Codex VII

The Paraphrase Of Shem

Translated by Frederik Wisse

[The] paraphrase which was about the unbegotten Spirit.

What Derdekea< s> revealed to me, Shem, 5 according to the will of the Majesty. My thought which was in my body snatched me away from my race. It took me up to the top of the world, 10 which is close to the light that shone upon the whole area there. I saw no earthly likeness, but there was light. And my thought separated 15 from the body of darkness as though in sleep.

I heard a voice saying to me, Shem, since you are from an unmixed power 20 and you are the first being upon the earth, hear and understand what I shall say to you first concerning the great powers who were in existence in the beginning, before 25 I appeared. There was Light and Darkness and there was Spirit between  them. Since your root fell into forgetfulness – he who was 30 the unbegotten Spirit – I reveal to you the truth about the powers. The Light was thought full of hearing and word. They were 35 united into one form. And the Darkness was 2 wind in waters. He possessed the mind  wrapped in a chaotic fire. And the Spirit between them 5 was a gentle, humble light. These are the three roots. They reigned each in them­selves, alone. And they covered each other, each one with 10 its power.

But the Light, since he possessed a great power, knew the abase­ment of the Darkness and his disorder, namely that the root was not straight. 15 But the crookedness of the Darkness was lack of per­ception, namely (the illusion that) there is no one above him. And as long as he was able to bear up under his evil, he was covered with the water. And he 20 stirred. And the Spirit was frightened by the sound. He lifted himself up to his station. And he saw a great, dark water. And he was nauseated. And 25 the thought of the Spirit stared down; he saw the infinite Light. But he was overlooked by the putrid root. And by the will of the great Light 30 the dark water separated. And the Darkness came up wrapped in vile ignorance, and (this was) in order that the mind might separate from him because he prided 35 himself in it.

And when he stirred, 3 the light of the Spirit appeared to him. When he saw it he was astonished. He did not know that another Power was above him. And when he 5 saw that his likeness was dark compared with the Spirit, he felt hurt. And in his pain he lifted up to the height of the members of Darkness his mind which 10 was the eye of the bitterness of evil. He caused his mind to take shape in a member of the regions of the Spirit, thinking that, by staring (down) at his evil, he would be able 15 to equal the Spirit. But he was not able. For he wanted to do an impossible thing, and it did not take place. But in order that the mind of Darkness, which 20 is the eye of the bitterness of evil, might not be destroyed, since he was made par­tially similar, he arose and shone with a fiery light upon all of Ha­des, so that 25 the equality to the faultless Light might become ap­parent. For the Spirit made use of every form of Darkness because he appeared in his majesty. 30

And the exalted, infinite Light appeared, for he was very joyful.

He wished to reveal himself to the Spirit. And the likeness 35 of the exalted Light appeared to the unbegotten Spirit. 4  appeared. [I] am the son of the incorruptible, infinite Light.  appeared in the likeness 5 of the Spirit, for  am the ray of the universal Light. And his ap­pearance to me (was) in order that the mind of Darkness might not remain in Hades. 10 For the Darkness made himself like his mind in a part of the members. When , (O) Shem, appeared   in it (i.e. the like­ness), in order that the Darkness might become dark to himself, 15 ac­cording to the will of the Majesty – in order that the Darkness might become free from every aspect of the power which he possessed – the mind drew the chaotic fire, with which 20 it was covered, from the midst of the Darkness and the water. And from the Darkness the water became a cloud. and from  the cloud the womb took shape. 25 The chaotic fire which was a deviation  went there.

And when the Darkness saw it (i.e. the womb) he became unchaste and when he had aroused 30 the water, he rubbed the womb. His mind dissolved down to the depths of Nature. It mingled with the power of the bitterness of Darkness. And 35 her (i.e. the womb's) eye ruptured at the wickedness in order that she might not again bring forth the mind. For it was 5 a seed of Nature from the dark root.

And when Nature had taken to herself the mind by means of the dark power, 5 every likeness took shape in her. And when the Darkness  had acquired the likeness of the mind, it resembled the Spirit. For Nature rose up to expel it; 10 she was powerless against it, since she did not have a form from the Darkness. For she brought it forth in the cloud. And the cloud shone. A mind appeared in 15 it like a frightful, harmful fire. It (i.e. the mind) collided against the unbegotten Spirit

since it possessed a likeness from him. In order that 20 Nature might become empty of the chaotic fire, then immediately Nature  was divided into four parts. They became clouds which varied 25 in their appearance. They were called Hymen, Afterbirth, Power, (and) Water. And the Hymen and the Afterbirth and the Power were 30 chaotic fires. And it (i.e. the mind) was drawn from the midst of the Darkness and the water – since the mind was in the midst of Nature

and the dark power – 35 in order that the harmful waters might not cling to it. 6 Because of this Nature was divided, according to my will, in order that the mind may return to its power which the 5 dark root, which was mixed with it (i.e. the mind), had taken from it. And he (i.e. the dark root) appeared in the womb. And at the division of Nature he separated from the dark power 10 which he possessed from the mind. It (i.e. the mind) went into the midst of the power – this was the middle region of Nature.

And the Spirit of light, when the mind 15 burdened him, was aston­ished. And the force of his Astonishment cast off the burden. And it (i.e. the burden)  returned to its heat. It put on the light of the Spirit. 20 And when Nature moved away from the power of the light of the Spirit, the burden returned. And the Astonishment (of the) light cast off the burden. It stuck 25 to the cloud of the Hymen. And all the clouds of Darkness cried out, they who had separated from Hades, because of the alien Power. He is the Spirit of light who has come 30 in them. And by the will of the Majesty the Spirit gazed up at the in­finite Light, in order that his light may be pitied and 35 the likeness brought up from Hades.

And when the Spirit had looked,  flowed 7 out – , the son of the Majesty – like a wave of bright light and like a whirlwind of the immortal Spirit. And  blew from 5 the cloud of the Hymen upon the As­tonishment of the unbegotten Spirit. It (i.e. the cloud) separated and cast light upon the clouds. These separated in order that the Spirit might return. Because of this the mind 10 took shape. Its repose was shat­tered. For the Hymen of Nature was a cloud which cannot be grasped; it is a great fire. Similarly, the Afterbirth 15 of Nature is the cloud of silence; it is an august fire. And the Power which was mixed with the mind, it, too, was a cloud of Nature which 20 was joined with the Darkness that had aroused Nature to unchastity. And the dark water was a frightful cloud. And the root 25 of Nature, which was below, was crooked, since it is burdensome and harmful. The root was blind with respect to the light-bondage which was un­fathomable since 30 it had many appearances.

And  had pity on the light (of) the Spirit which the mind had re­ceived.  returned to my position in order to pray 35 to the exalted, in­finite Light 8 that the power of the Spirit might increase on the place and might be filled without dark defilement. And 5 reverently  said, "Thou art the root of the Light. Thy hidden form has appeared, O exalted, infinite one. May the whole power of 10 the Spirit spread and may it be filled with its light, O infinite Light. (Then) he will not be able to join with the unbegotten Spirit, and the power of the Aston­ishment will not be able to 15 mix with Nature. According to the will of the Majesty," my prayer was accepted.

And the voice of the Word was heard saying through the Majesty to the 20 unbegotten Spirit, "Behold, the power has been completed. He who was revealed by me appeared in the Spirit. Again I shall appear. I am Derdekeas, the son 25 of the incorruptible, infinite Light."

The light of the infinite Spirit came down to a feeble nature for a short time until 30 all the impurity of nature became void, and in or­der that the darkness of Nature might be blamed. I put on my gar­ment which is the garment of the light 35 of the Majesty – which I am.

I came in the appearance of the 9 Spirit to consider the whole light which was in the depths of the Darkness. According to the will  of the Majesty, in order that the Spirit 5 by means of the Word might be filled with his light independently of the power of the infinite Light, and at my wish, the Spirit  arose by his (own) power. 10 His greatness was granted to him that he might be filled with his whole light and depart from the whole burden of the Darkness. For what was behind was a dark fire which blew 15 (and) pressed on the Spirit. And the Spirit re­joiced because he was protected from the frightful water. But his light was not equal to the Majesty. But <what> he was granted 20 by the infinite Light, (he was granted it) in order that in all his members he might appear as a single image of light. And when the Spirit arose above the water, 25 his black likeness became apparent. And the Spirit honored the exalted Light: "Surely thou alone art the infinite one, because thou art above 30 every unbegotten thing, for thou hast protected me from the Darkness. And at thy wish I arose above the power of darkness.

And that nothing might be hidden from you, Shem, the thought, 35 which the Spirit from the greatness had contemplated, came into be­ing, 10 since the Darkness was not able [to] restrain his evil. But when it appeared, the three roots became known as they 5 were from the beginning. If the Darkness had been able to bear up under his evil, the mind would not have separated from him, and another power would not have appeared. 10

But from the time it appeared I was seen, the son of the Majesty, in order that the light of the Spirit might not become faint, and that Nature might not reign 15 over it, because it gazed at me. And by the will of the greatness  my equality was revealed, that what is of the Power might become apparent. You 20 are the great Power which came into being, and I am the perfect Light which is above the Spirit and the Darkness, the one who puts to shame the Darkness for the intercourse of the impure 25 practice. For through the division of Na­ture the Majesty wished to be covered with honor up to the height of the Thought of the Spirit. And the Spirit received 30 rest in his power.

 For the image of the Light is inseparable from the unbegotten Spirit. And the lawgivers did not name him after all the clouds 35 of Nature, nor is it possible to name them. For every likeness 11 into which Nature had divided is a power of the chaotic fire which is the hylic seed. The one who took to himself 5 the power of the Darkness impris­oned it in the midst of its members.

And by the will of the Majesty, in order that the mind and the whole light of the Spirit might be protected 10 from every burden and (from) the toil of Nature, a voice came forth from the Spirit to the cloud of the Hymen. And the light of the astonishment began to re­joice with the voice 15 which was granted to him. And the great Spirit of light was in the cloud of the Hymen. He honored the infinite Light and the universal likeness 20 who I am, the son of the Majesty. It is said: "Anasses Duses, thou art the infinite Light who was given by the will 25 of the Majesty to establish every light of the Spirit upon the place, and to separate the mind from the Darkness. For it was not right 30 for the light of the Spirit to remain in Hades. For at thy wish the Spirit arose to behold thy greatness."

For I said these things to you, 35 Shem, that you might know 12 that my likeness, the son of the Majesty, is from my infinite Thought, since I am for him a universal likeness 5 which does not lie, (and) I am above every truth and origin of the word. His appearance is in my beautiful garment of light which is the voice of the immeasurable Thought. 10 We are that single, sole light which came into being. He appeared in another root in order that the power of the Spirit might be raised from the 15 feeble Nature. For by the will of the great Light I came forth from the exalted Spirit down to the cloud of the Hymen without my universal garment.

And the Word took 20 me to himself, from the Spirit, in the first cloud of the Hymen of Nature. And I put on this of which the Majes­ty and the unbegotten Spirit made me worthy. 25 And the threefold unity of my garment appeared in the cloud, by the will of the Majesty, in a single form. And my likeness was covered 30 with the light of my garment. And the cloud was disturbed, and it was not able to bear my likeness. It shed the first power, the one (which) it had taken from 35 the Spirit, that one which shone on him from the beginning, before (I) appeared in the word to the Spirit. The cloud 13 would not have been able to bear both of them. And the light which came forth from the cloud passed through the silence, until it came into the middle region. And, 5 by the will of the Majesty, the light mixed with him I (i.e.) the Spirit which exists in the silence, he who had been separated from the Spirit of light. It was separated from the light 10 by the cloud of the silence. The cloud was disturbed. It was he who gave rest to the flame of fire. He humbled the dark womb in order that she might not reveal 15 other seed from the darkness. He kept them back in the middle region of Nature in their position which was in the cloud. They were troubled since they did 20 not know where they were. For still they (did> not possess the universal understand­ing of the Spirit.

And when I prayed to the Majesty, toward the 25 infinite Light, that the chaotic power of the Spirit might go to and fro, and the dark womb might be idle, and that my likeness might appear 30 in the cloud of the Hymen, as if I were wrapped in the light of the Spirit which went before me, and by the will of the Majesty and through 35 the prayer I came in the cloud in order that through my garment –  which was from the power 14 of the Spirit – the pleroma of the word, might bring power to the members who possessed it in the Darkness. For because of them I appeared 5 in this insignificant place. For I am a helper of every one who has been given a name. For when I ap­peared in the cloud, the light 10 of the Spirit began to save itself from the frightful water, and (from) the clouds of fire which had been separated from dark Nature. And I gave them eternal honor 35 that they might not again engage in the impure practice.

