My LORD’s BibleShepherd of Hermas: Visions 1
1He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The sight of her beauty made me think with myself, “I should be a happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good as she is.” This was the only thought that passed through me: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was walking on my road to the villages, and magnifying the creatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful, and powerful they are, I fell asleep. And the Spirit carried me away, and took me through a pathless place, through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in the midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassable on account of water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain. I then bent down on my knees, and began to pray to the Lord, and to confess my sins. And as I prayed, the heavens were opened, and I see the woman whom I had desired saluting me from the sky, and saying, “Hail, Hermas!” And looking up to her, I said, “Lady, what doest thou here?” And she answered me, “I have been taken up here to accuse you of your sins before the Lord.” “Lady,” said I, “are you to be the subject of my accusation?” “No,” said she; “but hear the words which I am going to speak to you. God, who dwells in the heavens, and made out of nothing the things that exist, and multiplied and increased them on account of His holy church, is angry with you for having sinned against me.” I answered her, “Lady, have I sinned against you? How? or when spoke I an unseemly word to you? Did I not always think of you as a lady? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why do you falsely accuse me of this wickedness and impurity?” With a smile she replied to me, “The desire of wickedness arose within your heart. Is it not your opinion that a righteous man commits sin when an evil desire arises in his heart? There is sin in such a case, and the sin is great,” said she; “for the thoughts of a righteous man should be righteous. For by thinking righteously his character is established in the heavens, and he has the Lord merciful to him in every business. But such as entertain wicked thoughts in their minds are bringing upon themselves death and captivity; and especially is this the case with those who set their affections on this world, and glory in their riches, and look not forward to the blessings of the life to come. For many will their regrets be; for they have no hope, but have despaired of themselves and their life. But do thou pray to God, and He will heal thy sins, and the sins of thy whole house, and of all the saints.”
Ὁ θρέψας με whrpacty με Ῥόδῃ τινὶ εἷς Ῥώμην. μετὰ πολλὰ ὅτη ταύτην ἀνεγνωρισάμην καὶ ἠρξάμην αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾶν ὡς ἀδελφήν. μετὰ χρόνον τινὰ λονομένην εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Τίβεριν εἶδον, καὶ ἐπέδωκα αὐτῇ τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἐξήγαγον αὐτὴν ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ. ταύτης οὖν ἰδὼν τὸ κάλλος διελογιζόμην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου Myer Μακάριος ἥμην εἰ τοιαύτην γυναῖκα εἶχον καὶ τῷ κάλλει καὶ τῷ τρότῳ. μόνον τοῦτο ἐβουλευσάμην, ἕτερον δὲ οὐδέν. μετὰ χρόνον τινὰ “τορενομένου μου εἷς Kovpas καὶ δοξάζοντος τὰς κτίσεις τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἷς μεγάλαι καὶ ἐκπρεπεῖς καὶ δυναταί εἶσιν, περιπατῶν ἀφύπνωσα. καὶ πνεῦμά με ἔλαβεν καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με δὲ ἀνο- δίας τινός, δι’ ἧς ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἐδύνατο ὁδεῦσαι" ἦν δὲ 6 τόπος κρημνώδης καὶ ἀπερρηγὼς ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων. διαβὰς οὗν τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκεῖνον ἦλθον εἷς τὰ ὁμαλά, καὶ τιθῶ τὰ γόνατα καὶ ἠρξάμην προσεύχεσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαΐ μου τὰς ἁμαρτίας. προσευχομένου δέ μου ἠνοίγη ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ βλέπω τὴν γυναῖκα ἐκείνην ἣν ἐπεθύμησα ἀσπαζομένην με ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, λέγουσαν" “Epud, χαῖρε. βλέψας δὲ εἰς αὐτὴν λέγω αὐτῇ Kupla, τί σὺ ὧδε ποιεῖς; ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη pos’ ᾿Ανελήμφθην ἵνα σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐλέγξω πρὸς τὸν Κύριον. λέγω αὐτῇ" Νῦν σύ μου ἔλεγχος εἶ; Ov, φησίν, ἀλλὰ ἄκουσον τὰ ῥήματα ἅ σοι μέλλω λέγειν. ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς κατοικῶν καὶ κτίσας ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος τὰ ὄντα καὶ πληθύνας καὶ αὐξήσας ἕνεκεν τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ, épylferal σοι ὅτι ἥμαρτες εἰς ἐμέ. γ. ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῇ λέγω᾽ Εἰς σὲ ἥμαρτον; ποίῳ τρόπῳ; ἣ πότε σοι αἰσχρὸν ῥῆμα 208 ἨΕΡΗΕΕ. ΟΕ HERMAS. [ν.11 ἐλάλησα; οὐκ πέσε ὡς θεὰν ἡγησάμην; οὐ πάντοτέ σε ἐνετράπην ὡς ἀὲξ λ ἦν; τί μου καταψεύδῃ, ὦ γύναι, τὰ πονηρὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀκά τα; γελάσασά μοι λέγει" Ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἃ» } ἐπιθυμία τῆς πονηρίας. ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἀνδρὶ δικαίῳ 1 ἡν πρᾶγμα εἶναι ἐὰν ἀναβῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡ Toi ἐπιθυμία; ἁμαρτία γέ ἐστιν, καὶ μεγάλη, φησίν. ὁ γὰρ ws ἀνὴρ δίκαια βουλεύεται. ἐν τῷ οὖν δίκαια βουλεύ, αὐτὸν κατορθοῦται ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ €. tov ἐν παντὶ πράγ- ματι αὐτοῦ" ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν θάνατο is ἐπισπῶνται, μά- λιστα οἷ τὸν a καὶ γαυριῶντες ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτὸ γαθῶν τῶν μελλόν- των. peTarcy ,, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔχου- σιν ἔλπίδα, ἀλλὰ éavTous ἀπεγι t τὴν Cony αὐτῶν. ἀλλὰ σὺ προσεύχου πρὸς τὸν ᾿ καὶ σεται τὰ ἁμαρτή- para σου καὶ ὅλου τοῦ οἴκου σου καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων,
2After she had spoken these words, the heavens were shut. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, and said to myself, “If this sin is assigned to me, how can I be saved, or how shall I propitiate God in regard to my sins, which are of the grossest character? With what words shall I ask the Lord to be merciful to me?” While I was thinking over these things, and discussing them in my mind, I saw opposite to me a chair, white, made of white wool, of great size. And there came up an old woman, arrayed in a splendid robe, and with a book in her hand; and she sat down alone, and saluted me, “Hail, Hermas!” And in sadness and tears I said to her, “Lady, hail!” And she said to me, “Why are you downcast, Hermas? for you were wont to be patient and temperate, and always smiling. Why are you so gloomy, and not cheerful?” I answered her and said, “O Lady, I have been reproached by a very good woman, who says that I sinned against her.” And she said, “Far be such a deed from a servant of God. But perhaps a desire after her has arisen within your heart. Such a wish, in the case of the servants of God, produces sin. For it is a wicked and horrible wish in an all-chaste and already well-tried spirit to desire an evil deed; and especially for Hermas so to do, who keeps himself from all wicked desire, and is full of all simplicity, and of great guilelessness.”
Μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι αὐτὴν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐκλείσθη- σαν οἱ οὐρανοί" Kayo ὅλος ἥμην “πεφρικὼς καὶ λυπούμενος. ἔλεγον δὲ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ" Εἰ αὕτη μοι ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνωγράφεταε, πῶς δυνήσομαι σωθῆναι; ἢ πῶς ἐξιλάσομαι τὸν Θεὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου τῶν τελείων; ἢ ποίοις ῥήμασιν ἐρωτήσω τὸν Κύριον ἵνα tharevontat μοι; ταῦτά μου συμβουλευο- μένου καὶ διακρίνοντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, βλέπω κατέναντέ μου καθέδραν λευκὴν ἐξ ἐρίων χιονίνων γεγονυῖαν μεγάλην" καὶ ἦλθεν γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις ἐν ἱματισμῷ λαμπροτάτῳ, ἔχουσα βιβλίον εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐκάθισεν μόνη, καὶ ἀσπάζεταί με" Ἑρμᾶ, χαῖρε. κἀγὼ λυπούμενος καὶ κλαίων εἶπον" Kupla, χαῖρε. καὶ εἶπέν pos’ Τί στυγνός, “Eppa, ὁ μακρόθυμος καὶ ἀστομάχητος, ὁ πάντοτε γελών, τί οὕτω κατηφὴς τῇ ἰδέᾳ καὶ οὐχ ἱλαρός; κἀγὼ εἶπον αὐτῇ “Ὑπὸ γυναικὸς ἀγαθωτά- τῆς λεγούσης ὅτι ἥμαρτον εἰς αὐτήν. ἡ δὲ Eby’ Μηδαμῶς ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀνέβη περὶ αὐτῆς. ἔστιν μὲν τοῖς δού- γ.1.1 ΤΗ͂Ε SHEPHERD OF HER!) λοις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ τοιαύτη βουλὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἐπι γὰρ βουλὴ καὶ ἔκπληκτος, εἰς πάνσεμνον δεδοκιμασμένον, ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ πονηρὸν ep Ἑρμᾶς ὁ ἐγκρατής, ὁ ἀπεχόμενος πάσης ἔ καὶ πλήρης πάσης ἁπλότητος καὶ ἀκακίας μ
