Parable Six
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
6 1 61 (VI.l) Καθήμενος έν τώ οΐκω ρον καϊ δοξάζων τον κύριον περϊ πάντων ών έωράκειν και σννζητών περϊ τών εντολών, οτι καλαι και δνναταϊ και ίλαραί και ένδοξοι και δννάρεναι σώσαι φνχήν άνθρωπον, ελεγον εν εραντώ ταύτα· μακάριος εσοραι, εάν εν ταΐς εντολαΐς ταύταις πορενθώ, και ος εάν πορεύσηται εν αύταΐς ρακάριος εσται.
βλέπω αύτον εξαίφνης παρακαθήρενόν ροι καϊ λέ γοντα ταύτα· τί διφνχεΐς περϊ τών εντολών ών σοι εντεταλραι; καλαι είσιν ολως ρηοεν διψνχήσης, άλλ' ενΒνσαι τήν πίστιν τού κνρίον καϊ εν αύταΐς πορεύση· εγώ γάρ σε δνναρώσω εν αύταΐς.
3. αύται αί εντολαϊ σύρφοροί είσιν τοΐς ρελλονσι ρετανοεΐν εάν γάρ ρή πορενθώσιν εν αύταΐς, εις ράτην εστίν ή ρετάνοια αυτών.
4. οί ονν ρετανοούντες αποβάλετε τάς πονη ρίας τού αιώνος τούτον τάς εκτριβούσας υμάς·
ενδνσάρενοι δέ πάσαν άρετήν δικαιοσύνης δννήσεσθε τηρήσαι τάς έντολάς ταύτας καϊ ρηκέτι προστιθέναι
ταΐς άραρτίαις ύρών. ρηδέν ονν προστιθέντες πολύ κόφετε τών προτέρων ύρών άραρτιών. πορεύεσθε ονν ταΐς έντολαΐς ρον, καϊ ζήσεσθε τώ θεώ. ταύτα παρ
έρού λελάληται ύρΐν. 5. ρετά το ταύτα λαλήσαι αύτον ρετ έρού, λέγει ροι· άγωρεν εις άγρόν, καϊ δείξω σοι τούς ποιμένας τών προβάτων, άγωρεν, φημί, κύριε, ήλθορεν εις τι πεδίον, καϊ δεικνύει μοι ποιμένα νεα-
PARABLES
61 (VI.1)
Parable Six 61 (VI.l) While I was sitting in my house and giving glory to the Lord for all the things I had seen, and reflecting that his commandments are good, powerful, cheerful, glorious, and able to save a person s soul, I was telling myself, "I will be fortunate if I proceed in these commandments; for whoever proceeds in them is fortunate." 2. While I was telling myself these things, I suddenly saw him sitting next to me and saying, "Why are you of two minds about the commandments I have given you? They are good. Do not be at all of two minds, but clothe yourself with the faith of the Lord and proceed in them. For I will empower you to do them. 3. These commandments are profitable to those who are about to repent. If they do not proceed in them, their repentance is in vain. 4. And so, you who repent should cast aside the evil affairs of this age, which wear you down. For when you are clothed with every righteous vir tue, you will be able to keep these commandments and no longer increase your sins. And so, by not increasing them, you will greatly cut off your former sins. Proceed therefore in my commandments, and you will live to God, for I have spoken these things to all of you." 5. After he spoke these things to me, he said, "Let us go into the country, and I will show you the shepherds of the sheep." "Yes, Lord," I said,
"lets go." We came to a certain plain and he showed me a 1: άρχή A: explicit similitudo quinta, incipit similitudo sexta L 61 παραβολή S"' L 2: om. Ε [lacuna M]
6 2 λαλώ Μ L L: έλάλονν A: cogitabam Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
6. έβοσκε δέ πρόβατα πολλά λίαν, καϊ τά πρόβατα ταντα ώσεϊ τρνφώντα ήν καϊ λίαν σπαταλώντα καϊ ιλαρά ήν σκιρτώντα ώδε καϊ έκεΐ, καϊ αυτός ό ποιρήν ιλαρός ήν έπϊ τω ποιμνίω αντονκαι αντή ή ιδέα τον ποιμένος λίαν ιλαρά ήν καϊ έν τοΐς πρόβασι περιέτρεχεν.
