The Shepherd Of Hermas
1926 anthology with historical English translations and Crane introduction
William Wake and Frank Crane
THE vision which I saw, brethren, was this.
2 When I had often fasted and prayed unto the Lord, that he would manifest unto me the revelation, which he had promised by the old woman to shew unto me; the same night she appeared unto me, and said unto me:
3 Because thou dost thus afflict thyself, and art so desirous to know all things, come into the field, where thou wilt, and about the sixth hour, I will appear unto thee, and shew thee what thou must see.
4 I asked her, saying: Lady, into what part of the field? She answered, wherever thou wilt, only choose a good and a private place. And before I began to speak and tell her the place, she said unto me: I will come where thou wilt.
5 I was therefore, brethren, in the field, and I observed the hours and came into the place where I had appointed her to come.
6 And I beheld a bench placed; it was a linen pillow, and over it spread a covering of fine linen.
7 When I saw these things ordered in this manner, and that there was nobody in the place, I began to be astonished, and my hair stood on end, and a kind of horror seized me; for I was alone.
8 But, being come to myself, and calling to mind the glory of Gad, and taking courage, I fell down upon my knees, and began again to confess my sins as before.
9 And whilst I was doing this, the old woman came thither with the six young men whom I had seen before, and stood behind me as I was praying, and heard me praying and confessing my sins unto the Lord.
10 And touching me, she said: Leave off to pray now only for thy sins; pray also for righteousness, that thou mayest receive part of her in thy house.
11 And she lifted me up from the place, and took me by the hand, and brought me to the seat; and said to the young men; go, and build.
12 As soon as they were departed, and we were alone, she said unto me: sit here. I answered her: Lady, let those who are elder sit first. She replied, Sit down as I bid you.
13 And when I would have sat on the right side, she suffered me not, but made a sign to me with her hand, that I should sit on the left.
14 As I was therefore musing, and full of sorrow, that she would not suffer me to sit on the right side, she said unto me, Hermes, why art thou sad?
15 The place which is on the right hand is theirs who have already attained unto God, and have suffered for his name-sake. But there is yet a great deal remaining unto thee, before thou Banat sit with them.
16 But continue as thou doest in thy sincerity, and thou shalt sit with them: as all others shall that do their works, and shall bear what they have borne.
17 I said to her: Lady, I would know what it is that they have suffered? Hear then, said she: wild beasts, scourgings, imprisonments, and crosses for his name-sake.
18 For this cause the right hand of holiness belongs to them, and to all others as many as shall suffer for the name of God; but the left belongs to the rest.
19 Howbeit the gifts and the promises belong to both, to them on the right, and to those on the left hand; only that sitting on the right hand they have some glory above the others.
20 But thou art desirous to sit on the right hand with them, and yet thy[1198] defects are many. But thou shalt be purged from thy defects, as also all who doubt not shall be cleansed from all the sins which they have committed unto this day.
21 And when she had said this she would have departed.
22 Wherefore, falling down before her feet, I began to entreat her, for the Lord's sake, hat she would shew me the vision which she had promised.
23 Then she again took me by the hand, and lifted me up, and made me sit upon the seat on the left side; and holding up a certain bright wand, said unto me, Seest thou that great thing? I replied, Lady, I see nothing.
24 She answered, Dost thou not see over against thee a great tower, which is built upon the water, with bright square stones?
25 For the tower was built upon a square by these six young men that came with her.
26 But many thousand of other men brought stones; some drew them out of the deep, others carried them from the ground, and gave them to the six young men. And they took them and built.
27 As for those stones which were drawn out of the deep, they put them all into the building; for they were polished, and their squares exactly answered one another, and so one was joined in such wise to the other, that there was no space to be seen where they joined, insomuch that the whole tower appeared to be built as it were of one stone.
28 But as for the other stones that were taken off from the ground, some of them they rejected, others they fitted into the building.
29 As for those which were rejected, some they cut out, and cast them at a distance from the tower; but many others of them lay round about the tower, which they made no use of in the building.
30 For some of these were rough, others had clefts in them, others were white and round, not proper for the building of the tower.
31 But I saw the other stones cast afar off from the tower, and falling into the high-way, and yet not continuing in the way, but were rolled from the way into a desert place.
32 Others I saw falling into the fire and burning; others fell near the water, yet could not roll themselves into it, though very desirous to fall into the water.
33 And when she had shewed me these things she would have departed: but I said to her, Lady, what doth it profit me to see these things, and not underw stand what they mean?
34 She answered and said unto me: You are very cunning, in that you are desirous to know those things which[1199] relate to the tower. Yea, said I, Lady, that I may declare them unto the brethren, and they may rejoice, and hearing these things may glorify God with great glory.
35 Then she said, Many indeed shall hear them, and when they shall have heard them, some shall rejoice, and others weep. And yet even these, if they shall repent, shall rejoice too.
36 Hear therefore what I shall say concerning the parable of the tower, and after this be no longer importunate with me about the revelation.
37 For these revelations have an end, seeing they are fulfilled. But thou dost not leave off to desire revelations, for thou art very[1200] urgent.
38 As for the tower which thou seest built, it is myself, namely the church, which have appeared to thee both now and heretofore. Wherefore ask what thou wilt concerning the tower, and I will reveal it unto thee, that thou mayst rejoice with the saints.
39 I said unto her, Lady, because thou hast thought me once worthy to receive from thee the revelation of all these things, declare them unto me.
40 She answered me, Whatsoever is fit to be revealed unto thee shall be revealed:[1201] only let thy heart be with the Lord, and doubt not, whatsoever thou shalt see.