneth, she ordereth
it
to be cast into the outer darkness, until
the
darkness of the midst shall be removed, so
that
it may cease to exist and be dissolved.
25
386
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PISTIS SOPHIA
" This is the punishment of
murderers."
Peter pro- Peter said : "Master, let
the women
the come to an en d f their questions,
(333) ^^ we a ] so may q Ues ti O n
thee."
Jesus said unto Mary and the [other] women
:
" Give place to your brethren, that
they also
may question/'
Peter answered and said : " Again,
Master,
[in the case of] a thief, that stealeth
secretly,
and persisteth in his sin, when he passeth
out
of the body, what is his punishment ?
"
Jesus said : "[In the case of] such a
man, when
h- his time shall be accomplished by the
the thief. sphere, the receivers of Adonis
come
after him, to lead his soul out of the
body, and
travel round with it three days instructing
it in
the creatures of the world.
" Then it is carried below into Amenti
unto
Ariel, that he may chastise it in his
torments
three months, eight days and two hours.
"Then it is brought into chaos unto
lalda-
baoth and his nine and forty daemons, in
order
that each of his daemons may chastise it
for
another three months, eight days and two
hours.
" After that, it is brought into the
way of the
midst, that each of the rulers of the way
of the
midst may chastise it with the smoke of his
darkness and his malignant fire for another
three months, eight days and two hours.
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUB. 387
" After that, it is brought unto the
virgin of
light, who judgeth the righteous and the
sinners,
that she may judge it, and, when the sphere
turneth, she handeth it over unto her
receivers
that they may cast it into the aeons of the
sphere, and bring it unto the lake below
the
sphere, so that this [lake] becometh a
seething
fire, which eateth into it, (384) until it
is
mightily purified.
"Then corneth laluham, the receiver of
Saba-
6th Adamas, to bring it the draught of
oblivion,
and give it unto the soul, that it may
drink
thereof and forget every place and every
region
through which it hath passed, and be cast
into
a body lame, halt and blind.
" This is the punishment of the
thief."
Andrew spake and said : " [In the case
of]
one proud and contemptuous, when he shall
have passed out of the body, what shall be
done unto him ? "
Jesus said : " In the case of such a
man,
when his time is accomplished by the
sphere, the receivers of Ariel come
after him to lead out his soul, and OUSt
travel round the world with it for three
days,
instructing it in the creatures of the
world.
"Then it is brought below into Amenti
unto
Ariel, that it may be chastised in his
torments
for twenty months.
388 PISTIS SOPHIA,
"After that, it is brought into the
chaos of
Ialdaba6th and his nine and forty daemons,
and
he and his daemons, each of them, chastise
it
another twenty months.
" After that, it is carried into the
way of the
midst, that each of the rulers of the way
of
the midst may chastise it for another
twenty
months.
" And after that, it is brought unto
the virgin
of light, that she may judge it, and, when
the
sphere turneth, she handeth it over to her
re-
ceivers to cast it into the aeons of the
sphere,
and the workmen of the sphere bring it unto
the lake below the sphere, (385) so that
this
lake becometh a seething fire, which eateth
into it, until it hath purified it.
"And laluham, the receiver of Sabaoth
Adamas, cometh to bring it the draught of
oblivion and give it to the soul, that it
may drink,
and forget everything and every region into
which it hath entered, and be cast into a
body,
lame and contemptible, that every one may
ever despise it.
"This is the punishment of the proud
and
contemptuous man."
Thomas said : "[In the case of] a man
that
blasphemeth persistently, what is his
punish-
ment ? "
Jesus said : " [In the case of] such a
man
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUK. 389
when his time is accomplished by the
spheres,
the receivers of laldabaoth come to
bind him by the tongue to a great
horse-faced daemon, and travel round P
hemer -
with [that soul] through the world for
three
days, and punish him.
"Then it is brought into the region of
ice
and snow, to be punished there for eleven
years.
"Then it is carried below into chaos
unto
laldabaoth and his nine and forty daemons,
that each of his daemons may chastise it
for
another eleven years.
" Then it is carried into the outer
darkness,
until the day when the great dragon-faced
ruler
(386) who encircleth the darkness, shall be
judged. And that soul becometh hard frozen,
it perisheth and is dissolved.
"This is the punishment of the
blasphemer."
Bartholomew said : " [In the case of]
a man
that lieth with a man, what is his
punishment ? "
Jesus said : " [In the case of] the
The punish-
man that lieth with a man, and the
man with whom he lieth, their sentence
is the same as that of the blasphemer.
males -
" When the time is fulfilled by the
sphere,
the receivers of laldabaoth come to find
their
souls, that he and his daemons may torment
them for eleven years.
" Then they are carried into the
rivers of fire
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PISTIS SOPHIA
and seas of seething pitch, full of
pig-faced
daemons that eat into them, and . . . them
in
the rivers of fire another eleven years.
" Then they are carried into the outer
dark-
ness until the day of judgment when the
great
darkness shall be judged ; and then they
shall
be dissolved and perish."