62 (VI.2)
τον ποιρένα τούτον; βλέ πω, φηρί, κύριε, οντος, φησίν, έστιν άγγελος τρνφής και άπατης, ούτος ούν έκτρίβει
καϊ καταστρέφει αυτούς άπο τής αληθείας, άπατων αυτούς ταΐς έπιθνμίαις ταΐς πονηραΐς, έν αΐς άπόλλννται.
2. έπιλανθάνονται γάρ τάς έντολάς τού θεού τού ζώντος καϊ πορεύονται ταΐς άπάταις καϊ τρνφαΐς ταΐς ^αταιαις και άπόλλννται άπο τού άγγέλον τούτον, τινά ρέν
ιλαρά καϊ σκιρτώντα, οντοί είσιν οί άφεσταμένοι άπο τού θεού εις τέλος καί παραδεδωκότες έαντούς ταΐς έπιθνρίαις τού αιώνος τούτον έν τούτοις ονν ρετάνοια ζωής ούκ έστιν, ότι προσέθηκαν κατά όνορα τού κνρίον βλαάκονε, φησίν όσα εΐδες πρόβατα λίαν 65 φησίν Μ L 2: om. A L 1 Ε
PARABLES
62 (VI.2)
young shepherd, wearing a bright yellow suit of clothes.
6. He was tending a large flock of sheep. These sheep were luxuriously fed and extremely frisky and cheerful, leaping about here and there; and the shepherd also was cheerful with his flock. The shepherd s appearance was very cheer ful, and he was running about among the sheep.
62 (VI.2)
He said to me, "Do you see this shepherd?" "I see him, Lord," I replied. "This," he said, "is the angel of luxury and deceit. He, then, is the one who wears down the souls of the vacuous slaves of God and turns them away from the truth, deceiving them with evil desires that destroy them.
2. For they forget the commandments of the living God and proceed in vain deceits and luxuries and are destroyed by this angel—some to death and others to ruin." 3.1 said to him, "Lord, I do not know what you mean that some are destroyed to death and others to ruin." "Listen," he said.
"All the sheep you saw that were extremely cheerful and leaping about are the ones who have finally fallen away from God and have delivered themselves over to the de sires of this age. Among these there is no repentance that leads to life, because they have also committed blasphemy
6 6 εκτρίβει A (corrumpit L L): εκστρέφει Μ 67 τών κενών Μ A: om. L L Ε 68 τινά μεν A L 1 Ε C 2: om. Μ (L 2) 69 τινά . . . θάνατον Α. U Ε C 2: om. L
7 0 τί εις καταφθοράν εστίν Μ L L: τί εστίν . . . κατα φθοράν Α: τί εστι τινά εις θάν. καϊ τινά εις καταφθοράν C
(Ε)
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
4. ά δέ βίδες μή σκιρτώντα άλλά iv ένϊ τόπω βοσκόμενα, οντοί είσιν οί παραδεδωκότες μεν έαντούς ταΐς τρνφαΐς καί άπάταις, εις δέ τον κύριον ούκ έβλασφήρησαν. ούτοι ονν κατεφθαρρένοι είσίν άπο τής αληθείαςέν τούτοις ονν έλπίς έστιν ρετανοίας, έν ή δύνανται ζήσαι. ή καταφθορά ονν ελπίδα έχει ανανεώσεως τινα,
5. πάλιν προέβημεν ρικρόν, καϊ δεικνύει μοι ποιμένα μέγαν ώσεί άγριον τή ιδέα, περικείρενον δέρμα αΐγειον λενκόν, και πή ραν τινά είχεν έπϊ τον ώμον
ράβδον σκληράν λίαν καϊ οζονς εχονσαν καϊ ράστιγα ρεγάλην καϊ το βλέρρα ειχεν περίπικρον, ώστε φοβηθήναι
6. ούτος δ ποιμήν παρελάρβανε τά πρόβατα άπο τού ποιρένος τού νεανίσκον, εκείνα τά σπαταλώντα καϊ τρνφώντα, ρή σκιρτώντα δέ, και ένέβαλλεν αυτά εϊς τινα τόπον κρηρνώδη καϊ ακανθώδη
ώστε άπο τών ακανθών καϊ τριβόλων ρή δύνασθαι έκπλέζαι τά πρόβατα, άλλά έμπλέκεσθαι αυτά εις τάς άκανθας καϊ τριβόλονς.
