top Hermas: Mandates 4

Mandate 4 Chapter 1
1 Ἐντέλλομαί σοι, φησίν, φυλάσσειν τὴν ἁγνείαν, καὶ μὴ ἀναβαινέτω σου ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν περὶ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἢ περὶ πορνείας τινος ἢ περὶ τοιούτων τινῶν ὁμοιωμάτων πονηρῶν, τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν μεγάλην ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζῃ. τῆς δὲ σῆς μνημονεύων πάντοτε γυναικὸς οὐδέποτε διαμαρτήσεις. "I charge you, "says he, "to keep purity, and let not a thought enter into your heart concerning another's wife, or concerning fornication, or concerning any such like evil deeds; for in so doing you commitest a great sin. But remember your own wife always, and you shall never go wrong.
2 ἐὰν γὰρ αὕτη ἡ ἐνθύμησις ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, διαμαρτήσεις, καὶ ἐὰν ἕτερα οὕτως πονηρά, ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζῃ· ἡ γὰρ ἐνθύμησις αὕτη θεοῦ δούλῳ ἁμαρτία μεγάλη ἐστίν· ἐὰν δέ τις ἐργάσηται τὸ ἔργον τὸ πονηρὸν τοῦτο, θάνατον ἑαυτῷ κατεργάζεται. For should this desire enter into your heart, you wilt go wrong, and should any other as evil as this, you commitest sin. For this desire in a servant of God is a great sin; and if any man does this evil deed, he works out death for himself.
3 βλέπε οὖν σύ· ἀπέχου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνθυμήσεως ταύτης· ὅπου γὰρ σεμνότης κατοικεῖ, ἐκεῖ ἀνομία οὐκ ὀφείλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνδρὸς δικαίου. Look to it therefore. Abstain from this desire; for, where holiness dwells, there lawlessness ought not to enter into the heart of a righteous man."
4 λέγω αὐτῷ· κύριε, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι ὀλίγα ἐπερωτῆσαί σε. Λέγε, φησίν. κύριε, φημί, εἰ γυναῖκα ἔχῃ τις πιστὴν ἐν κυρίῳ καὶ ταύτην εὕρῃ ἐν μοιχείᾳ τινί, ἆρα ἁμαρτάνει ὁ ἀνὴρ συνζῶν μετ᾿ αὐτῆς; I say to him, "Sir, permit me to ask you a few more questions" "Say on," says he. "Sir," say I, "if a man who has a wife that is faithful in the Lord detect her in adultery, doth the husband sin in living with her?"
5 Ἄχρι τῆς ἀγνοίας, φησίν, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· ἐὰν δὲ γνῷ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῆς καὶ μὴ μετανοήσῃ ἡ γυνή, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπιμένῃ τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ συνζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς, ἔνοχος γίνεται τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς καὶ κοινωνὸς τῆς μοιχείας αὐτῆς. "So long as he is ignorant," says he, "he sins not; but if the husband know of her sin, and the wife repent not, but continue in her fornication, and her husband live with her, he makes himself responsible for her sin and an accomplice in her adultery."
6 Τί οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ποιήσῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃ τῷ πάθει τούτῳ ἡ γυνή; Ἀπολυσάτω, φησίν, αὐτὴν καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῷ μενέτω· ἐὰν δὲ ἀπολύσας τὴν γυναῖκα ἑτέραν γαμήσῃ, καὶ αὐτὸς μοιχᾶται. "What then, Sir," say I, "shall the husband do, if the wife continue in this case?" "Let him divorce her," says he, "and let the husband abide alone: but if after divorcing his wife he shall marry another, he likewise commits adultery."
7 Ἐὰν οὖν, φημί, κύριε, μετὰ τὸ ἀπολυθῆναι τὴν γυναῖκα μετανοήσῃ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ θελήσῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἄνδρα ὑποστρέψαι, οὐ παραδεχθήσεται; "If then, Sir," say I, "after the wife is divorced, she repent and desire to return to her own husband, shall she not be received?"
8 Καὶ μήν φησίν, ἐὰν μὴ παραδέξηται αὐτὴν ὁ ἀνήρ, ἁμαρτάνει καὶ μεγάλην ἁμαρτίαν ἑαυτῷ ἐπισπᾶται, ἀλλὰ δεῖ παραδεχθῆναι τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ μετανοοῦντα, μὴ ἐπὶ πολὺ δέ· τοῖς γὰρ δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ μετάνοιά ἐστιν μία. διὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν οὖν οὐκ ὀφείλει γαμεῖν ὁ ἀνήρ. αὕτη ἡ πρᾶξις ἐπὶ γυναικὶ καὶ ἀνδρὶ κεῖται. "Certainly," says he, "if the husband receives her not, he sins and brings great sin upon himself; nay, one who has sinned and repented must be received, yet not often; for there is but one repentance for the servants of God. For the sake of her repentance therefore the husband ought not to marry. This is the manner of acting enjoined on husband and wife.
9 οὐ μόνον, φησίν, μοιχεία ἐστίν, ἐὰν τις τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ μιάνῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃς ἄν τὰ ὁμοιώματα ποιῇ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, μοιχᾶται. ὥστε καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἐὰν ἐμμένῃ τις καὶ μὴ μετανοῇ, ἀπέχου ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ συνζῆθι αὐτῷ· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ σὺ μέτοχος εἶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ. Not only," says he, "is it adultery, if a man pollute his flesh, but whosoever does things like unto the heathen commits adultery. If therefore in such deeds as these likewise a man continue and repent not, keep away from him, and live not with him. Otherwise, you also are a partaker of his sin.
10 διὰ τοῦτο προσετάγη ὑμῖν ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῖς μένειν, εἴτε ἀνὴρ εἴτε γυνή· δύναται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις μετάνοια εἶναι. For this cause you were enjoined to remain single, whether husband or wife; for in such cases repentance is possible.
11 ἐγὼ οὖν, φησίν, οὐ δίδωμι ἀφορμήν, ἵνα αὕτη ἡ πρᾶξις οὕτως συντελῆται, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα. περὶ δὲ τῆς πρότερας ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἔστιν ὁ δυνάμενος ἴασιν δοῦναι· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἔχων πάντων τὴν ἐξουσίαν. "I," said he, "am not giving an excuse that this matter should be concluded thus, but to the end that the sinner should sin no more. But as concerning his former sin, there is One Who is able to give healing; it is He Who has authority over all things."

