Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (71 page)

is lying on the ground it bears just a little

will find in your own city when you rerotten fruit. And so this parable applies turn to it.

to the slaves of God, the poor and the

10
This kind of extravagance is good

rich.”

and makes one glad; it has no grief or

5
“How so, Lord?” I asked. “Explain

fear, but joy instead. And so, do not parit to me.” “Listen,” he said. “The rich ticipate in the extravagance sought by

person has money, but is poor towards

outsiders; for it is of no profit for you

the Lord, since he is distracted by his

who are slaves of God.

wealth. The prayer and confession he

11
But participate in your own extravmakes to the Lord are very small—weak, agance in which you can rejoice. And do

small, and of no real effect. And so, when

not counterfeit or touch what belongs to

the rich person depends upon the one

another, or desire it. For it is evil to desire

who is poor and supplies him with what

someone else’s goods. But do your own

he needs, he believes that by helping the

work, and you will be saved.”

one who is poor he will find his recom

THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

271

pense before God. For the poor person is

10
Happy are those who have possesrich in his petition and confession, and sions and understand that their riches

his petition has a great effect before God.

have come from the Lord; for the one

And so the rich person supplies everywho understands this will also be able to thing to the one who is poor, without

perform a good ministry.”

hesitation.

6
And then the poor person, having his

needs supplied by the one who is rich,

Third
Parable

prays to God and thanks him for the one

who has given him what he needs. And

(III)

that one becomes even more eager to help

52

out the poor person, so that he may lack

He showed me many trees that

did not have leaves but apnothing in his life. For he knows that the peared to me to be withered. And they

petition of the poor person is acceptable

were all alike. He said to me, “Do you

and rich before the Lord.

see these trees?” “I see them, Lord,” I

7
And so both accomplish their work.

replied. “They are like one another and

The poor person works at his prayer in

withered.” He replied, “These trees you

which he is rich and which he received

see are the people who dwell in this age.”

from the Lord; and he gives it back to

2
“Why, then, Lord,” I asked, “do they

the Lord who supplied it to him in the

seem withered and like one another?”

first place. So too the rich person does

“Because,” he said, neither the upright

not hesitate to supply his wealth to the

nor the sinners stand out clearly in this

poor person, since he received it from the

age, but they are like one another. For

Lord. And this is a great and acceptable

this age is a winter for those who are

thing to do before God, because the rich

upright: they do not stand out clearly

person has gained understanding by his

while dwelling with the sinners.

wealth and has worked for the poor per

3
For just as the trees that shed their

son out of the gifts provided by the Lord,

leaves in the winter all look alike, with

and he has accomplished his ministry

the withered indistinguishable from the

well.

living, so too in this age it is not clear

8
And so, people may think that the

who the upright are and who the sinners,

elm tree bears no fruit; but they neither

but they all appear alike.”

know nor understand that when a drought

comes, the elm nourishes the vine by

holding water; and the vine, since it has

Another
Parable

an undiminished supply of water, produces fruit for two, both for itself and for
(IV)

the elm. Thus also those who are poor

53

who pray to the Lord on behalf of the

He showed me again a number

of trees, some of them budding,

rich bring their own wealth to compleothers withered. And he said to me, “Do tion; and again those who are rich and

you see these trees?” “I see them, Lord,”

supply the poor with what they need

I replied. “Some of them are budding and

bring their souls to completion.

others withered.”

9
Both then share in an upright work.

2
“These trees that are budding,” he

And so the one who does these things

said, “are the upright who are about to

will not be abandoned by God, but will

dwell in the age that is coming. For the

be recorded in the books of the living.

coming age is a summer for the upright,

272

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

but a winter for sinners. And so, when

Another
Parable,
Five

the mercy of the Lord shines forth, those

who serve as slaves to God will stand out

(V,
1)

clearly, and everyone will be able to rec54

ognize them.

While I was fasting and sitting

on a certain mountain, thanking

3
For just as the fruits of each individthe Lord for everything he had done for ual tree appear in the summer and their

me, I saw the shepherd sitting next to me.

species are recognized, so too the fruits

And he said to me: “Why have you come

of the upright will appear, and they will

here so early?” “Because, Lord,” I said,

all be known in that age because they

“I have a duty to perform.”k

will be blossoming.

