A Gnostic Scripture

The Pistis Sophia is one of the most important surviving Gnostic scriptures — a vast post-resurrection dialogue in which Jesus reveals to his disciples the mysteries of the Light, the architecture of the heavens, and the fall and redemption of Sophia (Wisdom). Composed in Greek, probably in the latter half of the third century CE, and preserved only in a Coptic translation in the Askew Codex (British Library Add. MS 5114), it unfolds across four divisions: the first three recount the risen Christ's eleven-year teaching on the Mount of Olives, centring on Sophia's thirteen repentances and the cosmic drama of her rescue from the chaos; the fourth, an earlier and more archaic stratum, treats the mysteries of baptism, the punishments of sinners, and the fate of souls after death. Mary Magdalene dominates the questioning — speaking more than all other disciples combined — making this one of the earliest texts to centre a woman's voice in theological discourse. Translated from the Coptic by G.R.S. Mead (1921).

Chapter 1

It came to pass then, when the disciples were sitting together on the Mount of Olives, speaking of these words and rejoicing in great joy, and exulting exceedingly and saying one to another:

"Blessed are we before all men who are on the earth, because the Saviour hath revealed this unto us, and we have received the Fulness and the total completion,"--they said this to one another, while Jesus sat a little removed from them.

And it came to pass then, on the fifteenth day of the moon in the month Tybi, which is the day on which the moon is full, on that day then, when the sun had come forth in his going, that there came forth behind him a great light-power shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light conjoined with it. For it came out of the Light of lights, and it came out of the last mystery, which is the four-and-twentieth mystery, from within without,--those which are in the orders of the second space of the First Mystery. And that light-power came down over Jesus and surrounded him entirely, while he was seated removed from his disciples, and he had shone most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was on him.

And the disciples had not seen Jesus because of the great light in which he was, or which was about him; for their eyes were darkened because of the great light in which he was. But they saw only the light, which shot forth many light-rays.

And the light-rays were not like one another, but the light was of divers kind, and it was of divers type, from below upwards, one ray more excellent than the other, in one great immeasurable glory of light; it stretched from under the earth right up to heaven.--And when the disciples saw that light, they fell into great fear and great agitation.

Chapter 2

But the disciples sat together in fear and were in exceedingly great agitation and were afraid because of the great earthquake which took place, and they wept together, saying: "What will then be? Peradventure the Saviour will destroy all regions?" Thus saying, they wept together.

While they then said this and wept together, then, on the ninth hour of the morrow, the heavens opened, and they saw Jesus descend, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for his light in which he was. For he shone more radiantly than at the hour when he had ascended to the heavens, so that men in the world cannot describe the light which was on him; and it shot forth light-rays in great abundance, and there was no measure for its rays, and its light was not alike together, but it was of divers kind and of divers type, some rays being more excellent than others; and the whole light consisted together.

It was of threefold kind, and the one kind was more excellent than the other. The second, that in the midst, was more excellent than the first which was below, and the third, which was above them all, was more excellent than the two which were below. And the first glory, which was placed below them all, was like to the light which had come over Jesus before he had ascended into the heavens, and was like only itself in its light. And the three light-modes were of divers light-kinds, and they were of divers type, one being more excellent than the other.

Chapter 3

It came to pass then, when the disciples had heard this word, that they said: "Lord, if it be thou, withdraw thy light-glory into thyself that we may be able to stand; otherwise our eyes are darkened, and we are agitated, and the whole world also is in agitation because of the great light which is about thee."

Then Jesus drew to himself the glory of his light; and when this was done, all the disciples took courage, stepped forward to Jesus, fell down all together, adored him, rejoicing in great joy, and said unto him: "Rabbi, whither hast thou gone, or what was thy ministry on which thou hast gone, or wherefor rather were all these confusions and all the earth-quakings which have taken place?"

Then Jesus, the compassionate, said unto them: "Rejoice and exult from this hour on, for I have gone to the regions out of which I had come forth. From this day on then will I discourse with you in openness, from the beginning of the Truth unto its completion; and I will discourse with you face to face without similitude. From this hour on will I not hide anything from you of the height and of that of the region of Truth. For authority hath been given me through the Ineffable and through the First Mystery of all mysteries to speak with you, from the Beginning right up to the Fulness, both from within without and from without within. Hearken, therefore, that I may tell you all things.

"It came to pass, when I sat a little removed from you on the Mount of Olives, that I thought on the order of the ministry for the sake of which I was sent, that it was completed, and that the last mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from within without,--those which are in the second space of the First Mystery, in the orders of that space,--had not yet sent me my Vesture. It came to pass then, when I had known that the order of the ministry for the sake of which I had come, was completed, and that that mystery had not yet sent me my Vesture, which I had left behind in it, until its time was completed, thinking then this, I sat on the Mount of Olives a little removed from you.

Chapter 4

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said: "It came to pass then thereafter, that at the command of the First Mystery I looked down on the world of mankind and found Mary, who is called 'my mother' according to the body of matter. I spake with her in the type of Gabriēl, and when she had turned herself to the height towards me, I cast thence into her the first power which I had received from Barbēlō--that is the body which I have borne in the height. And instead of the soul I cast into her the power which I have received from the great Sabaōth, the Good, who is in the region of the Right.

"And the twelve powers of the twelve saviours of the Treasury of the Light which I had received from the twelve ministers of the Midst, I cast into the sphere of the rulers. And the decans of the rulers and their servitors thought that they were souls of the rulers; and the servitors brought them, they bound them into the body of your mothers. And ye have received your portion out of the power which the last Helper hath breathed into the Mixture, that power which is blended with all the invisibles and all rulers and all æons,--in a word, which is blended with the world of destruction which is the Mixture. This power, which from the beginning I brought out of myself, I have cast into the First Commandment, and the First Commandment cast a portion thereof into the great Light, and the great Light cast a portion of that which it had received, into the five Helpers, and the last Helper took a portion of that which it received, and cast it into the Mixture. And this portion is in all who are in the Mixture, as I have just said unto you."

This then Jesus said to his disciples on the Mount of Olives. Jesus continued again in the discourse with his disciples: "Rejoice and exult and add joy to your joy, for the times are completed for me to put on my Vesture, which hath been prepared for me from the beginning, which I left behind in the last mystery until the time of its completion. Now the time of its completion is the time when I shall be commanded through the First Mystery to discourse with you from the beginning of the Truth to the completion thereof, and from the interiors of the interiors to the exteriors of the exteriors, for the world will be saved through you. Rejoice then and exult, for ye are blessed before all men who are on the earth. It is ye who will save the whole world."

Chapter 5

"It came to pass then, when the sun had risen in the east, that a great light-power came down, in which was my Vesture, which I had left behind in the four-and-twentieth mystery, as I have said unto you. And I found a mystery in my Vesture, written in five words of those from the height: zama zama ōzza rachama ōzai,--whose solution is this:

"'O Mystery, which is without in the world, for whose sake the universe hath arisen,--this is the total outgoing and the total ascent, which hath emanated all emanations and all that is therein and for whose sake all mysteries and all their regions have arisen,--come hither unto us, for we are thy fellow-members. We are all with thyself; we are one and the same. Thou art the First Mystery, which existed from the beginning in the Ineffable before it came forth; and the name thereof are we all. Now, therefore, are we all come to meet thee at the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within; itself is a portion of us. Now, therefore, have we sent thee thy Vesture, which hath belonged to thee from the beginning, which thou hast left behind in the last limit, which also is the last mystery from within, until its time should be completed, according to the commandment of the First Mystery. Lo, its time is completed; put it on.

"'Come unto us, for we all draw nigh to thee to clothe thee with the First Mystery and all his glory, by commandment of himself, in that the First Mystery hath given us it, consisting of two vestures, to clothe thee therewith, besides the one which we have sent thee, for thou art worthy of them, since thou art prior to us, and existeth before us. For this cause, therefore, hath the First Mystery sent thee through us the mystery of all his glory, consisting of two vestures.

"'In the first is the whole glory of all the names of all mysteries and all emanations of the orders of the spaces of the Ineffable.

"'And in the second vesture is the whole glory of the name of all mysteries and all emanations which are in the orders of the two spaces of the First Mystery.

"'And in this vesture, which we have just sent thee, is the glory of the name of the mystery of the Revealer, which is the First Commandment, and of the mystery of the five Impressions, and of the mystery of the great Envoy of the Ineffable, who is the great Light, and of the mystery of the five Leaders, who are the five Helpers. There is further in this vesture the glory of the name of the mystery of all orders of the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and of their saviours, and of the mystery of the orders of the orders, which are the seven Amēns and the seven Voices and the five Trees and the three Amēns and the Twin-saviour, that is the Child of the Child, and of the mystery of the nine guards of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light. There is further therein the whole glory of the name of all those which are in the Right, and of all those which are in the Midst. And further there is therein the whole glory of the name of the great Invisible, which is the great Forefather, and the mystery of the three triple-powers and the mystery of their whole region and the mystery of all their invisibles and of all those who are in the thirteenth æon, and the name of the twelve æons and of all their rulers and all their archangels and all their angels and of all those who are in the twelve æons, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the Fate and in all the heavens, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the sphere, and of its firmaments and of all who are in them, and of all their regions.

"'Lo, therefore, we have sent thee this vesture, which no one knew from the First Commandment downwards, for the glory of its light was hidden in it, and the spheres and all regions up from the First Commandment downwards have not known it. Haste thee, therefore, clothe thyself with this vesture and come unto us. For we draw nigh unto thee, to clothe thee by command of the First Mystery with thy two vestures which existed for thee from the beginning with the First Mystery until the time appointed by the Ineffable is completed. Come, therefore, to us quickly, that we may put them on thee, until thou hast fulfilled the total ministry of the perfection of the First Mystery which is appointed by the Ineffable. Come, therefore, to us quickly, in order that we may clothe thee with them, according to the command of the First Mystery. For yet a little while, a very little while, and thou shalt come unto us and leave the world. Come, therefore, quickly, that thou mayest receive thy whole glory, that is the glory of the First Mystery.'

Chapter 6

"And I left that region behind me and ascended to the first sphere, shining most exceedingly, forty-and-nine-times more brightly than I had shone in the firmament. It came to pass then, when I had reached the gate of the first sphere, that its gates were shaken and opened of themselves at once.

"I entered into the houses of the sphere, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light that was about me. And all the rulers and all those who are in that sphere, fell into agitation one against another. And they saw the great light that was about me, and they gazed upon my vesture and saw thereon the mystery of their name. And they fell into still greater agitation, and were in great fear, saying: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And all their bonds were unloosed and their regions and their orders; and every one left his order, and they fell down all together, adored before me, or before my vesture, and all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.

Chapter 7

"And I left that region behind me and ascended to the great æons of the rulers and came before their veils and their gates, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve æons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord, and their gates opened one over against the other. And I entered into the æons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the light with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.

"And all the angels of the æons and their archangels and their rulers and their gods and their lords and their authorities and their tyrants and their powers and their light-sparks and their light-givers and their unpaired and their invisibles and their forefathers and their triple-powers saw me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. And they were thrown into agitation the one over against the other and great fear fell upon them, when they saw the great light that was about me. And in their great agitation and their great fear they withdrew as far as the region of the great invisible Forefather, and of the three great triple-powers. And because of the great fear of their agitation, the great Forefather, he and the three triple-powers, kept on running hither and thither in his region, and they could not close all their regions because of the great fear in which they were. And they agitated all their æons together and all their spheres and all their orders, fearing and being greatly agitated because of the great light which was about me--not of the former quality that it was about me when I was on the earth of mankind, when the light-vesture came over me,--for the world could not bear the light such as it was in its truth, else would the world at once be destroyed and all upon it,--but the light which was about me in the twelve æons was eight-thousand-and-seven-hundred-myriad times greater than that which was about me in the world among you.

Chapter 8

"It came to pass then, when I came into their region, that they mutinied and fought against the light. And I took the third of their power, in order that they should not be able to accomplish their evil deeds. And the Fate and the sphere, over which they rule, I have changed, and set them facing the left six months and accomplishing their influences, and I have set them turned another six months to the right and accomplishing their influences."

Chapter 9

Then said Mary to the Saviour: "My Lord, the word which thou hast spoken unto us: 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,' thou sayest in order that we may understand the word which thou hast spoken. Hearken, therefore, my Lord, that I may discourse in openness.

"The word which thou hast spoken: 'I have taken a third from the power of the rulers of all the æons, and changed their Fate and their sphere over which they rule, in order that, if the race of men invoke them in the mysteries--those which the angels who transgressed have taught them for the accomplishing of their evil and lawless deeds in the mystery of their sorcery,'--in order then that they may no more from this hour accomplish their lawless deeds, because thou hast taken their power from them and from their horoscope-casters and their consulters and from those who declare to the men in the world all things which shall come to pass, in order that they should no more from this hour know how to declare unto them any thing at all which will come to pass (for thou hast changed their spheres, and hast made them spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their influences, and another six months facing the right and accomplishing their influences),--concerning this word then, my Lord, the power which was in the prophet Isaiah, hath spoken thus and proclaimed aforetime in a spiritual similitude, discoursing on the 'Vision about Egypt': 'Where then, O Egypt, where are thy consulters and horoscope-casters and those who cry out of the earth and those who cry out of their belly? Let them then declare unto thee from now on the deeds which the lord Sabaōth will do!'

"The power then which was in the prophet Isaiah, prophesied before thou didst come, that thou wouldst take away the power of the rulers of the æons and wouldst change their sphere and their Fate, in order that they might know nothing from now on. For this cause it hath said also: 'Ye shall then know not of what the lord Sabaōth will do'; that is, none of the rulers will know what thou wilt do from now on,--for they are 'Egypt,' because they are matter. The power then which was in Isaiah, prophesied concerning thee aforetime, saying: 'From now on ye shall then know not what the lord Sabaōth will do.' Because of the light-power which thou didst receive from Sabaōth, the Good, who is in the region of the Right, and which is in thy material body to-day, for this cause then, my Lord Jesus, thou hast said unto us: 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,'--in order that thou mightest know whose heart is ardently raised to the kingdom of heaven."

Chapter 10

She said: "My Lord, will all the men who know the mystery of the magic of all the rulers of all the æons of the Fate and of those of the sphere, in the way in which the angels who transgressed have taught them, if they invoke them in their mysteries, that is in their evil magic, to the hindering of good deeds,--will they accomplish them henceforth from now on or not?"

Jesus answered and said unto Mary: "They will not accomplish them as they accomplished them from the beginning, because I have taken away a third of their power; but they will raise a loan from those who know the mysteries of the magic of the thirteenth æon. And if they invoke the mysteries of the magic of those who are in the thirteenth æon, they will accomplish them well and surely, because I have not taken away power from that region, according to the command of the First Mystery."

Chapter 11

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words, while Philip sat and wrote all the words that Jesus spake,--thereafter then it came to pass that Philip came forward, fell down and adored the feet of Jesus, saying: "My Lord and Saviour, grant me authority to discourse before thee and to question thee on this word, before thou discoursest with us concerning the regions whither thou didst go because of thy ministry."

And the compassionate Saviour answered and said unto Philip: "Authority is given thee to bring forward the word which thou willest."

And Philip answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, on account of what mystery hast thou changed the binding of the rulers and their æons and their Fate and their sphere and all their regions, and made them confounded in confusion on their path and deluded in their course? Hast thou then done this unto them for the salvation of the world or hast thou not?"

Chapter 12

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary, the fair in her discourse and the blessed one, came forward, fell at the feet of Jesus and said: "My Lord, suffer me that I speak before thee, and be not wroth with me, if oft I give thee trouble questioning thee."

The Saviour, full of compassion, answered and said unto Mary: "Speak the word which thou willest, and I will reveal it to thee in all openness."

Mary answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, in what way will the souls have delayed themselves here outside, and in what type will they be quickly purified?"

Chapter 13

"This then they accomplished continuously before their power was diminished in them and they waned and became exhausted, or powerless. It came to pass then, when they became powerless, that their power began to cease in them, so that they became exhausted in their power, and their light, which was in their region, ceased and their kingdom was destroyed, and the universe became quickly raised up.

"It came to pass then, when they had perceived this at the time, and when the number of the cipher of Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light, happened, then had he to come out again and enter into the midst of the rulers of all the æons and into the midst of all the rulers of the Fate and of those of the sphere; and he threw them into agitation, and made them quickly abandon their circles. And forthwith they were constrained, and cast forth the power out of themselves, out of the breath of their mouth and the tears of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.

"And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light, purifieth them, as he doth continually; he carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light. And all the rulers of the æons and the rulers of the Fate and those of the sphere turn to the matter of their refuse; they devour it and do not let it go and become souls in the world. They devour then their matter, so that they may not become powerless and exhausted and their power cease in them and their kingdom become destroyed, but in order that they may delay and linger a long time until the completion of the number of the perfect souls who shall be in the Treasury of the Light.

Chapter 14

And Jesus continued again in his discourse and said unto his disciples: "Hearken concerning the things which befell me among the rulers of the twelve æons and all their rulers and their lords and their authorities and their angels and their archangels. When then they had seen the vesture of light which was about me, they and their unpaired, then every one of them saw the mystery of his name, that it was on my vesture of light, which was about me. They fell down all together, adored the vesture of light which was about me, and cried out all together, saying: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing it?' And they all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors. And all their triple-powers and their great forefathers and their ungenerated and their self-generated and their generated and their gods and their light-sparks and their light-bearers--in a word all their great ones--saw the tyrants of their region, that their power was diminished in them. And they were in weakness and themselves fell into great and immeasurable fear. And they gazed on the mystery of their name on my vesture, and they had set out to come and adore the mystery of their name which was on my vesture, and they could not because of the great light which was about me; but they adored a little removed from me, and they adored the light of my vesture and all cried out together, singing praises to the interiors of the interiors.

"It came to pass then, when this befell among the tyrants who are below these rulers, that they all lost power and fell down to the ground in their æons and became as the dead world-dwellers with no breath in them, as they became in the hour when I took from them their power.

"It came to pass then thereafter, when I left those æons, that every one of all those who were in the twelve æons, was bound to their order all together, and they accomplished their works as I have established them, so that they spend six months turned to the left and accomplishing their works in their squares and their triangles and in those which are in their aspect, and that further they spend another six months facing to the right and towards their triangles and their squares and those which are in their aspect. Thus then will those who are in the Fate and in the sphere travel.

Chapter 15

It came to pass then, that Mary came forward and said: "My Lord, I have heard thee say aforetime: 'Pistis Sophia is herself one of the four-and-twenty emanations, how then is she not in their region? But thou hast said: 'I found her below the thirteenth æon.'"

[The Story of Pistis Sophia]

And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass, when Pistis Sophia was in the thirteenth æon, in the region of all her brethren the invisibles, that is the four-and-twenty emanations of the great Invisible,--it came to pass then by command of the First Mystery that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height. She saw the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she longed to reach to that region, and she could not reach to that region. But she ceased to perform the mystery of the thirteenth æon, and sang praises to the light of the height, which she had seen in the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light.

"It came to pass then, when she sang praises to the region of the height, that all the rulers in the twelve æons, who are below, hated her, because she had ceased from their mysteries, and because she had desired to go into the height and be above them all. For this cause then they were enraged against her and hated her, as did the great triple-powered Self-willed, that is the third triple-power, who is in the thirteenth æon, he who had become disobedient, in as much as he had not emanated the whole purification of his power in him, and had not given the purification of his light at the time when the rulers gave their purification, in that he desired to rule over the whole thirteenth æon and those who are below it.

"It came to pass then, when the rulers of the twelve æons were enraged against Pistis Sophia, who is above them, and hated her exceedingly, that the great triple-powered Self-willed, of whom I have just now told you, joined himself to the rulers of the twelve æons, and also was enraged against Pistis Sophia and hated her exceedingly, because she had thought to go to the light which is higher than her. And he emanated out of himself a great lion-faced power, and out of his matter in him he emanated a host of other very violent material emanations, and sent them into the regions below, to the parts of the chaos, in order that they might there lie in wait for Pistis Sophia and take away her power out of her, because she thought to go to the height which is above them all, and moreover she had ceased to perform their mystery, and lamented continuously and sought after the light which she had seen. And the rulers who abide, or persist, in performing the mystery, hated her, and all the guards who are at the gates of the æons, hated her also.

"It came to pass then thereafter by command of the First Commandment that the great triple-powered Self-willed, who is one of the three triple-powers, pursued Sophia in the thirteenth æon, in order that she should look towards the parts below, so that she might see in that region his lion-faced light-power and long after it and go to that region, so that her light might be taken from her.

Chapter 16

"And Pistis Sophia cried out most exceedingly, she cried to the Light of lights which she had seen from the beginning, in which she had had faith, and uttered this repentance, saying thus:

"'1. O Light of lights, in whom I have had faith from the beginning, hearken now then, O Light, unto my repentance. Save me, O Light, for evil thoughts have entered into me.

"'2. I gazed, O Light, into the lower parts and saw there a light, thinking: I will go to that region, in order that I may take that light. And I went and found myself in the darkness which is in the chaos below, and I could no more speed thence and go to my region, for I was sore pressed by all the emanations of Self-willed, and the lion-faced power took away my light in me.

"'3. And I cried for help, but my voice hath not reached out of the darkness. And I looked unto the height, that the Light, in which I had had faith, might help me.

