words with which hymned the Pistis Sophia, thy power of light prophesied
them by David, My soul, bless the Lord, all those which (are) in my
inward part bless his name which is holy. My soul, bless the Lord and
forget not all his recompenses: he who forgiveth all thy unlawfulness;
he who healeth all thy sicknesses. He who redeemeth thy life out of the
destruction. He who giveth a crown of mercy upon thy head and (of)
compassion. He who satiateth thy wish with good; thy youth (he) will
make new as that of an eagle, namely, that the Sophia will become as the
Invisibles which are at the Height: [152^b] having said therefore, As an
eagle, because that the dwelling of the eagles is being in the height,
and the Invisibles (are) also in the Height, namely, that the Sophia
will become light as the Invisibles, as she was from her beginning. It
happened therefore, the First Mystery having heard these words, saying
them Maria, said he, Well (done), O Maria the happy. It happened
therefore after these things added also in the word the First Mystery,
said he to the disciples, I took away the Pistis Sophia, I brought her
up unto a Place being below the thirteenth Aeon, and I gave to her a new
mystery of the light which is not that of her Aeon, the Place of the
Invisibles. And also I gave [153^a] to her a hymn of the light, that
should not be able to prevail against her from this hour the Rulers of
the Aeons. And I put her in that Place, until I come for her and take
her unto her Place which is at the Height. It happened therefore, I
having put her in that Place, she said also this hymn saying thus, In
faith I believed the Light, and he remembered me, he heard my hymn: he
brought my power up from the Chaos with the darkness below of all the
matter. And he brought me up, he put me in an Aeon being exalted, and
being firm. He put me on the road which goeth unto my Place, and he gave
to me a new mystery which not my Aeon is, and he gave to me [153^b] a
hymn of the light. Now therefore, O Light, all the Rulers will see the
(things) which thou diddest with me, and they (will) fear, and they
(will) believe the Light. This hymn therefore said the Pistis Sophia,
rejoicing because they brought her up from the Chaos. And they brought
her unto the Place which (is) below the thirteenth Aeon. Now therefore
he whose mind moveth him, understanding the explanation of the meaning
of the hymn, that which said the Pistis Sophia, let him come forward and
say it. Came forward Andreas, said he, My Lord, this is that which thy
power of light prophesied about it once by David: In patience I had
patience with the Lord, [154^a] he gave heed unto me, and he heard my
supplication. He brought my soul up from the pit of the misery with the
mire of the filth, he set my feet upon a rock, and he directed my
footsteps. He cast unto my mouth a new song, a blessing for our God.
There are many (who) will see and they (will) fear, and they (will) hope
in the Lord. It happened therefore, Andreas having uttered the meaning
of the Pistis Sophia, said he to him the First Mystery, Well (done)
Andrea the happy. But added also in the word, said he to the disciples,
These are all the words which happened to the Pistis Sophia. It happened
therefore, I having brought her unto the Place which is below of the
[154^b] thirteenth Aeon. I came being about to go unto the Light, and
cease (being) with her, said she to me, O Light of the Lights, being
thou about to go unto the Light and cease from being with me: and (is
about to) know the Adamas the tyrant, that thou ceasedst being with me,
and to know that becometh not he who will deliver me: he cometh also
unto me unto this Place, he with all his Rulers who hate me. And also
the Self-willed will give power to his emanation of face of lion, and
all (will) come and all oppress me at once, and (will) take away all my
light from me, and I (shall) become powerless. And also I (shall) become
lightless. Now therefore, O Light [155^a] and my Light, take away the
power of their light from them, that they may not be able to prevail to
oppress me from this hour. It happened therefore, I having heard these
words saying them the Pistis Sophia, I answered to her, saying, Not yet
did my Father command to me, he who emanated me out, for to take away
their light from them. But I shall seal (up) their Places of the
Self-willed with all his Rulers, these which hate thee, because thou
believedst the Light. And also I shall seal (up) the Places of the
Adamas with his Rulers, that they should not be able to war with thee,
until their time is fulfilled, and until [155^b] cometh the season, and
commandeth to me my Father, that I should take away their light from
them. But afterwards also said I to her. Hear and I (will) speak with
thee of their time in which these (things) will happen, namely, these