έρπεπλεγρένα έβόσκοντο έν ταΐς άκάνθαις καϊ τριβόλοις καϊ λίαν έταλαιπώρονν δερόμενα ύπ' αυτούκαι ώδε και έκεΐ περιήλαννεν αυτά καϊ όλως άνάπανσιν αύτοΐς ούκ έδίδει, καϊ Ολως ούκ ευσταθούσαν τά πρόβατα εκείνα.
PARABLES
62 (VI.2)
against the name of the Lord. Death therefore belongs to them. 4. But the ones you saw that were not leaping about but were grazing in one place, these are the ones who have delivered themselves over to luxuries and deceits, without committing blasphemy against the Lord. They have been ruined by falling from the truth. For these there is a hope of repentance, and it can make them live. And so, those who have experienced this kind of ruin have some hope of new life, but death brings eternal destruction." 5. Then we went a little way ahead, and he showed me a large shep herd with a wild kind of appearance, clothed in the skin of a white goat, with a bag on his shoulder, a very hard and knotty staff, and a great whip. He had an extremely bitter look about him. I was afraid of him, he had such a look.
6. This shepherd was taking the sheep from the young shepherd—those that were frisky and luxuriously fed, but not leaping—and driving them into an area that was steep and filled with thorns and thistles. And the sheep could not extricate themselves from the thorns and thistles but be came entangled in them. 7. And so they had to graze while being entangled among the thorns and thistles; and they were being miserably beaten by the shepherd. He was forcing them to move here and there, giving them no rest at all, so that those sheep were not at all tranquil.
74 καί M A E : add in manu L L C
75 φοβηθήναι Μ L L C 2: add μβ A Ε 7 6 καϊ ακανθώδη A L L Ε C 2: om. Μ 77 καϊ τρυβολώδη Μ L L Ε C 2: om. A 7 8 ταντα ονν Α: αντον ονν Μ: sea ibi L L
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
63 (VI.3)
Βλέπων ονν αυτά οντω ραστιγούρενα καϊ ταλαιπωρούντα έλνπούρην έπ' αντοΐς, OTL όντως έβασανίζοντο καϊ άνοχήν όλως ονκ είχον. 2. λέγω τω πoLμέvL τω μβτ έρού λαλούντι-
κύριε, φημί, τίς έστιν οντος 6 πoLμήv 6 όντως άσπλαγχνος καϊ πικρός καϊ ολως μηδέν σπλαγχνιζόρενος έπϊ τά πρόβατα ταντα; οντος, φη σίν, έστϊν ό άγγελος τής τLpωpίaς' έκ δέ τών αγγέλων τών δLκaίωv εστίν, κείμενος δέ έπϊ τής τLμωpίaς.
3. πapaλaμβάvεL ονν τονς αποπλανώμένονς άπο τον θεον καϊ πορενθέντας ταΐς έπιθνρίαις
τον αιώνος τούτον καϊ τιμωρεί αντονς, καθώς τις άξιος έστιν, δειναΐς τιρωρίαις καί ποικίλαις.
4. ήθελον, φηρί, κύ ριε, γνώναι τάς ποικίλας τιμωρίας ταντας, ποταπαι είσιν. άκονε, φησίν, τάς ποικίλας βασάνονς καί τιρωρίας. βιωτικαί είσι βάσανοιτιρωρούνται γάρ
οί μέν ζημίαις, οί δέ ύστερήσεσιν, οί δέ άσθενείαις ποικί λαις, οί δέ πάση ακαταστασία, οί δέ ύβριζόρενοι ύπό αναξίων καί έτέραις πολλαΐς πράξεσιν πάσχοντες.
5. πολλοί γάρ άκαταστατούντες ταΐς βονλαΐς αυτών επιβάλλονται πολλά, καϊ ουδέν αύτοΐς όλως προ χωρεί, και λέγονσιν έαντούς μή εύοδούσθαι έν ταΐς πράξεσιν αυτών, καϊ ούκ αναβαίνει έπι τήν καρδίαν αυτών ότι έπραξαν πονηρά έργα, άλλά αίτιώνται τον κύριον.
