ear, and I hear in my power of light, and was wakeful in me thy spirit
which (is) with me, hear, therefore, that I may speak concerning the
repentance which said the Pistis Sophia, saying her sin with all the
(things) which happened to her. Thy power [50^a] of Light prophesied
about her once through David the prophet in the sixty-eighth psalm. O
God, save me because waters came in unto my soul. I sank, or I was
drowned, in the mire of the abyss and there was not strength (left): I
came unto the depths of the sea. A whirlwind it is which drowned me. I
toiled, crying out, my throat is that which flew away, mine eyes fail
while I trust unto God: were multiplied more than the hairs of my head
those who hate me without cause: prevailed my enemies, those who pursued
me in violence: the (things) which I did not rob, they required them of
me: O God thou knewest my foolishness and [50^b] my sins they hid them
not from thee: let them not be ashamed because of me, those who wait for
thee, O Lord. O Lord of the powers cause them not to be disgraced
because of me, those who seek for thee, O Lord the god of Israel, O God
of the powers! For because of thee I took up unto me reproach, the shame
covered over my face, I was alien unto my brothers, strange unto the
sons of my mother: because the zeal of thy house is that which ate me;
the reproaches of those who reproached thee they fell upon me; I bowed
my soul in fasting, it became for me unto reproach; I put a sackcloth
upon me, I became to them for proverb. They lifted up their voice upon
me, those who sit [51^a] in the gates; and were singing at me, those who
drink the wine. But I was praying in my soul up unto thee, O Lord; the
time of thy will it is, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy listen unto
my salvation in truth. Save me from this mire, that I should not sink in
it, (that) I should be saved from those who hate me, and out of the
depth of the waters. Let not a flood of water drown me, let not the pit
swallow me (down), let not a well take hold with mouth upon me. Hear me,
O Lord, because kind is thy mercy. According to the multitude of thy
compassion look upon me. Turn not thy face away from thy servant because
I am afflicted. Hear me quickly, [51^b] take heed unto my soul and
redeem it. Deliver me because of my enemies; for thou art (he) who
knoweth my reproach with my shame and my disgrace: all those who afflict
me (are) in thy presence. My heart looked out for a reproach with
wretchedness; I looked out for him who will grieve with me, I found him
not, and he who will comfort me I discovered him not. They gave gall for
my food; they gave me to drink vinegar in my thirst. Let their table
become in their presence unto a snare with a trap and a recompense with
a scandal; and bow (down) their back every time. Pour upon them thy
wrath and the anger of [52^a] thy wrath let it catch them. Let their
abode be made desert; and let there be not him who dwelleth in their
abodes. Because he whom thou smotest they pursued him; they added upon
the pain of his wounds, they added unlawfulness upon their
unlawfulnesses; and let them not come in unto thy righteousness; let
them wipe them out of the book of those who live, and let them not write
them with the righteous. I am a poor (one) suffering also pains; the
salvation of thy face, O God, is that which accepted me. T shall bless
the name of God in a song, and I shall exalt him in a blessing. It will
please God more than a new calf which putteth forth horn and hoof. Let
the poor [52^b] see and be glad. Seek after God that your souls may
live. Because the Lord heard the poor (ones) and he despised not those
who are in fetters of brass. Let the heavens with the earth bless the
Lord, the sea with all the (things) which (are) in it, because the Lord
will deliver Sion; and they will build the cities of the Ioudaia and
dwell there and inherit it. The seed of his servants will possess it,
and those who love his name will dwell in it.
It happened therefore, Mariham having finished these words unto Jesus in
the midst of the disciples, said she to him, My Lord, this is the
explanation (of the) mystery (in margin) of the repentance of the Pistis
Sophia.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard Mariham saying [53^a] these
words, said he to her, Well (done) Mariham the happy, the Pleroma, or
the all-blessed of Pleroma, this (woman) whom they will call happy in
every generation.