which I said to thee, They are about to happen whenever (the) three
times should be fulfilled. Answered the Pistis Sophia, said she to me, O
Light, whereby shall I know when (will) happen the three times, that I
might be glad and rejoice because approached the time for thee to lead
me unto my Place, and also I shall rejoice because came the time (when)
thou wilt take away the powers of light from all those who hate me,
because I [156^a] believed thy light? But I, I answered, said I to her,
Whenever thou wilt see the gate of the Treasury of the great Light, this
which is open unto the thirteenth Aeon, namely the Left, whenever they
should open that gate, then were fulfilled the three times. Answered
also the Sophia, said she, O Light, whereby shall I know, being in this
Place, that they opened that gate? But I, I answered, said I to her,
Whenever they open that gate, will know those who become in all the
Aeons, because of the great light which will become in all their Places:
nevertheless therefore, behold, I appointed that they should not dare
(to do) unto thee anything of evil, until were fulfilled [156^b] the
three times. But thou, thou shalt become having the authority to go up
unto their twelve Aeons at the time which thou wishest, and also thou
(wilt) return and come unto thy Place, this which is below the
thirteenth Aeon, this in which thou art becoming now. But thou wilt not
have authority to go in unto the gate of the Height, this which becometh
in the thirteenth Aeon, for thee to go in unto thy Place, this out of
which thou camest. Nevertheless therefore whenever should be fulfilled
the three times, will oppress thee the Self-willed with all his Rulers,
for them to take away thy light from thee, [157^a] he being angry with
thee, thinking that thou, thou restrained his power in the Chaos, and he
is thinking that thou, thou tookest away its light from it: he will be
exasperated against thee, for him to take away thy light from thee, that
he should send it unto the Chaos, and give it in unto his emanation
which is there, that it should be able to come up from the Chaos and
come unto his Place. But these will begin the Adamas. But I, I shall
take away all thy powers from him and give them to thee. And I shall
come and take them away. Now therefore whenever they should oppress thee
at that time, hymn up unto the Light, and I, I shall not fail thee for
to help thee. And I am coming (close) to thee quickly out of the Places
which are below. [157^b] And I am coming down unto their Places and take
away their light from them. I am coming unto this Place in which I put
thee, this which is below the thirteenth Aeon, until I lead thee unto
thy Place, this out of which thou camest.
It happened therefore, the Pistis Sophia having heard these words, I
saying them to her, she rejoiced in great joy. But I, I left her in the
Place which is below the thirteenth Aeon. I went unto the light, I
ceased from being with her. But all these words was the First Mystery
saying to the disciples, that they happened to the Pistis Sophia. And he
was sitting upon the hill of the Olives, saying all these words in the
midst of the disciples.
But he added also, said he to them, But it happened also [158^a] after
all these (things) while I am being in the World of the mankind, sitting
by the road which is this Place, which is the mountain of the Olives,
before that they dispatched my vesture, this which I left in the
twenty-fourth Mystery (reckoning) from within, but the First itself it
is (reckoning) from without, this which is that, the great
Uncontainable, this in which I shone, and before that I went unto the
Height to receive my other two vestures: sitting by you in this Place,
namely, the mountain of the Olives, was fulfilled the time which I said
to the Pistis Sophia, Will oppress thee the Adamas with all his Rulers.
It happened therefore, having happened that [158^b] time, but I, I was
becoming in the World of the mankind, sitting by you in this place which
is the mountain of the Olives, looked the Adamas out of the twelve
Aeons, he looked down unto the Place of the Chaos, he saw his power
demonic which (is) in the Chaos, in which there is not light at all,
because I had taken away its light from it: and he saw it being
darkness, and it was not possible to come unto his Place which is the
twelve Aeons. Remembered also the Adamas (about) the Pistis Sophia, and
he was angry with her greatly greatly, thinking that it (is) she who
restrained his power in the Chaos. [159^a] And thinking that it (is) she
who took away its light from it, and he was exasperated greatly, and he
added anger upon anger: he emanated out of him an emanation of darkness,
and with another cruel (power) of evil Chaos, that he might disturb the
Pistis Sophia with them.
