Vision Two
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
κυρία, ταύτα pot τά έσχατα αρέσκει, τά δέ πρότερα χαλεπά καί σκληρά, ή δε εφη ρου λέγουσαταύτα τά έσχατα τοΐς δικαίοις, τά δέ πρώτα τοΐς εθνεσιν καϊ τοΐς άποστάταις.
3. λαλούσης αυτής μετ έρού δύο τινές άνδρες έφάνησαν καϊ ήραν αυτήν τών αγκώνων καϊ απήλθαν, όπου καϊ ή καθέδρα, προς τήν άνατολήν. ιλαρά δέ άπήλθεν καϊ ύπάγονσα λέγει ροιάνδρίζον, Έρμα.
5 (ΙΙ.1)
κατά τον καιρόν όν καϊ πέρυσι, περίπατων άνερνήσθην τής περυσινής ορά σεως, καϊ πάλιν ρε αίρει πνεύρα καϊ αποφέρει εις τον αυτόν τόπον όπου καϊ πέρυσι.
2. έλθών ούν εις τον τόπον τιθώ τά γόνατα καϊ ήρζάρην προσεύχεσθαι τώ κυρίω καϊ δοξάζειν αυτού τό ονορα, ότι με άξιον ήγήσατο καϊ έγνώρισέν μοι τάς αμαρτίας μου τάς πρότερον.
3. μετά δέ τό έγερθήναί ρε άπο τής προσ ευχής βλέπω απέναντι μου τήν πρεσβυτέραν ήν καί πέρυσιν ΤΙορευορένου μου εις κώμας
έωράκειν, περιπατούσαν καί άναγινώσκουσαν βιβλαρίδιον. καί λέγει μοιδύνη ταύτα τοΐς έκλεκτοΐς τού θεού άναγγεΐλαι; λέγω αύτηκυρία, τοσαύτα μνημονεύσαι ού δύναμαιδός δέ μοι τό βιβλίδιον Ινα μεταγράφωραι αυτό. λάβε, φησίν, καί αποδώσεις ροι.
VISIONS 5(11.1) to her, "Lady, these last words are pleasing to me, but the earlier ones were difficult and hard." She said to me,
"These last words are for those who are upright, but the former are for the outsiders and apostates." 3. While she was speaking with me, two other men appeared and took her by the arms and went away to the east, where the chair was. She went away cheerfully; and while she was going she said to me, "Be a man [Or: Be courageous],
Hermas."
Vision Two 5(11.1) I was traveling to the countryside at the same time as the previous year, and on the way I remembered the vision from the year before. And again a spirit took me and bore me to the same place I had been then. 2. And so, when I came to the place I bowed my knees and began praying to the Lord and glorifying his name, because he considered me worthy and showed me my former sins. 3. When I arose from prayer I saw across from me the elderly woman I had seen the year before, walking and reading a little book.
And she said to me, "Can you announce these things to the ones chosen by God?" I said to her, "Lady, I cannot re member so many things. Give me the book to make a copy." "Take it," she said, "and then return it to me." 4. I took it and went away to another part of the field, where I copied the whole thing, letter by letter, for I could not dis18 κώμας S Β Α Ε: Κονμας L L (regionem Cumanorum)
19 ττέρνσιν Β A L 1: om. L 2 Ε: πρότβρον S 20 λάβε . . . μοι S c A L 1: om. S Β L 2 Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
γράμμαούχ ηύρισκον γάρ τάς σνλλαβάς. τελέσαντος ονν τά γράρρατα τον βιβλιδίον εξαίφνης ήρττάγη ρον έκ τής χειρός το βιβλίδιονύπό τίνος δέ ονκ είδον.
6 (ΙΙ.2) Μβτά δβ δέκα καϊ πέντε ήρβρας νηστεύσαντός ρον καϊ πολλά έρωτήσαντος τον κνρίον απεκαλύφθη ροι ή γνώσις τής γραφής, ήν δβ γβγραρρβνα ταύτα2. τό σπβρρα σον, Έρμα, ήθβτησαν βίς τον θβον καϊ ββλασφήμησαν βίς τον κύριον καϊ προέδωκαν τούς γονείς αυτών εν πονηρία ρεγάλη καί ήκονσαν προδόται γονέων καϊ προδόντες ούκ ώφελήθησαν, άλλά ετι προσέθηκαν ταΐς άραρτίαις αυτών τάς ασέλγειας καί σνμφνρμούς πονηρίας, καί ούτως έπλήσθησαν αί άνομίαι αυτών.
