My LORD’s BibleShepherd of Hermas: Mandates 12
1He says to me, “Put away from you all wicked desire, and clothe yourself with good and chaste desire; for clothed with this desire you will hate wicked desire, and will rein yourself in even as you wish. For wicked desire is wild, and is with difficulty tamed. For it is terrible, and consumes men exceedingly by its wildness. Especially is the servant of God terribly consumed by it, if he falls into it and is devoid of understanding. Moreover, it consumes all such as have not on them the garment of good desire, but are entangled and mixed up with this world. These it delivers up to death.” “What then, sir,” say I, “are the deeds of wicked desire which deliver men over to death? Make them known to me, and I will refrain from them.” “Listen, then, to the works in which evil desire slays the servants of God.”
᾿ἘἘντολὴ ιβ΄. I, Λέγει μοι' ρον ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν πονηράν, ἔνδυσαι δὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ σεμνήν" ἐνδεδυμένος γὰρ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην μισήσεις τὴν πονηρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ ὃ χαλεναγωγήσεις αὐτὴν καθὼς βούλει. ἀγρία εἰ. James yap ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ merape καὶ δυσκόλως ἡμεροῦται" os φοβερὰ yap ἐστι καὶ λίαν τῇ ἀγριότητι αὐτῆς δαπανᾷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους" μάλιστα δὲ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς αὐτὴν δοῦλος Θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ἦ συνετός, δαπανᾶται ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς δεινῶς. δαπανᾷ δὲ τοὺς τοιούτους τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ἀλλὰ ἐμπεφυρμένους τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ. τούτους οὖν παραδίδωσιν εἰς θάνατον. ἸΠοῖα, φημί, κύριε, ἔργα ἐστὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς πονηρᾶς τὰ παραδιδόντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς θάνατον; γνώρισόν μοι, ἵνα ἀφέξομαι am’ αὐτῶν. “Axov- σον, [φησίν,] ἐν ποίοις ἔργοις θανατοῖ 4 ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρὰ τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πάντων προέχουσα ἐπιθυμία γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἣ ἀνδρός, καὶ πολυτελείας πλούτου καὶ ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν ματαίων καὶ μεθυσμάτων, καὶ ἑτέρων τρνφῶν πολλῶν καὶ μωρῶν" πᾶσα γὰρ τρυφὴ μωρά ἐστι καὶ κενὴ τοῖς δούλοις, τοῦ Θεοῦ. αὗται οὖν ai ἐπιθυμίαε wovnpal εἰσι, θανα- roveas τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ. αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου θυγάτηρ ἐστίν. ἀπέχεσθαι οὖν δεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν πονηρῶν, ἵνα ἀποσχόμενοι ζήσητε τῷ Θεῷ. ὅσοι δὲ ἂν κατακυριευθῶσιν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀἐντισταθῶσιν αὐταῖς, ἀποθανοῦνται εἰς τέλος" θανατώδεις γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι αὗται. σὺ δὲ ἔνδυσαι τὴν ὀπιθυ- μίαν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ καθοπλισάμενος τὸν φόβον τοῦ Κυρίου ἀντίστηθι αὐταῖς. ὁ γὰρ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ κατοικεῖ ἐν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρά, ἐὰν ἔδῃ σε καθωπλισμένον τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθεστηκότα αὐτῇ, φεύξεται ἀπὸ σοῦ μακράν, καὶ οὐκ ἔτε σοι ὀφθήσεται φοβου- μένη τὰ ὅπλα σου. σὺ οὖν στεφανωθεὶς κατ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐλθὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτῇ τὸ νῖκος ὃ ἔλαβες, δούλευσον αὐτῇ καθὼς αὐτὴ βούλεται. ἐὰν δουλεύσῃς τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ καὶ ὑποταγῆς αὐτῇ, δυνήσῃ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς πονηρᾶς κατακυριεῦσαι καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτὴν καθὼς βούλει. Ἤθελον, φημί, κύριε, γνῶναι ποίοις τρόποις με δεῖ δουλεῦσαι τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. “Axove, φησίν" ἔργασαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀρετήν, ἀλήθειαν καὶ φόβον Κυρίου, πίστιν καὶ πραότητα, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὅμοιά ἐστιν ἀγαθά. ταῦτα ἐργαζόμενος εὐάρεστος ἔσῃ δοῦλος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ avrg’ καὶ πᾶς ὃς av δουλεύσῃ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ, ζήσεται τῷ Θεώ. Συνετέλεσεν οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς δώδεκα, καὶ λέγει pot’ Ἔχεις τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας" πορεύου ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας παρακάλει ἵνα ἡ μετάνοια αὐτών καθαρὰ γένηται τὰς λοιπὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν. τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην ἣν σοι δίδωμι ἐκτέλει ἐπιμελῶς, καὶ πολὺ ἐργάσῃ" εὑρήσεις γὰρ χάριν ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσι μετανοεῖν, καὶ πεισθήσονταί cou τοῖς ῥήμασιν᾽ ἐγὼ γὰρ μετὰ σοῦ ἔσομαι, καὶ ἀναγκάσω αὐτοὺς πεισθηῆναί σοι. Λέγω αὐτῷ' Κύριε, αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὗται μεγάλαι καὶ καλαὶ καὶ ἔνδοξοί εἰσι καὶ δυνάμεναι εὐφρᾶνδι KapAian ἀν- Μ. 18 Ν] THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS 339 θρώπογ τοῦ δυναμένου τηρῆσαι avras. