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having cracks; but very few presented green ones; all these stood in their own rank. And those who had their rods green, but a very little part dry and having cracks, presented them. Of these some presented them green, and some green and having offshoots. These also went away to their own rank. Then they presented them who had a very little green, but the remaining parts dry; of these the rods were found for the most part green and having offshoots and fruit on the offshoots, and others wholly green. At these rods the shepherd rejoiced greatly, because they were found so. These also went away each to his own rank. After the shepherd had observed the rods of all, he says to me: I told you that this tree is fond of life. Do you see, he says, how many have repented and been saved? I see, I say, lord. So that you may know, he says, the great compassion of the Lord, that it is great and glorious, and he has given a spirit to those who are worthy of repentance. Why then, I say, lord, have not all repented? To those whose heart the Lord saw, he says, would become pure and serve him with their whole heart, to these he has given repentance; but to those whose deceit and wickedness he saw, who intended to repent in hypocrisy, to them he did not give it, lest they should again blaspheme his law. I say to him: Lord, now explain to me about those who have given up the rods, what sort of person each of them is, and their dwelling-place, so that they who have believed and received the seal, and have broken it and not kept it whole, may, on hearing this, recognize their own works and repent, receiving a seal from you, and may glorify the Lord, that he had compassion on them and sent you to renew their spirits. Listen, he says: those whose rods were found dry and eaten by moths, these are apostates and betrayers of the church, who in their sins blasphemed the Lord, and were moreover ashamed of the name of the Lord which was called upon them. These therefore have died completely to God. You see that not one of them repented, although they heard the words which you spoke to them, which I commanded you. From such as these life has departed. And those who presented the dry and unrotten ones, these also are near them; for they were hypocrites and introduced other doctrines and perverted the servants of God, especially those who had sinned, not allowing them to repent, but persuading them with their foolish doctrines. These therefore have hope of repenting. And you see many of them have repented since you spoke to them my commandments; and still more will repent. But as many as will not repent, have lost their life; but as many of them as repented became good, and their dwelling was made in the first walls; and some even went up into the tower. You see then, he says, that repentance of sinners has life, but not to repent has death. And as many as presented them half-dry and had cracks in them, hear about them. As many as had half-dry rods are double-minded; for they are neither alive nor dead. But those having half-dry rods and cracks in them, these are both double-minded and slanderous, never at peace among themselves, but always causing dissensions. And for these, he says, there is still repentance. You see, he says, that some of them have already repented. And there is still hope of repentance among them. As many of them, therefore, he says, as have repented, have their dwelling in the tower; but as many of them as will repent more slowly, will dwell in the walls; but as many as will not repent, but remain in their

