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strongly and be afflicted with many and various afflictions; and if he endure the afflictions that come upon him, He who created and strengthened all things will certainly have compassion and will give him some healing; and this certainly if He sees the heart of the penitent one clean from every evil deed. But it is profitable for you and for your house to be afflicted now. But why do I say much? You must be afflicted, as that angel of the Lord commanded, who delivered you to me; and for this give thanks to the Lord, that He deemed you worthy to reveal the affliction to you beforehand, so that knowing it beforehand you might endure it strongly. I say to him: Lord, be with me, and I shall be able to endure every affliction. I, he says, will be with you; and I will also ask the punishing angel that he may afflict you more lightly; but for a short time you will be afflicted, and again you will be restored to your place; only remain humble-minded and serving the Lord with a pure heart, you and your children and your house, and walk in my commandments which I have commanded you, and your repentance will be able to be strong and pure; and if you keep these things with your house, all affliction will depart from you; and affliction will depart from all, whoever shall walk in these my commandments. Parable 8 He showed me a willow tree covering plains and mountains, and under the shade of the willow all those who have been called in the name of the Lord have come. And an angel of the Lord, glorious, very tall, was standing by the willow, having a great sickle, and he was cutting branches from the willow, and was giving them to the people who were sheltered by the willow; and he was giving them small ·rods, about a cubit long. After everyone had received the ·rods, the angel put down the sickle, and that tree was healthy, just as I had seen it. And I was marveling in myself, saying: How is the tree healthy when so many branches have been cut off? The shepherd says to me: Do not marvel that this tree remained healthy when so many branches were cut off. But wait, he says, until you see everything, and what it is will be revealed to you. The angel who had given the ·rods to the people was again demanding them back from them; and as they had received, so they were also called to him, and each one of them gave back the ·rods. And the angel of the Lord took and examined them. From some he received the ·rods dry and eaten as if by a moth; the angel commanded those who had given such ·rods to stand apart. And others gave them dry, but they were not eaten by a moth; and he commanded these to stand apart. And others gave them half-dry; and these stood apart. And others gave their ·rods half-dry and having cracks; and these stood apart. And others gave their ·rods green but having cracks; and these stood apart. And others gave their ·rods half dry and half green; and these stood apart. And others brought their ·rods with two parts of the ·rod green, and the third part dry; and these stood apart. And others gave two parts dry, and the third green; and these stood apart. And others gave their ·rods almost entirely green, but a very small part of their ·rods was dry, the very tip; and they had cracks in them; and these stood apart. And of others' a very small part was green, but the remaining parts of the ·rods were dry; and these stood apart. And others came bringing their ·rods green just as they had received them from the angel; and the greater part of the crowd such ·rods

