My LORD’s BibleShepherd of Hermas: Visions 4
1Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren—a representation of the tribulation that is to come. I was going to a country house along the Campanian road. Now the house lay about ten furlongs from the public road. The district is one rarely traversed. And as I walked alone, I prayed the Lord to complete the revelations which He had made to me through His holy Church, that He might strengthen me, and give repentance to all His servants who were going astray, that His great and glorious name might be glorified because He vouchsafed to show me His marvels. And while I was glorifying Him and giving Him thanks, a voice, as it were, answered me, “Doubt not, Hermas;” and I began to think with myself, and to say, “What reason have I to doubt—I who have been established by the Lord, and who have seen such glorious sights?” I advanced a little, brethren, and, lo! I see dust rising even to the heavens. I began to say to myself, “Are cattle approaching and raising the dust?” It was about a furlong’s distance from me. And, lo! I see the dust rising more and more, so that I imagined that it was something sent from God. But the sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep, and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it. Then I remembered the word which I had heard, “Doubt not, O Hermas.” Clothed, therefore, my brethren, with faith in the Lord, and remembering the great things which He had taught me, I boldly faced the beast. Now that beast came on with such noise and force, that it could itself have destroyed a city. I came near it, and the monstrous beast stretched itself out on the ground, and showed nothing but its tongue, and did not stir at all until I had passed by it. Now the beast had four colours on its head—black, then fiery and bloody, then golden, and lastly white.
“Ὅρασις δ' ἣν εἶδον, ἀδελφοί, μετὰ ἡμέρας εἴκοσι τῆς προτέρας ὁράσεως τῆς γενομένης, εἰς τύπον τῆς θλίψεως τῆς ἐπερχομέ- ms. ὑπῆγον εἰς dypdv τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ Καμπανῇ. ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς δημοσίας ἐστὶν ὡσεὶ στάδια δέκα" ῥᾳδίως δὲ ὁδεύεταε 6 τόπος. μόνος οὖν περιπατῶν ἀξιῶ τὸν Κύριον ἵνα τὰς ἀποκαλύψεις καὶ τὰ ὁράματα & μοι ἔδειξεν διὰ τῆς ἁγίας ᾿Εκκλησίας αὐτοῦ τελειώσῃ, ἵνα με ἰσχυροποιήσῃ καὶ δῷ τὴν μετάνοιαν τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐσκανδαλισμένοις, ἵνα δοξα- σθῆ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγα καὶ ἔνδοξον, ὅτι με ἄξιον ἡγήσατο τοῦ δεῖξαί μοι τὰ θαυμάσια αὑτοῦ. καὶ δοξάξοντός μου καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντος αὐτῷ, ὡς ἦχος φωνῆς μοι ἀπεκρίθη" Μὴ διψυχήσεις, Ἑρμᾶ. ἐν ἐμαυτῷ ἠρξάμην διαλογίζεσθαι καὶ λέγειν Ἐγὼ τί ἔχω διψυχῆσαι, οὕτω τεθεμελιωμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἰδὼν ἔνδοξα πράγματα; τ. καὶ προσέβην μικρόν, ἀδελφοί, καὶ ἰδοὺ βλέπω κονιορτὸν ὡς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ ἠρξάμην λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ Μήποτε κτήνη ἔρχονται καὶ κονιορτὸν ἐγείρουσιν; οὕτω γὰρ ἦν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίου. γινομένου μείζονος καὶ μείξονος κονιορτοῦ ὑπενόησα εἶναί τι θεῖον᾽ μικρὸν ἐξέλαμψεν ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ἰδοὺ βλέπω θηρίον μέγιστον ὡσεὶ κῆτός τι, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀκρίδες πύριναι ἐξεπορεύοντο. ἦν δὲ τὸ θηρίον τῷ μήκει ὡσεὶ ποδῶν ἑκατόν, τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν εἶχεν ὡς κεράμου. καὶ ἠρξάμην κλαίειν καὶ ἐρωτᾶν τὸν Κύριον ἵνα με λυτρώσηται ἐξ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπανεμνήσθην τοῦ ῥήματος οὗ ἀκηκόειν᾽ Μὴ διψνχήσεις, 4.i. 1 τῆ: θλίψεως τῆ: ἐπερχομένη) (LE); τῶν θλίψεων τῶν ἐπερχομένων A; “Eppa. ἐνδυσάμενος οὖν, ἀδελφοί, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Kuplov καὶ μνησθεὶς ὧν ἐδίδαξέν με μεγαλείων, θαρσήσας εἰς τὸ θηρίον ἐμαυτὸν ἔδωκα. οὕτω δὲ ἤρχετο τὸ θηρίον ῥοίζῳ, ὥστε δύνασθαι αὐτὸ πόλιν λυμᾶναι. ἔρχομαι ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ τηλικοῦτο κῆτος ἐκτείνει ἑαυτὸ χαμαὶ καὶ οὐδὲν εἰ μὴ τὴν γλῶσσαν προέβαλλεν, καὶ ὅλως οὐκ ἐκινήθη μέχρις ὅτου παρῆλθον αὐτό" 1ο. εἶχεν δὲ τὸ θηρίον ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς χρώματα τέσσαρα" μέλαν, εἶτα πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες, εἶτα χρυσοῦν, εἶτα λευκόν.
