Shepherd of Hermas: Visions 2

1As I was going to the country about the same time as on the previous year, in my walk I recalled to memory the vision of that year. And again the Spirit carried me away, and took me to the same place where I had been the year before. On coming to that place, I bowed my knees and began to pray to the Lord, and to glorify His name, because He had deemed me worthy, and had made known to me my former sins. On rising from prayer, I see opposite me that old woman, whom I had seen the year before, walking and reading some book. And she says to me, “Can you carry a report of these things to the elect of God?” I say to her, “Lady, so much I cannot retain in my memory, but give me the book and I shall transcribe it.” “Take it,” says she, “and you will give it back to me.” Thereupon I took it, and going away into a certain part of the country, I transcribed the whole of it letter by letter; but the syllables of it I did not catch. No sooner, however, had I finished the writing of the book, than all of a sudden it was snatched from my hands; but who the person was that snatched it, I saw not.

“Opacis β΄. Πορευομένου pov εἰς Κούμας κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ὃν καὶ πέρυσι, περιπατῶν ἀνεμνήσθην τῆς περυσινῆς ὁράσεως, καὶ πάλιν με alpe: πνεῦμα καὶ ἀποφέρει εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ὅπου καὶ πέρυσι. ἐλθὼν οὖν εἰς τὸν τόπον τιθῶ τὰ γόνατα καὶ ἠρξάμην προσεύχεσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ δοξάζειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα. ὅτι με ἄξιον ἡγήσατο καὶ ἐγνώρισέν μοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας μον τὰς πρότερον. μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐγερθῆναί με ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς βλέπω ἀπέναντί μον τὴν πρεσβυτέραν ἣν καὶ πέρυσιν ἑωράκειν, περιπατοῦσαν καὶ ἀνωγινώσκουσαν βιβλα- ρίδιον. καὶ λέγει pot’ Δύνῃ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι; λέγω αὐτῇ Κυρία, τοσαῦτα μνημονεῦσαε οὐ δύναμαι" δὸς δέ μοι τὸ βιβλίδιον, ἵνα μετωγράψωμα:, αὐτό. Λάβε, φησῶ, καὶ ἀποδώσεις μοι. ἔλαβον ἐγώ, καὶ εἴς τινα τόπον τοῦ ὠγροῦ ἀναχωρήσας μετεγραψάμην πάντα πρὸς γράμμα᾽ οὐχ ηὕρισκον γὰρ τὰς συλλαβάς. τελέσαντος οὖν μου τὰ γράμματα τοῦ βιβλιδίον ἐξαίφνης ἡρπάγη μουν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τὸ βιβλίδιον᾽ ὑπὸ τίνος δὲ οὐκ εἶδον.

2Fifteen days after, when I had fasted and prayed much to the Lord, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. Now the writing was to this effect: “Your seed, O Hermas, has sinned against God, and they have blasphemed against the Lord, and in their great wickedness they have betrayed their parents. And they passed as traitors of their parents, and by their treachery did they not reap profit. And even now they have added to their sins lusts and iniquitous pollutions, and thus their iniquities have been filled up. But make known these words to all your children, and to your wife, who is to be your sister. For she does not restrain her tongue, with which she commits iniquity; but, on hearing these words, she will control herself, and will obtain mercy. For after you have made known to them these words which my Lord has commanded me to reveal to you, then shall they be forgiven all the sins which in former times they committed, and forgiveness will be granted to all the saints who have sinned even to the present day, if they repent with all their heart, and drive all doubts from their minds. For the Lord has sworn by His glory, in regard to His elect, that if any one of them sin after a certain day which has been fixed, he shall not be saved. For the repentance of the righteous has limits. Filled up are the days of repentance to all the saints; but to the heathen, repentance will be possible even to the last day. You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the church, to direct their ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great glory. Stand stedfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now these are to deny Him in the days that are coming. To those who denied in earlier times, God became gracious, on account of His exceeding tender mercy.”