Added also Jesus in the word, said he, Added also the Pistis Sophia she
hymned in a second Repentance saying thus, O Light of the Lights I
believed thee, leave me not in the darkness even unto the completion of
my time, help me and deliver me through thy mysteries. Incline thine ear
unto me and deliver me. Let the power of thy light deliver me and take
me away unto the Aeons which are on high; because thou art he who will
deliver me and take me unto the Height [53^b] of thy Aeons. Deliver me,
O Light from this power of face of lion, and from the emanations of the
Self-willed of the Gods. Because thou, O Light, art he whose light I
believed, and whose light I trusted indeed from at first. And I believed
him from the hour (in) which he emanated me, and thou indeed art he who
caused them to emanate me, and I myself, I believed thy light from at
first. And having believed thee, were not mocking me the Rulers of the
Ages saying, She ceased from her mystery? Thou (art) he who will deliver
me, and thou art my Saviour, and thou art my mystery, O Light. My mouth
was full of glory, that I should say the mystery of thy [54^a] greatness
at every time. Now therefore, O Light, leave me not in the Chaos for the
completion of all my time. Leave me not behind thee O Light, because
they took away all my power of light in me, and surrounded me all the
emanations of the Self-willed. They wished to take away all my light in
me for ever, and they watched my power, saying to one another at once,
that the light forsook me, Lay hold on her and, let us take away all the
light which is in her. Because of this therefore, O Light, cease not
from me: turn thee, O Light, and deliver me from the unmerciful (ones).
Let them fall and be powerless, these who wish to take away my power.
Let them wrap them up in the darkness, and become in [54^b]
powerlessness, these who wish to take away my power of light in me. This
therefore is the second Repentance which said the Pistis Sophia hymning
up unto the Light.
It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these words unto his
disciples, said he, Understand ye in what manner I am speaking with you.
Sprang up Petros, said he to Jesus, My Lord, we are not able to bear
with this woman, saying instead of us; and she let not any of us speak,
but she is speaking many times.
Answered Jesus, said he to his disciples, He in whom the power of his
spirit will bubble up in him to cause him to understand that which I
say, let him come forward and speak. [55^a] Nevertheless therefore, thou
Petros I see thy power in thee understanding the explanation of the
mystery of the repentance, which said the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore
thou Petros, say the meaning of her repentance in the midst of thy
brothers.
But answered Petros, said he to Jesus, O Lord hear, that I may say the
meaning of her repentance about which prophesied thy power once by David
the prophet, saying her repentance in the seventieth psalm, O Lord my
God I trusted unto thee. Let me not be ashamed for ever. Save me in thy
righteousness and deliver me. Incline thy ear unto me and save [55^b]
me. Become to me unto a God of trust, and unto a Place firm unto the
salvation, because thou art my firmness and my place of refuge: my God
save me from the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the
law-breaker with the impious. Because thou art the lord of my patience,
O Lord thou art my hope from my youth; I leaned upon thee from the
belly; thou, thou broughtest me out of the belly of my mother. My
remembrance in thee will be at every time. I became as the fools to
many. Thou art my helper and my firmness. Thou art my Saviour, O Lord.
My mouth was filled with blessing, that I should bless the glory of thy
greatness all the day long. Cast me not away unto a time of old age, in
the failing of my soul; [56^a] forsake me not. Because mine enemies say
evil against me, and those who watch for my soul, they took counsel
against my soul, saying together, The God forsook him, run and catch
him, because there is not he who will deliver him. O God take heed unto
my help. Let them be ashamed and fail, those who slander my soul. Let
them wrap them in shame with ignominy, those who seek after evil
(things) against me. This therefore is the explanation of the second
repentance which said the Pistis Sophia.
Answered the Saviour, said he to Petros, Well (said), Petros, this is
the explanation of her repentance. Ye are happy (ones) beyond every man
who is upon the earth, because [56^b] I revealed unto you these
mysteries. Verily verily I say to you, I shall complete you with every
Pleroma from the mysteries of the inward part even unto the mysteries of
the outward part; and I shall fill you with the spirit, that they should
call you the spiritual (ones), completed with every Pleroma. And verily
verily I say to you, that I shall give to you all the mysteries of all
the Places of my Father, and of all the Places of the First Mystery,
that that which ye will accept upon the earth, they shall accept unto
the Light of the Height, and they whom ye will reject upon the earth,
they will reject in the kingdom of my Father which is in the heavens.
Nevertheless therefore hear and listen [57^a] unto all the repentances,
these which said the Pistis Sophia.