2Now after I had passed by the wild beast, and had moved forward about thirty feet, lo! a virgin meets me, adorned as if she were proceeding from the bridal chamber, clothed entirely in white, and with white sandals, and veiled up to her forehead, and her head was covered by a hood. And she had white hair. I knew from my former visions that this was the Church, and I became more joyful. She saluted me, and said, “Hail, O man!” And I returned her salutation, and said, “Lady, hail!” And she answered, and said to me, “Has nothing crossed your path?” I say, “I was met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through the power of the Lord and His great mercy I escaped from it.” “Well did you escape from it,” says she, “because you cast your care on God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri, and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you. You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will direct them. Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is all-powerful, and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges on the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them: better were it for them not to have been born.”
Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παρελθεῖν με τὸ θηρίον καὶ προελθεῖν ὡσεὶ πόδας τριάκοντα, ἰδοὺ ὑπαντᾷ μοι παρθένος κεκοσμημένη ὡς ἐκ νυμφῶνος ἐκπορενομένη, ὅλη ἐν λευκοῖς καὶ ὑποδήμασιν λευκοῖς, κατακεκαλυμμένη ἕως τοῦ μετώπου, ἐν μίτρᾳ δὲ ἦν ἡ κατακάλυψις αὐτῆς" εἶχεν δὲ τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς λευκάς. ἔγνων ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν προτέρων ὁραμάτων ὅτι ἡ ᾿Εκκλησία ἐστίν, καὶ ἱλαρώτερος ἐγενόμην. ἀσπάζεταί με λέγουσα Χαῖρε σύ, ἄνθρωπε᾽ καὶ ἐγὼ αὐτὴν ἀντησπασάμην᾽ Κυρία, χαῖρε. ἀποκριθεῖσά pos λέγει Οὐδέν coe ἀπήντησεν; λέγω αὐτῇ" Κυρία, τηλεκοῦτο θηρίον, δυνάμενον λαοὺς διαφθεῖραι" ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Ἰυρίου καὶ τῇ πολυσπλαγχνίᾳ αὑτοῦ ἐξέφυγον αὐτός Καλῶς ἐξέφυγες, φησίν, ὅτι τὴν μέριμνάν cf. Ps. ἵν. σου ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπέριψας καὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἤνοιξας πρὸς Ῥεῖ. ν. 7 τὸν Κύριον, πιστεύσας ὅτι δι᾽ οὐδενὸς δύνῃ σωθῆναι εἰ μὴ διὰ cf. Acts τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ ἐνδόξου ὀνόματος. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Κύριος ἀπέ- δ᾿ δ στείλεν τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν θηρίων ὄντα, οὗ τὸ ὄνομά ἐστιν Σεγρί, καὶ enéppazen τὸ ε«τόμλ ΔΥτοῦ, ἵνδ MH σε Daniel λγμάνη. μεγάλην θλῖψιν ἐκπέφευγας διὰ τὴν πίστιν σου, ΠΝ καὶ ὅτι τηλικοῦτο θηρίον ἰδὼν οὐκ ἐδιψύχησας" ὕπαγε οὖν *- 33 καὶ ἐξήγησαι τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ Κυρίου τὰ μεγαλεῖα αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς ὅτι τὸ θηρίον τοῦτο τύπος ἐστὶν θλίψεως τῆς μελλούσης τῆς μεγάλης" ἐὰν οὖν προετοιμάσησθε καὶ μετα- νοήσητε ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, δυνήσεσθε εἴ. « ἐκφυγεῖν αὐτήν, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν yernras καθαρὰ καὶ ὅμωμος, καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς τῆς ζωῆς ἡμέρας ὑμῶν δουλεύσητε - τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀμέμπτως. ἐπιρίψατε τὰς μερίμνας ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸν . Κύριον, καὶ αὐτὸς κατορθώσει αὑτάς. πιστεύσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, οἱ δίψυχοι, ὅτι πάντα δύναται καὶ ἀποστρέφει τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξαποστέλλει: μάστυγας ὑμῖν τοῖς δεψύχοις. οὐαὶ τοῖς ἀκούσασιν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα καὶ παρα- . κούσασιν᾽ αἱρετώτερον ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ μὴ γεννηθῆναι.
