Shepherd of Hermas — Similitude 6, Chapter 5
Sweet in the Mouth, Bitter in the Belly
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Similitude 6.5.1“Sir,” I said, “I still do not understand at all about the time of deception, indulgence, and torment. Explain it more clearly to me.”
Similitude 6.5.2He answered me, “Your foolishness persists, and you do not wish to cleanse your heart and serve God. Take care,” he said, “lest the time be fulfilled and you be found foolish. Listen, then, as you wish, so that you may understand these things.
Similitude 6.5.3“A person who indulges himself, is deceived for one day, and does whatever he wants has put on great foolishness and does not understand the deed he performs. For on the next day he forgets what he did the day before. Indulgence and deception leave no remembrance because of the foolishness he has put on. But when punishment and torment attach themselves to someone for one day, he is punished and tormented for a year, for punishment and torment leave strong remembrances.
Similitude 6.5.4“While being tormented and punished for the whole year, he remembers his indulgence and deception and recognizes that he suffers these evils because of them. Thus every person who indulges himself and is deceived is tormented, because, although they possessed life, they surrendered themselves to death.”
Similitude 6.5.5“What kinds of indulgence are harmful, sir?” I asked. “Every deed a person does with pleasure is an indulgence for him,” he said. “For the quick-tempered person indulges himself when satisfying his own passion. The adulterer, the drunkard, the slanderer, the liar, the greedy person, the defrauder, and whoever does similar things satisfy their own disease; thus they indulge themselves in their conduct.
Similitude 6.5.6“All these indulgences harm God’s servants. It is because of these deceptions, then, that those who are punished and tormented suffer.
Similitude 6.5.7“But there are also indulgences that save people. For many who do good indulge themselves, carried along by their own pleasure. This indulgence therefore benefits God’s servants and gains life for such a person. But the harmful indulgences mentioned before gain torments and punishments for them. If they persist and do not repent, they gain death for themselves.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.