Lake Apostolic Fathers 2 - Bible Translation

THE SHEPHERD, sim. ix. xxvi. 4-xxvii i
useful to its master, so also such men as these have
renounced themselves and have become wild and
valueless to their Lord. 5. To these then there is
repentance, if they be not found to have denied
from their hearts. But if one be found to have
denied from his heart I do not know whether he can
live. 6. And I do not speak this for these days, in order
that one may deny and receive repentance, for it is
impossible for him to be saved who shall now deny
his Lord. But there seems to be repentance waiting
for those who have denied in time past. If then any
be about to repent, let him make haste before the
tower be finished, otherwise he will be destroyed by
the women unto death. 7. And the stunted ones, these
are deceitful and evil-speaking men, and the wild
beasts which you saw on the mountains are these. For
just as the wild beasts destroy man by their poison ^
and kill him, so also the words of such men destroy
man and kill him. 8. These then are stunted in
their faith through their conduct which they have in
themselves, but some repented and were saved. And
the rest who are such can be saved if they repent
but if they repent not they will be put to death by
those women whose quality ^ they have.
xxvn
1. "And from the tenth mountain, where were trees The tenth
**""
sheltering some sheep, are such believers as these :
* Apparently Oriplw, asoften in later Greek, means "snake."
' Lit. ** power."
;
283