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σχισμὰς ἐχούσας· ἐλάχιστοι δὲ χλωρὰς ἐπέδωκαν· οὗτοι πάντες ἔστησαν εἰς τὸ ἴδιον τάγμα. ἐπέδωκαν δὲ οἱ τὰς ·άβδους χλωρὰς ἐσχηκότες, ἐλά χιστον δὲ ξηρὸν καὶ σχισμὰς ἐχούσας. ἐκ τούτων τινὲς χλωρὰς ἐπέδωκαν, τινὲς δὲ χλωρὰς καὶ παραφυάδας ἐχούσας. ἀπῆλθον καὶ οὗτοι εἰς τὸ τάγμα αὐτῶν. εἶτα ἐπέδωκαν οἱ ἐλάχιστον ἔχοντες χλωρόν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέρη ξηρά· τούτων αἱ ·άβδοι εὑρέθησαν τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος χλωραὶ καὶ παρα φυάδας ἔχουσαι καὶ καρπὸν ἐν ταῖς παραφυάσιν, καὶ ἕτεραι χλωραὶ ὅλαι. ἐπὶ ταύταις ταῖς ·άβδοις ἐχάρη ὁ ποιμὴν μεγάλως, ὅτι οὕτως εὑρέθησαν. ἀπῆλθον καὶ οὗτοι ἕκαστος εἰς τὸ ἴδιον τάγμα. Μετὰ τὸ πάντων κατανοῆσαι τὰς ·άβδους τὸν ποιμένα λέγει μοι· Eἶπόν σοι, ὅτι τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο φιλόζωόν ἐστιν. βλέπεις, φησί, πόσοι μετενόησαν καὶ ἐσώθησαν; Βλέπω, φημί, κύριε. Ἵνα εἰδῇς, φησίν, τὴν πολυσπλαγχνίαν τοῦ κυρίου, ὅτι μεγάλη καὶ ἔνδοξός ἐστιν καὶ ἔδωκεν πνεῦμα τοῖς ἀξίοις οὖσι μετανοίας. Ὅτι οὖν, φημί, κύριε, πάντες οὐ μετενόησαν; Ὠν εἶδεν, φησίν, ὁ κύριος τὴν καρδίαν μέλλουσαν καθαρὰν γενέσθαι καὶ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, τούτοις δέδωκε τὴν μετάνοιαν· ὧν δὲ εἶδε τὴν δολιότητα καὶ πονηρίαν, καὶ μέλλοντας ἐν ὑποκρίσει μετανοεῖν, ἐκείνοις οὐκ ἔδωκεν, μήποτε πάλιν βλασφημήσωσιν τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ. λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, νῦν μοι ἐπίλυσον τοὺς τὰς ·άβδους ἀποδεδωκότας, ποταπός τις αὐτῶν ἐστι, καὶ τὴν τούτων κατοικίαν, ἵνα ἀκούσαντες οἱ πιστεύσαντες καὶ εἰληφότες τὴν σφραγῖδα καὶ τεθλακότες αὐτὴν καὶ μὴ τηρήσαντες ὑγιῆ, ἐπιγνόντες τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἔργα μετανοήσωσιν, λαβόντες ὑπὸ σοῦ σφραγῖδα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν κύριον, ὅτι ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ' αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐξαπέστειλέν σε τοῦ ἀνακαινί σαι τὰ πνεύματα αὐτῶν. Ἄκουε, φησίν· ὧν αἱ ·άβδοι ξηραὶ καὶ βεβρω μέναι ὑπὸ σητὸς εὑρέθησαν, οὗτοί εἰσιν ἀποστάται καὶ προδόται τῆς ἐκκλη σίας καὶ βλασφημήσαντες ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν τὸν κύριον, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐπαισχυνθέντες τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ἐπ' αὐτούς. οὗτοι οὖν εἰς τέλος ἀπέθανον τῷ θεῷ. βλέπεις ὅτι οὐδὲ εἷς αὐτῶν μετενόησε, καίπερ ἀκούσαντες τὰ ·»ματα ἃ ἐλάλησας αὐτοῖς, ἅ σοι ἐνετειλάμην· ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων ἡ ζωὴ ἀπέστη. οἱ δὲ τὰς ξηρὰς καὶ ἀσήπτους ἐπιδεδωκότες, καὶ οὗτοι ἐγγὺς αὐτῶν· ἦσαν γὰρ ὑποκριταὶ καὶ διδαχὰς ἑτέρας εἰσφέροντες καὶ ἐκστρέφοντες τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ, μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας, μὴ ἀφίον τες αὐτοὺς μετανοεῖν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς διδαχαῖς ταῖς μωραῖς πείθοντες αὐτούς. οὗ τοι οὖν ἔχουσιν ἐλπίδα τοῦ μετανοῆσαι. βλέπεις δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν πολλοὺς μετανενοηκότας ἀφότε ἐλάλησας αὐτοῖς τὰς ἐντολάς μου· καὶ ἔτι μετανοή σωσιν. ὅσοι δὲ οὐ μετανοήσουσιν, ἀπώλεσαν τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν· ὅσοι δὲ μετε νόησαν ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἀγαθοὶ ἐγένοντο, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ κατοικία αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ τείχη τὰ πρῶτα· τινὲς δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν πύργον ἀνέβησαν. βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι ἡ μετάνοια τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ζωὴν ἔχει, τὸ δὲ μὴ μετανοῆσαι θάνατον. Ὅσοι δὲ ἡμιξήρους ἐπέδωκαν καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς σχισμὰς εἶχον, ἄκουε περὶ αὐτῶν. ὅσων ἦσαν αἱ ·άβδοι ἡμίξηροι, δίψυχοί εἰσιν· οὔτε γὰρ ζῶσιν οὔτε τεθνήκασιν. οἱ δὲ ἡμιξήρους ἔχοντες καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς σχισμάς, οὗτοι καὶ δίψυχοί εἰσιν καὶ κατάλαλοι, μηδέποτε εἰρηνεύοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλὰ δι χοστατοῦντες πάντοτε. καὶ τούτοις, φησίν, ἔτι κεῖται μετάνοια. βλέπεις, φησίν, ἤδη τινὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν μετανενοηκότας. καὶ ἔτι ἐλπίς ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς μετανοίας. ὅσοι οὖν, φησίν, ἐξ αὐτῶν μετανενοήκασιν, τὴν κατοικίαν εἰς τὸν πύργον ἔχουσιν· ὅσοι δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν βραδύτερον μετανοήσουσιν, εἰς τὰ τείχη κατοικήσουσιν· ὅσοι δὲ οὐ μετανοήσουσιν, ἀλλ' ἐμμενοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς