Pistis Sophia 141–146

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And when the disciples had heard this, they fell down, adored him and said: “Help us now, Lord, and have mercy upon us, in order that we may be preserved from these wicked chastisements which are prepared for the sinners. Woe unto them, woe unto the children of men! For they grope as the blind in the darkness and see not. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, in this great blindness in which we are. And have mercy upon the whole race of men; for they have lain in wait for their souls, as lions for their prey, making it [sc, the prey] ready as food for their [sc. the rulers’] chastisements because of the forgetfulness and unknowing which is in them. Have mercy then upon us, our Lord, our Saviour, have mercy upon us and save us in this great stupefaction.” Jesus said unto his disciples: “Be comforted and be not afraid, for ye are blessed, because I will make you lords over all these and put them in subjection under your feet. Remember that I have already said unto you before I was crucified: ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.’ Now, therefore, I say unto you: I will give them unto you.” When then Jesus said this, he chanted a song of praise in the great name. The regions of the ways of the midst hid themselves, and Jesus and his disciples remained in an air of exceedingly strong light. Jesus said unto his disciples: “Draw near unto me.” And they drew near unto him. He turned himself towards the four corners of the world, said the great name over their heads, blessed them and breathed into their eyes. Jesus said unto them: “Look up and see what ye may see.” And they raised their eyes and saw a great, exceedingly mighty light, which no man in the world can describe. He said unto them anew: “Look away out of the light and see what ye may see.” ‘They said: “We see fire, water, wine and blood.” Jesus, — that is Aberamentho,— said unto his disciples: “Amen, I say unto you: I have brought nothing into the world when I came, save this fire, this water, this wine and this blood. I have brought the water and the fire out of the region of the Light of the Lights of the Treasury of the Light; and I have brought the wine and the blood out of the region of Barbelo. And after a little while my father sent me the holy spirit in the type of a dove. “And the fire, the water and the wine are for the purification of all the sins of the world. The blood on the other hand was for a sign unto me because of the human body which I received in the region of Barbelo, the great power of the invisible god. The breath on the other hand advanceth towards all souls and leadeth them unto the region of the Light. “For this cause have I said unto you: ‘I am come to cast fire on the earth,’—that is: I am come to purify the sins of the whole world with fire. “And for this cause have I said to the Samaritan woman: ’ If thou knewest of the gift of God, and who it is who saith unto thee: Give me to drink, — thou wouldst ask, and. he would give thee living water, and there would be in thee a spring which welleth up for everlasting life.’ “And for this cause I took also a cup of wine, blessed it and give it unto you and said: ‘This is the blood of the covenant which will be poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins.’ “And for this cause they have also thrust the spear into my side, and there came forth water and blood. “And these are the mysteries of the Light which forgive sins; that is to say, these are the namings and the names of the Light.” It came to pass then thereafter that Jesus gave command: “Let all the powers of the Left go to their regions.”’ And Jesus with his disciples remained on the Mount of Galilee. The disciples continued and besought him: “For how long then hast thou not let our sins which we have committed, and our iniquities be forgiven and made us worthy of the kingdom of thy father? “And Jesus said unto them: “Amen, I say unto you: Not only will I purify your sins, but I will make you worthy of the kingdom of my father. And I will give you the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, in order that to him whom ye shall forgive on earth, it will be forgiven in heaven, and he whom ye shall bind on earth, will be bound in heaven. I will give you the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, in order that ye yourselves may perform them [sc. the mysteries] for men.