Pistis Sophia 51–56

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: “Who is sober among you, let him proclaim their solution.” James came forward, kissed the breast of Jesus and said: “My Lord, thy spirit hath sobered me, and I am ready to proclaim their solution. Concerning them indeed thy power hath prophesied aforetime through David in the thirty-fourth Psalm, saying thus concerning the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia: “’ 1. Give sentence, O Lord, on them who do me injustice, and fight against them who fight against me. “’ 2. Lay hand on weapon and shield and stand up to help me. “‘ 3. Draw forth a sword and conceal it [sic] from my oppressors. Say unto my soul: I am thy salvation. “‘ 4. Let them be put to shame and abashed who strive after my soul; let them fall back and be put to shame who imagine evil against me. “‘ 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord pursue after them. “’ 6. Let their way be darkness and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord oppress them. “‘ 7. For without cause have they hid a snare for me for their own spoiling, and they have mocked at my soul in vain. “’ 8. Let a snare come upon them which they know not, and let the net which they have hid for me, catch them, and let them fall into this snare. “’ 9. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in its salvation. “’ 10. All my bones shall say: O Lord, who can be like unto thee? — thou who settest free the wretched from the hand of him who is stronger than him; and thou savest a wretched and poor [one] from the hands of them who spoil him. “‘11. Unjust witnesses came forward and have asked me that which I knew not. “‘ 12. They have requited me evil for good and childlessness for my soul. “‘ 13. But when they molested me, I clothed me in a sack and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will return into my breast. “’ 14. I was pleasing unto thee, as unto my neighbour and as unto my brother; and I humbled myself as one in mourning and as one who is sad. “’ 15. They have rejoiced over me, and they are put to shame. Scourges have gathered themselves together against me and I knew not; they were cut off and were troubled. “’ 16. They have brought me to trial and mocked me with mocking; they have ground their teeth against me. “‘ 17. O Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? Restore again my soul from their evil works and save my only one from the hands of the lions. “’ 18. I will confess to thee, O Lord, in the great assembly, and I will sing praises to thee in the midst of a countless people. “’ 19. Let not them who unjustly treat me as a foe, rejoice over me, who hate me without a cause and wink with their eyes. “’ 20. For indeed they discourse with me with words of peace, though they plot wrath with craft, “’ 21. They opened their chops wide against me and said: Well indeed, our eyes have filled our sight with him. “‘ 22. Thou hast seen, O Lord. Keep not silence, O Lord, withdraw not thyself from me. “’ 23. Arise, O Lord, and give heed to my vindication, give heed to my vengeance, my God and my Lord. “’ 24. Judge me, O Lord, according to thy justice; let them not rejoice over me, my God. “‘ 25. And let them not say: Well done, our soul. Let them not say: We have consumed him. “’ 26. Let them be put to shame and be scorned, who rejoice at my mischance. Let them be clothed with shame and disgrace who speak boastingly against me. “‘ 27. Let them who desire my justification, exult and rejoice and let them who desire the peace of his slave, say: May the Lord be great and arise. “‘ 28. My tongue will exult over thy justification and over thy honour all the day long,’ “When James then had said this, Jesus said unto

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

him: “Well said, finely, James. This is the solution of the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia, Amen, amen, I say unto you: Ye shall be the first in the kingdom of heaven before all invisibles and all gods and rulers who are in the thirteenth æon and in the twelfth æon; and not only ye, but also every one who shall accomplish my mysteries.” And when he had said this, he said unto them: “Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you? “Mary started forward again and said: “Yea, O Lord, this is what thou didst say unto us aforetime: ’ The last shall be first and the first shall be last.’ The first then, who were created before us, are the invisibles, for indeed they arose before mankind, they and the gods and the rulers; and the men who shall receive mysteries, will be first into the kingdom of heaven.’” Jesus said unto her: “Well said, Mary.” Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: “It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia had proclaimed the ninth repentance, that the accepted. lion-faced power oppressed her again, desiring to take away all powers from her. She cried out again to the Light, saying: “’ O Light, in whom I have had faith from the beginning, for whose sake I have endured these great pains, help me.’ “And in that hour her repentance was accepted from her. The First Mystery hearkened unto her, and I was sent off at his command. I came to help her, and led her up out of the chaos, because she had repented, and also because she had had faith in the Light and had endured these great pains and these great perils. She had been deluded through the god-like Self-willed, and had not been deluded through anything else, save through a light-power, because of its resemblance to the Light in which she had had faith. For this cause then was I sent forth at the command of the First Mystery to help her secretly. I did not however yet go to the region of the æons at all; but I passed down through the midst out of them, without any single 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 then, when I came into the chaos to help her, that she saw me, that I was understanding and shone exceedingly and was full of compassion for her. For I was not self-willed as the lion-faced power, which had taken away the light-power from Sophia, and had also oppressed her in order to take away from her the whole light in her. Sophia then saw me, that I shone ten-thousand times more than the lion-faced power, and that I was full of compassion for her. And she knew that I came out of the Height of heights, in whose light she had had faith from the beginning. Pistis Sophia then took courage and uttered the tenth repentance, saying: “‘ 1. I have cried unto thee, O Light of Lights, in my oppression and thou hast hearkened unto me. “’ 2. O Light, save my power from unjust and lawless lips and from crafty traps. “’ 3. The light which was being taken from me in crafty snaring, will not be brought unto thee. “‘ 4. For the traps of Self-willed and the nooses of the merciless [one] are spread out. “’ 5. Woe unto me, that my dwelling was far off, and I was in the dwellings of the chaos. “’ 6. My power was in regions which are not mine. “’ 7. And I entreated those merciless [ones]; and when I entreated them, they fought against me without a cause.’”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

When then Jesus had said this unto his disciples, he said unto them: “Now, therefore, let him whom his spirit stirreth, come forward and speak the solution of the tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia.” Peter answered and said: “O Lord, concerning this thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the one-hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm, saying: “’ 1. I cried unto thee, O Lord, in my oppression, and thou hearkenest unto me. 2. O Lord, save my soul from unjust lips and from crafty tongues. “’ 3. What will be given unto thee or what will be added unto thee with a crafty tongue? “‘ 4. The arrows of the strong [one] are made sharp with the coal of the desert. “‘ 5. Woe unto me, that my dwelling is far off, and I dwelt in the tents of Kedar, “’ 6. My soul hath dwelt in many regions as a guest. “’ 7. I was peaceful with them who hate peace; if I spake unto them, they fought against me without a cause.’ “This is now, therefore, O Lord, the solution of the tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia, which she hath uttered when the material emanations of Self-willed oppressed her, they and his lion-faced power, and when they oppressed her exceedingly.” Jesus said unto him: “Well said, Peter, and finely. This is the solution of the tenth repentance of Pistis Sophia.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: “It came to pass then, when this lion-faced power saw me, how I drew nigh unto Pistis Sophia, shining very exceedingly, that it grew still more furious and emanated from itself a multitude of exceedingly violent emanations. When this then befell, Pistis Sophia uttered the eleventh repentance, saying: “’ 1. Why hath the mighty power raised itself in evil? “‘ 2. Its plotting taketh away the light from me all the time, and as sharp iron have they taken away power from me. “‘ 3. I chose to descend into the chaos rather than to abide in the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness. “‘ 4. And they desired to lead me craftily, in order to consume my whole light. “’ 5. For this cause then will the Light take away their whole light, and also their whole matter will be made naught. And it will take away their light and not suffer them to abide in the thirteenth æon, their dwelling-place, and will not have their name in the region of those who shall live. “‘ 6. And the four-and-twenty emanations will see what hath befallen thee, O lion-faced power, and will be afraid and not be disobedient, but give the purification of their light. “’ 7. And they will see thee and will rejoice over thee and say: Lo, an emanation which hath not given the purification of its light, so that it may be saved, but boasted itself in the abundance of the light of its power, because it did not emanate from the power in it, and hath said: O Light, I will take away the light from Pistis Sophia, which will now be taken from it.’ “Now, therefore, let him in whom his power is raised, come forward and proclaim the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia.” Then Salome came forward and said: ‘‘My Lord, concerning this thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the fifty-first Psalm, saying: “‘ 1. Why doth the mighty [one] boast himself in I his wickedness? “‘ 2. Thy tongue hath studied unrighteousness all the day long; as a sharp razor hast thou practised craft. ‘3. Thou lovedst wickedness more than goodness; thou lovedst to speak unrighteousness more than righteousness. “‘ 4. Thou lovedst all words of submerging and a crafty tongue. “‘ 5, Wherefor will God bring thee to naught utterly, and will uproot thee and drag thee out from thy dwelling-place, and will root out thy root and cast it away from the living. (Selah.) “‘ 6. The righteous will see and be afraid, and they will mock at him and say: “’ 7. Lo, a man who made not God for his helper, but trusted to his great riches and was mighty in his vanity. “’ 8. But I am as a fruit-bearing olive-tree in the house of God. I have trusted in the grace of God from all eternity. “’ 9. And I will confess unto thee, for thou hast dealt faithfully with me; and I will wait on thy name, for it is auspicious in the presence of thy holy [ones].’ “This then is now, therefore, my Lord, the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. While thy light-power hath roused me, I have spoken it according to thy desire.” It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words which Salome spake, that he said: “Well said, Salome. Amen, amen, I say unto you: I will perfect you in all mysteries of the kingdom of the Light.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: “It came to pass then thereafter, that I drew near unto the chaos, shining very exceedingly, to take away the light from that lion-faced power. As I shone exceedingly, it was in fear and cried out to its self-willed god, that he should help it. And forthwith the self-willed god looked out of the thirteenth æon, and looked down into the chaos, exceedingly wrathful and desiring to help his lion-faced power. And forthwith the lion-faced power, it and all its emanations, surrounded Pistis Sophia, desiring to take away the whole light in Sophia. It came to pass then, when they oppressed Sophia, that she cried to the height, crying unto me that I should help her. It came to pass then, when she looked to the height, that she saw Self-willed exceedingly wrathful, and she was in fear, and uttered the twelfth repentance because of Self-willed and his emanations. She cried on high unto me, saying: “‘ 1. O Light, forget not my praise-singing. “‘ 2. For Self-willed and his Lion-faced power have opened their chops against me and have acted craftily against me. “’ 3. They have surrounded me, desiring to take away my power, and have hated me, because I have sung praises unto thee. “‘ 4. Instead of loving me they slandered me. But I sang praises. “‘ 5. They plotted a plot to take away my power, because I have sung to thee praises, O Light; and hated me, because I have loved thee. “‘ 6. Let the darkness come over Self-willed, and let the ruler of the outermost darkness abide at his right hand. “’ 7. And when thou passest sentence, take from him his power; and the deed which he hath plotted, to take from me my light, — mayest thou take his from him. “’ 8. And may all his powers of his light in him finish, and let another of the three triple-powers receive his sovereignty. “’ 9. May all the powers of his emanations be lightless and may his matter be without any light in it. “’ 10. May his emanations remain in the chaos and not dare to go to their region. May their light in them die away and let them not go to the thirteenth æon, their region. “‘ 11. May the Receiver, the Purifier of the Lights, purify all the lights which are in Self-willed, and take them from them. “’ 12. May the rulers of the lower darkness rule over his emanations, and let no one give them shelter in his region; and let no one hearken to the power of his emanations in the chaos. “‘ 13. Let them take away the light in his emanations and blot out their name from the