Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
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Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
Jesus bringeth Sophia again to the thirteenth æon.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 |176. 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 |177. invisibles, and in their midst sang praises unto me, saying:
Sophia singeth the praises of the Light to her fellow-invisibles."'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 |178. 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."