top Hermas: Mandates 6

Mandate 6 Chapter 1
1 Ἐνετειλάμην σοι, φησίν, ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἐντολῇ, ἵνα φυλάξῃς τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὸν φόβον καὶ τὴν ἐγκράτειαν. Ναί, φημί, κύριε. Ἀλλὰ νῦν θέλω σοι, φησίν, δηλῶσαι καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτῶν, ἵνα νοήσῃς τίς αὐτῶν τίνα δύναμιν ἔχει καὶ ἐνέργειαν· διπλαῖ γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ἐνέργειαι αὐτῶν· κεῖνται οὖν ἐπὶ δικαίῳ καὶ ἀδίκῳ· I charged you," says he, "in my first commandment to guard faith and fear and temperance." "Yes, Sir," say I. "But now," says he, "I wish to show you their powers also, that you may understand what is the power and effect of each one of them. For their effects are two fold. Now they are prescribed alike to the righteous and the unrighteous.
2 σὺ οὖν πίστευε τῷ δικαίῳ, τῷ δὲ ἀδίκῳ μὴ πιστεύσῃς· τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον ὀρθὴν ὁδὸν ἔχει, τὸ δὲ ἄδικον στρεβλήν. ἀλλὰ σὺ τῇ ὀρθῇ ὁδῷ πορεύου καὶ ὁμαλῇ, τὴν δὲ στρεβλὴν ἔασον. Do you therefore trust righteousness, but trust not unrighteousness; for the way of righteousness is straight, but the way of unrighteousness is crooked. But walk you in the straight [and level] path, and leave the crooked one alone.
3 ἡ γὰρ στρεβλὴ ὁδὸς τρίβους οὐκ ἔχει, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνοδίας καὶ προσκόμματα πολλὰ καὶ τραχεῖά ἐστι καὶ ἀκανθώδης. βλαβερὰ οὖν ἐστι τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ πορευομένοις. For the crooked way has no tracks, but only pathlessness and many stumbling stones, and is rough and thorny. So it is therefore harmful to those who walk in it.
4 οἱ δὲ τῇ ὀρθῇ ὁδῷ πορευόμενοι ὁμαλῶς περιπατοῦσι καὶ ἀπροσκόπως· οὔτε γὰρ τραχεῖά ἐστιν οὔτε ἀκανθώδης. βλέπεις οὖν ὅτι συμφορώτερόν ἐστι ταύτῃ τῇ ὁδῷ πορεύεσθαι. But those who walk in the straight way walk on the level and without stumbling: for it is neither rough nor thorny. You see then that it is more expedient to walk in this way."
5 Ἀρέσκει μοι, φημί, κύριε, ταύτῃ τῇ ὁδῷ πορεύεσθαι. Πορεύσῃ, φησί, καὶ ὃς ἄν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, πορεύσεται ἐν αὐτῇ. "I am pleased, Sir," say I, "to walk in this way." "You shall walk," he says, "yes, and whosoever shall turn unto the Lord with his whole heart shall walk in it.

Mandate 6 Chapter 2
1 Ἄκουε νῦν, φησί, περὶ τῆς πίστεως, δύο εἰσὶν ἄγγελοι μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἷς τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ εἷς τῆς πονηρίας. "Hear now," says he, "concerning faith. There are two angels with a man, one of righteousness and one of wickedness."
2 Πῶς οὖν, φημί, κύριε, γνώσομαι τὰς αὐτῶν ἐνεργείας, ὅτι ἀμφότεροι ἄγγελοι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ κατοικοῦσιν; "How then, Sir," say I, "shall I know their workings, seeing that both angels dwell with me?"
3 Ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ συνιεῖς αὐτάς. ὁ μὲν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἄγγελος τρυφερός ἐστι καὶ αἰσχυντηρὸς καὶ πραῢς καὶ ἡσύχιος· ὅταν οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, εὐθέως λαλεῖ μετὰ σοῦ περὶ δικαιοσύνης, περὶ ἁγνείας, περὶ σεμνότητος καὶ περὶ αὐταρκείας καὶ περὶ παντός ἔργου δικαίου καὶ περὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς ἐνδόξου. ταῦτα πάντα ὅταν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γίνωσκε, ὅτι ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς δικαιοσύνης μετὰ σοῦ ἐστι. ταῦτα οὖν ἐστι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης. τούτῳ οὖν πίστευε καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ. "Hear," says he, "and understand their workings. The angel of righteousness is delicate and bashful and gentle and tranquil. When then this one enters into your heart, forthwith he speaks with you of righteousness, of purity, of holiness, and of contentment, of every righteous deed and of every glorious virtue. When all these things enter into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you. [These then are the works of the angel of righteousness.] Trust him therefore and his works.