And he fashioned a Place of darkness in his Place, that he should
oppress the Sophia with it. And he took multitudes of Rulers of his own,
they persecuted the Sophia, for to bring her unto the Chaos of darkness
which he fashioned. And for to oppress her in that Place. And for to
disturb her the two emanations of the darkness, these which emanated out
the Adamas, [159^b] until they took away all her light from her, and
until the Adamas took away the light of the Pistis Sophia, and gave it
to the two emanations which are cruel, and they took it unto the great
Chaos, which is below this which is dark, and they cast it in unto his
power of darkness which is chaotic, that perhaps it should be able to
come unto this Place: because that it had become dark greatly, because I
took away its power of light from it. It happened therefore, they having
persecuted the Pistis Sophia, she cried out also, she hymned up unto the
Light, since I said to her, Whenever they oppress thee and thou hymnest
up unto me I am coming quickly and I (will) help thee. It happened
therefore, they having oppressed her, but I, I was [160^a] sitting by
you in this place, which is the mountain of the Olives. She praised up
unto the Light, saying, O Light of the Lights, I believed thee. Deliver
me from these Rulers which are persecuting me, and help me
lest-at-anytime they may take away my light from me, as (did) the power
of face of lion. Because thy light becometh not with me, with thy
effluence of Light, for them to deliver me. Otherwise was angry with me
the Adamas, saying to me, Thou, thou restrainedst my power in the Chaos.
Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, if I did this (and) I restrained
it. If I did nothing of violence to that power. Or if I oppressed it as
it oppressed me, then (and, MS) shall take away my light from me, all
these [160^b] Rulers who persecute me, and they shall put me out, being
empty: and the enemy the Adamas shall persecute my power and seize it,
and he shall take away my light from me, and cast it in unto his power
of darkness, this which is in the Chaos: and he shall put my power in
the Chaos. Now therefore, O Light, seize me in thy anger, and exalt thy
power over my enemies, these who rose up against me at last. Speed,
vivify me according as thou saidst, I shall help thee.
It happened therefore, the First Mystery having finished saying these
words unto the disciples, said he, He who understood these words which I
said, let him come forward and utter their explanation. Came forward
Iakkobos said he, My Lord, [161^a] concerning this hymn, in which hymned
the Pistis Sophia, thy power of light prophesied them once by David in
the seventh psalm, O Lord, my God I trusted unto thee; save me from
those who persecute me and deliver me, lest-at-anytime he might carry
off my soul as a lion, there being not he who redeemeth and he who
delivereth. O Lord, my God, if I did this (thing) if there is violence
in my hands, if I repaid to those who repaid to me evil (things), may I
perish by my enemy, being empty: and may my enemies persecute my soul
and seize it: and trample my life down unto the earth and cause my glory
to become in the Chaos. Diapsalma. Rise (up), [161^b] O Lord, in thy
wrath: be exalted at the last to my enemies: rise up in the commandment
which thou orderedst.
It happened therefore, the First Mystery having heard these words,
saying them Iakkobos, said he, Well (done), Iakkobos the beloved. But
added also the First Mystery, said he to the disciples, It happened
therefore, the Pistis Sophia having finished saying the words of this
hymn she turned round to see, whether the Adamas turned backward with
his Rulers for to go unto their Aeon, and she saw (they saw, MS) them
running after her: she turned unto them, said she to them, Why do ye
persecute me saying, I have not help for him to deliver me from you. Now
therefore a judge of truth is [162^a] the Light and strong (he) is. But
he is compassionate until the time which he said to me, I am coming and
I (will) help thee, and he (will) not bring his wrath upon you at every
hour. And this is the time which he said to me. Now therefore if ye turn
not yourselves backward, and cease from persecuting me, the Light will
make ready his power, and he will make ready with all his powers, and he
made ready in his power for to take away your light which is in you, and
ye will become darkness: and his powers he fashioned them, for him to
take away your powers from you, and ye (will) perish. But these having
said them the Pistis Sophia, she looked unto the Place of the Adamas,
she saw the Place of dark [162^b] and of Chaos, this which he fashioned.
And also she saw the two emanations of darkness which (are) cruel
greatly, these which emanated them out the Adamas, that they should lay
hold on the Pistis Sophia, and should cast her down unto the Chaos,
which he fashioned, and should oppress her in that place, and should
disturb her, until they took away her light from her. It happened
therefore, the Pistis Sophia having seen those two emanations of
darkness and of the Place of darkness, these which fashioned the Adamas,
she feared and she cried up unto the Light saying, O Light, behold, was
angry the Adamas, the violent being, he fashioned an emanation of
darkness and [163^a] also he emanated out another (from) Chaos, and he
fashioned another dark and chaotic and he prepared it. Now therefore, O
Light, the Chaos which he fashioned for to cast me unto it, and (to)
take away my power of light from me, take away his from him; and the
thought which he thought for to take away my light, they will (take) his
from him; and the violence which he said for to take away my light from
me, take away all his (lights). These are the words which said the
Pistis Sophia in her hymn. Now therefore he who is sober in his spirit,
let him come forward and utter the explanation of the words (which said)
the Pistis Sophia in her hymn.