3. άλλά γνώρισον ταύτα τά ρήρατα τοΐς τέκνοις σον πάσιν καϊ τή σνρβίω σον τή ρελλούση σον αδελφήκαϊ γάρ αύτη ούκ άπέχεται τής γλώσσης, έν ή πονηρεύεταιάλλά άκούσασα τά ρήματα ταύτα άφέξεται καϊ εξει έλεος.
4. ρετά το γνωρίσαι σε ταύτα τά ρήματα αύτοΐς ά ενετείλατο μοι 6 δεσπότης ΐνα σοι άποκαλνφθή, τότε άφίενται αύτοΐς αί άμαρτίαι πάσαι ας πρότερον ήραρτον, καί πάσιν τοΐς άγίοις τοΐς άμαρτήσασι ρέχρι ταύτης τής ήρέρας, έάν έξ όλης τής καρδίας ρετανοήσονσιν καί άρωσιν άπο τής καρδίας αυτών τάς διφνχίας.
VISIONS 6(11.2) tinguish between the syllables. And then, when I com pleted the letters of the book, it was suddenly seized from my hand; but I did not see by whom.
6 (II.2) Fifteen days later, after I had fasted and asked the Lord many things, the meaning of the writing was revealed to me. These are the words that were written: 2. "Your off spring, Hermas, have rejected God, blasphemed the Lord, and betrayed their parents with a great evil. And even though they have been called betrayers of their parents, they have gained nothing from their betrayal. Yet they have added still more licentious acts to their sins and piled on more evil; and so their lawless acts have gone as far as they can go. 3. But make these words known to all your children and your wife, who is about to become your sis ter. For she also does not restrain her tongue, but uses it to perpetrate evil. But when she hears these words she will control it and receive mercy. 4. After you have made known to them these words that the Master has com manded me to reveal to you, then all the sins they formerly committed will be forgiven them, along with those of all the saints who have sinned till this day, if they repent from their whole heart and remove doublemindedness from it.
5. For the Master swore by his own glory to his chosen 2 1 τάς άσβλγβίας . . . αυτών S Β L L: καϊ ταΐς άσβλγβίαυς καί σνμφυρμοΐς αυτών καϊ ττονηρίαις A: om. Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
έκλβκτούς αντονeav ώρυσρένης της ημέρας ταύτης έτι άμάρτησυς γένηταυ, μή έχευν αυτούς σωτηρίαν ή γάρ ρβτάνουα τοις δυκαίους έχβυ τέλοςπβπλήρωνταυ αί ήρέραι μβτανοίας πάσυν τοις άγιουςκαί τοΐς δέ βθνβσυν μeτάvouά έστυν έως έσχατης ημέρας.
6. έpeΐς ονν τοΐς προηγονμένους τής εκκλησίας ϊνα κατορθώσωνταυ τάς οδούς αυτών έν δικαυοσύνη, ΐνα άπολάβωσυν έκ πλήρονς τάς επαγγελίας ρβτά πολλής δόξης.
7. έμμeίvaτe ούν οί έργαζόρβνου τήν δυκαυοσύνην καί ρή δυψνχήσητβ, ΐνα γένηταυ ύρών ή πάροδος μβτά τών αγγέλων τών αγίων, μακάρυου ύμβΐς Οσου ύπομένβτβ τήν θλΐφυν τήν έρχορένην τήν μeγάληv καί όσου ούκ άρνήσονταυ τήν ζωήν αυτών.
αυτών άπβγνωρυσθαυ άπο τής ζωής αυτών, τούς νύν ρέλλοντας άρνβΐσθαυ ταΐς έρχορέναυς ήρέραυςτοΐς δέ πpότepov άρνησαρένους, δυά τήν πολνσπλαγχνίαν ΐλβως έγέveτo αύτοΐς.
7 (ΙΙ.3) %ύ δέ, Έρμα, ρηκέτι μνησυκακήσης τοΐς τέκνους σον, μηδέ τήν άδβλφήν σον έάσης, ΐνα καθαρυσθώσυν άπο τών προτέρων άραρτυών αυτών. παυδβνθήσονταυ γάρ παυδβία δυκαυα, έάν σύ μή μνησυκακήσης αύτοΐς. μνησυκακία θάνατον κατεργάζβταυ.
