Chapter 8
1 Ὡς οὖν ἐσμὲν ἐπὶ γῆς, μετανοήσωμεν. | While we are still on earth then, let us repent: |
2 πηλὸς
γάρ
ἐσμεν
εἰς
τὴν
χεῖρα
τοῦ
τεχνίτου·
ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ὁ κεραμεύς, ἐὰν ποιῇ σκεῦος καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ διαστραφῇ ἢ συντριβῇ, πάλιν αὐτὸ ἀναπλάσσει, ἐὰν δὲ προφθάσῃ εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς αὐτὸ βαλεῖν, οὐκέτι βοηθήσει αὐτῷ· οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ἃ ἐπράξαμεν πονηρὰ μετανοήσωμεν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας, ἵνα σωθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ἕως ἔχομεν καιρὸν μετανοίας. |
for we are clay under the craftsman’s hand.
For example the potter: if he is making a vessel, and it becomes twisted or crushed in his hands, he reshapes it again; but once he puts it into the fiery oven, he will no longer be able to help it. So also for us. While we are in this world, let us repent with our whole heart concerning the evil things which we have done in the flesh, so that we may be saved by the Lord, while we still have time for repentance. |
3 μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐξελθεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκέτι δυνάμεθα ἐκεῖ ἐξομολογήσασθαι ἢ μετανοεῖν ἔτι. | For after that we have departed out of the world, we are no longer able to make confession there, or to repent any more. |
4 ὥστε, ἀδελφοί, ποιήσαντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὴν σάρκα ἁγνὴν τηρήσαντες καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ κυρίου φυλάξαντες ληψόμεθα ζωὴν αἰώνιον. | So brothers, having done the will of the Father and having kept the flesh pure and having observed the commandments of the Lord, we will receive eternal life. |
5 λέγει
γὰρ
ὁ
κύριος
ἐν
τῷ
εὐαγγελίῳ·
Εἰ τὸ μικρὸν οὐκ ἐτηρήσατε, τὸ μέγα τίς ὑμῖν δώσει; λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν. |
For the Lord says in the Gospel, “If you did not guard a small thing, who will give you a great thing? For I say to you that he who is faithful in the least, is also faithful in much” (see Luke 16:10-12). |
6 ἆρα
οὖν
τοῦτο
λέγει·
τηρήσατε τὴν σάρκα ἁγνὴν καὶ τὴν σφραγῖδα ἄσπιλον, ἵνα τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν ἀπολάβωμεν. |
So then He means this, Keep the flesh pure and the seal unstained, in order that we may receive life. |