Because of this word therefore, my Lord, which it said thus (viz.) the power which (is) in Esaias the prophet, and which it uttered in a spiritual parable, [26 ] once speaking concerning the vision of Egypt: Where, therefore, Egypt, where are thy enquirers, with thy hour-setters, with those who are wont to call out of the earth, with those who are wont to call out of their belly?
Let them show to thee, therefore, from this hour the works which will do the Lord, Sabaoth.
Of whom prophesied therefore before that thou camest, the power which (is) in Esaias the prophet who prophesied about thee, that thou would take away the power of the Rulers of the Aeons, and remove their Sphere with their Destiny that they should not know anything from this hour?
Concerning this indeed it said, Ye will not know, therefore, what the Lord, Sabaoth will do, namely, [27 ] that there is not any in the Rulers about to know the (things) which thou wilt do from this hour, which (Rulers) are (called) Egypt because that they are of matter: which the power, therefore, which is in Esaias prophesied about thee once saying, Ye will not know therefore from this hour the (things) which will do the Lord, Sabaoth, because of the power of light which thou receivedst from Sabaoth the good, this who becometh in the Place of Right (hand), this (power) which becometh in thy material body of to-day.
Concerning this therefore thou saidst to us, my Lord Jesus, He who hath ear to hear let him hear, that thou shouldest know who is he whose heart is eager for the Kingdom [27 ] of the heavens.
It happened, therefore, Maria having finished saying these words, said he, Well (done) Maria because thou art happy beyond every woman who (is) upon the earth, because thou art she who will become the Pleroma of all the Pleromas and the completion of all the completions.
But Maria having heard the Saviour saying these words, she was glad greatly, and she came before Jesus, she prostrated at his presence, she worshipped to his feet, said she to him, My Lord, Hear me, that I may ask thee of this word, thou having not yet spoken with us of the Places unto which thou wentest.
Answered Jesus, said he to Mariham, Speak in boldness, [28 ] and fear not.
Every thing which thou seekest after I shall reveal to thee.
Said she, My Lord; Every man who knoweth the mystery 15 of the magic of all the Rulers of all the Aeons, with the magic of the Rulers of the Destiny, with those of the Sphere, according as taught them the Angels who transgressed; if they should invoke them in their mysteries, namely their evil magic, to hinder the works which are good, will they accomplish them from this hour or otherwise?
But answered Jesus, said he to Maria, They will not accomplish them as they were accomplishing them from at first, because I took away a third part of their power, but they will make [28 ] a pretext in those who know the mysteries of the magic of the thirteenth Aeon.
And if they should invoke the mysteries of the magic of those who become in the thirteenth Aeon, they will accomplish them well and in accuracy, because that I took not away power from that Place according to the command of the First Mystery.
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
The divine actively orders the unfolding of cosmic power and destiny against the will of the Rulers.
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
References to 'Sphere' and 'Destiny' imply a structured hierarchy of divine levels.
The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.
The Rulers are described as having lost knowledge of the Lord's works due to their material state ('Egypt').