Part 17

But these while the First Mystery is saying unto the disciples, he answered saying, Understood ye in what manner I am speaking [130^a] with you. Came forward Iakkobos said he, My Lord, concerning the explanation therefore of the words which thou saidst, prophesied about them once thy power of light by David in the ninetieth psalm, He who dwelleth under the help of him who is high shall abide under the shadow of the God of the heaven. He will say to the Lord, Thou art my accepter, and my place of refuge: my God I am trusting unto him; because he it is who will save me from the snare of the snarer, and from a word being cruel. He will make shadow unto thee under his (thy, MS) breast, and thou wilt trust under his wing. His [130^b] truth will surround thee as an armour (weapon, MS). Thou wilt not fear for a fear of night, and for an arrow which flieth in the day, for a thing which moveth in the darkness; for a calamity of demon of the hour of mid-day. There are a thousand (who) will fall on left of thee and ten thousand on right of thee; but they will not approach unto thee. Nevertheless thou wilt fill thy sight with them, thou wilt see the recompense of the sinners: because thou art, O Lord my hope; thou placest for thee that which is high for place of refuge: there is not evil (which) will approach unto thee; there is not scourge (which) will approach in unto thy place of abiding: because he will order unto [131^a] his angels because of thee, for to keep thee in all thy ways; and they (will) lift thee upon their hands lest-at-any-time thou should dash against a stone with thy foot. Thou wilt mount upon a serpent with a basilisk, and trample upon a lion with a dragon. Because he trusted unto me I will save him; I will make shadow unto him, because he knew my name: he will cry up unto me, and I, I shall hear him, I am with him in his affliction, and I shall save him and (I shall) give glory to him; and (I shall) increase him in a multitude of days, and (I shall) teach him of my salvation. This is, O Lord, the explanation of the words which thou saidst. Hear therefore that I may say them in boldness. The word therefore which [131^b] thy power said by David, He who dwelleth under the help of him who is high, will abide under the shadow of the God of the heaven, namely, that when the Pistis Sophia had trusted unto the Light she abode under the light of the effluence of Light. This which came from the Height through thee. And the word which thy power said by David, I shall say to the Lord, Thou art my accepter and my place of refuge, my God I trusted unto him. That is the word with which hymned the Pistis Sophia, Thou art my accepter and I am coming (close) to thee. And also the word which thy power said, My God unto whom I am trusting, thou art [132^a] he who will save me from the snare of the snarers, and from a word being cruel. That is that which said the Pistis Sophia, O Light I am believing thee, because thou art he who will deliver me from the emanations of the Self-willed, and with those of the Adamas the tyrant. And thou also art he who will deliver me from all their threats which are cruel. And also the word which said thy power by David, He will make shadow unto thee under his (thy, MS) breast, and thou wilt trust under his wing, namely, that the Pistis Sophia became in the light of the effluence of Light, this which came out of thee, and she remained confident of heart, for the light which (is) on left of her [132^b] with that which (is) on right of her, namely the wings of the effluence of Light. And the word which thy power of light prophesied by David, The truth will surround thee as armour (a weapon, MS), that is the light of the effluence of Light, that which surrounded the Pistis Sophia on every side of her as armour. And the word which thy power said, He will not fear for a fear of night, namely, that the Pistis Sophia feared not for the fears with the disturbances, these in which they planted her in the Chaos which is the night. And the word which thy power said, He will not fear [133^a] for an arrow flying in the day, namely, that the Pistis Sophia did not fear for the power, this which the Self-willed dispatched out of the Height at the last, this which came unto the Chaos, being as an arrow flying, which thy power therefore of light said, Thou wilt not fear for an arrow flying in the day. Because that power came out of the thirteenth Aeon, that is (that) which is lord over the twelve Aeons, and that is (that) which enlighteneth unto all the Aeons. Because of this therefore he said, The day. And the word also which thy power said, He will not fear [133^b] for a thing, walking in the darkness, namely, that the Sophia did not fear for the emanation of face of lion (serpent, MS) which was giving fear to the Pistis Sophia in the Chaos, namely, the darkness. And the word which thy power said, He will not fear for an accident with a demon of the hour of mid-day, namely, that the Pistis Sophia did not fear for the emanation demonic of the Adamas, the tyrant, this which thrust the Pistis Sophia down in great calamity, this which came from Adamas out of the twelve Aeons. Because of this therefore said thy power, He will not fear [134^a] for a calamity of demon of the time of mid-day. The time of mid-day is because it came out of the twelve Aeons, namely, the time of mid-day. And also Night, because it came out of the Chaos, namely, the night, and it came out of the twelve Aeons, which are between the two. Because of this thy power of light said, The time of mid-day because the twelve Aeons are between the thirteenth Aeon and between the Chaos. And the word also which thy power of light said by David, There are thousand (who) will fall on left of him and a ten thousand on right of him; and they will not approach him, namely, [134^b] that when the emanations of the Self-willed One, these which are numerous greatly, they having not been able to support the great light of the effluence of Light, a multitude among them fell on left of the Pistis Sophia. And a multitude fell on right of her. And they were not being able to approach her to hurt her. And the word which thy power of light said by David, Nevertheless thou wilt fill thy sight with them, and thou wilt see the recompense of the sinners, because thou, O Lord, art my helper, namely, the word that the Pistis Sophia filled her sight with her enemies which are the emanations of the Self-willed, those all of which fell (down) upon one