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they share with those who are in need. See the judgment that is coming. You, therefore, who are well-off, seek out the hungry before the tower is finished; for after the tower is finished, you will wish to do good, and you will not have the opportunity. See, therefore, you who exult in your wealth, lest those who are in need should groan, and their groaning should go up to the Lord, and you with your goods should be shut out from the door of the tower. Now, therefore, I say to you, the leaders of the church and to those who occupy the chief seats: do not be like the sorcerers. The sorcerers, indeed, carry their drugs in boxes, but you carry your drug and poison in your heart. You are hardened, and you do not wish to cleanse your hearts and to unite your wisdom for the same purpose in a pure heart, that you may have mercy from the great King. See, therefore, children, lest these divisions of yours should deprive you of your life. How do you wish to instruct the elect of the Lord, when you yourselves have no instruction? Instruct one another, therefore, and be at peace among yourselves, that I also, standing cheerful before the Father, may give an account for all of you to your Lord. When, therefore, she ceased speaking with me, the six young men who were building came and carried her away to the tower, and four others took up the bench and carried it also away to the tower. I did not see their faces, for they were turned away. But as she was going, I asked her to reveal to me about the three forms in which she had appeared to me. Answering, she says to me, "Concerning these things you must ask another, that it may be revealed to you." And she appeared to me, brothers, in the first vision of last year, as very old and sitting on a chair. But in the second vision she had a younger appearance, but her flesh and her hair were old, and she spoke to me while standing. And she was more cheerful than before. But in the third vision she was altogether younger and exceedingly beautiful in appearance, only her hair was old; and she was completely cheerful and sitting upon a bench. Concerning these things I was exceedingly sad that I might know this revelation. And I see the old woman in a vision of the night, saying to me: "Every question requires humility; fast, therefore, and you will receive what you ask from the Lord." I fasted, therefore, for one day, and on that very night a young man appeared to me and says to me: "Why do you immediately ask for revelations in your prayer? See that by asking many things you do not harm your flesh. These revelations are sufficient for you. Can you see stronger revelations than those you have seen?" Answering him, I say, "Sir, this only I ask, concerning the three forms of the old woman, that a complete revelation may be made." Answering me, he says, "How long are you without understanding? But your doubts make you without understanding, and your not having your heart toward the Lord." Answering him again, I said, "But from you, sir, we shall know them more accurately." "Listen," he says, "concerning the forms about which you inquire. In the first vision, why did she appear to you as old and sitting on a chair? Because your spirit is old and already withered and has no power from your weaknesses and doubts. For just as old men, no longer having hope of being young again, expect nothing else but their falling asleep, so you also, being weakened by worldly affairs, have given yourselves over