"'4. And when I looked unto the height, I saw all the rulers of the æons, how in their numbers they looked down on me and rejoiced over me, though I had done them no ill; but they hated me without a cause. And when the emanations of Self-willed saw the rulers of the æons rejoicing over me, they knew that the rulers of the æons would not come to my aid; and those emanations which sore pressed me with violence, took courage, and the light which I had not taken from them, they have taken from me.

"'5. Now, therefore, O Light of Truth, thou knowest that I have done this in my innocence, thinking that the lion-faced light-power belonged to thee; and the sin which I have done is open before thee.

"'6. Suffer me no more to lack, O Lord, for I have had faith in thy light from the beginning; O Lord, O Light of the powers, suffer me no more to lack my light.

"'7. For because of thy inducement and for the sake of thy light am I fallen into this oppression, and shame hath covered me.

"'8. And because of the illusion of thy light, I am become a stranger to my brethren, the invisibles, and to the great emanations of Barbēlō.

"'9. This hath befallen me, O Light, because I have been zealous for thy abode; and the wrath of Self-willed is come upon me--of him who had not hearkened unto thy command to emanate from the emanation of his power--because I was in his æon without performing his mystery.

"'10. And all the rulers of the æons mocked me.

"'11. And I was in that region, mourning and seeking after the light which I had seen in the height.

"'12. And the guards of the gates of the æons searched for me, and all who remain in their mystery mocked me.

"'13. But I looked up unto the height towards thee and had faith in thee. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, I am sore pressed in the darkness of chaos. If now thou wilt come to save me,--great is thy mercy,--then hear me in truth and save me.

"'14. Save me out of the matter of this darkness, that I may not be submerged therein, that I may be saved from the emanations of god Self-willed which press me sore, and from their evil doings.

"'15. Let not this darkness submerge me, and let not this lion-faced power entirely devour the whole of my power, and let not this chaos shroud my power.

"'16. Hear me, O Light, for thy grace is precious, and look down upon me according to the great mercy of thy Light.

"'17. Turn not thy face from me, for I am exceedingly tormented.

"'18. Haste thee, hearken unto me and save my power.

"'19. Save me because of the rulers who hate me, for thou knowest my sore oppression and my torment and the torment of my power which they have taken from me. They who have set me in all this evil are before thee; deal with them according to thy good pleasure.

"'20. My power looked forth from the midst of the chaos and from the midst of the darkness, and I waited for my pair, that he should come and fight for me, and he came not, and I looked that he should come and lend me power, and I found him not.

"'21. And when I sought the light, they gave me darkness; and when I sought my power, they gave me matter.

"'22. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, may the darkness and the matter which the emanations of Self-willed have brought upon me, be unto them for a snare, and may they be ensnared therein, and recompense them and may they be made to stumble and not come into the region of their Self-willed.

"'23. May they remain in the darkness and not behold the light; may they behold the chaos for ever, and let them not look unto the height.

"'24. Bring upon them their revenge, and may thy judgment lay hold upon them.

"'25. Let them not henceforth come into their region to their god Self-willed, and let not his emanations henceforth come into their regions; for their god is impious and self-willed, and he thought that he had done this evil of himself, not knowing that, had I not been brought low according to thy command, he would not have had any authority over me.

"'26. But when thou hadst by thy command brought me low, they pursued me the more, and their emanations added pain to my humiliation.

"'27. And they have taken light-power from me and fallen again to pressing me sore, in order to take away all the light in me. Because of this in which they have set me, let them not ascend to the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness.

"'28. But let them not be reckoned in the lot of those who purify themselves and the light, and let them not be reckoned with those who will quickly repent, that they may quickly receive mysteries in the Light.

"'29. For they have taken my light from me, and my power hath begun to cease in me and I am destitute of my light.

"'30. Now, therefore, O Light, which is in thee and is with me, I sing praises to thy name, O Light, in glory.

"'31. May my song of praise please thee, O Light, as an excellent mystery, which leadeth to the gates of the Light, which they who shall repent will utter, and the light of which will purify them.

"'32. Now, therefore, let all matters rejoice; seek ye all the Light, that the power of the stars which is in you, may live.

"'33. For the Light hath heard the matters, nor will it leave any without having purified them.

"'34. Let the souls and the matters praise the Lord of all æons, and let the matters and all that is in them praise him.

"'35. For God shall save their soul from all matters, and a city shall be prepared in the Light, and all the souls who are saved, will dwell in that city and will inherit it.

"'36. And the soul of them who shall receive mysteries will abide in that region, and they who have received mysteries in its name will abide therein.'"

Chapter 17

It came to pass then, when Mary had finished speaking these words unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples, that she said unto him: "My Lord, this is the solution of the mystery of the repentance of Pistis Sophia."
It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary speak these words, that he said unto her: "Well said, Mary, blessed one, the fulness, or all-blessed fulness, thou who shalt be sung of as blessed in all generations."

Chapter 18

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: "Do ye understand in what manner I discourse with you?"

And Peter started forward and said unto Jesus:

"My Lord, we will not endure this woman, for she taketh the opportunity from us and hath let none of us speak, but she discourseth many times."

And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: "Let him in whom the power of his spirit shall seethe, so that he understandeth what I say, come forward and speak. But now, Peter, I see thy power in thee, that it understandeth the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Now, therefore, Peter, speak the thought of her repentance in the midst of thy brethren."

And Peter answered and said unto Jesus "O Lord, give ear that I may speak the thought of her repentance, of which aforetime thy power prophesied through the prophet David, uttering her repentance in the seventieth Psalm:

"'1. O God, my God, I have trusted in thee, let me no more be put to shame for ever.

"'2. Save me in thy righteousness and set me free; incline thine ear unto me and save me.

"'3. Be unto me a strong God and a firm place to save me; for thou art my strength and my refuge.

"'4. My God, save me from the hand of the sinner and from the hand of the transgressor and from the impious [one].

"'5. For thou art my endurance, O Lord, thou art my hope from my youth up.

"'6. I have trusted myself to thee from my mother's womb; thou hast brought me out of my mother's womb. My remembrance is ever in thee.

"'7. I have become as the crazy for many;

thou art my help and my strength, thou art my deliverer, O Lord.

"'8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may praise the glory of thy splendour the whole day long.

"'9. Cast me not away in the time of age; if my soul fades, forsake me not.

"'10. For mine enemies have spoken evil against me and they who lay in wait for my soul, have taken counsel against my soul, "'11. Saying together: God hath forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no saviour.

"'12. God, give heed to my help.
"'13. Let them be ashamed and destroyed who calumniate my soul. Let them be enwrapped in shame and disgrace who seek evil against me.'
"This then is the solution of the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Chapter 19

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, saying: "This is the third repentance of Pistis Sophia," that he said unto them: "Let him in whom a sensitive spirit hath arisen, come forward and speak the thought of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

It came to pass then, before Jesus had finished speaking, that Martha came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them, cried aloud and wept with lamentation and in humbleness, saying: "My Lord, have mercy upon me and have compassion with me, and let me speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

And Jesus gave his hand unto Martha and said unto her: "Blessed is every one who humbleth himself, for on him they shall have mercy. Now, therefore, Martha, art thou blessed. But proclaim then the solution of the thought of the repentance of Pistis Sophia."

And Martha answered and said unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples: "Concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, O my Lord Jesus, of it thy light-power in David prophesied aforetime in the sixty-ninth Psalm, saying:

"'1. O Lord God, give heed to my help.

"'2. Let them be put to shame and con-founded who seek after my soul.

"'3. May they turn straightway and be put to shame, who say unto me: Ha, ha.

"'4. May all who seek thee, be joyful and exult because of thee, and they who love thy salvation, say ever: May God be exalted.

"'5. But I am wretched, I am poor; O Lord, help me. Thou art my helper and defence; O Lord, delay not.'

"This then is the solution of the third repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the height."

Chapter 20

It came to pass while Jesus spake these words unto his disciples, saying unto them: "This is the fourth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered; now, therefore, let him who understandeth, understand,"--it came to pass then, when Jesus had spoken these words, that John came forward, adored the breast of Jesus and said unto him: "My Lord, give commandment to me also, and grant me to speak the solution of the fourth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Jesus said unto John: "I give thee commandment, and I grant thee to speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

John answered and said: "My Lord and Saviour, concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, thy light-power which was in David, hath prophesied aforetime in the one-hundred-and-first Psalm:

"'1. Lord, give ear unto my supplication and let my voice reach unto thee.

"'2. Turn not away thy face from me; incline thine ear unto me in the day when I am oppressed; quickly give ear to me on the day when I shall cry unto thee.

"'3. For my days are vanished as smoke and my bones are parched as stone.

"'4. I am scorched as the grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.

"'5. From the voice of my groaning my bones cleaved to my flesh.

"'6. I am become as a pelican in the desert; I am become as a screech-owl in the house.

"'7. I have passed the night watching; I am become as a sparrow alone on the roof.

"'8. My enemies have reviled me all the day long, and they who honour me, have injured me.
"'9. For I have eaten ashes instead of my bread and mixed my drink with tears, "'10. Because of thy wrath and thy rage; for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down.

"'11. My days have declined as a shadow, and I am dried up as the grass, "'12. But thou, O Lord, thou endurest for ever, and thy remembrance unto the generation of generation[s].

"'13. Arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time is come to have mercy upon her; the proper time is come.

"'14. Thy servants have longed for her stones, and will take pity on her land.

"'15. And the nations will have fear of the name of the Lord, and the kings of the earth have fear of thy sovereignty.

"'16. For the Lord will build up Zion and reveal himself in his sovereignty.

"17. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their supplication.

"'18. This shall be recorded for another generation, and the people who shall be created will praise the Lord.
"'19. Because he hath looked down on his holy height; the Lord hath looked down from the heaven on the earth, "'20. To hear the sighing of those in chains, to loose the sons of those who are slain,

"'21. To proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem.'
"This, my Lord, is the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Chapter 21

When then Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he said unto them: "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear; and let him whose spirit seetheth up in him, come forward and speak the solution of the thought of the fifth repentance of Pistis Sophia."
And when Jesus had finished saying these words, Philip started forward, held up and laid down the book in his hand,--for he is the scribe of all the discourses which Jesus spake, and of all of that which he did,--Philip then came forward and said unto him: "My Lord, surely then it is not on me alone that thou hast enjoined to take care for the world and write down all the discourses which we shall speak and [all we shall] do? And thou hast not suffered me to come forward to speak the solution of the mysteries of the repentance of Pistis Sophia. For my spirit hath ofttimes seethed in me and been unloosed and constrained me to come forward and speak the solution of the repentance of Pistis Sophia; and I could not come forward because I am the scribe of all the discourses."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip, that he said unto him: "Hearken, Philip, blessed one, that I may discourse with thee; for it is thou and Thomas and Matthew on whom it is enjoined by the First Mystery to write all the discourses which I shall speak and [all which I shall] do, and all things which ye shall see. But as for thee, the number of the discourses which thou hast to write, is so far not yet completed. When it is then completed, thou art to come forward and proclaim what pleaseth thee. Now, therefore, ye three have to write down all the discourses which I shall speak and [all things which I shall] do and which ye shall see, in order that ye may bear witness to all things of the kingdom of heaven."

Chapter 22

Philip is commended and It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip speak these words, that he said: "Well said, Philip, well-beloved. Now, therefore, come, take thy seat and write thy portion of all the discourses which I shall speak, and [of all things which I shall] do, and of all that thou shalt see."

And forthwith Philip sat down and wrote.

It came to pass thereafter that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "Then did Pistis Sophia cry to the Light. It forgave her sin, in that she had left her region and gone down into the darkness. She uttered the sixth repentance, saying thus:

"'1. I have sung praises unto thee, O Light, in the darkness below.

"'2. Hearken unto my repentance, and may thy light give heed to the voice of my supplication.

"'3. O Light, if thou thinkest on my sin, I shall not be able to stand before thee, and thou wilt abandon me, "'4. For thou, O Light, art my saviour; because of the light of thy name I have had faith in thee, O Light.

"'5. And my power hath had faith in thy mystery; and moreover my power hath trusted in the Light when it was among those of the height; and it hath trusted in it when it was in the chaos below.

"'6. Let all the powers in me trust in the Light when I am in the darkness below, and may they again trust in the Light if they come into the region of the height.

"'7. For it is [the Light] which hath compassion on us and delivereth us; and a great saving mystery is in it.

"'8. And it will save all powers out of the chaos because of my transgression. For I have left my region and am come down into the chaos.'

"Now, therefore, whose mind is exalted, let him understand."

Chapter 23

Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass, when Pistis Sophia had finished uttering the sixth repentance for the forgiveness of her transgression, that she turned again to the height, to see if her sins were forgiven her, and to see whether they would lead her up out of the chaos. But by commandment of the First Mystery not yet was she hearkened to, so that her sin should be forgiven and she should be led up out of the chaos. When then she had turned to the height to see whether her repentance were accepted from her, she saw all the rulers of the twelve æons mocking at her and rejoicing over her because her repentance was not accepted from her. When then she saw that they mocked at her, she grieved exceedingly and lifted up her voice to the height in her seventh repentance, saying:
"'1. O Light, I have lifted up my power unto thee, my Light.
"'2. On thee have I had faith. Let me not be scorned; let not the rulers of the twelve æons, who hate me, rejoice over me.
"'3. For all who have faith in thee shall not be put to shame. Let them who have taken away my power, remain in darkness; and let them not get from it any profit, but let it be taken away from them.

"'4. O Light, show me thy ways, and I shall be saved in them; and show me thy paths, whereby I shall be saved out of the chaos.

"'5. And guide me in thy light, and let me know, O Light, that thou art my saviour. On thee will I trust the whole of my time.

"'6. Give heed that thou save me, O Light, for thy mercy endureth for ever.

"'7. As to my transgression, which I have committed from the beginning in my ignorance, put it not to my account, O Light, but rather save me through thy great mystery of the forgiveness of sins because of thy goodness, O Light.

"'8. For good and sincere is the Light. For this cause will it grant me my way, to be saved out of my transgression; "'9. And for my powers, which are diminished through the fear of the material emanations of Self-willed, will it draw near after its commandment, and will teach my powers, which are diminished because of the merciless, its gnosis.

"'10. For all gnoses of the Light are saving means and are mysteries for all who seek the regions of its Inheritance and its mysteries.
"'11. For the sake of the mystery of thy name, O Light, forgive my transgression, for it is great.
"'12. To every one who trusteth in the Light it will give the mystery which suiteth him; "'13. And his soul will abide in the regions of the Light and his power will inherit the Treasury of the Light.

"'14. The Light giveth power to them who have faith in it; and the name of its mystery belongeth to those who trust in it. And it will show them the region of the Inheritance, which is in the Treasury of the Light.

"'15. But I have ever had faith in the Light, for it will save my feet from the bonds of the darkness.

"'16. Give heed unto me, O Light, and save me, for they have taken away my name from me in the chaos.

"'17. Because of all the emanations my afflictions and my oppression have become exceedingly manifold. Save me out of my transgression and this darkness.

"'18. And look upon the grief of my oppression and forgive my transgression.

"'19. Give heed to the rulers of the twelve æons, who have hated me through jealousy.

"'20. Watch over my power and save me, and let me not remain in this darkness, for I have had faith in thee.

"'21. And they have made of me a great fool for having had faith in thee, O Light.

"'22. Now, therefore, O Light, save my powers from the emanations of Self-willed, by whom I am oppressed.'

"Now, therefore, who is sober, let him be sober."

When then Jesus had spoken this unto his disciples, Thomas came forward and said: "My Lord, I am sober, I am plentifully sober, and my spirit is ready in me, and I rejoice exceedingly that thou hast revealed these words unto us. But indeed I have borne with my brethren until now, so that I should not anger them; nay rather I have borne with every one that he should come before thee and speak the solution of the repentance of Pistis Sophia. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia thy light-power hath prophesied through the prophet David in the twenty-fourth Psalm, thus

"'1. O Lord, unto thee have I lifted up my soul, O my God.

"'2. I have abandoned myself unto thee; let me not be put to shame and let not mine enemies mock at me.

"'3. For all who wait upon thee shall not be put to shame; let them be put to shame who do iniquity without a cause.

"'4. O Lord, show me thy ways and teach me thy paths.

"'5. Lead me in the way of thy truth and teach me, for thou art my God and my saviour; on thee will I wait all the day long.

"'6. Call to remembrance thy mercies, O Lord, and the favours of thy grace, for they are from eternity.

"'7. Remember not the sins of my youth and those of my ignorance. Remember me according to the fulness of thy mercy because of thy goodness, O Lord.

"'8. The Lord is gracious and sincere; therefore fore will he instruct sinners in the way.

"'9. He will guide the tender-hearted in the judgment and will teach the tender-hearted his ways.

"'10. All the ways of the Lord are grace and truth for them who seek his righteousness and his testimonies.

"'11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, forgive me my sin, [for] it is exceedingly great.

"'12. Who is the man who feareth the Lord? For him will he establish laws in the way which he hath chosen.

"'13. His soul will abide in good things and his seed will inherit the land.

"'14. The Lord is the strength of them who fear him; and the name of the Lord belongeth to them who fear him, to make known unto them his covenant.

"'15. Mine eyes are raised ever unto the Lord, for he will draw my feet out of the snare.

"'16. Look down upon me and be gracious unto me, for I am an only-begotten; I am wretched.

"'17. The afflictions of my heart have increased; bring me out of my necessities.

"'18. Look upon my abasement and my woe, and forgive me all my sins.

"'19. Look upon mine enemies, how they have increased themselves and hated me with unjust hatred.

"'20. Preserve my soul and save me; let me not be put to shame, for I have hoped on thee.

"'21. The simple and sincere have joined themselves to me, for I have waited on thee, O Lord.
"'22. O God, deliver Israel from all his afflictions.'"
And when Jesus had heard the words of Thomas, he said unto him: "Well said, Thomas, and finely. This is the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: All generations of the world shall bless you on earth, because I have revealed this unto you and ye have received, of my spirit and have become understanding and spiritual, understanding what I say. And hereafter will I fill you full with the whole light and the whole power of the spirit, so that ye may understand from now on all which shall be said unto you and which ye shall see. Yet a little while and I will speak with you concerning the height without within and within without."

Chapter 24

When then Jesus had said this unto his disciples, he answered again and said unto them: "It came to pass then, when the lion-faced power had noticed that Pistis Sophia had not been led up altogether out of the chaos, that it came again with all the other material emanations of Self-willed, and they oppressed Pistis Sophia again. It came to pass then, when they oppressed her, that she cried out in the same repentance, saying:
"'9. Have mercy upon me, O Light, for they have oppressed me again. Because of thy commandment, the light in me is distracted and my power and my understanding.
"'10. My power hath begun to wane whiles I am in these afflictions, and the number of my time whiles I am in the chaos. My light is diminished, for they have taken away my power from me, and all the powers in me are tossed about.
"'11. I am become powerless in the presence of all the rulers of the æons, who hate me, and in the presence of the four-and-twenty emanations, in whose region I was. And my brother, my pair, was afraid to help me, because of that in which they have set me.

"'12. And all the rulers of the height have counted me as matter in which is no light. I am become as a material power which hath fallen out of the rulers, "'13. And all who are in the æons said: She hath become chaos. And thereafter all the pitiless powers encompassed me together and proposed to take away the whole light in me.

"'14. But I have trusted in thee, O Light, and said: Thou art my saviour.

"'15. And my commandment, which thou hast decreed for me, is in thy hands. Save me out of the hands of the emanations of Self-willed, which oppress me and persecute me.

"'16. Send thy light over me, for I am as naught before thee, and save me according to thy compassion.

"'17. Let me not be despised, for I have sung praises unto thee, O Light. Let chaos cover the emanations of Self-willed, let them be led down into the darkness.

"'18. Let the mouth of them be shut up, who would devour me with guile, who say: Let us take the whole light in her,--although I have done them no ill.'"

Chapter 25

And when Jesus had heard these words, he said: "Finely [said], Matthew. Now, therefore, amēn, I say unto you: When the perfect number is completed and the universe is raised hence, I will take my seat in the Treasury of the Light, and ye yourselves will sit on twelve light-powers, until we have restored all the orders of the twelve saviours to the region of the inheritances of every one of them."

And when he had said this, he said: "Understand ye what I say?"

Mary came forward and said: "O Lord, concerning this matter thou hast said to us aforetime in similitude: 'Ye have awaited with me in the trials, and I will bequeath unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath bequeathed it unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.'"

He said unto her: "Well said, Mary."

Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then thereafter, when the emanations of Self-willed oppressed Pistis Sophia in the chaos, that she uttered the ninth repentance, saying:

"'1. O Light, smite down them who have taken away my power from me, and take away the power from them who have taken away mine from me.

"'2. For I am thy power and thy light. Come and save me.

"'3. Let great darkness cover my oppressors. Say unto my power: I am he who will save thee.

"'4. Let all those who would take away my light from me utterly, lack their power. Let them face about unto the chaos and become powerless, who would take away my light from me utterly.

"'5. Let their power be as dust, and let Yew, thy angel, smite them.

"'6. And if they would go into the height, let darkness seize upon them and let them slip down and turn to the chaos. And let thy angel Yew pursue them and cast them down into the darkness below.
"'7. For they have set a lion-faced power as a trap for me, although I have done them no ill, from which its light will be taken; and they have oppressed the power in me, which they will not be able to take away.
"'8. Now, therefore, O Light, take away the purification from the lion-faced power without its knowing it,--the thought which Self-willed hath thought, to take away my light; take away his own and let the light be taken away from the lion-faced power, which set the trap for me.

"'9. But my power will exult in the Light and rejoice that he will save it.

"'10. And all the portions of my power shall say: There is no saviour but thee. For thou wilt save me out of the hand of the lion-faced power, which hath taken away my power from me, and thou savest me out of the hands of them who have taken away my power and my light from me.

"'11. For they have risen up against me, lying against me and saying that I know the mystery of the Light which is in the height, [the Light] in which I have had faith. And they have constrained me, [saying:] Tell unto us the mystery of the Light in the height,--that which I know not.

"'12. And they have requited me with all this ill because I have had faith in the Light of the height; and they have made my power lightless.

"'13. But when they constrained me, I sat in the darkness, my soul bowed down in mourning.

"'14. And do thou, O Light--for that reason sing I praise to thee--save me. I know that thou wilt save me because I fulfilled thy will ever since I was in my æon. I fulfilled thy will, as the invisibles who are in my region, and as my pair. And I mourned, looking unceasingly and searching for the Light.

"'15. Now, therefore, have all the emanations of Self-willed surrounded me and rejoiced over me and sore oppressed me without my knowing

[them]. And they have fled away and ceased from me but have had no pity upon me.

"'16. They have returned again and made trial of me and they have oppressed me in great oppression and ground their teeth against me, desiring to take away my light from me utterly.

"'17. How long, therefore, O Light, dost thou suffer them, that they oppress me? Save my power from their evil thoughts and save me from the hand of the lion-faced power; for I alone of the invisibles am in this region.

"'18. I will sing praises unto thee, O Light, in the midst of all who are gathered together against me, and I will cry unto thee in the midst of all who oppress me.

"'19. Now, therefore, O Light, let not them who hate me and desire to take away my power from me, rejoice over me--who hate me and flash their eyes against me, though I have not done anything unto them.

"'20. For indeed they have fawned upon me with sweet words, asking me concerning the mysteries of the Light which I know not, and have craftily spoken against me and been enraged against me, because I have had faith in the Light in the height.

"'21. They have opened their chops against me and said.: Well indeed, we will take from her her light.

"'22. Now, therefore, O Light, thou hast known their guile; suffer them not and let not thy help be far from me.

"'23. Quickly, O Light, vindicate and avenge me, "'24. And give judgment on me according to thy goodness. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, let them not take away my light from me, "'25. And let them not say in their heart: Our power is glutted with her light. And let them not say: We have consumed her power.

"'26. But rather let darkness come upon them, and let those who long to take away my light from me, become powerless, and let them be clothed with chaos and darkness, who say there: We will take away her light and her power.
"'27. Now, therefore, save me that I may rejoice, for I long for the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness, and I shall say ever-more: May the light of thy angel Yew shine more and more.
"'28. And my tongue will sing praises to thee in thy gnosis my whole time in the thirteenth æon.'

Chapter 26

When James then had said this, Jesus said unto him: "Well said, finely, James. This is the solution of the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Ye shall be the first in the kingdom of heaven before all invisibles and all gods and rulers who are in the thirteenth æon and in the twelfth æon; and not only ye, but also every one who shall accomplish my mysteries."

And when he had said this, he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"

Mary started forward again and said: "Yea, O Lord, this is what thou didst say unto us aforetime: 'The last shall be first and the first shall be last.' The first then, who were created before us, are the invisibles, for indeed they arose before mankind, they and the gods and the rulers; and the men who shall receive mysteries, will be first into the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus said unto her: "Well said, Mary."

Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia had proclaimed the ninth repentance, that the lion-faced power oppressed her again, desiring to take away all powers from her. She cried out again to the Light, saying:

"'O Light, in whom I have had faith from the beginning, for whose sake I have endured these great pains, help me.'
"And in that hour her repentance was accepted from her. The First Mystery hearkened unto her, and I was sent off at his command. I came to help her, and led her up out of the chaos, because she had repented, and also because she had had faith in the Light and had endured these great pains and these great perils. She had been deluded through the god-like Self-willed, and had not been deluded through anything else, save through a light-power, because of its resemblance to the Light in which she had had faith. For this cause then was I sent forth at the command of the First Mystery to help her secretly. I did not however yet go to the region of the æons at all; but I passed down through the midst out of them, without any single power knowing it, either those of the interior of the interior or those of the exterior of the exterior, save only the First Mystery.
"It came to pass then, when I came into the chaos to help her, that she saw me, that I was understanding and shone exceedingly and was full of compassion for her. For I was not self-willed as the lion-faced power, which had taken away the light-power from Sophia, and had also oppressed her in order to take away from her the whole light in her. Sophia then saw me, that I shone ten-thousand times more than the lion-faced power, and that I was full of compassion for her. And she knew that I came out of the Height of heights, in whose light she had had faith from the beginning. Pistis Sophia then took courage and uttered the tenth repentance, saying:

"'1. I have cried unto thee, O Light of lights, in my oppression and thou hast hearkened unto me.

"'2. O Light, save my power from unjust and lawless lips and from crafty traps.

"'3. The light which was being taken from me in crafty snaring, will not be brought unto thee.

"'4. For the traps of Self-willed and the nooses of the merciless [one] are spread out.

"'5. Woe unto me, that my dwelling was far off, and I was in the dwellings of the chaos.

"'6. My power was in regions which are not mine.
"'7. And I entreated those merciless [ones]; and when I entreated them, they fought against me without a cause.'"

Chapter 27

Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then, when this lion-faced power saw me, how I drew nigh unto Pistis Sophia, shining very exceedingly, that it grew still more furious and emanated from itself a multitude of exceedingly violent emanations. When this then befell, Pistis Sophia uttered the eleventh repentance, saying:

"'1. Why hath the mighty power raised itself in evil?

"'2. Its plotting taketh away the light from me all the time, and as sharp iron have they taken away power from me.

"'3. I chose to descend into the chaos rather than to abide in the thirteenth æon, the region of Righteousness.

"'4. And they desired to lead me craftily, in order to consume my whole light.

"'5. For this cause then will the Light take away their whole light, and also their whole matter will be made naught. And it will take away their light and not suffer them to abide in the thirteenth æon, their dwelling-place, and will not have their name in the region of those who shall live.

"'6. And the four-and-twenty emanations will see what hath befallen thee, O lion-faced power, and will be afraid and not be disobedient, but give the purification of their light.

"'7. And they will see thee and will rejoice over thee and say: Lo, an emanation which hath not given the purification of its light, so that it may be saved, but boasted itself in the abundance of the light of its power, because it did not emanate from the power in it, and hath said: I will take away the light from Pistis Sophia, which will now be taken from it.'

"Now, therefore, let him in whom his power is raised, come forward and proclaim the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia."

Then Salome came forward and said: "My Lord, concerning this thy light-power prophesied aforetime through David in the fifty-first Psalm, saying:

"'1. Why doth the mighty [one] boast himself in his wickedness?

"'2. Thy tongue hath studied unrighteousness all the day long; as a sharp razor hast thou practised craft.
"'3. Thou lovedst wickedness more than goodness; thou lovedst to speak unrighteousness more than righteousness.
"'4. Thou lovedst all words of submerging and a crafty tongue.
"'5. Wherefor will God bring thee to naught utterly, and will uproot thee and drag thee out from thy dwelling-place, and will root out thy root and cast it away from the living. (Selah.)

"'6. The righteous will see and be afraid, and they will mock at him and say:

"'7. Lo, a man who made not God for his helper, but trusted to his great riches and was mighty in his vanity.

"'8. But I am as a fruit-bearing olive-tree in the house of God. I have trusted in the grace of God from all eternity.

"'9. And I will confess unto thee, for thou hast dealt faithfully with me; and I will wait on thy name, for it is auspicious in the presence of thy holy [ones].'

"This then is now, therefore, my Lord, the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. While thy light-power hath roused me, I have spoken it according to thy desire."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard these words which Salome spake, that he said: "Well said, Salome. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: I will perfect you in all mysteries of the kingdom of the Light."

Chapter 28

And Andrew came forward and said: "My Lord and Saviour, thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, and said in the one-hundred-and-eighth Psalm:

"'1. God, keep not silent at my praise-singing.

"'2. For the mouths of the sinner and crafty have opened their chops against me and with crafty deceitful tongue have talked behind me.

"'3. And they have surrounded me with words of hate and have fought against me without a cause.

"'4. Instead of loving me they have slandered me. But I prayed.

"'5. They showed evil against me for good and hate for my love.

"'6. Set a sinner over him, and let the slanderer stand at his right hand.

"'7. When sentence is passed upon him, may he go forth condemned and his prayer become sin.

"'8. May his days be shortened and another receive his overseership.

"'9. May his children become orphans and his wife a widow.

"'10. May his children be carried away and be driven forth and beg; may they be thrown out of their houses.

"'11. May the money-lender sift out all that he hath, and may strangers plunder all his best efforts.

"'12. Let there be no man to back him, and no one to take pity on his orphans.

"'13. May his children be exterminated and his name blotted out in a single generation.

"'14. Let the sin of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and the sin of his mother be not blotted out.

"'15. Let them be ever present to the Lord and his memory be rooted out from the earth; "'16. In that he hath not thought of using mercy and hath persecuted a poor and wretched man and hath persecuted a sorry creature to slay him.

"'17. He loved cursing,--and it shall come unto him. He desired not blessing,--it shall stay far from him.

"'18. He clothed himself with cursing as with a vesture, and it entered into his bowels as water, and it was as oil in his bones.

"'19. May it be for him as a garment in which he shall be wrapped, and as a girdle with which he shall ever be girded.

"'20. This is the work of them who slander [me] before the Lord, and speak unlawfully against my soul.

"'21. But do thou, O Lord God, be gracious unto me; for thy name's sake save me.

"'22. For I am poor and I am wretched; my heart is tumult within me.

"'23. I am carried away in the midst as a shadow which hath sunk down, and I am shaken out as grass-hoppers.

"'24. My knees have become weak from fasting, and my flesh is altered from [lack of] oil.

"'25. But I have become a mock unto them; they saw me and wagged their heads.

"'26. Help, O Lord God, and save me according to thy grace.
"'27. May they know that this is thy hand, and that thou, O Lord, hast fashioned them.'
"This is then the solution of the twelfth repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered, when she was in the chaos."

Chapter 29

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia had said these words, that the time was fulfilled that she should be led out of the chaos. And of myself, without the First Mystery, I despatched out of myself a light-power, and I sent it down to the chaos, so that it might lead Pistis Sophia forth from the deep regions of the chaos, and lead [her] to the higher regions of the chaos, until the command should come from the First Mystery that she should be led entirely forth out of the chaos. And my light-power led Pistis Sophia up to the higher regions of the chaos. It came to pass then, when the emanations of Self-willed had noticed that Pistis Sophia was led forth into the higher regions of the chaos, that they also sped after her upwards, desiring to bring her again into the lower regions of the chaos. And my light-power, which I had sent to lead up Sophia out of the chaos, shone exceedingly. It came to pass then, when the emanations of Self-willed pursued Sophia, when she had been led into the higher regions of the chaos, that she again sang praises and cried out unto me, saying:

"'1. I will sing praises unto thee, O Light, for I desired to come unto thee. I will sing thee praises, O Light, for thou art my deliverer.

"'2. Leave me not in the chaos. Save me, O Light of the Height, for it is thou that I have praised.

"'3. Thou has sent me thy light through thyself and hast saved me. Thou hast led me to the higher regions of the chaos.

"'4. May the emanations of Self-willed which pursue me, sink down into the lower regions of the chaos, and let them not come to the higher regions to see me.

"'5. And may great darkness cover them and darker gloom come over them. And let them not see me in the light of thy power, which thou hast sent unto me to save me, so that they may not again get dominion over me.

"'6. And let not their resolution which they have formed, to take away my power, take effect for them. And as they have spoken against me, to take from me my light, take rather from them theirs instead of mine.

"'7. And they have proposed to take away my whole light and have not been able to take it, for thy light-power was with me.

"'8. Because they have taken counsel without thy commandment, O Light, therefore have they not been able to take away my light.

"'9. Because I have had faith in the Light, I shall not be afraid; and the Light is my deliverer and I shall not fear.'

"Now, therefore, let him whose power is exalted, speak the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Salome came forward and said: "My Lord, my power constraineth me to speak the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Thy power hath prophesied aforetime through Solomon, saying:

"'1. I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, for thou art my God.

"'2. Abandon me not, O Lord, for thou art! my hope.

"'3. Thou hast given me thy vindication for naught, and I am saved through thee.

"'4. Let them who pursue me, fall down and let them not see me.

"'5. May a smoke-cloud cover their eyes and an air-mist darken them, and let them not see the day, so that they may not seize me.
"'6. May their resolution be impotent, and may what they concoct come upon them.
"'7. They have devised a resolution, and it hath not taken effect for them.
"'8. And they are vanquished, although they be mighty, and what they have wickedly prepared is fallen upon them.

"'9. My hope is in the Lord, and I shall not be afraid, for thou art my God, my Saviour.'"
It came to pass then, when Salome had finished saying these words, that Jesus said unto her: "Well said, Salome; and finely. This is the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Chapter 30

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass when Pistis Sophia had uttered the thirteenth repentance,--in that hour was fulfilled the commandment of all the tribulations which were de-creed for Pistis Sophia for the fulfilment of the First Mystery, which was from the beginning, and the time had come to save her out of the chaos and lead her out from all the darknesses. For her repentance was accepted from her through the First Mystery; and that mystery sent me a great light-power out of the height, that I might help Pistis Sophia and lead her up out of the chaos. So I looked towards the æons into the height and saw that light-power which the First Mystery had sent me, that I might save Pistis Sophia out of the chaos. It came to pass, therefore, when I had seen it, coming forth from the æons and hastening down to me,--I was above the chaos,--that another light-power went forth out of me, that it too might help Pistis Sophia. And the light-power which had come from the height through the First Mystery, came down upon the light-power which had gone out of me; and they met together and became a great stream of light."

When then Jesus had said this unto his disciples, he said: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"

Mary started forward again and said: "My Lord, I understand what thou sayest. Concerning the solution of this word thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David in the eighty-fourth Psalm, saying:

"'10. Grace and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other.

"'11. Truth sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven.'

"'Grace' then is the light-power which hath come down through the First Mystery; for the First Mystery hath hearkened unto Pistis Sophia and hath had mercy on her in all her tribulations. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power which hath gone forth out of thee, for that thou hast fulfilled the truth, in order to save her out of the chaos. And 'righteousness' again is the power which hath come forth through the First Mystery, which will guide Pistis Sophia. And 'peace' again is the power which hath gone forth out of thee, so that it should enter into the emanations of Self-willed and take from them the lights which they have taken away from Pistis Sophia, that is, so that thou mayest gather them together into Pistis Sophia and make them at peace with her power. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power which went forth out of thee, when thou wast in the lower regions of the chaos. For this cause thy power hath said through David

'Truth sprouted out of the earth,' because thou wert in the lower regions of the chaos. 'Righteousness' on the other hand which hath 'looked down from heaven,'--it is the power which hath come down from the height through the First Mystery and hath entered into Pistis Sophia."

Chapter 31

The other Mary came forward and said: "My Lord, bear with me and be not wroth with me. Yea, from the moment when thy mother spake with thee concerning the solution of these words, my power disquieted me to come forward and like-wise to speak the solution of these words."

Jesus said unto her: "I bid thee speak their solution."

Mary said: "My Lord, 'Grace and truth met together,'--'grace' then is the spirit who hath come upon thee, when thou didst receive the baptism from John. 'Grace' then is the godly spirit who hath come upon thee; he hath had mercy on the race of men, hath come down and hath met with the power of Sabaōth, the Good which is in thee and which hath made proclamation concerning the regions of Truth. It hath said again: 'Righteousness and peace kissed each other,'--'righteousness' then is the spirit of the Light, which did come upon thee and hath brought the mysteries of the height, to give them unto the race of men. 'Peace' on the other hand is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which is in thee,--he who hath baptized and hath forgiven the race of men,--and it hath made them at peace with the sons of the Light. And moreover as thy power hath said through David: 'Truth sprouted forth out of the earth,'--that is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which sprouted forth out of Mary, thy mother, the dweller on earth. 'Righteousness,' which 'looked down from heaven,' on the other hand is the spirit in the height who hath brought all mysteries of the height and given them to the race of men; and they have become righteous and good, and have inherited the Light-kingdom."

And it came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary speak these words, that he said: "Well said, Mary, inheritress of the Light."
And Mary, the mother of Jesus, again came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them and said: "My Lord, my son and my Saviour, be not wroth with me, but pardon me, that I may once more speak the solution of these words. 'Grace and truth met together,'--it is I, Mary, thy mother, and Elizabeth, mother of John, whom I have met. 'Grace' then is the power of Sabaōth in me, which went forth out of me, which thou art. Thou hast had mercy on the whole race of men. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power in Elizabeth, which is John, who did come and hath made proclamation concerning the way of Truth, which thou art,--who hath made proclamation before thee. And again, 'Grace and truth met together,'--that is thou, my Lord, thou who didst meet John on the day when thou hadst to receive the baptism. And again thou and John are 'Righteousness and peace kissed each other.'--'Truth hath sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven,'--this is, during the time when thou didst minister unto thyself, thou didst have the form of Gabriēl, thou didst look down upon me from heaven and speak with me. And when thou hadst spoken with me, thou didst sprout up in me,--that is the 'truth,' that is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which is in thy material body, that is the 'truth' which 'sprouted up out of the earth.'"

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard his mother Mary speak these words, that he said: "Well said, and finely. This is the solution of all the words concerning which my light-power hath prophesied aforetime through the prophet David."

Chapter 32

The Second Book of Pistis Sophia

John also came forward and said: "O Lord, bid me also speak the solution of the words which thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David."

And Jesus answered and said unto John: "To thee too, John, I give commandment to speak the solution of the words which my light-power hath prophesied through David:

"'10. Grace and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other.

"'11. Truth hath sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven.'"

And John answered and said: "This is the word which thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'I have come out of the Height and entered into Sabaōth, the Good, and embraced the light-power in him.' Now, therefore, 'Grace and truth' which 'met together,'--thou art 'grace,' thou who art sent out of the regions of the Height through thy Father, the First Mystery which looketh within, in that he hath sent thee, that thou mayest have mercy on the whole world. 'Truth' on the other hand is the power of

Sabaōth, the Good, which bound itself in thee and which thou hast cast forth to the Left,--thou the First Mystery which looketh without. And the little Sabaōth, the Good, took it and cast it forth into the matter of Barbēlō, and he made proclamation concerning the regions of Truth to all the regions of those of the Left. That matter of Barbēlō then it is which is body for thee to-day.

"And 'righteousness and peace' which 'kissed each other,'--'righteousness' then art thou who didst bring all the mysteries through thy Father, the First Mystery which looketh within, and hast baptized this power of Sabaōth, the Good; and thou didst go to the region of the rulers and didst give unto them the mysteries of the Height; they became righteous and good.

"'Peace' on the other hand is the power of Sabaōth, that is thy soul, which did enter into the matter of Barbēlō, and all the rulers of the six æons of Yabraōth have made peace with the mystery of the Light.

"And 'truth' which 'sprouted forth out of the earth,'--it is the power of Sabaōth, the Good, which came out of the region of the Right, which lieth outside the Treasury of the Light., and which hath come into the region of those of the Left; it hath entered into the matter of Barbēlō, and hath made proclamation concerning the mysteries of the region of Truth.

"'Righteousness' on the other hand which 'looked down from heaven,' is thou the First Mystery which looketh down without, as thou didst come out of the spaces of the Height with the mysteries of the Light-kingdom; and thou didst come down upon the light-vesture which thou didst receive from the hand of Barbēlō, which [vesture] is Jesus, our Saviour, in that thou didst come down upon him as a dove."

It came to pass then, when John had brought forward these words, that the First Mystery which looketh without, said unto -him: "Well said, John, beloved brother."

Chapter 33

Peter came forward and said: "My Lord, concerning the solution of the words which thou hast spoken, thus hath thy light-power prophesied aforetime through Solomon in his Odes:

"'1. A stream came forth and became a great wide flood.

"'2. It tore away all to itself and turned itself against the temple.

"'3. Dams and buildings could not hold it, nor could the art of them who hold the waters.

"'4. It was led over the whole land and laid hold of all.

"'5. They who were on the dry sand, drank; their thirst was quieted and quenched, when the draught from the hand of the Highest was given.
"'6. Blessed are the ministers of that draught, to whom the water of the Lord is entrusted.
"'7. They have refreshed parched lips; they whose power was taken away, have gotten joy of heart and they have laid hold of souls, having poured in the breath, so that they should not die.

"'8. They have raised up limbs which were fallen; they have given power to their openness and light unto their eyes.

"'9. For they all have known themselves in the Lord and are saved through the water of Life eternal.'

"Hearken, therefore, my Lord, that I may set forth the word in openness. As thy power hath prophesied through Solomon: 'A stream came forth and became a great wide flood,'--this is: The light-stream hath spread itself out in the chaos over all the regions of the emanations of Self-willed.

"And again the word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'It tore away all to itself and led it over the temple,'--that is: It drew all the light-powers out of the emanations of Self-willed, which they had taken from Pistis Sophia, and poured them anew into Pistis Sophia.