And the light which was in the Hymen was disturbed by my power, and it passed through my middle region. It 20 was filled with the uni­versal Thought. And through the word of the light of the Spirit it re­turned to  its repose. It received form in its root and shone 25 without deficiency. And the light which had come forth with it from the silence went in the middle region  and returned to the place. And the cloud shone. 30 And from it came an unquenchable fire. And the part which separated from the astonishment put on forgetfulness. It was deceived by 35 the fire of darkness. And the shock of its astonishment cast off the burden of the 15 cloud. It was evil since it was unclean. And the fire mixed with the water in order that the waters might become harmful. 5

And Nature which had been disturbed immediately arose from the idle waters. For her ascent was shameful. And Nature took to herself the 10 power of fire. She became strong because of the light of the Spirit which was in Nature. Her likeness appeared in the water in the form of a frightful beast 35 with many faces, which is crooked below. A light went down to chaos filled with mist and dust, in order to harm Nature. 20 And the light of the Astonishment which is in the middle region came to it after he cast off the burden of the Darkness. He rejoiced when the Spirit arose. For he looked 25 from the clouds down at the dark waters upon the light which was in the depths of Nature.

Therefore I appeared that I might 30 get an opportunity to go down to the nether world, to the light of the Spirit which was burden­ed, that I might protect him from the evil of the burden. And through 35 his looking down at the dark region the light once more 16 came up in order that the womb might again come up from the water. She (i.e. the womb) came up by my will. Guilefully the eye opened. 5 And the light which had appeared in the middle region (and) which had separated from the Astonishment rested and shone upon her. And the womb saw 10 things she had not seen, and she rejoiced joyful­ly in the light, although this was not hers — the one which appeared in the middle region, in her wickedness, when he (i.e. the light) shone 15 upon her. And the womb saw things she had not seen, and she was brought down to the water, she was thinking that she had reached to the power of light. 20 And she did not know that her root was made idle by the likeness of the Light, and that it was to her (i.e. the root) that he had run.

The light was astonished, the one which was in 25 the middle region and which was beginning and end. Therefore his thought gazed di­rectly up at the exalted Light. And he called out and said, 20 "Lord, have mercy on me, for my light and my effort went astray. For if thy goodness does not establish me, I do not know where I am." And when the Majesty 35 had heard him, he had mercy on him. '

And I appeared in the cloud of the Hymen, in the silence, 17 with­out my holy garment. With my will I honored my garment which has three forms in the cloud of the Hymen. 5 And the light which was in the silence, the one from the rejoicing Power, contained me. I wore it. And its two parts appeared 10 in a single form. Its other parts did not appear on account of the fire. I became unable to speak in the cloud of the Hymen, for its fire was frightful, 15 lifting itself up with­out humility. And in order that my greatness and the word might appear, I placed likewise my other garment in the cloud of the silence. 20 I went into the middle region and put on the light that was in it, that was sunk in forgetfulness and that was separated from the Spirit of astonishment, for he had cast off the burden. 25 At my wish nothing mortal appeared to him, but they were all immortal things which the Spirit granted to him. And he said in 30 the thought of the Light, ai eis ai ou phar dou is ei ou: I have come in a great rest  in order that he may give rest to my light in 35 his root, and may bring it out of 18 harmful Nature.

Then, by the will of the Majesty, I took off my garment of light. I put on another garment 5 of fire which has no form, which is from the mind of the power,  which was separated, and which was  prepared for me, according to my will, in the middle region. For the middle region 30 covered it with a dark power in order that I might come and put it on. I went down to chaos to save the whole light from it. For without 15 the power of darkness I could not oppose  Nature. But I rested myself upon her staring eye 20 which was a light from the Spirit. For it had been prepared for me as a garment and a rest by the Spirit. Through me he opened his eyes down to 25 Hades. He granted Nature his voice for a time. '

And my garment of fire, according to the will of the Majesty, went down to what is strong, and to the 30 unclean part of Nature which (the) power of darkness was covering. And my garment rubbed Na­ture in her covering. And her unclean 35 femininity was strong. And the wrathful womb came up 19 and made the mind dry, resembling a fish which has a drop of fire and a power of fire. And when Nature 5 had cast off the mind, she was troubled and she wept. When she was hurt, and in her tears, she cast off the power of the Spirit 30 (and) remained as I. I put on the light of the Spirit and I rested with my garment on account of  the sight of the fish.

And in order that  the deeds of Nature might be condemned, 15 since she is blind, manifold animals came out of her, in accordance with the number of the fleeting winds. All of them came into being in Hades searching for the light 20 of the mind which took shape. They were not able to stand up against it.  I rejoiced over their ignorance. I They found me, the son of the Majesty, in 25 front of the womb which has many forms. I put on the beast, and laid before her a great request

that heaven and earth 30 might come into being, in order that the whole light might rise up. For in no other way could the power of the Spirit be saved from bondage except that I appear 35 to her in animal form. Therefore she was gracious to me 20 as if I were her son.

And on account of my request, Nature arose since she possesses of the power of the Spirit and the Darkness 5 and the fire. For she had taken off her forms. When she had cast it off, she blew upon the water. The heaven was created. And from the foam of the heaven 10 the earth came into being. And at my wish it brought forth all kinds of food in accordance with the number of the beasts. And it brought forth dew from the winds on account of you (pl.) and those 15 who will be begotten the second time upon the earth. For the earth pos­sessed a power of chaotic fire. Therefore it brought forth 20 every seed.

And when the heaven and the earth were created, my garment of fire arose in the midst of the cloud of Nature (and) shone upon the whole world 25 until Nature became dry. The Darkness which was its (i.e. the earth's) garment was cast into the  harmful waters. The mid­dle region was cleansed from the Darkness. 30 But the womb grieved be­cause of what had happened. She perceived in her parts what was  water like a mirror. When she perceived (it), she wondered 25 how it had come into being. Therefore she remained a widow. It also was 21 astonished (that) it was not in her. For still the forms possessed a power of fire and light. It (i.e. the power) remained 5 in order that it might be in Nature until all the powers are taken away from her. For just as the light of the Spirit was completed in three clouds, it is nec­essary 10 that also the power which is in Hades will be completed at the appointed time. For, because of the grace of the Majesty, I came forth to her from the water for the second time. 15 For my face pleased  her. Her face also was glad.

And I said to her, "May seed  and power come forth from you 20 upon the earth." And she obeyed the will of the Spirit that she might be brought to naught. And when her forms returned, they rubbed  their tongue(s) with each other; they copulated; 25 they begot winds and demons and the power which is from the fire and the Darkness and the Spirit. But the form which remained alone cast the 30 beast from herself. She did not have intercourse, but she was the one who rubbed herself alone. And she brought forth a wind which  possessed a power 35 from the fire and the Darkness and the Spirit.

And in order that the 22 demons also might become free from the power which they possessed through the impure intercourse, a womb was with the winds 5 resembling water. And an unclean penis was with the demons in accordance with the example of the Darkness, and in the way he rubbed with the womb from the beginning. And after 10 the forms of Nature had been together, they separated from each other. They cast off the power, being astonished about the deceit which had happened to them. They grieved 15 with an eternal grief. They covered themselves with their power.

And when I had put them to shame, I arose with my garment in the power and — which is above the beast which is a light, 20 in order that I might make Nature desolate. The mind which had appeared in the Nature of Darkness, (and) which was the eye of the heart of Darkness, at my wish reigned over 25 the winds and the demons. And I gave him a likeness of fire, light, and attentiveness, and a share of guileless word. Therefore he was given of the greatness 30 in order to be strong in his power, independent of the power, independent of the light of the Spirit, and intercourse of Darkness, in order that, at the end of time, when 23 Nature will be destroyed, he may rest  in the honored place. For he will be found faithful, since he has loathed 5 the un­chastity of Nature with the Darkness. The strong power of the mind came into being from the mind and the unbegotten Spirit.

But the winds, which are demons 10 from water and fire and dark­ness and light, had intercourse unto perdition. And through this intercourse the winds received in their womb 15 foam from the penis of the demons. They conceived a power in their womb. From the breathing the wombs of the winds girded each other 20 until the times of the birth came. They went down to the water. And the power was delivered, through the breathing which moves the birth, in the midst of the practice. And 25 every form of the birth received shape in it. When the times of the birth were near, all the winds were gathered from the water which is near the 30 earth. They gave birth to all kinds of unchastity. And the place where the wind alone went was permeated with the unchastity. Barren wives came from it 35 and sterile hus­bands. 24 For just as they are born, so they bear.

Because of you (pl.), the image of the Spirit appeared in the earth and the water. 5 For you are like the Light. For you possess a share of the winds and the demons, and a thought from the Light of the power of the Astonishment. 10 For everything which he brought forth from the womb upon the earth  was not a good thing for her, but her groan and her pain, because of the image which appeared in 15 you from the Spirit. For you are exalted in your heart. And it is blessed­ness, Shem, if 20 a part is given to someone and if he departs from the soul to (go) to the thought of the Light. For the soul is a burden of the Darkness, and those who know where the root of the soul came from will be able to grope after Nature also. 25 For the soul is a work of unchastity and an (object of) scorn to the thought of Light. For I am the one who revealed concerning all that is unbegotten. 30

And in order that the sin of Nature might be filled, I made the womb, which was disturbed, pleasant – the blind wisdom – that I might be able to bring (it) to naught. And at my 25 wish, he plotted with the water of Darkness and also the Darkness, that they might wound every form of your (pl.) heart. For by 5 the will of the light of the Spirit they surrounded you; they bound you in Faith. And in or­der that his plan might become idle, he sent a demon 10 that the plan of her wickedness might be proclaimed. And he caused a flood, and he destroyed your (pl.) race, in order to take the light and to take from 15 Faith. But I proclaimed quickly by the mouth of the demon that a tower  come to be up to the particle of the light, which was left in the demons and 20 their race – which was water – that the demon might be protected from the turbulent chaos. And the womb planned these things according to my will in order that she might 25 pour forth completely. A tower came to be through the demons. The Darkness was disturbed by his loss. He loosened the muscles of the womb. And the demon 30 who was going to enter the tower was protected in order that the races might continue and might acquire coherence through him. For he possesses power from every form. 35

Return henceforth, 26 O Shem, and rejoice [greatly] over your race and Faith, for without body and necessity it is protected from 5 every body of Darkness, bearing witness to the holy things of the greatness which was revealed to them in their thought by my will. And they shall rest in the unbegotten Spirit 10 without grief. But you, Shem, be­cause of this, you remained in (the) body outside the cloud of light that you might remain with Faith. And Faith 15 will come to you. Her thought will be taken and given to you with a consciousness of light. And I  told you these things for the benefit of your race from the cloud of light. 20 And likewise what I shall say to you concerning everything, I shall reveal to you completely that you may reveal them to those who will be upon the earth the 25 second time.

O Shem, the disturbance which occurred at my wish happened in order that Nature might become empty. For the wrath of the Dark­ness subsided. 30 O Shem, the Darkness' mouth was shut. No longer does the light which shone for the world appear in it, according to my will. And when Nature had said that 35 its wish was fulfilled, then every form was engulfed by the waters 27 in prideful ignorance. She (i.e. Nature) turned her dark vagina and cast from her the power of fire 5 which was in her from the beginning through the practice of the Darkness. It (masc.) lifted itself up and shone upon the whole world instead of the righteous one. And all her forms 10 sent forth a power  like a flame of fire up to heaven as a help to the corrupted light, which had lifted itself up. For they were members of the 15 chaotic fire. And she did not know that she had harmed herself. When she cast forth the power,  the power which she possessed, she cast it forth from the genitals. It was the demon, 20 a deceiver, who stirred up the womb in every form – .  And in her ignorance, as if she were doing a great thing, she grant­ed the demons 25 and the winds a star each. For without wind and star nothing happens upon the earth. For every power is filled by them after they were 30 released from the Darkness and the fire and the power and the light. For in the place where their darkness and their fire were mixed with each other beasts were brought forth. And it was in the place 35 of the Darkness, and the fire, and the power 28 of the mind, and the light, that human beings came into existence. Being from the Spirit, the thought of the Light, my eye, exists not in every man. 5 For before the flood came from the winds and the demons, rain came to men. But then, in order that the power which is in the tower might be brought forth, 10 and might rest upon the earth  Nature, which had been disturbed,  wanted to harm the seed which will be upon the earth after the flood. 15 Demons were sent to them, and a deviation of the winds, and a burden of the angels, and a fear of the prophet, a condemnation of speech, that I may 20 teach you, O Shem, from what blindness your race is protected. When I have re­vealed to you all that has been spoken,  then the righteous one will 25 shine upon the world with my garment. And the night and the day will  be separated. For I shall hasten down to the world to take the light  of that place, the one which 30 Faith possesses. And I shall appear to those who will acquire the thought of the light of the Spirit. For be­cause of them my majesty appeared.

