The Shepherd of Hermas

And the square stones were hewn and put into the place of those which had been taken out, but the round stones were not put into the building, because they were hard to hew, and it took a long time; but they were put beside the tower, as if they were going to be hewn and put into the building; for they were very splendid.

When the glorious man, the Lord of all the tower, had finished these things, he called the[*](The injunctions of the Lord to the Shepherd) shepherd and gave over to him all the stones which were lying by the tower which had been taken out of the building, and said to him:

Clean these stones carefully, and put into the building of the tower those which can fit in with the rest, and throw far away from the tower those which do not fit.

With these commands to the shepherd he went away from the tower, with all those with whom he had come. But the maidens stood round the tower guarding it.

I said to the shepherd: How can these stones come again into the building of the tower after they have been rejected? He answered and said to me: Do you see these

How, Sir, said I, can they fill the same room after they have been hewn? He answered and said to me: Those which turn out to be little will be put into the middle of the building, and such as are bigger will be put outside and will hold them together.

When he had said this he said to me: Let us go, and after two days let us come and cleanse these stones and put them into the building, for everything round the tower must be cleansed lest the Master come suddenly and find it dirty round the tower and he will be angry, and these stones will not go into the building of the tower, and I shall seem to be careless before the Master.