66.

In the name of God, the Ever-Living, the Great, may the sublime Light be glorified.

Beyond, in the fruits of splendour, in the courts of light, in the house of completion, in you, garden of the ether, the building ..., in you, garden of Adam, the voice of life proclaims what the Great One says. Parables, parables He speaks in glory, words He speaks in glory, words in a heavenly voice He speaks, and reveals the secrets that passed between the Lord and His servant.

When this dwelling did not yet exist, when this ... was not yet there, when the sun and the moon were not yet there and did not yet travel in the world, the splendour was already burning in its vessel. In their wrappings the decrees lay hidden, hidden and kept in their books. The storms kept silence and sat in the wastelands of the world.

The Lord, who is all splendour, the light that is all radiance, the Lord of greatness, is exalted in the house of completion. The Great One said to the First, His servant: "My servant, come, be a messenger to me, come, be a bearer to me, come, be a bearer to me and tread down the rebellious earths. Go into the world of darkness, into the darkness in which there is no ray of light, to the place of lions, to the seat of the accursed leopards, to the place of dragons, to the seat of the ruinous demons, to the place of the Liliths and Astartes who are veiled, to the place of the water-streams and the blazing pitch-courts." Then the First said to the Great One, his Lord: "If I descend, who will bring me up? If I fall, who will hold me? Who will hold my soul together for me, that we do not fall into the burning water? Who will make me a firm foundation, that we do not fall into the turbid water? Who will set my crown, the locks of splendour, upright on my head? If the wicked hold me captive in their stronghold, who will be my redeemer?"

Then the Great One answered the First, His servant: "You ask, if you descend, who will bring you up; if you fall, who will hold you; who will hold your soul together for you, that it does not fall into the burning water. I will make a firm foundation for you, that you do not fall into the turbid water. Your crown, the locks of splendour, I will set upright on your head. If the wicked throw you into their stronghold, I will be a redeemer to you. Arise in the name of God, gather together the locks of splendour, clothe yourself in the sorrow of the worlds and go into the world of darkness, into the darkness in which there is no ray of light."

Lions surrounded him, ruinous demons surrounded him, dragons, Liliths and Astartes who are veiled surrounded him, water-streams and blazing pitch-courts surrounded him. If the power that was with me had not been there, if I had not been a disciple; the call of the disciple brings out the man, his helper. Then he said to Him: "Lord of greatness! What have I done against You, that You have sent me to this place, that You have sent me into the deep, which is all stench, in which no one has yet settled?" When Nsab heard this from me, he sent me a staff, which gave me speech and answer to prayer, and said to me: "Strike down with it the lions, strike down with it the accursed leopards, strike down with it the dragons, strike down with it the ruinous demons, strike down with it the Liliths and the Astartes who are veiled. Dry up with it the water-streams and the blazing pitch-courts." I called loudly to the house of life, and it sent me power and splendour. Then I carried out in order the works that my Lord had given me. I pressed down the darkness and raised the light on high. Without fault I ascended, and in me was no fault or lack.

God is exalted, God is victorious, and victorious is the man who went forth to this place.