When 35 he will have appeared, O Shem, upon the earth, [in] the place which will be 29 called Sodom, (then) safeguard the insight which I shall give you. For those whose heart was pure will con­gregate to you, 5 because of the word which you will reveal. For when you appear  in the world, dark Nature will shake against you, 10 together with the winds and a demon,  that they may destroy the in­sight. But you, proclaim quickly to the Sodomites your universal teaching, 15 for they are your members. For the demon of human form will part from that place by my will, since he is ignorant. He will guard this utterance. But the 20 Sodomites, according to the will of the Majesty, will bear witness to the universal testimony. They  will rest with a pure conscience in the place 25 of their repose, which is the unbegotten Spirit. And as these things will happen, Sodom will be burned unjustly  by a base nature. 30 For the evil will not cease in order that your majesty may reveal that place.

Then 30 the demon will depart with Faith. And then he will appear in the four regions of the world. And when 5 Faith appears in the last likeness, then will her appearance become manifest. For the first­born is the demon who appeared in the union 10 of Nature with many faces, in order that Faith might appear in him. For when he appears in the world, evil passions will arise, 15 and earthquakes, and wars, and famines, and blasphemies. For because of him the whole world will be disturbed. For he will seek the power 20 of Faith and Light; he will not find it. For at that time the demon will also appear upon the river to baptize with an 25 imperfect baptism, and to trouble the world with a bondage of water. But it is necessary for me to appear in the members of the thought of Faith to 30 reveal the great things of my power. I shall separate it from the demon who is Soldas. And the light which he possesses from the Spirit I shall mix 35 with my in­vincible garment, as well as him whom I shall reveal 31 in the darkness for your sake and for the sake of your race which will be protected from the evil Darkness.

Know, O Shem, that without 5 Elorchaios and Amoias and Stro­phaias and Chelkeak and Chelkea and Aileou, no one will be able to pass by this wicked region. For this is my memorial 10 that in it I have been victorious over the wicked region. And I have taken the light of the Spirit from the frightful water. For when the 15 appointed days of the demon draw near he who will baptize erringly – , then I shall appear in the baptism of the demon to reveal 20 with the mouth of Faith a testimony to those who belong to her. I testify of thee, Spark the unquenchable, Osei, the elect of 25 the Light, the eye of heaven, and Faith, the first and the last, and Sophia, and Saphaia, and Saphaina, and the righteous Spark, and the 3° impure light. And you (sg.), east, and west, and north, and south, upper air and lower air, and all the powers and authorities, 32 you (pl.) are in Nature.

And you (sg.), Moluchtha and Soch are from every work and every impure effort of 5 Nature. Then I shall come from the demon down to the water. And whirlpools of water and flames of fire will rise up against me. Then I 10 shall come up from the water, having put on the light of Faith and the unquenchable fire, in order that through my help the power of the Spirit may cross, 15 she who has been cast in the world by the winds and the demons and the stars. And in them I every unchastity will be filled.

Finally, O Shem, consider 20 yourself pleasing in the thought of the Light. Do not let your thought have dealings with the fire and the body of Darkness which was an unclean 25 work. These things which I teach you are right.

This is the paraphrase: – For you did not remember that it is from the firmament that 30 your race has been protected. – Elorchaios is the name of the great Light, the place from which I have come, the Word which has no equal. And the likeness is my honored garment. 35 And Derderkeas is the name of his Word in 33 the voice of the Light. And Strophaia is the blessed glance which is the Spirit. and it is Chelkeach, who is my garment, 5 who has come from the Astonishment, who was in the cloud of the Hymen which appeared, as a trimor­phic cloud. And Chelkea is my garment 10 which has two forms, he who was in the cloud of Silence. And Chelke is my garment which  was given him from every region; it was given him in a single form 15 from the greatness, he who was in the cloud of the middle region. and the star of the Light which was mentioned is my invincible gar­ment which 20 I wore in Hades; this (i.e. the star of the Light) is the mercy which surpasses the thought and the testimony of those who bear witness. And the testimony which has been mentioned: 25 the First and the Last, Faith,  the Mind of the wind of darkness. And Sophaia and Saphaina are in the cloud of those who have been separ­ated from the chaotic fire. 30 And the righteous Spark is the cloud of light which has shone in your (pl.) midst. For in it (i.e. the cloud of light) my garment will go down to chaos.

But the 34 impure light, which appeared in the Darkness (and) which belongs to dark Nature, is a power. And the upper air and the lower air, and the 5 powers and the authorities, the demons and the stars, these possessed a particle of fire and a light from the Spirit.

And Moluchthas is a wind, 30 for without it nothing is brought forth upon the earth. He has a likeness of a serpent and a unicorn. His protrusion(s) are manifold wings. 15 And the remainder is the womb which has been disturbed. You are blessed, Shem, for your race has been protected from the dark wind which is many-faced. And they will 20 bear the universal testimony and (bear witness) to the impure  prac­tice of (Nature>. And they will become sublime through the reminder of the Light.

O Shem, 25 no one who wears the body will be able to complete these things. But through I remembrance he will be able to grasp  them, in order that, when his thought separates from the body, 30 then these things may be revealed to him. They have been revealed to your race. O Shem, it is difficult for someone wearing a body to complete [these things, as] I said to you. 35 And it is a small number that will' complete them, those who possess the particle of the mind and the thought of the light of the 5 Spirit. They will keep their mind from the impure practice. For many in the race of Nature will seek the security of the Power. They will not find it, nor 10 will they be able to do the will of Faith. For they are seed of the universal Darkness. And those who  find them are in much suffering. The winds 15 and the demons will hate them. And the bondage of the body is  severe. For where the winds, and the stars, and the demons cast forth from the power 20 of the Spirit, (there) repentance and testimony will appear upon them, and mercy will lead them to the unbegotten Spirit. 25 And those who are repentant will find rest  in the consummation and Faith, in the place of the Hymen. This is the Faith which will 30 fill the place which has been  left empty. But those who do not share in the Spirit of light and in Faith will dissolve in the [Darkness], the place 36 where repentance did not come. '

It is I who opened the eternal gates which were shut from the begin­ning. To those who long for the best of 5 life, and those who are wor­thy of the repose, he revealed them. I granted perception to those who perceive. I disclose to them 10 all the thoughts and the teaching  of the righteous ones. And I did not become their enemy at all. But when I had endured the wrath of the world, I was victorious. There was not 15 one of them who knew me. The gates of fire and endless smoke opened against me. All the winds rose up against me. The thunderings and the 20 lightning-flashes for a time will rise up against me. And they will bring  their wrath upon me. And on account of me according to the flesh, they  will rule over them according to kind. 25

And many who wear erring flesh will go down  to the harmful wat­ers through the winds and the demons. And they are bound by the water. 30 And he will heal with a futile remedy. He will lead astray, and he will bind the world. And those that do the will of Nature, their part will [...] 37 two times in the day of the water and the forms of Nature. And it will not be granted them, when Faith disturbs them 5 in order to take to herself the righteous one.

O Shem, it is necessary that the thought be called by the Word in order that the bondage of the power of the Spirit may be saved frog the frightful 10 water. And it is blessedness if it is granted someone to contemplate the exalted one, and to know the exalted time and the bondage. For the water is an 15 insignificant body. And men are not released, since they are bound in the water, just as from the beginn­ing the light of the Spirit was bound.

O Shem, they are deceived 20 by manifold demons, thinking that through baptism with the uncleanness of water, that which is dark, feeble, idle, 25 (and) disturbing, he will take away the sins. And they do not know that from the water to the water there is bondage, and error and unchastity, 30 envy, murder, adultery, false witness, heresies, robberies, lusts, babblings, wrath, bitterness, 35 great [...].

38 Therefore there are many deaths which burden their thoughts. For I foretell it to those who have a heart. 5 They will refrain from the impure baptism. And those who take heart from the light of the Spirit will not have dealings with the impure practice. 10 And their heart will not expire, nor will they curse. And the water – <nor> will they be given honor. Where the curse is, there is the deficiency. 15 And the blindness is where the honor is. For if they mix with the evil ones, they become empty in the dark water.  For where the water has been 20 mentioned, there is Nature, and the oath, and the lie, and the loss. For only in the unbegotten Spirit, where the exalted Light rested, 25 has the water not been mentioned, nor can it be mentioned.

For this is my appearance: for when I have 30 completed the times which are assigned to me upon the earth, then I will cast from me [my garment of fire (?)]. And 39 my unequalled garment will come forth upon me, and also all my garments which I put on in all the clouds 5 which were from the Astonishment of the Spirit. For the air will tear my garment. For it (i.e. my garment) will shine, and it will divide all the clouds up to 10 the root of the Light. The repose is the mind and my garment. And my remaining garments, those on the left and those on the right, will shine 15 on the back in order that the image of the Light may appear. For my garments which I put on in the three clouds, in the last day they 20 will rest in their root, i.e. in the unbegotten Spirit, since they are without fault, through the divi­sion of (the) clouds.

Therefore I have appeared, 25 being faultless, on account of the clouds, because they are unequal, in order that the wickedness of Nature might be ended. For she wished at that time 30 to snare me. She was about to fix (to the cross) Soldas who is the dark flame, who attended on the [...] of error, 40 that he might snare me. She took care of her faith, being vainglorious.

And at that time 5 the light was about to separate from the Dark­ness, and a voice was heard in the world, saying, "Blessed is the eye which has seen thee, and the mind which has 10 supported thy majesty at my desire." It will be said by the exalted one, "Blessed is Rebouel among every race of men, for it is you (fern.) alone 15 who have seen." And she will listen. And they will behead the woman who has the perception, whom you will reveal upon the earth. And according to 20 my will she will bear witness, and she will cease from every vain effort of Nature and chaos. For the woman whom they will behead at that 25 time is the coherence of the power of the demon who will baptize the seed of darkness in severity, that it (i.e. the seed) may mix with unchastity. 30 He begot a woman. She was called Rebouel.

See, O Shem, how all the things I have said to you have been ful­filled. [And .... And the things which] you 41 lack, according to my will they will appear to you at that place upon the earth that you may reveal them 5 as they are. Do not let your thought have dealings with the body. For I have said these things to you, through the voice of the fire, for I entered through 10 the midst of the clouds. And I spoke according to the language of each one. This is my language which I spoke to you. And it will be taken from you. And you will speak with the voice of the world is upon the earth. And it will appear to you with that appearance and voice, and all that I have said to you. Henceforth proceed with Faith 20 to shine in the depths of the world.

And I, Shem, awoke as if from a long sleep. I marveled when I re­ceived the power of the Light and his whole thought. 25 And I pro­ceeded with Faith to shine with me. And the righteous one followed us with my invincible garment. And all that he had told me 30 would happen upon the earth happened. Nature was handed over to Faith, that she (i.e. Faith) might overturn her and that she (i.e. Nature) might stand in the Darkness. She brought forth a 42 turning motion while wandering night and day without receiving rest with the souls.

These things completed her 5 deeds.

Then I rejoiced in the thought of the Light. I came forth from the Darkness and I walked in Faith where the forms of 10 Nature are, up to the top of the earth, to the things which are prepared.

Thy Faith is upon the earth the whole day. For all night and day she surrounds 15 Nature to take to herself the righteous one. For Na­ture is  burdened, and she is troubled. For none will be able to open the forms of the Womb except the mind 20 alone who was entrusted with their likeness. For frightful is their likeness of the two forms  of Nature, the one which is blind.

But they who have 25 a free conscience remove themselves from the babbling of Nature. For they will bear witness to the universal tes­timony; 30 they will strip off the burden of Darkness; they will put on the Word of the Light; and they will not be kept back 43 in the insig­nificant place. And what they possess from the power of the mind they will give to Faith. They will 5 be accepted without' grief. And the chaotic  fire which they possess they will place in the middle region of

Nature. And they will be received 10 by my garments, those which are in the clouds. It is they who guide their members. They will rest in the Spirit without suffering. And because of this the 15 appointed term of Faith appeared upon the earth for a short time, until the Dark­ness is taken away from her, and her testimony is revealed 20 which was revealed by me. They who will prove to be from her root will strip off the Darkness and the chaotic fire. 25 They will put on the light of the mind and they will bear witness. For all that I have said must happen.

