Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp & others · a new plain-English translation from the original language
A few days later I saw him again in the same field where I had also seen the shepherds, and he said to me, "What are you looking for?" "I am here, sir, to ask you to command the punishing shepherd to leave my house, because he is crushing me terribly." "You must," he said, "be crushed. For this is what the glorious angel ordered concerning you, since he wants you to be tested." "But sir," I said, "what evil have I done, that I should be handed over to this angel?" "Listen," he said. "Your sins are many, but not so many that you should be handed over to this angel. But your household has committed great lawless deeds and sins, and the glorious angel has been provoked to bitterness by their conduct, and for this reason he ordered that you be crushed for a time, so that they too might repent and cleanse themselves from every desire of this present age. When they repent and are cleansed, then the angel of punishment will withdraw from you." I said to him, "Sir, if they did such things that the glorious angel was provoked, what have I done?" "They cannot be crushed in any other way," he said, "unless you, the head of the household, are crushed. For when you are crushed, they of necessity will be crushed as well, but while you stand firm, they can suffer no crushing." "But look, sir," I said, "their whole heart has turned back to repentance." "Yes," he said, "I too know that their whole heart has turned back to repentance. But do you suppose that repentant sinners receive pardon instantly? Not entirely. Rather, the one who repents must torment his own soul and be deeply humbled in every act of his, and be crushed by afflictions of every kind. And if he endures the afflictions that come upon him, then surely the one who made all things and gave them strength will have compassion, and will grant him some healing—and this surely, if he sees the heart of the one repenting made clean from every wicked deed. It is to your advantage, and to your household's, to be crushed now. Why should I say much to you? You must be crushed, just as that angel of the Lord commanded, the one who handed you over to me. And give thanks to the Lord for this, that he considered you worthy to have the affliction foretold to you, so that knowing it beforehand you might endure it with strength." I said to him, "Sir, be with me, and I will be able to endure every affliction." "I will be with you," he said. "And I will ask the punishing angel to crush you more lightly. You will be afflicted for a short time only, and then you will be restored again to your household. Only remain, being humble-minded and serving the Lord with a wholly pure heart—you, and your children, and your household—and walk in the commandments that I give you, and your repentance will be able to be strong and pure. And if you keep these commandments along with your household, all affliction will withdraw from you." "And affliction will withdraw," he said, "from all who walk in these commandments of mine."
He showed me a great willow tree, sheltering plains and mountains, and gathered beneath the willow's shade were all those who bear the Lord's own name. Standing beside the willow was a tall and glorious angel of the Lord, holding a great sickle, and he cut branches from the willow and gave them out to the people sheltered beneath it—small rods he handed them, each about a cubit long. After everyone had received the rods, the angel put away the sickle, and that tree was whole, just as I had seen it before. I was amazed within myself, saying, "How is it that though so many branches have been cut, the tree is whole?" The shepherd said to me, "Do not be amazed that this tree remained whole though so many branches were cut off. You will be shown what it means when you see everything." The angel who had distributed the rods to the people now called for their return, and each one, in the order he had received his, was summoned forward and handed his rod back. This angel of the Lord received them and looked them over closely. From some he received rods that were dry and eaten through as if by moth; these he ordered to stand apart. Others handed in rods that were dry but not eaten by moth; these too he ordered to stand apart. Others handed in rods half-dry; these stood apart. Others handed in rods half-dry with cracks in them; these too stood apart. Others handed in rods green but with cracks; these too stood apart. Others handed in rods half dry and half green; these too stood apart. Others brought rods two-thirds green and one-third dry; these too stood apart. Others handed in rods two-thirds dry and one-third green; these too stood apart. Others handed in rods almost entirely green, with only the very tip dry, but having cracks in them; these too stood apart. Others had only the smallest part green, the rest of their rods dry; these too stood apart. Others came bringing their rods green, just as they had received them from the angel—and this was true of the greater part of the crowd, who handed in such rods. The angel rejoiced greatly over these, and they too stood apart. Others handed in rods that were green and had shoots on them; these too stood apart, and over these the angel rejoiced greatly. Others handed in rods that were green and had shoots, and the shoots bore what looked like fruit—and those men whose rods were found like this were exceedingly joyful. And the angel exulted over them, and the shepherd too was very glad about them.
