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but they will fit into a much smaller place, and this when they have been tormented and have fulfilled the days of their sins. And for this reason they will be moved, because they partook of the name of the righteous one. and then it will happen to them to be moved from their torments, because of the wicked deeds which they did. But if it does not enter into their heart to repent they are not saved because of their hardness of heart. When therefore I ceased asking her about all these things, she says to me: Do you wish to see something else? being very desirous of seeing, I became very joyful to see. Looking at me, she smiled and says to me: Do you see seven women around the tower? I see, I say, lady. This tower is supported by them according to the command of the Lord. hear now their activities. The first of them, the one holding hands, is called Faith; through her the elect of God are saved. The other, the one girded and acting courageously, is called Continence; she is the daughter of Faith. Whoever therefore follows her, becomes blessed in his life, because he will abstain from all wicked works, believing that if he abstains from every evil desire, he will inherit eternal life. And the others, lady, who are they? They are daughters of one another; and they are called Simplicity, Knowledge, Guilelessness, Purity, and Love. When therefore you do all the works of their mother, you are able to live. I wanted, I say, to know, lady, what power each of them has. Hear, she says, the powers which they have. And their powers are held by one another and they follow one another, just as they were born. From Faith is born Continence, from Continence Simplicity, from Simplicity Guilelessness, from Guilelessness Purity, from Purity Knowledge, from Knowledge Love. The works of these, therefore, are pure and holy and divine. Whoever therefore shall serve these and be strong enough to hold fast to their works, will have his dwelling in the tower with the saints of God. And I asked her about the times, if it is already the end. But she cried out with a loud voice, saying: Foolish man, do you not see the tower still being built? When therefore the tower being built is finished, it has an end. But it will be built up quickly. Ask me nothing more; this reminder is enough for you and for the saints, and the renewal of your spirits. But it was not revealed to you alone, but that you might declare them to all. After three days—for you must first understand—I command you first, Hermas, these words which I am about to speak to you, to speak them all into the ears of the saints, so that hearing and doing them they may be cleansed from their wickedness, and you also with them. Hear me, children; I have nurtured you in much simplicity and guilelessness and purity through the mercy of the Lord who has dropped righteousness upon you, so that you may be justified and sanctified from all wickedness and from all perversity. But you are not willing to cease from your wickedness. Now therefore hear me and be at peace among yourselves, and visit one another and support one another, and do not alone partake of the creatures of God in abundance, but share also with those who are in need. For some, from many foods, draw weakness to their flesh and injure their flesh; while of those who have no food, their flesh is injured because of not having sufficient nourishment, and their body is destroyed. This lack of self-control, therefore, is harmful to you who have and do not