"And again the word thy power hath spoken: 'The dams and buildings could not hold it,'--that is: The emanations of Self-willed could not hold the light-stream within the walls of the darkness of the chaos.

"And again the word which it hath spoken: It was led over the whole land and filled all,'--that is: When Gabriēl and Michaēl had led it over the body of Pistis Sophia, they poured into her all the lights which the emanations of Self-willed had taken from her, and the body of her matter shone.

"And the word which it hath spoken: 'They who were in the dry sand, drank,'--that is:

All in Pistis Sophia whose light had before been taken away, got light.

"And the word which it hath spoken: 'Their thirst was quieted and quenched,'--that is: Her powers ceased to lack the light, because their light, which had been taken from them, was given them [again].

"And again as thy power hath spoken: 'The draught through the Highest was given them,'--that is: The light was given unto them through the light-stream, which came forth out of thee, the First Mystery."

"And as thy power hath spoken: 'Blessed are the ministers of that draught,'--this is the word which thou hast spoken: 'Michaēl and Gabriēl, who have ministered, have brought the light-stream into the chaos and also led it forth again. They will give them the mysteries of the Light of the Height, they to whom the light-stream is entrusted.'

"And again as thy power hath spoken: 'They have refreshed parched lips,'--that is: Gabriēl and Michaēl have not taken for themselves from the lights of Pistis Sophia, which they had spoiled from the emanations of Self-willed, but they have poured them into Pistis Sophia.

"And again the word which it hath spoken:

They whose power was taken away, have gotten joy of heart,'--that is: All the other powers of Pistis Sophia, which the emanations of Self-willed have not taken, are become exceedingly merry and have filled themselves with light from their light-fellows, for these have poured it into them.

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'They have quickened souls, having poured in the breath, so that they should not die,'--that is: When they had poured the lights into Pistis Sophia, they quickened the body of her matter, from which they had before taken its lights, and which was on the point of perishing.

"And again the word which thy power hath spoken: 'They have raised up limbs which were fallen, or that they should not fall,'--that is: When they poured into her her lights, they raised up all her powers which were on the point of being dissolved.

"And again as thy light-power hath spoken: They have received again their light and have become as they were before '; and again the word which it hath spoken: 'They have given light unto their eyes,'--that is: They have received sense in the Light and known the light-stream, that it belongeth to the Height.

"And again the word which it hath spoken: 'They all have known themselves in the Lord,'--that is: All the powers of Pistis Sophia have known one another through the light-stream.

"And again the word which it hath spoken: 'They are saved through water of Life eternal,'--that is: They are saved through the whole light-stream.

"And again the word which it hath spoken: 'The light-stream tore all to itself and drew it over the temple,'--that is: When the light-stream had taken all the light-powers of Pistis Sophia and had spoiled them from the emanations of Self-willed, it poured them into Pistis Sophia and turned itself about and went out of the chaos and came over thee,--thou who art the temple.

"This is the solution of all the words which thy light-power hath spoken through the Ode of Solomon."

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had heard Peter speak these words, that he said unto him: "Well said, blessed Peter. This is the solution of the words which have been spoken."

Chapter 34

And when the First Mystery said this unto his disciples, he answered and said: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"

James came forward and said: "My Lord, concerning then the solution of the words which thou hast said, thus hath thy light-power prophesied thereon aforetime through David in the ninetieth Psalm:

"'1. Whoso then dwelleth under the help of the Most High, will abide under the shadow of the God of heaven.

"'2. He will say unto the Lord: Thou art my succour and my place of refuge, my God, in whom I trust.

"'3. For he will save me out of the snare of the hunters and from mighty word.

"'4. He will shade thee with his breast, and thou shalt have trust beneath his wings; his truth shall surround thee as a shield.
"'5. Thou wilt not be afraid of terror by night nor of an arrow which flieth by day, "'6. Of a thing which slinketh in the darkness, of a mischance and a demon at mid-day.

"'7. A thousand will fall on thy left, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but they shall not come nigh thee.

"'8. Nay rather with thine eyes wilt thou behold, thou wilt see the requital of the sinners.

"'9. For thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou hast established the Most High for thyself as refuge.

"'10. Harm will not come nigh unto thee; scourge will not come nigh thy dwelling.

"'11. For he will give commandment to his angels on thy behalf that they guard thee on all thy ways, "'12. And bear thee on their hands, that thou mayest never strike with thy foot against a stone.

"'13. Thou wilt stride over the serpent and basilisk and tread on lion and dragon.
"'14. Because he hath trusted in me, I will save him; I will overshadow him, because he hath known my name.
"'15. He will cry unto me and I shall hearken unto him; I am at his side in his tribulation and will save him and honour him, "'16. And increase him with many days and show him my salvation.'

"This, my Lord, is the solution of the words which thou hast said. Hearken therefore, that I may say it in openness.
"The word then which thy power hath spoken through David: 'Whoso then dwelleth under the help of the Most High, will abide under the shadow of the God of heaven,'--that is: When Sophia had trusted in the Light, she abode under the light of the light-stream, which through thee came out of the Height.

"And the word which thy power hath spoken through David: 'I will say unto the Lord: Thou art my succour and my refuge, my God, in whom I trust,'--it is the word with which Pistis Sophia hath sung praises: 'Thou art my succour, and I come unto thee.'

"And again the word which thy power hath spoken: 'My God, in whom I trust, thou wilt save me out of the snare of the hunters and from mighty word,'--it is what Pistis Sophia hath said: 'O Light, I have faith in thee, for thou wilt save me from the emanations of Self-willed and from those of Adamas, the Tyrant, and thou wilt save me also from all their mighty threats.'

"And again the word which thy power hath spoken through David: 'He will shade thee with his breast, and thou wilt have trust beneath his wings,'--that is: Pistis Sophia hath been in the light of the light-stream, which hath come from thee, and hath continued in firm trust in the light, that on her left and that on her right, which are the wings of the light-stream.

"And the word which thy light-power hath prophesied through David: 'Truth will surround thee as a shield,'--it is the light of the light-stream which hath surrounded Pistis Sophia on all her sides as a shield.

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'He will not be afraid of terror by night,'--that is: Pistis Sophia hath not been afraid of the terrors and alarms into which she had been planted in the chaos, which is the 'night.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: He will not be afraid of an arrow which flieth by day,'--that is: Pistis Sophia hath not been afraid of the power which Self-willed hath sent last of all out of the height, and which hath come into the chaos as it were a flying arrow. Thy light-power therefore hath said: 'Thou wilt not be afraid of an arrow which flieth by day,' for that power hath come out of the thirteenth æon, it being that which is lord over the twelve æons, and which giveth light unto all the æons; wherefor hath he [David] said 'day.'

"And again the word which thy power hath spoken: 'He will not be afraid of a thing which slinketh in the darkness,'--that is: Sophia hath not been afraid of the lion-faced emanation, which caused fear for Pistis Sophia in the chaos, which is the 'darkness.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'He will not be afraid of a mischance and of a demon at mid-day,'--that is: Pistis Sophia hath not been afraid of the demon emanation of Tyrant Adamas, which hath cast Pistis Sophia to the ground in a great mischance, and which hath come forth out of Adamas out of the twelfth æon; wherefor then hath thy power said: 'He will not be afraid of the demon mischance at mid-day,'--'mid-day,' because it hath come out of the twelve æons, which is 'mid-day'; and again ['night,' because] it hath come out of the chaos, which is the 'night,' and because it hath come out of the twelfth æon which is in the midst between both; therefore hath thy light-power said 'mid-day,'

because the twelve æons lie in the midst between the thirteenth æon and the chaos.

"And again the word which thy light-power hath spoken through David: 'A thousand will fall on his left, and ten thousand at his right hand, but they shall not come nigh him,'--that is: When the emanations of Self-willed, which are exceedingly numerous, could not bear the great light of the light-stream, many of them fell on the left hand of Pistis Sophia and many at her right, and they could not come nigh her, to do her [harm].

"And the word which thy light-power hath spoken through David: 'Nay rather with thine eyes wilt thou behold, and wilt see the requital of the sinners, for thou, O Lord, art my hope,'--that is the word: Pistis Sophia hath with her eyes beheld her foes, that is the emanations of Self-willed, who all have fallen one on another; not only hath she with her eyes beheld this, but thou also thyself, my Lord, the First Mystery, hast taken the light-power which is in the lion-faced power, and hast moreover taken the power of all the emanations of Self-willed and moreover thou hast imprisoned them in that chaos, [so that] from henceforth they have not gone forth to their own region. Therefore then hath Pistis Sophia with her eyes beheld her foes, that is the emanations of Self-willed, in all which David hath prophesied concerning Pistis Sophia, saying: 'Nay rather with thine eyes wilt thou behold, and thou wilt see the requital of the sinners.' Not only hath she with her eyes beheld, how they fall one on another in the chaos, but she hath also seen the requital with which it was requited them. Just as the emanations of Self-willed have thought to take away the light of Sophia from her, so hast thou requited them and repaid them in full, and hast taken the light-power in them instead of the lights of Sophia, who hath had faith in the Light of the Height.

"And as thy light-power hath spoken through David: 'Thou hast established the Most High for thyself as refuge; harm will not come nigh unto thee, scourge will not come nigh thy dwelling,'--that is: When Pistis Sophia had had faith in the Light and was afflicted, she sang praises unto it, and the emanations of Self-willed could not inflict on her any harm, nor could they [injure] her, nor could they at all come nigh her.
"And the word which thy light-power hath spoken through David: 'He will give commandment to his angels on thy behalf, that they guard thee on all thy ways and bear thee on their hands, that thou mayest never strike with thy foot against a stone,'--it is again thy word: Thou hast given commandment to Gabriēl and Michaēl, that they guide Pistis Sophia in all the regions of the chaos, until they lead her forth and that they uplift her on their hands, so that her feet do not touch the darkness beneath, and [that] on the other hand they of the lower darkness do not seize hold of her.
"And the word which thy light-power hath spoken through David: 'Thou wilt tread on serpent and basilisk and tread on lion and dragon; because he hath trusted in me, I will save him and I will overshadow him, because he hath known my name,'--that is the word: When Pistis Sophia was on the point of coming forth out of the chaos, she trod on the emanations of Self-willed, and she trod on the serpent-faced ones and on the basilisk-faced ones, which have seven heads; and she trod on the lion-faced power and on the dragon-faced one. Because she had had faith in the Light, is she saved from all of them.

"This, my Lord, is the solution of the words which thou hast spoken."

Chapter 35

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that Thomas came forward, and said: "My Lord, my light-dweller hath ears and my mind hath understood the words which thou hast said. Now, therefore, give commandment unto me to set forth clearly the solution of the words."

And the First Mystery answered and said unto Thomas: "I give thee commandment to set forth the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia sang unto me."

Thomas answered and said: "My Lord, concerning the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, because she was saved out of the chaos, thy light-power prophesied aforetime thereon through Solomon, the son of David, in his Odes:

"'1. I am saved from the bonds and am fled unto thee, O Lord.

"'2. For thou hast been on my right hand, saving me and helping me.

"'3. Thou hast hindered my adversaries and they have not been revealed, because thy face was with me, saving me in thy grace.

"'4. I was despised in the sight of many and cast out; I have become as lead in their sight.

"'5. Through thee I have gotten a power which helped me; for thou hast set lamps on my right and on my left, so that no side of me may be without light.

"'6. Thou hast overshadowed me with the shadow of thy grace, and I was relieved of the coats of skin.

"'7. It is thy right hand which hath raised me up, and thou hast taken the sickness from me.

"'8. I have become powerful in thy truth and purified in thy righteousness.

"'9. My adversaries have withdrawn themselves from me, and I am justified by thy goodness, for thy rest endureth unto all eternity.'

"This then, my Lord, is the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was saved out of the chaos. Hearken, therefore, that I may say it in openness.

"The word then which thy light-power hath spoken through Solomon: 'I am saved from the bonds and am fled unto thee, O Lord,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'I am loosed from the bonds of the darkness and am come unto thee, O Light.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou wert on my right hand, saving and helping me,'--it is again the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou art become a light on all sides of me, [saving me] and helping me.'

"And the word which thy light-power hath spoken: 'Thou hast hindered my adversaries and they have not been revealed,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And the emanations of Self-willed which fought against me, thou hast hindered through thy light, and they could not come nigh me.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thy face was with me, saving me in thy grace,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thy light was with me, saving me in thy light-stream.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'I was despised in the sight of many and cast out,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken:

'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken:

I have become as lead in their sight,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'When they had taken my light from me, I became as heavy-weighing matter before them.'
"And moreover the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Through thee I have gotten a power for me which helped me,'--it is again the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thereafter came a light-power unto me through thee which saved me.'
"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou hast set lamps on my right and on my left, so that no side of me may be without light,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken:

'Thy power shone on my right and on my left and surrounded me on all sides of me, so that no part of me was without light.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken:

'Thou hast overshadowed me with the shadow of thy grace,'--it is again the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thou hast covered me with the light of the stream.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: I was relieved of the coats of skin,'--it is again the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And they have purified me of all my evil matters, and I raised myself above them in thy light.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'It is thy right hand which hath raised me up, and hath taken the sickness from me,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And it is thy light-stream which hath raised me up in thy light and hath taken from me the emanations of Self-willed which constrained me.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'I have become powerful in thy truth and purified in thy righteousness,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'I have become powerful in thy light and purified light in thy stream.'
And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'My adversaries have withdrawn themselves from me,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'The emanations of Self-willed which constrained me, have withdrawn themselves from me.'
"And the word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'And I am justified in thy goodness, for thy rest endureth unto all eternity,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'I am saved in thy goodness; for thou savest every one.'

"This then, O my Lord, is the whole solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was saved out of the chaos and loosed from the bonds of the darkness."

Chapter 36

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had finished saying these words, that Matthew came forward and said: "I have understood the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Now, therefore, give commandment unto me, that I speak it in openness."
And the First Mystery answered and said: "I give commandment unto thee, Matthew, to set forth the interpretation of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

And Matthew answered and said: "Concerning the interpretation of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, thus thy light-power prophesied aforetime thereon through the Ode of Solomon:

"'1. He who hath led me down out of the higher regions which are above, hath led me up out of the regions which are in the bottom below.

"'2. Who hath there taken those in the midst, he hath taught me concerning them.

"'3. Who hath scattered my foes and my adversaries, he hath bestowed power on me over the bonds, to unloose them.

"'4. Who hath smitten the serpent with the seven heads with my hands, he hath set me up above its root, that I may extinguish its seed.

"'5. And thou wert with me, helping me; in all regions thy name surrounded me.

"'6. Thy right hand hath destroyed the venom of the slanderer; thy hand hath cleared the way for thy faithful.

"'7. Thou hast freed them out of the tombs and hast removed them from the midst of the corpses.

"'8. Thou hast taken dead bones and hast clothed them with a body and to them who stirred not, hast thou given the activity of life.

"'9. Thy way is become indestructibleness and thy face [also].

"'10. Thou hast led thy æon above decay, so that they all may be loosed and renewed and thy light become a foundation for them all.

"'11. Thou hast piled thy riches upon them and they have become a holy dwelling-place.'

"This then, my Lord, is the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Hearken, therefore, that I may say it in openness.

"The word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'Who hath led me down out of the higher regions which are above, he hath also led me up out of the regions which are in the bottom below,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'I sing praises unto thee; through thy commandment hast thou led me down out of this higher æon which is above, and hast led me to the regions below. And again through thy commandment thou hast saved me and led me up out of the regions which are below.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'Who hath there taken those in the midst and hath taught me concerning them,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophis hath spoken: 'And again through thy commandment hast thou caused the matter in the midst of my power to be purified, and I have seen it.'

"And moreover the word which thy power hath spoken through Solomon: 'Who hath scattered my foes and my adversaries,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou hast scattered far from me all the emanations of Self-willed which constrained me and were hostile to me.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Who hath bestowed on me wisdom over the bonds, to unloose them,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And he hath bestowed on me wisdom to loose myself from the bonds of those emanations.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: Who hath smitten the serpent with the seven heads with my hands, he hath set me up above its root, that I may extinguish its seed,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thou hast smitten the serpent with the seven heads through my hands and set me up above its matter. Thou hast destroyed it, so that its seed may not raise itself up from now on.' "And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'And thou wert with me, helping me,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thou wert with me, giving me power in all this.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'And thy name surrounded me in all regions,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thy light surrounded me in all their regions.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'And thy right hand hath destroyed the venom of the slanderers,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And through thee the emanations of Self-willed became powerless, for thou hast taken from them the light of their power.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken:

Thy hand hath cleared the way for thy faithful,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou hast made straight my way to lead me out of the chaos, because I have had faith in thee.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou hast freed them out of the tombs and hast removed them from the midst of the corpses,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou hast freed me out of the chaos and removed me out of the material darknesses, that is out of the dark emanations which are in the chaos, from which thou hast taken their light.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou hast taken dead bones and hast clothed them with a body, and to them who stirred not, thou hast given activity of life,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thou hast taken all my powers in which was no light, and hast bestowed on them within purified light, and unto all my limbs, in which no light stirred, thou hast given life-light out of thy Height.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken:

Thy way is become indestructibleness, and thy face [also],'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thou hast made straight thy way for me, and the light of thy face hath become for me life indestructible.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou hast led thy æon above decay, so that all might be loosed and renewed,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou hast led me, thy power, up above the chaos and above decay, that all the matters in that region may be loosed and all my powers renewed in the Light.'

"And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'And thy light hath [become] foundation for them all,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And thy light hath been in them all.'

"And the word which thy light-power hath spoken through Solomon: 'Thou hast put thy riches over him, and he hath become a holy dwelling-place,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou hast stayed the light of thy stream over me, and I have become a purified light.'

"This then, my Lord, is the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Chapter 37

And when Mary had said this, the First Mystery said unto her, "Well said, finely, Mary, blessed one."

And he continued again in the discourse and said unto the disciples: "Sophia again continued in this song and said:

"'1. The Light hath become my saviour.

"'2. And it hath changed my darkness into light, and it has rent the chaos which surrounded me and girded me with light.'"

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had finished saying these words, that Martha came forward and said: "My Lord, thy power hath prophesied aforetime through David concerning these words:

"'10. The Lord hath become my helper.

"'11. He hath changed my lamentation into joy; he hath rent my mourning-robe and girded me with joy.'"

And it came to pass when the First Mystery had heard Martha speak these words, that he said: "Well said, and finely, Martha."

And the First Mystery continued again and said unto the disciples: "Pistis Sophia again continued in the song and said:

"'1. My power, sing praises to the Light and forget not all the powers of the Light which it hath given unto thee.

"'2. And the powers which are in thee, sing praises to the name of his holy mystery; "'3. Who forgiveth all thy transgression, who saveth thee from all the afflictions with which the emanations of Self-willed have constrained thee;

"'4. Who hath saved thy light from the emanations of Self-willed which belong to destruction; who hath wreathed thee with light in his compassion, until he saved thee; "'5. Who hath filled thee with purified light; and thy beginning will renew itself as an invisible of the Height.'

"With these words Pistis Sophia sang praises, because she was saved and remembered all things which I had done unto her."

Chapter 38

And he continued again in the discourse and said unto the disciples: "These are all adventures which have befallen Pistis Sophia. It came to pass then, when I had led her to the region which is below the thirteenth æon, and was about to go unto the Light and depart from her, that she said unto me:

"'O Light of lights, thou wilt go to the Light and depart from me. And Tyrant Adamas will know that thou hast departed from me and will know that my saviour is not at hand. And he will come again to this region, he and all his rulers who hate me, and Self-willed also will bestow power unto his lion-faced emanation, so that they all will come and constrain me all together and take my whole light from me, in order that I may become powerless and again without light. Now, therefore, O Light and my Light, take from them the power of their light, so that they may not be able to constrain me from now on.'
"It came to pass then, when I heard these words which Pistis Sophia had spoken unto me, that I answered her, saying: 'My Father, who hath emanated me, hath not yet given me commandment to take their light from them; but I will seal the regions of Self-willed and of all his rulers who hate thee because thou hast had faith in the Light. And I will also seal the regions of Adamas and of his rulers, so that none of them may be able to fight with thee, until their time is completed and the season cometh that my Father give me commandment to take their light from them.'

Chapter 39

"It came to pass then, when that time came on,--and I was in the world of men, sitting with you in this region, which is the Mount of Olives,--that Adamas looked down out of the twelve æons and looked down at the regions of the chaos and saw his demon power which is in the chaos, that no light at all was in it, because I had taken its light from it; and he saw it, that it was dark andAdamas sendeth forth two emanations of darkness to plague Sophia. could not go to his region, that is to the twelve moons. Thereon Adamas again remembered Pistis Sophia and became most exceedingly wroth against her, thinking that it was she who had imprisoned his power in the chaos, and thinking that it was she who had taken its light from it. And he was exceedingly embittered; he piled wrath on wrath and emanated out of himself a dark emanation and another, chaotic and evil, the violent [one], so as through them to harass Pistis Sophia. And he made a dark region in his region, so as to constrain Sophia therein. And he took many of his rulers; they pursued after Sophia, in order that the two dark emanations which Adamas had emanated, might lead her into the dark chaos which he had made, and constrain her in that region and harass her, until they should take her whole light from her, and Adamas should take the light from Pistis Sophia and give it to the two dark violent emanations, and they should carry it to the great chaos which is below and dark, and cast it into his dark power which is chaotic, if perchance it might be able to come to his region, because it had become exceedingly dark, for I had taken its light-power from it.