Mera δὲ δέκα καὶ πέντε ἡμέρας νηστεύσαντός μου καὶ πολλὰ ἐρωτήσαντος τὸν Ἰζύριον ἀπεκαλύφθη pos ἡ γνῶσις τῆς γραφῆς. Fv δὲ γεγραμμένα ταῦτα᾽' Td σπέρμα σον, "Eppa, ἠθέτησαν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ βλασφήμησαν εἰς τὸν Κύριον καὶ προέδωκαν τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν πονηρίᾳ μεγάλῃ. καὶ ἥκουσαν προδόται γονέων, καὶ Ἰτροδόντες οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν, Dra ἔτι προσέθηκαν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν τὸς ἀσελγείας καὶ συμφυρμοὺς πονηρίας, καὶ οὕτως ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι av- τῶν. ἀλλὰ γνώρισον ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα τοῖς τέκνοις σον αὕτη οὐκ ἀπέχεται τῆς γλώσσης, ἐν ἢ πονηρεύεται" ἀλλὰ ᾿εἰκούσασα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἀφέξεται, καὶ ἔξει ἔλεος. μετὰ “τὸ γνωρίσαι σε ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῖς ἃ ἐνετείλατό μοι ὁ δεσπότης ἵνα σοι ἀποκαλυφθῇ, τότε ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς αἱ ἁμαρ- -τίαε πᾶσαε ἃς πρότερον ἥμαρτον, καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς «ἑμαρτήσασιν μέχρε ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐὰν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρ- «δίας μετανοήσωσιν καὶ ἄρωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν τὰς διψυχίας. ὥμοσεν γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης κατὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ" ἐὰν ὡρισμένης τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ὅτι ἁμάρτησις γένηται, μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σωτηρίαν" ἡ yap μετάνοια τοῖς δικαίοις Eyes τέλος" πεπλήρωνται αἱ ἡμέραι μετανοίας πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις" καὶ τοῖς δὲ ἔθνεσιν μετάνοιά ἐστιν bas ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας. ἐρεῖς οὖν τοῖς προηγουμένοις τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἵνα κατορθώσωνται τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν δικαιο- σύνῃ, ἵνα ἀπολάβωσιν ἐκ πλήρους τὰς ἐπαγγελίας μετὰ πολ- λῆς δόξης. euuelvare οὖν οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ μὴ διψυχήσητε, ἵνα γένηται ὑμῶν ἡ πάροδος μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων. μακάριοι ὑμεῖς ὅσοι ὑπομένετε τὴν θλῖψιν τὴν ἐρχομένην τὴν μεγάλην, καὶ ὅσοι οὐκ ἀρνήσονται τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν. ὥμοσεν γὰρ Κύριος κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, "σὺν ἀρνησαμένους τὸν Κύριον αὐτῶν ἀπεγνωρίσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν, τοὺς νῦν μέλλοντας ἀρνεῖσθαι ταῖς épyopevacs ἡμέραις" τοῖς δὲ πρότερον ἀρνησαμένοις διὰ τὴν πολυσπλαγχ- νίαν Trews éyévero αὐτοῖς. 302 THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS. ΓΝ. 2 im

See also: Luke 6:12

3“But as for you, Hermas, remember not the wrongs done to you by your children, nor neglect your sister, that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be instructed with righteous instruction, if you remember not the wrongs they have done you. For the remembrance of wrongs worketh death. And you, Hermas, have endured great personal tribulations on account of the transgressions of your house, because you did not attend to them, but were careless, and engaged in your wicked transactions. But you are saved, because you did not depart from the living God, and on account of your simplicity and great self-control. These have saved you, if you remain stedfast. And they will save all who act in the same manner, and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. Those who possess such virtues will wax strong against every form of wickedness, and will abide unto eternal life. Blessed are all they who practise righteousness, for they shall never be destroyed. Now you will tell Maximus: Lo! tribulation cometh on. If it seemeth good to thee, deny again. The Lord is near to them who return unto Him, as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness.”