2
“What is the duty?”l he asked. “I am

4
But the outsiders and sinners—who

fasting, Lord,” I replied. “But what is this

are the withered trees you saw—will be

fast you people are keeping?” he asked.

found withered and fruitless in that age,

“I am fasting according to my custom,

and they will be burned like withered

Lord,” I said.

trees and shown for what they are, be

3
“You people do not know how to fast

cause they did what was evil in their

for God,” he said, “and this worthless fast

lifetimes. The sinners will be burned for

you are keeping for him is not a fast.”

sinning and not repenting. But the outsid

“Why do you say this, Lord,” I asked. “I

ers will be burned for not knowing the

say this,” he said, “because what you

one who created them.

think you are keeping is not a fast. But I

5
You, therefore, bear fruit in yourwill teach you a fast that is acceptable self, that your fruit may appear in that

and complete to the Lord.” “Yes, Lord,”

summer. But avoid many business activ

I said, “you will make me blessed if you

ities and you will not sin at all. For

show me the fast acceptable to God.”

those involved with numerous business

“Listen,” he said.

dealings are also involved in numerous

4
“God does not want this kind of vain

sins, since they are distracted by their

fast. For when you fast like this to God

affairs and do not serve as the Lord’s

you do nothing at all righteous. But fast

slaves.

to God as follows:

6
How then,” he continued, “can some

5
Do no evil in your life, but serve as

one like this receive anything he asks

the Lord’s slave with a pure heart, keepfrom the Lord, if he does not serve as the ing his commandments and proceeding

Lord’s slave? For his slaves will receive

in his injunctions; and let no evil desire

what they request, but those who are not

rise up in your heart. Trust in God, behis slaves will receive nothing.

cause if you do these things and fear

7
But if someone should engage in

him and are self-restrained from every

just one kind of business,j he will also

evil deed, you will live to God. If you

be able to serve as the Lord’s slave. For

do these things, you will accomplish a

his thoughts will in no way be corfast that is great and acceptable to the rupted away from the Lord, but he will

Lord.

be enslaved to him, keeping his

thoughts pure.

8
So then, if you do these things you

will be able to bear fruit in the age that

is coming. And whoever else does these

jOr:
one
business
transaction
kLiterally:
I
have
a
sta-

things will bear fruit.”

tion
lOr:
What
is
a
station?

THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

273

(V,
2)

7
He said to them, ‘I promised to free

55 “Listen to this parable I am this slave if he did what I commanded about to tell you; for it relates

him. And he did what I commanded and

to fasting.

an additional good work in my vineyard

2
There was a person who owned a

besides. He has pleased me greatly. In

field and many slaves, and he planted a

exchange for the work he has done I want

vineyard in part of the field. And he chose

to make him a fellow heir with my son;

a certain slave who was most trustworthy

for when he thought of the good deed,

and pleasing to him; and when he was

he did not leave it alone, but he accomabout to go on a journey, he called him in plished it.’

and said to him, ‘Take this vineyard that I

8
The master’s son approved of the

have planted and build a fence around it

idea that the slave should become his

before I return, and do nothing else to the

fellow heir.

vineyard. Do what I have commanded

9
After some days the master of the

and I will set you free.’ And the master of

house gave a dinner and sent a number

the slave went away on his journey.

of foods to the slave from his table.

3
When he had gone, his slave took the

When the slave received the food his

vineyard and built a fence around it. And

master sent, he took what he needed

when he finished the fence he saw that

and distributed the rest to his fellow

the vineyard was full of weeds.

slaves.

4
And so he reasoned to himself, ‘I

10
His fellow slaves took the food

have finished what the lord commanded;

gladly, and began also to pray for him,

so now I will dig in this vineyard. Once

that he might find even greater favor with

it is dug it will be more attractive, and

the master, since he had treated them so

without the weeds it will give more fruit,

well.

since it will not be choked by the weeds.’

11
The master heard everything that

So he dug the vineyard and removed all

happened and was again extremely

the weeds that were in it. And that vinepleased at what the slave had done. And yard became more attractive and flourishso he once more assembled his friends ing, since there were no weeds that could

and his son, and he reported to them what

choke it.

the slave had done with the foods he had

5
After some time the master of both

received. And they approved even more

field and slave returned and came into

heartily his plan to make the slave his

the vineyard. When he saw that the vineson’s fellow heir.”

yard was attractively fenced and even

more that it was dug, with all the weeds

(V,
3)

removed, and that the vines were flour56

ishing, he was extremely pleased with

I said to him, “Lord, I do not

know what these parables mean

what the slave had done.

and cannot understand them, unless you

6
So he called his beloved son, who

explain them to me.”

was to be his heir, and his friends, who

2
“I will explain everything to you,”

served as his advisors, and he told them

he said, “and show you the meaning of

everything he had commanded his slave

everything I tell you. Guard what the