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And Jesus said unto them: “Bring me fire and vine branches.” They brought them unto him. He laid out the offering, and set down two wine-vessels, one on the right and the other on the left of the offering. He disposed the offering before them, and set a cup of water before the wine-vessel on the right and set a cup of wine before the wine-vessel on the left, and laid loaves according to the number of the disciples in the middle between the cups and set a cup of water behind the loaves. Jesus stood before the offering, set the disciples behind-him,-2 all clad with linen garments, and in their hands the cipher of the name of the fgjithgr of the Treasury of the Light, and he made in- The invoca- Vocation thus, saying: “Hear. ‘me, O. Father, father of all fatherhood, boundless Light: iao ioud iao aoi dia psinother theropsin opsither nephthomaoth nephiomaoth marachachtha marmarachtha ieana menaman amanei (of heaven) israi amen amen souhaibai appaap amen amen deraarai (behind) amen amen sasarsartou amen amen koukiamin miai amen amen iai iai touap amen amen amen main mari marie marei amen amen amen. “Hear me, O Father, father of all fatherhood. I invoke you yourselves, ye forgivers of sins, ye purifiers of iniquities. Forgive the sins of the souls of these disciples who have followed me, and purify their iniquities and make them worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, the father of the Treasury of the Light, for they have followed me and have kept my commandments. “Now, therefore, O Father, father of all fatherhood, let the forgivers of sins come, whose names are these: siphirepsnichieu zenei herimou sochabricher euihari na nai (have mercy upon me) dieisbalmerich meunipos chirie entair mouthiour smour peucher oouschous minionor isochobortha. “Hear me, invoking you, forgive the sins of these souls and blot out their iniquities. Let them be worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, the father of the Treasury of the Light. “I know thy great powers and invoke them: auer bebro athroni e oureph e one souphen knitousochreoph mauonbi mneuor souoni chocheteoph choche eteoph memoch anemph. “Forgive [sing.] the sins of these souls, blot out their iniquities which they have knowingly and unknowingly committed, which they have committed in fornication and adultery unto this day; forgive them then and make them worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, so that they are worthy to receive of this offering, holy Father. “If thou then, Father, hast heard me and forgiven the sins of these souls and blotted out their iniquities, and hast made them worthy to be reckoned with thy kingdom, mayest thou give me a sign in this offering.” And the sign which Jesus had said [? besought] happened. Jesus said unto his disciples: “Rejoice and exult, for your sins are forgiven and your iniquities blotted out, and ye are reckoned with the kingdom of my father.’” And when he said this, the disciples rejoiced in great joy. Jesus said unto them: “This is the manner and way and this is the mystery which ye are to perform for the men who have faith in you, in whom is no deceit and who hearken unto you in all good words. And their sins and their iniquities will be blotted out up to the day on which ye have performed for them this mystery. But hide this mystery and give it not unto all men, but unto him who shall do all the things Which I have said unto you in my commandments. “This then is the mystery in truth of the baptism for those whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are blotted out. This is the baptism of the first offering which showeth the way to the region of Truth and to the region of the Light.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Thereafter his disciples said unto him: “Rabbi, reveal unto us the mystery of the Light of thy father, since we heard thee say: ‘There is still a fire-baptism and there is still a baptism of the holy spirit of the Light, and there is a spiritual chrism; these lead the souls into the Treasury of the Light.’ Tell us, therefore, their mystery, so that we ourselves may inherit the kingdom of thy father.” Jesus said unto them: “There is no mystery which is more excellent than these mysteries on which ye question, in that it will lead your souls into the Light of the lights, into the regions of Truth and Goodness, into the region of the Holy of all holies, into the region in which there is neither female nor male, nor are there forms in that region, but a perpetual indescribable Light. Nothing more excellent is there, therefore, than these mysteries on which ye question, save only the mystery of the seven Voices and their nine-and-forty powers and their ciphers. And there is no name which is more excellent than them all, the name in which are all names and all lights and all powers. “Who then knoweth that name, if he cometh out of the body of matter, nor smoke nor darkness nor authority nor ruler of the Fate-sphere nor angel nor archangel nor power can hold down the soul which knoweth that name; but if it cometh out of the world and sayeth that name to the fire, it is quenched and the darkness withdraweth. “And if it sayeth it to the demons and to the receivers of the outer darkness and their rulers and their authorities and their powers, they will all sink down and their flame will burn and they will cry out: ’ Holy, holy art thou, most holy of all holies.’ “And if one sayeth that name to the receivers of the wicked chastisements and their authorities and all their powers and also to Barbelo and the invisible god and the three triple-powered gods, straightway if one will say this name in those regions, they will all fall one on another, will be undone and destroyed and cry out: ‘O Light of all lights, which is in the boundless lights, remember us and purify us.’ “And when Jesus had finished saying these words, all his disciples cried out, wept with loud sobbing, saying:... [Lacuna of Eight Leaves.]

