Lake Apostolic Fathers 2 - Bible Translation

THE SHEPHERD, vis. iii. i. 6-ii. i
she touched me and said : " Hermas I
stop asking
all these questions about your sins, ask also
concerning righteousness, that you may take presently
some part of it to your family." 7. And she raised
me up by the hand and took me to the couch and said
to the young men : " Go and build." 8. And after
the young men had gone away and we were alone,
she said to me : " Sit here." I said to her : " Lady,
let the elders sit first.^ " She said : " Do what 1 tell
you, and sit down." 9. Yet when I wished to sit Hermas
on the right hand she would not let me, but signed couch
to me with her hand to sit on the left. When there-
fore I thought about this, and was grieved because
she did not let me sit on the right hand, she said to
me :
'^ Are you sorry, Hermas } The seat on the The place
right is for others, who have already been found martyrs
well-pleasing to God and have suffered for the Name.
But you fall far short of sitting with them. But
remain in your simplicity as you are doing, and you
shall sit with them, and so shall all who do their
deeds and bear what they also bore."
n
1. " What," I said, " did they bear ? " " Listen,"
she said : " Stripes, imprisonments, great afflictions,
crucifixions, wild beasts, for the sake of the Name.
^ The meaning is obscure :
' the elders ' is often explained
as ' the Elders of the Church,' but it is more probably a
mere formula of politeness ' seniores priores.
'
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