Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
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Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
Jesus commendeth John.It came to pass then, when John had finished speaking these words to Jesus in the midst of his disciples, that he said unto him: "Well said, John, the Virgin, who shalt rule in the kingdom of the Light."
The emanations of Self-willed again squeeze the light out of Sophia.And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass again thus: The emanations of Self-willed again oppressed Pistis Sophia in the chaos and desired to take from her her whole light; and not yet was her commandment accomplished, to lead her out of the chaos, and not yet had the command reached me through the First Mystery, to save her out of the chaos. It came to pass then, when all the material emanations of Self-willed oppressed her, that she cried out and uttered the fifth repentance, saying:
The fifth repentance of Sophia."'1. Light of my salvation, I sing praise unto thee in the region of the height and again in the chaos.
"'2. I sing praise unto thee in my hymn with which I sang praise in the height and with which I sang praise unto thee when I was in the chaos. Let it come into thy presence, and give heed, O Light, to my repentance.
"'3. For my power is filled up with |68. darkness, and my light hath gone down into the chaos.
"'4. I am myself become as the rulers of the
chaos, who are gone into the darknesses below; I am become as a material body, which hath no one in the height who will save it.
"'5. I am become also as matters from which their power hath been taken, when they are cast down into the chaos,--[matters] which thou hast not saved, and they are condemned utterly by thy commandment.
"'6. Now, therefore, have they put me into the darkness below,--in darknesses and matters which are dead and in them [is] no power.
"'7. Thou hast brought thy commandment upon me and all things which thou hast decreed.
"'8. And thy spirit hath withdrawn and abandoned me. And moreover by thy commandment the emanations of my eon have not helped me and have hated me and separated themselves from me, and yet am I not utterly destroyed.
"'9. And my light is diminished in me, and I have cried up to the light with all the light in me, and I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
"'10. Now, therefore, O Light, wilt thou not accomplish thy commandment in the chaos, and will not the deliverers, who come according to thy commandment, arise in the darkness and come and be disciples for thee'?
"'11. Will they not utter the mystery of thy name in the chaos?
"'12. Or will they not rather utter thy name in a matter of the chaos, in which thou wilt not [thyself] purify?
"'13. But I have sung praises unto thee, O Light, and my repentance will reach unto thee |69. in the height.
"'14. Let thy light come upon me,
"'15. For they have taken my light, and I am in pain on account of the Light from the time when I was emanated. And when I had looked into the height to the Light, then I looked down below at the light-power in the chaos; I rose up and went down.
"'16. Thy commandment came upon me, and the terrors, which thou didst decree for me, have brought me into delusion.
"'17. And they have surrounded me, in numbers as water, they have laid hold on me together all my time.
"'18. And by thy commandment thou hast not suffered my fellow-emanations to help me, nor hast thou suffered my pair to save me out of my afflictions.'
"This then is the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the chaos, when all the material emanations of Self-willed had continued and oppressed her."