The angel of the Lord commanded that crowns be fetched. They arrived, woven it appeared from palm fronds, and with them he crowned the men who had handed in rods bearing shoots with fruit, and sent them off into the tower. The others too he sent to the tower, those who had handed in green rods bearing shoots but without fruit on the shoots, giving them seals. All who went to the tower wore the same clothing, white as snow. And those who had handed in the green rods just as they had received them, he sent away, giving them clothing and seals. After the angel had finished this, he said to the shepherd, "I am going now. You will send the rest off to the walls, each according to what he deserves to inhabit. But examine their rods carefully, and only then send them away—examine them carefully. Watch that no one gets past you," he said. "And if anyone does get past you, I will test them at the altar." Having said this to the shepherd, he departed. And after the angel had gone, the shepherd said to me, "Let us take everyone's rods and plant them, to see if any of them can live." I said to him, "Sir, how can these dry ones possibly live?" He answered me, "This tree is a willow, and its kind loves life. So once these rods are set in the ground and gain even a trace of dampness, most of them will survive. Then let us also try pouring water on them. If any of them can live, I will rejoice with them; but if it does not live, I will not be found negligent." The shepherd told me to call the men forward, each one as he had stood. They came, group by group, and handed their rods to the shepherd. Group by group the shepherd gathered up the rods and set them into the soil; once they were planted he drenched them with so much water that they vanished from sight beneath it. When the watering was finished he turned to me and said, "Let us go, and after a few days let us come back and inspect all the rods. For the one who made this tree wants all who received branches from it to live. I too hope that once these rods have received moisture and been watered, the greater part of them will live."
I said to him, "Sir, make known to me what this tree is—I cannot account for it, since the tree stands whole, with nothing showing as cut away, despite the great number of branches that were removed from it. This is my puzzlement." "Listen," he said. "This vast tree, casting its shade over plain and hill and every land there is, stands for the law of God, given out across the whole world; and that law is none other than the Son of God, made known to earth's farthest reaches. Those sheltered beneath it are the people who heard that message proclaimed and put their trust in him. As for the great and glorious angel, he is Michael, holding authority over this people and steering their course. It is he who plants the law within the hearts of the faithful, and afterward he checks on those he entrusted it to, to learn whether they have kept faith with it. You are looking at each person's rod—the rods themselves stand for the law. Many of the rods, you will notice, have gone to waste; by these you will know everyone who failed to keep the law, and you will see the dwelling assigned to each." I said to him, "Sir, why did he dispatch some to the tower while leaving others in your charge?" "Everyone who broke the law received from him," he said, "he left under my charge, for repentance; but those who had already satisfied the law and kept it, he retains under his own charge." "Then who, sir," I said, "are the crowned ones bound for the tower?" "Those who wrestled the devil down and beat him wear the crowns," he said. "These suffered on the law's behalf. The rest—who likewise handed in green rods bearing shoots yet no fruit—endured hardship for the law without dying for it, and without denying it either. Those who handed back green rods exactly as given are grave and upright people, who lived always with a clean heart and safeguarded the Lord's commands. You will learn the remainder once I have gone over the rods now set in the earth and drenched with water."
Some days afterward we arrived at that spot, where the shepherd took the seat the angel had occupied, and I remained standing at his side. He said to me, "Gird yourself with raw linen and assist me." I girded myself with raw linen made from clean sackcloth. Seeing me girded and ready to assist him, he said, "Call the men whose rods have been planted, group by group, in the order in which each handed in his rod." I went out to the field and called them all, and they all stood, group by group. He told them, "Each of you, pull out your own rod and carry it here to me." First to hand theirs in were those who had had the dry, broken rods, and since these were found dry and broken just as before, he ordered them to stand apart. Then those who had had dry but unbroken rods handed theirs in. Some of these handed in rods now green, but some dry and eaten through as if by moth. Those who had handed in green rods he ordered to stand apart; those who handed in dry and eaten rods he ordered to stand with the first group. Then those who had had half-dry rods with cracks handed theirs in; and many of these handed in green rods without cracks, but some green ones with shoots, and on the shoots fruit like that which those crowned men going to the tower had had. Some handed in dry and eaten rods, some dry but not eaten, some still half-dry with cracks as before. He ordered each of them to stand apart—some with their own groups, some separately.
