[the dispute between me and them was because of their pursuit of degradation] 1 and their seeking of pride and status.
Every one of them belittled his brother and disdained him, cast away [his right] 2 and shunned him, denied his virtue and concealed it, and threw him into the depths of estrangement. They competed with one another in worldly matters and prestige, and [they flattered] 3 [one another] 4 with wealth and boasting. Consequently, every door between me and them was shut, and all ties between us were severed. At that point, they stood prolonged at the gates of destruction and the narrowest of pathways; thus, I abandoned their path, renounced their company, and chose isolation, seeking solitude and desiring the gnostic recognition of my Master.