Came also forward Martha, said she, My Lord, I am sober [163^b] in my
spirit, and I understand the words which thou sayest: now therefore
command to me that I may utter their explanation in boldness. But
answered the First Mystery, said he to Martha, I command to thee Martha
for to utter the explanation of the words, these which said the Sophia
in her hymn. But answered Martha said she, My Lord, these are the words
which thy power of light prophesied once by David in the seventh psalm,
God is a judge of truth, strong, compassionate, being not wont to bring
his anger day by day: if ye turn not yourselves he will whet his sword,
he stretched his bow, he made (it) ready: he made ready in it [164^a]
weapons of death, his arrows he fashioned for those whom they will burn.
Behold, the violence travailed, he conceived trouble he brought forth
unlawfulness, he dug a pit, he excavated it, he will fall down unto the
hole which he fashioned, his trouble will turn upon his head and his
violence (is) coming upon the middle of his head. But these having said
them Martha, said he to her the First Mystery who looketh outwards, Well
(done and) fairly, Martha, the happy.
It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying unto his disciples
all the things which happened to the Pistis Sophia, being in the Chaos,
and with the manner (in) which she hymned up unto the Light, until he
delivered her and brought her up from the Chaos, [164^b] and brought her
in unto the twelve Aeon, and with the manner (in) which he delivered her
out of all her oppressions, with which oppressed her the Rulers of the
Chaoses, because that she lusted to go (close) to the Light.
Added again in the word Jesus, said he to his disciples, It happened
therefore after all these (things) I took away the Pistis Sophia, I
brought her in unto the thirteenth Aeon, I, shining greatly greatly,
there being not measure unto the light which was becoming from me, I
came in unto the Place of the twenty-four (fourth, MS) Invisibles, I,
shining greatly greatly; and they were disturbed with great disturbance:
they looked, they saw the Sophia who was being with me, they recognised
her. [165^a] But I, they recognised me not who I (was), but they were
thinking of me as of an emanation of the land of the Light. It happened
therefore, the Sophia having seen her fellow Invisibles, she rejoiced in
great joy, and she was delighted greatly; she wished to show to them the
wonders which I did with her below in the land of the mankind, until I
delivered her. She came up unto the midst of the Invisibles, she hymned
unto me in their midst, saying, I shall manifest to thee, O Light,
because thou art a Saviour, and thou art a redeemer at every time: I
shall hymn this hymn unto the Light because he delivered me: and he
delivered out of the hand of the Rulers [165^b] mine enemies. And thou
deliveredst me in all the Places, and thou deliveredst me from the
exaltation and the humiliation of the Chaoses, and from the Aeons of the
Rulers of the Sphere. And I having come out of the Height, I went astray
in Places, there being not light in them. I could not return into the
thirteenth Aeon my dwelling, because there is not light in me nor power,
my power was defective altogether, and the Light delivered me from all
my afflictions. I hymned up unto the Light, he heard me, they having
afflicted me. He guided me in the creation of the Aeons, for him to
bring me up unto the thirteenth Aeon, my dwelling. I shall manifest to
thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and (for) thy wonders in the
race of [166^a] the mankind, I having become deficient of my power, thou
gavest power to me, and I having become deficient of my light, thou
filledst me with light being purified. I became in the darkness with the
shadow of the Chaos, being bound in the bonds being cruel of the Chaos,
there being not light in me: because I exasperated the precept of the
Light, I transgressed, I gave anger to the precept of the Light, because
I came out of my Place: and I having come down, I was deficient of my
power, and I became lightless, and there was not any to help me: and in
their afflicting me I hymned up unto the Light, and he delivered me out
of all my afflictions: and also he burst all my bonds: he brought me up
from the darkness with the oppression of the Chaos. I shall manifest
[166^b] to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and thy wonders
happened in the race of the mankind. And thou brokest-in-pieces the
gates which (are) high of the darkness, and with the bars which (are)
cruel of the Chaos, and thou madest me go down from the Place, from
which I transgressed: and also they took away my power because I
transgressed, and I ceased from the mysteries, I came down in the gates
of the Chaos: and they having afflicted me, I hymned up unto the Light,
he delivered me out of all my afflictions. Thou dispatchedst thine
effluence, it gave power to me, and it delivered me out of all my
oppressions. I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst
me, and (for) thy wonders in [167^a] the race of the mankind. This
therefore is the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia, being in the midst
of the twenty-four Invisibles, wishing, for them all to know all the
wonders which I did with her, and wishing for them to know that I went
unto the World of the mankind. I gave to them the mysteries of the
Height. Now therefore he who is exalted in his understanding, let him
come forward, and say the explanation of the hymn which said the Pistis
Sophia. It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these words,
came forward Philippos, said he, Jesus My Lord, exalted is my
understanding and I understand the explanation of the hymn which said
the Sophia: prophesied [167^b] also about it once David the prophet,
saying in the hundred and sixth psalm, Manifest to the Lord that he is
kind, because unto age is his mercy, let those whom the Lord redeemed
say, This is he, he redeemed them out of the hand of their enemies: he
gathered them in from their countries, out of the east with the west
with the north with the sea. They went astray in the wilderness in a
place in which there is not water; they found not the road to the city
of their dwelling. Being hungry being thirsty their soul failed in them.
