Hermas, The Shepherd of Hermas, ed. Kirsopp Lake, 7.1

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[1] Λέγει μοι: Ἁπλότητα ἔχε καὶ ἄκακος γίνου, καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς τὰ νήπια τὰ μὴ γινώσκοντα τὴν πονηρίαν τὴν ἀπολλύουσαν τὴν ζωὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

[2] πρῶτον μὲν μηδενὸς καταλάλει μηδὲ ἡδέως ἄκουε ¹ καταλαλοῦντος: εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ σὺ ὁ ἀκούων ἔνοχος ἔσῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ καταλαλοῦντος, ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς τῇ καταλαλιᾷ ᾗ ἂν ἀκούσῃς: πιστεύσας γὰρ ² καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ἕξεις κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου: οὕτως οὖν ἔνοχος ἔσῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ καταλαλοῦντος.

[3] πονηρὰ ἡ καταλαλιά: ἀκατάστατον δαιμόνιόν ἐστιν, μηδέποτε εἰρηνεῦον, ἀλλὰ πάντοτε ἐν διχοστασίαις κατοικοῦν. ἀπέχου οὖν ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐθηνίαν πάντοτε ἕξεις ³ μετὰ πάντων.

[4] ἔνδυσαι δὲ τὴν σεμνότητα, ἐν ᾗ οὐδὲν πρόσκομμά ἐστιν πονηρόν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὁμαλὰ καὶ ἱλαρά. ἐργάζου τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐκ τῶν κόπων σου ὧν ὁ θεὸς δίδωσίν σοι πᾶσιν ὑστερουμένοις δίδου ἁπλῶς, μὴ διστάζων, τίνι δῷς ἢ τίνι μὴ δῷς. πᾶσιν δίδου: πᾶσιν γάρ ὁ θεὸς δίδοσθαι θέλει ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων δωρημάτων.

[5] οἱ οὖν λαμβάνοντες ἀποδώσουσιν λόγον τῷ θεῷ, διατί ἔλαβον καὶ εἰς τί: οἱ μὲν γὰρ λαμβάνοντες θλιβόμενοι οὐ δικασθήσονται, οἱ δὲ ἐν ὑποκρίσει λαμβάνοντες τίσουσιν δίκην.

[6] ὁ οὖν διδοὺς ἀθῷός ἐστιν: ὡς γὰρ ἔλαβεν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου τὴν διακονίαν τελέσαι, ἁπλῶς αὐτὴν ἐτέλεσεν, μηθὲν διακρίνων, τίνι δῷ ἢ μὴ δῷ. ἐγένετο οὖν ἡ διακονία αὕτη ἁπλῶς τελεσθεῖσα ἔνδοξος παρὰ τῷ θεῷ. ὁ οὖν οὕτως ἁπλῶς διακονῶν τῷ θεῷ ζήσεται. ⁴

[7] φύλασσε οὖν τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην, ὥς σοι λελάληκα, ἵνα ἡ μετάνοιά σου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου ἐν ἁπλότητι εὑρεθῇ, καὶ ἀκακία ⁵⁶ καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος.

The Shepherd of Hermas. Hermas. ed. Kirsopp Lake. London. 1917.

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Current edition First1KGreek

Ποιμὴν (Greek) (Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers, Vol 2. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1917.)

Translations (1)

Hermas Perseus (Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913) — 7.1 focus

[1] He said to me: Have simplicity and be¹ innocent and you shall be as the children who do not know the wickedness that destroys the life of men.

[2] In the first place, speak evil of no one, and do not listen gladly to him who speaks evil. Otherwise you also by listening share in the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe in the evil-speaking which you hear. For by believing you yourself also will have somewhat against your brother; thus therefore, you will share the sin of the speaker of evil.

[3] Evil-speaking is wicked; it is a restless² devil, never making peace, but always living in strife. Refrain from it then, and you shall have well-being at all times with all men.

[4] And put on reverence, in which is no evil stumbling-block, but all is smooth and joyful. Do good, and of all your toil which God gives you, give in simplicity to all who need, not doubting to whom you shall give and to whom not: give to all, for to all God wishes gifts to be made of his own bounties.

[5] Those then who receive shall render an account to God why they received it and for what. For those who accepted through distress shall not be punished, but those who accepted in hypocrisy shall pay the penalty.³

[6] He therefore who gives is innocent; for as he received from the Lord the fulfilment of this ministry, he fulfilled it in simplicity, not doubting to whom he should give or not give. Therefore this ministry fulfilled in simplicity was honourable before God. He therefore who serves in simplicity shall live to God.

[7] Keep therefore this commandment as I have told you, that your repentance and that of your family may be found to be in simplicity, and that your innocence may be pure and without stain.

Notes on the current edition

The Shepherd of Hermas

1. Jam. 4, 11

2. ga/r AE(L1) Ath. Ant. om. NL2.

3. e(/ceis NcAL2E Ath., e)/xeis NL1.

4. From here to the end of this Mandate N is missing except the end of the last sord (-antos).

5. a)kaki/a A (probably, but the MS is almost illegible), h( kardi/a edd. the versions are all paraphrastic, but cor is found in L1.

6. Jam. 1. 27

Hermas The Shepherd of Hermas 7.1

ed. Kirsopp Lake

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