The Pistis Sophia - Page 15

And when he had said this, he said: "Under-stand 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.'

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: "Who is sober among you, let him proclaim their solution."

James came forward, kissed the breast of Jesus and said: "My Lord, thy spirit hath sobered me, and I am ready to proclaim their solution. Concerning them indeed thy power hath prophesied aforetime through David in the thirty-fourth Psalm, saying thus concerning the ninth repentance of Pistis Sophia:

James interpreteth the ninth repentance from Psalm xxxiv."'1. Give sentence, O Lord, on them who do me injustice, and fight against them who fight against me.

"'2. Lay hand on weapon and shield and stand up to help me.

"'3. Draw forth a sword and conceal it [sic] from my oppressors. Say unto my soul: I am thy salvation.

"'4. Let them be put to shame and abashed who strive after my soul; let them fall back and be put to shame who imagine evil against me.

"'5. Let them be as chaff |94. before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord pursue after them.

"'6. Let their way be darkness and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord oppress them.

"'7. For without cause have they hid a snare for me for their own spoiling, and they have mocked at my soul in vain.

"'8. Let a snare come upon them which they know not, and let the net which they have hid for me, catch them, and let them fall into this snare.

"'9. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in its salvation.

"'10. All my bones shall say: O Lord, who can be like unto thee?--thou who settest free the wretched from the hand |95. of him who is stronger than him; and thou savest a wretched and poor [one] from the hands of them who spoil him.

"11. Unjust witnesses came forward and have asked me that which I knew not.

"'12. They have requited me evil for good and childlessness for my soul.

"13. But when they molested me, I clothed me in a sack and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will return into my breast.

"'14. I was pleasing unto thee, as unto my neighbour and as unto my brother; and I