VISIONS 7(11.3) ones: 'If there is any more sinning once this day has been appointed, they will not find salvation. For there is a limit to repentance for those who are upright, and the days of repentance for all the saints are complete. But the outsid ers will be able to repent until the final day.' 6. And so, say to those who lead the church that they are to make their paths straight in righteousness, that they may fully receive the promises with great glory. 7. You who do what is righ teous should stand firm and not be of two minds, that your path may lie with the holy angels. How fortunate are all you who endure the great affliction that is coming and do not deny your life. 8. For the Lord has sworn by his Son, that those who deny their Lord have lost their life—that is, those who are about to deny him in the days that are com ing. But through his great compassion, mercy has been given to those who denied the Lord previously.
7 (II.3) "But you, Hermas, must no longer hold a grudge against your children nor leave your sister to her own devices [Or: nor avoid your sister], that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be disciplined with an up right discipline, if you bear no grudge against them. A grudge produces death. But you, Hermas, have experi enced great afflictions of your own because of your family's
22 γάρ S B: add ό A 23 κύριον S c A L 2 Ε: χριστον S: viov L 1: [lacuna B] 24 κατεργάζεται S A Ε: add τό δβ μνησικακόν (= δ' άμνησικακόν?) ζωήν αίώνιον κατεργάζεται Β L 1 (L 2) 2 5 ίδιωτικάς S Β A L 2: βιωτικάς S c L 1: om. Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
βάσβις τον οΐκον σον, οτι ονκ έρέλησέν croc πβρϊ αντών. άλλά παρβνβθνρήθης καϊ ταΐς πραγρατβίαις
σον σννανβφύρης ταΐς πονηραΐς2. άλλά σώζβι σβ το ρή άττοστήναί σβ άπο θβον ζώντος, καί ή άπλότης σον καί ή πολλή έγκράτβια· ταντα σέσωκέν σβ, βάν έρρβίνης, καϊ πάντας σώζβι
τονς τά τοιαύτα έργαζορένονς καί πορβνορένονς βν ακακία καϊ άπλότητι. ούτοι κατισχύσονσιν πάσης πονηρίας και παραρβνούσιν βίς ζωήν αίώνιον. 3. ρακάριοι πάντβς οί έργαζόρβνοι τήν δικαιοσννην. ον διαφθαρήσονται βως αιώνος.
4. έρβΐς δέ Μαξίρωίδον θλΐφις βρχβται· βάν σοι φανή, πάλιν άρνησαι. εγγύς κύριος τοΐς έπιστρβφορένοις, ώς γέγραπται βν τώ Έλδάδ καί Μωδάτ, τοΐς προφητβύσασιν βν τή έρήρω τώ λαώ.
8 (ΙΙ.4) Άπβκαλύφθη δβ ροι, άδβλφοί, κοιρωρένω ύπο νβανίσκον βύβιδβστάτον λέγοντος ροιτήν πρβσβντέραν, παρ ή ς βλαββς το βιβλίδιον, τίνα δοκβΐς βίναι; έγώ φηριτήν Σίβνλλαν. πλανάσαι, φησίν, ούκ βστιν. τίς ονν έστιν; φηρί. ή εκκλησία, φησίν. βίπον αύτώ· διατί ονν πρβσβντέρα; οτι, φησίν, πάντων πρώτη έκτίσθη' διά τούτο πρβσβντέρα, καί διά ταντην
2. ρβτέπβιτα δέ ορασιν βϊδον έν τώ οίκω 2 6 πραγματβίαις S Β A L L Ε: αμαρτία/, 9 S c 2 7 σώζβι S Α: σώσβι Β L L Ε
VISIONS 8 (II.4) transgressions, since you paid no attention to them. You neglected them and became enmeshed in your own evil deeds [Or: business dealings].
2. But you are saved by not straying from the living God, and by your simplicity and great self-restraint. These things have saved you, if you continue; and they save all those who do them and who proceed in innocence and simplicity. Such people will overcome all evil and persist to eternal life. 3. How fortu nate are all those who do righteousness. They will never perish. 4. Say to Maximus, 'See, affliction is coming. If it seems right to you, make another denial.'
1 The Lord is near to those who convert, as is written in the Book of Eldad and Modat, 2 who prophesied to the people in the wilderness."
8 (II.4) While I was sleeping, brothers, I received a revelation from a very beautiful young man, who said to me: "The el derly woman from whom you received the little book— who do you think she is?" "The Sibyl," I replied. "You are wrong," he said; "it is not she." "Who then is it?" I asked.
"The church," he said. I said to him, "Why then is she el derly?" "Because," he said, "she was created first, before anything else. That is why she is elderly, and for her sake the world was created." 2. And afterward I saw a vision in 1 The quotation may continue to the end of the verse.
2 This was an apocryphal book written in the names of the two prophets mentioned in Num. 11:26. It no longer survives.