"It came to pass then, when they pursued after Pistis Sophia, that she cried out again and sang praises to the Light, since I had said unto her: 'If thou shalt be constrained and singest praises unto me, I will come quickly and help thee.' It came to pass then, when she was constrained,--and I sat with you in this region, that is on the Mount of Olives,--that she sang praises to the Light, saying:
"'1. O Light of lights, I have had faith in thee. Save me from all these rulers who pursue after me, and help me, "'2. That in sooth they may never take from me my light, as the lion-faced power [did]. For thy light is not with me and thy light-stream to save me. Nay, Adamas is the more enraged against me, saying unto me: Thou hast imprisoned my power in the chaos.

"'3. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, if I have done this and have imprisoned it, if I have done any injustice at all to that power, "'4. Or if I have constrained it, as it hath constrained me, then let all these rulers who pursue after me, take my light from me and leave me empty;

"'5. And let foe Adamas pursue after my power and seize upon it and take my light from me and cast it into his dark power which is in the chaos, and keep my power in the chaos.
"'6. Now, therefore, O Light, lay hold on me in thy wrath and lift up thy power above my foes who have lifted themselves up against me to the very end.
"'7. Quicken me quickly, as thou hast said unto me: I will help thee.'

Chapter 40

And the First Mystery continued again and said unto the disciples: "It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia had finished uttering the words of this song, that she turned herself back to see whether Adamas and his rulers had turned back to go to their æon. And she saw them, how they pursued after her. Then she turned unto them and said unto them:

"'1. Why pursue ye after me and say: I should not have help, that it [sc. the Light] should save me from you?

"'2. Now, therefore, my vindicator is the Light and a strong [one]; but it is long-suffering until the time of which it hath said unto me: I will come and help thee. And it will not bring its wrath upon you always. But this is the time of which he hath spoken unto me.

"'3. Now, therefore, if ye turn not back and cease not to pursue after me, then will the Light make ready its power, and it will make itself ready in all its powers.

"'4. And in its power hath it made itself ready, so that it may take your lights which are in you, and ye may become dark; and its power hath brought it to pass, so that it may take your power from you and ye go to ground.'

"And when Pistis Sophia had said this, she looked at the region of Adamas and saw the dark and chaotic region which he had made, and saw also the two dark exceedingly violent emanations which Adamas had emanated, in order that they might seize Pistis Sophia and cast her down into the chaos which he had made, and constrain and harass her in that region, until they should take her light from her. It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia had seen those two dark emanations and the dark region which Adamas had made, that she feared and cried unto the Light, saying:

"'1. O Light, lo! Adamas, the doer of violence, is wrathful; he hath made a dark emanation, "'2. And he hath also emanated another chaos and hath made another dark and chaotic [one] and made it ready.

"'3. Now, therefore, O Light, the chaos which he hath made, in order to cast me down therein and take from me my light-power, take then from him his own.
"'4. And the plan which he hath devised, to take my light,--they are to take his own from him; and the injustice which he hath spoken, to take my lights from me,--take then all of his.'
"These are the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in her song. Now, therefore, who is sober in spirit, let him come forward and set forth the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia [hath uttered] in her song."

Chapter 41

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished telling his disciples all the adventures which had befallen Pistis Sophia when she was in the chaos, and the way she had sung praises to the Light, that it should save her and lead her out of the chaos, and lead her into the twelve æons, and also the way it had saved her out of all her afflictions with which the rulers of the chaos had constrained her, because she longed to go to the Light, that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass then after all this, that I took Pistis Sophia and led her into the thirteenth æon, shining most exceedingly, there being no measure for the light which was about me. I entered into the region of the four-and-twenty invisibles, shining most exceedingly. And they fell into great commotion; they looked and saw Sophia, who was with me. Her they knew, but me they knew not, who I was, but held me for some sort of emanation of the Light-land.

"It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia saw her fellows, the invisibles, that she rejoiced in great joy and exulted exceedingly and desired to proclaim the wonders which I had wrought on her below in the earth of mankind, until I saved her. She came into the midst of the invisibles, and in their midst sang praises unto me, saying:

"'1. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, for thou art a saviour; thou art a deliverer for all time.

"'2. I will utter this song to the Light, for it hath saved me and saved me out of the hand of the rulers, my foes.

"'3. And thou hast preserved me in all the regions, thou hast saved me out of the height and the depth of the chaos and out of the æons of the rulers of the sphere.

"'4. And when I was come out of the Height, I wandered round in regions in which is no light, and I could not return to the thirteenth æon, my dwelling-place.

"'5. For there was no light in me nor power. My power was utterly weakened (?).

"'6. And the Light saved me in all my afflictions. I sang praises unto the Light, and it hearkened unto me, when I was constrained.

"'7. It guided me in the creation of the æons to lead me up into the thirteenth æon, my dwelling-place.

"'8. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works unto the race of men.

"'9. When I failed of my power, thou hast given me power; and when I failed of my light, thou didst fill me with purified light.

"'10. I was in the darkness and in the shadow of the chaos, bound with the mighty fetters of the chaos, and no light was in me.

"'11. For I have provoked the commandment of the Light and have transgressed, and I have made wroth the commandment of the Light, because I had gone out of my region.

"'12. And when I had gone down, I failed of my light and became without light, and no one had helped me.

"'13. And in my affliction I sang praises unto the Light, and it saved me out of my afflictions.

"'14. And it hath also broken asunder all my bonds and led me up out of the darkness and the affliction of the chaos.

"'15. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me and that thy wondrous works have been wrought in the race of men.

"'16. And thou hast shattered the upper gates of the darkness and the mighty bolts of the chaos.

"'17. And thou didst let me depart out of the region in which I had transgressed, and my light was taken, because I have transgressed.

"'18. And I ceased from my mysteries and went down to the gates of the chaos.

"'19. And when I was constrained, I sang praises to the Light. It saved me out of all my afflictions.
"'20. Thou sentest thy stream; it gave me power and saved me out of all my afflictions.
"'21. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works in the race of men.'
"This then is the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four-and-twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which I had done for her, and desiring that they should know that I have gone to the world of men and have given them the mysteries of the Height. Now, therefore, who is exalted in his thought, let him come forward and say the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

Chapter 42

It came to pass then again, after all this, that Mary came forward, adored the feet of Jesus and said: "My Lord, be not wroth with me, if I question thee, because we question concerning everything with precision and certainty. For thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'Seek that ye may find, and knock that it may be opened unto you. For every one who seeketh shall find, and to every one who knocketh it shall be opened.' Now, therefore, my Lord, who is it whom I shall seek, or who is it at whom we shall knock? Or who rather is able to give us the decision upon the words concerning which we shall question thee? Or who rather knoweth the power of the words concerning which we shall question? Because thou in the mind hast given us mind of the Light and hast given us sense and an exceedingly exalted thought; for which cause, therefore, no one existeth in the world of men nor any one in the height of the æons, who can give the decision on the words concerning which we question, save thee alone, who knoweth [sic] the universe, who is perfected in the universe; because we do not question in the manner in which the men of the world question, but because we question in the gnosis of the Height which thou hast given unto us, and we question moreover in the type of the excellent questioning which thou hast taught us, that we may question therein. Now, therefore, my Lord, be not wroth with me, but reveal unto me the matter concerning which I shall question thee."

It came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary Magdalene say these words, that he answered and said unto her: "Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee with precision and certainty. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Rejoice in great joy and exult most exceedingly. If ye question concerning all with precision, then shall I exult most exceedingly, because ye question concerning all with precision and question in the manner in which it beseemeth to question. Now, therefore, question concerning what thou wouldst question, and I will reveal it unto thee with joy."

It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced in great joy and exulted most exceedingly and said unto Jesus: "My Lord and Saviour, of what manner then are the four-and-twenty invisibles and of what type, or rather of what quality are they, or of what quality is then their light?"

Chapter 43

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene started forward and said: "My Lord, be not wroth with me if I question thee, because we question thee concerning all with precision."
And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: "Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee in openness without similitude, and all concerning which thou questionest, I will say unto thee with precision and certainty. I will perfect you in all power and all fulnesses, from the interior of the interiors to the exterior of the exteriors, from that Ineffable to the darkness of darknesses, so that ye shall be called 'the fulnesses perfected in all gnoses.' Now, therefore, Mary, question concerning what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it to thee with great joy and great exultation."

It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced in exceedingly great joy and exulted, and said: "My Lord, will then the men of the world who have received the mysteries of the Light, be superior to the emanations of the Treasury in thy kingdom? For I have heard thee say: If I lead you into the region of those who have received the mysteries of the Light, then will the region of the [emanations of the] Light-land count for you as a speck of dust because of the great distance in which it is distant from it, and because of the great light in which it is,'--that is the Light-land is the Treasury, the region of the emanations,--will therefore then, my Lord, the men who have received the mysteries, be superior to the Light-land and superior to those [emanations] in the kingdom of the Light?"

Chapter 44

"It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words, that Mary Magdalene started forward and said:
"My Lord, my indweller of light hath ears and I comprehend every word which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, on account of the word which thou hast spoken: 'All the souls of the race of men who shall receive the mysteries of the Light, will go into the Inheritance of the Light before all the rulers who will repent, and before those of the whole region of the Right and before the whole region of the Treasury of the Light,'--on account of this word, my Lord, thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'The first will be last and the last will be first,'--that is, the 'last' are the whole race of men which will enter into the Light-kingdom sooner than all those of the region of the Height, who are the first.' On this account, therefore, my Lord, hast thou said unto us: 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,'--that is thou desirest to know whether we comprehend every word which thou speakest. This, therefore, is the word, my Lord."
It came to pass then, when Mary had finished saying these words, that the Saviour was greatly astonished at the definitions of the words which she spake, for she had become pure spirit utterly. Jesus answered again and said unto her: "Well said, spiritual and pure Mary. This is the solution of the word."

Chapter 45

It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced with great joy and exulted exceedingly and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, by how much greatness then is the second Helper greater than the first Helper? By how much distance is he distant from him, or rather how many times more does he shine than the latter?"

Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: The second Helper is distant from the first Helper in great immeasurable distance in regard to the height above and the depth below and the length and the breadth. For he is exceedingly distant from him in great immeasurable distance through the angels and all the archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he is very considerably greater than the latter in an incalculable measure through the angels and archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he shineth more than the latter in an utterly immeasurable measure, there being no measure for the light in which he is, and no measure for him through angels and archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time.
"In like manner also the third Helper and fourth and fifth Helper,--one is greater than the other . . . and shineth more than the latter and is distant from him in a great immeasurable distance through the angels and archangels and the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time. And I will tell unto you also the type of every one [of them] at their expansion."

Chapter 46

And Jesus answered and said unto John: "Finely indeed do ye question on all with precision and certainty. But now, therefore, John, hearken that I may discourse with thee. Every one who hath received mysteries of the Light, will abide in the region up to which every one hath received mysteries, and he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him.
"So that he who hath received mysteries in the first Commandment, hath the power to go into the orders which are below him, that is into all the orders of the third [?] space; but he hath not the power to go into the height to the orders which are above him.
"And he who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, which is the four-and-twentieth mystery from without and the head of the first space which is without,--he hath the power to go into all the orders which are without him; but he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them.
"And of those who have received the mysteries in the orders of the four-and-twenty mysteries, every one will go into the region in which he hath received mysteries, and he will have the power to pass through all the orders and spaces which are without him; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders which are above him or to pass through them.

"And he who hath received mysteries in the orders of the First Mystery which is in the third space, hath the power to go into all the lower orders which are below him and to pass through all; but on the other hand he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them.
"And he who hath received mysteries of the first Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the four-and-twenty mysteries all together which rule over the space of the First Mystery, of whose region at the expansion of the universe I will tell you--he, therefore, who shall receive the mystery of that Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go down into all orders which are below him; but he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him, that is into all the orders of the space of the Ineffable.
"And he who hath received the mystery of the second Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go into all the orders of the first Thrice-spiritual and to pass through them all and all their orders which are in them; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders of the third Thrice-spiritual.
"And he who hath received the mystery of the third Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the three Thrice-spirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery all together, [hath the power to go into all the orders which are below him]; but he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above. him, that is into the orders of the space of the Ineffable.

"And he who hath received the master-mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable, that is the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery all together, which rule over all the spaces of the First Mystery, he, therefore, who shall receive that mystery, hath the power to pass through all the orders of the spaces of the three Thrice-spirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery and all their orders, and hath the power to pass through all the orders of the inheritances of the Light, to pass through them from without within and from within without and from above below and from below above and from the height to the depth and from the depth to the height and from the length to the breadth and from the breadth to the length; in a word, he hath the power to pass through all the regions of the inheritances of the Light, and he hath the power to bide in the region where he pleaseth, in the Inheritance of the Light-kingdom.
"And amēn, I say unto you: That man will at the dissolution of the world be king over all the orders of the Inheritance of the Light. And he who shall receive that mystery of the Ineffable which I am,

"That mystery knoweth why the darkness hath arisen and why the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the darkness of the darknesses hath arisen and why the light of the lights hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chaos hath arisen and why the treasury of the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the judgments have arisen and why the light-land and the region of the inheritances of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements of the sinners have arisen and why the rest of the kingdom of the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the sinners have arisen and why the inheritances of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the impious have arisen and why the good have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements and judgments have arisen and why all the emanations of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the sins have arisen and why the baptisms and the mysteries of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the fire of chastisement hath arisen and why the seals of the light, so that the fire should not harm them, have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why wrath hath arisen and why peace hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why songs of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the prayers of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why cursing hath arisen and why blessing hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why knavery hath arisen and why deceit hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the slaying hath arisen and why the quickening of the souls hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why adultery and fornication have arisen and why purity hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why intercourse hath arisen and why continence hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why insolence and boasting have arisen and why humbleness and meekness have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why tears have arisen and why laughter hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why good report hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why appreciation hath arisen and why disdain of men hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why murmuring hath arisen and why innocence and humbleness have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why sin hath arisen and why purity hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why strength hath arisen and why weakness hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why motion of body hath arisen and why its utility hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why poverty hath arisen and why wealth hath arisen.
"And that mystery knoweth why the freedom [?] of the world hath arisen and why slavery hath arisen.
"And that mystery knoweth why death hath arisen and why life hath arisen."

Chapter 47

Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: "Yet further, O my disciples and companions and brethren, let every one be sober in the spirit which is in him, let him understand and comprehend all the words which I shall say unto you; for from now on will I begin to discourse with you concerning all the gnoses of that Ineffable.

"That mystery knoweth why the west hath arisen and why the east hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the south hath arisen and why the north hath arisen.

Yet further, O my disciples, hearken and continue to be sober and hearken to the total gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable.

"That mystery knoweth why the demons have arisen and why mankind hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the heat hath arisen and why the pleasant air hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the stars have arisen and why the clouds have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the earth became deep and why the water came thereon.

"And that mystery knoweth why the earth became dry and why the water came thereon.

"And that mystery knoweth why famine hath arisen and why superfluity hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the hoar-frost hath arisen and why the healthful dew hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the dust hath arisen and why the delightsome freshness hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the hail hath arisen and why the pleasant snow hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the west wind hath arisen and why the east wind hath arisen.

("And that mystery knoweth why the fire of the height hath arisen and why the waters have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the east wind hath arisen. [? miscopied.])

"And that mystery knoweth why the south wind hath arisen and why the north wind hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the stars of the heaven and the disks of the light-givers have arisen and why the firmament with all its veils hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the spheres have arisen and why the sphere with all its regions hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the æons have arisen and why the æons with their veils have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the tyrant rulers of the æons have arisen and why the rulers who have repented have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the servitors have arisen and why the decans have arisen.
"And that mystery knoweth why the angels have arisen and why the archangels have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the lords have arisen and why the gods have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the jealousy in the height hath arisen and why concord hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why hate hath arisen and why love hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why discord hath arisen and why concord hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why avarice hath arisen and why renunciation of all hath arisen and love of possessions hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why love of the belly hath arisen and why satiety hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the paired have arisen and why the unpaired have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why impiety hath arisen and why fear of God hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the light-givers have arisen and why the sparks have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the thrice-powerful have arisen and why the invisibles have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the fore-fathers have arisen and why the purities have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the great self-willed hath arisen and why his faithful have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the great triple-powerful hath arisen and why the great invisible forefather hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the thirteenth æon hath arisen and why the region of those of the Midst hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why receivers of the Midst have arisen and why the virgins of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the ministers of the Midst have arisen and why the angels of the Midst have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the light-land hath arisen and why the great receiver of the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the guards of the region of the Right have arisen and why the leaders of them have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the gate of life hath arisen and why Sabaōth, the Good, hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the region of the Right hath arisen and why the light-land, which is the treasury of the light, hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the emanations of the light have arisen and why the twelve saviours have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the three gates of the treasury of the light have arisen and why the nine guards have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the twin-saviours have arisen and why the three Amēns have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the five Trees have arisen and why the seven Amēns have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the Mixture which existeth not, hath arisen and why it is purified."

Chapter 48

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words and knew that the disciples had heard and had begun to let go, that he encouraged them and said unto them: "Grieve no more, my disciples, concerning the mystery of, the Ineffable, thinking that ye will not understand it. Amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is yours, and every one's who will give ear unto you, so that they renounce this whole world and the whole matter therein and renounce all the evil thoughts therein and renounce all the cares of this æon.

"Now, therefore, I say unto you: For every one who will renounce the whole world and all therein and will submit himself to the godhead, that mystery is far easier than all the mysteries of the Light-kingdom and it is sooner to understand than them all and it is easier [?] than them all. He who reacheth unto the gnosis of that mystery, renounceth this whole world and all the cares therein.
"For this cause have I said to you aforetime: 'All ye who are heavy under your burden, come hither unto me, and I will quicken you. For my burden is easy and my yoke is soft.' Now, therefore, he who will receive that mystery, renounceth the whole world and the cares of all the matter therein. For this cause, therefore, my disciples, grieve not, thinking that ye will not understand that mystery. Amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is far sooner to understand than all mysteries. And amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is yours and every one's who will renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein.
"Now, therefore, hearken, my disciples and my companions and my brethren, that I may urge you on to the gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable concerning which I discourse with you, because I have in Booth gotten as far as to tell you the whole gnosis at the expansion of the universe; for the expansion of the universe is its gnosis.

"But now then hearken that I may discourse with you progressively concerning the gnosis of that mystery.

"That mystery knoweth wherefor the five Helpers have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless [pl.].

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the great Light of lights hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the first Commandment hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath divided itself into the seven mysteries and wherefor it is named the first Commandment and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Great Light of the Impressions of the Light hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath set itself up without emanations and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the First Mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from without, hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it imitated in itself the twelve mysteries according to the number of the numbering of the Uncontainables and Boundless and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless.
"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve Immoveables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves with all their orders and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Unwaverables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up, divided into twelve orders, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless, which belong to the orders of the space of the Ineffable.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Incomprehensibles, which pertain to the second space of the Ineffable, have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve Undesignatables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up after all the orders of the Unindicatables, themselves being uncontainable and boundless, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor these Unindicatables have rent themselves asunder,--[they] who have not indicated themselves nor brought themselves into publicity according to the economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Super-deeps have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have distributed themselves, being a single order, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve orders of the Unspeakables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have divided themselves, being three portions, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the Imperishables, being their twelve orders, have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have settled themselves, being expanded in a single order, and wherefor they have divided themselves and formed different orders, being uncontainable and boundless, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Impassables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up, being twelve boundless spaces, and have settled themselves, being three orders of spaces, according to the economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve Uncontainables, which belong to the orders of the One and Only, the Ineffable, have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless, until they were brought to the space of the First Mystery, which is the second space.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the four-and-twenty myriads of Praise-singers have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have extended themselves outside the veil of the First Mystery, which is the twin-mystery, that which looketh within and without, of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the

Uncontainables have rent themselves asunder--[those], which I have just named, which are in the regions of the second space of the Ineffable, which is the space of the First Mystery, and wherefor those Uncontainables and Boundless have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the four-and-twenty mysteries of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they are called the four-and-twenty spaces of the first Thrice-spiritual and wherefor they have come forth from the second Thrice-spiritual.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the four-and-twenty mysteries of the second Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the third Thrice-spiritual.

"And that mystery knoweth why the four-and-twenty mysteries of the third Thrice-spiritual--that is the four-and-twenty spaces of the third Thrice-spiritual--have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have extended themselves, standing one behind the other and moreover bound one to the other with all their orders, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the second Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the third Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth why the Fore-uncontainables of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Fore-uncontainables of the second Trispiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the Fore-uncontainables of the third Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the first Thrice-spiritual from below--those who belong to the orders of the One and Only, the Ineffable hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the second Thrice-spiritual.
"And that mystery knoweth wherefor the third Thrice-spiritual--that is the first Thrice-spiritual from above--hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the twelfth Pro-thrice-spiritual, which is in the last region of the Fatherless.
"And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the regions which are in the space of the Ineffable, and all those in them, have expanded themselves, and wherefor they have come forth from the last Limb of the Ineffable.
"And that mystery knoweth itself, wherefor it hath rent itself asunder to come forth from the Ineffable,--that is from That which ruleth them all and which expanded them all according to their orders.