6. Οταν ονν θλιβώσι πάση θλίψει, τότε έμοϊ παραδίδονται εις άγαθήν παιδείαν καί ισχυροποι ούνται έν τή πίστει τού κνρίον καί τάς λοιπάς ημέρας
PARABLES
63 (VI.3)
63 (VI.3)
When I saw them flogged like this and made so miserable, I started to grieve for them, because they were tormented in this way and had no respite. 2. I said to the shepherd who was speaking with me, "Lord," I said, "who is this mer ciless and bitter shepherd, who is showing no compassion at all for these sheep?" "This," he replied, "is the angel of punishment. He is one of the upright angels, but he has been appointed to mete out punishment. 3. And so he takes those who have strayed from God and proceeded in the desires of this age, and he punishes them with the vari ous terrifying punishments that each of them deserves."
4. "I want to know, Lord," I said, "what sorts of punish ments there are." "Listen," he said, "to the various tor ments and punishments. For the torments come in the present life. Some people are punished with financial losses, others with deprivations, various diseases, or every kind of disruption, or by being abused by miscreants, and with many other kinds of suffering. 5. For many people un dertake numerous projects but go back and forth in their minds, and nothing at all goes well for them. And they say that they do not prosper in what they do, but it never oc curs to them that they have done what is evil; instead, they blame the Lord. 6. And so, when they have suffered every affliction, they are handed over to me for good discipline, and they are made strong in the faith of the Lord, and they
7 9 λαλονντι M A E : om. L L 8 0 βπιθνμίαις Μ: και άπάταις A L L: in cupidine peccati Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
iv καθαρά καρδίαδταν ονν ρετανοήσωσιν, τότε αναβαίνει επί τήν καρδίαν αντών τά εργα τά πονηρά ά έπραξαν, και τότε δοξάζονσι τον θεον, ότι δίκαιος κριτής εστι καϊ
δικαίως επαθεν πάντα έκαστος κατά τάς πράξεις αντοντά δε λοιπά δονλεύσονσιν τώ κνρίω εν καθαρά καρδία αντών και εύοδούνται εν πάση πράξει αντών, λαρβάνοντες πάντα παρά τον κνρίον όσα αιτούνταικαι τότε δοξάζονσιν τον κύριον, ότι εμοϊ παρεδόθη σαν, καϊ ούκετι ούδεν πάσχονσι τών πονηρών.
64 (VI.4)
Αεγω αύτώκύριε, ετι ροι τούτο δήλωσον. τί, φησίν, επιζητείς; εί άρα, φηρί, κύριε, τον αυτόν χρόνον βασανίζονται οί τρνφώντες και άπατώρενοι όσον τρνφώσι καϊ άπατώνται; λέγει ροιτον αύτον χρόνον βασανίζονται.
2. ελάχιστον, φηρί, κύριε, βασανίζον ται· 84 εδει γάρ τούς ούτως τρνφώντας καϊ επιλανθανορενονς τού θεού επταπλασίως /^αο-αι^ζβο-^αι. 3. λέγει ροι· άφρων εΐ καϊ ού νοείς τής βασάνον τήν δύναριν. εί γάρ ενόονν, φηρί, κύριε, ούκ άν σε επηρώτων ΐνα ροι δήλωσης, άκονε, φησίν, αμφοτέρων τήν δύναμιν.
4. τής τρνφής καϊ άπατης ό χρόνος ώρα εστίν ρία· τής δε βασάνον ή ώρα τριάκοντα ήρερών δύναμιν εχει. εάν ονν μίαν ήμεραν τις τρνφήση καϊ άπατηθή, ρίαν 82 κνρίω A L L : θεώ Μ
PARABLES
64 (VI.4)
serve as the Lord s slaves the remaining days of their lives, with pure hearts. When they repent, they think about the evil deeds they have done, and then they give glory to God, because he is an upright judge and each one has rightly suffered everything in light of what he has done. For the rest of their lives they will serve as the Lord s slaves with pure hearts, and they will prosper in their every deed, re ceiving everything they ask from the Lord. Then they glorify the Lord, because they have been delivered over to me, and they no longer suffer any evil."