She added also, she said the third Repentance, saying, O Light of the
powers, take heed and deliver me: let them be diminished and be in the
darkness, these who wish to take away my light in me. Let them turn them
unto the Chaos and be ashamed, those who wish to take away my power. Let
them turn them unto the darkness quickly, these who afflict me, who say,
We are lords over her. Let them rejoice indeed and be cheerful, every
one who seeketh for the Light, and let them say in every time, Let the
Mystery be exalted, those who wish (for) thy mystery. Me therefore now,
O Light, deliver me, because I diminished (in) my light which they took
away, and I am [57^b] lacking in my power which they took away from me.
Thou therefore, O Light, thou art my Saviour and thou art my deliverer,
O Light, Hasten and deliver me from this Chaos.
But it happened, Jesus having finished saying these words unto his
disciples, saying, This is the third repentance which said the Pistis
Sophia: said he to them, He in whom was exalted the spirit of
perception, let him come forward and say the meaning of the repentance
which said the Pistis Sophia.
It happened therefore, before that finished speaking Jesus, came forward
Martha, she prostrated at his feet, she kissed them, she cried out, she
wept in a cry, and in humility saying My Lord have mercy on me and pity
me, and let me [58^a] say the explanation of the repentance which said
the Pistis Sophia.
And Jesus helped Martha, he said he to her, Happy is every man who is
wont to humble himself, because he is he on whom they will have mercy.
Now therefore Martha thou art happy. Nevertheless therefore utter the
explanation of the meaning of the repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
But answered Martha, said she to Jesus in the midst of the disciples,
Concerning the repentance which said, O my Lord Jesus, the Pistis
Sophia, prophesied once thy power of Light which (is) in David in the
sixty-ninth psalm saying, O Lord God take heed unto my help. Let them
[58^b] be ashamed and disgraced, those who seek after my soul. Let them
turn them henceforth and be ashamed, those who say to me, Well (done).
Well (done)! Let them be glad and delighted over me, every one who
seeketh after thee, and say at every time, Let God be exalted, even
those who love thy salvation. But I am poor I am miserable, O Lord help
me. Thou art my helper and my trust, O Lord, tarry not. This therefore
is the explanation of the third repentance which said the Pistis Sophia
hymning unto the Height.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard Martha saying these words,
said he, Well done, Martha, and fairly (said). Added also [59^a] Jesus
in the word, said he to his disciples, Added also the Pistis Sophia
saying in the fourth Repentance, before that afflicted her the second
time, for to take away all her other light which is in her, even the
power of face of lion with all the material emanations which (are) with
her, these which the Self-willed sent unto the Chaos. She said therefore
this repentance thus, O Light unto which I trusted, hear my repentance
and let my shout come in unto thy abode. Turn not thy image of light
away from me, but take heed unto me, whenever they should afflict me.
Hasten, deliver me at the time when I shall cry up unto thee. [59^b]
Because my time failed as a breath, and I became matter. They took away
my light from me. And my power dried up. I forgot my mystery this which
I was wont to do at first. From the shout of the fear with the power of
the Self-willed my power failed in me—I became as a mere demon, dwelling
in matter in which there is not light. And I became as a counterfeit
spirit, being in a material body in which there is not power of light.
And I became as a dekan, being over the air, alone. Afflicted me greatly
the emanations of the Self-willed, and had said in him(self) my partner.
Instead of the light which is in her, they filled her with Chaos. I
swallowed (down) the sweat [60^a] of my own matter and with the anguish
of the tears of the matter (deleted in MS.) of mine eyes, lest they
should take away these also, those who afflict me. All these (things), O
Light, happened to me through thy precept and with thy commandment. And
thy precept is for me to become in these (things): thy precept brought
me down, and I came down as a power of the Chaos. And my power was
benumbed in me. But thou O Lord art Light unto age, and thou art wont to
visit those who are afflicted at every time. Now therefore, O Light,
arise and seek after my power with the soul which is in me. Completed
was thy precept which thou orderedst unto me in my afflictions. My time
became for thee to seek after my power with my soul. And this is the
[60^b] time which thou orderedst to seek after me, because thy redeemers
sought after the power which is in my soul: because completed was the
number, and (the time) for them to deliver her matter also. And then at
that time all the Rulers of the material Aeons they will fear thy Light,
and all the emanations of the thirteenth material Aeon they will fear
the mystery of thy light, to cause the others to put on the purification
of their light. Because the Lord will seek after the power of your soul:
he manifested his mystery, that he should look at the repentance of
those who become in the Places below, and he did not forsake their
repentance. This therefore is that mystery [61^a] this which became type
for the race which they are about to beget, and the race which they are
about to beget will hymn unto the Height: because the Light looked out
the Height of his Light, he will look over all the matter to hear the
groan of those who are bound, to let loose the power of the souls, those
whose power they bound, for him to put his name in the soul and his
mystery in the power.
