The Twelfth Repentance of Pistis Sophia

MacDermot Translation:

I. ‘0 Light, forget not my song of praise.

2. For the Authades and his lion-faced power opened their mouths against me, they dealt cunningly with me.

3. And they surrounded me, wishing to take away my power; and they hated me because I sang praises to thee.

4. Instead of loving me, they slandered me, but I sang praises.

5. They planned to take away my power because I sang praises to thee, 0 Light. And they hated me because I loved thee.

6. Let the darkness come over the Authades, and may the archon of the outer darkness remain at his right hand.

7. And when thou dost judge him, take his power away from him; and that which he thought – to take away my light from me – do thou take his from him.

8. And may all his powers of his light within him diminish; and may another one take his greatness in the three triple-powered ones.

9. May all the powers of his emanations become without light; and may his matter be without light in it.

I0. May his emanations remain in the Chaos, and may they not be allowed to go to their place; may their light which is in them diminish, and Iet them not be allowed to go up to the thirteenth aeon, their place.

11. May the paralemptes, the purifier of the lights, purify all the lights which are in the Authades; and may he take them from them.

12. May the archons of the darkness below rule over his emanations, and Iet not anyone receive him to himself in his place; and Iet not anyone hear the power of his emanations in the Chaos.

13. May the light which is in his emanations be taken away, and may their name be removed from the thirteenth aeon; indeed rather may his name be taken away from that place for ever.

14. And upon the lion-faced power, may there be brought the sin of him who emanated it in the presence of the light; and may the iniquity of the matter which brought him (the Authades) forth not be erased.

15. And may their sin immediately be in the presence of the eternal light; and may they not be allowed to see, and may their name be removed from every place;

16. Because they did not spare me, and they oppressed the one whose light and power they took away. And afterwards they put me among them, wishing to take away all my light from me.

17. They loved to come down to the Chaos; may they be within it, and not be brought forth from this time hence. They did not want the place of righteousness as dwelling place, and they will not be taken to it from this time forth.

18. He put on the darkness Iike a garment; and it (the darkness) went into him like water, and it went into all his powers like oil.

19. May he wrap himself in the Chaos like a garment, and gird himself with the darkness like a leather girdle at all times.

20. While these things happen to those who brought these things upon me on account of the light; and they said: Iet us take away all her power.

21. But thou, 0 Light, have compassion on me, on account of the mystery of thy name; and save me in the beneficence of thy mercy.

22. Because they have taken away my light and my power, and my power is shaken within me, and I have not been able to stand upright in their midst,

23. I have become like matter which has fallen; I have been cast on this side and that, like a demon which is in the air.

24. My power has been destroyed, for I possess no mystery; and my matter has faded because of my light, for they took it away.

25. And as for me, they mocked me; they looked at me as they winked about me.

26. Help me according to thy compassion.’

Mead Translation:

1. O Light, forget not my praise-singing.

2. For Self-willed and his lion-faced power have opened their chops against me and have acted craftily against me.

3. They have surrounded me, desiring to take away my power, and have hated me, because I have sung praises unto thee.

4. Instead of loving me they slandered me. But I sang praises.

5. They plotted a plot to take away my power, because I have sung to thee praises, O Light; and hated me, because I have loved thee.

6. Let the darkness come over Self-willed, and let the ruler of the outermost darkness abide at his right hand.

7. And when thou passest sentence, take from him his power; and the deed which he hath plotted, to take from me my light,–mayest thou take his from him.

8. And may all his powers of his light in him finish, and let another of the three triple-powers receive his sovereignty.

9. May all the powers of his emanation be lightless and may his matter be without any light in it.

10. May his emanations remain in the chaos and not dare to go to their region. May their light in them die away and let them not go to the thirteenth æon, their region.

11. May the Receiver, the Purifier of the lights, purify all the lights which are in Selfwilled, and take them from them.

12. May the rulers of the lower darkness rule over his emanations, and let no one give them shelter in his region; and let no one hearken to the power of his emanations in the chaos.

13. Let them take away the light in his emanations and blot out their name from the thirteenth æon, yea rather take his name for ever out of that region.

14. And on the lion-faced power let them bring the sin of him who emanated it, before the Light, and not wipe out the iniquity of the matter which hath brought him [sc. Selfwilled] forth.

15. And may their sin be altogether before the Light eternally, and may they let them not look beyond [the chaos] and take their names out of all regions;

16. Because they have not spared me and have oppressed him whose light and whose power they have taken away, and also conformably with those who set me therein, they desired to take away my whole light from me.

17. They loved to descend to the chaos; so let them abide therein, and they shall not be brought up [therefrom] from now on. They desired not the region of Righteousness for dwelling-place, and they shall not be taken thither from now on.

18. He put on darkness as a garment, and it entered into him as water, and it entered in into all his powers as oil.

19. Let him wrap himself into the chaos as into a garment, and gird himself with the darkness as with a leathern girdle for ever.

20. Let this befall them who have brought this upon me for the Light’s sake and have said: Let us take away her whole power.

21. But do thou, O Light, have mercy upon me for the sake of the mystery of thy name, and save me in the goodness of thy grace.

22. For they have taken away my light and my power; and my power hath inwardly tottered, and I could not stand upright in their midst.

23. I am become as matter which is fallen; I am tossed hither and thither as a demon in the air.

24. My power hath perished, because I possess no mystery; and my matter hath become dwindled because of my light, for they have taken it away.

25. And they mocked me; they looked at me, nodding at me.

26. Help me according to thy mercy.’