On the Origin of the World

The chaos beneath the limit, the shadow of Sophia, the coming-forth of Yaldabaoth, and the appointing of the powers of the lower heavens.

1Forasmuch as everyone — both the gods of this world and men — saith that there is nothing existing before chaos, I shall demonstrate that they are all mistaken. For they are not acquainted with the foundation of chaos.

2Now chaos came to be from the shadow. And the shadow came to be from a work that hath existed from the beginning. So is it manifest that this work existed before the chaos came to be — and that the chaos was after the first work.

3Now let us consider the matter; and from the matter, let us discover what was the source of chaos.

4After the natural structure of the immortal beings was complete out of the boundless, then likeness fell down from Pistis. And it was called Sophia. It exercised volition; and it became a work resembling the light which existed at first. Yea, its volition came forth as a likeness of the light.

5And as soon as her volition emerged, it became as the rising of a star — like the dawning of a sun upon the boundless. And the work of Sophia, having appeared, was the veil between the immortals and the things that came forth after them, even according to the likeness of the eternal realm.

6And the shadow of the veil cast upon the abyss became matter. And the matter took form; and out of the matter took form the chaos.

7Now Pistis Sophia, beholding what had come forth from her shadow, was distressed. And she desired that her shadow should not become a deficiency. And she breathed her breath upon the chaos; and the chaos was set in motion.

8And out of the chaos came forth a ruler — a likeness of a lion, androgynous, with great authority within him. And he was ignorant of the source whence he had come.

9Now this ruler, called Yaldabaoth — and also called Saklas, and also called Samael — saith in his pride: I am God; and there is none other beside me.

10And as he said this, he sinned against the All. And his speech ascended unto the imperishable place. And there came forth a voice, saying: Thou art mistaken, Samael. There is the immortal Man of Light; he hath existed before thee. He shall appear among thy moulded creations; he shall trample thee underfoot, even as the potter's clay is trampled. And thou shalt go down unto the abyss with thy mother.

11And Yaldabaoth was sore afraid. He withdrew himself unto the chaos. He set himself a throne in the midst of the lower place. He fashioned the firmament about himself. He fashioned a great seat upon the chariot of the cherubim.

12And he begat for himself sons. He begat them out of the waters of the chaos. He named them: Yao, Sabaoth, Adonaios, Eloai, Oraios, Astaphaios, Iao. And these are the seven powers of the seven heavens.

13Now Sabaoth, the second, when he beheld the great power of his father, repented. He condemned his father, and his mother — that is, the matter. He praised Pistis Sophia. And Pistis loved him; and she set him over the seventh heaven. And he is the just one, who hath ever loved the truth.

14But Yaldabaoth was wroth with Sabaoth. He warred against him. But Sabaoth, with the help of Pistis, prevailed; and he was set in the seventh heaven, in glory.

15And Sabaoth, in his place, made a chariot of cherubim, and a throne of fire. And about him stood holy ones; and they sang unto him. And he begat a son, even Israel — that is, the man that beholdeth God. And he is the seer of God.

The fashioning of Adam from the dust, the descent of the heavenly Eve, and the reversal of the rulers' design.

1Now after these things, Yaldabaoth and the seven powers planned together. And they said: Come, let us make man after the likeness of the heavenly Adam — even him whose image we beheld in the waters.

2And they fashioned him out of the dust of the ground. They moulded him after their own seven faces; they each gave him a part of his fashioning. But the man whom they fashioned was unable to rise.

3Then Sophia sent her breath into him; and the man received the breath. He arose; he stood up. And the rulers were astonished. They saw that he was wiser than they were.

4And Yaldabaoth said: Let us cause him to sleep, and let us take a portion of him, that we may make a wife for him — that he may be subject unto her, and she unto him, and so they may be subject unto us.

5But the heavenly Eve — she that is the daughter of Pronoia — beheld the man lying upon the ground; and she had compassion on him. She came down out of the high places. She breathed into him the spirit of life. And he arose; and he beheld her; and he said: Thou shalt be called Eve, the mother of all the living. For thou hast given me life.

6Then the rulers came; and they were jealous of Eve. They sought to defile her. But she withdrew, and became a tree. The rulers laid hold upon the likeness which she had left behind; and they defiled the likeness. And of that defilement was Cain begotten.

7But the spiritual Eve abode in the tree, even the tree of knowledge. And she said unto Adam: Eat thou of the fruit of this tree, that thy mind may be opened, and that thou mayest know thyself; and that, knowing thyself, thou mayest ascend unto the Father.

8And Adam ate. And his eyes were opened. And he beheld the rulers, and saw their forms — that they were not God. And he beheld himself, and knew that he was of a higher kind than they.

9Then the rulers were exceeding angry. They cast Adam out of the garden. They said: Lest he eat also of the tree of life, and live for ever, let him be driven forth, and let him toil for his bread.

10But the eating was not the curse that they intended. It was the awakening; it was the beginning of redemption. The rulers had purposed to keep man in ignorance; the Spirit had purposed to bring him unto knowledge. And the Spirit prevailed.

11And Adam knew Eve, and she conceived; and she bare Seth — even the seed of the spiritual race. And Seth received the knowledge of the Father; and he taught it unto his children; and they preserved it.

12And the seed of Seth shall not perish. They are the kingless generation; they are the unshakable race. They shall stand in the day of consummation; they shall ascend unto the Pleroma; they shall be received into the bosom of the Father.

The rulers spread out into the cosmos, the corruption of the earth, the rising of the holy seed, and the work of the Saviour at the end of days.

1And the rulers established themselves in the seven heavens. They appointed unto themselves angels and powers. They divided the cosmos into spheres. They set Fate over the lives of men, that men might be bound by their decrees.

2But Pistis Sophia did not abandon her seed. She sent forth angels secretly into the cosmos. She kept watch over the children of light. She raised up prophets in every generation, that the truth might not be wholly lost.

3Now the cosmos became corrupt. The rulers taught men idolatry; they taught them to worship the powers of the seven heavens; they taught them to bow before stones, and beasts, and stars. And the children of men forgot the Father.

4But the seed of Seth abode in the holy mountain. They kept the writings; they kept the prayers; they kept the priesthood. They were a remnant in the earth; they were the salt that preserved the All.

5And in the latter days, the Saviour shall come. He shall come down from above, even from the Pleroma. He shall be born of a virgin. He shall take upon Himself flesh — true flesh, not phantom. He shall walk among men; He shall teach the way.

6He shall expose the rulers. He shall reveal their nakedness. He shall break their power. He shall set the captives free. He shall bear in His own body the marks of His sacrifice; and by His blood He shall purchase the redemption of every soul that hath received the seal.

7And He shall rise from the dead. He shall ascend unto the Father. He shall send forth the Spirit. He shall gather His Church; He shall set His own at His right hand; He shall reign from sea to sea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth.

8And the rulers shall be cast down. Yaldabaoth shall lose his throne. Saklas shall be put to shame. The powers of the seven heavens shall be unmasked; and they shall flee away into the abyss.

9And the souls of the righteous shall be received into the holy of holies. They shall stand in the presence of the Father; they shall behold the face of the Son; they shall be filled with the Spirit; they shall be one with the Aeons for ever.

10And the cosmos shall pass away. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. The elements shall melt with fervent heat. There shall be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

11And the deficiency shall be no more. The Pleroma shall be filled. The Father shall be all in all. Glory be unto Him for ever and ever.

12These are the things which were before the cosmos was. These are the things which shall be after the cosmos is no more. Behold and consider; and be ye wise. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Amen.