top Hermas: Mandates 7

Mandate 7

1 Φοβήθητι, φησί, τὸν κύριον καὶ φύλασσε τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. φυλάσσων οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ ἔσῃ δυνατὸς ἐν πάσῃ πράξει, καὶ πρᾶξίς σου ἀσύγκριτος ἔσται. φοβούμενος γὰρ τὸν κύριον πάντα καλῶς ἐργάσῃ· οὗτος δέ ἐστιν φόβος. ὃν δεῖ σὲ φοβηθῆναι, καὶ σωθῆναι. "Fear the Lord," says he, "and keep His commandments. So keeping the commandments of God you shall be powerful in every deed, and your doing shall be incomparable. For whilst you fearest the Lord, you shall do all things well. But this is the fear with which you oughtest to be afraid, and you shall be saved.
2 τὸν δὲ διάβολον μὴ φοβηθῇς· φοβούμενος γὰρ τὸν κύριον κατακυριεύσεις τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι δύναμις ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν. ἐν δὲ δύναμις οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ φόβος· ἐν δὲ δύναμις ἔνδοξος, καὶ φόβος ἐν αὐτῷ. πᾶς γὰρ δύναμιν ἔχων φόβον ἔχει· δὲ μὴ ἔχων δύναμιν ὑπὸ πάντων καταφρονεῖται. But fear not the devil; for, if you fear the Lord, you shall be master over the devil, for there is no power in him. [For] in whom is no power, neither is there fear of him; but in whom power is glorious, of him is fear likewise. For every one that has power has fear, whereas he who has no power is despised of all.
3 φοβήθητι δὲ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι πονηρά ἐστι. φοβούμενος οὖν τὸν κύριον οὐκ ἐργάσῃ αὐτά, ἀλλ᾿ ἀφέξῃ ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν. But fear you the works of the devil, for they are evil. While then you fearest the Lord, you wilt fear the works of the devil, and wilt not do them, but abstain from them.
4 δισσοὶ οὖν εἰσιν οἱ φόβοι· ἐὰν γὰρ θέλῃς τὸ πονηρὸν ἐργάσασθαι, φοβοῦ τὸν κύριον, καὶ οὐκ ἐργάσῃ αὐτό· ἐὰν δὲ θέλῃς πάλιν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐργάσασθαι, φοβοῦ τὸν κύριον, καὶ ἐργάσῃ αὐτό. ὥστε φόβος τοῦ κυρίου ἰσχυρός ἐστι καὶ μέγας καὶ ἔνδοξος. φοβήθητι οὖν τὸν κύριον, καὶ ζήσῃ αὐτῷ· καὶ ὅσοι ἄν φοβηθῶσιν αὐτὸν καὶ τηρήσωσι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ. Fear therefore is of two kinds. If you desire to do evil, fear the Lord, and you shall not do it. If again you desire to do good, fear the Lord and you shall do it. Therefore the fear of the Lord is powerful and great and glorious. Fear the Lord then, and you shall live unto Him; yes, and as many of them who keep His commandments as shall fear Him, shall live unto God."
5 Διατί, φημί, κύριε, εἶπας περὶ τῶν τηρούντων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· Ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ; Ὅτι, φησίν, πᾶσα κτίσις φοβεῖται τὸν κύριον τὰς δὲ ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ οὐ φυλάσσει. τῶν οὖν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν καὶ φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, ἐκείνων ζωή ἐστι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ· τῶν δὲ μὴ φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ζωὴ ἐν αὐτῷ. "Why, Sir," say I, "did you say concerning those that keep His commandments, "They shall live unto God"?" "Because," says he, "every creature fears the Lord, but not every one keeps His commandments. Those then that fear Him and keep His commandments, they have life unto God; but they who keep not His commandments have no life in them."