After I cease to be upon the earth and 30 withdraw up to my rest, a great, evil error will come upon the world, and many evils in ac­cordance with the number of the forms of 44 Nature. Evil times will come. And when the era of Nature is approaching destruction, dark­ness will 5 come upon the earth. The number will be small. And a demon will come up from the power who has a likeness of fire. He will divide the heaven, (and) he will rest 10 in the depth of the east. For the whole world will quake. And the deceived world will be thrown into confusion. Many places will be flooded because of 15 envy of the winds and the demons who have a name which is senseless: Phorbea, Chloerga. They are the ones who govern the world with their teach­ing. And they lead astray 20 many hearts because of their disorder and their unchastity. Many places will be sprinkled with blood. And five races by themselves 25 will eat their sons. But the regions of the south  will receive the Word of the Light. But they who are from the error of the world 30 and from the east – . A demon will come forth from (the) belly of the serpent. He was 45 in hiding in a desolate place. He will perform many wonders. Many will loathe him. A wind will come forth from his mouth with a female likeness. Her name will be called  Abalphe. He will reign over the world from the east to the west.

Then Nature will have 10 a final opportunity. And the stars will cease from the sky. The mouth of error will be opened in order that the evil Darkness may become idle and silent. And in the last day 15 the forms of Nature will be destroyed with the winds and all their demons; they' will become a dark lump, just as they were 20 from the beginning. And the sweet waters which were burdened by the demons will perish. For where the power of the Spirit has gone 25 there are my sweet waters. The other works of Nature will not be manifest. They will mix with the infinite waters of darkness. 30 And all her forms will cease from the middle region.

I,  Shem, have completed these things. And my mind began to separate from the body of darkness. My 46 time was completed. And  my mind put on the immortal memorial. And I said, "I agree with thy 5 memorial which thou hast revealed to me: Elorchaois, and thou, Amoiaiai, and thou, Sederkeas, and they guilelessness, Stro­phaias, and thou, Chelkeak, 10 and thou, Chelkea, and Chelke and Elaie, you (pl.) are the immortal memorial. I testify to thee, Spark, the unquenchable one, who is an eye 15 of heaven and a voice of light,  and Sophaia, and Saphaia, and Saphaina, and the righteous Spark, and Faith, the first and the last, and the upper air and lower 20 air, ( and thou, Chelkeak, and Chelke and Elaie, you (pl.) are the immor­al memorial. I testify to thee, Spark, the unquenchable one, who is an eye of heaven 25 and a voice of light, and Sophaia, and Saphaia, and Saphaina, and the righteous Spark, and Faith, the First and the Last, and the upper air and the lower air, ) and 30 all the powers and the authorities that are in the world. And you, impure light, and you (sg.) also, east, and west, and south, and 35 north, you (pl.) are the zones 47 of the inhabited world. And you (fern. sg.) also Moluch­tha and Essoch, you (pl.) are the root of evil and every work and 5 impure effort of Nature."

These are the things which I completed while bearing witness. I am Shem. On the day that I was to come forth from (the) body, when my thought 10 remained in (the) body, I awoke as if from a long sleep. And when I arose as it were from the burden of my body, I said, Just as Nature became old, 15 so is it also in the day of mankind. Blessed are they who knew, when they slept, in what power their thought rested. 20

And when the Pleiades separated, I saw clouds which I shall pass by. For the cloud of the Spirit is like a pure beryl. 25 And the cloud of the hymen is like a shining emerald. And the cloud of silence is like a flourishing amaranth. And 30 the cloud of the middle region is like a pure jacinth. And when the righteous one appeared in Nature, then – when Nature 35 was angry – she felt hurt, and she granted 48 to Morphaia to visit heaven. The righteous one visits dur­ing twelve periods that he may visit them during one 5 period, in order that his time may be completed quickly, and Nature may become idle.

Blessed are they who guard themselves against the 10 heritage of death, which is the burdensome water of darkness. For it will not be possible to conquer them in a few moments, since they hasten to come forth from the error of the 15 world. And if they are conquered, they will be kept back from them and be tormented in the darkness until the time of the consummation. When the consummation 20 has come and Nature has been destroyed, then their thoughts will  separ­ate from the Darkness. Nature has burdened them for a short time. And they 25 will be in the ineffable light of the unbegotten Spirit without a form. And thus is the mind as I have said from 30 the first.

Henceforth, O Shem,  go in grace and continue in faith upon the earth. For every power of light and fire will be completed by me 49 because of you. For without you they will not be revealed until you speak them openly. When you cease to be upon the earth, they will 5 be given to the worthy ones. And apart from this proclamation, let them speak about you upon the earth, since they will take the care­free and agreeable land.

The Second Treatise of the Great Seth

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Translated by Roger A. Bullard and Joseph A. Gibbons

And the perfect Majesty is at rest in the ineffable light, in the truth of the mother of all these, and all of you that attain to me, to me alone who am perfect, because of the Word. For I exist with all the greatness of the Spirit, which is a friend to us and our kindred alike, since I brought forth a word to the glory of our Father, through his goodness, as well as an imperishable thought; that is, the Word within him - it is slavery that we shall die with Christ - and an imperishable and undefiled thought, an incomprehensible marvel, the writing of the ineffable water which is the word from us. It is I who am in you, and you are in me, just as the Father is in you in innocence.

Let us gather an assembly together. Let us visit that creation of his. Let us send someone forth in it, just as he visited (the) Ennoias, the regions below. And I said these things to the whole multitude of the multitudinous assembly of the rejoicing Majesty. The whole house of the Father of Truth rejoiced that I am the one who is from them. I produced thought about the Ennoias which came out of the undefiled Spirit, about the descent upon the water, that is, the regions below. And they all had a single mind, since it is out of one. They charged me since I was willing. I came forth to reveal the glory to my kindred and my fellow spirits.

For those who were in the world had been prepared by the will of our sister Sophia - she who is a whore - because of the innocence which has not been uttered. And she did not ask anything from the All, nor from the greatness of the Assembly, nor from the Pleroma. Since she was first, she came forth to prepare monads and places for the Son of Light and the fellow workers which she took from the elements below to build bodily dwellings from them. But, having come into being in an empty glory, they ended in destruction in the dwellings in which they were, since they were prepared by Sophia. They stand ready to receive the life-giving word of the ineffable Monad and of the greatness of the assembly of all those who persevere and those who are in me.

I visited a bodily dwelling. I cast out the one who was in it first, and I went in. And the whole multitude of the archons became troubled. And all the matter of the archons, as well as all the begotten powers of the earth, were shaken when it saw the likeness of the Image, since it was mixed. And I am the one who was in it, not resembling him who was in it first. For he was an earthly man, but I, I am from above the heavens. I did not refuse them even to become a Christ, but I did not reveal myself to them in the love which was coming forth from me. I revealed that I am a stranger to the regions below.

There was a great disturbance in the whole earthly area, with confusion and flight, as well as (in) the plan of the archons. And some were persuaded, when they saw the wonders which were being accomplished by me. And all these, with the race, that came down, flee from him who had fled from the throne to the Sophia of hope, since she had earlier given the sign concerning us and all the ones with me - those of the race of Adonaios. Others also fled, as if from the Cosmocrator and those with them, since they have brought every (kind of) punishment upon me. And there was a flight of their mind about what they would counsel concerning me, thinking that she (Sophia) is the whole greatness, and speaking false witness, moreover, against the Man and the whole greatness of the assembly.

It was not possible for them to know who the Father of Truth, the Man of the Greatness, is. But they who received the name because of contact with ignorance - which (is) a burning and a vessel - having created it to destroy Adam, whom they had made, in order to cover up those who are theirs in the same way. But they, the archons, those of the place of Yaldabaoth, reveal the realm of the angels, which humanity was seeking in order that they may not know the Man of Truth. For Adam, whom they had formed, appeared to them. And a fearful motion came about throughout their entire dwelling, lest the angels surrounding them rebel. For without those who were offering praise - I did not really die lest their archangel become empty.

And then a voice - of the Cosmocrator - came to the angels: "I am God and there is no other beside me." But I laughed joyfully when I examined his empty glory. But he went on to say, "Who is man?" And the entire host of his angels, who had seen Adam and his dwelling, were laughing at his smallness. And thus did their Ennoia come to be removed outside the Majesty of the heavens, i.e.,the Man of Truth, whose name they saw since he is in a small dwelling place, since they are small (and) senseless in their empty Ennoia, namely their laughter. It was contagion for them.

The whole greatness of the Fatherhood of the Spirit was at rest in his places. And I am he who was with him, since I have an Ennoia of a single emanation from the eternal ones and the undefiled and immeasurable incomprehensibilities. I placed the small Ennoia in the world, having disturbed them and frightened the whole multitude of the angels and their ruler. And I was visiting them all with fire and flame because of my Ennoia. And everything pertaining to them was brought about because of me. And there came about a disturbance and a fight around the Seraphim and Cherubim, since their glory will fade, and the confusion around Adonaios on both sides and their dwelling - to the Cosmocrator and him who said, "Let us seize him''; others again, "The plan will certainly not materialize.''

For Adonaios knows me because of hope. And I was in the mouths of lions. And the plan which they devised about me to release their Error and their senselessness - I did not succumb to them as they had planned. But I was not afflicted at all. Those who were there punished me. And I did not die in reality but in appearance, lest I be put to shame by them because these are my kinsfolk. I removed the shame from me and I did not become fainthearted in the face of what happened to me at their hands. I was about to succumb to fear, and I <suffered> according to their sight and thought, in order that they may never find any word to speak about them. For my death, which they think happened, (happened) to them in their error and blindness, since they nailed their man unto their death. For their Ennoias did not see me, for they were deaf and blind. But in doing these things, they condemn themselves. Yes, they saw me; they punished me. It was another, their father, who drank the gall and the vinegar; it was not I. They struck me with the reed; it was another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder. I was another upon Whom they placed the crown of thorns. But I was rejoicing in the height over all the wealth of the archons and the offspring of their error, of their empty glory. And I was laughing at their ignorance.

And I subjected all their powers. For as I came downward, no one saw me. For I was altering my shapes, changing from form to form. And therefore, when I was at their gates, I assumed their likeness. For I passed them by quietly, and I was viewing the places, and I was not afraid nor ashamed, for I was undefiled. And I was speaking with them, mingling with them through those who are mine, and trampling on those who are harsh to them with zeal, and quenching the flame. And I was doing all these things because of my desire to accomplish what I desired by the will of the Father above.

And the Son of the Majesty, who was hidden in the regions below, we brought to the height where I <was> in all these aeons with them, which (height) no one has seen nor known, where the wedding of the wedding robe is, the new one and not the old, nor does it perish. For it is a new and perfect bridal chamber of the heavens, as I have revealed (that) there are three ways: an undefiled mystery in a spirit of this aeon, which does not perish, nor is it fragmentary, nor able to be spoken of; rather, it is undivided, universal, and permanent. For the soul, the one from the height, will not speak about the error which is here, nor transfer from these aeons, since it will be transferred when it becomes free and when it is endowed with nobility in the world, standing before the Father without weariness and fear, always mixed with the Nous of power (and) of form. They will see me from every side without hatred. For since they see me, they are being seen (and) are mixed with them. Since they did not put me to shame, they were not put to shame. Since they were not afraid before me, they will pass by every gate without fear and will be perfected in the third glory.

It was my going to the revealed height which the world did not accept, my third baptism in a revealed image. When they had fled from the fire of the seven Authorities, and the sun of the powers of the archons set, darkness took them. And the world became poor when he was restrained with a multitude of fetters. They nailed him to the tree, and they fixed him with four nails of brass. The veil of his temple he tore with his hands. It was a trembling which seized the chaos of the earth, for the souls which were in the sleep below were released. And they arose. They went about boldly, having shed zealous service of ignorance and unlearnedness beside the dead tombs, having put on the new man, since they have come to know that perfect Blessed One of the eternal and incomprehensible Father and the infinite light, which is I, since I came to my own and united them with myself. There is no need for many words, for our Ennoia was with their Ennoia. Therefore they knew what I speak of, for we took counsel about the destruction of the archons. And therefore I did the will of the Father, who is I.

After we went forth from our home, and came down to this world, and came into being in the world in bodies, we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who are ignorant, but also by those who think that they are advancing the name of Christ, since they were unknowingly empty, not knowing who they are, like dumb animals. They persecuted those who have been liberated by me, since they hate them - those who, should they shut their mouth, would weep with a profitless groaning because they did not fully know me. lnstead, they served two masters, even a multitude. But you will become victorious in everything, in war and battles, jealous division and wrath. But in the uprightness of our love we are innocent, pure, (and) good, since we have a mind of the Father in an ineffable mystery.

