disciples [82^b]. It happened therefore also after these (things),
having oppressed the Pistis Sophia in the Chaos, the emanations of the
Self-willed, she said the ninth Repentance, saying, O Light, Smite those
who took away my power from me, and take away the power of those who
took away mine from me, because I am thy power with thy light. Come and
deliver me. Let a great darkness cover over those who oppress me. Say to
my power, I am he who will deliver thee. Let them be diminished of their
power, all these who wish to take away my light from me altogether. Let
them turn them unto the Chaos, and let them be powerless, those who wish
to take away my light from me altogether. Let their power become as
dust, and let smite them Ieou thy [83^a] angel; and whenever they should
set out to come unto the Height, let darkness catch them, and let them
slide down, and let them turn them unto the Chaos. And let persecute
them Ieou thy angel, and send them unto the darkness below. Because they
ensnared me with a power of face of lion, I having not done evil to
them, this (power) from which they will take away its light: they
oppressed the power which (is) in me, this which they will not be able
to take away. Now therefore, O Light, take away the purgations of the
light of the power of face of lion, it having not known: and the thought
which thought the Self-willed to take away my light, take away his own
also; and let them take away the light of the power of face of lion,
this which ensnareth me. My power itself will be cheerful in the light,
and it will rejoice because thou wilt deliver it. And will say all parts
of my power, There is not other deliverer except thee; because thou
[83^b] art he who will deliver me from the power of face of lion, this
which took away my power and my light from me, and thou art he who
delivereth me from those who took away my power from me with my light.
Because they stood against me, lying about me and saying, I know the
mystery of the Light which (is) in the Height, this which I believed,
and they compelled me, saying, Say unto us the mystery of the Light
which is in the Height, this indeed which I know not. And they repaid to
me all these evils, because that I believed the Light of the Height. And
they made my power lightless. But I, they having compelled me, I sat
down in the darkness, my soul being humbled in a lamentation. And, O
Light, because of whom I hymn up unto thee, Deliver me. I know that thou
wilt deliver me, because that I was doing thy wish since [84^a] becoming
in my Aeon. I was doing thy wish as the Invisibles who become in my
Place, and as my partner, and I was lamenting, gazing, seeking after thy
Light. Now therefore surrounded me all the emanations of the
Self-willed, and they rejoiced over me, and they oppressed me greatly,
while I know not (the cause?). And they ran (away) they ceased from me,
and they had not mercy upon me, they turned (back) also, they tempted
me, and they oppressed me in the great oppression: they gnashed their
teeth at me, wishing to take away my light from me altogether. How long
therefore, O Light, art thou bearing with them oppressing me? Deliver my
power out of their evil thoughts, and deliver me from the power of face
of lion, because I alone among the Invisibles am that which becometh in
this [84^b] Place. I shall hymn unto thee, O Light, being in the midst
of all those who collected unto me, and I shall cry up at thee in the
midst of all those who oppress me. Now therefore, O Light, let not
rejoice at me those who hate me, and who wish to take away my power from
me, these who hate me; who move their eyes at me, I having not done
anything to them. Because they were flattering me indeed in words fair,
seeking from me the mysteries of the Light, these which I know not;
saying unto me, being crafty unto me, and being angry with me because I
believed the Light which (is) in the Height. They opened their mouth
against me, said they, Yea, we shall take away her light. Now therefore,
O Light, thou knewest their guile. Bear not with them, and let not thy
help be far away [85^a] from me. Hasten, O Light. Do my judgment with my
avenging, and give judgment unto me in thy goodness. Now therefore, O
Light of the Lights, let them not take away my light from me, and let
them not say within them, Our power was satisfied with her light, and
let them not say, (We) swallowed (down) her power, but let darkness
rather come upon them, and let them be powerless, those who wish to take
away my light from me: and let them clothe them with Chaos and darkness,
those who say, We shall take away her light with her power. Now
therefore deliver me that I may rejoice, because I wish for the
thirteenth Aeon the Place of the righteousness. And I shall say at every
time, Shall make more light the light of Ieou thy angel, because I long
for the light, [85^b] and my tongue will hymn unto thee in thy knowledge
in all my time in the thirteenth Aeon.
