Vision Four
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
ταντα τά αγαθά. 3. καϊ ότι έπϊ σνμφελίον είδες καθημένην, ίσχνρά ή θέσις· OTL τεσσάρας πόδας έχει τό σνμφέλιον καϊ ίσχνρώς έστηκεν και γάρ ό κόσρος διά τεσσάρων στοιχείων κρατείται.
4. οί ονν μετανοήσαντες όλοτελώς νέοι έσονται καϊ τεθερελιωρένοι, οί έζ όλης καρδίας ρετανοήσαντες. απέχεις όλοτελή τήν άποκάλνφιν ρηκέτι ρηδέν αιτήσεις περί άποκαλύφεως·
22 (IV.1)
ΛΗ^ 9 4 εΐδον, αδελφοί, ρετά ήρέρας είκοσι τής προτέρας οράσεως τής γενορένης, εις τύπον τής θλίφεως τής επερχόμενης.
2. ύπήγον εις άγρόν τή όδώ τή Καμπανή. άπο τής όδον τής δηροσίας εστίν ώσεί στάδια
3. ρόνος ονν περίπατων άξιώ τον κύριον ϊνα τάς άποκαλύφεις καϊ τά όράρατα ά ροι εδειζεν διά τής άγιας εκκλησίας αυτού τελείωση, ϊνα ρε ίσχνροποιήση καί δω τήν μετάνοιαν δέκαραδίως
τοΐς δοΰλοις αυτού τοΐς έσκανδαλισρένοις, ΐνα δοξασθή τό ονορα αυτού τό ρέγα καί ενδοξον, ότι ρε άξιον ήγήσατο τού δεΐζαί ροι τά θανμάσια αυτού.
ήχος φωνής ροι άπεκρίθη· ρή διφνχήσεις, 'Έρμά. έν έμαντω ήρξάρην διαλογίζεσθαι καί λέγειν έγώ τί εχω διφνχήσαι ούτω τεθερελιωρένος ύπό τού κνρίον καί ίδών ένδοξα πράγματα;
VISIONS
2 2 ( I V 1 )
good things. 3. And you saw her seated on a couch because that is a strong position, since the couch has four legs and stands firmly. For the world is also held firm through the four elements. 4. And so, those who fully repent will become new and firmly established—those who have re pented from their whole heart. Now you have the revela tion complete. No longer ask anything about it; if anything is still needed, it will be revealed to you."
Vision Four 22 (IV.l) This is what I saw, brothers, twenty days after the earlier vision, as a foreshadowing of the coming affliction. 2.1 was going into the country on the Via Campania. This is just over a mile off the public road; the place is easily reached.
3. While walking alone, I was asking the Lord to complete the revelations and visions he had shown me through his holy church, that he might strengthen me and give repen tance to his slaves who had stumbled, so that his great and glorious name might be glorified, since he had considered me worthy to see his marvelous acts. 4. And while I was giving him glory and thanks, something like the sound of a voice answered me, "Do not be of two minds, Hermas." I began to debate with myself, "How can I be of two minds, when I have been firmly established by the Lord and seen
9 5 ραΒίως S A: raw {= σπανίως) L L: vasta Ε
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S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
5. καί προσέβην μικρόν, αδελφοί, καϊ ίδον βλέπω κονιορτόν ώς βίς τον ούρανόν, καϊ ήρζάρην λέγειν βν βραντώρήποτβ κτήνη έρχονται καϊ κονιορτόν έγείρονσιν; οντω δβ ήν άπ' έρού ώς από σταδίον.
6. γινορβνον ρβίζονος καί ρβίζονος κονιορτόν ύπενόησα βίναι τι θείον ρικρόν έζέλαμφεν ό ήλιος, καϊ ίδον βλέπω θηρίον ρέγιστον ώσεί κήτος τι,
καϊ έκ τον στόματος αντον ακρίδες πύριναι έζεπορεύοντο. ήν δέ τό θηρίον τώ ρήκει ώσεί ποδών ρ , τήν δέ κεφαλήν είχεν ώσεί
καί έρωτάν τον κνρίον Ινα με λντρώσηται έζ αντον. καί έπανεμνήσθην τον ρήματος ον άκηκόειν μή διφνχήσεις, Έρμα. 8. ένδνσάμενος ονν, αδελφοί, τήν πίστιν τον κνρίον κεράρον.
καί μνησθείς ών έδίδαζέν με μεγαλείων, θαρσήσας εις τό θηρίον έραντόν έδωκα, οντω δέ ήρχετο τό θηρίον ροίζω, ώστε δύνασθαι αυτό πόλιν λνράναι.