But it happened while Jesus is saying these words unto his disciples
saying to them, This is the fourth repentance which said the Pistis
Sophia. Now therefore he who understandeth, let him understand. It
happened therefore, Jesus having said these words, came forward
Iohannes, he worshipped unto the breast of Jesus, said he, My Lord
command to me also, and allow to me for to say the explanation of the
fourth repentance, [61^b] this which said the Pistis Sophia. Said Jesus
to Iohannes, I command to thee and I allow to thee, for to say the
explanation of the repentance which said the Pistis Sophia.
Answered Iohannes, said he, My Lord, the Saviour, concerning this
repentance which said the Pistis Sophia, prophesied once concerning it
thy power of Light which (was) in David in the hundred and first psalm,
O Lord hear my prayer and let my shout come even unto thee, turn not thy
face away from me, incline thine ear unto me at the day in which I shall
be afflicted. Hasten, hear me in the day (in) which I shall cry up unto
thee. Because my days failed as a smoke, and my bones burned as a stone.
I was scorched as grass, and my heart dried up so that I forgot [62^a]
to eat my bread, out of the shout of my groan my bone clave to my flesh,
I was as a pelican in the desert, I became as an owl in a house. I spent
night in watching: I was as a sparrow on a roof alone. Mine enemies
reproached me all the day, and those who honour me were swearing at me.
Because I ate ash instead of my bread, I mingled that which I shall
drink with tears at presence of thy anger with thy wrath; because thou
tookest me up, thou sentest me down. My days inclined as a shadow, and I
was dried as grass. But thou, O Lord, thou becometh even unto age, and
thy remembrance even unto a generation of a generation. Arise thou and
have compassion on Sion, because the time became of having compassion on
her: because the season came. Thy servants wish (for) her stones, and
they [62^b] will have compassion on her earth, and the heathen (will)
fear the name of the Lord, and the kings of the earth will fear thy
glory: because the Lord will build Sion and manifest in his glory. He
looked upon the prayer of those who are humble and he despised not their
supplication. Let them write this unto another generation, and the
people whom they will create will bless the Lord: because he looked out
upon his Height which is holy, the Lord looked out of the heaven upon
the earth to hear the groan of those who are bound, to unloose the sons
of those whom they put to death, to say the name of the Lord in Sion and
his blessing in Jerusalem. This is, my Lord, [is] the explanation of the
mystery (M) of the repentance which said the Pistis Sophia.
It happened therefore, Iohannes having finished saying these words unto
Jesus in the midst [63^a] of his disciples, said he to him: Well (done)
Iohannes the Virgin, this who will rule in the kingdom of the Light.
