added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened
therefore, the Pistis Sophia having said these words, completed was the
time for bringing her up from the Chaos, and through my own self,
without the First Mystery I brought a power of light out of myself; I
sent it down unto the Chaos for it to bring the Pistis Sophia up from
the Place which is deep of the Chaos [101^b], and bring her unto the
Place which (is) upper of the Chaos, until the command (should) come out
from the First Mystery for them to bring her up from the Chaos
absolutely. And my power of light brought the Pistis Sophia up unto the
Places which (are) upward of the Chaos. It happened therefore, the
emanations of the Self-willed having known that they brought the Pistis
Sophia up unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos they again
persecuted her unto the high (part), wishing to take her again unto the
Places which (are) of the Chaos below. And was enlightening greatly my
power of light, this which I sent to bring the Pistis Sophia up from the
Chaos. It happened therefore, having persecuted the Sophia, the
emanations [102^a] of the Self-willed, they having brought her unto the
Places which (are) upward of the Chaos, she hymned again, and she cried
up at me saying, I shall hymn up unto thee, O Light, because I wished to
come (close) to thee. I shall hymn up unto thee, O Light, because thou
art my deliverer: leave me not in the Chaos: deliver me, O Light of the
Height, because thou art he unto whom I hymned: thou dispatched to me
thy light through thyself and thou deliveredst me: thou broughtest me
unto the Places which (are) upward of the Chaos. Let them fall therefore
below unto the Places which (are) beneath of the Chaos, the emanations
of the Self-willed, these which are persecuting me: and let them not
come unto the Places which (are) upward, for to [102^b] see me. And let
great darkness cover over them, and let come to them an obscurity of
darkness: and let them not see me in the light of thy power, this which
thou dispatchedst to me to deliver me, that they should not lay hold
upon me: and their plot which they thought for to take away my power,
let it not happen for them: and according as they spake of me to take
away my light from me, take away theirs also instead of mine. And they
said to take away all my light, and they were not able to take it away,
because thy power of light becometh indeed with me, because they plotted
without thy precept, O Light, because of this they were not able to take
away my [103^a] light, because that I believed the light, and I shall
not fear; and the light is my deliverer, and I shall not fear. Now
therefore he whose power is exalted, let him say the explanation of the
words which said the Pistis Sophia. But it happened, Jesus having
finished saying these words unto his disciples, came forward Salome,
said she, My Lord, my power forced me for to say the explanation of the
words which said the Pistis Sophia. Thy power prophesied once by Solomon
saying, I shall manifest to thee, O Lord, because thou art my God. Leave
me not, O Lord, because [103^b] thou art my hope: thou gavest to me thy
judgment without a cause, and I was delivered through thee. Let fall
those who are persecuting me; and let them not see me. Let a cloud of
smoke cover over their eyes, and a mist of air let it make darkness unto
them: and let them not see the day, that they should not lay hold on me.
Let become powerless their plot, and the (things) which they plotted let
them come upon themselves they deliberated unto a plot, and it did not
happen for them: and they conquered them though being mighty; and the
(things) which they prepared evilly fell down upon them. My hope (is)
being in the Lord, and I shall not fear: because thou art my God,
[104^a] my Saviour.
It happened therefore, Salome having finished saying these words, said
he to her, Jesus, Well (done) Salome and fairly: this is the explanation
of the words which said the Pistis Sophia.
But added also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened
therefore, the Pistis Sophia having finished saying these words in the
Chaos, I caused the power of Light which I sent to her for to deliver
her, I caused it to make a crown of light unto her head, that should not
be able to prevail against her from this hour the emanations of the
Self-willed. And it having made a crown of light unto her head, moved
all the matter which (are) evil, which (are) in her, and they were all
purged from her [104^b], they perished and they became in the Chaos,
looking at them the emanations of the Self-willed, and rejoicing at
them. And the purities of true light which (are) in the Sophia, her true
light combined to give power with the light of my power of Light, this
which made a crown for her head. It happened therefore also, while (my
power) surroundeth the true light which (is) in the Sophia, her true
light did not become outside of the crown of the power of the flame of
light, that should not steal it, the emanations of the Self-willed.