thirteenth æon, yea rather take his name for ever out of that region. “‘ 14. And on the lion-faced power let them bring the sin of him who emanated it, before the Light, and not wipe out the iniquity of the matter which hath brought him [sc. Self-willed] forth. “‘ 15. And may their sin be altogether before the Light eternally, and may they let them not look beyond [the chaos] and take their names out of all regions; “’ 16. Because they have not spared me and have oppressed him whose light and whose power they have taken away, and also conformably with those who set me therein, they desired to take away my whole light from me. “‘ 17. They loved to descend to the chaos; so let them abide therein, and they shall not be brought up [therefrom] from now on. They desired not the region of Righteousness for dwelling-place, and they shall not be taken thither from now on. “’ 18. He put on darkness as a garment, and it entered into him as water, and it entered in into all his powers as oil. “‘ 19. Let him wrap himself into the chaos as into a garment, and gird himself with the darkness as with a leathern girdle for ever. “‘ 20. Let this befall them who have brought this upon me for the Light’s sake and have said: Let us take away her whole power. “‘ 21. But do thou, O Light, have mercy upon me for the sake of the mystery of thy name, and save me in the goodness of thy grace. “‘ 22. For they have taken away my light and my power; and my power hath inwardly tottered, and I could not stand upright in their midst. “‘ 23. I am become as matter which is fallen; I am tossed hither and thither as a demon in the air. “‘ 24. My power hath perished, because I possess no mystery; and my matter hath become dwindled because of my light, for they have taken it away. “‘ 25. And they mocked me; they looked at me, nodding at me. “’ 26. Help me according to thy mercy.’ “Now, therefore, let him whose spirit is ready, come forward and utter the solution of the twelfth repentance of Pistis Sophia.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And Andrew came forward and said: “My Lord and Saviour, thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, and said in the one-hundred-and-eighth Psalm: 1. God, keep not silent at my praise-singing. “’ 2. For the mouths of the sinner and crafty have opened their chops against me and with crafty deceitful tongue have talked behind me. “’ 3. And they have surrounded me with of hate and have fought against me without a cause. “‘ 4. Instead of loving me they have slandered me But I prayed. “‘ 5. They showed evil against me for good and hate for my love. “‘ 6. Set a sinner over him, and let the slanderer stand at his right hand. “‘ 7. When sentence is passed upon him, may he go forth condemned and his prayer become “’ 8. May his days be shortened and another receive his overseership. “‘ 9. May his children become orphans and his wife a widow. “’ 10. May his children be carried away and be driven forth and beg; may they be thrown out of their houses. “‘ 11. May the money-lender sift out all that he hath, and may strangers plunder all his efforts. “’ 12. Let there be no man to back him, and no one to take pity on his orphans. “‘ 13. May his children be exterminated and his name blotted out in a single generation. “‘ 14. Let the sin of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and the sin of his mother be not out. “‘ 15. Let them be ever present to the Lord and his memory be rooted out from the earth; “’ 16. In that he hath not thought of using and hath persecuted a poor and wretched man and hath persecuted a sorry creature to him. “’ 17. He loved cursing, — and it shall come unto him. He desired not blessing, — it shall stay far from him. “’ 18. He clothed himself with cursing as with a vesture, and it entered into his bowels as water, it was as oil in his bones. “’ 19. May it be for him as a garment in which he shall be wrapped, and as a girdle with which he shall ever be girded. “’ 20. This is the work of them who slander me before the Lord, and speak unlawfully against my soul. “’ 21. But do thou, O Lord God, be gracious me; for thy name’s sake save me. “’ 22. For I am poor and I am wretched; my heart is tumult within me. “’23. I am carried away in the midst as a which hath sunk down, and I am shaken out as grass-hoppers. “’ 24. My knees have become weak from fasting, and my flesh is altered from [lack of] oil. “’ 25. But I have become a mock unto them; they saw me and wagged their heads. “’ 26. Help, O Lord God, and save me according to thy grace. “’ 27. May they know that this is thy hand, and that thou, O Lord, hast fashioned them.’ “This is then the solution of the twelfth repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered, when was in the chaos.”