[159 ] And thinking that it (is) she who took away its light from it, and he was exasperated greatly, and he added anger upon anger: he emanated out of him an emanation of darkness, and with another cruel (power) of evil Chaos, that he might disturb the Pistis Sophia with them.
And he fashioned a Place of darkness in his Place, that he should oppress the Sophia with it.
And he took multitudes of Rulers of his own, they persecuted the Sophia, for to bring her unto the Chaos of darkness which he fashioned.
And for to oppress her in that Place.
And for to disturb her the two emanations of the darkness, these which emanated out the Adamas, [159 ] until they took away all her light from her, and until the Adamas took away the light of the Pistis Sophia, and gave it to the two emanations which are cruel, and they took it unto the great Chaos, which is below this which is dark, and they cast it in unto his power of darkness which is chaotic, that perhaps it should be able to come unto this Place: because that it had become dark greatly, because I took away its power of light from it.
It happened therefore, they having persecuted the Pistis Sophia, she cried out also, she hymned up 86 unto the Light, since I said to her, Whenever they oppress thee and thou hymnest up unto me I am coming quickly and I (will) help thee.
It happened therefore, they having oppressed her, but I, I was [160 ] sitting by you in this place, which is the mountain of the Olives.
She praised up unto the Light, saying, O Light of the Lights, I believed thee.
Deliver me from these Rulers which are persecuting me, and help me lest-at-anytime they may take away my light from me, as (did) the power of face of lion.
Because thy light becometh not with me, with thy effluence of Light, for them to deliver me.
Otherwise was angry with me the Adamas, saying to me, Thou, thou restrainedst my power in the Chaos.
Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, if I did this (and) I restrained it.
If I did nothing of violence to that power.
Or if I oppressed it as it oppressed me, then (and, MS ) shall take away my light from me, all these [160 ] Rulers who persecute me, and they shall put me out, being empty: and the enemy the Adamas shall persecute my power and seize it, and he shall take away my light from me, and cast it in unto his power of darkness, this which is in the Chaos: and he shall put my power in the Chaos.
Now therefore, O Light, seize me in thy anger, and exalt thy power over my enemies, these who rose up against me at last.
Speed, vivify me according as thou saidst, I shall help thee.
It happened therefore, the First Mystery having finished saying these words unto the disciples, said he, He who understood these words which I said, let him come forward and utter their explanation.
Came forward Iakkobos said he, My Lord, [161 ] concerning this hymn, in which hymned the Pistis Sophia, thy power of light prophesied them once by David in the seventh psalm, O Lord, my God I trusted unto thee; save me from those who persecute me and deliver me, lest-at-anytime he might carry off my soul as a lion, there being not he who redeemeth and he who delivereth.
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 emanating from Adamas and Chaos to oppress the Sophia, indicating a descending chain of influence.
Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.
Darkness is described as taking away light rather than possessing positive being, aligning with the view that evil is a lack of good.
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 Pistis Sophia is depicted as having lost her light and being persecuted by malevolent powers.
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 narrative centers on the Sophia losing her light and being oppressed by powers that take it away from her.