Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
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Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
Jesus commendeth Matthew and promiseth his disciples that they shall sit on thrones with him.And when Jesus had heard these words, he said: "Finely [said], Matthew. Now, therefore, amēn, I say unto |89. 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 interpreteth the words of Jesus.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:
The ninth repentance of Sophia."'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. |90. 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 |91. 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
[paragraph continues] [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, |92. 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 |93. 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.'