For it was ludicrous. It is I who bear witness that it was ludicrous, since the archons do not know that it is an ineffable union of undefiled truth, as exists among the sons of light, of which they made an imitation, having proclaimed a doctrine of a dead man and lies so as to resemble the freedom and purity of the perfect assembly, (and) <joining> themselves with their doctrine to fear and slavery, worldly cares, and abandoned worship, being small (and) ignorant, since they do not contain the nobility of the truth, for they hate the one in whom they are, and love the one in whom they are not. For they did not know the Knowledge of the Greatness, that it is from above and (from) a fountain of truth, and that it is not from slavery and jealousy, fear and love of worldly matter. For that which is not theirs and that which is theirs they use fearlessly and freely. They do not desire, because they have authority, and a law from themselves over whatever they will wish.

But those who have not are poor, that is, those who do not possess him. And they desire him and lead astray those, who through them have become like those who possess the truth of their freedom, just as they bought us for servitude and constraint of care and fear. This person is in slavery. And he who is brought by constraint of force and threat has been guarded by God. But the entire nobility of the Fatherhood is not guarded, since he guards only him who is from him, without word and constraint, since he is united with his will, he who belongs only to the Ennoia of the Fatherhood, to make it Perfect and ineffable through the living water, to be with you mutually in wisdom, not only in word of hearing but in deed and fulfilled word. For the perfect ones are worthy to be established in this way and to be united with me, in order that they may not share in any enmity, in a good friendship. I accomplish everything through the Good One, for this is the union of the truth, that they should have no adversary. But everyone who brings division - and he will learn no wisdom at all because he brings division and is not a friend - is hostile to them all. But he who lives in harmony and friendship of brotherly love, naturally and not artificially, completely and not partially, this person is truly the desire of the Father. He is the universal one and perfect love.

For Adam was a laughingstock, since he was made a counterfeit type of man by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. We are innocent with respect to him, since we have not sinned. And Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were a laughingstock, since they, the counterfeit fathers, were given a name by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. We are innocent with respect to him, since we have not sinned. David was a laughingstock in that his son was named the Son of Man, having been influenced by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and the fellow members of my race. But we are innocent with respect to him; we have not sinned. Solomon was a laughingstock, since he thought that he was Christ, having become vain through the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. But we are innocent with respect to him. I have not sinned. The 12 prophets were laughingstocks, since they have come forth as imitations of the true prophets. They came into being as counterfeits through the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. But we are innocent with respect to him, since we have not sinned. Moses, a faithful servant, was a laughingstock, having been named "the Friend," since they perversely bore witness concerning him who never knew me. Neither he nor those before him, from Adam to Moses and John the Baptist, none of them knew me nor my brothers.

For they had a doctrine of angels to observe dietary laws and bitter slavery, since they never knew truth, nor will they know it. For there is a great deception upon their soul, making it impossible for them ever to find a Nous of freedom in order to know him, until they come to know the Son of Man. Now concerning my Father, I am he whom the world did not know, and because of this, it (the world) rose up against me and my brothers. But we are innocent with respect to him; we have not sinned.

For the Archon was a laughingstock because he said, "I am God, and there is none greater than I. I alone am the Father, the Lord, and there is no other beside me. I am a jealous God, who brings the sins of the fathers upon the children for three and four generations." As if he had become stronger than I and my brothers! But we are innocent with respect to him, in that we have not sinned, since we mastered his teaching. Thus he was in an empty glory. And he does not agree with our Father. And thus through our fellowship we grasped his teaching, since he was vain in an empty glory. And he does not agree with our Father, for he was a laughingstock and judgment and false prophecy.

O those who do not see, you do not see your blindness, i.e., this which was not known, nor has it ever been known, nor has it been known about him. They did not listen to firm obedience. Therefore they proceeded in a judgment of error, and they raised their defiled and murderous hands against him, as if they were beating the air. And the senseless and blind ones are always senseless, always being slaves of law and earthly fear.

I am Christ, the Son of Man, the one from you who is among you. I am despised for your sake, in order that you yourselves may forget the difference. And do not become female, lest you give birth to evil and (its) brothers: jealousy and division, anger and wrath, fear and a divided heart, and empty, non-existent desire. But I am an ineffable mystery to you.

Then before the foundation of the world, when the whole multitude of the Assembly came together upon the places of the Ogdoad, when they had taken counsel about a spiritual wedding which is in union, and thus he was perfected in the ineffable places by a living word, the undefiled wedding was consummated through the Mesotes of Jesus, who inhabits them all and possesses them, who abides in an undivided love of power. And surrounding him, he appears to him as a Monad of all these, a thought and a father, since he is one. And he stands by them all, since he as a whole came forth alone. And he is life, since he came from the Father of ineffable and perfect Truth, (the father) of those who are there, the union of Peace and a friend of good things, and life eternal and undefiled joy, in a great harmony of life and faith, through eternal life of fatherhood and motherhood and sisterhood and rational wisdom. They had agreed with Nous, who stretches out (and) will stretch out in joyful union and is trustworthy and faithfully listens to someone. And he is in fatherhood and motherhood and rational brotherhood and wisdom. And this is a wedding of truth, and a repose of incorruption, in a spirit of truth, in every mind, and a perfect light in an unnameable mystery. But this is not, nor will it happen among us in any region or place in division and breach of peace, but (in) union and a mixture of love, all of which are perfected in the one who is.

It also happened in the places under heaven for their reconciliation. Those who knew me in salvation and undividedness, and those who existed for the glory of the father and the truth, having been separated, blended into the one through the living word. And I am in the spirit and the truth of the motherhood, just as he has been there; I was among those who are united in the friendship of friends forever, who neither know hostility at all, nor evil, but who are united by my Knowledge in word and peace which exists in perfection with everyone and in them all. And those who assumed the form of my type will assume the form of my word. Indeed, these will come forth in light forever, and (in) friendship with each other in the spirit, since they have known in every respect (and) indivisibly that what is, is One. And all of these are one. And thus they will learn about the One, as (did) the Assembly and those dwelling in it. For the father of all these exists, being immeasurable (and) immutable: Nous and Word and Division and Envy and Fire. And he is entirely one, being the All with them all in a single doctrine, because all these are from a single spirit. O unseeing ones, why did you not know the mystery rightly?

But the archons around Yaldabaoth were disobedient because of the Ennoia who went down to him from her sister Sophia. They made for themselves a union with those who were with them in a mixture of a fiery cloud, which was their Envy, and the rest who were brought forth by their creatures, as if they had bruised the noble pleasure of the Assembly. And therefore they revealed a mixture of ignorance in a counterfeit of fire and earth and a murderer, since they are small and untaught, without knowledge having dared these things, and not having understood that light has fellowship with light, and darkness with darkness, and the corruptible with the perishable, and the imperishable with the incorruptible.

Now these things I have presented to you - I am Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, who is exalted above the heavens - O perfect and incorruptible ones, because of the incorruptible and perfect mystery and the ineffable one. But they think that we decreed them before the foundation of the world, in order that, when we emerge from the places of the world, we may present there the symbols of incorruption from the spiritual union unto knowledge. You do not know it, because the fleshly cloud overshadows you. But I alone am the friend of Sophia. I have been in the bosom of the father from the beginning, in the place of the sons of the truth, and the Greatness. Rest then with me, my fellow spirits and my brothers, forever.

The Apocalypse of Peter

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Translated by James Brashler and Roger A. Bullard

As the Savior was sitting in the temple in the three hundredth (year) of the covenant and the agreement of the tenth pillar, and being satisfied with the number of the living, incorruptible Majesty, he said to me, "Peter, blessed are those above belonging to the Father, who revealed life to those who are from the life, through me, since I reminded they who are built on what is strong, that they may hear my word, and distinguish words of unrighteousness and transgression of law from righteousness, as being from the height of every word of this Pleroma of truth, having been enlightened in good pleasure by him whom the principalities sought. But they did not find him, nor was he mentioned among any generation of the prophets. He has now appeared among these, in him who appeared, who is the Son of Man, who is exalted above the heavens in a fear of men of like essence. But you yourself, Peter, become perfect in accordance with your name with myself, the one who chose you, because from you I have established a base for the remnant whom I have summoned to knowledge. Therefore be strong until the imitation of righteousness - of him who had summoned you, having summoned you to know him in a way which is worth doing because of the rejection which happened to him, and the sinews of his hands and his feet, and the crowning by those of the middle region, and the body of his radiance which they bring in hope of service because of a reward of honor - as he was about to reprove you three times in this night."

And as he was saying these things, I saw the priests and the people running up to us with stones, as if they would kill us; and I was afraid that we were going to die.

And he said to me, "Peter, I have told you many times that they are blind ones who have no guide. If you want to know their blindness, put your hands upon (your) eyes - your robe - and say what you see."

But when I had done it, I did not see anything. I said "No one sees (this way)."

Again he told me, "Do it again."

And there came in me fear with joy, for I saw a new light greater than the light of day. Then it came down upon the Savior. And I told him about those things which I saw.

And he said to me again, "Lift up your hands and listen to what the priests and the people are saying."

And I listened to the priests as they sat with the scribes. The multitudes were shouting with their voice.

When he heard these things from me he said to me, "Prick up your ears and listen to the things they are saying."

And I listened again, "As you sit, they are praising you".

And when I said these things, the Savior said, "I have told you that these (people) are blind and deaf. Now then, listen to the things which they are telling you in a mystery, and guard them, Do not tell them to the sons of this age. For they shall blaspheme you in these ages since they are ignorant of you, but they will praise you in knowledge."

"For many will accept our teaching in the beginning. And they will turn from them again by the will of the Father of their error, because they have done what he wanted. And he will reveal them in his judgment, i.e., the servants of the Word. But those who became mingled with these shall become their prisoners, since they are without perception. And the guileless, good, pure one they push to the worker of death, and to the kingdom of those who praise Christ in a restoration. And they praise the men of the propagation of falsehood, those who will come after you. And they will cleave to the name of a dead man, thinking that they will become pure. But they will become greatly defiled and they will fall into a name of error, and into the hand of an evil, cunning man and a manifold dogma, and they will be ruled without law."

"For some of them will blaspheme the truth and proclaim evil teaching. And they will say evil things against each other. Some will be named: (those) who stand in (the) strength of the archons, of a man and a naked woman who is manifold and subject to much suffering. And those who say these things will ask about dreams. And if they say that a dream came from a demon worthy of their error, then they shall be given perdition instead of incorruption."

"For evil cannot produce good fruit. For the place from which each of them is produces that which is like itself; for not every soul is of the truth, nor of immortality. For every soul of these ages has death assigned to it in our view, because it is always a slave, since it is created for its desires and their eternal destruction, in which they are and from which they are. They love the creatures of the matter which came forth with them."

"But the immortal souls are not like these, O Peter. But indeed, as long as the hour is not yet come, it (the immortal soul) shall resemble a mortal one. But it shall not reveal its nature, that it alone is the immortal one, and thinks about immortality, having faith, and desiring to renounce these things."

"For people do not gather figs from thorns or from thorn trees, if they are wise, nor grapes from thistles. For, on the one hand, that which is always becoming is in that from which it is, being from what is not good, which becomes destruction for it and death. But that which comes to be in the Eternal One is in the One of the life and the immortality of the life which they resemble."

"Therefore all that which exists not will dissolve into what exists not. For deaf and blind ones join only with their own kind."

"But others shall change from evil words and misleading mysteries. Some who do not understand mystery speak of things which they do not understand, but they will boast that the mystery of the truth is theirs alone. And in haughtiness they shall grasp at pride, to envy the immortal soul which has become a pledge. For every authority, rule, and power of the aeons wishes to be with these in the creation of the world, in order that those who are not, having been forgotten by those that are, may praise them, though they have not been saved, nor have they been brought to the Way by them, always wishing that they may become imperishable ones. For if the immortal soul receives power in an intellectual spirit -. But immediately they join with one of those who misled them."

"But many others, who oppose the truth and are the messengers of error, will set up their error and their law against these pure thoughts of mine, as looking out from one (perspective) thinking that good and evil are from one (source). They do business in my word. And they will propagate harsh fate. The race of immortal souls will go in it in vain, until my Parousia. For they shall come out of them - and my forgiveness of their transgressions, into which they fell through their adversaries, whose ransom I got from the slavery in which they were, to give them freedom that they may create an imitation remnant in the name of a dead man, who is Hermas, of the first-born of unrighteousness, in order that the light which exists may not believed by the little ones. But those of this sort are the workers who will be cast into the outer darkness, away from the sons of light. For neither will they enter, nor do they permit those who are going up to their approval for their release."

"And still others of them who suffer think that they will perfect the wisdom of the brotherhood which really exists, which is the spiritual fellowship of those united in communion, through which the wedding of incorruptibility shall be revealed. The kindred race of the sisterhood will appear as an imitation. These are the ones who oppress their brothers, saying to them, "Through this our God has pity, since salvation comes to us through this," not knowing the punishment of those who are made glad by those who have done this thing to the little ones whom they saw, (and) whom they took prisoner."

