35

they handed them over. And the angel rejoiced greatly at these; and these stood apart. And others handed over green ones having side-shoots; and these stood apart; and at these the angel became very cheerful. And others handed over their rods, green and having side-shoots; and their side-shoots had something like fruit; and very cheerful were those men whose rods were found to be such. And the angel exulted at these, and the shepherd with him was very cheerful at these. And the angel of the Lord commanded crowns to be brought. And crowns were brought, made as it were of palm trees, and he crowned the men who had handed over the rods that had side-shoots and some fruit, and he sent them away to the tower. And he also sent others to the tower, those who had handed over the rods that had side-shoots but had no fruit, giving them a seal. And all who were going to the tower had the same clothing, white as snow. And those who had handed over their rods green as they received them, he sent away, giving them white clothing and a seal. After the angel finished these things, he says to the shepherd: I am going away; but you send these away to the walls, as each one is worthy to dwell. But examine their rods carefully and so send them away. See that no one escapes you; but if anyone escapes you, he says, I will test them at the altar. Having said these things to the shepherd, he departed. After the angel departed, the shepherd says to me: Let us take the rods from all of them and plant them, to see if any of them will be able to live. I say to him: Sir, how can these dry things live? Answering, he says to me: This tree is a willow, and its kind loves life; if these rods are planted and receive a little moisture, many of them will live. Then I will try and pour water on them. If any of them is able to live, I will rejoice with them; but if it does not live, I will not be found negligent. The shepherd commanded me to call them, as each of them was standing. They came company by company and handed over their rods to the shepherd; and the shepherd took the rods and planted them company by company; after planting them he poured much water on them, so that the rods could not be seen for the water. After he had watered the rods, he says to me: Let us go, and after a few days let us return and inspect all these rods; for he who created this tree wishes all to live who have taken branches from it. And I also hope that these little rods, having received moisture and being watered, the greater part of them will live. I say to him: Sir, make known to me what this tree is; for I am perplexed about it, because though so many branches have been cut, the tree is sound and nothing at all appears to have been cut from it; in this, therefore, I am perplexed. Listen, he says. This great tree which overshadows plains and mountains and all the earth is the law of God which was given to the whole world; and this law is the Son of God who was preached to the ends of the earth; and the peoples under its shade are those who have heard the preaching and believed in him; and the great and glorious angel is Michael, who has authority over this people and governs them; for it is he who puts the law into the hearts of the believers. Therefore he inspects them, to whom he gave the law, to see if they have kept it. And you see the rods of each one; for the rods are the law. Therefore you see many

