Take theirs instead of mine
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ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϩⲉ ϭⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ⲉⲛⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲓⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲭⲁⲟⲥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲛⲉⲡⲣⲟⲃⲟⲗⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡⲁⲩⲑⲁⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲧⲡⲏⲧ ⲛ̅ⲥⲱⲓ̈· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙ̅ⲡⲣ̅ⲧⲣⲉⲩ ⲉⲓ̅ ⲉⲛⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲡⲥⲁ ⲛ̅ⲧⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ̈· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛ̅ⲕⲁⲕⲉ ϩⲱⲃⲥ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲟⲩ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲉⲓ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲟⲩϩⲗⲟⲥⲧⲛ̅ ⲛⲕⲁⲕⲉ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙ̅ⲡⲣ̅ⲧⲣⲉⲩ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ̈ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙ ⲧⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲕⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲟⲟⲩⲥ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲛⲁϩⲙⲉⲧ· ϫⲉⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲩⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϫⲱⲓ̈· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲩϣⲟϫⲛⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩϥⲓⲧⲁϭⲟⲙ· ⲙ̅ⲡⲣ̅ⲧⲣⲉϥ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲑⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ̈ ⲉϥⲓ ⲡⲁⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧ. ϥⲓ ⲡⲱⲟⲩ ϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲙ̅ⲡⲱⲓ̈· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲓ ⲡⲁⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲧⲏⲣϥ̅· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲩⲉϣϥⲓⲧϥ̅. ϫⲉⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ ϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ ⲛⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲓ̈· ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉⲁⲩϣⲟϫⲛⲉ ⲁϫⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲕⲧⲱϣ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ·
Let them fall down then to the regions below the chaos, the emanations of the Self-willed which pursue me; and let them not come to the regions above to see me. And may a great darkness cover over them, and may a gloom of darkness come to them; and let them not see me in the light of thy power which thou hast sent me to save me, that they may not again seize hold over me. And their resolution which they have devised, to take my power — let it not take effect for them. And according as they have spoken against me, to take my light from me — take theirs rather instead of mine. And they have said they would take my whole light, and they could not take it, for thy light-power was with me, because they took counsel without thy decree, O Light.
The song turns from thanksgiving to imprecation — the curse-strophes that every psalm of pursuit contains. Sophia asks that her pursuers fall to the regions below the chaos and not be allowed up to see her; that a great darkness cover them and a gloom darker still come over them; that they not see her inside the light of the power sent to save her; that their resolution to take her power come to nothing. Then the sharpest petition in the song: as they spoke against her to take her light — take theirs instead of mine. They had proposed to take her whole light and could not, for the light-power was with her; and their real crime is named last: they took counsel without the Light’s decree.
These are the curse-strophes, and their petitions are all optics and altitude: let the pursuers fall below, not come above, not see me. Sophia asks to be made invisible inside light — "let them not see me in the light of thy power" — while they are blinded by layered darkness, a great darkness with a <em>gloom of darkness</em> on top of it. The song’s sharpest line is pure bookkeeping: "take theirs instead of mine." In this book light is a conserved substance — it can be stolen, banked, poured, but never created on the spot — so a robbery can only be answered by a counter-transfer. The curse is an accounting entry: debit them, credit me.
The last strophe names the real charge, and it lands on a word this chapter has already made heavy. The emanations failed "because they took counsel <em>without thy decree</em>" — and the reader has just watched Jesus, at the chapter’s opening, act "without the First Mystery" and be right to do so. The same procedural formula, twice in one chapter, once as grace and once as indictment. The difference is not the paperwork; it is the direction of the act. Jesus outruns the command to rescue; the emanations outrun the decree to steal. The book’s legalism has a moral floor under it: authority can be anticipated by love, never by predation.
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