It happened, Jesus having finished saying these words unto his
disciples, said he to them, He who is sober among you, let him utter
their explanation. Came forward Iakobos. He kissed the breast of Jesus,
said he, My Lord, was sober in me thy spirit, and I am ready to utter
their explanation. Concerning this indeed thy power prophesied once by
David in the thirty-fourth psalm, saying thus concerning the ninth
repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Give judgment, O Lord, unto those who
illtreat me, fight with those who fight with me: lay hold on a weapon
with a shield and arise to help me. Draw out a sword [86^a] and shut off
(the way) in the presence of those who afflict me. Say to my soul, I am
thy salvation: let them be ashamed and be disgraced those who seek after
my soul. Let them turn them back and be ashamed those who think unto me
evil (things). Let them be as the dust before a wind and the angel of
the Lord persecuting them. Let their road become darkness and slippery
and the angel of the Lord afflicting them. Because they hid unto me a
snare without cause unto their own destruction. And they reproached my
soul with that which is vain. Let come to them the snare which they know
not, and let seize them the trap which they hid for me, and they will
fall into this snare. But my soul will be glad over the Lord, and [86^b]
it will be cheerful over its salvation. All my bones will say, O Lord,
who is he who will be able to be like thee? Thou savest the poor (one)
from the hand of him who is stronger than he, and thou deliverest a poor
(one) with a miserable (one) from those who spoil him. Arose witnesses
of violence; they questioned me about the things which I know not: they
repaid to me evil (things) instead of good, (things) and childlessness
to my soul. But I, they having annoyed me, I clothed me with a sackcloth
and I humbled my soul in a fasting, my prayer will turn (back) into my
bosom. I was pleasing to thee, as he who is my neighbour, and as my
brother; and I humbled my(self) as he who lamenteth, and as he who
mourneth. They delighted [87^a] over me, and they were ashamed. Scourges
collected upon me, and I knew not. They were separated, and they were
not pained at heart. They tempted me and they derided me in derision,
they gnashed their teeth upon me. O Lord, when wilt thou look upon me?
Set up my soul out of their evil works, and deliver mine only sonship
from the lions. I shall manifest to thee, O Lord, in a congregation
which is many, and I shall bless thee in a people which hath not number.
Let them not rejoice at me, those who are enemies unto me in violence,
those who hate me without a cause, and they are winking with their eyes.
Because I indeed, they are wont to speak with me in words of peace, and
they are [87^b] wont to think in anger in guiles. They widened their
mouth upon me, and they said, Well (done) our eyes were full of sight of
him. Thou sawest, O Lord. Be not silent, O Lord, withdraw not thee from
me. Arise, O Lord, and give heed unto my judgment. Give heed unto my
avenging, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O Lord, according to my
righteousness: let them not rejoice at me, my God, nor let them say,
Well (done), our soul! Let them not say, We swallowed him (up). Let them
be ashamed and be disgraced together, those who rejoice over my evil.
Let them clothe them with shame with disgrace, those who say great words
against me. Let them be glad and be joyful, those who wish my
righteousness [88^a] and let them say, Let the Lord be great and be
exalted. Let them be exalted, those who wish the peace of his servant.
My tongue will be glad for thy righteousness with thy honour in all the
day.
These therefore having said them Iakobos, said he Jesus, Well (and)
fairly (done), Iakobos: this is the explanation of the ninth repentance
of the Pistis Sophia. Amen, amen I say to you, Ye will be first in unto
the kingdom of the heavens before all the Invisibles with all the Gods
with all the Rulers, these which become in the thirteenth Aeon and in
the twelve Aeons. But ye, not ye alone, [88^b] but every one also who
will do my mysteries. But these having said them, said he to them,
Understand ye in what manner I am speaking with you? Sprang up again
Mariham, said she, Yea, O Lord, This is that which thou saidst to us
once, The last (ones) will be first, and the first (will) be last. The
first (ones) therefore (are those) whom they fashioned before us, the
Invisibles. Since they it is, who became before the mankind, they with
the Rulers, and the men who will receive mysteries, will be first
(before) them in unto the kingdom of the heavens. Said he to her Jesus,
Well (done), Mariham. Added also Jesus, said he to his disciples, It
happened therefore, she having uttered [89^a] the ninth repentance the
Pistis Sophia, oppressed her again the power of face of lion, wishing to
take away every power from her. She cried also up unto the Light,
saying, O Light, whom I believed from at first, because of whom I
suffered these great tribulations, help me. And they accepted from her
her repentance at that hour: heard her the First Mystery and they
dispatched me by his command, I came to help her, I brought her up from
the Chaos, because she repented, and also because that she believed the
Light, she suffered these great tribulations with these great dangers,
(she was deceived) by the Self-willed God, and she was not deceived by
any work except [89^b] by a power of light, because of the likeness to
the light which she believed. Because of this therefore they dispatched
me by the command of the First Mystery for me to help her in
concealment: but that I should not yet come unto the Place of the Aeons
altogether. But I came out of all their midst, not any power knew (it),
neither those of the inward part of the inward parts, nor those of the
outward part of the outward, except the First Mystery only.