He delivered them out of their necessity. They cried up unto the Lord,
he heard them being distressed: he guided them unto a road, being
straight [168^a] for them to go up unto the Place of their dwelling, Let
them manifest to the Lord in his mercies, and his wonders among the sons
of the men: because he satisfied a soul, being hungry, a soul being
hungry he filled it with good. Those who sit in the darkness with the
shadow of the death, those who are bound in a poverty with the iron;
because he exasperated the word of God, they irritated the counsel of
him who is exalted: their heart was humbled in their tribulations; they
became weak and there was not he who helped them. They cried up unto the
Lord in their being distressed; he delivered them out of their
necessity, he brought them out of the darkness with the shadow of the
death, and he burst their bonds. Let them manifest to the Lord in his
mercies, and his wonders for the sons [168^b] of the men: because he
broke gates of brass, he shattered bars of iron: he received them unto
him in the road of their unlawfulness; for they were humiliated because
of their unlawfulness: their heart abhorred every (kind) of meat, they
approached unto the gates of the death. They cried up unto the Lord in
their being distressed, he delivered them out of their necessity: he
sent his word, he healed them, and he saved them out of their
tribulation. Let them manifest to the Lord in his mercy and his wonders
among the sons of the men. This therefore, my Lord is the explanation of
the hymn which said the Sophia. Hear therefore, my Lord that I may say
it plainly. The word indeed which said David, Manifest [169^a] to the
Lord because he is kind, because an eternal is his mercy. That is the
word which said the Sophia, I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because
thou art a Saviour, and thou art a redeemer at every time. And the word
which said David, Let those whom the Lord redeemed say this, He redeemed
them out of the hand of their enemies. That is the word which said the
Sophia, I shall say this hymn unto the Light, He delivered me; and he
delivered me out of the hand of the Rulers mine enemies, with the rest
also of the psalm. This therefore, my Lord is the explanation of the
hymn which said the Sophia in the midst of the twenty-four Invisibles,
wishing for them to know [169^b] all the wonders which I did with her,
and she wished for them to know, that thou gavest thy mysteries of the
race of the mankind.
It happened therefore, Jesus having heard these words, saying them
Philippos, said he, Well (done), O happy Philippos, this is the
explanation of the hymn which said the Sophia. It happened therefore
also after all these (things) came forward Mariham, she worshipped at
the feet of Jesus, said she, My Lord, be not angry with me seeking from
thee, because we are seeking after every thing in an exactness with a
certainty, for thou saidst unto us once, Seek that ye may find and knock
that they may open to you. For every one who seeketh will find, and
every one who knocketh [170^a] in, they will open to him. Now therefore,
my Lord, who is he whom I shall find, or who is he unto (whom) we shall
knock, or who, rather, is he for whom it is possible to say unto us the
answer to the words about which we shall seek (from) thee, or who,
rather, is he who knoweth the power of the words after which we shall
seek, because that in a mind thou gavest mind to us of the Light, and
thou gavest to us perception with a thought being exalted greatly?
Concerning this therefore there is not anyone becoming in the World of
the mankind, nor becoming in the Height of the Aeons, for whom it is
possible to say unto us the answer to the words which we seek after,
except thee alone, this who knoweth the Universe and who is complete in
the Universe. [170^b] Because that I was not seeking after the manner
(in) which seek the men of the World; but we are seeking indeed in the
knowledge of the Height, this which thou gavest to us, and we are
seeking also in the type of the search which is preferable, this which
thou taughtest us for to seek in it.