Parable Seven
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
5. ποΐαι, φηρί, κύριβ, τρνφαί βίσι βλαβεραί; πάσα, φησί, πράζις τρνφή εστι τω άνθρώπω ο βάν ήδεως ποιήκαί γάρ 6 όξύχολος τή εαυτού πρά ξει
το ίκανον ποιών τρνφακαί δ ροιχδς καί δ ρβθνσος καί δ κατάλαλος καϊ δ φβύστης καϊ δ πλεονβκτης και δ άποστβρητής και δ τούτοις τά οροια πάντα ποιών τή ίδια νόσω το ίκανον ποιβΐ' τρνφα ονν βν τή πράζβι αυτού. 6. αύται πάσαι τρνφαϊ βλαββραί βίσιν τοΐς δούλοις τού θβούδιά ταύτας ονν τάς απα τάς πάσχονσιν οί τιμωρούμενοι και βασανιζόμβνοι.
7. είσίν δε καί τρνφαί σώζονσαι τούς άνθρώπονςπολλοί γάρ άγαθδν εργαζόμενοι τρνφώσιν, τή εαντών ηδονή φερόμενοι, αύτη ονν ή τρνφή σύμφορος εστίν τοΐς δούλοις τού θεού καί ζωήν περιποιείται τώ άν θρώπω τώ τοιούτω-
αί δε βλαβεραί τρνφαί αί προειρημεναι βασάνονς καί τιμωρίας περιποιούνταιεάν δε επιρείνωσι
Παραβολή Γ 9 0 66 (VII) Μετά ήρερας ολίγας εΐδον αυτόν εις τό πεδίον τό αυτό, όπον καί τούς ποιρενας εωράκειν, καϊ λέγει ροι87 τή εαυτού πράξει Μ L 2: τώ εαυτού πάθει A: moribus suis Li [lacuna P o x]
PARABLES 66 (VII) and deceit are tormented in this way, because even though they are alive they have handed themselves over to death."
5. "What sorts of luxuries, Lord," I asked, "are harmful?"
He replied, "Everything that brings a person pleasure is a luxury. For even the foul-tempered person who acts as he desires enjoys a luxury. So too does the adulterer, the drunkard, the slanderer, the liar, the greedy, the defrauder, and anyone who does anything similar, as he desires, in his own diseased way. Such a person, then, enjoys a luxury in what he does. 6. All these luxuries are harmful to the slaves of God. Those who are punished and tormented, therefore, suffer because of these deceitful practices.
7. But there are also luxuries that save people. For many people who do what is good enjoy luxury by being borne along by their own pleasure. And so this kind of luxury can be profitable for the slaves of God, and provides life to such a person. But the harmful luxuries that I mentioned before provide torments and punishments. If people re main in them without repenting, they provide death for themselves."
Parable Seven 66 (VII) After a few days I saw him in the same plain where I had seen the shepherds, and he said to me, "What are you look8 8 τω τοίοντω A L L Ε: om. Μ 89 ίπιρβίνωσι Μ: ίπιμίνωσι Α Ε: add in illis L L 9 0 παραβολή ζ L L: άρχή A: similitudo octava E: παραβολή (uncertain whether a number follows) Μ
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
τον τιρωρητήν κέλευσης βκ τον οϊκον ρον εξελθεΐν, οτι λίαν μβ θλίβει, δεΐ σε, φησίν, θλιβήναιοντω γάρ προσεταξεν δ ένδοξος άγγελος τά περί σονθέλει γάρ σε
ττειρασθήναι. τί γάρ, φημί, κύριε, εποίησα οντω πονηρον, ΐνα τούτω τω άγγελω παραδοθώ; 2. άκονε, φησίν αί ρεν άραρτίαι σον πολλαί, άλλ' ού τοσαύται
ώστε σε τώ άγγελω τούτω παραδοθήναιάλλ' ό οίκος σον ρεγάλας άραρτίας καί άνορίας ήργάσατο, καί παρεπικράνθη δ ένδοξος άγ γελος επί τοΐς εργοις αυτών καί διά τούτο εκελενσε σε χρόνον τινά θλιβήναι, ΐνα κάκεΐνοι ρετανοήσωσι καί καθαρίσωσι εαυτούς άπο πάσης επιθυμίας τού αιώνος τούτον.
Οταν ονν μετανοήσωσιν καί καθαρισθώσιν, τότε άποστήσεται ό άγγελος τής τιμωρίας.
3. λεγω αύτώκύριε, εί εκείνοι τοιαύτα ήργάσαντο, ΐνα παραπικρανθή ό άγγελος ό ένδοξος, τί εγώ εποίησα; άλ λως, φησίν, εκείνοι ού δύνανται θλιβήναι, εάν ρή σύ ή κεφαλή τού οϊκον θλιβήςσού γάρ θλιβορενον εξ ανάγκης κάκεΐνοι θλιβήσονται, εύσταθούντος δε σού ούδερίαν θλΐφιν δύνανται εχειν.