Mandate 4 Chapter 2
1 Ἠρώτησα αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγων· Ἐπεὶ ὁ κύριος ἄξιόν με ἡγήσατο, ἵνα μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ πάντοτε κατοικῇς ὀλίγα μου ῥήματα ἔτι ἀνάσχου, ἐπεὶ οὐ συνίω οὐδὲν καὶ ἡ καρδία μου πεπώρωται ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων μου πράξεων· συνέτισόν με, ὅτι λίαν ἄφρων εἰμὶ καὶ ὅλως οὐθὲν νοῶ. I asked him again, saying, "Seeing that the Lord held me worthy that you shouldest always dwell with me, suffer me still to say a few words, since I understand nothing, and my heart has been made dense by my former deeds. Make me to understand, for I am very foolish, and I apprehend absolutely nothing."
2 ἀποκριθείς μοι λέγει· ἐγώ, φησίν, ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας εἰμὶ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν σύνεσιν δίδωμι. ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι, φησίν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ μετανοῆσαι σύνεσιν εἶναι; τὸ μετανοῆσαι, φησίν, σύνεσίς ἐστιν μεγάλη· συνίει γὰρ ὁ ἁμαρτήσας, ὅτι πεποίηκεν τὸ πονηρὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἡ πρᾶξις, ἣν ἔπραξεν, καὶ μετανοεῖ καὶ οὐκέτι ἐργάζεται τὸ πονηρόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν πολυτελῶς ἐργάζεται καὶ ταπεινοῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν καὶ βασανίζει, ὅτι ἥμαρτεν. βλέπεις οὖν, ὅτι ἡ μετάνοια σύνεσίς ἐστιν μεγάλη. He answered and said unto me, "I," says he, "preside over repentance, and I give understanding to all who repent. No, thinkest you not," says he, "that this very act of repentance is understanding? To repent is great understanding," says he. "For the man that has sinned understands that he has done evil before the Lord, and the deed which he has done enters into his heart, and he repents, and does no more evil, but does good lavishly, and humbles his own soul and puts it to torture because it sinned. You see then that repentance is great understanding."
3 διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ἐξακριβάζομαι παρὰ σοῦ πάντα· πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, ἵνα γνῶ, ποῖα ἔργα ἐργαζόμενος ζήσομαι, ὅτι πολλαί μου εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ποικίλαι. "It is on this account therefore, Sir," say I, "that I enquire everything accurately of you; first, because I am a sinner; secondly, because I know not what deeds I must do that I may live, for my sins are many and various."
4 Ζήσῃ, φησίν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου φυλάξῃς καὶ πορευθῇς ἐν αὐταῖς· καὶ ὃς ἄν ἀκούσας τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας φυλάξῃ, ζήσεται τῷ θεῷ. "You shall live," says he, "if you keep my commandments and walk in them and whosoever shall hear these commandments and keep them, shall live unto God."