These (things) therefore having happened to her, the power of true light
which (is) in the Sophia began (and) hymned. But she hymned unto my
power of Light which became for a crown unto her head: [105^a] but she
hymned saying, The Light becometh for a crown unto my head, and I shall
not become outside it, that should not rob me the emanations of the
Self-willed: and (even) if should move all the matters, but I shall not
be moved: and (even) if should perish all my matters, and remain in the
Chaos, these which were seen by the emanations of the Self-willed. But I
shall not perish, because the light becometh with me, and I also become
with the light. But these words said the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore he
who understandeth the meaning of these words, let him come forward and
utter their explanation. But came forward Maria the mother of Jesus,
said she, My son according to the world, [105^b] my God and my Saviour
according to the Height, command to me and (let) me utter the
explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia. But answered
Jesus, said he, Thou also Maria, this (one) who tookest form which (is)
in the Barbelo according to the matter, and thou tookest likeness which
(is) in the Virgin of the Light according to the Light, thou with the
other Mariham the happy. And the darkness became because of thee, and
also came out of thee the body of the matter in which I am becoming,
this which I cleansed and I purified it. Now therefore I command to thee
for to utter the explanation of the words, these which said the Sophia.
But answered Maria the mother of Jesus, said she, My Lord, thy power of
light prophesied about these [106^a] words once by Solomon in his
nine(teenth) ode and said it, The Lord upon my head as a crown, and I
shall not become outside of him. They planted for me the crown of the
truth and he caused thy branches to burst forth in me: because he is not
being like to a crown drying up, which is not wont to burst forth; but
thou art living upon my head and thou bursteth forth over me, thy fruits
are full and they are completed, being full of thy salvation. It
happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words, which is saying
Maria his mother, said he to her, Well (done and) fairly. Amen, amen I
say to thee, Will call thee happy from (one) end of the world even unto
(the other) end, because [106^b] sojourned with thee the pledge (of) the
First Mystery: and through that pledge are about to be delivered all the
(things) of the earth with all the (things) of the Height. And that
pledge itself is the beginning and the end. But added also Jesus in the
word, said he to his disciples, It happened, having said the thirteenth
repentance the Pistis Sophia, from that hour indeed was completed the
precept of all the afflictions, these which they ordered unto the Pistis
Sophia because of the completion of the First Mystery, this which
becometh from at first; and came the time for them to deliver her from
the Chaos [107^a] and to bring her up from all the darknesses: for was
received (they received, MS) from her her repentance by the First
Mystery. And himself that Mystery, dispatched to me a great power of
Light out of the Height for me to help the Pistis Sophia and to bring
her up out of her Chaos. But I looked at the Height of Aeons, I saw the
power of Light which the First Mystery dispatched to me, that I should
deliver the Sophia from the Chaos. It happened therefore, I having seen
it coming out of the Aeons and rushing toward me, but I, I was being
over the Chaos, another power of Light came out of me also, that it
should help also the Pistis Sophia. And the power of [107^b] Light which
came out of the Height by the First Mystery came down upon the power of
Light which came out of me, and they met one another, they made a great
effluence of light. These therefore having said them Jesus to his
disciples, said he, Do ye understand in what manner I am speaking with
you? Sprang up again Mariham, said she, My Lord I understand what thou
art saying concerning the explanation of this word: thy power of light
prophesied once by David in the eighty-fourth psalm, saying, The mercy
with the truth met one another, and the righteousness with the peace
kissed one another. The truth burst forth out [108^a] of the earth and
the righteousness looked out of the heaven. The mercy therefore is the
power of Light which came by the First Mystery, because he heard the
Pistis Sophia, the First Mystery, he had mercy on her in all her
afflictions. The truth also is the power which came out of thee, because
that thou completedst the truth, for thee to deliver her from the Chaos.
And again the righteousness is the power which came by the First Mystery
which will steer the Pistis Sophia: and again the peace is the power
which came out of thee, because that it will go toward the emanations of
the Self-willed, and take away from them the lights, which they took
away from the Pistis Sophia, namely, that thou may gather them into the
Sophia [108^b] and make them at peace with her power. The truth also is
the power which came out of thee, thou being in the Place below of the
Chaos. Because of this, thy power said by David, The truth burst forth
out of the earth, because that thou art in the Place below of the Chaos.