3I asked her about the four colours which the beast had on his head. And she answered, and said to me, “Again you are inquisitive in regard to such matters.” “Yea, lady,” said I, “make known to me what they are.” “Listen,” said she: “the black is the world in which we dwell: but the fiery and bloody points out that the world must perish through blood and fire: but the golden part are you who have escaped from this world. For as gold is tested by fire, and thus becomes useful, so are you tested who dwell in it. Those, therefore, who continue stedfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower. But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure. Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This then is the type of the great tribulation that is to come. If ye wish it, it will be nothing. Remember those things which were written down before.” And saying this, she departed. But I saw not into what place she retired. There was a noise, however, and I turned round in alarm, thinking that that beast was coming.
Ἠρώτησα αὐτὴν περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων χρωμάτων ὧν εἶχεν τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὴν κεφαλήν. ἡ δὲ ἀποκριθεῖσά jos λέγει" Πάλιν περίεργος εἶ περὶ τοιούτων πρωγμάτων. Nai, φημέ, κυρία᾽ γνώρισόν pos τί ἐστιν ταῦτα. “Axove, φησίν" τὸ μὲν μέλαν οὗτος ὁ κόσμος ἐστίν, ἐν ᾧ κατοικεῖτε. τὸ δὲ πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον δι᾽ αἵματος καὶ πυρὸς ἀπόλλυσθαι" τὸ δὲ χρυσοῦν μέρος ὑμεῖς ἐστὲ οἱ ἐκφυγόντες τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ χρυσίον δοκιμάζεται διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ εὔχρηστον γίνεται, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς δοκιμάζεσθε [οἱ κατοικοῦντες) ἐν αὑτοῖς. οἱ οὖν μεί- νᾶντες καὶ πυρωθέντες ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καθαρισθήσεσθε. ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον ἀποβάλλει τὴν σκωρίαν αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀποβαλεῖτε πᾶσαν λύπην καὶ στενοχωρίαν, καὶ καθαρισθή- σεσθε καὶ χρήσιμοι ἔσεσθε εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ “πύργου. τὸ δὲ λευκὸν μέρος ὁ αἰὼν ὃ ἐπερχόμενός ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ κατοι- κήσουσιν οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ" ὅτε ἄσπιλοι καὶ καθαροὶ ἔσονται οἱ ἐκλελεγμένοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. σὺ οὗν μὴ διαλίπῃς λαλῶν εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἁγίων. ἔχετε καὶ τὸν τύπον τῆς θλίψεως τῆς ἐρχομένης μεγάλης. ἐὰν δὲ ὑμεῖς θελήσητε, οὐδὲν ἔσται. μνημονεύετε τὰ προγεγραμμένα. ταῦτα εἴπασα ἀπῆλθεν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον ποίῳ τόπῳ ἀπῆλθεν" ψόφος γὰρ ἐγένετο" κἀγὼ ἐπεστράφην εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω φοβηθείς, δοκῶν ὅτι τὸ θηρίον ἔρχεται.