64 (VI.4)
I said to him, "Lord, explain something else to me." "What do you want to know?" he asked. "Are those who live in lux ury and deceit," I asked, "tormented for the same amount of time that they lived in luxury and deceit?" He replied to me, "They are tormented the same amount of time."
2. "Then they are tormented very little, Lord," I said. "For those who have lived in luxury like this and forgotten God should be tormented seven times as long." 3. He said to me, "You are a fool and do not understand the force of the torment." "If I had understood it, Lord," I replied, "I would not have asked you to explain it to me." "Listen," he said, "and I will tell you the force of both things. 4. The time of luxury and deceit is a single hour. But an hours worth of torment has the force of thirty days. And so, if someone lives in luxury and deceit for a single day, and is
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
δε ήρεραν βασανισθή, όλον ενιαντόν Ισχύει ή ήμερα τής βασάνον. όσας ονν ήμερας τρνφήση τις, τοσούτονς ενιαντονς βασανίζεται, βλέπεις ονν, φησίν, οτι τής τρνφής καϊ άπατης 6 χρόνος ελάχιστος εστίν, τής δε τιρωρίας καϊ βασάνον πολύς.
65 (VI.5)
φηρί, κύριε, ού νενόηκα όλως τούς χρόνονς τής άπατης καϊ τρνφής καϊ βασάνον, τηλανγέστερόν 'Επεί, ροι δήλωσον.
2. αποκριθείς ροι λέγειή αφροσύνη σον παράρονός εστίν, καϊ ού θέλεις σον τήν καρδίαν καθαρίσαι καϊ δονλεύειν τω θεω. βλέπε, φησίν, ρήποτε ό χρόνος πληρωθή καϊ σύ άφρων εύρεθήςάκονε ονν, φησίν, καθώς βούλει, ΐνα νοήσης αυτά.
3. ό τρνφών καϊ άπατώρενος ρίαν ήρεραν καϊ πράσσων ά βούλεται πολλήν άφροσύνην ενδεδνται καϊ ού νοεί τήν πράζιν ήν ποιεί, εις τήν αύριον επιλαν^άνβται τί προ ριάς επραξεν ή γάρ τρνφή καϊ άπατη ρνήρας ούκ εχει διά τήν άφροσύνην, ήν ενδεδνται, ή δε τιρωρία καϊ βάσανος όταν κολληθή τώ άνθρώπω ρίαν ήρεραν, μέχρι ενιαντού τιρωρείται καϊ /3αο-ανίζ€ται· ρνήρας γάρ μεγάλας εχει ή τιμωρία καϊ βάσανος.
4. βασανιζόρενος ονν και τιρωρούρενος όλον τον ενιαντόν, μνημονεύει τότε τής τρνφής καϊ άπατης καϊ γινώσκει ότι διά ταύτα πάσχει τά πονηρά, πάς ούν άνθρωπος ό τρνφών καϊ άπατώρενος ούτως βασανί-
P A R A B L E S
6 5 ( V I . 5 )
then tormented for a single day, that day of torment has the force of an entire year. Thus, a person is tormented for the same number of years as the days he has lived in luxury.
You see," he said, "that the time of luxury and deceit is very brief, but that of punishment and torment is long."
65 (VI.5)
I said, "Lord, since I have not completely understood about the times of deceit and luxury and torment, explain them to me more clearly." 2. He answered me, "You are persistently foolish and do not wish to cleanse your heart and serve God. Take care," he said, "lest the time be ful filled and you be found foolish. Listen, now," he said, "to what you want to know, so that you may understand these things. 3. The one who lives in luxury and deceit for a sin gle day, doing whatever he wants, is clothed with great foolishness and does not understand what he is doing. The next day he forgets what he did the day before. For lux ury and deceit have no memories, because the person is clothed in foolishness. But when punishment and torment cling to a person for a single day, he is punished and tor mented for a year, because punishment and torment have great memories, 4. And so, when he is tormented and pun ished over the course of the entire year, then he remem bers his luxury and deceit and he knows that he is suffering because of these evil deeds. All those who live in luxury
4 The calculations are based on a twelve-hour day.
85 eirei Μ L L E: ert A 8 6 καί βάσανος M A E : om. L L