Mandate 4 Chapter 3
1 Ἔτι φημί, κύριε, προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπερωτῆσαι. Λέγε, φησίν. Ἤκουσα, φημί, κύριε παρά τινων διδασκάλων, ὅτι ἑτέρα μετάνοια οὐκ ἔστιν εἰ μὴ ἐκείνη, ὅτε εἰς ὕδωρ κατέβημεν καὶ ἐλάβομεν ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν τῶν προτέρων. "I will still proceed, Sir," say I, "to ask a further question." "Speak on," says he. "I have heard, Sir," say I, "from certain teachers, that there is no other repentance, except that which took place when we rent down into the water and obtained remission of our former sins."
2 λέγει μοι· Καλῶς ἤκουσας· οὕτω γὰρ ἔχει. ἔδει γὰρ τὸν εἰληφότα ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν ἁγνείᾳ κατοικεῖν. He says to me; "You had well heard; for so it is. For he who has received remission of sins ought no longer to sin, but to dwell in purity.
3 ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα ἐξακριβάζῃ, καὶ τοῦτό σοί δηλώσω, μὴ διδοὺς ἀφορμὴν τοῖς μέλλουσι πιστεύειν ἢ τοῖς νῦν πιστεύσασιν εἰς τὸν κύριον. οἱ γὰρ νῦν πιστεύσαντες ἢ μέλλοντες πιστεύειν μετάνοιαν ἁμαρτιῶν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἄφεσιν δὲ ἔχουσι τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. But, since you enquirest all things accurately, I will declare unto you this also, so as to give no excuse to those who shall hereafter believe or those who have already believed, on the Lord. For they who have already believed, or shall hereafter believe, have not repentance for sins, but have only remission of their former sins.
4 τοῖς οὖν κληθεῖσι πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔθηκεν ὁ κύριος μετάνοιαν· καρδιογνώστης γὰρ ὢν ὁ κύριος καὶ πάντα προγινώσκων ἔγνω τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὴν πολυπλοκίαν τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι ποιήσει τι κακὸν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πονηρεύσεται εἰς αὐτούς. To those then that were called before these days the Lord has appointed repentance. For the Lord, being a discerner of hearts and foreknowing all things, perceived the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, how that he will be doing some mischief to the servants of God, and will deal wickedly with them.
5 πολυεύσπλαγχνος οὖν ὢν ὁ κύριος ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπὶ τὴν ποίησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθηκεν τὴν μετάνοιαν ταύτην, καὶ ἐμοὶ ἡ ἐξουσία τῆς μετανοίας ταύτης ἐδόθη. The Lord then, being very compassionate, had pity on His handiwork, and appointed this (opportunity of) repentance, and to me was given the authority over this repentance.
6 ἀλλὰ ἐγὼ σοί λέγω, φησί· μετὰ τὴν κλῆσιν ἐκείνην τὴν μεγάλην καὶ σεμνὴν ἐὰν τις ἐκπειρασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ἁμαρτήσῃ, μίαν μετάνοιαν ἔχει· ἐὰν δὲ ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἁμαρτάνῃ καὶ μετανοήσῃ, ἀσύμφορόν ἐστι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τοιούτῳ· δυσκόλως γὰρ ζήσεται. But I say unto you," says he, "if after this great and holy calling any one, being tempted of the devil, shall commit sin, he has only one (opportunity of) repentance. But if he sin off-hand and repent, repentance is unprofitable for such a man; for he shall live with difficulty."
7 λέγω αὐτῷ· Ἐζωοποιήθην ταῦτα παρὰ σοῦ ἀκούσας οὕτως ἀκριβῶς· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν μηκέτι προσθήσω ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις μου, σωθήσομαι. Σωθήσῃ, φησίν, καὶ πάντες, ὅσοι ἐὰν ταῦτα ποιήσωσιν. I say unto him, "I was quickened unto life again, when I heard these things from you so precisely. For I know that, if I shall add no more to my sins, I shall be saved." "You shall be saved," he says, "you and all, as many as shall do these things."

Mandate 4 Chapter 4
1 Ἠρώτησα αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγων· κύριε, ἐπεὶ ἅπαξ ἀνέχῃ μου, ἔτι μοι καὶ τοῦτο δήλωσον. Λέγε, φησίν. Ἐὰν γυνή, φημί, κύριε, ἢ πάλιν ἀνήρ τις κοιμηθῇ καὶ γαμήσῃ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν μήτι ἁμαρτάνει ὁ γαμῶν; I asked him again, saying, "Sir, since once you do bear with me, declare unto me this further matter also." "Say on," says he. "If a wife, Sir," say I, "or, it may be, a husband fall asleep, and one of them marry, doth the one that marries sin?"
2 οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει φησίν· ἐὰν δὲ ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῷ μείνῃ τις, περισσοτέραν ἑαυτῷ τιμὴν καὶ μεγάλην δόξαν περιποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν κύριον· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ[1] γαμήσῃ, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει. "He sins not," says he, "but if he remain single, he invests himself with more exceeding honor and with great glory before the Lord; yet even if he should marry, he sins not.
3 τήρει οὖν τὴν ἁγνείαν καὶ τὴν σεμνότητα, καὶ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ. ταῦτά σοί ὅσα λαλῶ ἢ καὶ μέλλω λαλεῖν, φύλασσε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, ἀφ᾿ ἧς μοι παρεδόθης ἡμέρας, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου κατοικήσω. Preserve purity and holiness therefore, and you shall live unto God. All these things, which I speak and shall hereafter speak unto you, guard from this time forward, from the day when you wast committed unto me, and I will dwell in your house.
4 τοῖς δὲ προτέροις σου παραπτώμασιν ἄφεσις ἔσται, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου φυλάξῃς· καὶ πᾶσι δὲ ἄφεσις ἔσται ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου ταύτας φυλάξωσι καὶ πορευθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ἁγνότητι ταύτῃ. But for your former transgressions there shall be remission, if you keepest my commandments. Yes, and all shall have remission, if they keep these my commandments, and walk in this purity."

[1] ἐὰν δὲ καὶ = but if⇧