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δὲ τόπῳ ἁρμόσουσιν πολὺ ἐλάττονι, καὶ τοῦτο ὅταν βασανισθῶσιν καὶ ἐκπληρώσωσιν τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μετατε θήσονται, ὅτι μετέλαβον τοῦ ·»ματος τοῦ δικαίου. καὶ τότε αὐτοῖς συμβή σεται μετατεθῆναι ἐκ τῶν βασάνων αὐτῶν, διὰ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἠργάσαντο πονηρά. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν μετανοῆσαι οὐ σώζονται διὰ τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν αὐτῶν. Ὅτε οὖν ἐπαυσάμην ἐρωτῶν αὐτὴν περὶ πάντων τούτων, λέγει μοι· Θέλεις ἄλλο ἰδεῖν; κατεπίθυμος ὢν τοῦ θεάσασθαι περιχαρὴς ἐγενόμην τοῦ ἰδεῖν. ἐμβλέψασά μοι ὑπεμειδίασεν καὶ λέγει μοι· Βλέπεις ἑπτὰ γυναῖκας κύκλῳ τοῦ πύργου; Βλέπω, φημί, κυρία. Ὁ πύργος οὗτος ὑπὸ τούτων βαστάζεται κατ' ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ κυρίου. ἄκουε νῦν τὰς ἐνεργείας αὐτῶν. ἡ μὲν πρώτη αὐτῶν, ἡ κρατοῦσα τὰς χεῖρας, Πίστις καλεῖται· διὰ ταύτης σώζονται οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ. ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα, ἡ περιεζωσμένη καὶ ἀνδριζομένη, Ἐγκράτεια καλεῖται· αὕτη θυγάτηρ ἐστὶν τῆς Πίστεως. ὃς ἂν οὖν ἀκολουθήσῃ αὐτῇ, μακάριος γίνεται ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι πάντων τῶν πονηρῶν ἔργων ἀφέξεται, πιστεύων ὅτι ἐὰν ἀφέξεται πάσης ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς, κληρονομήσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Aἱ δὲ ἕτεραι, κυρία, τίνες εἰσίν; Θυγατέρες ἀλλήλων εἰσίν· καλοῦνται δὲ ἡ μὲν Ἁπλότης, ἡ δὲ Ἐπιστήμη, ἡ δὲ Ἀκακία, ἡ δὲ Σεμνότης, ἡ δὲ Ἀγάπη. ὅταν οὖν τὰ ἔργα τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν πάντα ποιήσῃς, δύνασαι ζῆσαι. Ἤθελον, φημί, γνῶναι, κυρία, τίς τίνα δύναμιν ἔχει αὐτῶν. Ἄκουε, φησίν, τὰς δυνάμεις ἃς ἔχουσιν. κρατοῦνται δὲ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτῶν καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν ἀλλήλαις, καθὼς καὶ γεγεννημέναι εἰσίν. ἐκ τῆς Πίστεως γεννᾶται Ἐγκράτεια, ἐκ τῆς Ἐγκρατείας Ἁπλότης, ἐκ τῆς Ἁπλότητος Ἀκακία, ἐκ τῆς Ἀκακίας Σεμνότης, ἐκ τῆς Σεμνότητος Ἐπιστήμη, ἐκ τῆς Ἐπιστήμης Ἀγάπη. τούτων οὖν τὰ ἔργα ἁγνὰ καὶ σεμνὰ καὶ θεῖά ἐστιν. ὃς ἂν οὖν δουλεύσῃ ταύταις καὶ ἰσχύσῃ κρατῆσαι τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν, ἐν τῷ πύργῳ ἕξει τὴν κατοίκησιν μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὴν περὶ τῶν καιρῶν, εἰ ἤδη συντέλειά ἐστιν. ἡ δὲ ἀνέκραγε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγουσα· Ἀσύνετε ἄνθρωπε, οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸν πύργον ἔτι οἰκοδομούμενον; ὡς ἐὰν οὖν συντελεσθῇ ὁ πύργος οἰκοδο μούμενος, ἔχει τέλος. ἀλλὰ ταχὺ ἐποικοδομηθήσεται. μηκέτι με ἐπερώτα μηδέν· ἀρκετή σοι ἡ ὑπόμνησις αὕτη καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις, καὶ ἡ ἀνακαίνωσις τῶν πνευμάτων ὑμῶν. ἀλλ' οὐ σοὶ μόνῳ ἀπεκαλύφθη, ἀλλ' ἵνα πᾶσιν δηλώσεις αὐτά. μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας-νοῆσαί σε γὰρ δεῖ πρῶτον-ἐντέλλομαι δέ σοι πρῶτον, Ἑρμᾶ, τὰ ·»ματα ταῦτα ἅ σοι μέλλω λέγειν, λαλῆσαι αὐτὰ πάντα εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἁγίων, ἵνα ἀκούσαντες αὐτὰ καὶ ποιήσαντες καθαρισθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ σὺ δὲ μετ' αὐτῶν. Ἀκούσατέ μου, τέκνα· ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐξέθρεψα ἐν πολλῇ ἁπλότητι καὶ ἀκακίᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι διὰ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς στάξαντος τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἵνα δικαιωθῆτε καὶ ἁγιασθῆτε ἀπὸ πάσης πονηρίας καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης σκολιότητος. ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐ θέλετε παῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς πονηρίας ὑμῶν. νῦν οὖν ἀκούσατέ μου καὶ εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθε ἀλλήλους καὶ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλων, καὶ μὴ μόνοι τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ μετα λαμβάνετε ἐκ καταχύματος, ἀλλὰ μεταδίδοτε καὶ τοῖς ὑστερουμένοις. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ἐδεσμάτων ἀσθένειαν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτῶν ἐπισπῶνται καὶ λυμαίνονται τὴν σάρκα αὐτῶν· τῶν δὲ μὴ ἐχόντων ἐδέσματα λυμαίνεται ἡ σὰρξ αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τὸ ἀρκετὸν τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ διαφθείρεται τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν. αὕτη οὖν ἡ ἀσυνκρασία βλαβερὰ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἔχουσι καὶ μὴ