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ δύνανται ai ἐντολαὶ αὗται ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι, διότε σκληραί εἰσι May. ἀποκριθεὶς λέγεε μοι" "Edy σὺ σεαυτῷ προθῇς ὅτε δύνανται φυλαχθῆναι, εὐκόλως αὐτὰς φυλάξεις, καὶ οὐκ δύνασθαι αὐτὰς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι, οὐ φυλάξεις αὖὗτός. νῦν δέ σοι λέγω" ἐὰν ταύτας μὴ φυλάξῃς, ἀλλὰ παρενθυμηθῇς, οὐχ Eas σωτηρίαν, οὔτε τὰ τέκνα σου οὔτε ὃ οἶκός σου, dred ἤδη σεαυτῷ κέκρικας τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸς ἀντολὰς ταύτας ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι.
2“Foremost of all is the desire after another’s wife or husband, and after extravagance, and many useless dainties and drinks, and many other foolish luxuries; for all luxury is foolish and empty in the servants of God. These, then, are the evil desires which slay the servants of God. For this evil desire is the daughter of the devil. You must refrain from evil desires, that by refraining ye may live to God. But as many as are mastered by them, and do not resist them, will perish at last, for these desires are fatal. Put you on, then, the desire of righteousness; and arming yourself with the fear of the Lord, resist them. For the fear of the Lord dwells in good desire. But if evil desire see you armed with the fear of God, and resisting it, it will flee far from you, and it will no longer appear to you, for it fears your armour. Go, then, garlanded with the crown which you have gained for victory over it, to the desire of righteousness, and, delivering up to it the prize which you have received, serve it even as it wishes. If you serve good desire, and be subject to it, you will gain the mastery over evil desire, and make it subject to you even as you wish.”
Καὶ ταῦτά μοι λίαν ὀργίλως ἐλάλησεν, ὥστε με συγ- χυθῆναι καὶ λίαν αὐτὸν φοβηθῆναι" ἦ μορφὴ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἠλλοιώθη, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἄνθρωπον ὑπενεγκεῖν τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ. ἰδὼν δέ με τεταραγμένον ὅλον καὶ συγκεχυμένον ἥρξατό μοι ἐπιεικέστερον [καὶ ἱλαρώτερον͵) λαλεῖν, καὶ λέγει" “Adpor, ἀσύνετε καὶ δίψυχε, οὐ νοεῖς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς μεγάλη ἐστὶ καὶ ἰσχυρὰ καὶ θαυμαστή, ὅτε ἔκτισε τὸν κόσμον ἕνεκα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν αὐτοῦ ὑπέταξε τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν πᾶσαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τοῦ κατακυριεύειν τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν πάντων ; εἰ οὗν, [φησί πάντων ὁ ἄνθρωπος κύριός ἐστι τῶν κτισμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πάντων κατακυριεύει, ov δύναται καὶ τούτων τῶν ἐντολῶν κατακυριεῦσαε ; δύναται, φησί, [πάντων καὶ] πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων κατακυριεῦσαι ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃ ἔχων τὸν Κύριον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς χείλεσιν ὄχον- τες τὸν Κύριον, τὴν δὲ καρδίαν αὐτῶν πεπωρωμένην, καὶ μακρὰν ὄντες ἀπὸ τοῦ Kupiou, ἐκείνοις αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὗται σκλη- pai εἶσι καὶ δύσβατοι. θέσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς, of κενοὶ καὶ ἐλαφροὶ ὄντες ἐν τῇ πίστει, τὸν Κύριον ὑμῶν eis τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν εὐκολώτερον τῶν ἐντολῶν τού- των οὔτε γλυκύτερον οὔτε ἡμερώτερον. ἐπιστράφητε ὑμεῖς iv. 1 τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ] Here follows in A a gloss of some forty words. τὸν οὐρανὸν) ὑπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν Α. οἱ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς πορευόμενοι τοῦ διαβόλου, ταῖς δυσκόλοις καὶ πικραῖς καὶ ἀγρίαις καὶ ἀσελγέσι, καὶ μὴ φοβήθητε τὸν διάβολον, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ δύναμις οὐκ ἔστιν καθ᾽ ὑμῶν" ἀγὼ γὰρ ὅσομαι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν, ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς μετανοίας ὁ κατακυ- ριεύων αὐτοῦ. ὁ διάβολος μόνον φόβον ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φόβος αὐτοῦ τόνον οὐκ ἔχει" μὴ φοβήθητε οὖν αὐτόν, καὶ φεύξεται ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν. a