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

... [and lead them forth to the fire- rivers and fire-seasl and take vengeance on it therein for another six months and eight days. Thereafter they lead it up on the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst chastizeth it in his chastisements another six months and eight days. Thereafter they lead it to the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the good and the evil, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the Æons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere lead it forth to a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it, until it purifieth it utterly. “And then cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, who handeth the souls way the cup of forgetfulness, and he bringeth a cup filled with the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul, and it drinketh it and forgetteth all regions and all the regions to which it hath gone. And they cast it down into a body which will spend its time continually troubled in its heart. “This is the chastisement of the curser.” Mary continued and said: “My Lord, the man who persistently slandereth, if he cometh out of the body, whither shall he get or what is his chastisement? “Jesus Said: “A man who persistently slandereth, if his time is completed through the sphere, that he cometh out of the body, then Abiout and Charmon, the receivers of Ariel, come, lead his soul out of the body and spend three days going round with it and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world. “Thereafter they lead it below into Amente before Ariel, and he chastizeth it in his chastisements eleven months and twenty-and-one days. “Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons fall upon it another eleven months and twenty-and-one days, scourging it with fiery whips. “Thereafter they lead it into fire-rivers and boiling fire-seas, to take vengeance on it therein another eleven months and twenty-and-one days. “And thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers on the way of the midst chastizeth it in his chastisements another eleven months and twenty-and-one days. “Thereafter they carry it to the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere will lead it to a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly. “And Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, bringeth the cup of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul, and it drinketh it and forgetteth all regions and all things and all the regions through which it hath gone. And they deliver it unto a body which will spend its time being afflicted. “This is the chastisement of the slanderer.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Mary said: “Woe, woe, unto sinners! “Salome answered and said: “My Lord Jesus, a murderer who hath never committed any sin but murdering, if he cometh out of the body, what is his chastisement? “Jesus answered and said: “A murderer who hath never committed any sin but murdering, it his time is completed through the sphere, that he cometh out of the body, the receivers of Yaldabaoth come and lead his soul out of the body and bind it by its feet to a great demon with a horse’s face, and he spendeth three days circling round with it in the world. “Thereafter they lead it into the regions of the cold and of the snow, and they take vengeance on it there three years and six months. “Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons scourgeth it another three years and six months. “Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Persephone and take vengeance on it with her chastisements another three years and six months. “Thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it with the chastisements of its regions another three years and six months. “Thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she commandeth that it shall be cast into the outer darkness until the time when the darkness of the midst shall be up-raised; it [the soul] will be destroyed and dissolved. “This is the chastisement of the murderer.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Peter said: “My Lord, let the women cease to question, in order that we also may question.” Jesus said unto Mary and the women: “Give opportunity to your men brethren, that they also may question.” Peter answered and said: “My Lord, a robber and thief, whose sin is this persistently, when he Cometh out of the body, what is his chastisement? “Jesus said: “If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Adonis come after him, and lead his soul out of the body, and they spend three days circling round with it and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world. “Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariel, and he taketh vengeance on it in his chastisements three months, eight days and two hours. “Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons taketh vengeance on it another three months, eight days and two hours. “Thereafter they lead it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it through his dark smoke and his wicked fire another three months, eight days and two hours. “Thereafter they lead it up unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And they lead it forth into a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly. “Thereafter cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, bringeth the cup of forgetfulness and handeth it unto the soul; and it drinketh it and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone. And they cast it into a lame, halt and blind body. “This is the chastisement of the thief.” Andrew answered and said: “An arrogant, overweening man, when he cometh out of the body, what will happen to him? “Jesus said: “If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Ariel come after him and lead out his soul [out of the body] and spend three days travelling round in the world [with it] and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world. “Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariel; and he taketh vengeance on it with his chastisements twenty months. “Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons; and he and his demons, one by one, take vengeance on it another twenty months. “Thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst; and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it another twenty months. “And thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere lead it into a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it. “And Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, cometh and bringeth the cup with the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul; and it drinketh and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone. And they cast it up into a lame and deformed body, so that all despise it persistently. “This is the chastisement of the arrogant and overweening man.” Thomas said: “A persistent blasphemer, what is his chastisement? “Jesus Said: “If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Yaldabaoth come after him and bind him by his tongue to a great demon with a horse’s face; they spend three days travelling round with him in the world, and take vengeance on him. “Thereafter they lead him into the region of the cold and of the snow, and take vengeance on him there eleven years. “Thereafter they lead him down into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons taketh vengeance on him another eleven years. “Thereafter they lead him into the outer darkness until the day when the great ruler with the dragon’s face who encircleth the darkness, shall be judged. And that soul becometh frozen up [?] and destroyed and dissolved. “This is the judgment of the blasphemer.”