The righteousness also which looked out of the heaven, that is the power
which came out of the Height by the First Mystery, this which went into
the Sophia.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words, said he, Well
(done), Mariham the happy, this (One) who will inherit all the kingdom
of the Light. After these (things) there came also forward Maria the
mother of Jesus, said she, My Lord [109^a] and my Saviour, command to me
also, for me to say this word of answer? Said he, Jesus, He whose spirit
will become understanding I forbid him not, but I urge him the more for
to say the meaning which moved him.
Now therefore Maria my mother according to the matter in which I
sojourned I command to thee, for thee to say also the meaning of the
word. But answered Maria, said she, My Lord, concerning the word which
thy power prophesied by David, The mercy with the truth met one another,
the righteousness with the peace, they kissed one another, the truth
burst forth in the earth, and the righteousness looked out of the
heaven. Thy power prophesied this word once concerning thee, thou being
yet little, before [109^b] the spirit came upon thee, thou being in a
vineyard with Ioseph came the spirit out of the Height, he came to me
into my house, being like to thee, and I was not knowing him, and I was
thinking that (it) is thou. And said to me the spirit, Where is Jesus my
brother that I may meet him? And he having said this to me, I was
puzzled, and I was thinking that (it) is a phantasm to the tempting me.
But I took him up I bound him unto the foot of my place of lying which
is in my house, until I should come to you out unto the field, thou with
Ioseph. And I having found thee in the vineyard, while Ioseph giveth the
vineyard unto the reed, it happened therefore, thou having heard me
saying the word to Ioseph, thou understoodest the word, thou rejoicedst,
and saidst thou, Where is he that I may see him or else I am remaining
[110^a] for him in this place? But it happened, Ioseph having heard thee
saying these words he was disturbed, and we came up together, we went
into the house: we found the spirit bound unto the place of lying, and
we looked at thee with him, we found thee being like to him, and was
loosened he who was bound unto the bed, he embraced thee, he kissed
thee, and thou also thou kissedst him, ye became only one. This
therefore is the word with its explanation. The mercy is the spirit
which came out of the Height by the First Mystery: because that he had
mercy on the race of the men, he dispatched his spirit for to forgive
the sins of all the world, and for them to receive mystery and inherit
the kingdom of the light. The truth also is the power which sojourned in
me, having come [110^b] out of the Barbelo, it became for thee for body
material and it preached of the Place of the truth. The righteousness is
thy spirit, this which brought the mysteries out of the Height for him
to give them to the race of the mankind. The peace also is the power
which sojourned in thy material body according to the World, this which
baptised the race of the mankind, until it made them stranger unto the
sin, and made them at peace with thy spirit, and become being at peace
with the emanations of the Light, namely, that the righteousness with
the peace kissed one another. And according as he said, The truth burst
forth out of the earth, but the truth is [111^a] thy material body, this
which burst forth from me according to the earth of the mankind, this
which preached of the Place of the truth (Coptic) of the Truth: and also
according as he said, The righteousness burst forth out of the heaven,
(so) the righteousness is the power which looked out of the Height, this
which will give the mysteries of the light to the race of the mankind,
and for them to become righteous and for them to be good, and inherit
the kingdom of the light. It happened therefore, Jesus having heard
these words which said Maria his mother, said he: Well (done and)
fairly, Maria. Came forward the other Maria, said she, My Lord, bear
with me, and be not angry with me. While thy mother was [111^b] speaking
with thee concerning the explanation of these words, my power disturbed
me for to come forward, and say also the explanation of these words.
Said he to her Jesus, I command to thee for to say their explanation.
Said she Maria, My Lord, the mercy and the truth met one another. The
mercy therefore is the spirit which came upon thee, thou having received
baptism by Iohannes: the mercy therefore is the spirit of the divinity,
this which came upon thee: he had mercy on the race of the mankind, he
came down, he met the power of Sabaoth the good, this which is in thee,
this which preached of the Places of the truth. But she said also, The
righteousness with the peace kissed one another. [112^a] The
righteousness therefore is the spirit of the Light, this which came upon
thee, this which brought the mysteries of the Height, for to give them
to the race of the mankind. The peace also is the power which (is) in
thee of Sabaoth the good, this which baptised (and) forgave to the race
of the mankind, and it made them at peace with the sons of the light.