It happened therefore, I having come unto the Chaos to help her, she saw
me, I being comprehensible and enlightening greatly, becoming in
mercifulness toward her. For I was not being self-willed as the power of
face of lion, this which took away the power of light from the Sophia,
and also this which oppressed her to take away all the light which (is)
in her. [90^a] Saw therefore me enlightening, the Sophia, more than the
power of face of lion a number of ten thousand times, and I am becoming
in great mercifulness toward her. And she knew that I am out of the
Height of the Heights, this whose light she believed from at first. Was
confident of heart the Pistis Sophia, and she said the tenth Repentance,
saying, I cried up unto thee, O Light of the Lights, in my being
oppressed, thou heardest me. O Light, deliver my power out of lips of
violence and the unlawful, and out of snares of guile, O Light, that
which they will take away from me by a snare of guile, they would not
have brought it to thee. For the snares of the Self-willed are spread
abroad and with the traps of the unmerciful (ones). Woe [90^b] to me
indeed, because my place of dwelling was distant, and I became in the
places of dwelling of the Chaos: my power became in Places which are not
mine; and I flattered those unmerciful (ones): and whenever I should
flatter them they are wont to fight against me without a cause. These
therefore Jesus having said them to his disciples, said he to them, Now
therefore he whose spirit moveth him, let him come forward and say the
explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
Answered Petros, said he, O Lord, concerning this also thy power of
light prophesied by David once, saying in the hundred and nineteenth
psalm, I cried up unto thee, O Lord, in my being oppressed, thou
heardest me, O Lord, deliver my soul [91^a] out of lips of violence and
from a tongue of guile. What will they give to thee, and what will they
add unto thee with a tongue of guile? The arrows of the strong one are
sharp with the coals of the desert. Woe to me because my place of
dwelling became far away. I dwelt in the places of dwelling of Kedar. My
soul was made sojourner in a multitude of places. I was being peaceable
with those who hate the peace, whenever I should speak with them they
are wont to fight with me without a cause. This therefore now, O Lord,
is the explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia, that
which she said while are oppressing her the material emanations of the
Self-willed, they with his power of face of lion afflicted her greatly.
Said he [91^b] to him Jesus, Well (done) Petros and fairly (said). This
is the explanation of the tenth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
Added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened
therefore, having seen me the power of face of lion, I having come near
unto the Pistis Sophia enlightening greatly, it was angry unto the more,
and it emanated out of it other multitudes of emanations being fierce
greatly. These therefore having become, said the eleventh Repentance the
Pistis Sophia saying, Why exalted itself the power of the strong (one)
among evils? Its thought is taking away the light from me at every time;
and as iron they are cutting, [92^a] they took away a power from me. I
loved to come down unto the Chaos, more than to remain in the Place of
the thirteenth Aeon the Place of the righteousness; and they wished to
take me by guile, for to swallow down all my light. Because of this
therefore the Light will take away all their light, and (will) be
overthrown all their other matter and it will take away their light, and
not let them dwell in the thirteenth Aeon their place of dwelling, and
not leave their name in the Place of those who will live: and will see
the (things) which happened to thee O power of face of lion, the
twenty-four emanations, and they (will) fear and not be disobedient, but
they (will) give up the purgation of their light, and they will see
thee, and (will) rejoice over thee, and (will) say, Behold, an emanation
[92^b] which did not give up the purgation of its light, that it should
be delivered, but it boasteth itself in the multitude of the light of
its power, because that it did not emanate out of the power which is in
it, and it said, I shall take away the light of the Pistis Sophia, this
which they will not take from her. Now therefore he whose power was
exalted in him let him come forward and utter the explanation of the
eleventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
Then came forward Salome, said she, My Lord, concerning this thy power
of light prophesied once by David, saying in the fiftieth with one
psalm, Why doth the powerful boast himself in his wickedness? Thy tongue
meditateth the violence all the day; as a razor [93^a] being sharp thou
didst beguile. Thou lovedst the evil more than the good. Thou lovedst
the violence more than speaking of the righteousness. Thou lovedst all
the words of the deceit with a tongue of guile. Because of this God will
overthrow thee for ever, he will pluck thee up, and he (will) drag thee
out of thy abode: and he will tear (away) thy root, and he (will) cast
it outside of those who live. Diapsalma. The righteous will see and they
