The Second Book Of Hermas, Called His Commands
1926 anthology with historical English translations and Crane introduction
William Wake and Frank Crane
8 And I replied unto him, sir, I never before hearkened so diligently to these things. He answered, Now thou hearest them: Take care from henceforth, that even those things which thou hast formerly spoken falsely for the sake of thy business, may,[1236] by thy present truth receive credit.
9 For even those things may be credited, if for the time to come thou shalt speak the truth; and[1237] by so doing thou mayest attain unto life.
10 And whosoever shall hearken unto this command, and do it, and shall depart from all lying, he shall live unto God.
COMMAND IV.
Of putting away one's wife for adultery.
FURTHERMORE, said he, I command thee, that thou keep[1238] thyself chaste; and that thou suffer not any thought of any other marriage, or of fornication, to enter into thy heart: for such a thought produces great sin.
2 But be thou at all times mindful of the Lord, and thou shalt never sin. For if such an evil thought should arise in thy heart, thou shouldest be guilty of a great sin; and they who do such things follow the way of death.
3 Look therefore to thyself, and keep thyself from such a thought; for where chastity remains in the heart of a righteous man, there an evil thought ought never to arise.
4 And I said unto him, Sir, suffer me to speak a little to you. He bade me say on. And I answered, Sir, if a man that is faithful in the Lord shall have a wife, and shall catch her in adultery; doth a man sin that continues to live still with her?
5 And he said unto me, As long as he is ignorant of her sin, he commits no fault in living with her; but if a man shall know his wife to have offended, and she shall not repent of her sin, but go on still in her fornication, and a man shall continue nevertheless to live with her, he shall become guilty of her sin, and partake with her in her adultery.
6 And I said unto him, What therefore is to be done, if the woman continues on in her sin? He answered, Let her husband put her away, and let him continue by himself. But if he shall put away his wife, and marry another[1239] he also doth commit adultery.
7 And I said, What if the woman that is so put away, shall repent, and be willing to return to her husband, shall she not be received by him? He said unto me, Yes; and if her husband shall not receive her, he will sin, and commit a great offence against himself; but he ought to receive the offender, if she repents; only not often.
8 For to the servants of God there is but one repentance. And for this cause a man that putteth away his wife ought not to take another, because she may repent.
9 This act is alike both in the man and in the woman. Now they commit adultery, not only who pollute their flesh, but who also make an image.[1240] If therefore a woman perseveres in any thing of this kind, and repents not, depart from her, and live not with her, otherwise thou also shalt be partaker of her sin.
10 But it is therefore commanded that both the man and the woman should remain unmarried because such persons may repent.
11 Nor do I in this administer any occasion for the doing of these things; but rather that whoso has offended, should not offend any more.
12 But for their former sins, God who has the power of healing will give a remedy; for he has the power of all things.
13 I asked him again and said, Seeing the Lord hath thought me worthy that thou shouldest dwell with me continually, speak a few words unto me, because I understand nothing, and my heart is hardened through my former conversation; and open my[1241] understanding because I am very dull, and apprehend nothing at all.
15 For he is sensible that he hath sinned and done wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and he remembers[1245] within himself that he has offended, and repents and does no more wickedly, but does that which is good, and humbles his soul and afflicts it, because he has offended. You see therefore that repentance is great wisdom.
16 And I said unto him, For this cause, sir, I inquire diligently into all things, because I am a sinner, that I may know what I must do that I may live; because my sins are many.
17 And he said unto me, Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my commandments. And whosoever shall hear and do these commands shall live unto God.
18 And I said unto him, I have even now heard from certain teachers, that there is no other repentance beside that of baptism; when we go down into the water, and receive the forgiveness of our sins; and that after that, we must sin no more, but live in[1246] purity.
19 And he said unto me, Thou has been[1247] rightly informed. Nevertheless seeing now thou inquirest diligently into all things, I will manifest this also unto thee: yet not so as to give any occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe, or to those who have already believed in the Lord.
20 For neither they who have[1248] newly believed, or who shall hereafter believe, have any repentance of sins, but forgiveness of them.
21 But as to those who have been called to the faith, and since that are fallen into any gross sin, the Lord hath appointed repentance, because God knoweth the thoughts of all men's hearts, and their infirmities, and the manifold wickedness of the devil, who is always contriving something against the servants of God, and maliciously lays snares for them.
22 Therefore our merciful Lord had compassion towards his creature, and appointed that repentance, and gave unto me the power of it. And therefore I say unto thee, if any one after that great and holy calling shall be tempted by the devil and sin, he has one[1249] repentance. But if he shall often sin and repent it shall not profit such a one; for he shall hardly live unto God.
23 And I said, Sir, I am restored again to life since I have thus diligently hearkened to these commands. For I perceive that if I shall not hereafter add any more to my sins, I shall be saved.
24 And he said, Thou shalt be saved: and so shall all others, as many as shall observe these commandments.
25 And again I said unto him, Sir, seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more. Tell me, saith he, what it is.
26 And I said, If a husband or a wife die, and the party which survives marry again, does he sin in so doing?[1250] He that marries says he, sins not: howbeit, if he shall remain single, he shall thereby gain to himself great honour before the Lord.
27 Keep therefore thy chastity and modesty, and thou shalt live unto God. Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee, and command thee to observe, from the time[1251] that I have been delivered unto thee, and dwell in thy house.
28 So shall thy former sins be forgiven, if thou shalt keep these my commandments. And in like manner shall alt others be forgiven, who shall observe these my commandments.
COMMAND V.
Of the sadness of the heart, and of patience.
3 But if any[1256] anger shall overtake thee, presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightened and seek to depart from thee.
5 As if one should take a little wormwood, and put it into a vessel of honey, the whole honey would be spoiled; and a great quantity of honey is corrupted by a very little wormwood, and loses the sweetness of honey, and is no longer acceptable to its Lord because the whole honey is made bitter, and loses its use.