"And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishop and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God. They bend themselves under the judgment of the leaders. Those people are dry canals."

But I said " I am afraid because of what you have told me, that indeed little (ones) are, in our view, the counterfeit ones, indeed, that there are multitudes that will mislead other multitudes of living ones, and destroy them among themselves. And when they speak your name they will be believed."

The Savior said, "For a time determined for them in proportion to their error they will rule over the little ones. And after the completion of the error, the never-aging one of the immortal understanding shall become young, and they (the little ones) shall rule over those who are their rulers. The root of their error he shall pluck out, and he shall put it to shame so that it shall be manifest in all the impudence which it has assumed to itself. And such ones shall become unchangeable, O Peter."

"Come therefore, let us go on with the completion of the will of the incorruptible Father. For behold, those who will bring them judgment are coming, and they will put them to shame. But me they cannot touch. And you, O Peter, shall stand in their midst. Do not be afraid because of your cowardice. Their minds shall be closed, for the invisible one has opposed them."

When he had said those things, I saw him seemingly being seized by them. And I said "What do I see, O Lord? That it is you yourself whom they take, and that you are grasping me? Or who is this one, glad and laughing on the tree? And is it another one whose feet and hands they are striking?"

The Savior said to me, "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."

But I, when I had looked, said "Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place."

But he said to me, "I have told you, 'Leave the blind alone!'. And you, see how they do not know what they are saying. For the son of their glory instead of my servant, they have put to shame."

And I saw someone about to approach us resembling him, even him who was laughing on the tree. And he was <filled> with a Holy Spirit, and he is the Savior. And there was a great, ineffable light around them, and the multitude of ineffable and invisible angels blessing them. And when I looked at him, the one who gives praise was revealed.

And he said to me, "Be strong, for you are the one to whom these mysteries have been given, to know them through revelation, that he whom they crucified is the first-born, and the home of demons, and the stony vessel in which they dwell, of Elohim, of the cross, which is under the Law. But he who stands near him is the living Savior, the first in him, whom they seized and released, who stands joyfully looking at those who did him violence, while they are divided among themselves. Therefore he laughs at their lack of perception, knowing that they are born blind. So then the one susceptible to suffering shall come, since the body is the substitute. But what they released was my incorporeal body. But I am the intellectual Spirit filled with radiant light. He whom you saw coming to me is our intellectual Pleroma, which unites the perfect light with my Holy Spirit."

"These things, then, which you saw you shall present to those of another race who are not of this age. For there will be no honor in any man who is not immortal, but only (in) those who were chosen from an immortal substance, which has shown that it is able to contain him who gives his abundance. Therefore I said, 'Every one who has, it will be given to him, and he will have plenty.' But he who does not have, that is, the man of this place, who is completely dead, who is removed from the planting of the creation of what is begotten, whom, if one of the immortal essence appears, they think that they possess him - it will be taken from him and be added to the one who is. You, therefore, be courageous and do not fear at all. For I shall be with you in order that none of your enemies may prevail unto you. Peace be to you, Be strong!"

When he (Jesus) had said these things, he (Peter) came to himself.

The Teachings of Silvanus

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Translated by Malcolm L. Peel and Jan Zandee

Abolish every childish time of life, acquire for yourself strength of mind and soul, and intensify the struggle against every folly of the passions of love and base wickedness, and love of praise, and fondness of contention, and tiresome jealousy and wrath, and anger and the desire of avarice. Guard your (pl.) camp and weapons and spears. Arm yourself and all the soldiers, which are the words, and the commanders, which are the counsels, and your mind as a guiding principle.

My son, throw every robber out of your gates. Guard all your gates with torches, which are the words, and you will acquire through all these things a quiet life. But he who will not guard these things will become like a city which is desolate, since it has been captured. All kinds of wild beasts have trampled upon it, for thoughts which are not good are evil wild beasts. And your city will be filled with robbers, and you will not be able to acquire peace, but only all kinds of savage wild beasts. The Wicked One, who is a tyrant, is lord over these. While directing this, he (the Wicked One) is beneath the great mire. The whole city, which is your soul, will perish.

Remove yourself from these things, O wretched soul! Bring your guide and your teacher. The mind is the guide, but reason is the teacher. They will bring you out of destruction and dangers.

Listen, my son, to my advice! Do not show your back to enemies and flee, but rather, pursue them as a strong one. Be not an animal, with men pursuing you; but rather, be a man, with you pursuing the evil wild beasts, lest somehow they become victorious over you and trample upon you as on a dead man, and you perish due to their wickedness.

Oh wretched man, what will you do if you fall into their hands? Protect yourself, lest you be delivered into the hands of your enemies. Entrust yourself to this pair of friends, reason and mind, and no one will be victorious over you. May God dwell in your camp, may his Spirit protect your gates, and may the mind of Divinity protect the walls. Let holy reason become a torch in your mind, burning the wood which is the whole of sin.

And if you do these things, O my son, you will be victorious over all your enemies, and they will not be able to wage war against you, neither will they be able to resist, nor will they be able to get in your way. For if you find these, you will despise them as deniers of truth. They will speak to you, cajoling you and enticing (you), not because they are afraid of you, but because they are afraid of those who dwell within you, namely, the guardians of the divinity and the teaching.

My son, accept the education and the teaching. Do not flee from the education and the teaching, but when you are taught, accept (it) with joy. And if you are educated in any matter, do what is good. You will plait a crown of education by your guiding principle. Put on the holy teaching like a robe. Make yourself noble-minded through good conduct. Obtain the austerity of good discipline. Judge yourself like a wise judge. Do not go astray from my teaching, and do not acquire ignorance, lest you lead your people astray. Do not flee from the divine and the teaching which are within you, for he who is teaching you loves you very much. For he shall bequeath to you a worthy austerity. Cast out the animal nature which is within you, and do not allow base thought to enter you. For ... you know the way which I teach.

If it is good to rule over the few, as you see it, how much better it is that you rule over everyone, since you are exalted above every congregation and every people, (are) prominent in every respect, and (are) a divine reason, having become master over every power which kills the soul.

My son, does anyone want to be a slave? Why, then, do you trouble yourself wrongly?

My son, do not fear anyone except God alone, the Exalted One. Cast the deceitfulness of the Devil from you. Accept the light for your eyes, and cast the darkness from you. Live in Christ, and you will acquire a treasure in heaven. Do not become a sausage (made) of many things which are useless, and do not become a guide in your blind ignorance.

My son, listen to my teaching, which is good and useful, and end the sleep which weighs heavily upon you. Depart from the forgetfulness which fills you with darkness, since if you were unable to do anything, I would not have said these things to you. But Christ has come in order to give you this gift. Why do you pursue the darkness when the light is at your disposal? Why do you drink stale water, though sweet wine is available for you? Wisdom summons you, yet you desire folly. Not by your own desire do you do these things, but it is the animal nature within you that does them.

Wisdom summons you in her goodness, saying, "Come to Me, all of you, O foolish ones, that you may receive a gift, the understanding which is good and excellent. I am giving to you a high-priestly garment which is woven from every (kind of) wisdom." What else is evil death except ignorance? What else is evil darkness except familiarity with forgetfulness? Cast your anxiety upon God alone. Do not become desirous of gold and silver, which are profitless, but clothe yourself with wisdom like a robe; put knowledge on yourself like a crown, and be seated upon a throne of perception. For these are yours, and you will receive them again on high another time.

For a foolish man usually puts on folly like a robe, and like a garment of sorrow, he puts on shame. And he crowns himself with ignorance, and takes his seat upon a throne of nescience. For while he is without reason, he leads only himself astray, for he is guided by ignorance. And he goes the ways of the desire of every passion. He swims in the desires of life and has sunk. To be sure, he thinks that he finds profit when he does all the things which are without profit. The wretched man who goes through all these things will die, because he does not have the mind, the helmsman. But he is like a ship which the wind tosses to and fro, and like a loose horse which has no rider. For this (man) needed the rider, which is reason. For the wretched one went astray because he did not want advice. He was thrown to and fro by these three misfortunes: he acquired death as a father, ignorance as a mother, and evil counsels - he acquired them as friends and brothers. Therefore, foolish one, you should mourn for yourself.

From now on, then, my son, return to your divine nature. Cast from you these evil, deceiving friends! Accept Christ, this true friend, as a good teacher. Cast from you death, which has become a father to you. For death did not exist, nor will it exist at the end.

But since you cast from yourself God, the holy Father, the true Life, the Spring of Life, therefore you have obtained death as a father and have acquired ignorance as a mother. They have robbed you of the true knowledge.

But return, my son, to your first father, God, and Wisdom, your Mother, from whom you came into being from the very first in order that you might fight against all of your enemies, the Powers of the Adversary.

Listen, my son, to my advice. Do not be arrogant in opposition to every good opinion, but take for yourself the side of the divinity of reason. Keep the holy commandments of Jesus Christ, and you will reign over every place on earth, and will be honored by the angels and archangels. Then you will acquire them as friends and fellow servants, and you will acquire places in heaven above.

Do not bring grief and trouble to the divine which is within you. But when you will care for it, will request of it that you remain pure, and will become self-controlled in your soul and body, you will become a throne of wisdom, and one belonging to God's household. He will give you a great light through it (wisdom).

But before everything (else), know your birth. Know yourself, that is, from what substance you are, or from what race, or from what species. Understand that you have come into being from three races: from the earth, from the formed, and from the created. The body has come into being from the earth with an earthly substance, but the formed, for the sake of the soul, has come into being from the thought of the Divine. The created, however, is the mind, which has come into being in conformity with the image of God. The divine mind has substance from the Divine, but the soul is that which he (God) formed for their own hearts. For I think that it (the soul) exists as wife of that which has come into being in conformity with the image, but matter is the substance of the body, which has come into being from the earth.

If you mix yourself, you will acquire the three parts as you fall from virtue into inferiority. Live according to the Mind. Do not think about things pertaining to the flesh. Acquire strength, for the mind is strong. If you fall from this other, you have become male-female. And if you cast out of yourself the substance of the mind, which is thought, you have cut off the male part, and turned yourself to the female part alone. You have become psychic, since you have received the substance of the formed. If you cast out the smallest part of this, so that you do not acquire again a human part - but you have accepted for yourself the animal thought and likeness - you have become fleshly, since you have taken on animal nature. For (if) it is difficult to find a psychical man, how much more so to find the Lord?

But I say that God is the spiritual one. Man has taken shape from the substance of God. The divine soul shares partly in this one; furthermore, it shares partly in the flesh. The base soul is wont to turn from side to side, [...] which it images the truth.

It is good for you, O man, to turn yourself toward the human, rather than toward the animal nature - I mean toward the fleshly. You will take on the likeness of the part toward which you will turn yourself.

I shall say something further to you. Again, for what will you (masc. sg.) be zealous? Did you (fem. sg.) wish to become animal when you had come into this kind of nature? But rather, share in a true nature of life. To be sure, animality will guide you into the race of the earth, but the rational nature will guide you in rational ways. Turn toward the rational nature, and cast from yourself the earth-begotten nature.

O soul, persistent one, be sober and shake off your drunkenness, which is the work of ignorance. If you persist and live in the body, you dwell in rusticity. When you entered into a bodily birth, you were begotten. Come into being inside the bridal chamber! Be illuminated in mind!

My son, do not swim in any water, and do not allow yourself to be defiled by strange kinds of knowledge. Certainly you know that the schemes of the Adversary are not few, and (that) the tricks which he has are varied? Especially has the noetic man been robbed of the intelligence of the snake. For it is fitting for you to be in agreement with the intelligence of (these) two: with the intelligence of the snake and with the innocence of the dove - lest he (the Adversary) come into you in the guise of a flatterer, as a true friend, saying, "I advise good things for you."

But you did not recognize the deceitfulness of this one when you received him as a true friend. For he casts into your heart evil thoughts as good ones, and hypocrisy in the guise of true wisdom, avidity in the guise of conservative frugality, love of glory in the guise of that which is beautiful, boastfulness and pride in the guise of great austerity, and godlessness as great godliness. For he who says, "I have many gods," is godless. And he casts spurious knowledge into your heart in the guise of mysterious words. Who will be able to comprehend his thoughts and devices, which are varied, since he is a Great Mind for those who wish to accept him as king?

My son, how will you be able to comprehend the schemes of this one, or his soul-killing counsel? For his devices, and the schemes of his wickedness, are many. And think about his entrances, that is, how he will enter your soul, and in what garment he will enter you.

Accept Christ, who is able to set you free, and who has taken on the devices of that one, so that through these he might destroy him by deceit. For this is the king whom you have who is forever invincible, against whom no one will be able to fight nor say a word. This is your king and your father, for there is no one like him. The divine teacher is with you always. He is a helper, and he meets you because of the good which is in you.