3“I should like to know,” say I, “in what way I ought to serve good desire.” “Hear,” says he: “You will practise righteousness and virtue, truth and the fear of the Lord, faith and meekness, and whatsoever excellences are like to these. Practising these, you will be a well-pleasing servant of God, and you will live to Him; and every one who shall serve good desire, shall live to God.” He concluded the twelve commandments, and said to me, “You have now these commandments. Walk in them, and exhort your hearers that their repentance may be pure during the remainder of their life. Fulfil carefully this ministry which I now entrust to you, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favour among those who are to repent, and they will give heed to your words; for I will be with you, and will compel them to obey you.” I say to him, “Sir, these commandments are great, and good, and glorious, and fitted to gladden the heart of the man who can perform them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are exceeding hard.” He answered and said to me, “If you lay it down as certain that they can be kept, then you will easily keep them, and they will not be hard. But if you come to imagine that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I say to you, If you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.”
Λέγω αὐτῷ: Κύριε, ἄκουσόν μον ὀλίγων ῥημάτων. Λέγε, φησίν, ὃ βούλει. Ὃ μὲν ἄνθρωπος, φημέ, κύριε, πρόθυ- μός ἐστι τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ φυλάσσειν, καὶ οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃ μὴ αἰτούμενος παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἵνα ἐνδυναμωθῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποταγῇ αὐταῖς" ἀλλ᾽ ὁ διάβολος σκληρός ἐστι καὶ καταδυναστεύει αὐτῶν. Οὐ δύναται, φησί, κατα- δυναστεύειν τῶν δούλων τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ἔλπι- ζόντων ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν. δύναται 6 διάβολος ἀντιπαλαῖσαι, κατα- παλαῖσαι δὲ οὐ δύναται. ἐὰν οὖν ἀντισταθῆτε αὐτῷ, νικηθεὶς φεύξεται ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν κατῃσχυμμένος. ὅσοι δέ, φησίν, ἀπόκενοί εἰσι, φοβοῦνται τὸν διάβολον ὡς δύναμιν ἔχοντα. ὅταν ὁ ἄνθρωπος κεράμια ἱκανώτατα γεμίσῃ οἴνον καλοῦ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κεραμίοις ἐκείνοις ὀλίγα ἀπόκενα %, ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὰ κεράμια καὶ οὐ κατανοεῖ τὰ πλήρη" olde γὰρ ὅτι πλήρη εἰσί" κατα- νοεῖ δὲ τὰ ἀπόκενα, φοβούμενος μήποτε ὥξισαν" ταχὺ γὰρ τὰ ἀπόκενα κεράμια ὀξίζουσι, καὶ ἀπόλλυται ἡ ἡδονὴ τοῦ οἴνου. 4- οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἔρχεται ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκπειράζων αὐτούς. ὅσοι οὖν πλήρεις εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἀνθεστήκασιν αὐτῷ ἰσχυρῶς, κἀκεῖνος ἀποχωρεῖ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν μὴ ἔχων τόπον ποῦ εἰσέλθῃ. ἔρχεται οὖν τότε πρὸς τοὺς ἀποκένους, καὶ ἔχων τόπον εἰσπορεύεται εἰς αὐτούς, καὶ ὃ δὲ βούλεται ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐργάζεται, καὶ γίνονται αὐτῷ ὑπόδουλοι.
4These things he said to me in tones of the deepest anger, so that I was confounded and exceedingly afraid of him, for his figure was altered so that a man could not endure his anger. But seeing me altogether agitated and confused, he began to speak to me in more gentle tones; and he said: “O fool, senseless and doubting, do you not perceive how great is the glory of God, and how strong and marvellous, in that He created the world for the sake of man, and subjected all creation to him, and gave him power to rule over everything under heaven? If, then, man is lord of the creatures of God, and rules over all, is he not able to be lord also of these commandments? For,” says he, “the man who has the Lord in his heart can also be lord of all, and of every one of these commandments. But to those who have the Lord only on their lips, but their hearts hardened, and who are far from the Lord, the commandments are hard and difficult. Put, therefore, ye who are empty and fickle in your faith, the Lord in your heart, and ye will know that there is nothing easier, or sweeter, or more manageable, than these commandments. Return, ye who walk in the commandments of the devil, in hard, and bitter, and wild licentiousness, and fear not the devil; for there is no power in him against you, for I will be with you, the angel of repentance, who am lord over him. The devil has fear only, but his fear has no strength. Fear him not, then, and he will flee from you.”
Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῖν λέγω, ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς μετανοίας" μὴ φοβήθητε τὸν διάβολον. ἀπεστάλην γάρ, φησί, μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἶναι τῶν μετανοούντων ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἰσχυρο- ποιῆσαι αὑτοὺς ἐν τῇ πίστει. πιστεύσατε οὖν τῷ Θεῷ ὑμεῖς οἱ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπεγνωκότες τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν καὶ προστιθέντες ἁμαρτίαις καὶ καταβαρύνοντες τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἐὰν ἐπιστραφῆτε πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρ- δίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐργάσησθε τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὰς λοιπὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν καὶ δουλεύσητε αὐτῷ ὀρθῶς κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ποιήσει ἴασιν τοῖς προτέροις ὑμῶν ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ ὅξετε δύναμιν τοῦ κατακυριεῦσαι τῶν ἔργων τοῦ διαβόλου. τὴν δὲ ἀπειλὴν τοῦ διαβόλου ὅλως μὴ φοβήθητε" ἄτονος γάρ ἐστιν ὥσπερ νεκροῦ νεῦρα. ἀκούσατε οὖν μου, καὶ φοβή- θητε τὸν πάντα λγνόμενον, οῶςδι Kal ἀπολέοδι, καὶ τηρεῖτε τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, καὶ ζήσεσθε τῷ Θεῷ, λέγω αὐτῷ" ων Κύριε, νῦν ἐνεδυναμώθην ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς δικαιώμασι τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτε σὺ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ el’ καὶ οἷδα ὅτι συγκόψεις τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ διαβόλου πᾶσαν, καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῦ κατακυριεύσομεν καὶ κατι- σχύσομεν πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐλπίξω, κύριε, δύνα- σθαί με νῦν τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, ἃς ἐντέταλσαι, τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνδυναμοῦντος φυλάξαι. ς. Φυλάξεις, φησίν, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία σου καθαρὰ γένηται πρὸς Κύριον᾽ καὶ πάντες δὲ φυλάξουσιν ὅσοι ἂν καθαρίσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς καρδίας ἀπὸ τῶν ματαίων ἐπιθυμιῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ζήσονται τῷ Θεῷ. |
5I say to him, “Sir, listen to me for a moment.” “Say what you wish,” says he. “Man, sir,” say I, “is eager to keep the commandments of God, and there is no one who does not ask of the Lord that strength may be given him for these commandments, and that he may be subject to them; but the devil is hard, and holds sway over them.” “He cannot,” says he, “hold sway over the servants of God, who with all their heart place their hopes in Him. The devil can wrestle against these, overthrow them he cannot. If, then, ye resist him, he will be conquered, and flee in disgrace from you. As many, therefore,” says he, “as are empty, fear the devil, as possessing power. When a man has filled very suitable jars with good wine, and a few among those jars are left empty, then he comes to the jars, and does not look at the full jars, for he knows that they are full; but he looks at the empty, being afraid lest they have become sour. For empty jars quickly become sour, and the goodness of the wine is gone. So also the devil goes to all the servants of God to try them. As many, then, as are full in the faith, resist him strongly, and he withdraws from them, having no way by which he might enter them. He goes, then, to the empty, and finding a way of entrance into them, he produces in them whatever he wishes, and they become his servants.”
6“But I, the angel of repentance, say to you, Fear not the devil; for I was sent,” says he, “to be with you who repent with all your heart, and to make you strong in faith. Trust God, then, ye who on account of your sins have despaired of life, and who add to your sins and weigh down your life; for if ye return to the Lord with all your heart, and practise righteousness the rest of your days, and serve Him according to His will, He will heal your former sins, and you will have power to hold sway over the works of the devil. But as to the threats of the devil, fear them not at all, for he is powerless as the sinews of a dead man. Give ear to me, then, and fear Him who has all power, both to save and destroy, and keep His commandments, and ye will live to God.” I say to him, “Sir, I am now made strong in all the ordinances of the Lord, because you are with me; and I know that you will crush all the power of the devil, and we shall have rule over him, and shall prevail against all his works. And I hope, sir, to be able to keep all these commandments which you have enjoined upon me, the Lord strengthening me.” “You will keep them,” says he, “if your heart be pure towards the Lord; and all will keep them who cleanse their hearts from the vain desires of this world, and they will live to God.”