And also according as thy power said by David, The truth burst forth in
the earth, namely, the power of the Sabaoth the good. He said, It burst
forth in the earth. This which burst forth in Maria thy mother the
native of earth. The righteousness also which looked out of the heaven,
that [112^b] is the spirit which (is) in the Height, this which brought
all the mysteries out of the Height, he gave them to the race of the
mankind, they became righteous and they became good, they inherited the
kingdom of the light. It happened therefore, Jesus having finished
hearing these words, saying them Mariham, said he, Well (done) Mariham,
inheritor of the light. Came again forward Maria the mother of Jesus,
she prostrated at his feet, she kissed them, and said she, My Lord and
my son and my Saviour, be not angry with me, but spare me that I may say
the explanation of these words another time. The mercy with the truth
met one another [113^a]. I am Maria thy mother with Elisabet the mother
of Iohannes, I met her: the mercy therefore is the power which (is) in
me of the Sabaoth: this which came out of me, namely thee, thou hadst
mercy on all the race of the mankind. The truth also is the power which
(is) in Elisabet, namely Iohannes, this who came, he preached of the way
of the truth, namely thee: who preached before thee. And again the mercy
with the truth which met one another, are thou my Lord who met Iohannes
on the day, thou being about to receive baptism (and Iohannes himself).
But thou also with Iohannes [113^b] are the righteousness with the peace
who kissed one another.
The truth burst forth out of the earth, and the righteousness looked out
of the heaven, namely, the time (at) which thou ministeredst to thy own
self: thou madest form of Gabriel, thou lookedst out upon me out of the
heaven, thou spakest with me, and thou having spoken with me, thou
burstedst forth in me, namely the truth, namely the power of Sabaoth the
good, this which becometh in thy material body, namely the truth which
burst forth out of the earth.
It happened therefore, [114^a] Jesus having heard these words, saying
them Maria his mother, said he: Well (done and) fairly. This is the
explanation of all the words, these which my power of light prophesied
about them once by David the prophet.
[_Written on the vacant page between the 1st and 2nd Documents._]
[114^b] But these are the names which I shall give from the Boundless
(One downwards). Write them with a sign, that the sons of God should be
manifested from this place (onwards). This is the name of the Deathless
(One) ααα ωωω. And this is the name of the sound by which the Perfect
Man was moved ιιι. But these are the interpretations of the names of
these Mysteries. The first is ααα. Its interpretation is φφφ. The second
is μμμ or is ωωω. Its interpretation is ααα. The third is ψψψ. Its
interpretation is οοο. The fourth is φφφ. Its interpretation is ννν. The
fifth is δδδ. Its interpretation is ααα. He who (is) upon the throne is
ααα. This is the interpretation of the second αααα αααα αααα. This is
the interpretation of the whole name.
THE SECOND DOCUMENT
THE SECOND TOME OF THE PISTIS SOPHIA
[115^a] Came also forward Iohannes, said he, O Lord, command to me also
for to say the explanation of the words which thy power of light
prophesied once by David. But answered Jesus, said he to Iohannes, Thou
also Iohannes I command to thee for to say the explanation of the words,
these which my power of light prophesied by David, The mercy with the
truth met one another, and the righteousness with the peace kissed one
another. The truth burst forth in the earth and the righteousness looked
out of the heaven. But answered Iohannes, said [115^b] he, This is the
word which thou saidst unto us once, I came out of the Height, I went in
unto Sabaoth the good. I embraced the power of light which (is) in him.
Now therefore the mercy with the truth which met one another: thou art
the mercy, which dispatched thee out of the Places of the Height by thy
Father, the First Mystery which looketh inward, having dispatched thee
for to have mercy on all the World. The truth also is the power of the
Sabaoth the good, this which planted itself in thee, this which thou
castedst in the Left, thou, the First Mystery which looked outward. And
received it the little Sabaoth the good, he cast it in unto the matter
of the Barbelo. [116^a] And he preached of the Place of the truth (of
the alethia) in all the Places of those on the Left. That matter
therefore of the Barbelo, that (is) which becometh to thee for body
to-day. And the righteousness with the peace which kissed one another:
the righteousness is thou, who broughtest all the mysteries out of thy
Father the First Mystery which looked in, and thou baptisedst the power
of the Sabaoth the good, and thou camest unto the Place of the Rulers;
thou gavest to them the mysteries of the Height: and they became
righteous and they became good. The peace also is the power of the
Sabaoth, this which itself is thy soul, this which went in unto the
matter [116^b] of the Barbelo. And all the Rulers of the six Aeons of
the Sabaoth (Iabraoth) made them at peace with the mystery of the light.
