Shepherd of Hermas: Similitudes 2

1_As the vine is supported by the elm, so is the rich man helped by the prayer of the poor._ As I was walking in the field, and observing an elm and vine, and determining in my own mind respecting them and their fruits, the Shepherd appears to me, and says, “What is it that you are thinking about the elm and vine?” “I am considering,” I reply, “that they become each other exceedingly well.” “These two trees,” he continues, “are intended as an example for the servants of God.” “I would like to know,” said I, “the example which these trees, you say, are intended to teach.” “Do you see,” he says, “the elm and the vine?” “I see them, sir,” I replied. “This vine,” he continued, “produces fruit, and the elm is an unfruitful tree; but unless the vine be trained upon the elm, it cannot bear much fruit when extended at length upon the ground; and the fruit which it does bear is rotten, because the plant is not suspended upon the elm. When, therefore, the vine is cast upon the elm, it yields fruit both from itself and from the elm. You see, moreover, that the elm also produces much fruit, not less than the vine, but even more; because,” he continued, “the vine, when suspended upon the elm, yields much fruit, and good; but when thrown upon the ground, what it produces is small and rotten. This similitude, therefore, is for the servants of God—for the poor man and for the rich.” “How so, sir?” said I; “explain the matter to me.” “Listen,” he said: “The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power above. But when the rich man refreshes the poor, and assists him in his necessities, believing that what he does to the poor man will be able to find its reward with God—because the poor man is rich in intercession and confession, and his intercession has great power with God—then the rich man helps the poor in all things without hesitation; and the poor man, being helped by the rich, intercedes for him, giving thanks to God for him who bestows gifts upon him. And he still continues to interest himself zealously for the poor man, that his wants may be constantly supplied. For he knows that the intercession of the poor man is acceptable and influential with God. Both, accordingly, accomplish their work. The poor man makes intercession; a work in which he is rich, which he received from the Lord, and with which he recompenses the master who helps him. And the rich man, in like manner, unhesitatingly bestows upon the poor man the riches which he received from the Lord. And this is a great work, and acceptable before God, because he understands the object of his wealth, and has given to the poor of the gifts of the Lord, and rightly discharged his service to Him. Among men, however, the elm appears not to produce fruit, and they do not know nor understand that if a drought come, the elm, which contains water, nourishes the vine; and the vine, having an unfailing supply of water, yields double fruit both for itself and for the elm. So also poor men interceding with the Lord on behalf of the rich, increase their riches; and the rich, again, aiding the poor in their necessities, satisfy their souls. Both, therefore, are partners in the righteous work. He who does these things shall not be deserted by God, but shall be enrolled in the books of the living. Blessed are they who have riches, and who understand that they are from the Lord. [For they who are of that mind will be able to do some good.]”