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ἰσχυρῶς καὶ θλιβῆναι ἐν πολλαῖς θλίψεσι καὶ ποικίλαις· καὶ ἐὰν ὑπενέγκῃ τὰς θλίψεις τὰς ἐπερχομένας αὐτῷ, πάντως σπλαγχνισθήσεται ὁ τὰ πάντα κτίσας καὶ δυναμώσας καὶ ἴασίν τινα δώσει αὐτῷ· καὶ τοῦτο πάντως ἐὰν ἴδῃ τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ μετανοοῦντος καθαρὰν ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. σοὶ δὲ σύμφορόν ἐστιν καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ σου νῦν θλιβῆναι. τί δὲ πολλὰ λέγω; θλιβῆναί σε δεῖ, καθὼς προσέταξεν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου ἐκεῖνος, ὁ παραδούς σε ἐμοί· καὶ τοῦτο εὐχαρίστει τῷ κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἄξιόν σε ἡγήσατο τοῦ προδηλῶσαί σοι τὴν θλῖψιν, ἵνα προγνοὺς αὐτὴν ὑπενέγκῃς ἰσχυρῶς. λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ γίνου, καὶ πᾶσαν θλῖψιν δυνήσομαι ὑπενέγκαι. Ἐγώ, φησίν, ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ· ἐρωτήσω δὲ καὶ τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν τιμωρητὴν ἵνα σε ἐλα φροτέρως θλίψῃ· ἀλλὰ ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ θλιβήσῃ, καὶ πάλιν ἀποκατασταθήσῃ εἰς τὸν τόπον σου· μόνον παράμεινον ταπεινοφρονῶν καὶ λειτουργῶν τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ, σὺ καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου, καὶ πορεύου ταῖς ἐντολαῖς μου ἅς σοι ἐντέταλμαι καὶ δυνήσεταί σου ἡ μετάνοια εἶναι ἰσχυρὰ καὶ καθαρά· καὶ ἐὰν ταῦτα φυλάξῃς μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου σου, ἀποστήσεται πᾶσα θλῖψις ἀπὸ σοῦ· καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων δὲ ἀποστήσεται ἡ θλῖψις, ὃς ἂν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς μου πορεύσεται ταύταις. Παραβολὴ η Ἔδειξέ μοι ἰτέαν σκεπάζουσαν πεδία καὶ ὄρη, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς ἰτέας πάντες ἐληλύθασιν οἱ κεκλημένοι ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου. εἱστήκει δὲ ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου ἔνδοξος λίαν ὑψηλὸς παρὰ τὴν ἰτέαν, δρέπανον ἔχων μέγα, καὶ ἔκοπτε κλάδους ἀπὸ τῆς ἰτέας, καὶ ἐπεδίδου τῷ λαῷ τῷ σκεπαζομένῳ ὑπὸ τῆς ἰτέας· μικρὰ δὲ ·αβδία ἐπεδίδου αὐτοῖς, ὡσεὶ πηχυαῖα. μετὰ τὸ πάντας λαβεῖν τὰ ·αβδία ἔθηκε τὸ δρέπανον ὁ ἄγγελος, καὶ τὸ δένδρον ἐκεῖνο ὑγιὲς ἦν, οἷον καὶ ἑωράκειν αὐτό. ἐθαύμαζον δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ λέγων· Πῶς τοσούτων κλάδων κεκομμένων τὸ δένδρον ὑγιές ἐστιν; λέγει μοι ὁ ποι μήν· Μὴ θαύμαζε, εἰ τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο ὑγιὲς διέμεινεν τοσούτων κλάδων κοπέντων. ἄφες δέ, φησί, πάντα ἴδῃς, καὶ δηλωθήσεταί σοι τὸ τί ἐστιν. ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ἐπιδεδωκὼς τῷ λαῷ τὰς ·άβδους πάλιν ἀπῄτει ἀπ' αὐτῶν· καὶ καθὼς ἔλαβον, οὕτως καὶ ἐκαλοῦντο πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ εἷς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἀπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους. ἐλάμβανεν δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατενόει αὐτάς. παρά τινων ἐλάμβανε τὰς ·άβδους ξηρὰς καὶ βεβρωμένας ὡς ὑπὸ σητός· ἐκέλευσεν ὁ ἄγγελος τοὺς τὰς τοιαύτας ·άβδους ἐπιδεδωκότας χωρὶς ἱστάνεσθαι. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν ξηράς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦσαν βεβρωμέναι ὑπὸ σητός· καὶ τούτους ἐκέλευσεν χωρὶς ἱστάνεσθαι. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν ἡμιξήρους· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους αὐτῶν ἡμιξήρους καὶ σχισμὰς ἐχούσας· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους χλωρὰς μὲν σχισμὰς δὲ ἐχούσας· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους τὸ ἥμισυ ξηρὸν καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ χλωρόν· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ προσέφερον τὰς ·άβδους αὐτῶν τὰ δύο μέρη τῆς ·άβδου χλωρά, τὸ δὲ τρίτον ξηρόν· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰ δύο μέρη ξηρά, τὸ δὲ τρίτον χλωρόν· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους αὐτῶν παρὰ μικρὸν ὅλας χλωράς, ἐλάχιστον δὲ τῶν ·άβδων αὐτῶν ξηρὸν ἦν, αὐτὸ τὸ ἄκρον· σχισμὰς δὲ εἶχον ἐν αὐταῖς· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἑτέρων δὲ ἦν ἐλάχιστον χλωρόν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέρη τῶν ·άβδων ξηρά· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἤρχοντο τὰς ·άβδους χλωρὰς φέροντες ὡς ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου· τὸ δὲ πλεῖον μέρος τοῦ ὄχλου τοιαύτας ·άβδους