35

ἐπεδίδουν. ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐχάρη λίαν· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν χλωρὰς καὶ παραφυάδας ἐχούσας· καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο· καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ ἄγγελος λίαν ἱλαρὸς ἐγένετο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπε δίδουν τὰς ·άβδους αὐτῶν χλωρὰς καὶ παραφυάδας ἐχούσας· αἱ δὲ παρα φυάδες αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ καρπόν τινα εἶχον· καὶ λίαν ἱλαροὶ ἦσαν οἱ ἄνδρες ἐκεῖνοι ὧν αἱ ·άβδοι τοιαῦται εὑρέθησαν. καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τούτοις ἠγαλλιᾶτο, καὶ ὁ ποιμὴν σὺν αὐτῷ λίαν ἱλαρὸς ἦν ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ἐκέλευσε δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου στεφάνους ἐνεχθῆναι. καὶ ἐνέχθησαν στέφανοι ὡσεὶ ἐκ φοινίκων γεγονότες, καὶ ἐστεφάνωσε τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότας τὰς ·άβδους τὰς παραφυάδας ἐχούσας καὶ καρπόν τινα καὶ ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πύργον. καὶ ἄλλους δὲ ἀπέλυσεν εἰς τὸν πύργον, τοὺς τὰς ·άβδους ἐπιδεδωκότας τὰς παραφυάδας ἐχούσας, καρπὸν δὲ μὴ ἐχούσας, δοὺς αὐτοῖς σφραγῖδα. ἱματισμὸν δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν εἶχον πάντες λευκὸν ὡσεὶ χιόνα, οἱ πορευόμενοι εἰς τὸν πύργον. καὶ τοὺς τὰς ·άβδους ἐπιδεδωκότας χλωρὰς ὡς ἔλαβον ἀπέλυσεν, δοὺς αὐτοῖς ἱματισμὸν λευκὸν καὶ σφραγῖδα. μετὰ τὸ ταῦτα τελέσαι τὸν ἄγγελον λέγει τῷ ποιμένι· Ἐγὼ ὑπάγω· σὺ δὲ τούτους ἀπόλυσον εἰς τὰ τείχη, καθώς τις ἄξιός ἐστιν κατοικεῖν. κατανόησον δὲ τὰς ·άβδους αὐτῶν ἐπιμελῶς καὶ οὕτως ἀπόλυσον. βλέπε, μή τίς σε παρέλθῃ· ἐὰν δέ τίς σε παρέλθῃ, φησίν, ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον δοκιμάσω. ταῦτα εἰπὼν τῷ ποιμένι ἀπῆλθεν. μετὰ τὸ ἀπελθεῖν τὸν ἄγγελον λέγει μοι ὁ ποιμήν· Λάβωμεν παρὰ πάντων τὰς ·άβδους καὶ φυτεύσωμεν αὐτάς, εἴ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν δυνήσονται ζῆσαι. λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, τὰ ξηρὰ ταῦτα πῶς δύναται ζῆσαι; ἀποκριθείς μοι λέγει· Τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο ἰτέα ἐστὶν καὶ φιλόζωον τὸ γένος· ἐὰν φυτευθῶσι καὶ μικρὰν ἰκμάδα λάβωσι αἱ ·άβδοι αὗται, ζήσονται πολλαὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν· εἶτα δὲ πειράσω καὶ ὕδωρ αὐταῖς παραχέω. ἐάν τις αὐτῶν δυνηθῇ ζῆσαι, συνχαρή σομαι αὐταῖς· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ζήσεται, οὐχ εὑρεθήσομαι ἐγὼ ἀμελής. ἐκέλευσέν με ὁ ποιμὴν καλέσαι, καθώς τις αὐτῶν ἐστάθη. ἦλθον τάγματα τάγματα καὶ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ·άβδους τῷ ποιμένι· ἐλάμβανεν δὲ ὁ ποιμὴν τὰς ·άβδους καὶ κατὰ τάγματα ἐφύτευεν αὐτάς· μετὰ τὸ φυτεῦσαι αὐτὰς ὕδωρ αὐταῖς πολὺ παρέχεεν, ὥστε ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος μὴ φαίνεσθαι τὰς ·άβδους. μετὰ τὸ ποτίσαι αὐτὸν τὰς ·άβδους λέγει μοι· Ἄγωμεν καὶ μετὰ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἐπανέλθωμεν καὶ ἐπισκεψώμεθα τὰς ·άβδους ταύτας πάσας· ὁ γὰρ κτίσας τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο θέλει πάντας ζῆν τοὺς λαβόντας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ κλάδους. ἐλπίζω δὲ κἀγὼ ὅτι λαβόντα τὰ ·αβδία ταῦτα ἰκμάδα καὶ ποτισθέντα ὕδατι ζήσεται τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος. Λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο τί ἐστιν γνώρισόν μοι· ἀποροῦμαι γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τοσούτων κλάδων κοπέντων ὑγιές ἐστιν τὸ δένδρον καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν φαίνεται κεκομμένον ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· ἐν τούτῳ οὖν ἀποροῦμαι. Ἄκουε, φησίν· τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο τὸ μέγα τὸ σκεπάζον πεδία καὶ ὄρη καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν νόμος θεοῦ ἐστιν δοθεὶς εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον· ὁ δὲ νόμος οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ κηρυχθεὶς εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς· οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην λαοὶ ὄντες οἱ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ κηρύγματος καὶ πι στεύσαντες αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος ὁ μέγας καὶ ἔνδοξος Μιχαὴλ ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν τούτου τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ διακυβερνῶν αὐτούς· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ διδῶν αὐτοῖς τὸν νόμον εἰς τὰς καρδίας τῶν πιστευόντων. ἐπισκέπτεται οὖν αὐτούς, οἷς ἔδωκε τὸν νόμον, εἰ ἄρα τετηρήκασιν αὐτόν. βλέπεις δὲ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τὰς ·άβδους· αἱ γὰρ ·άβδοι ὁ νόμος ἐστίν. βλέπεις οὖν πολλὰς