(will) fear and they will mock at him and they (will) say, Behold a man
who put not God to him for helper. But he trusted upon his wealth which
is much, and he presumed upon his vanity. But I, I am being as a tree of
olive yielder of fruit in the house of the God, I trusted unto the mercy
of God even unto age of the age. [93^b] And I shall manifest to thee
because thou workedst with me, and I have patience upon thy name because
kind it is in presence of thy holy (ones). This therefore now, my Lord,
is the explanation of the eleventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia, thy
power of light having moved me, I said it according to thy wish.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words which said them
Salome, said he, Well (done) Salome. Amen, amen I say to you, I shall
complete you in every mystery of the kingdom of the light. But added
also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore
after these (things) I drew near unto the Chaos enlightening greatly
greatly, that I should take away the light of that power of face of
lion: while I am enlightening [94^a] greatly, it (she MS.) feared and it
cried up unto its God Self-willed, for him to help it: and at that hour
looked out of the thirteenth Aeon the God Self-willed, he looked down
unto the Chaos being angry greatly, wishing to help his power of face of
lion, and at that hour surrounded the Pistis Sophia the power of face of
lion, itself with all its emanations, wishing to take away all the light
which (is) in the Sophia. It happened therefore, they having oppressed
the Sophia, she cried up unto the Height, crying up unto me for to help
her. It happened therefore, she having looked unto the Height she saw
the Self-willed being angry greatly, and she feared, she said the
twelfth [94^b] Repentance concerning the Self-willed (God) with his
emanations. But she cried up against me saying thus, Forget not, O
Light, my hymn; because opened mouths upon me the Self-willed with his
power of face of lion: they make guile unto me, and they surrounded me
wishing to take away my power; and they hated me because I hymned unto
thee. Instead of loving me, they slandered me. But I, I was hymning,
they plotted for to take away my power because I hymned unto thee, O
Light; and they hated me because I loved thee. Let the darkness come
upon the Self-willed, and let remain at his right (hand) the Ruler of
the Darkness which (is) outer: and in thy giving judgment unto him
[95^a] take away his power from him: and the work which he thought unto
himself to take away my light from me, thou shalt take away his own from
him: and let fail all his powers of his lights which (are) in him. And
let another take his greatness among the three Triple-powered: Let
become lightless all the powers of his emanations, and (let) his matter
become having not light in it. Let his emanations remain in the Chaos,
and (let) them not allow them to go unto their Place: let their light
fail which (is) in them, and allow them not to go up unto the thirteenth
Aeon their Place. Let [95^b] the Receiver, the purifier of the lights,
purify all the lights which become in the Self-willed, and let him take
them from him (them?). Let them lay hold upon his emanations, the Rulers
of the Darkness below; and let not any (one) accept him in his Place,
and let not any obey the power of his emanations in the Chaos: let them
take away the light which is in his emanations and (let) them blot out
their name in the thirteenth Aeon, and his own also (let) them take away
his name out of that Place for ever: and the power of face of lion let
them bring upon it the sin of him who emanated it in presence of the
Light, and (let) them not blot out the unlawfulness of the matter which
he sent out, (the Self-willed); [96^a] and their sin altogether shall
become in presence of the Light for ever; and (let) them not allow them
to see out; and (let) them take away their name from every Place.
Because that they spared me not, and they oppressed her (his, MS) whose
light they took away with her (his MS.) power. And furthermore those in
whom they planted me they wished to take away all my light from me: they
loved to come down unto the Chaos; they shall become in it, and they
shall not bring them up from this hour. They wished not the place of
dwelling of the Place of the righteousness, and they shall not receive
them unto it from this hour. He clothed him(self) with the darkness as
clothing, and it went into his belly as water, and it went into all his
powers as oil. [96^b] Let him wrap him(self) up in the Chaos as in a
garment, and (let) him bind him(self) with the darkness as with a girdle
of leather at every time. These (things) are happening to those who
brought these upon me because of the light, and those who said, Let us
take away all her power. But, thou, O Light, have compassion on me
because of the mystery of thy name; and save me in the kindness of thy
mercy: because that they took away my light with my power, and my power
was shaken within me, and I was not able to stand in their midst. I was
as matter which fell; they cast me unto this part and that, as a demon
being in the air. My power perished, because I have not mystery; and my
matter is worn out (?) because of my light, because they took it away.