9. έρχοραι εγγύς αυτού, καϊ τό τηλικούτο κήτος εκτείνει έαντό χαμαί καί ουδέν εί μή τήν γλώσσαν προέβαλλεν, καί όλως ούκ έκινήθη ρέχρις οτε παρήλθον αυτό· 10. είχεν δέ τό θηρίον έπϊ τής κεφα λής χρώματα τέσσερα· ρέλαν, είτα πνροειδές καϊ αίματώδες, εΧτα χρνσούν, είτα λενκόν.
23 (IV.2)
Μβτά δέ τό παρελθεΐν ρε τό θηρίον καί προελθεΐν ώσεί πόδας λ', ιδού ύπαντα μοι παρθένος κεκοσρημένη ώς έκ ννμφώνος έκπορενορένη, όλη έν λενκοΐς
VISIONS
23 (IV.2)
his glorious deeds?" 5.1 passed on a bit, brothers, and sud denly saw a cloud of dust, reaching up to the sky. And I began saying to myself, "Is that a herd of cattle coming, raising the dust?" But it was still about two hundred yards away from me. 6. And as the dust cloud grew larger and larger, I realized that it was something supernatural. The sun began to shine a bit and suddenly I saw an enormous wild beast, something like a sea monster, with fiery locusts spewing from its mouth. The beast was nearly a hundred feet long, and its head looked like a ceramic jar. 7. And I began to weep and ask the Lord to save me from it. Then I remembered the word I had heard: "Do not be of two minds, Hermas." 8. And so, putting on the faith of the Lord, brothers, and remembering the great things he had taught me, I courageously gave myself over to the beast.
And so it came on with a roar, enough to lay waste a city.
9. But when I approached it, the enormous sea monster stretched itself out on the ground and did nothing but stick out its tongue; otherwise it did not move at all until I had passed it by. 10. And the beast had four colors on its head: black, fireand blood-red, gold, and white.
23 (IV.2)
After I passed by the beast and went about thirty feet ahead, a young woman suddenly met me, clothed as if coming from a bridal chamber, dressed all in white and 98 τι S L 2: om. A L 1 Ε 99 ωσ-β1 $c Α: ώς S 1 0 0 καιραμον S: -ιον S c: κβράμιον A: vasurnale UAaguenam L 2: lagenam Ε
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
καϊ ύποδήμασιν λευκοΐς, κατακεκαλυμμενη εως τον μβτώπον, βν μίτρα δβ ήν ή κατακάλυφις αυτήςβϊχβν δβ τάς τρίχας αυτής λβυκάς.
2. εγνων βγώ βκ τών προτέρων όραράτων οτι ή εκκλησία εστίν, καϊ ίλαρώτερος εγενόρην. ασπάζεται ρε λέγουσαχαίρε σύ, άνθρωπεκαϊ εγώ αυτήν άντησπασάμην κυρία, χαίρε3. άποκριθείσά μοι λέγειούδεν σοι άπήντησεν; λεγω αυτήκυρία, τηλικούτο θηρίον, δυνάμενον λαούς διαφθεΐραιάλλά τή δυνάρει τού κυρίου καϊ τή πολυσπλαγχνία αυτού εζεφυγον αυτό. 4. καλώς έξεφυγες, φησίν, οτι τήν ρεριμνάν σου επϊ τον θεον επεριψας καϊ τήν καρδίαν σου ήνοιζας προς τον κύριον, πιστεύσας οτι δι ούδενός δύνη σωθήναι εί μή διά τού μεγάλου
καί ενέφραζεν τό στόρα αυτού, ΐνα ρή σε λυμάνη. μεγάλην θλΐφιν εκπεφευγας διά τήν πίστιν σου, καί ότι τηλικούτο θηρίον ίδών ούκ εδιφύχησας5. ύπαγε ούν καί βζήγησαι τοΐς εκλεκτοΐς τού κυρίου τά ρεγαλεΐα αυτού, καί είπε αύτοΐς ότι τό θηρίον τούτο τύπος εστίν θλίφεως τής ρελλούσης τής ρεγάληςεάν ούν προετοιμάσησθε καί μετανοήσητε εζ όλης καρδίας υμών προς τον κύριον, δυνήσεσθε εκφυγεΐν αυτήν, εάν ή καρδία υμών γενηται καθαρά καί άμωμος, καϊ τάς λοιπάς τής ζωής ήμερας ύρών δουλεύσητε τώ κυρίω άρεμπτως. επιρίφατε τάς ρερίρνας
VISIONS
23 (IV.2)
with white sandals, veiled down to her forehead. Her veil was a headband and her hair was white. 2. From my earlier visions I knew that she was the church, and I became cheerful. She welcomed me, "Greetings, my man." And I welcomed her in return, "Greetings, Lady." 3. She said to me, "Did anything meet you?" I responded, "An enormous wild beast, Lady, able to destroy entire peoples. But by the power of the Lord and his great compassion, I escaped it."
