Translation Hide
The Pastor of Hermas

Chap. IV.

I said to him, "Sir, explain this also to me." "What is it you ask?" he said. "Whether, sir," I continued, "they who indulge in luxury, and who are deceived, are tortured for the same period of time that they have indulged in luxury and deceit?" He said to me, "They are tortured in the same manner." ¹ ["They are tormented much less, sir," I replied; ² ] "for those who are so luxurious and who forget God ought to be tortured seven-fold." He said to me "You are foolish, and do not understand the power of torment." "Why, sir," I said, "if I had understood it, I would not have asked you to show me." "Hear," he said, "the power of both. The time of luxury and deceit is one hour; but the hour of torment is equivalent to thirty days. If, accordingly, a man indulge in luxury for one day, and be deceived and be tortured for one day, the day of his torture is equivalent to a whole year. For all the days of luxury, therefore, there are as many years of torture to be undergone. You see, then," he continued, "that the time of luxury and deceit is very short, ³ but that of punishment and torture long."

Edition Hide
Shepard of Hermas (Loeb)

IV

1. Λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἔτι μοι τοῦτο δήλωσον. Τί, φησίν, ἐπιζητεῖς; Εἰ ἄρα φημί, κύριε, τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον βασανίζονται οἱ τρυφῶντες καὶ ἀπατώμενοι, ὅσον τρυφῶσι καὶ ἀπατῶνται; λέγει μοι· Τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον βασανίζονται. 2. Ἐλάχιστον, φημί, κύριε, βασανίζονται· ἔδει γὰρ τοὺς οὕτω τρυφῶντας καὶ ἐπιλανθανομένους τοῦ θεοῦ ἑπταπλασίως βασανίζεσθαι. 3. λέγει μοι· Ἄφρων εἶ καὶ οὐ νοεῖς τῆς βασάνου τὴν δύναμιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνόουν φημί, κύριε, οὐκ ἂν ἐπηρώτῳν ἵνα μοι δηλώσῃς. Ἄκουε, φησίν, ἀμφοτέρων τὴν δύναμιν. 4. τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης ὁ χρόνος ὥρα ἐστὶ μία· τῆς δὲ βασάνου ἡ ὥρα τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν δύναμιν ἔχει. ἐὰν οὖν μίαν ἡμέραν τρυφήσῃ τις καὶ ἀπατηθῇ, μίαν δὲ ἡμέραν βασανισθῇ, ὅλον ἐνιαυτὸν ἰσχύει ἡ ἡμερα τῆς βασάνου. ὅσας οὖν ἡμέρας τρυφήσῃ τις, τοσούτους ἐνιαυτοὺς βασανίζεται. βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης ὁ χρόνος ἐλάχιστός ἐστι, τῆς τιμωρίας καὶ βασάνου πολύς.