The Shepherd of Hermas

Hermas

Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913

And on that day the building was finished, but[*](The pause in the building) the tower was not completed, for it was going to be built on to, and there was a pause in the building. And the six men commanded all the builders to retire a little and rest, but they commanded the maidens not to go away from the tower. And it seemed to me that the maidens had given up looking after the tower.

But after they had all gone away and were resting I said to the shepherd: Why, Sir, said I, was the building of the tower not completed? The tower, said he, cannot yet be completed unless its lord come and test this building, in order that if some stones prove to be

rotten, he may change them, for the tower is being built according to his will.

I should like, Sir, said I, to know what is this building of the tower, and concerning the rock, and the gate, and the mountains and the maidens, and the stones which came up from the deep place, and were not hewn, but went as they were into the building.

What is behind you you cannot see, but you see what is before you. Let go what you cannot see, and do not trouble yourself. But what you see, master that, and do not be curious about the rest, and I will explain everything to you, whatever I show you. Look then at the rest.And why ten stones were first laid for the foundation, then twenty, then thirty-five, then forty, and concerning the stones which went into the building, and were taken away again and put back in their own place. Give my soul rest concerning all these things, Sir, and let me know them.

If, said he, you are not found to be vainly zealous, you shall know all things. For after a few days we will come here, and you shall see the rest of what happens to this tower, and you will know all the parables accurately.

And after a few days we came to the place where we had sat, and he said to me: Let us go to the tower, for the master of the tower is coming to examine it. And we came to the tower, and there was nobody by it at all, except only the maidens.

And the shepherd asked the maidens if the Lord of the tower had come. And they said that he was about to come, to examine the building.