4. άλλ' ιδού, φηρί, κύριε, ρετανενοήκασιν εξ Ολης καρδίας αυτών, οιδα, φησί, κάγώ ότι ρετανενοήκασιν εξ όλης καρδίας αυτών, τών ονν ρετανοούντων, φησίν, δοκεΐς τάς άραρτίας ευθύς άφίεσθαι; ού πάντωςάλλά δεΐ τον μετανοούντα /3acraiao-cu τήν εαντού φνχήν καί ταπεινοφρονήσαι εν άπάση τή πράξει αυτού ισχυρώς καί θλιβήναι εν πολλαΐς θλίφεσι καί ποικίλαις· καί εάν
PARABLES 66 (VII) ing for?" "I have come here, Lord," I said, "to ask you to order the punishing angel to leave my house, because he is afflicting me terribly." "You need to be afflicted," he re plied, "because this is what the glorious angel commanded for you. For he wants you to be put to the test." "What evil thing have I done, Lord, to be handed over to this angel?" I asked. 2. "Listen," he said, "your sins are many, but not enough for you to be handed over to this angel. But your household has committed great sins and lawless acts, and the glorious angel is embittered by their deeds. This is why he commanded you to be afflicted for a time, to lead them to repent and cleanse themselves from all worldly desires.
When they repent and are cleansed, then the punishing angel will leave." 3. I said to him, "Lord, even if they are acting in ways that embitter the glorious angel—what have
I done?" "It cannot be otherwise," he said. "They cannot be afflicted unless you are as well, since you are the head of the household. For if you are afflicted, of necessity they are too; but if you are flourishing, they can experience no af fliction." 4. "But look, Lord," I said, "they have in fact re pented from their whole heart." "I myself know they have repented from their whole heart," he replied. "But do you think," he said, "that the sins of those who repent are for given on the spot? Not at all! But the one who repents must torment his own soul and become mightily humble in his every deed and be afflicted with many and various afflic9 1 άγγέλον M c: ποιμένα A L L Μ 9 2 o-e A L L Ε: add και Μ 9 3 άλλ' ον τοσανται M A L L : om. Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
ύπενέγκη τάς θλίψεις τάς έπερχομένας αντω, πάντως σπλαγχνισθήσεται 6 τά πάντα κτίσας καϊ δνναμώ-
5. καϊ τοντο πάν τως έάν ΐδη τήν καρδίαν τον μετανοούντος καθαράν άπο παντός πονηρον πράγρατος. σοι δε σύμφορόν εστίν και τω οΐκω σον ννν θλιβήναι. τί δε πολλά λεγω; θλιβήναι σε δεΐ, καθώς προσέταξεν δ άγγελος τον κνρίον εκείνος, δ παραδούς σε έροίκαϊ τοντο ευχαριστεί τώ κνρίω, οτι άξιον σε ήγήσατο τον προδηλώσαί σοι τήν θλΐψιν, ΐνα προγνονς αντήν νπενέγκης ισχυρώς.
6. λεγω αντωκύριε, σύ ρετ έρού γίνον, καϊ πάσαν θλΐψιν δννήσοραι ύπενέγκαι. έγώ, φησίν, εσοραι μετά σούερωτήσω δέ καϊ τον άγγέλον τον τιρωρητήν ΐνα σε έλαφροτέρως θλίψηάλλά δλίγω χρόνω θλιβήση, καϊ πάλιν άποκατασταθήση εις τον τόπον σας καϊ ϊασίν
έν καθαρά καρδία, σύ και τά τέκνα σον καϊ ό οΐκός σον, καϊ πορεύον ταΐς έντολαΐς ρον άς σοι έντέταλραι και δννήσεταί σον ή ρετάνοια είναι ισχυρά καϊ καθαρά7. καϊ έάν ταύτα φύλαξης ρετά τού οϊκον σον, άποστήσεται πάσα θλΐψις άπο σούκαι άπο πάντων δέ άποστήσεται ή θλΐψις, ός άν ταΐς έντολαΐς μον πορεύσεται ταύταις.
94 'ίασίν Μ F L L Ε: ισχύν Α 95 αύτώ L 2: αύτοΐς Μ A F: om. L 1 Ε 96 τόπον Μ L L Ε: οίκον Α 97 κνρίω A L L Ε: add θεώ Μ
PARABLES 66 (VII) tions. And if he should endure the afflictions that come upon him, the one who created and empowered all things will be fully compassionate and bring him some healing.
5. This will certainly happen if he sees that the heart of the one who repents is pure from every evil deed. And it is to your advantage, and to your households, to be afflicted now. But why am I telling you so much? You must be afflicted, just as that angel of the Lord commanded, the one who delivered you over to me. Give the Lord thanks for this—for he considered you worthy to have the afflic tion explained in advance, that by knowing about it in ad vance you could endure it strongly." 6.1 said to him, "Lord, be with me and I will be able to endure every affliction." "I will be with you," he said. "And I will also ask the punishing angel to afflict you less severely. You will be afflicted for a brief time, and you will again be restored to your place.
But continue by being humble, serving the Lord with a pure heart, you, your children, and your household; and proceed in my commandments, which I have given you, and your repentance will be able to be strong and pure.
7. If you guard these matters, along with your household, every affliction will leave you. And affliction will leave everyone one who proceeds in these my commandments."