And the truth which burst forth in the earth: that is the power of the
Sabaoth the good. This which came out of the Place of the Right, this
which is outside of the Treasury of the Light. And it went unto the
Place of those on the Left, it went in unto the matter of the Barbelo,
and it preached to them the mysteries of the Place of the truth. The
righteousness also which looked out of the heaven: thou art the First
Mystery, which looked outward, having come out of the Spaces of the
Height with the Mysteries of the kingdom of the light, and [117^a] thou
camest down upon the vesture of the light, this which thou tookest from
the Barbelo, which is Jesus our Saviour, thou having come down upon him
as a dove.
It happened therefore when Iohannes had uttered these words, said he to
him, the First Mystery which looked outward, Well (done), Iohannes the
brother, the beloved. Added the First Mystery saying, It happened
therefore, the power which came out of the Height, which is I, whom my
Father dispatched, for me to deliver the Pistis Sophia from the Chaos. I
therefore with the power also which came out of me, and the soul which I
took from Sabaoth the good, they came close to one another [117^b], they
became one effluence of light which enlighteneth greatly greatly; I
called unto Gabriel down out of the Aeons, and with Mikhael through the
command of my Father the First Mystery who looked inward: I gave to them
the effluence of light, I caused them to go down unto the Chaos for to
help the Pistis Sophia, and (to) take away the powers of light, these
which the emanations of the Self-willed took away from her, (to) take
them away from them, and (to) give them to the Pistis Sophia. And
immediately they took the effluence of light down unto the Chaos, it
enlightened greatly greatly in all the Chaos. And it widened out in all
their Places: and having seen the great [118^a] light of that effluence,
the emanations of the Self-willed they feared one upon another, and that
effluence drew out of them all powers of light, these which they took
away from the Pistis Sophia. And were not able to dare the emanations of
the Self-willed to lay hold on that effluence of Light in the Chaos of
darkness, nor were they able to lay hold on her by art of the
Self-willed, this who laid hold on the emanations. And Gabriel with
Mikhael brought the effluence of Light upon the body of the matter of
the Pistis Sophia, and they cast in unto it all her lights which they
took away from her, and received all the light the body of her matter,
[118^b] and again received light all her powers which (are) in her,
these whose light they took away, and they ceased being diminished of
light, because they took up their light which they took away from them,
because that they gave the light to them through me. And Mikhael with
Gabriel, these who ministered to me, these who took the effluence of
light unto the Chaos, they will give to them the mysteries of the light:
they are those who were entrusted with the effluence of Light, this
which I gave to them, I took it unto the Chaos. And Gabriel (Mikhael
added in margin without ‘with’) did not take away for themselves any
from the lights of the Pistis Sophia, these which they took away from
the emanations of the Self-willed. It happened therefore, the effluence
of Light, it [119^a] having cast in unto the Pistis Sophia all her
powers of light, these which it took from the emanations of the
Self-willed, she became light all (over), and the other powers of light,
those which become in the Pistis Sophia, these which the emanations of
the Self-willed did not take away, they were cheerful again, and they
were filled with light: and the lights which they cast in unto the
Pistis Sophia vivified the body of her matter, this in which there is
not light, this which was about to perish, (or this which is wont to
perish), and they set up all her powers, these were about to dissolve:
and they received for them a power of light, they became as they were
being at first. [119^b] And again they were exalted in the perception of
light, and all the powers of light of the Sophia recognised one another
through the effluence of Light, and they were delivered by the light of
that effluence. And my effluence of Light, having taken away the lights
from the emanations of the Self-willed, these which they took from the
Pistis Sophia. It cast them in unto the Pistis Sophia, and it returned,
it came up from the Chaos. These (things) therefore while the First
Mystery is saying unto the disciples, that they happened to the Pistis
Sophia in the Chaos, answered, said he to them, Do ye understand in what
manner I am speaking with you?