Σὺ δέ, ‘Eppa, μηκέτε μνησικακήσῃς τοῖς τέκνοις σου, μηδὲ τὴν ἀδελφήν σου ἐάσῃς, ἵνα καθαρισθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν προ- τέρων ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. παιδευθήσονται γὰρ παιδείᾳ δικαίᾳ, ἐὰν σὺ μὴ μνησικακήσῃς αὐτοῖς. μνησικακία θάνατον κατερ- γάζεται. σὺ δέ, Ἑρμᾶ, μεγάλας θλίψεις ἔσχες ἰδιωτικὰς διὰ τὰς παραβάσεις τοῦ οἴκου σου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐμέλησέν σοι περὶ αὐτῶν. ἀλλὰ παρενεθυμήθης καὶ ταῖς πραγματείαις σου συν- ἀνεφύρης ταῖς πονηραῖς" ἀλλὰ σώζει σε τὸ μὴ ἀποστῆ- vai σε ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ ἡ ἁπλότης σου καὶ ἡ πολλὴ ἐγκράτεια᾽ ταῦτα σέσωκέν σε, ἐὰν ἐμμείνης, καὶ πάντας σώζει τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργαζομένους καὶ πορενομένους ἐν ἀκακίᾳ καὶ ἁπλότητι. οὗτοι κατισχύουσιν πάσης πονηρίας καὶ παραμέ- νουσιν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. μακάριοι πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν δικαιοσύνην" οὐ διαφθαρήσονται ἕως αἰῶνος. ἐρεῖς δὲ Μαξίμῳ᾽ ᾿ἸΙδοὺ θλῖψις ἔρχεται, ἐάν σοι δόκῃ πάλιν ἀρνεῖσθαι. "Erric Κύριος τοῖς ἐπιςτρεφομένοις, ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ ᾿Ελδὰδ καὶ Μωδάτ, τοῖς προφητεύσασιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῷ λαῷ. ΙΝ. ᾿Απεκαλύφθη δέ μοι, ἀδελφοί, κοιμωμένῳ ὑπὸ νεανέ- σκου εὐειδεστάτον λέγοντός pot’ Τὴν πρεσβυτέραν, παρ᾽ ἧς ἔλαβες τὸ βιβλίδιον, τίνα δοκεῖς εἶναι; ἐγώ φημι᾿ Τὴν Σίβυλ.- λαν. Πλανᾶσαι, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστιν. Τίς οὖν ἐστίν; φημί. Ἢ Ἐκκλησία, φησίν. εἶπον αὐτῷ Διατί οὖν πρεσβυτέρα; Ὅτε, φησίν, πάντων πρώτη ἐκτίσθη" διὰ τοῦτο πρεσβυτέρα, καὶ διὰ ταύτην ὁ κόσμος κατηρτίσθη. μετέπειτα δὲ ὅρασιν εἶδον ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ pov. ἦλθεν ἡ πρεσβυτέρα καὶ ἡρώτησέν με εἰ ἤδη τὸ βιβλίον δέδωκα τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις. ἠρνησάμην δεδωκέναι. Καλῶς, φησίν, πεποίηκας" ἔχω γὰρ ῥήματα προσ- θεῖναι. ὅταν οὖν ἀποτελέσω τὰ ῥήματα πάντα, διὰ σοῦ γνωρισθήσεται τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς πᾶσιν. γράψεις οὖν δύο βιβλαρίδια, καὶ πέμψεις ἕν Κλήμεντι καὶ ἐν Γραπτῇ. πέμψει οὖν Κλήμης εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις, ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἐπιτέτραπται" Γραπτὴ δὲ νουθετήσει τὰς χήρας καὶ τοὺς ὀρφανούς. σὺ δὲ ἀναγνώσῃ εἰς ταύτην τὴν πόλιν μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν προϊσταμένων τῆς ἐκκλησίας.

4Now a revelation was given to me, my brethren, while I slept, by a young man of comely appearance, who said to me, “Who do you think that old woman is from whom you received the book?” And I said, “The Sibyl.” “You are in a mistake,” says he; “it is not the Sibyl.” “Who is it then?” say I. And he said, “It is the church.” And I said to him, “Why then is she an old woman?” “Because,” said he, “she was created first of all. On this account is she old. And for her sake was the world made.” After that I saw a vision in my house, and that old woman came and asked me, if I had yet given the book to the presbyters. And I said that I had not. And then she said, You have done well, for I have some words to add. But when I finish all the words, all the elect will then become acquainted with them through you. You will write therefore two books, and you will send the one to Clemens and the other to Grapte. And Clemens will send his to foreign countries, for permission has been granted to him to do so. And Grapte will admonish the widows and the orphans. But you will read the words in this city, along with the presbyters who preside over the church.