And I, they were deriding me, [97^a] they are wont to look at me
beckoning unto me. Help me according to thy compassion. Now therefore he
whose spirit is ready, let him come forward and say the explanation of
the twelfth repentance of the Pistis Sophia.
But came forward Andreas, said he, My Lord, the Saviour, thy power of
light prophesied once by David concerning this repentance which said the
Pistis Sophia. And it said in the hundred with eight psalm, O God be not
silent unto my blessing, because the mouth of the sinner with the guile,
they opened their mouth upon me: they spake at me in a tongue of guile;
and they surrounded me in words [97^b] of hatred, and they fight with me
without a cause: instead of loving me. They slandered me, but I, I was
praying. They established against me evil (things) instead of good
(things), and a hatred instead of my love. Set up a sinner over him, and
let the Accuser stand at his right (hand). Whenever they should give
judgment unto him, let him (come) out being condemned, and let his
prayer become unto a sin. Let his days be shortened, and let another
take his episcopate. Let his sons be orphans, and let his wife be widow.
Let them turn out his children, and let them remove them away, and (let)
them beg. Let them cast them out of their houses. Let the usurer demand
[98^a] all the (things) which become to him; and let strangers rob all
his toils. Let there not become him who will help him; nor let
compassion become to his orphans. Let them blot his sons out, and let
them blot his name out in one generation. Let them remember the sin of
his fathers in presence of the Lord, and let them not blot out the
unlawfulness of his mother. Let them become in presence of the Lord at
every time. Let them scatter his remembrance out of the earth. Because
that he remembered not to do a mercy, and on the contrary he persecuted
a poor man and miserable, and he persecuted after one being [98^b]
pained at heart unto putting him to death. He loved the curse, and it
shall come to him. He did not wish the blessing, it shall be far from
him. He clothed him with the curse as a tunic, and it went unto his
inside as water, it was as oil in his bones. Let it become to him as
vesture which he will wrap about him, and as a girdle, being about to
gird him with it at every time. This is the work of those who slander
with the Lord and those who say contrary to lawful (things) against my
soul. But thou, O Lord, do mercy with me because of thy name. Save me
because I am poor and I am miserable: my heart was disturbed in my
inward part, they took me away from the midst, as a shadow which
declined. They drive me away [99^a] as locusts. My knees weakened in the
fasting, and my flesh changed because of (the want of) the oil. But I, I
became to them for reproach: they saw me, they moved their heads. Help
me, O Lord God, and save me according to thy mercy. Let them know that
this is thy hand, and thou, thou fashionedst it, O Lord. This therefore
is the explanation of the twelfth repentance, this which said the Pistis
Sophia being in the Chaos.
But added again Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened
also after these (things), cried up at me the Pistis Sophia, saying, O
Light of the Lights, I transgressed in the twelve [99^b] Aeons, I came
down from them. Because of this I said twelve Repentances according to
each one of the Aeons. Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, forgive to
me my transgressions, because great greatly it is, because I forsook the
Place of the Height, I came, I dwelt in the Place of the Chaos. These
therefore, having said them the Pistis Sophia, she added also in the
thirteenth Repentance, saying, Hear me while I hymn unto thee, O Light
of the Lights. Hear me saying the Repentance of the thirteenth Aeon, the
Place out of which I came down, that should be completed the thirteenth
Repentance of [100^a] the thirteenth Aeon: these Aeons which I
transgressed, I came down out of them. Now therefore, O Light of the
Lights, hear me while I hymn unto thee in the thirteenth Aeon, my Place
out of which I came. Deliver me, O Light, in thy great mystery, and
forgive my transgression in thy forgivingness. And give to me the
baptisms and forgive my sins, and cleanse me out of my transgression.
And my own transgression is the power of face of lion, this which shall
not be hidden from thee in every time, because I came down because of
it. And I, I transgressed alone among the Invisibles, in whose Place I
become. I came down unto the Chaos, [100^b] I transgressed before thee,
that thy precept should be completed. These therefore said the Pistis
Sophia. Now therefore, he whose spirit moveth him for to understand her
words, let him come forward and utter their meaning. Came forward
Martha, said she, O Lord, my spirit moveth me for to utter the
explanation of those (words) which said the Pistis Sophia. Thy power
prophesied once concerning them by David in the fiftieth psalm, saying
thus, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy. According
to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my sin. Wash me greatly out
of my unlawfulness. And my sin is in my presence [101^a] at every time:
that thou shouldst be justified in thy words, and conquer in thy giving
judgment unto me. This is the explanation of the words which said the
Pistis Sophia.