4. "You escaped well," she said, "because you cast your anxiety upon God and opened your heart to the Lord, be lieving that you could not be saved except through his great and glorious name. For this reason the Lord sent his angel, named Thegri, who is in charge of the wild beasts; and he shut the beasts mouth, so that it could not harm you. You have escaped a great affliction because of your faith, and because you were not of two minds even though you saw such an enormous wild beast. 5. And so, go and explain the great acts of the Lord to his chosen ones, and tell them that this wild beast is a foreshadowing of the great affliction that is coming. If then all of you prepare and repent before the Lord from your whole heart, you will be able to escape it—if your heart becomes clean and blameless and you serve the Lord blamelessly the rest of your days. Cast your anxieties upon the Lord and he will take care of them. 6. Trust in the Lord, you who are of two
103 μεγάλου A L L Ε: άγίον άγγελον S 1 0 4 ό κνριος A L L Ε: om. S 105 θεγρί Α: θεγει S: θεγρει S*c: Tegn L
2: Tegen E: Hegrin U 106 μέριμνας S L L Ε: καρδίας A
S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
κνρίω, οί δίφνχοι, OTL πάντα δύναται, καί αποστρέφει τήν όργήν αυτού άφ' ύρών καί έζαποστέλλει μάστι γας ύρΐν τοΐς διψύχοις. ούαί τοΐς άκούσασιν τά ρή ρατα ταύτα καί παρακούσασιν αίρετώτερον ήν αύτοΐς το ρή γεννηθήναι.
24 (IV.3)
'ΐίρώτησα αυτήν πβρί τών τεσσάρων χρωράτων ών είχεν το θηρίον εις τήν κεφαλήν, ή δέ άποκριθεΐσά ροι λέγειπάλιν περίεργος εί περί τοιούτων πραγράτων. ναι, φημί, κνρίαγνώρισόν ροι τί έστιν ταύτα.
2. άκονε, φησίν το ρέν μέλαν ούτος 6 κόσμος έστιν, έν ω κατοικείτε3. τό δβ πνροειδές καί αίματώδες, ότι δεΐ τον κόσμον τούτον δι αίματος καί πνρός άπόλλνσθαι4. τό δέ χρνσούν ρέρος ύρεΐς έστε οί έκφνγόντες τον κόσμον τούτον, ώσπερ γάρ τό χρνσίον δοκιράζεται διά τού πνρός καί ενχρηστον γίνεται, ούτως καί ύρεΐς δοκιράζεσθε οί κατοικούντες έν αύτοΐς. οί ούν ρείναντες καί πνρωθέντες ύπ' αυτών
καθαρισθήσεσθε. ώσπερ τό χρνσίον αποβάλλει τήν σκωρίαν αυτού, ούτω καί ύμεΐς άποβαλεΐτε πάσαν λύπην καί στενοχωρίαν, καί καθαρισθήσεσθε καί χρήσιροι εσεσθε εις τήν οίκοδορήν τού πύργον.
5. τό δέ λενκόν ρέρος ό αιών ό έπερχόρενός έστιν, έν ω κατοικήσονσιν οί εκλεκτοί τού θεού-
VISIONS
24 (IV.3)
minds, because he can do all things; he both diverts his anger from you and sends punishments to you who are doubleminded. Woe to those who hear these words and disobey. It would be better for them not to have been born."
24 (IV.3)
I then asked her about the four colors the beast had on its head. And she answered me, "Once again you are being overly inquisitive about these matters." "Yes Lady," I said,
"explain these things to me." 2. "Listen," she said. "The black is this world, in which all of you live. 3. The fireand blood-red shows that this world must be destroyed through blood and fire. 4. But you who escape this world are the part that is gold. For just as gold is tested through fire and thus becomes useful, so also you who dwell among them 3 are put to the test. Those who endure and are burned by them will be made pure. For just as gold casts off its dross, so also you will cast off every grief and tribula tion, and be cleansed and made useful for the building of the tower. 5. But the part that is white is the age that is coming, in which the chosen ones of God will dwell. For those who have been chosen by God for eternal life will be spotless and pure. 6. And so, do not stop speaking in the 3 I.e., either among the inhabitants of the world, or among the fire and the blood.
2 ) 108 θβον S L L Ε: κνρίον A l ° 107 αντών S Ll: αντον A Ε ( L 9 Βιαλίπης S L L Ε: add ταντα A