3“But God is not angry with you on account of this, but that you may convert your house, which have committed iniquity against the Lord, and against you, their parents. And although you love your sons, yet did you not warn your house, but permitted them to be terribly corrupted. On this account is the Lord angry with you, but He will heal all the evils which have been done in your house. For, on account of their sins and iniquities, you have been destroyed by the affairs of this world. But now the mercy of the Lord has taken pity on you and your house, and will strengthen you, and establish you in His glory. Only be not easy-minded, but be of good courage and comfort your house. For as a smith hammers out his work, and accomplishes whatever he wishes, so shall righteous daily speech overcome all iniquity. Cease not therefore to admonish your sons; for I know that, if they will repent with all their heart, they will be enrolled in the Books of Life with the saints.” Having ended these words, she said to me, “Do you wish to hear me read?” I say to her, “Lady, I do.” “Listen then, and give ear to the glories of God.” And then I heard from her, magnificently and admirably, things which my memory could not retain. For all the words were terrible, such as man could not endure. The last words, however, I did remember; for they were useful to us, and gentle. “Lo, the God of powers, who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence has created His holy church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes the heavens and the mountains, the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith.”
᾿Αλλ’ οὐχ ἕνεκα τούτου ὀργίξεταί ἵνα τὸν οἶκόν σου τὸν ἀνομήσαντα εἰς τὸν Καὶ τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψῃς. ἀλλὰ φιλότε θέτεις σου τὸν οἶκον, ἀλλὰ ἀφῆκας αὐτὸν κατι διὰ τοῦτό σοι ὀργίζεται 6 Ἀυρ a ia τὰ προγεγονότα πονηρὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου" διὰ - ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀνομήματα σὺ κατεφθάρης ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτι πράξεων. ἀλλ᾽ ἡ πολυσπλαγχνία τοῦ Κυρίου ἠλέ σε καὶ τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ ἰσχυροποιήσει σε καὶ θεμελιώσει ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. σὺ μόνον μὴ ῥᾳθυμήσῃς, ἀλλὰ edn καὶ ἰσχυροποίει σου τὸν οἶκον. ὡς γὰρ ὃ χαλκεὺς σφυρ πὧν τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ περυγίνεται τοῦ πράγματος οὗ Geren, καὶ 6 λόγος ὁ καθημερινὸς 6 δίκαιος περυγίνεται πάσης ' ρίας. μὴ διαλίπῃς οὖν νουθετῶν σου τὰ τέκνα" οἷδα γὰρ ὅτε ἐὰν μετανοήσουσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἐνγραφήσονται els τὰς βίβλους τῆς fans μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων. μετὰ τὸ παῆναε αὑτῆς τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα λέγει por’ Θέλεις ἀκοῦσαί μου ava- γινωσκούσης; λέγω κἀγώ" Θέλω, κυρία. λέγει por’ Tevod ἀκροατὴς καὶ ἄκουε τὰς δόξας τοῦ Θεοῦ. ἥκουσα μεγάλως καὶ θαυμαστῶς ὃ οὐκ ἴσχυσα μνημονεῦσαι πάντα yap τὰ ῥήματα ἔκφρικτα, ἃ οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος βαστάσαι. τὰ οὖν ἔσχατα ῥήματα ἐμνημόνευσα" ἦν γὰρ ἡμῖν σύμφορα καὶ ἥμερα" Ἰδοὺ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ὁ ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει καὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ συνέσει αὐτοῦ κτίσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ τῇ ἐν- δόξῳ βουλῇ περιθεὶς τὴν εὐπρέπειαν τῇ κτίσει αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ ἰσχυρῷ ῥήματι