Chapter 49

When then the Saviour had said this, Mary Magdalene started forward and said: "My Lord, bear with me and be not wroth with me, if I question on all things with precision and certainty. Now, therefore, my Lord, is then another the word of the mystery of the Ineffable and another the word of the whole gnosis?"
The Saviour answered and said: "Yea, another is the mystery of the Ineffable and another the word of the whole gnosis."
And Mary answered again and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me. Now, therefore, my Lord, unless we live and know the gnosis of the whole word of the Ineffable, shall we not be able to inherit the Light-kingdom?"
And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Surely; for every one who shall receive a mystery of the Light-kingdom, will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. But he will not know the gnosis of the universe, wherefor all this hath arisen, unless he knoweth the one and only word of the Ineffable, which is the gnosis of the universe. And again in openness: I am the gnosis of the universe. And moreover it is impossible to know the one and only word of the gnosis, unless a man first receive the mystery of the Ineffable. But all the men who shall receive mysteries in the Light,--every one will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries.

"On this account I have said unto you aforetime: 'He who hath faith in a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and he who hath faith in a righteous [man] will receive a righteous [man's] reward,'--that is: Every one will go to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. He who receiveth a lesser mystery, will inherit the lesser mystery, and he who receiveth a higher mystery, will inherit the higher regions. And every one will abide in his region in the light of my kingdom, and every one will have power over the orders which are below him, but he will not have the power to go to the orders which are above him; but he will abide in the region of the Inheritance of the Light of my kingdom, being in a great light immeasurable for the gods and all the invisibles, and he will be in great joy and great jubilation.
"But now, therefore, hearken, that I may discourse with you concerning the grandeur of those who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery.
"He, therefore, who shall receive the [first] mystery of that First Mystery, and it shall be Of the ascension of the souls of those who receive the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery.at the time that he cometh out of the body of the matter of the rulers,--then the retributive receivers come and lead the soul of that man out of the body. And that soul will become a great light-stream in the hands of the retributive receivers; and those receivers will be afraid of the light of that soul. And that soul will go upwards and pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light. And it will not give answers nor apologies nor tokens in any single region of the Light nor in any single region of the rulers; but it will pass through all the regions and cross over them all, so that it goeth and ruleth over all the regions of the first saviour.

"In like manner also he who shall receive the second mystery of the First Mystery and the third and fourth, until he shall receive the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, if it shall be at the time that he cometh out of the body of the matter of the rulers,--then the retributive receivers come and lead the soul of that man out of the body of matter. And those souls will become a great light-stream in the hands of the retributive receivers; and those receivers will be afraid of the light of those souls and will become powerless and fall on their faces. And those souls will straightway soar upwards and cross over all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light. They will not give answers nor apologies nor tokens in any single region; but they will pass through all the regions and will cross over them all and rule over all the regions of the twelve saviours, so that they who receive the second mystery of the First Mystery, will rule over all the regions of the second saviour in the inheritances of the Light.

"In like manner also those who receive the third mystery of the First Mystery and the fourth and fifth and sixth up to the twelfth,--every one will rule over all the regions of the saviour up to whom he hath received the mystery.
"And he who shall receive in sequence the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, that is the master-mystery concerning which I discourse with you,-- and he who, therefore, shall receive those twelve mysteries which belong to the First Mystery, if he goeth forth out of the world, will pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, being a great light-stream, and he will moreover rule over all the regions of the twelve saviours; but they will not be able to be like unto those who receive the one and only mystery of the Ineffable. But he who shall receive those mysteries will abide in those orders, because they are exalted, and he will abide in the orders of the twelve saviours."

Chapter 50

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene came forward and said: "My Lord, how many years of the years of the world is a year of the Light?"

Jesus answered and said unto Mary: "A day of the Light is a thousand years in the world, so that thirty-six-myriads of years and a half-myriad of years of the world are a single year of the Light.

"I shall, therefore, pass a thousand years of the Light being king in the midst of the last Helper, and being king over all the emanations of the Light and over the whole number of the perfect souls who have received the mysteries of the Light.

"And ye, my disciples, and every one who shall receive the mystery of the Ineffable, will abide with me on my right and on my left, being kings with me in my kingdom.

"And they who shall receive the three mysteries of that Ineffable, will be fellow-kings with you in the Light-kingdom; but they will not be alike with you and with those who receive the mystery of the Ineffable, but they will rather abide behind you, being kings.

"And they who receive the five mysteries of the Ineffable, will also abide behind the three mysteries, being also kings.
"And moreover they who receive the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, will also again abide behind the five mysteries of the Ineffable, being also kings according to the order of every one of them.

"And all who receive of the mysteries in all the regions of the space of the Ineffable, will also be kings and abide before those who receive the mystery of the First Mystery, expanded according to the glory of every one of them, so that those who receive the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions, being kings in the light of my kingdom.

"These alone are the allotment of the kingdom of the first space of the Ineffable.

"They on the other hand who receive all the mysteries of the second space, that is of the space of the First Mystery, will again abide in the light of my kingdom, expanded according to the glory of every one of them, and every one of them being in the mystery up to which he hath received. And those who receive the higher mysteries, will also abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions in the light of my kingdom.

"This is the allotment of the second king for those who receive the mystery of the second space of the First Mystery.

"Those on the other hand who receive the mysteries of the third space, that is of the first space from without, those again will abide behind the second king, expanded in the light of my kingdom, according to the glory of every one of them, every one abiding in the region up to which he hath received mysteries, so that those who receive the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions.

"These are the three allotments of the Light-kingdom.

"The mysteries of these three allotments of the Light are exceedingly numerous. Ye shall find them in the two great Books of Yew. But I will give you and tell you the great mysteries of every allotment, those which are higher than every region, that is the heads according to every region and according to every order which will lead the whole race of men into the higher regions, according to the space of the Inheritance.

"Of the rest of the lower mysteries, therefore, ye have no need; but ye will find them in the two Books of Yew, which Enoch hath written whilst I spake with him out of the tree of gnosis and out of the tree of life in the paradise of Adam.

"Now, therefore, when I shall have explained unto you the whole expansion, I will give you and tell you the great mysteries of the three allotments of my kingdom, that is the heads of the mysteries which I will give you and tell you in all their figures and all their types and in their ciphers and the seals of the last space, that is the first space from without. And I will tell you the answers and the apologies and the tokens of that space.

"The second space which is within, possesseth no answers nor apologies nor tokens nor ciphers nor seals; but it possesseth only types and figures."

Chapter 51

[The Conclusion of Another Book]

"And those who are worthy of the mysteries which abide in the Ineffable, which are those which have not gone forth,--these exist before the First Mystery, and to use a likeness and similitude, that ye may understand it, they are as the Limbs of the Ineffable. And every one existeth according to the dignity of its glory: the head according to the dignity of the head and the eye according to the dignity of the eyes and the ear according to the dignity of the ears and the rest of the Limbs [in like fashion]; so that the matter is manifest: There is a multitude of limbs but one only body. Of this indeed have I spoken in a pattern and similitude and likeness, but not in a form in truth; nor have I revealed the word in truth, but the mystery [only] of the Ineffable.

"And all the Limbs which are in it,--according to the word with which I have made comparison,--that is, those which abide on the mystery of the Ineffable, and those which abide in it, and also the three spaces which are after them according to the mysteries,--of all these in truth and verity I am their treasury beside whom there is no other treasury, who hath not his like in the world; but there are still words and mysteries and other regions.
"Now, therefore, blessed is he who hath found the [words of the] mysteries [of the first space] which is from without; and he is a god who hath found these words of the mysteries of the second space, which is in the midst; and he is a saviour and an uncontainable who hath found the words of the mysteries of the third space, which is within, and he is more excellent than the universe and like unto those who are in that third space. Because he hath found the mystery in which they are and in which they stand,-- for this cause, therefore, is he like unto them. He on the other hand who hath found the words of the mysteries which I have described unto you according to a likeness, that they are the Limbs of the Ineffable,--amēn, I say unto you: That man who hath found the words of these mysteries in divine truth, is the first in truth and like unto him [sc. the First, i.e. the Ineffable], for through those words and mysteries . . . and the universe itself standeth through that First. For this cause he who hath found the words of those mysteries, is like unto the First. For it is the gnosis of the gnosis of the Ineffable concerning which I have discoursed with you this day."

Chapter 52

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary came forward and said to the Saviour: "My Lord, will then a righteous man who is perfected in all righteousness, and that man who hath no sin at all, will such an one be tormented in the chastisements and judgments or not? Or will rather that man be brought into the kingdom of heaven or not?"
And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "A righteous man who is perfected in all righteousness and who hath never committed any sin of any kind, and such an one who never hath received mysteries of the Light, if the time is at hand when he goeth forth out of the body, then straightway come the receivers of one of the great triple-powers,--those among whom there is a great [one],--snatch away the soul of that man from the hands of the retributive receivers and spend three days circling with it in all the creatures of the world. After three days they lead it down into the chaos, so as to lead it into all the chastisements of the judgments and to dispatch it to all the judgments. The fires of the chaos do not trouble it greatly; but they will trouble it partly for a short time.
"And with haste they take pity on it quickly, to lead it up out of the chaos and lead it on the way of the midst through all the rulers. And they [sc. the rulers] do not chastize it in their harsh judgments, but the fire of their regions troubleth it partly. And if it shall be brought into the region of Yachthanabas, the pitiless, then will he indeed not be able to chastize it in his evil judgments, but he holdeth it fast a short time, while the fire of his chastisements troubleth it partly.

And again they take pity on it quickly, and lead it up out of those regions of theirs and they do not bring it into the æons, so that the rulers of the æons do not carry it away ravishingly; they bring it on the way of the sun and bring it before the Virgin of Light. She proveth it and findeth that it is pure of sins, but letteth them not bring it to the Light, because the sign of the kingdom of the mystery is not with it. But she sealeth it with a higher seal and letteth it be cast down into the body into the æons of righteousness,--that body which will be good to find the signs of the mysteries of the Light and inherit the Light-kingdom for ever.
"If on the contrary he hath sinned once or twice or thrice, then will he be cast back into the world again according to the type of the sins which he hath committed, the type of which I will tell you when I shall have told you the expansion of the universe.
"But amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Even if a righteous man hath committed no sins at all, he cannot possibly be brought into the Light-kingdom, because the sign of the kingdom of the mysteries is not with him. In a word, it is impossible to bring souls into the Light without the mysteries of the Light-kingdom."

Chapter 53

When then the Saviour had said this, John started forward and said: "My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, for from now on I will begin to, question thee on all things concerning the manner, how we are to herald it to mankind.
"If, therefore, I give that brother a mystery out of the mysteries of the beginning which are in the first space from without, and if I give him many mysteries and he doeth not what is worthy of the kingdom of heaven,--desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries of the second space? Perchance we win the soul of that brother, and he turneth, repenteth and inheriteth the Light-kingdom. Desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries [which are in the second space] or not?"

And the Saviour answered and said unto John: "If it is a brother who is not play-acting, but in truth longeth after God, if ye have given him many times the mysteries of the beginning and because of the necessity of the elements of the Fate he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, then forgive him, let him pass through and give him the first mystery which is in the second space. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother.
"And if he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light and hath committed transgression and divers sins, and thereafter hath turned; again and been in great repentance and hath renounced the whole world and ceased from all the sins of the world, and ye know with certainty that he doth not play-act but in truth longeth after God, then turn ye anew, forgive him, let him pass on through and give him the second mystery in the second space of the First Mystery. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom.
"And again if he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries, but hath been in transgression and divers sins, and thereafter again hath turned and been in great repentance and hath renounced the whole world and the whole matter therein and ceased from the sins of the world, so that ye know truly that he is not play-acting but longeth truly after God, then turn ye anew, forgive him and receive his repentance, because the First Mystery is compassionate and merciful-minded; let also that man pass through and give him the three mysteries together which are in the second space of the First Mystery.

"If that man [then] transgresseth and is in divers sins, from that moment onwards ye are not to forgive him nor to receive his repentance; but let him be among you as a stumbling-block and as a transgressor.
"For, amēn, I say unto you: Those three mysteries will be witnesses for his last repentance, and he hath not repentance from this moment onwards. For, amēn, I say unto you: The soul of that man will not be cast back into the world above from this moment onwards, but will be in the abodes of the dragon of the outer darkness.
"For regarding the souls of such men I have spoken unto you aforetime in a similitude, saying: 'If thy brother sinneth against thee, bring him over between thee alone and him. If he hearkeneth unto thee, thou wilt win thy brother; if he hearkeneth not unto thee, take with thee yet another. If he hearkeneth not unto thee and the other, bring him to the assembly. If he hearken not unto the others, let him be for you as a transgressor and as a stumbling-block.'--That is: If he is not usable in the first mystery, give him the second; and if he is not usable in the second give him the three, assembled together, which is 'the assembly'; and if he is not usable in the third mystery, let him be for you as a stumbling-block and as a transgressor.
"And the word which I have spoken unto you aforetime: 'So that through two to three witnesses every word may be established,'--it is this: Those three mysteries will witness for his last repentance. And amēn, I say unto you: If that man repenteth, no mystery can forgive him his sins, nor can his repentance be received, nor can he at all be hearkened to through any mystery, save through the first mystery of the First Mystery and through the mysteries of the Ineffable. It is these alone which will receive the repentance of that man and forgive his sins; for those mysteries in sooth are compassionate and merciful-minded and forgiving at every time."

Chapter 54

And when the Saviour had said this, John continued again and said: "My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, for I question concerning all things with surety and certainty for knowledge of the manner, how we are to herald it to the men of the world."
And the Saviour answered and said unto John: "Question concerning all things on which thou questionest, and I will reveal them unto thee, face to face in openness without similitude, or with surety."
And John answered and said: "My Lord, if we go forth and herald it and come into a city or a village, and if the men of that city come forth to meet us without our knowing who they are, and if they receive us unto themselves in great deceit and great play-acting and bring us into their house, desiring to make trial of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and if they play-act with us in submission and we suppose that they long after God, and we give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and if we thereafter know that they have not done what is worthy of the mystery, and we know that they have play-acted with us, and have been deceitful against us and that they have also made a show of the mysteries region by region, making trial of us and also of our mysteries,--what is then the thing which will befall such?"

And the Saviour answered and said unto John: "If ye come into a city or a village, where ye enter into the house and they receive you unto themselves, give them a mystery. If they are worthy, ye will win their souls and they will inherit the Light-kingdom; but if they are not worthy but are deceitful against you, and if they also make a show of the mysteries, making trial of you and also of the mysteries, then invoke the first mystery of the First Mystery which hath mercy on every one, and say: Thou Mystery, which we have given unto these impious and iniquitous souls who have not done what is worthy of thy mystery but have made a show of us, turn back [then] the mystery unto us and make them for ever strangers to the mystery of thy kingdom. And shake ye off the dust of your feet as a witness against them, saying: May your souls be as the dust of your house. And amēn, I say unto you: In that hour all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, will return unto you, and all the words and all the mysteries of the region up to which they have received figures, will be taken from them.
"Concerning such men, therefore, have I aforetime spoken unto you in similitude, saying: 'Where ye enter into a house and are received, say unto them: Peace be with you. And if they are worthy, let your peace come upon them; and if they are not worthy, let your peace return unto you,'--that is: If those men do what is worthy of the mysteries and in truth long after God, give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom; but if they play-act with you and are deceitful against you, without your having known it, and if ye give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and again thereafter they make a show of the mysteries and they make also trial of you and also of the mysteries, then perform the first mystery of the First Mystery, and it will turn back unto you all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, and it will make them strangers to the mysteries of the Light for ever.

"And such men will not be led back to the world from this moment onwards; but amēn, I say unto you: Their dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness. And if they still at a time of repentance renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein and all the sins of the world, and they are in entire submission to the mysteries of the Light, no mystery can hearken unto them nor forgive their sins, save this same mystery of the Ineffable, which hath mercy on every one and forgiveth every one his sins."

Chapter 55

And Mary answered and said: "Now, therefore, my Lord, hast thou then not brought mysteries into the world that man may not die through the death which is appointed him by the rulers of the Fate,--be it that it is appointed one to die by the sword or die by the waters or through tortures and torturings and acts of violence which are in the law, or through any other evil death,--hast thou then not brought mysteries into the world that man may not die with them through the rulers of the Fate, but that he may die by a sudden death, so that he endure no sufferings through such kinds of death? For they are exceedingly numerous who persecute us because of thee, and numerous those who persecute us because of thy name, in order that, if they torture us, we may speak the mystery and straightway go out of the body without having endured any sufferings at all."
The Saviour answered and said unto all his disciples: "Concerning this word on which ye question me, I have spoken unto you at another time; but hearken again that I may say it unto you anew: Not only ye, but every man who will accomplish that first mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable,--he who, therefore, shall perform that mystery and accomplish it in all its figures and all its types and all its stations, in performing it, he will not come out of the body; but after he hath accomplished that mystery in all its figures and all its types, thereafter then at every time when he shall speak the name of that mystery, he will save himself from all that which is appointed him by the rulers of the Fate. And in that hour he will come forth out of the body of the matter of the rulers, and his soul will become a great light-stream, so that it soareth on high and penetrateth all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, until it reacheth the region of its kingdom. Neither giveth it answers nor apologies in any region at all, for it is without tokens."

Chapter 56

When then the disciples had said this, the Saviour continued again and said unto his disciples: "If ye go into cities or kingdoms or countries, proclaim first unto them, saying:

Search ever and cease not, until ye find the mysteries of the Light which will lead you into the Light-kingdom. Say unto them: Beware of the doctrines of error. For many will come in my name and say: It is I. And it is not I, and they will lead many astray.

"Now, therefore, unto all men who come unto you and have faith in you and hearken unto your words and do what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them. And unto him who is worthy of the higher mysteries, give them, and to him who is worthy of the lower mysteries, give them, and hide not anything from any one.

"The mystery of the raising of the dead and of the healing of the sick, on the other hand, give unto no one nor give instruction in it, for that mystery belongeth to the rulers, it and all its namings. For this cause, therefore, give it unto no one, nor give instruction in it until ye establish the faith in the whole world, in order that, if ye come into cities or into countries, and they do not receive you unto themselves, and do not have faith, and do not hearken unto your words, ye may raise the dead in those regions and heal the lame and the blind and manifold of sicknesses in those regions. And through all such they will have faith in you, that ye herald the God of the universe, and will have faith in all the words of you. For this cause, therefore, have I given unto you that mystery, until ye establish the faith in the whole world."

When then the Saviour had said this, he continued again in the discourse and said unto Mary: "Now, therefore, hearken, Mary, concerning the word on which thou hast questioned me: Who constraineth the man until he sinneth? Now, therefore, hearken:

"Is the babe born, the power is feeble in it, and the soul is feeble in it, and also the counterfeiting spirit is feeble in it; in a word, the three together are feeble, without any one of them sensing anything, whether good or evil, because of the load of forgetfulness which is very heavy. Moreover the body also is feeble. And the babe eateth of the delights of the world of the rulers; and the power draweth into itself from the portion of the power which is in the delights; and the soul draweth into itself from the portion of the soul which is in the delights; and the counterfeiting spirit draweth into itself from the portion of the evil which is in the delights and in its lusts. And on the other hand the body draweth into itself the matter which senseth not, which is in the delights. The destiny on the contrary taketh nothing from the delights, because it is not mingled with them, but it departeth again in the condition in which it cometh into the world.

"And little by little the power and the soul and the counterfeiting spirit grow, and every one of them senseth according to its nature: the power senseth to seek after the light of the height; the soul on the other hand senseth to seek after the region of righteousness which is mixed, which is the region of the commixture; the counterfeiting spirit on the other hand seeketh after all evils and lusts and all sins; the body on the contrary senseth nothing unless it taketh up force out of the matter.

"And straightway the three develop sense, every one according to its nature. And the retributive receivers assign the servitors to follow them and be witnesses of all the sins which they commit, with a view to the manner and method how they will chastize them in the judgments.

"And after this the counterfeiting spirit contriveth and senseth all sins and the evil which the rulers of the great Fate have commanded for the soul, and it maketh them for the soul.

"And the inner power stirreth the soul to seek after the region of the Light and the whole god-head; and the counterfeiting spirit leadeth away the soul and compelleth it continually to do all its lawless deeds, all its mischiefs and all its sin, and is persistently allotted to the soul and is hostile to it, and making it do all this evil and all these sins.

"And it goadeth on the retributive servitors, so that they are witnesses in all the sins which it will make it do. Moreover also if it will rest in the night [or] by day, it stirreth it in dreams or in lusts of the world, and maketh it to lust after all the things of the world. In a word, it driveth [?] it into all the things which the rulers have commanded for it and it is hostile to the soul, making it do what pleaseth it not.

"Now, therefore, Mary, this is in fact the foe of the soul, and this compelleth it until it doeth all sins.

"Now, therefore, if the time of that man is completed, first cometh forth the destiny and leadeth the man unto death through the rulers and their bonds with which they are bound through the Fate.

"And thereafter the retributive receivers come and lead that soul out of the body. And thereafter the. retributive receivers spend three days circling round with that soul in all the regions and dispatch it to all the æons of the world. And the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny follow that soul; and the power returneth to the Virgin of Light.

"And after three days the retributive receivers lead down that soul to the Amente of the chaos; and when they bring it down to the chaos, they hand it over to those who chastize. And the retributive receivers return unto their own regions according to the economy of the works of the rulers concerning the coming-forth of the souls.

