The Pistis Sophia - Page 10

to all the repentances which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. She continued again and uttered the third repentance, saying:

The third repentance of Sophia."'1. O Light of powers, give heed and save me.

"'2. May they who would take away my light, lack and be in the darkness. May they who would take away my power, turn into chaos and be put to shame.

"'3. May they turn quickly to darkness, who press me sore and say: We have become lords over her.

"'4. May rather all those who seek the Light, rejoice and exult, and they who desire thy mystery, say ever: May the mystery be exalted.

"'5. Save me then now, O Light, for I lacked my light, which they have taken away, and I needed my power, which they have taken from me. Thou then, O Light, thou art my saviour, and thou art my deliverer, O Light. Save me quickly out of this chaos.'"

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."

Martha asketh and receiveth permission to speak.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."

Martha interpreteth the third repentance from Psalm lxix.And Martha answered and said unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples: "Concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, O |62. 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."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Martha speak these words, that he said unto her: "Well said, Martha, and finely."

And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "Pistis Sophia again continued in the fourth repentance, reciting it before she was oppressed a second time, in order that the lion-faced power and |63. all the material emanations with it, which Self-willed

had sent into the chaos, might not take away her total light in her. She uttered then this repentance as follows:

The fourth repentance of Sophia."'1. O Light, in whom I have trusted, give ear to my repentance, and let my voice reach unto thy dwelling-place.

"'2. Turn not away thy light-image from me, but have heed unto me, if they oppress me; and save me quickly at the time when I shall cry unto thee.

"'3. For my time is vanished like a breath and I am become matter.

"'4. They have taken my light from me, and my power is dried up. I have forgotten my mystery which heretofore I was wont to accomplish.

"'5. Because of the voice of the fear and the power of Self-willed my power is vanished.

"'6. I am become as a demon apart, who dwelleth in matter and light is not in him, and I am become as a counterfeiting spirit, which is in a material body and light-power is not in it.

"'7. And I am become as a decan who is alone in the air.

"'8. The emanations of Self-willed have sore oppressed me, and my pair hath said unto himself:

"'9. Instead of with light which was in her, they have filled her with chaos. I have devoured the sweat of my own matter and the anguish of the tears from the matter of my eyes, so that they who oppress me may not take the rest.

"'10. All this hath befallen me, O Light, by thy |64. commandment and thy command, and it is thy commandment that I am here.

"'11. Thy commandment hath brought me down, and I am descended as a power of the chaos, and my power is numbed in me.

"'12. But thou, O Lord, art Light eternal, and dost visit them who are for ever oppressed.

"'13. Now, therefore, O Light, arise and seek my power and the soul in me. Thy commandment is accomplished, which thou didst decree for me in my afflictions. My time is come, that thou shouldst seek my power and my soul, and this is the time which thou didst decree to seek me.

"'14. For thy saviours have sought the power which is in my soul, because the number is completed, and in order that also its matter may be saved.

"'15. And then at that time shall all the rulers of the material æons be in fear of thy light, and all the emanations of the thirteenth material æon shall be in fear of the mystery of thy light, so that the others may put on the purification of their light.

"'16. For the Lord will seek the power of your soul. He hath revealed his mystery,

"'17. So that he may regard the repentance of them who are in the regions below; and he hath not disregarded their repentance.

"'18. This is then that mystery which is become the type in respect of the race which shall be born; and the race which shall be born will sing praises to the height.

"'19. For the Light hath looked down from the height of its light. It will look down on |65. the total matter,

"'20. To hear the sighing of those in chains,

to loose the power of the souls whose power is bound,--

"'21. So that it may lay its name in the soul and its mystery in the power.'"

John asketh and receiveth permission to speak.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:

John interpreteth the repentance from Psalm ci."'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 |66. 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.