4 ὅρα οὖν καὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας τὰ ἔργα. πρῶτον πάντων ὀξύχολός ἐστι καὶ πικρὸς καὶ ἄφρων, καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρά, καταστρεφοντα τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅταν οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γνῶθι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. Now see the works of the angel of wickedness also. First of all, he is quick tempered and bitter and senseless, and his works are evil, overthrowing the servants of God. Whenever then he enters into your heart, know him by his works."
5 Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, νοήσω αὐτόν, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι. Ἄκουε, φησίν. ὅταν ὀξυχολία Σοὶ τις προσπέσῃ ἢ πικρία, γίνωσκε, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν Σοὶ· εἶτα ἐπιθυμία πράξεων πολλῶν καὶ πολυτέλειαι ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν καὶ μεθυσμάτων καὶ κραιπαλῶν πολλῶν καὶ ποικίλων τρυφῶν καὶ οὐ δεόντων καὶ ἐπιθυμίαι γυναικῶν καὶ πλεονεξιῶν καὶ ὑπερηφανία πολλή τις καὶ ἀλαζονεία καὶ ὅσα τούτοις παραπλήσιά ἐστι καὶ ὅμοια. ταῦτα οὖν ὅταν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γίνωσκε, ὅτι ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς πονηρίας ἐστὶν ἐν Σοὶ. "How I shall discern him, Sir," I reply, "I know not." Listen," says he. "When a fit of angry temper or bitterness comes upon you, know that he is in you. Then the desire of much business and the costliness of many viands and drinking bouts and of many drunken fits and of various luxuries which are unseemly, and the desire of women, and avarice, and haughtiness and boastfulness, and whatsoever things are akin and like to these–when then these things enter into your heart, know that the angel of wickedness is with you.
6 σὺ οὖν ἐπιγνοὺς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀπόστα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, μηδὲν αὐτῷ πίστευε, ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρά εἰσι καὶ ἀσύμφορα τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ. ἔχεις οὖν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἀγγέλων τὰς ἐνεργείας· σύνιε αὐτὰς καὶ πίστευε τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης· Do you therefore, recognizing his works, stand aloof from him, and trust him in nothing, for his works are evil and inexpedient for the servants of God. Here then you had the workings of both the angels. Understand them, and trust the angel of righteousness.
7 ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας ἀπόστηθι, ὅτι ἡ διδαχὴ αὐτοῦ πονηρά ἐστι παντὶ ἔργῳ· ἐὰν γὰρ ᾖ τις πιστὸς ἀνήρ καὶ ἡ ἐνθύμησις τοῦ ἀγγέλου τούτου ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, δεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον ἢ τὴν γυναῖκα ἐξαμαρτῆσαί τι. But from the angel of wickedness stand aloof, for his teaching is evil in every matter; for though one be a man of faith, and the desire of this angel enter into his heart, that man, or that woman, must commit some sin.
8 ἐὰν δὲ πάλιν πονηρότατός τις ᾖ ἀνὴρ ἢ γυνή καὶ ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀγαθόν τι ποιῆσαι. And if again a man or a woman be exceedingly wicked, and the works of the angel of righteousness come into that man's heart, he must of necessity do something good.
9 βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι καλόν ἐστι τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκολουθεῖν, τῷ δὲ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς πονηρίας ἀποτάξασθαι. You see then," says he, "that it is good to follow the angel of righteousness, and to bid farewell to the angel of wickedness.
10 τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς πίστεως αὕτη ἡ ἐντολὴ δηλοῖ, ἵνα τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης πιστεύσῃς, καὶ ἐργασάμενος αὐτὰ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ. πίστευε δὲ ὅτι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας χαλεπά ἐστι· μὴ ἐργαζόμενος οὖν αὐτὰ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ. This commandment declares what concerns faith, that you may trust the works of the angel of righteousness, and doing them may live unto God. But believe that the works of the angel of wickedness are difficult; so by not doing them you shall live unto God."