Do not put maliciousness in your judgment, for every malicious man harms his heart. For only a foolish man is wont to his destruction, but a wise man knows his way.

And a foolish man does not guard against speaking (a) mystery: A wise man (however) does not blurt out every word, but he will be discriminating toward those who hear. Do not mention everything in the presence of those whom you do not know.

Have a great number of friends, but not counselors. First, examine your counselor, for do not honor anyone who flatters. Their word, to be sure, is sweet as honey, but their heart is full of hellebore. For whenever they think that they have become a reliable friend, then they will deceitfully turn against you, and they will cast you down into the mire.

Do not trust anyone as a friend, for this whole world has come into being deceitfully, and every man is troubled in vain. All things of the world are not profitable, but they happen in vain. There is no one, not even a brother (who is trustworthy), since each one is seeking his own advantage.

My son, do not have anyone as a friend, but if you do acquire one, do not entrust yourself to him. Entrust yourself to God alone as father and as friend. For everyone proceeds deceitfully, while the whole earth is full of suffering and pain - things in which there is no profit. If you wish to pass your life in quiet, do not keep company with anyone. And if you do keep company with them, be as if you do not. Be pleasing to God, and you will not need anyone.

Live with Christ and he will save you. For he is the true light and the sun of life. For just as the sun which is visible and makes light for the eyes of the flesh, so Christ illuminates every mind and the heart. For (if) a wicked man (who is) in the body (has) an evil death, how much more so (does) he who has his mind blind. For every blind man goes along in such a way that he is seen just as one who does not have his mind sane. He does not delight in acquiring the light of Christ, which is reason.

For everything which is visible is a copy of that which is hidden. For as a fire which burns in a place without being confined to it, so it is with the sun which is in the sky, all of whose rays extend to places on the earth. Similarly, Christ has a single being, and he gives light to every place. This is also the way in which he speaks of our mind, as if it were a lamp which burns and lights up the place. (Being) in a part of the soul, it gives light to all the parts.

Furthermore, I shall speak of what is more exalted than this: the mind, with respect to actual being, is in a place, which means it is in the body; but with respect to thought, the mind is not in a place. For how can it be in a place, when it contemplates every place?

But we are able to mention what is more exalted than this: for do not think in your heart that God exists in a place. If you localize the Lord of all in a place, then it is fitting for you to say that the place is more exalted than he who dwells in it. For that which contains is more exalted than that which is contained. For there is no place which is called incorporeal. For it is not right for us to say that God is corporeal. For the consequence (would be) that we (must) attribute both increase and decrease to the corporeal, but also that he (God) who is subject to these will not remain imperishable.

Now, it is not difficult to know the Creator of all creatures, but it is impossible to comprehend the likeness of this One. For it is difficult not only for men to comprehend God, but it is (also) difficult for every divine being, (both) the angels and the archangels. It is necessary to know God as he is. You cannot know God through anyone except Christ, who has the image of the Father, for this image reveals the true likeness in correspondence to that which is revealed. A king is not usually known apart from an image.

Consider these things about God: he is in every place; on the other hand, he is in no place. With respect to power, to be sure, he is in every place; but with respect to divinity, he is in no place. So then, it is possible to know God a little. With respect to his power, he fills every place, but in the exaltation of his divinity, nothing contains him. Everything is in God, but God is not in anything.

Now what is it to know God? God is all which is in the truth. But it is as impossible to look at Christ as at the sun. God sees everyone; no one looks at him. But Christ, without being jealous, receives and gives. He is the Light of the Father, as he gives light without being jealous. In this manner he gives light to every place.

And all is Christ, he who has inherited all from the Existent One. For Christ is the idea of incorruptibility, and he is the Light which is shining undefiled. For the sun (shines) on every impure place, and yet it is not defiled. So it is with Christ: even if he is in the deficiency, yet he is without deficiency. And even if he has been begotten, he is (still) unbegotten. So it is with Christ: if, on the one hand, he is comprehensible, on the other, he is incomprehensible with respect to his actual being. Christ is all. He who does not possess all is unable to know Christ.

My son, do not dare to say a word about this One, and do not confine the God of all to mental images. For he who condemns may not be condemned by the one who condemns. Indeed, it is good to ask and to know who God is. Reason and mind are male names. Indeed, let him who wishes to know about this One, quietly and reverently ask. For there is no small danger in speaking about these things, since you know that you will be judged on the basis of everything that you say.

And understand by this that he who is in darkness will not be able to see anything unless he receives the light and recovers (his) sight by means of it. Examine yourself (to see) whether you wholly have the light, so that, if you ask about these things, you may understand how you will escape. For many are seeking in darkness, and they grope about, wishing to understand, since there is no light for them.

My son, do not allow your mind to stare downward, but rather, let it look by means of the light at things above. For the light will always come from above. Even if it (the mind) is upon the earth, let it seek to pursue the things above. Enlighten your mind with the light of heaven, so that you may turn to the light of heaven.

Do not tire of knocking on the door of reason, and do not cease walking in the way of Christ. Walk in it so that you may receive rest from your labors. If you walk in another way, there will be no profit in it. For also those who walk in the broad way will go down at their end to the perdition of the mire. For the Underworld is open wide for the soul, and the place of perdition is broad. Accept Christ, the narrow way. For he is oppressed and bears affliction for your sin.

O soul, persistent one, in what ignorance you exist! For who is your guide into the darkness? How many likenesses did Christ take on because of you! Although he was God, he was found among men as a man. He descended to the Underworld. He released the children of death. They were in travail, as the scripture of God has said. And he sealed up the (very) heart of it (the Underworld). And he broke its (the Underworld's) strong bows completely. And when all the powers had seen him, they fled, so that he might bring you, wretched one, up from the Abyss, and might die for you as a ransom for your sin. He saved you from the strong hand of the Underworld.

But you, yourself, difficult (though it be) give to him your fundamental assent with (even so much as) a hint that he may take you up with joy! Now the fundamental choice, which is humility of heart, is the gift of Christ. A contrite heart is the acceptable sacrifice. If you humble yourself, you will be greatly exalted; and if you exalt yourself, you will be exceedingly humbled.

My son, guard yourself against wickedness, and do not let the Spirit of Wickedness cast you down into the Abyss. For he is mad and bitter. He is terrifying, and he casts everyone down into a pit of mire.

It is a great and good thing not to love fornication, and not even to think of the wretched matter at all, for to think of it is death. It is not good for any man to fall into death. For a soul which has been found in death will be without reason. For it is better not to live than to acquire an animal's life. Protect yourself, lest you are burned by the fires of fornication. For many who are submerged in fire are its servants, whom you do not know as your enemies.

O my son, strip off the old garment of fornication, and put on the garment which is clean and shining, that you may be beautiful in it. But when you have this garment, protect it well. Release yourself from every bond, so that you may acquire freedom. If you cast out of yourself the desire whose devices are many, you will release yourself from the sins of lust.

Listen, O soul, to my advice. Do not become a den of foxes and snakes, nor a hole of serpents and asps, nor a dwelling place of lions, or a place of refuge of basilisk-snakes. When these things happen to you, O soul, what will you do? For these are the powers of the Adversary. Everything which is dead will come into you through them (the powers). For their food is everything which is dead, and every unclean thing. For when these are within you, what living thing will come into you? The living angels will detest you. You were a temple, (but) you have made yourself a tomb. Cease being a tomb, and become (again) a temple, so that uprightness and divinity may remain in you.

Light the light within you. Do not extinguish it! Certainly, no one lights a lamp for wild beasts or their young. Raise your dead who have died, for they lived and have died for you. Give them life. They shall live again!

For the Tree of Life is Christ. He is Wisdom. For he is Wisdom; he is also the Word. he is the Life, the Power, and the Door. He is the Light, the Angel, and the Good Shepherd. Entrust yourself to this one who became all for your sake.

Knock on yourself as upon a door, and walk upon yourself as on a straight road. For if you walk on the road, it is impossible for you to go astray. And if you knock with this one (Wisdom), you knock on hidden treasures.

For since he (Christ) is Wisdom, he makes the foolish man wise. He (Wisdom) is a holy kingdom and a shining robe. For it (Wisdom) is much gold, which gives you great honor. The Wisdom of God became a type of fool for you, so that it might take you up, O foolish one, and make you a wise man. And the Life died for you when he was powerless, so that through his death, he might give life to you who have died.

Entrust yourself to reason and remove yourself from animalism. For the animal which has no reason is made manifest. For many think that they have reason, but if you look at them attentively, their speech is animalistic.

Give yourself gladness from the true vine of Christ. Satisfy yourself with the true wine, in which there is no drunkenness nor error. For it (the true wine) marks the end of drinking, since there is usually in it what gives joy to the soul and the mind, through the Spirit of God. But first, nurture your reasoning powers before you drink of it (the true wine).

Do not pierce yourself with the sword of sin. Do not burn yourself, O wretched one, with the fire of lust. Do not surrender yourself to barbarians like a prisoner, nor to savage beasts which want to trample upon you. For they are as lions which roar very loudly. Be not dead lest they trample upon you. You shall be man! It is possible for you through reasoning to conquer them.

But the man who does nothing is unworthy of (being called) rational man. The rational man is he who fears God. He who fears God does nothing insolent. And he who guards himself against doing anything insolent is one who keeps his guiding principle. Although he is a man who exists on earth, he makes himself like God.

But he who makes himself like God is one who does nothing unworthy of God, according to the statement of Paul, who has become like Christ.

For who shows reverence for God while not wanting to do things which are pleasing to him? For piety is that which is from the heart, and piety from the heart (characterizes) every soul which is near to God.

The soul which is a member of God's household is one which is kept pure, and the soul which has put on Christ is one which is pure. It is impossible for it to sin. Now where Christ is, there sin is idle.

Let Christ alone enter your world, and let him bring to naught all powers which have come upon you. Let him enter the temple which is within you, so that he may cast out all the merchants. Let him dwell in the temple which is within you, and may you become for him a priest and a Levite, entering in purity.

Blessed are you, O soul, if you find this one in your temple.
Blessed are you still more if you perform his service.
But he who will defile the temple of God, that one God will destroy. For you lay yourself open, O man, if you cast this one out of your temple. For whenever the enemies do not see Christ in you, then they will come into you armed in order to crush you.

O my son, I have given you orders concerning these things many times so that you would always guard your soul. It is not you who will cast him (Christ) out, but he will cast you out. For if you flee from him, you will fall into great sin. Again, if you flee from him, you will become food for your enemies. For all base persons flee from their lord, and the (man) base in virtue and wisdom flees from Christ. For every man who is separated (from him) falls into the claws of wild beasts.

Know who Christ is, and acquire him as a friend, for this is the friend who is faithful. He is also God and Teacher. This one, being God, became man for your sake. It is this one who broke the iron bars of the Underworld, and the bronze bolts. It is this one who attacked and cast down every haughty tyrant. It is he who loosened from himself the chains of which he had taken hold. He brought up the poor from the Abyss and the mourners from the Underworld. It is he who humbled the haughty powers; he who put to shame haughtiness through humility; he who has cast down the strong and the boaster through weakness; he who, in his contempt, scorned that which is considered an honor, so that humility for God's sake might be highly exalted; (and) he who has put on humanity.

And yet, the divine Word is God, he who bears patiently with man always. He wished to produce humility in the exalted. He (Christ), who has exalted man became like God, not in order that he might bring God down to man, but that man might become like God.

O this great goodness of God! O Christ, King, who has revealed to men the Great Divinity, King of every virtue and King of life, King of ages and Great One of the heavens, hear my words and forgive me!

Furthermore, he manifested a great zeal for Divinity.

Where is a man (who is) wise or powerful in intelligence, or a man whose devices are many because he knows wisdom? Let him speak wisdom; let him utter great boasting! For every man has become a fool and has spoken out of his (own) knowledge. For he (Christ) confounded the counsels of guileful people, and he prevailed over those wise in their own understanding.

Who will be able to discover the counsel of the Almighty, or to speak of the Divinity, or to proclaim it correctly? If we have not even been able to understand the counsels of our companions, who will be able to comprehend the Divinity, or the divinities of the heavens? If we scarcely find things on earth, who will search for the things of heaven? A great power and great glory has made the world known.

And the Life of Heaven wishes to renew all, that he may cast out that which is weak, and every black form, that everyone may shine forth in heavenly garments in order to make manifest the command of the Father (who) is exceedingly brilliant, and that he (Christ) may crown those wishing to contend well. Christ, being judge of the contest, is he who crowned every one, teaching every one to contend. This one who contended first received the crown, gained dominion, and appeared, giving light to everyone. And all were made new through the Holy Spirit and the Mind.