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μεταδιδοῦσιν τοῖς ὑστερουμένοις. βλέπετε τὴν κρίσιν τὴν ἐπερχομένην. οἱ ὑπερέχοντες οὖν ἐκζητεῖτε τοὺς πεινῶντας ἕως οὔπω ὁ πύργος ἐτελέσθη· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ τελεσθῆναι τὸν πύργον θελήσετε ἀγαθοποιεῖν, καὶ οὐχ ἕξετε τόπον. βλέπετε οὖν ὑμεῖς οἱ γαυρούμενοι ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ ὑμῶν, μήποτε στενάξουσιν οἱ ὑστερούμενοι, καὶ ὁ στεναγμὸς αὐτῶν ἀναβήσεται πρὸς τὸν κύριον, καὶ ἐκκλεισθήσεσθε μετὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑμῶν ἔξω τῆς θύρας τοῦ πύργου. νῦν οὖν ὑμῖν λέγω τοῖς προηγουμένοις τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τοῖς πρωτοκαθεδρίταις· μὴ γίνεσθε ὅμοιοι τοῖς φαρμακοῖς. οἱ φαρμακοὶ μὲν οὖν τὰ φάρμακα ἑαυτῶν εἰς τὰς πυξίδας βαστάζουσιν, ὑμεῖς δὲ τὸ φάρ μακον ὑμῶν καὶ τὸν ἰὸν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν. ἐνεσκιρωμένοι ἐστὲ καὶ οὐ θέλετε καθαρίσαι τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ συνκεράσαι ὑμῶν τὴν φρόνησιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ, ἵνα σχῆτε ἔλεος παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγά λου. βλέπετε οὖν, τέκνα, μήποτε αὗται αἱ διχοστασίαι ὑμῶν ἀποστερή σουσιν τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν. πῶς ὑμεῖς παιδεύειν θέλετε τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς κυρίου, αὐτοὶ μὴ ἔχοντες παιδείαν; παιδεύετε οὖν ἀλλήλους καὶ εἰρηνεύετε ἐν αὑτοῖς, ἵνα κἀγὼ κατέναντι τοῦ πατρὸς ἱλαρὰ σταθεῖσα λόγον ἀποδῶ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πάντων τῷ κυρίῳ ὑμῶν. Ὅτε οὖν ἐπαύσατο μετ' ἐμοῦ λαλοῦσα, ἦλθον οἱ ἓξ νεανίσκοι οἱ οἰκοδο μοῦντες καὶ ἀπήνεγκαν αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸν πύργον, καὶ ἄλλοι τέσσαρες ἦραν τὸ συμψέλιον καὶ ἀπήνεγκαν καὶ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν πύργον. τούτων τὸ πρόσ ωπον οὐκ εἶδον, ὅτι ἀπεστραμμένοι ἦσαν. ὑπάγουσαν δὲ αὐτὴν ἠρώτων ἵνα μοι ἀποκαλύψῃ περὶ τῶν τριῶν μορφῶν ἐν αἷς μοι ἐνεφανίσθη. ἀπο κριθεῖσά μοι λέγει· Περὶ τούτων ἕτερον δεῖ σε ἐπερωτῆσαι ἵνα σοι ἀπο καλυφθῇ. ὤφθη δέ μοι, ἀδελφοί, τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ ὁράσει τῇ περυσινῇ λίαν πρεσβυτέρα καὶ ἐν καθέδρᾳ καθημένη. τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ ὁράσει τὴν μὲν ὄψιν νεωτέραν εἶχεν, τὴν δὲ σάρκα καὶ τὰς τρίχας πρεσβυτέρας, καὶ ἑστηκυῖά μοι ἐλάλει. ἱλαρωτέρα δὲ ἦν ἢ τὸ πρότερον. τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ ὁράσει ὅλη νεωτέρα καὶ κάλλει ἐκπρεπεστάτη, μόνας δὲ τὰς τρίχας πρεσβυτέρας εἶχεν· ἱλαρὰ δὲ εἰς τέλος ἦν καὶ ἐπὶ συμψελίου καθημένη. περὶ τούτων περίλυπος ἤμην λίαν τοῦ γνῶναί με τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν ταύτην. καὶ βλέπω τὴν πρεσβυτέραν ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς λέγουσάν μοι· Πᾶσα ἐρώτησις ταπεινοφροσύνης χρῄζει· νήστευσον οὖν, καὶ λήμψῃ ὃ αἰτεῖς παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου. ἐνήστευσα οὖν μίαν ἡμέραν, καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ νυκτί μοι ὤφθη νεανίσκος καὶ λέγει μοι· Τί σὺ ὑπὸ χεῖρα αἰτεῖς ἀποκαλύψεις ἐν δεήσει; βλέπε μήποτε πολλὰ αἰτούμενος βλάψῃς σου τὴν σάρκα. ἀρκοῦσίν σοι αἱ ἀποκαλύψεις αὗται. μήτι δύνῃ ἰσχυροτέρας ἀποκαλύψεις ὧν ἑώρακας ἰδεῖν; ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ λέγω· Κύριε, τοῦτο μόνον αἰτοῦμαι, περὶ τῶν τριῶν μορφῶν τῆς πρεσβυτέρας, ἵνα ἀποκάλυψις ὁλοτελὴς γένηται. ἀποκρι θείς μοι λέγει· Μέχρι τίνος ἀσύνετοί ἐστε; ἀλλ' αἱ διψυχίαι ὑμῶν ἀσυνέτους ὑμᾶς ποιοῦσιν καὶ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν κύριον. ἀπο κριθεὶς αὐτῷ πάλιν εἶπον· Ἀλλ' ἀπὸ σοῦ, κύριε, ἀκριβέστερον αὐτὰ γνωσόμεθα. Ἄκουε, φησίν, περὶ τῶν μορφῶν ὧν ἐπιζητεῖς. τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ ὁράσει διατί πρεσβυτέρα ὤφθη σοι καὶ ἐπὶ καθέδραν καθημένη; ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα ὑμῶν πρεσβύτερον καὶ ἤδη μεμαραμμένον καὶ μὴ ἔχον δύναμιν ἀπὸ τῶν μαλακιῶν ὑμῶν καὶ διψυχιῶν. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι, μηκέτι ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα τοῦ ἀνανεῶσαι, οὐδὲν ἄλλο προσδοκῶσιν εἰ μὴ τὴν κοίμησιν αὐτῶν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς μαλακισθέντες ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων παρεδώκατε ἑαυ