Then those who had rods green but with cracks handed theirs in—all of these handed in green rods and stood in their own group. The shepherd rejoiced over these, that all of them had been transformed and had put away their cracks. Then those who had had rods half green and half dry handed theirs in; some of these were found to have rods entirely green, some half-dry, some dry and eaten through, some green with shoots—all of these were sent off, each to his own group. Then those who had had rods two-thirds green and one-third dry handed theirs in. Many of them handed in green rods, many half-dry, others dry and eaten through—all of these stood in their own group. Then those who had had rods two-thirds dry and one-third green handed theirs in. Many of them handed in half-dry rods, some dry and eaten through, others half-dry with cracks, a few green—all of these stood in their own group. Then those whose rods had been green with only the smallest part dry, and with cracks, handed theirs in; of these some handed in green rods, some green with shoots—these too went to their own group. Then those who had had only the smallest part green, the rest of the rod dry, handed theirs in; most of these turned out to be green and putting out shoots that carried fruit, while still others were green all over. Over these rods the shepherd rejoiced very greatly, that they were found this way. These too went, each to his own group.
After the shepherd had examined everyone's rods, he said to me, "I told you this tree loves life. Look at the number who turned back and found salvation." "Yes, sir, I am looking," I said. "So that you may see the great compassion of the Lord," he said, "how great and glorious it is—he gave the spirit to those who were worthy of repentance." "Why then, sir," I said, "did not everyone repent?" "Those whose hearts he saw were going to become clean, and to serve him with their whole heart, to these he gave repentance. But those whose deceit and wickedness he saw, who were going to repent only in pretense, to those he did not give repentance, lest they should again profane his name." I said to him, "Sir, now then explain to me about those who handed in their rods, what sort of person each one is, and their dwelling place, so that when believers who received the seal and broke it and did not keep it whole hear of it, recognizing their own deeds, they may repent, having received the seal from you, and glorify the Lord, because he had compassion on them and sent you to renew their spirits." "Listen," he said. "Those whose rods were found dry and eaten through by moth—these are the apostates and betrayers of the church, who blasphemed the Lord through their sins, and worse, felt shame at bearing the very name of the Lord that had been pronounced over them. These, then, have perished utterly to God. You see that not one of them repented, even though they heard the words that you spoke to them, which I commanded you to speak. Life has departed from such people. Those who handed in rods dry but not decayed—these too are close to the former. For they were hypocrites, bringing in strange teachings and perverting the servants of God, especially those who had sinned, not allowing them to repent, but persuading them instead with their foolish teachings. These, then, still have hope of repenting. You see that many of them have in fact repented since I spoke my commandments to them, and more will yet repent. But those who will not repent have lost their life. And those of them who have repented have become good, and their dwelling has been assigned to the first walls; some have even gone up into the tower. You see, then," he said, "that repentance from sins brings life, but failure to repent brings death."
Now hear also about those who handed in half-dry rods with cracks in them. Everyone whose rod came out half-dry is a person of divided mind, being neither fully alive nor fully dead. But those whose half-dry rods also bore cracks are divided in mind and given to slander besides, never settling into peace with one another but forever quarreling. Yet even for these," he said, "repentance still lies open. You see that some of them have already repented, and there is still hope of repentance among them. And those of them who have repented will have their dwelling in the tower; those of them who repented more slowly will dwell in the walls; but those who do not repent, but persist in their conduct, will die the death. Those who handed in their rods green but with cracks were always faithful and good, but they had a certain rivalry among themselves about first place and about some kind of honor—yet all of these are foolish, having this rivalry among themselves over first place. But even these, hearing my commandments, being good at heart, purified themselves and repented quickly. So their dwelling came to be in the tower. But if any of them turns back again to strife, he will be cast out of the tower and will lose his life. Life belongs to all who keep the Lord's commandments; the commandments say nothing at all concerning rank or any such honor, but speak instead of steadfast patience and a man's humility of spirit. In such people, then, is the life of the Lord; but among the quarrelsome and lawless is death.
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