Thomas said : " We have heard that
there are
men on the earth who take the sperm of men
and
the flux of women, and mix them with lentils
and eat them, saying, (387) ' We believe in
Esau
and Jacob/ Surely this is an unseemly deed
? "
Then was Jesus wroth with the world and
Thepunish- sa ^ unto Thomas : " Amen,
I say, this
foul ***<> s * n * s more heinous
than all sins and
sorcery. a jj i n iq U iti es . [As for]
men of that
kind, they shall be instantly taken into
the
outer darkness, nor shall they ever be
brought
back to the sphere, but they shall be
destroyed,
they shall perish in the outer darkness, in
the
region where there is no mercy and no
light, but
weeping and gnashing of teeth. And every
soul that shall be [thus] carried into the
darkness,
shall never again return, but shall perish
and be
dissolved."
John answered [and said] : " Again,
[in the
case of] a man who hath committed no sin,
but
who hath done righteousness persistently,
with-
out finding the mysteries, so as to be able
to
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 391
pass through the rulers, when he shall pass
out
of the body, what will be done unto him ?
"
Jesus said : " [In the case of] such a
man,
when his time is accomplished by the of the
after-
sphere, the receivers of Chainchoooch,
ofthe 8tate
who is one of the three triple-powered
gods, come to find his soul, to lead
forth his soul with joy and gladness,
tiated '
and travel round with it three days,
instructing
it in the creations of the world with joy
and
gladness.
" Then they bring it below into Amenti
to
instruct it in the punishments that are in
Amenti ; they do not chastise it therein,
but
merely instruct it concerning them. The
heat
from the fire delayeth it only a little.
(388) "Then it is carried into the way
ofthe
midst, to be instructed in the punishments
of
the ways of the midst ; the heat from the
fire
delaying it a little.
"Then it is brought unto the virgin of
light,
that she may judge it, and set it near the
little
Sabaoth, the good, him of the midst, until
the
sphere turneth, and Zeus and Aphrodite come
before the virgin of light, while Kronos
and
Ares are behind her.
" Then she taketh the soul of that
righteous
person to entrust it to her receivers, for
them to
cast into the seons of the sphere, and for
the
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PISTIS SOPHIA
workmen of the sphere to bring it into a
lake
below the sphere, so that this [lake] may
become
a seething fire, and eat into it until it
be
mightily purified.
" Then cometh laluham, the receiver of
Sabaoth
Adamas, who giveth the draught of oblivion
unto
the souls ; he bringeth the draught of
oblivion and
giveth it unto it, that it may forget
everything
and every region through which it hath
passed.
" Then there cometh a receiver of the
little
The cup of Sabaoth, the good, him of the
midst ;
wisdom. he brings a CU p f u ii O f
intuition and
wisdom, and also prudence, and giveth it to
the soul, casteth the soul into a body
which
will not be able to fall asleep or forget
because
of the cup of prudence which hath been
given
unto it, (389) but will be ever pure in
heart
and seeking after the mysteries of light,
until
it hath found them, by order of the virgin
of
light, in order [that that soul] may
inherit the
light for ever."
Mary said : " Again, [in the case of a
man]
who hath committed all [these] sins and all
[these] iniquities, will he suffer all
these punish-
ments together ? "
A l?^ Jesus answered : " Yea, he shall
suSereth
for each puffer them : if he have committed
separate
sin - three sins, he shall suffer three
punish-
ments."
BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR. 393
John said : " Again, [in the case of]
a man
who hath committed every sin and every in-
iquity, but at last hath found the
mysteries of
light, can he be saved ? "
Jesus said : " Such a man, who hath
com-
mitted every sin and every iniquity, Even
the
and hath found the mysteries of light,
sinners, if
J he repent,
and hath performed them and accom- shall
in-
x herit the
plished them, and hath not fallen away
kingdom,
and committed sin [again], he shall inherit
the
treasure of light."
Jesus said unto his disciples : " When
the
sphere shall turn and Kronos and of the
time
Ares shall come behind the virgin of
light, and Zeus and Aphrodite shall
come before her, circling in their own
{eons, the veils of the virgin shall be
tcries -
drawn aside. In that hour she shall be
filled
with joy seeing these two stars of light
before
her, and every soul which at that time she
shall
cast into the cycle of the aeons of the
sphere,
to descend into the world, (390) shall be
righteous ami good, and shall find the
mysteries
of light in that birth, and even if it have
to
return to birth again, it shall find the
mysteries
of light.
" But if Ares and Kronos are before
the virgin,
and Zeus and Aphrodite behind her, so that
she
doth not see them, then every soul which
she
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PISTIS SOPHIA
casteth into the creatures of the sphere at
that
time, shall be evil and wrathful and
incapable of
finding the mysteries of light."
Jesus spake these words unto his disciples
in
the midst of Amenti; the disciples cried
aloud
TLedis- w ^' j so ^ s sa yi n g : "
Woe, woe unto
seech 8 Jesus sinners, on whom the
indifference and
mere n forgetfulriess of the rulers lie
heavily,
them. until they pass out of the body to
suffer these torments ! Have mercy upon us,
have mercy upon us, son of holiness, that
we
may be saved from these torments and these
judgments which are prepared for sinners,
for
we also have sinned, Master, our
light."
. . . the righteous. They went forth three
by
Thopreach- three to the four points of
heaven ; they
ing of the l .
apostles. preached the gospel of the
kingdom in
the whole world, the Christ being active
with
them in the words of confirmation and the
signs
and wonders which accompanied them. And
thus was known the
land and in all the world of
dom] is a testimony for all the nations
which are
from the east even unto the west.
THE END.
THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING SOCIETY,
26 CHARING CBOSS,
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