another: [135^a] not only she filled her sight with them in this, but thou also, my Lord, the First Mystery, thou tookest away the power of light which becometh in the power of face of lion, and also thou tookest away the power of all the emanations of the Self-willed, and also thou heldest them down in Chaos for them to go unto their Place from that hour. Because of this therefore the Pistis Sophia filled her sight with her enemies, namely, the emanations of the Self-willed in every thing, which prophesied David about the Pistis Sophia, saying, Nevertheless thou wilt fill thy sight with them, and thou wilt see the recompense of the sinners. Not only that she filled her sight with them, they fell upon one another in the Chaos, but she saw [135^b] also their recompense also this which they repaid to them: according as the emanations of the Self-willed thought to take away the light of the Pistis Sophia from her, thou repaidest to them, and thou recompensed to them. And thou tookest away the power of light which (is) in them instead of the light of the Sophia, this (one) who believed the light of the Height. And according as thy power of light said by David, Thou placedst him who is high for thee for place of refuge: there is not evil (which) will be able to approach thee, and there is not scourge (which) will approach in unto thy place of dwelling, namely, that when the Pistis Sophia had believed (closely) in the Light, and when she had been oppressed she hymned up unto him, were not able to do anything of evil to her the emanations of the Self-willed, [136^a] nor were they able to hurt her, and they were not able to approach her at all. And the word which thy power of light said by David, He will order to his angels concerning thee, that they should guard thee in all thy ways, and lift thee upon their hands lest-at-any-time thou should dash against a stone with thy foot. That also is the word that thou orderest to Gabriel with Mikhael for them to steer the Pistis Sophia through all the Places of the Chaos, until they brought her up and raised her in their hands, that her feet should not touch the darkness below, and (should not) also lay hold on her those of the darkness below. And the word which thy power of light [136^b] said by David, Thou wilt trample upon a serpent with a basilisk, and thou wilt trample upon a lion with a dragon. Because he trusted unto me I shall save him and I shall make shadow unto him, because he knew my name, namely, the word that when the Pistis Sophia came, coming up from the Chaos, she trampled upon the emanations of the Self-willed, she trampled upon those who have face of serpent, and upon those who have face of basilisk of serpent having seven heads. And she trampled upon the power of face of lion, with that which hath face of dragon, because that she believed the Light she was delivered from them all. This is, my Lord, the explanation of the words which thou saidst.

It happened therefore, the First [137^a] Mystery having heard these words said he: Well (done) Iakkobos, the beloved, But added also in the word the First Mystery, said he to the disciples, It happened, I having brought the Pistis Sophia up from the Chaos, she cried out also saying, I was delivered from the Chaos and I was loosed from the bonds of the darkness. I came (close) to thee, O Light, because thou becamest light on every side of me, thou art delivering me and thou art helping me: and the emanations of the Self-willed, these which are fighting against me, thou preventedst them by thy light, and they were not able to approach in unto me, because thy light was becoming with me, and it is delivering me by thy effluence of Light: because that [137^b] emanations of the Self-willed oppressed me, they took away my power from me: they cast me out in the Chaos there being not light in me. I became as a matter which is heavy in comparison with them. And after these (things) a power of effluence came to me from thee delivering me: it made light on left of me and on right of me, and it was surrounding me on every side of me, that should not any part of mine become being lightless. And thou coveredst over me with the light of thy effluence. And thou purged out of me all my matters evil. And I became above all my matters because of thy light, and thine effluence of Light: that is (that) which exalted me, and it took away from me the emanations of the Self-willed, these which are wont [138^a] to afflict me. And I became being confident of heart in thy light, and in the light which is purified by thy effluence. And were distant away from me the emanations of the Self-willed, these which were oppressing me, and I became light by thy great power, because thou, thou art wont to deliver at every time. This is the Repentance which said the Pistis Sophia, she having come up from the Chaos, and having been loosened the bonds of the Chaos. Now therefore he who hath ear to hear let him hear. It happened therefore, the First Mystery having finished saying these words unto the disciples, came forward Thomas, said he, My Lord, there is ear to my light-dweller and my understanding understandeth the words [138^b] which thou saidst. Now therefore command to me that I may utter the explanation of the words clearly. But answered the First Mystery, said he to Thomas, I command to thee for to utter the explanation of the hymn, that which hymned up toward me the Pistis Sophia. But answered Thomas, said he, My Lord, concerning the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia, because she was delivered out of the Chaos, thy power of light prophesied about it once by Solomon the son of David in his Odes, I was delivered out of the bonds, I ran (close) up to thee, O Lord, because thou becamest to me on right (hand), [139^a] thou art delivering me, and thou art helping me. Thou preventedst those who fight against me, and they were not manifested; because thy face was becoming with me, delivering me in thy grace. I received insult in presence of a multitude, and they cast me out, I became as lead before them. Happened to me a power from thee helping me, because thou puttest torches on right of me and left of me, that not any part of me should be being lightless. Thou shelteredst me under the shadow of thy mercy, and I became above the coats of the skin. Thy right (hand) is that which exalted me, and thou tookest the weakness [139^b] away from me, I became prevailing in thy truthfulness, being cleansed in thy righteousness. Were distant away from me those who fight against me. And I was justified in thy kindness, because thy rest becometh ever unto age of the age. This therefore, O my Lord, is the explanation of the repentance which said the Pistis Sophia, having been delivered from the Chaos. Hear therefore, that I may say in boldness. The word therefore which thy power of light said by Solomon, I was delivered out of the bonds I ran (close) to thee, O Lord. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, I was loosened from the bonds of the darkness, I came (close) to thee, O Light. [140^a] And the word which said thy power, Thou becamest to me on (the) right, thou art delivering me and thou art helping me. That also is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, Thou becamest light on every part of me, and thou art helping me. And the word which thy power of light said, Thou preventedst those who fight against me, and they were not manifested. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia. And the emanations of the Self-willed, these which fight against me, thou preventedst them by thy light, and they were not able to approach in unto me. And the word which thy power said, Thy face was becoming with me in thy grace. That is the word which said [140^b] the Pistis Sophia. Thy light was becoming with me delivering me by thy effluence of Light. And the word which thy power said, I was insulted before a multitude and they cast me out. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia. Oppressed me the emanations of the Self-willed. And they took away my power from me, and I was despised with them. And they cast me out in the Chaos there being not light in me. And the word which thy power of light said, I became as lead before them. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, they having taken away my light from me I became as matter being heavy with them [141^a]. And the word also which thy power said, And became to me a power from thee, helping me. That also is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, And after these (things) a power of light came to me from thee, delivering me. And the word which thy power said, Thou puttest torches on the right of me and on the left of me, that not anything about me should become being lightless. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, Thy power made light on right of me and left of me and (was) surrounding me on every part, that not anything about me should become lightless. And the word which thy power said, Thou shelteredst me [141^b] in the shadow of thy mercy. That also is the word which said the Pistis Sophia. And thou coveredst over me with the light of thy effluence. And the word which thy power said, I became above the coats of skin. That also is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, And they purged away from me all my matters evil. And I was exalted above them through thy light. And the word which thy power said by Solomon, Thy right (hand) is that which exalted me, and it took the weakness away from me. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, And thine effluence of Light, that is that which exalted me by thy light, and it took away from me the emanations of Self-willed [142^a], these which were afflicting me. And the word which thy power said, I became prevailing in thy truth, and cleansed in thy righteousness. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, I became prevailing by thy light. And I am becoming light which is purified by thy effluence. And the word which thy power said, Were distant from me those who fight against me. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, Were distant from me the emanations of the Self-willed, these which were oppressing me. And the word which thy power of light said by Solomon, And I was justified in thy kindness, because thy rest becometh [142^b] even unto age of age. That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, I was delivered in thy kindness, because thou, thou art wont to deliver every one. This therefore, my Lord is all the explanation of the repentance which said the Pistis Sophia, she having been delivered from the Chaos, and she was loosened out of the bonds.

It happened therefore, the First Mystery having heard Thomas saying these words, said he to him, Well (done and) fairly, Thomas, the happy: this (is) the explanation of the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia. But he added also the First Mystery, said he to the disciples, But [143^a] added also the Pistis Sophia, she hymned up unto me saying, I hymn up unto thee this, through thy precept; thou broughtest me from the Aeon which is high, which (is) the upper part, and thou broughtest me down unto the Places which (are) below. And also by thy precept thou deliveredst me out of the Places which (are) below. And through thyself thou tookest away the matter there which becometh in my powers of light, and I saw it. And thou art he who scatterest away from me the emanations of the Self-willed these which were oppressing me, and being enemies unto me. And thou gavest to me the authority for to loosen [143^b] the bonds of the emanations of the Adamas, and thou struckest the serpent of basilisk, that of the seven heads: thou castest him out of my hands, and thou madest me stand upon his matter, thou destroyedst it, that this seed should not rise (up) from this hour. And thou art he who was being with me, giving power to me in all these (things). And thy light surrounded me in every Place. And through thyself thou madest all the emanations of the Self-willed powerless: because thou tookest away the power of their light from them. And thou directedst my way to bring me out of the Chaos. And thou removedst me out of the material darkness, and thou tookest away all my powers from them, [144^a] these (powers) whose light they took away. Thou castest in unto them a light being purified, and all my members, these in which there is not light, thou gavest to them a light being purified out of the light of the Height. And thou directedst the way for them. And the light of thy face, it became to me manifest incorruptible. Thou broughtest me up to that which is above the Chaos, the Place of the Chaos with the destruction, that should be dissolved all the matters which (are) in it, these which become in that Place and became new all my powers by thy light, and thy light became in them all: thou puttest the light of thy effluence in me, I became light being purified.