

The Paraphrase of Shem -- The Nag Hammadi Library

    (Above image of the Gospel of Thomas courtesy of the
    Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate University)

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The Nag Hammadi Library

    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.

   Original translation of this text was prepared by members of the

Coptic Gnostic Library Project of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate School.

The Coptic Gnostic Library Project was funded by UNESCO, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and other Institutions.

 E. J. Brill has asserted copyright on texts published by the Coptic Gnostic Library Project.

The translation presented here has been edited,  modified and formatted for use in the Gnostic Society Library.

For academic citation, please refer to published editions of this text.

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