"And the counterfeiting spirit becometh the receiver of the soul, being assigned unto it and transferring it according to the chastisement because of the sins which it hath made it commit, and is in great enmity to the soul.
"And when the soul hath finished the chastisements in the chaos according to the sins which it hath committed, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth it forth out of the chaos, being assigned unto it and transferring it to every region because of the sins which it hath committed; and it leadeth it forth on the way of the rulers of the midst. And when it reacheth them, [the rulers] question it on the mysteries of the destiny; and if it hath not found them, they question their destiny. And those rulers chastize that soul according to the sins of which it is guilty. I will tell you the type of their chastisements at the expansion of the universe.
"When, therefore, the time of the chastisements of that soul in the judgments of the rulers of the midst shall be completed, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth the soul up out of all the regions of the rulers of the midst and bringeth it before the light of the sun according to the commandment of the First Man, Yew, and bringeth it before the judge, the Virgin of Light. And she proveth that soul and findeth that it is a sinning soul, and ceaseth her light-power into it for its standing-upright and because of the body and the community of sense,--the type of which I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. And the Virgin of Light sealeth that soul and handeth it over to one of her receivers and will have it cast into a body which is suitable to the sins which it hath committed.
"And amēn, I say unto you: They will not discharge that soul from the changes of the body until it hath yielded its last circuit according to its merit. Of all these then will I tell you their type and the type of the bodies into which it will be cast according to the sins of each soul. All this will I tell you when I shall have told you the expansion of the universe."

Chapter 57

When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?"
And Mary again started forward and said: "Yea, my Lord, I understand in what manner thou dost discourse with me, and I will comprehend them all [sc. thy words]. Now, therefore, concerning these words which thou sayest, my mind hath brought forward four thoughts in me and my light-man hath led me and exulted and seethed, desiring to come forth out of me and enter into thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, hearken that I may tell thee the four thoughts which have arisen in me.

"The first thought hath arisen in me concerning the word which thou hast spoken: 'Now, therefore, the soul giveth the apology and seal unto all the rulers who are in the region of the king, the Adamas, and giveth the apology and the honour and the glory of all their seals and the songs of praise to the region of the Light,'--concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime, when they brought thee the piece ofmoney and thou didst see that it was of silver and copper and didst ask: 'Whose is this image?' They said: 'The king's.' And when thou sawest that it was of silver and copper mixed, thou saidst: 'Give therefore the king's unto the king and God's unto God,'--that is: If the soul receiveth mysteries, it giveth the apology to all the rulers and to the region of the king, the Adamas; and the soul giveth the honour and the glory to all those of the region of the Light. And the word: 'It hath glistened, when thou didst see that it is made up of silver and copper,'--it is the type thereof, that in it [sc. the soul] is the power of the Light, which is the refined silver, and that in it is the counterfeiting spirit, which is the material copper. This, my Lord, is the first thought.

"The second thought is on the other hand that which thou hast just said unto us concerning the soul which receiveth the mysteries: 'If it cometh into the region of the rulers of the way of the midst, they come forth to meet it in exceedingly great fear and they are afraid of it. And the soul giveth the mystery of the fear unto them and they are afraid before it. And it giveth the destiny to its region, and it giveth the counterfeiting spirit to its own region, and it giveth the apology and the seals to every one of the rulers who are on the ways, and it giveth the honour and the glory and the laud of the seals and the songs of praise to all those of the region of the Light,'--concerning this word, my Lord, thou hast spoken aforetime through the mouth of our brotherPaul: 'Give tax to whom tax is due, give fear to whom fear is due, give tribute to whom tribute is due, give honour to whom honour is due, and give laud to whom laud is due, and owe not any other anything,' --that is, my Lord: The soul which receiveth mysteries, giveth apology to all regions. This, my Lord, is the second thought.
"The third thought on the other hand concerning the word which thou hast aforetime spoken unto us: 'The counterfeiting spirit is hostile to the soul, making it do all sins and all mischiefs, and it transferreth it in the chastisements because of all the . sins which it hath made it commit; in a word, it is hostile to the soul in every way,'--concerning this word, therefore, thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'The foes of the man are the dwellers in his house,'--that is: The dwellers in the house of the soul are the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny, which are hostile to the soul the whole time, making it commit all sin and all iniquities. Lo this, my Lord, is the third thought.

"The fourth thought on the other hand concerning the word which thou hast said: 'If the soul goeth forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counterfeiting spirit, and if it hath not found the mystery of the undoing of all the bonds and the seals which are bound to the counterfeiting spirit, so that it may cease to haunt or be assigned to it,--if it then hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth the soul to the Virgin of Light, the judge; and the judge, the Virgin of Light, proveth the soul and findeth that it hath sinned and, as she also hath not found the mysteries of the Light with it, she handeth it over to one of her receivers, and her receiver leadeth it and casteth it into the body, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded its last circuit,'--concerning this word, then, my Lord, thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'Be reconciled with thy foe as longas thou art on the way with him, lest perchance thy foe hand thee over to the judge and the judge hand thee over to the servant and the servant cast thee into prison, and thou shalt not come forth out of that region till thou hast yielded the last farthing.'

"Because of this manifestly is thy word: Every soul which cometh forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counterfeiting spirit and findeth not the mystery of the undoing of all the seals and all the bonds, so that it may undo itself from the counterfeiting spirit which is bound to it,--that soul which hath not found mysteries of the Light and hath not found the mysteries of detachment from the counterfeiting spirit which is bound to it,--if then it hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth that soul to the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light, yea that judge, handeth over that soul to one of her receivers, and her receiver casteth it into the sphere of the æons, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded the last circuit which is appointed for it. This then, my Lord, is the fourth thought."

Chapter 58

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words, that he said: "Well said, all-blessed Mary, spiritual [one]. These are the solutions of the words which I have spoken."
Mary answered and said: "Still, my Lord, do I question thee, because from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with sureness. For this cause, therefore, my Lord, be patient with us and reveal unto us all things on which we shall question thee for the sake of the manner, how my brethren are to herald it to the whole race of men."
And when she had said this to the Saviour, the Saviour answered and said unto her in great compassion towards her: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Not only will I reveal unto you all things on which ye shall question me, but from now on I will reveal unto you other things on which ye have not thought to question, which have not entered into the heart of man, and which also all the gods, who are below man, know not. Now, therefore, Mary, question on what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude."

Chapter 59

Mary answered again and said: "My Lord, I will still continue to question thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, bear with me questioning thee. Lo, in openness have we known the type in which the baptisms forgive sins. Now on the other hand the mystery of these three spaces and the mysteries of this First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, in what type do they forgive sins? Do they forgive in the type of the baptisms, or not?"
The Saviour answered again and said: "Nay, but all the mysteries of the three spaces forgive the soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sine which the soul hath committed from the beginning onwards. They forgive it, and moreover they forgive the sins which it thereafter will commit, until the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective,--the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective I will tell you at the expansion of the universe.
"And moreover the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable forgive the soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sins and all the iniquities which the soul hath committed; and [not only] do they forgive it all, but they impute unto it no sin from this hour unto all eternity, because of the gift of that great mystery and its prodigiously great glory."

Chapter 60

Mary continued again and said: "My Lord, but if on the other hand they who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and transgress, and if they come out of the body before they have repented, will they inherit the kingdom or not, because indeed they have received the gift of the First Mystery?"
The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Every man who hath received mysteries in the First Mystery, | having transgressed for the first and the second and the third time, and if he cometh out of the body before he hath repented, his judgment is far sorer than all the judgments; for his dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness, and at the end of all this he will be frozen up [?] in the chastisements and perish for ever, because he hath received the gift of the First Mystery and hath not abided in it [sc. the gift].
Mary answered and said: "My Lord, all men who shall receive the mysteries of the mystery of the Ineffable, and have turned again, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith, and again thereafter, when they are still in life, have turned and have repented, how many times will it be forgiven them?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: To every man who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, not only if he transgresseth once, turneth again and repenteth, will it be forgiven, but if at any time he transgresseth, and if, when still in life, he turneth again and repenteth, without play- acting, and again if he turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any of his mysteries, then will it be forgiven him, because he hath received of the gift of the mysteries of the Ineffable, and moreover because those mysteries are compassionate and forgive at every time."
And Mary answered again and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, those who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, and have again turned, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith and are moreover come out of the body before they have repented, what will befall such?"
And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: All men who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, blessed indeed are the souls which shall receive of those mysteries; but if they turn and transgress and come out of the body before they have repented, the judgment of those men is sorer than all the judgments, and it is exceedingly violent, even if those souls are new and it is their first time for coming into the world. They will not return to the changes of the bodies from that hour onwards and will not be able to do anything, but they will be cast out into the outer darkness and perish and be non-existent for ever."

Chapter 61

When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples, he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I speak with you?"

Mary answered and said: "Yea, my Lord, with precision have I precisely followed all the words which thou hast said. Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime: 'If the house-holder knew at what hour in the night the thief cometh to break into the house, he would keep awake and not suffer the man to break into his house.'"

When then Mary had said this, the Saviour said: "Well said, thou spiritual Mary. This is the word."

The Saviour continued again and said unto his disciples: "Now, therefore, herald ye unto all men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, and speak unto them, saying: Keep watch over yourselves and sin not, lest ye heap evil on evil and go out of the body without having repented and become strangers to the Light-kingdom for ever."

When the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said: "My Lord, great is the compassion of those mysteries which forgive sins at every time."

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "If to-day a king who is a man of the world, giveth a gift to men of his like, and also forgiveth murderers and those who have intercourse with males, and the rest of the very grievous sins which are deserving of death,--if it becometh him who is a man of the world, to have done this, much more then have the Ineffable and the First Mystery, who are the lords of the universe, the authority to act in all things as it pleaseth them, that they forgive every one who shall receive mysteries.

"Or if on the other hand a king to-day investeth a soldier with a royal vesture and sendeth him into foreign regions, and he committeth murders and other grievous sins which are deserving of death, then they will not impute them to him, and are not able to do him any evil because he is invested with the royal vesture,--how much more then those who wear the mysteries of the vestures of the Ineffable and those of the First Mystery, who are lords over all those of the height and all those of the depth!"

Chapter 62

Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries and hath not done what is worthy of them, but he hath turned and hath sinned, thereafter he hath again repented and hath been in great repentance,--is it then lawful for my brethren to renew for him the mystery which he hath received, or rather give him a mystery out of the lower mysteries,--is it lawful, or not?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Neither the mystery which he hath received, nor the lower hearken unto him, to forgive his sins; but it is the mysteries which are higher than those which he hath received, which hearken unto him and forgive his sins. Now, therefore, Mary, let thy brethren give him the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, and they are to accept his repentance from him and forgive his sins,--the latter indeed, because he hath received it once more, and the former, because he hath towered over them [the lower mysteries] upward,--the latter indeed hearkeneth not unto him to forgive his sin; but it is the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, that forgiveth his sins. But if on the other hand he hath received the three mysteries in the two spaces or in the third from within, and he hath turned and transgressed, no mystery hearkeneth unto him to help him in his repentance, neither the higher nor the lower, save the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable,--it is they which hearken unto him and accept his repentance from him."
Mary answered and said: "My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries up to two or three in the second or third space, and he hath not transgressed, but is still in his faith in uprightness and without play-acting, [what will befall him]?"

And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Every man who hath received mysteries in the second and in the third space, and hath not transgressed, but is still in his faith without play-acting, it is lawful for such an one to receive mysteries in the space which pleaseth him, from the first to the last, because they have not transgressed."

Chapter 63

Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, if the faith and the mysteries shall have revealed themselves,--now, therefore, if souls come into the world in many circuits and are neglectful of receiving mysteries, hoping that, if they come into the world at any other circuit, they will receive them, will they not then be in danger of not succeeding in receiving the mysteries?"

The Saviour answered and said unto his disciples: "Herald unto the whole world and say unto men: Strive thereafter that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light in this time of affliction and enter into the Light-kingdom. Join not one day to another, or one circuit to another, hoping that ye may succeed in receiving the mysteries if ye come into the world in another circuit.

"And these know not when the number of the perfect souls will be at hand; for if the number of the perfect souls shall be at hand, I will now shut the gates of the Light, and no one from this hour onwards will enter in, nor will any one hereafter go forth, for the number of the perfect souls is completed and the mystery of the First Mystery is completed, for the sake of which the universe hath arisen,--that is: I am that Mystery.

"And from this hour onwards no one will be able to enter into the Light and no one be able to go forth. For at the completion of the time of the number of the perfect souls, before I have set fire to the world, in order that it may purify the æons and the veils and the firmaments and the whole earth and also all the matters which are on it, mankind will be still existing.

"At that time then the faith will reveal itself still more and the mysteries in those days. And many souls will come by means of the circuits of the changes of the body, and coming back into the world are some of those in this present time who have hearkened unto me, how I taught, who at the completion of the number of the perfect souls will find the mysteries of the Light and receive them and come to the gates of the Light and find that the number of the perfect souls is complete, which is the completion of the First Mystery and the gnosis of the universe. And they will find that I have shut the gates of the Light and that it is impossible that any one should enter in or that any one should go forth from this hour.

"Those souls then will knock at the gates of the Light, saying: Lord, open unto us! And I will answer unto them: I know you not, whence ye are. And they will say unto me: We have received of thy mysteries and fulfilled thy whole teaching and thou hast taught us on the high ways. And I will answer and say unto them: I know you not, who ye are, ye who are doers of iniquity and of evil even unto now. Wherefor go into the outer darkness. And from that hour they will go into the outer darkness, there where is howling and grinding of teeth.

"For this cause then, herald unto the whole world and say unto them: 'Strive thereafter, to renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light before the number of the perfect souls is completed, in order that they may not make you stop before the gates of the Light and. lead you away into the outer darkness.'

"Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

When then the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward again and said: "My Lord, not only hath my light-man ears, but my soul hath heard and understood all the words which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the words which thou hast spoken: 'Herald unto the men of the world and say unto them: Strive thereafter, to receive the mysteries of the Light, in this time of affliction, that ye may inherit the Light-kingdom. . . .

. . . . . .

[A Considerable Lacuna Here Occurs in the Text.]

. . . . . .

Chapter 64

And when the Saviour had said this unto Mary, she smote her breast, she cried out and wept, she and all the disciples together, and said: "Woe unto sinners, for their chastisements are exceedingly numerous!"

Mary came forward, she fell down at the feet of Jesus, kissed them and said: "My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, that I trouble thee oft; for from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with determination."

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Question concerning all things on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal them unto thee in openness without similitude."

Mary answered and said: "My Lord, if a good man hath accomplished all the mysteries and he hath a kinsman, in a word he hath a man, and that man is an impious [one] who hath committed all sins and is deserving of the outer darkness, and he hath not repented, or he hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body, and that man hath done nothing useful, and he hath come out of. the body, and we have known certainly of him, that he hath sinned and is deserving of the outer darkness,--what are we to do with him, to save him from the chastisements of the dragon of the outer darkness, and that he may be removed into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, in order that it may be good and go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "If a sinner is deserving of the outer darkness, or hath sinned according to the chastisements of the rest of the chastisements and hath not repented, or a sinning man who hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body and hath not repented,--if then these men of whom I have spoken, shall come out of the body and be led into the outer darkness, now, therefore, if ye desire to remove them out of the chastisements of the outer darkness and all the judgments and to remove them into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, that it may go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom,--then perform this same mystery of the Ineffable which forgiveth sins at every time, and when ye have finished performing the mystery then say:

"The soul of such or such a man of whom I think in my heart,--if it is in the region of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness, or if it is in the rest of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness and in the rest of the chastisements of the dragons,--then is it to be removed out of them all. And if it hath completed its number of its circuits of the changes, then is it to be led before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light is to seal it with the seal of the Ineffable and cast it down in whatever month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, so that it may be good, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom. And moreover if it hath completed the circuits of changes, then is that soul to be led before the seven virgins of the Light who [are set] over the baptisms, and they are to apply them to the soul and seal it with the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable and lead it into the orders of the Light.

"This then will ye say when ye perform the mystery.

"Amēn, I say unto you: The soul for which ye shall pray, if it indeed is in the dragon of the outer darkness, he will draw his tail out of his mouth and let go that soul. And moreover if it is in all the regions of the judgments of the rulers, amēn, I say unto you: The receivers of Melchisedec will with haste snatch it away, whether the dragon let it go or it is in the judgments of the rulers; in a word, the receivers of Melchisedec will snatch it away out of all the regions in which it is, and will lead it into the region of the Midst before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light proveth it and seeth the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is on that soul.

"And if it hath not yet completed its number of circuits in the changes of the soul, or [in the changes] of the body, the Virgin of Light sealeth it with an excellent seal and hasteth to have it cast down in any month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, be good and go on high into the Light-kingdom.

"And if that soul hath had its number of the circuits, then the Virgin of Light proveth it, and doth not have it chastized, because it hath had its number of circuits, but handeth it over to the seven virgins of the Light. And the seven virgins of the Light prove that soul, baptize it with their baptisms and give it the spiritual chrism and lead it into the Treasury of the Light and put it in the last order of the Light until the ascension of all the perfect souls. And when they prepare to draw apart the veils of the region of those of the Right, they cleanse that soul anew and purify it and put it in the orders of the first saviour who [is] in the Treasury of the Light."

Chapter 65

It came to pass then, when the Saviour had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, I have heard thee say: 'He who shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable or who shall receive of the mysteries of the First Mystery,--they become flames of light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.'"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "If they receive the mystery when still in life, and if they come out of the body, they become light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.

"But if they are sinners and are come out of the body and have not repented, and if ye perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, in order that they may be removed out of all the chastisements and be cast into a righteous body, which is good and inheriteth the Light-kingdom or is brought into the last order of the Light, then they will not be able to penetrate the regions, because they do not perform the mystery [themselves]. But the receivers of Melchisedec follow them and lead them before the Virgin of Light. And the servitors of the judges of the rulers make frequent haste to take those souls and hand them over from one to the other until they lead them before the Virgin of Light."

Chapter 66

Mary continued again and said: "My Lord, doth the dragon of the outer darkness come into this world or doth he not come?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "When the light of the sun is outside [? above the world], he covereth the darkness of the dragon; but if the sun is below the world, then the darkness of the dragon abideth as veiling of the sun and the breath of the darkness cometh into the world in form of a smoke in the night,--that is, if the sun withdraweth into himself his rays, then indeed the world is not able to endure the darkness of the dragon in its true form; otherwise would it be dissolved and go to ruin withal."

When the Saviour had said this, Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, still do I question thee and hide [it] not from me. Now, therefore, my Lord, who compelleth then the man until he sinneth?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "It is the rulers of the Fate who compel the man until he sinneth."

Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, surely the rulers do not come down to the world and compel the man until he sinneth?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "They do not come down in this manner into the world. But the rulers of the Fate, when an old soul is about to come down through them, then the rulers of that great Fate who [are] in the regions of the head of the æons,--which is that region which is called the region of the kingdom of Adamas, and which is that region which is in face of the Virgin of Light,--then the rulers of the region of that head give the old soul a cup of forgetfulness out of the seed of wickedness, filled with all the different desires and all forgetfulness. And straightway, when that soul shall drink out of the cup, it forgetteth all the regions to which it hath gone, and all the chastisements in which it hath travelled. And that cup of the water of forgetfulness becometh body outside the soul, and it resembleth the soul in all [its] figures and maketh [itself] like it,--which is what is called the counterfeiting spirit.

"If on the other hand it is a new soul which they have taken out of the sweat of the rulers and out of the tears of their eyes, or far rather out of the breath of their mouths,--in a word, if it is one of the new souls or one of such souls, if it is one out of the sweat, then the five great rulers of the great Fate take up the sweat of all the rulers of their æons, knead it together withal, portion it and make it into a soul. Or far rather if it is refuse of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec taketh it up from the rulers. The five great rulers of the great Fate knead the refuse together, portion it and make it into different souls, so that every one of the rulers of the æons, every one of them putteth his portion into the soul. For this cause they knead it jointly, so that all may [par]take of the soul.

"And the five great rulers, if they portion it and make it into souls, bring it out of the sweat of the rulers. But if it is one out of the refuse of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light, taketh it [sc. the refuse] up from the rulers, or far rather if it is out of the tears of their eyes or out of the breath of their mouth,--in a word, out of such souls, when the five rulers portion it and make it into different souls,--or far rather if it is an old soul, then the ruler who is in the head of the æons, himself mixeth the cup of forgetfulness with the seed of wickedness, and he mixeth it with every one of the new souls at the time when he is in the region of the head. And that cup of forgetfulness becometh the counterfeiting spirit for that soul, and bideth outside the soul, being a vesture for it and resembling it in every way, being envelope as vesture outside it.

"And the five great rulers of the great Fate of the æons and the ruler of the disk of the sun and the ruler of the disk of the moon inbreathe within into that soul, and there cometh forth out of them a portion out of my power which the last Helper hath cast into the Mixture. And the portion of that power remaineth within in the soul, unloosed and existing on its own authority for the economy unto which it hath been inset, to give sense unto the soul, in order that it may seek after the works of the Light of the Height always.

"And that power is like the species of the soul in every form and resembleth it. It cannot be outside the soul, but remaineth inside it, as I have commanded it from the beginning. When I willed to cast it into the first Commandment, I gave it commandment to remain outside [? inside] the souls for the economy of the First Mystery.