πήξας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ θεμελιώσας τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ ὑδάτων, καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ σοφίᾳ καὶ προνοίᾳ κτίσας τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν καὶ ηὐλόγησεν, ἰδοὺ μεθιστάνει τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς καὶ τὰς θαλάσσας, καὶ ἐλάλησα; ov πάντοτέ ce ws θεὰν ἡγησάμην; οὐ πάντοτέ σε ἐνετράπην ὡς ἀδελφήν; τί pov καταψεύδῃ, ὦ γύναι, τὰ πονηρὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀκάθαρτα; γελάσασά μοι λέγει" ‘Emi τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀνέβη ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς πονηρίας. ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἀνδρὶ δικαίῳ πονηρὸν πρᾶγμα εἶναι ἐὰν ἀναβῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡ πονηρὰ ἐπιθυμία; ἁμαρτία γέ ἐστιν, καὶ μεγάλη, φησίν. ὁ γὰρ δίκαιος ἀνὴρ δίκαια βουλεύεται. ἐν τῷ οὖν δίκαια βουλεύεσθαι αὐτὸν κατορθοῦται ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ εὐκατάλλακτον ἔχει τὸν Κύριον ἐν παντὶ πράγ- ματι αὐτοῦ" οἱ δὲ πονηρὰ βουλευόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν θάνατον καὶ αἰχμαλωτισμὸν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισπῶνταε, μά- Mora οἱ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον περιποιούμενοι καὶ γαυριώντες ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀντεχόμενοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν μελλόν- τῶν. μετανοήσουσιν αἱ ψυχαὶ αὐτῶν, οἵτινες οὐκ ὄχου- σιν ἐλπίδα, ἀλλὰ ἑαυτοὺς ἀπεγνώκασιν καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν. ἀλλὰ σὺ προσεύχου πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἰάσεται τὰ ἁμαρτή- ματά σον καὶ ὅλον τοῦ οἴκου σον καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων.
4When she had ended her reading, she rose from the chair, and four young men came and carried off the chair and went away to the east. And she called me to herself and touched my breast, and said to me, “Have you been pleased with my reading?” And I say to her, “Lady, the last words please me, but the first are cruel and harsh.” Then she said to me, “The last are for the righteous: the first are for heathens and apostates.” And while she spoke to me, two men appeared and raised her on their shoulders, and they went to where the chair was in the east. With joyful countenance did she depart; and as she went, she said to me, “Behave like a man, Hermas.”
Μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι αὐτὴν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐκλείσθη- σαν οἱ οὐρανοί" κἀγαὶ ὅλος ἤμην πεφρικὼς καὶ λυπούμενος. ἔλεγον δὲ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ" Εἰ αὕτη μοι ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀναγράφεται, πῶς δυνήσομαι σωθῆναι; ἢ πῶς ἐξιλάσομαι τὸν Θεὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μον τῶν τελείων; ἣ ποίοις ῥήμασιν ἐρωτήσω τὸν Κύριον ἵνα ἱλατεύσηταί pot; ταῦτά μον συμβουλενο- μένου καὶ διακρίνοντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, βλέπω κατέναντί μον καθέδραν λευκὴν ἐξ ἐρίων χιονίνων γεγονυῖαν μεγάλην" καὶ ἦλθεν γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις ἐν ἱματισμῷ λαμπροτάτῳ, ἔχουσα βιβλίον εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐκάθισεν μόνη, καὶ ἀσπάζεταί pe’ “Eppa, χαῖρε. κἀγὼ λνπούμενος καὶ κλαίων εἶπον" Κυρία, χαῖρε. καὶ εἶπέν μοι Τί στυγνός, ‘Eppa, ὁ μακρόθυμος καὶ ἀστομάχητος, ὁ πάντοτε γελῶν, τί οὕτω κατηφὴς τῇ ἰδέᾳ καὶ οὐχ ἱλαρός; κἀγὼ εἶπον αὐτῇ “Tard γυναικὸς ἀγαθωτά- τῆς λεγούσης ὅτι ἥμαρτον εἰς αὐτήν. ἡ δὲ ἔφη" Μηδαμῶς ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σον ἀνέβη περὶ αὐτῆς. ἔστιν μὲν τοῖς δού- λοις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ τοιαύτη βουλὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιφέρουσα" πονηρὰ γὰρ βουλὴ καὶ ἔκπληκτος, εἰς πάνσεμνον πνεῦμα καὶ ἤδη δεδοκιμασμένον, ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ πονηρὸν ἔργον, καὶ μάλιστα Ἑρμᾶς 6 ἐγκρατής, ὁ ἀπεχόμενος πάσης ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς καὶ πλήρης πάσης ἁπλότητος καὶ ἀκακίας μεγάλης.