O Lord Almighty, how much glory shall I give Thee? No one has been able to glorify God adequately. It is Thou who hast given glory to Thy Word in order to save everyone, O Merciful God. (It is) he who has come from Thy mouth and has risen from Thy heart, the First-born, the Wisdom, the Prototype, the First Light.

For he is light from the power of God, and he is an emanation of the pure glory of the Almighty. He is the spotless mirror of the working of God, and he is the image of his goodness. For he is also the light of the Eternal Light. He is the eye which looks at the invisible Father, always serving and forming by the Father's will. He alone was begotten by the Father's good pleasure. For he is an incomprehensible Word, and he is Wisdom and Life. He gives life to, and nourishes, all living things and powers. Just as the soul gives life to all the members, he rules all with power and gives life to them. For he is the beginning and the end of everyone, watching over all and encompassing them. He is troubled on behalf of everyone, and he rejoices and also mourns. On the one hand, he mourns for those who have gotten as their lot the place of punishment; on the other, he is troubled about every one whom he arduously brings to instruction. But he rejoices over everyone who is in purity.

Then beware, lest somehow you fall into the hands of robbers. Do not allow sleep to your eyes nor drowsiness to your eyelids, that you may be saved like a gazelle from nets, and like a bird from a trap.

Fight the great fight as long as the fight lasts, while all the powers are staring after you - not only the holy ones, but also all the powers of the Adversary. Woe to you if you are vanquished in the midst of every one who is watching you! If you fight the fight and are victorious over the powers which fight against you, you will bring great joy to every holy one, and yet great grief to your enemies. Your judge helps (you) completely, since he wants you to be victorious.

Listen, my son, and do not be slow with your ears. Raise yourself up when you have left your old man behind like an eagle. Fear God in all your acts, and glorify him through good work. You know that every man who is not pleasing to God is the son of perdition. He will go down to the Abyss of the Underworld.

O this patience of God, which bears with every one, which desires that every one who has become subject to sin be saved!

But no one prevents him (God) from doing what he wants. For who is stronger than him, that he may prevent him? To be sure, it is he who touches the earth, causing it to tremble and also causing the mountains to smoke. (It is) he who has gathered together such a great sea as in a leather bag, and has weighed all the water on his scales. Only the hand of the Lord has created all these things. For this hand of the Father is Christ, and it forms all. Through it, all has come into being, since it became the mother of all. For he is always Son of the Father.

Consider these things about God Almighty, who always exists: this One was not always King, for fear that he might be without a divine Son. For all dwell in God, (that is), the things which have come into being through the Word, who is the Son as the image of the Father.

For God is nearby; he is not far off. All divine limits are those which belong to God's household. Therefore, if the divine agrees with you partially in anything, know that all of the Divine agrees with you. But this divine is not pleased with anything evil. For it is this which teaches all men what is good. This is what God has given to the human race, so that for this reason every man might be chosen before all the angels and the archangels.

For God does not need to put any man to the test. He knows all things before they happen, and he knows the hidden things of the heart. They are all revealed and found wanting in his presence. Let no one ever say that God is ignorant. For it is not right to place the Creator of every creature in ignorance. For even things which are in darkness are before him like (things in) the light.

So, there is no other one hidden except God alone. But he is revealed to everyone, and yet he is very hidden. He is revealed because God knows all. And if they do not wish to affirm it, they will be corrected by their heart. Now he is hidden because no one perceives the things of God. For it is incomprehensible and unfathomable to know the counsel of God. Furthermore, it is difficult to comprehend him, and it is difficult to find Christ. For he is the one who dwells in every place, and also he is in no place. For no one who wants to will be able to know God as he actually is, nor Christ, nor the Spirit, nor the chorus of angels, nor even the archangels, as well as the thrones of the spirits, and the exalted lordships, and the Great Mind. If you do not know yourself, you will not be able to know all of these.

Open the door for yourself, that you may know the One who is. Knock on yourself, that the Word may open for you. For he is the Ruler of Faith and the Sharp Sword, having become all for everyone because he wishes to have mercy on everyone.

My son, prepare yourself to escape from the world-rulers of darkness and of this kind of air, which is full of powers. But if you have Christ, you will conquer this entire world. That which you open for yourself, you will open. That which you knock upon for yourself, you will knock upon, benefiting yourself.

Help yourself, my son, (by) not proceeding with things in which there is no profit.

My son, first purify yourself toward the outward life, in order that you may be able to purify the inward.

And be not as the merchants of the Word of God.

Put all words to the test before you utter them.

Do not wish to acquire honors which are insecure, nor the boastfulness which brings you to ruin.

Accept the wisdom of Christ, (who is) patient and mild, and guard this, O my son, knowing that God's way is always profitable.

The Three Steles of Seth

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Translated by James R. Robinson

The revelation of Dositheos about the three steles of Seth, the Father of the living and unshakable race, which he (Dositheos) saw and understood. And after he had read them, he remembered them. And he gave them to the elect, just as they were inscribed there. Many times I joined in giving glory with the powers, and I became worthy of the immeasurable majesties. Now they (the steles) are as follows:

The First
Stele of Seth

I bless thee, Father Geradama(s), I, as thine (own) Son, Emmacha Seth, whom thou didst beget without begetting, as a blessing of our God; for I am thine (own) Son. And thou art my mind, O my Father. And I, I sowed and begot; but thou hast seen the majesties. Thou hast stood imperishable. I bless thee, Father. Bless me, Father. It is because of thee that I exist; it is because of God that thou dost exist. Because of thee I am with that very one. Thou art light, since thou beholdest light. Thou hast revealed light. Thou art Mirotheas; thou art my Mirotheos. I bless thee as God; I bless thy divinity. Great is the good Self-begotten who stood, the God who had already stood. Thou didst come in goodness; thou hast appeared, and thou hast revealed goodness. I shall utter thy name, for thou art a first name. Thou art unbegotten. Thou hast appeared in order that thou mightest reveal the eternal ones. Thou art he who is. Therefore thou hast revealed those who really are. Thou art he who is uttered by a voice, but by mind art thou glorified, thou who hast dominion everywhere. Therefore the perceptible world too knows thee because of thee and thy seed. Thou art merciful.

And thou art from another race, and its place is over another race. And now thou art from another race, and its place is over another race. Thou art from another race, for thou art not similar. And thou art merciful, for thou art eternal. And thy place is over a race, for thou hast caused all these to increase; and for the sake of my seed. For it is thou who knows it, that its place is in begetting. But they are from other races, for they are not similar. But their place is over other races, for their place is in life. Thou art Mirotheos.

I bless his power which was given to me, who caused the malenesses that really are to become male three times; he who was divided into the pentad, the one who was given to us in triple power, the one who was begotten without begetting, the one who came from that which is elect; because of what is humble, he went forth from the midst.

Thou art a Father through a Father, a word from a command. We bless thee, Thrice Male, for thou didst unite all through them all, for thou hast empowered us. Thou hast arisen from one; from one thou hast gone forth; thou hast come to one. Thou hast saved, thou hast saved, thou hast saved us, O crown-bearer, crown-giver! We bless thee eternally. We bless thee, once we have been saved, as the perfect individuals, perfect on account of thee, those who became perfect with thee who is complete, who completes, the one perfect through all these, who is similar everywhere.

Thrice Male, thou hast stood. Thou hast already stood. Thou wast divided everywhere. Thou didst continue being one. And those whom thou hast willed, thou hast saved. But thou dost will to be saved all who are worthy.
Thou art Perfect! Thou art Perfect! Thou art Perfect!

The First
Stele of Seth

The Second Stele
of Seth

Great is the first aeon, male virginal Barbelo, the first glory of the invisible Father, she who is called "perfect".

Thou (fem.) hast seen first the one who truly pre-exists because he is non-being. And from him and through him thou hast pre-existed eternally, the non-being from one indivisible, triple power, thou a triple power, thou a great monad from a pure monad, thou an elect monad, the first shadow of the holy Father, light from light.

We bless thee, producer (fem.) of perfection, aeon-giver (fem.). Thou hast seen the eternal ones because they are from a shadow. And thou hast become numerable. And thou didst find, thou didst continue being one (fem.); yet becoming numerable in division, thou art three-fold. Thou art truly thrice, thou one (fem.) of the one (masc.). And thou art from a shadow of him, thou a Hidden One, thou a world of understanding, knowing those of the one, that they are from a shadow. And these are thine in the heart.

For their sake thou hast empowered the eternal ones in being; thou hast empowered divinity in living; thou hast empowered knowledge in goodness; in blessedness thou hast empowered the shadows which pour from the one. Thou hast empowered this (one) in knowledge; thou hast empowered another one in creation. Thou hast empowered him who is equal and him who is not equal, him who is similar and him who is not similar. Thou hast empowered in begetting, and (provided) forms in that which exists to others. [...] Thou hast empowered these. - He is that One Hidden in the heart. - And thou hast come forth to these and from these . Thou art divided among them. And thou dost become a great male noetic First-Appearer.

Fatherly God, divine child, begetter of multiplicity according to a division of all who really are, thou (masc.) hast appeared to them all in a word. And thou (masc.) dost possess them all without begetting and eternally indestructible on account of thee (fem.).

Salvation has come to us; from thee is salvation. Thou art wisdom, thou knowledge; thou art truthfulness. On account of thee is life; from thee is life. On account of thee is mind; from thee is mind. Thou art mind, thou a world of truthfulness, thou a triple power, thou threefold. Truly thou art thrice, the aeon of aeons. It is thou only who sees purely the first eternal ones and the unbegotten ones.

But the first divisions are as thou wast divided. Unite us as thou has been united. Teach us those things which thou dost see. Empower us that we may be saved to eternal life. For we are each a shadow of thee as thou art a shadow of that first pre-existent one. Hear us first. We are eternal ones. Hear us as the perfect individuals. Thou art the aeon of aeons, the all-perfect one who is established.

Thou hast heard! Thou hast heard!
Thou hast saved! Thou hast saved!
We give thanks! We bless thee always! We shall glorify thee!

The Second Stele
of Seth

The Third Stele

We rejoice! We rejoice! We rejoice!
We have seen! We have seen! We have seen the really pre-existent one, that he really exists, that he is the first eternal one.
O Unconceived, from thee are the eternal ones and the aeons, the all-perfect ones who are established, and the perfect individuals.

We bless thee, non-being, existence which is before existences, first being which is before beings, Father of divinity and life, creator of mind, giver of good, giver of blessedness!

We all bless thee, knower, in a glorifying blessing, (thou) because of whom [all these are. ... really, ...], who knows thee, through thee alone. For there is no one who is active before thee. Thou art an only and living spirit. And thou knowest one, for this one who belongs to thee is on every side. We are not able to express him. For thy light shines upon us.

Present a command to us to see thee, so that we may be saved. Knowledge of thee, it is the salvation of us all. Present a command! When thou dost command, we have been saved! Truly we have been saved! We have seen thee by mind! Thou art them all, for thou dost save them all, he who was not saved, nor was he saved through them. For thou, thou hast commanded us.

Thou art one. Thou art one, just as there is one (who) will say to thee: Thou art one, thou art a single living spirit. How shall we give thee a name? We do not have it, For thou art the existence of them all. Thou art the life of them all. Thou art the mind of them all. For thou art he in whom they all rejoice.

Thou hast commanded all these to be saved through thy word [...] glory who is before him, Hidden One, blessed Senaon, he who begat himself, Asineu(s), [...]ephneu(s), Optaon, Elemaon the great power, Emouniar, Nibareu(s), Kandephor(os), Aphredon, Deiphaneus, thou who art Armedon to me, power-begetter, Thalanatheu(s), Antitheus, thou who existeth within thyself, thou who art before thyself - and after thee no one entered into activity.

As what shall we bless thee? We are not empowered. But we give thanks, as being humble toward thee. For thou hast commanded us, as he who is elect, to glorify thee to the extent we are able. We bless thee because we were saved. Always we glorify thee. For this reason we shall glorify thee, that we may be saved to eternal salvation. We have blessed thee, for we are empowered. We have been saved, for thou hast willed always, that we all do this.

We all did this. [...] not through [... aeon ...], the one who was [...], we and those who [...]. He who will remember these and give glory always will become perfect among those who are perfect and impassable beyond all things. For they all bless these individually and together. And afterwards they shall be silent. And just as they were ordained, they ascend. After the silence, they descend from the third. They bless the second; after these the first. The way of ascent is the way of descent.

Know therefore, as those who live, that you have attained. And you taught yourselves the infinite things. Marvel at the truth which is within them, and (at) the revelation.

The Three Steles of Seth

This book belongs to the fatherhood.
It is the son who wrote it.
Bless me O Father. I bless
you, O Father, in peace.
Amen.

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