"And so I will tell you at the expansion of the universe all these words concerning the power and also concerning the soul, after what type they are fashioned, or what ruler fashioneth them, or what are the different species of the souls. And so will I tell you at the expansion of the universe how many fashion the soul. And I will tell you the name of all of them who fashion the soul. And I will tell you the type, how the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny have been prepared. And I will tell you the name of the soul before it is purged, and moreover its name when it hath been purged and become pure. And I will tell you the name of the counterfeiting spirit; and I will tell you the name of the destiny. And I will tell you the name of all the bonds with which the rulers bind the counterfeiting spirit to the soul. And I will tell you the name of all the decans who fashion the soul in the bodies of the soul in the world; and I will tell you in what manner the souls are fashioned. And I will tell you the type of every one of the souls; and I will tell you the type of the souls of the men and of those of the birds and of those of the wild beasts and of those of the reptiles. And. I will tell you the type of all the souls and of those of all the rulers which are sent into the world, in order that ye may be completed in all gnosis. All this will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. And after all this I will tell you wherefor all this hath come to pass.

"Hearken, therefore, that I may discourse with you concerning the soul according as I have said: The five great rulers of the great Fate of the æons and the rulers of the disk of the sun and the rulers of the disk of the moon breathe into that soul, and there cometh out of them a portion of my power, as I have just said. And the portion of that power remaineth within the soul, so that the soul can stand. And they put the counterfeiting spirit outside the soul, watching it and assigned to it; and the rulers bind it to the soul with their seals and their bonds and seal it to it, that it may compel it always, so that it continually doeth its mischiefs and all its iniquities, in order that it may be their slave always and remain under their sway always in the changes of the body; and they seal it to it that it may be in all the sin and all the desires of the world.

"For this cause, therefore, have I in this manner brought the mysteries into this world which undo all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit and all the seals which are bound to the soul,--those which make the soul free and free it from its parents the rulers, and make it into refined light and lead it up into the kingdom of its father, the first Issue, the First Mystery, for ever.

"For this cause therefore, have I said unto you aforetime: 'He who doth not abandon father and mother and come and follow after me, is not worthy of me.' I have, therefore, said at that time: Ye are to abandon your parents the rulers, that I may make you sons of the First Mystery for ever."

Chapter 67

Mary answered and said: "To all men then who are in the world, will all which is appointed them through the Fate, whether good or bad or sin or death or life,--in a word, will all which is appointed them through the rulers of the Fate, have to come unto them?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, I say unto you: All which is appointed unto every one through the Fate, whether all good or all sins,--in a word, all which is appointed them, cometh unto them.

"For this cause, therefore, have I brought the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; otherwise no flesh in the world would be saved. For without mysteries no one will enter into the Light-kingdom, be he a righteous or a sinner.

"For this cause, therefore, have I brought the keys of the mysteries into the world, that I may free the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, so that I may free them from the bonds and the seals of the æons of the rulers and bind them to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, in order that he whom I shall free in the world from the bonds and the seals of the æons of the rulers, may be freed in the Height from the bonds and seals of the æons of the rulers, and in order that he whom I shall bind in the world to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, may be bound in the Light-land to the orders of the inheritances of the Light.

"For the sake of sinners, therefore, have I torn myself asunder at this time and have brought them the mysteries, that I may free them from the æons of the rulers and bind them to the inheritances of the Light, and not only the sinners, but also the righteous, in order that I may give them the mysteries and that they may be taken into the Light, for without mysteries they cannot be taken into the Light.

"For this cause, therefore, I have not hidden it, but I have cried it aloud clearly. And I have not separated the sinners, but I have cried it aloud and said it unto all men, unto sinners and righteous, saying: 'Seek that ye may find, knock that it may be opened unto you; for every one who seeketh in truth, will find, and who knocketh, to him it will be opened.' For I have said unto all men: They are to seek the mysteries of the Light-kingdom which shall purify them and make them refined and lead them into the Light.

"For this cause, therefore, hath John the Baptizer prophesied concerning me, saying: 'I indeed have baptized you with water unto repentance for forgiveness of your sins. He who cometh after me, is stronger than me. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purify his floor. The chaff indeed he will consume with unquenchable fire, but the wheat he will gather into his barn.' The power in John hath prophesied concerning me, knowing that I would bring the mysteries into the world and purify the sins of the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, and make them into refined light and lead them into the Light."

Chapter 68

Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, before thou didst come to the region of the rulers and before thou didst come down into the world, hath no soul entered into the Light?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you Before I did come into the world, no soul hath entered into the Light. And now, therefore, when I am come, I have opened the gates of the Light and opened the ways which lead to the Light. And now, therefore, let him who shall do what is worthy of the mysteries, receive the mysteries and enter into the Light."

Mary continued and said: "But, my Lord, I have heard that the prophets have entered into the Light."

The Saviour continued and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: No prophet hath entered into the Light; but the rulers of the æons have discoursed with them out of the æons and given them the mystery of the æons. And when I came to the regions of the æons, I have turned Elias and sent him into the body of John the Baptizer, and the rest also I turned into righteous bodies, which will find the mysteries of the Light, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom.

"Unto Abraham on the other hand and Isaac and Jacob I have forgiven all their sins and their iniquities and have given them the mysteries of the Light in the æons and placed them in the region of Yabraōth and of all the rulers who have repented. And when I go into the Height and am on the point of going into the Light, I will carry their souls with me into the Light. But, amēn, I say unto you, Mary: They will not go into the Light before I have carried thy soul and those of all thy brethren into the Light.

"The rest of the patriarchs and of the righteous from the time of Adam unto now, who are in the æons and all the orders of the rulers, when I came to the region of the æons, I have through the Virgin of Light made to turn into bodies which will all be righteous,--those which will find the mysteries of the Light, enter in and inherit the Light-kingdom."

Mary answered and said: "Blessed are we before all men because of these splendours which thou hast revealed unto us."

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary and all the disciples: "I will still reveal unto you all the splendours of the Height, from the interiors of the interiors to the exteriors of the exteriors, that ye may be perfected in all gnosis and in all fulness and in the height of the heights and the depths of the depths."

And Mary continued and said to the Saviour: "Lo, my Lord, we have openly, exactly and clearly known that thou hast brought the keys of the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, which forgive souls sins and purify them and make them into refined light and lead them into the Light."

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Chapter 69

Jesus continued and said: "Hearken then, that I may tell you their mystery. It came to pass then, when Yew had thus bound them, that he drew forth a power out of the great Invisible and bound it to him who is called Kronos. And he drew another power out of Ipsantachounchaïnchoucheōch, who is one of the three triple-powered gods, and bound it to Arēs. And he drew a power out of Chaïnchōōōch, who also is one of the three triple-powered gods, and bound it to Hermēs. Again he drew a power out of the Pistis the Sophia daughter of Barbēlō and bound it to Aphroditē.

"And moreover he perceived that they needed a helm to steer the world and the æons of the sphere, so that they might not wreck it [the world] in their wickedness. He went into the Midst, drew forth a power out of the little Sabaōth, the Good, him of the Midst, and bound it to Zeus, because he is a good [regent], so that he may steer them in his goodness.

And he set thus established the circling of his order, that he should spend thirteen [? three] months in every æon confirming [it], so that he may set free all the rulers over whom he cometh, from the evil of their wickedness. And he gave him two æons, which are in face of those of Hermēs, for his dwelling.

"I have told you for the first time the names of these five great rulers with which the men of the world are wont to call them.

Hearken now then that I may tell you also their incorruptible names, which are:

Ōrimouth correspondeth to Kronos; Mounichounaphōr correspondeth to Arēs; Tarpetanouph correspondeth to Hermēs; Chōsi correspondeth to Aphroditē; Chōnbal correspondeth to Zeus. These are their incorruptible names."

Chapter 70

Jesus continued in the discourse and said: "It came to pass then thereafter, that the father of my father,--that is Yew,--came and took other three-hundred-and-sixty rulers from the rulers of Adamas who had not had faith in the mystery of the Light, and bound them into these aërial regions, in which we are now, below the sphere. He established another five great rulers over them,--that is these who are on the way of the midst.

"The first ruler of the way of the midst is called Paraplēx, a ruler with a woman's shape, whose hair reacheth down to her feet, under whose authority stand five-and-twenty archdemons which rule over a multitude of other demons. And it is those demons which enter into men and seduce them, raging and cursing and slandering; and it is they which carry off hence and in ravishment the souls and dispatch them through their dark smoke and their evil chastisements."

Mary said: "I shall behave badly to question thee. Be not wroth with me if I question on all things."

Jesus said: "Question what thou wilt."

Mary said: "My Lord, reveal unto us in what manner they carry off hence the souls in ravishment, that also my brethren may understand it."

Jesus,--that is Aberamenthō,--said: "Since indeed the father of my father,--that is Yew,--is the fore-minder of all the rulers, gods and powers who have arisen out of the matter of the Light of the Treasury, and Zorokothora Melchisedec is the envoy to all the lights which are purified in the rulers, leading them into the Treasury of the Light,--these two alone are the great Lights, and their ordinance is that they down go to the rulers and purify them, and that Zorokothora Melchisedec carrieth away the purification of the lights which they have purified in the rulers and leadeth them into the Treasury of the Light,--when the cipher and the time of their ordinance cometh, that they go down to the rulers and oppress and constrain them, carrying away the purification from the rulers.

"But straightway when they shall cease from the oppressing and constraining and return to the regions of the Treasury of the Light, it cometh to pass that, if they reach the regions of the Midst, Zorokothora Melchisedec carrieth off the lights and leadeth them unto the gate of those of the Midst and leadeth them into the Treasury of the Light, and that Yew withdraweth himself into the regions of those of the Right.

"Up to the time of the cipher for them to come forth again, the rulers mutiny through the wrath of their wickedness, going straightway up to the lights, because they [Yew and Melchisedec] are not with them at that time, and they carry off the souls which they may be able to snatch away in ravishment, and destroy them through their dark smoke and their evil fire.

"At that time then this authority, with name Paraplēx, along with the demons which stand under her, carrieth off the souls of the violently passionate, of cursers and of slanderers and dispatcheth them through the dark smoke and destroyeth them through her evil fire, so that they begin to be undone and dissolved. One-hundred-and-thirty-and-three years and nine months do they spend in the chastisements of her regions, while she tormenteth them in the fire of her wickedness.

"It cometh to pass then after all these times, when the sphere turneth itself and the little Sabaōth, Zeus, cometh to the first of the æons of the sphere, which is called in the world the Ram of Boubastis, that is of Aphroditē; [and] when she [Boubastis] cometh to the seventh house of the sphere, that is to the Balance, then the veils which are between those of the Right and those of the Left, draw themselves aside, and there looketh from the height out of those of the Right the great Sabaōth, the Good; and the whole world and the total sphere [become alarmed] before he hath looked forth. And he looketh down on the regions of Paraplēx, so that her regions may be dissolved and perish. And all the souls which are in her chastisements, are carried and cast back [up] into the sphere anew, because they are ruined in the chastisements of Paraplēx."

Chapter 71

And when the disciples had heard this, they fell down, adored him and said: "Help us now, Lord, and have mercy upon us, in order that we may be preserved from these wicked chastisements which are prepared for the sinners. Woe unto them, woe unto the children of men! For they grope as the blind in the darkness and see not. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, in this great blindness in which we are. And have mercy upon the whole race of men; for they have lain in wait for their souls, as lions for their prey, making it [sc. the prey] ready as food for their [sc. the rulers'] chastisements because of the forgetfulness and unknowing which is in them. Have mercy then upon us, our Lord, our Saviour, have mercy upon us and save us in this great stupefaction."

Jesus said unto his disciples: "Be comforted and be not afraid, for ye are blessed, because I will make you lords over all these and put them in subjection under your feet. Remember that I have already said unto you before I was crucified: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' Now, therefore, I say unto you: I will give them unto you."

When then Jesus said this, he chanted a song of praise in the great name. The regions of the ways of the midst hid themselves, and Jesus and his disciples remained in an air of exceedingly strong light.

Jesus said unto his disciples: "Draw near unto me." And they drew near unto him. He turned himself towards the four corners of the world, said the great name over their heads, blessed them and breathed into their eyes.

Jesus said unto them: "Look up and see what ye may see."

And they raised their eyes and saw a great, exceedingly mighty light, which no man in the world can describe.

He said unto them anew: "Look away out of the light and see what ye may see."

They said: "We see fire, water, wine and blood."

Jesus,--that is Aberamenthō,--said unto his disciples: "Amēn, I say unto you: I have brought nothing into the world when I came, save this fire, this water, this wine and this blood. I have brought the water and the fire out of the region of the Light of the lights of the Treasury of the Light; and I have brought the wine and the blood out of the region of Barbēlō. And after a little while my father sent me the holy spirit in the type of a dove.

"And the fire, the water and the wine are for the purification of all the sins of the world. The blood on the other hand was for a sign unto me because of the human body which I received in the region of Barbēlō, the great power of the invisible god. The breath on the other hand advanceth towards all souls and leadeth them unto the region of the Light.

"For this cause have I said unto you: 'I am come to cast fire on the earth,'--that is: I am come to purify the sins of the whole world with fire.

"And for this cause have I said to the Samaritan woman: 'If thou knewest of the gift of God, and who it is who saith unto thee: Give me to drink,--thou wouldst ask, and he would give thee living water, and there would be in thee a spring which welleth up for everlasting life.'

"And for this cause I took also a cup of wine, blessed it and give it unto you and said: 'This is the blood of the covenant which will be poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins.'

"And for this cause they have also thrust the spear into my side, and there came forth water and blood.

"And these are the mysteries of the Light which forgive sins; that is to say, these are the namings and the names of the Light."

It came to pass then thereafter that Jesus gave command: "Let all the powers of the Left go to their regions." And Jesus with his disciples remained on the Mount of Galilee. The disciples continued and besought him: "For how long then hast thou not let our sins which we have committed, and our iniquities be forgiven and made us worthy of the kingdom of thy father?

And Jesus said unto them: "Amēn, I say unto you: Not only will I purify your sins, but I will make you worthy of the kingdom of my father. And I will give you the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, in order that to him whom ye shall forgive on earth, it will be forgiven in heaven, and he whom ye shall bind on earth, will be bound in heaven. I will give you the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, in order that ye your-selves may perform them [sc. the mysteries] for men."

Chapter 72

Thereafter his disciples said unto him: "Rabbi, reveal unto us the mystery of the Light of thy father, since we heard thee say: 'There is still a fire-baptism and there is still a baptism of the holy spirit of the Light, and there is a spiritual chrism; these lead the souls into the Treasury of the Light.' Tell us, therefore, their mystery, so that we ourselves may inherit the kingdom of thy father."

Jesus said unto them: "There is no mystery which is more excellent than these mysteries on which ye question, in that it will lead your souls into the Light of the lights, into the regions of Truth and Goodness, into the region of the Holy of all holies, into the region in which there is neither female nor male, nor are there forms in that region, but a perpetual indescribable Light. Nothing more excellent is there, therefore, than these mysteries on which ye question, save only the mystery of the seven Voices and their nine-and-forty powers and their ciphers. And there is no name which is more excellent than them all, the name in which are all names and all lights and all powers.

"Who then knoweth that name, if he cometh out of the body of matter, nor smoke nor darkness nor authority nor ruler of the Fate-sphere nor angel nor archangel nor power can hold down the soul which knoweth that name; but if it cometh out of the world and sayeth that name to the fire, it is quenched and the darkness withdraweth.

"And if it sayeth it to the demons and to the receivers of the outer darkness and their rulers and their authorities and their powers, they will all sink down and their flame will burn and they will cry out: 'Holy, holy art thou, most holy of all holies.'

"And if one sayeth that name to the receivers of the wicked chastisements and their authorities and all their powers and also to Barbēlō and the invisible god and the three triple-powered gods, straightway if one will say this name in those regions, they will all fall one on another, will be undone and destroyed and cry out: 'O Light of all lights, which is in the boundless lights, remember us and purify us.'"

And when Jesus had finished saying these words, all his disciples cried out, wept with loud sobbing, saying: . . .

. . . . . .

[Lacuna of Eight Leaves.]

. . . . . .

Chapter 73

Mary said: "Woe, woe, unto sinners!"

Salome answered and said: "My Lord Jesus, a murderer who hath never committed any sin but murdering, if he cometh out of the body, what is his chastisement?

Jesus answered and said: "A murderer who hath never committed any sin but murdering, if his time is completed through the sphere, that he cometh out of the body, the receivers of Yaldabaōth come and lead his soul out of the body and bind it by its feet to a great demon with a horse's face, and he spendeth three days circling round with it in the world.

"Thereafter they lead it into the regions of the cold and of the snow, and they take vengeance on it there three years and six months.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Yaldabaōth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons scourgeth it another three years and six months.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Persephonē and take vengeance on it with her chastisements another three years and six months.

"Thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it with the chastisements of its regions another three years and six months.

"Thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she commandeth that it shall be cast into the outer darkness until the time when the darkness of the midst shall be upraised; it [the soul] will be destroyed and dissolved.

"This is the chastisement of the murderer."

Chapter 74

Bartholomew said: "A man who hath intercourse with a male, what is his vengeance?"

Jesus said: "The measure of the man who hath intercourse with males and of the man with whom he lieth, is the same as that of the blasphemer.

"When then the time is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Yaldabaōth come after their soul, and he with his forty-and-nine demons taketh vengeance on it eleven years.

"Thereafter they carry it to the fire-rivers and seething pitch-seas, which are full of demons with pigs' faces. They eat into them and take vengeance on [?] them in the fire-rivers another eleven years.

"Thereafter they carry them into the outer darkness until the day of judgment when the great darkness is judged; and then they will be dissolved and destroyed."

Thomas said: "We have heard that there are some on the earth who take the male seed and the female monthly blood, and make it into a lentil porridge and eat it, saying: 'We have faith in Esau and Jacob.' Is this then seemly or not?"

Jesus was wroth with the world in that hour and said unto Thomas: "Amēn, I say: This sin is more heinous than all sins and iniquities. Such men will straightway be taken into the outer darkness and not be cast back anew into the sphere, but they shall perish, be destroyed in the outer darkness in a region where there is neither pity nor light, but howling and grinding of teeth. And all the souls which shall be brought into the outer darkness, will not be cast back anew, but will be destroyed and dissolved."

John answered [and said]: "A man who hath committed no sin, but done good persistently, but hath not found the mysteries to pass through the rulers, when he cometh out of the body, what will happen unto him?"

Jesus said: "If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Bainchōōōch, who is one of the triple-powered gods, come after his soul and lead his soul with joy and exultation and spend three days circling round with it and instructing it concerning the creations of the world with joy and exultation.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente and instruct it concerning the instruments of chastisement in the Amente; but they will not take vengeance on it therewith. But they will only instruct it concerning them, and the smoke of the flame of the chastisements catcheth it only a little.

"Thereafter they carry it up unto the way of the midst and instruct it concerning the chastisements of the ways of the midst, the smoke from the flame catching it a little.

"Thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, and she judgeth it and depositeth it with the little Sabaōth, the Good, him of the Midst, until the sphere turneth itself, and Zeus and Aphrodite come in face of the Virgin of Light, while Kronos and Arēs come behind her.

"At that hour she taketh that righteous soul and handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the peons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere lead it forth into a water which is below the sphere; and a seething fire ariseth and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly.

"Thereafter cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaōth, the Adamas, who giveth the cup of forgetfulness unto the souls, and he bringeth the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul; [and it drinketh it] and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone.

Thereafter there cometh a receiver of the little Sabaōth, the Good, him of the Midst. He himself bringeth a cup filled with thoughts and wisdom, and soberness is in it; [and] he handeth it to the soul. And they cast it into a body which can neither sleep nor forget because of the cup of soberness which hath been handed unto it; but it will whip its heart persistently to question about the mysteries of the Light until it find them, through the decision of the Virgin of Light, and inherit the Light for ever."

Chapter 75

[A Later Postscript]

. . . . . .

The proclamation of the apostles . . . the righteous [man]. They went forth three by three to the four zones of heaven and they proclaimed the goodness of the kingdom in the whole world, the Christ inworking with them through the words of confirmation and the signs and the wonders which followed them. And thus was known the kingdom of God on the whole earth and in the whole world of Israel as a witness for all the nations which are from the rising unto the setting [of the sun].

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

[Two lines erased.]

The End.

Colophon

The Pistis Sophia survives in a single manuscript: the Askew Codex (British Library Add. MS 5114), a parchment codex acquired by the British Museum from the heirs of Dr. A. Askew in 1785. The Coptic text — written in the Sahidic dialect with Subakhmimic features — is itself a translation from a lost Greek original, composed probably in the latter half of the third century CE, though the fourth division may represent an earlier stratum. The Latin title Pistis Sophia ("Faith Wisdom") derives from a colophon in the manuscript; the work's own internal title is The Books of the Saviour. The text was first translated into Latin by M.G. Schwartze (published posthumously in 1851 by J.H. Petermann), then into French by É. Amélineau (1895). This English translation is by G.R.S. Mead, published in 1921 as the second edition of his rendering (the first appeared in 1896). Mead's translation follows Schwartze's Latin closely while consulting C. Schmidt's improved Coptic edition (1905). The Schwartze-Petermann page numbers (which appeared as marginal references in the printed edition) and Mead's editorial section summaries have been removed for this archival edition; the chapter divisions are original to the manuscript.

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