But added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened
also thus: the emanations of the Self-willed afflicted also the Pistis
Sophia in the Chaoses, they wished to take away all her light: and was
not yet completed her precept to bring her up from the Chaos, and the
command had not yet come to me from the First Mystery, for me to deliver
her from the Chaos. It happened therefore, having afflicted her all the
material emanations of the Self-Willed, she cried out, saying the fifth
Repentance, saying: O Light of my salvation, I hymn unto thee in the
Place of the Height, and also [63^b] in the Chaos. I shall hymn unto
thee in my hymn. I hymned unto thee in the Height, and that in which I
hymned unto thee while I am being in the Chaos, let it come before thy
face; and take heed, O Light, unto my repentance, because my power was
full of darkness and my light came down unto the Chaos. I became also as
the Ruler of the Chaos, those who are going unto the darkness below. I
became as a material body which has not him who will deliver him in the
Height. I became also as (things of) matter from which they took away
their power, casting in the Chaos these which thou didst not deliver,
and they perished by thy precept. Now therefore, they put me in the
darkness (M) below, in darknesses and in (things of) matter being dead,
and there being not power in them. Thou broughtest thy precept upon me,
and with every [64^a] thing which thou orderest: and thy spirit ran
(away), it left me, and also through thy precept helped me not the
emanations of my Aeon, and they hated me and they ceased from me; and
also I perished, not for ever; and my light was diminished in me: and I
cried up unto the Light in all the light which is in me, and I spread my
hands up unto thee. Now therefore, O Light, wilt thou not complete thy
precept in the Chaos? And the deliverers those who are coming according
to thy precept, will they not arise in the darkness and come and be
disciples to thee? Will they not say the mystery of thy name in the
Chaos (or otherwise rather will they say thy name in a matter of Chaos)
this in which thou wilt not purify? But I [64^b] hymned up unto thee, O
Light and my repentance will attain thee up unto the Height. Let thy
Light come upon me, because they took away my light from me. And I
became in tribulations because of the light, since the time (in) which
they emanated me. And I having looked at the Height unto the light, I
looked down unto the power of light which (is) in the Chaos. I arose I
came down: thy precept came upon me, and the fears which thou orderedst
unto me disturbed me, and they surrounded me being numerous as water,
they laid hold on me together in all my time: and by thy precept thou
didst not let my fellow emanations to help me, and thou didst not let my
partner to deliver me out of my afflictions. This [65^a] therefore is
the fifth repentance which said the Pistis Sophia in the Chaos, they
having finished afflicting her, all the material emanations of the
Self-willed.
These therefore, while Jesus is saying unto his disciples said he to
them, He who hath ear to hear let him hear, and he whose spirit is
bubbling in him, let him come forward and say the explanation of the
meaning of the fifth repentance of the Pistis Sophia. And Jesus having
finished saying these words, sprang up Philippos, he stood up, he put
down the book which (is) in his hand; for he it is who writeth every
word which Jesus was saying, and with all the (things) which he is
doing: came therefore forward Philippos, [65^b] said he to him, My Lord,
Am I not alone he to whom thou gavest for me to take care of the World,
and to write every word which thou wilt say, and with those which thou
wilt do. And thou lettest me not come forward, that I may say the
explanation of the mysteries of the repentance of the Pistis Sophia? For
my spirit bubbled in me for many times, and was unloosed and compelled
me greatly for to come forward that I may say the explanation of the
repentance of the Pistis Sophia, and I was not able to come forward,
because that I am he who writeth every word.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard Philippos, said he to him,
Hear O Philippos the happy, that I may speak with thee, because thou
with Thomas with Maththaios are those to whom it was given by the First
Mystery to write every word which I shall say, [66^a] with the (things)
which I shall do, and with every thing which ye will see. But as for
thee, was not yet completed until now the number of the words which thou
wilt write. Whenever therefore they should be completed, thou wilt come
forward and utter that which thou willest. Now therefore ye are the
three, those who will write every word which I shall say, with the
(things) which I shall do, with the (things) which I shall see, and that
I may bear witness of everything of the kingdom of the heavens.
These therefore having said them Jesus, said he to his disciples, He who
hath ear to hear let him hear. Sprang up again in front Mariham, she
came unto the midst, she stood by Philippos, said she to Jesus, My Lord,
hath ear my companion of light, and I prepare me to hear out of my
power, and I understood the words [66^b] which thou saidst. Now
therefore, My Lord, hear that I may say it boldly. Thou saidst to us, He
who hath ear to hear let him hear. Concerning the word which thou saidst
unto Philippos, Thou with Thomas with Maththaios are those three to whom
it was given by the First Mystery to write every word of the kingdom of
the Light, and (to) bear witness to them: hear therefore that I may
utter the explanation of this word, this (is) that which thy power of
light prophesied once by Mōysēs, that by witness (of) two and three
every thing will be established. The three witnesses are Philippos with
Thomas with Maththaios. It happened therefore, Jesus having heard this
word, said he, Well (done) Maria, this is the explanation [67^a] of the
word. Now therefore thou Philippos, Come forward and utter the
explanation of the mystery of the fifth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
And afterwards sit (down) and write every word which I shall say, until
is completed the number of thy part which thou wilt write in the words
of the kingdom of the Light. After these (things) thou shalt come
forward and say that which thy spirit will understand. Nevertheless
therefore now utter the explanation of the mystery of the fifth
repentance of the Pistis Sophia.