It became a Ruler of face of lion in the Chaos, whose (one) half became fire and whose other half became darkness, namely, Ialdabaoth this which I said unto you many times.
These therefore having happened, was weakened the Sophia greatly greatly; and also began that power of light of face of lion to cause itself to take away all the powers of light in the Sophia; and all [45 ] the material powers of the Self-willed surrounded the Sophia together, they afflicted her.
She cried out greatly greatly the Pistis Sophia, she cried up unto the Light of the Lights, this which she saw from at first, having believed it, and she said this Repentance, saying thus, O Light of the Lights, this whom I believed from at first, Hear therefore now, O Light, my repentance.
Deliver me, O Light, because evil thoughts came in unto me.
I looked, O Light, unto the parts which (are) below, I saw a light at that place, I am thinking that I am about to go unto that Place and (to) take away that light: and I went, I became in the darkness which (is) in the Chaos below, and I was not able to prevail to fly out to go unto my Place: [45 ] because that I was afflicted in all the emanations of the Self-willed, and the power of face of lion took away my light which (was) in me: and I cried out for a help, and came not my shout up in the darkness, and I looked unto the Height that should help me, the Light which I trusted.
And having looked unto the Height, I saw all the Rulers of the Aeons which are many.
And they are looking upon me, rejoicing at me who did not anything to them for evil; but they were hating me without cause.
And they having seen the Rulers of the Aeons rejoicing at me, (they) the emanations of the Self-willed, knew that would not help me the Rulers of the Aeons; and 25 were glad of heart those emanations, these which were afflicting me in violence; and the light which I took not away from them indeed, they took it away from me [46 ].
Now therefore, O Light of the Truth, thou knowest that I did these (things) in my innocence, in thinking that (thy light) is belonging unto the light of the face of lion, and the sin which I did is manifest in thy presence.
Let me not therefore be cut off, O Lord, because I trusted unto thy light from at first, O Lord, O light of the powers, let me not be cut off therefore from my light: for by reason of thy cause and thy light I became in my affliction and shame covered over me: and because of the pretext of thy light I became alien unto my brothers the Invisibles; and with the great emanations of the Barbelo: these (things) happened to me, O Light, because I was jealous of thine abode, and came up upon me the anger of the Self-willed, this who hearkened not unto thy command for him to emanate out of the [46 ] emanation of his power; because that I became in his Aeon, not doing his mystery: and were deriding me all the Rulers of the Aeons: and I became in that Place, making lamentations seeking after the light which I saw in the Height: and were seeking after me the Guards of the gates of the Aeons, and all were mocking me even those who are living in their mystery.
But I, I was looking up unto the Height, up unto thee O Light.
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.
The text describes powers flowing from a source (Ialdabaoth) and emanating into lower levels like the Chaos and Aeons.
The Gnostic myth of Wisdom's prolapse from the Pleroma — her unilateral desire or error producing the Demiurge and the entrapment of divine sparks in matter.
The passage is a narrative of Sophia's weakening and suffering due to her error in trusting the wrong light.
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 text describes the Sophia being weakened, alienated from her brothers, and covered over in affliction due to her error.