"AdAn παραβολή. Περιπατοῦντός μον εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ xatavoovvros πτελέαν καὶ ἄμπελον, καὶ διακρίνοντος περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν, φανεροῦταί μοι ὁ ποιμὴν καὶ λέγει" Τί σὺ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ζητεῖς; Περὶ τῆς πτελέας καὶ τῆς ἀμπέλον συξζητῶ, φημί, [κύριε,) ὅτε εὐπρεπέσταταί εἰσιν ἀλλήλαις. Ταῦτα τὰ δύο δένδρα, φησίν, εἰς τύπον κεῖνται τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἤθελον, φημί, [κύριε,] γνῶναι τὸν τύπον τῶν δένδρων τούτων ὧν λέγεις. Βλέπεις, φησί, τὴν πτελέαν καὶ τὴν ἄμπελον; Βλέπω, φημί, κύρι. “H ἄμπελος, φησίν, αὕτη καρπὸν φέρει, ἡ δὲ πτελέα ξύλον ἄκαρπόν ἐστιν᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἄμπελος αὕτη, ἐὰν μὴ ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν πτελέαν, οὐ δύναται καρποφορῆ- σαι πολὺ ἐρριμμένη χαμαί, καὶ ὃν φέρει καρπόν, σεσηπότα φέρει μὴ κρεμαμένη ἐπὶ τῆς πτελέας. ὅταν οὖν ἐπιρριφῇ ἡ ἄμπελος ἐπὶ τὴν πτελέαν, καὶ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῆς φέρει καρπὸν καὶ παρὰ τῆς πτελέας. βλέπεις οὖν ὅτι καὶ ἡ πτελέα [πολὺν καρπὸν δίδωσιν, οὐκ ἐλάσσονα τῆς ἀμπέλου, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πλείονα. | Πώς, φημί, κύριε, πλείονα; |“Ort, φησίν, ἡ ἄμπε- λος κρεμαμένη ἐπὶ τὴν πτεέλέαν τὸν καρπὸν πολὺν καὶ καλὸν 242 THE SHEPHERD OF ΗΕΒΜΑΒ. [5.1 κάμψαι εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν. ἄφρον καὶ δίψνχε καὶ ταλαί- πωρε ἄνθρωπε, οὐ νοεῖς ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἀλλότριά ἐστι, καὶ ὑπ᾽ ἐξουσίαν ἑτέρου εἰσίν ; ἐρεῖ γὰρ ὁ κύριος τῆς πόλεως ταύτης" Οὐ θέλω σε κατοικεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλεν μου, ἀλλ᾽ ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, ὅτε τοῖς νόμοις μου οὐ χρᾶσαι. 4, σὺ οὖν ἔχων ἀγροὺς καὶ οἰκήσεις καὶ ὁτέρας ὑπάρξεις πολλάς, ἀκβαλλόμενος ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τί ποιήσεις σου τὸν ὠγρὸν καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅσα ἡτοίμασας σεαυτῷ; λέγει γάρ σοι δικαίως ὁ κύριος τῆς χώρας ταύτης" "Ἢ τοῖς νόμοις μου χρῶ, ἢ ἐκχώρει ἐκ τῆς χώρας μου. σὺ οὖν τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν, ἔχων νόμον ἐν τῇ σῇ πόλει; ἕνεκεν τῶν ὠγρῶν σου καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ὑπάρξεως τὸν νόμον σου πάντως ἀπαρνήσῃ καὶ πο- hing: ik νόμν. τῆν πόλεος τατον! Midas μὴ ὡσύμψορί ἐστιν ἁπαρνῆσαε τὸν νόμον σου" ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπανακάμψαι θελή- ops eis τὴν πόλιν σου, ov μὴ παραδεχθήσῃ, [ὅτι ἀπηρνήσω τὸν νόμον τῆς πόλεώς σου,)] καὶ ἐκκλεισθήσῃ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς. βλέπε οὖν σύ" ὡς ἐπὶ ξένης κατοικῶν μηδὲν πλέον ὁτοί- pate σεαυτῷ εἰ μὴ τὴν αὐτάρκειαν τὴν ἀρκετήν cot, καὶ ὅτοιμος γίνου, ἵνα ὅταν θέλῃ ὁ δεσπότης τῆς πόλεως ταύτης ἐκβαλεῖν σε ἀντιταξάμενον τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ, ἐξέλθῃς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέλθῃς eis THY πόλεν σου, καὶ τῷ σῷ νόμῳ χρήσῃ ἀνυβρίστως ἀγαλλεώμενος. βλέπετε οὖν ὑμεῖς οἱ δουλεύοντες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἔχοντες αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν" ἐργά- ζεσθε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ μνημονεύοντες τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ὧν ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ πιστεύσατε αὐτῷ ὅτι ποιήσει αὐτάς, ἐὰν ai ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ φυλαχθῶσιν. ἀντὶ ἀγρῶν οὖν ἀγοράξετε ψυχὴς θλιβομένας, καθά τις δυνατός ἐστι, καὶ χήρας καὶ ὀρφανοὺς ἐπισκέπτεσθε, καὶ μὴ παραβλέ- πετε αὐτούς, καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς παρατάξεις πάσας εἰς τοιούτους ἀγροὺς καὶ οἰκίας δαπανᾶτε, ἃς ἐλάβετε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπλούτισεν ὑμᾶς ὃ δεσπότης, ἵνα ταύτας τὰς διακονίας τελόσητε αὐτῷ" πολὺ βέλτιόν dots τοιούτους ὠγροὺς ὠγοράζειν [καὶ κτήματα] καὶ οἴκους, οὖς εὑρήσεις ἐν τῇ πόλει σου, ὅταν ἐπιδημήσῃς εἰς αὐτήν. πράσσετε' ἀσύμφορον γάρ ὄστιν ὑμῖν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ" τὴν δὲ ἰδίαν πολυτέλειαν πράσσετε, ἐν § δύνασθε χαρῆ»- μηδὲ ἐπιθυμεῖτε αὐτοῦ" πονηρὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυ- μεῖν. τὸ δὲ σὸν ἔργον ἐργάζου, καὶ σωθήσῃ.