the spirit whole, and thou hast made it absolutely useless, so that it cannot be of any use at all to
its Lord? For its use began to be useless, when it was corrupted by thee. Will not therefore the
Lord of this spirit for this thy deed punish [thee with death]?"
32 [ 109 ]: 5 "Certainly," I said, "all those, whomsoever He shall find continuing to bear malice, He
will punish." "Trample not," said he, "upon His mercy, but rather glorify Him, because He is so
long-suffering with your sins, and is not like unto you. Practice then repentance which is
expedient for you.
33 [ 110 ]: 1 "All these things which are written above I, the shepherd, the angel of repentance,
have declared and spoken to the servants of God. If then ye shall believe and hear my words, and
walk in them, and amend your ways, ye shall be able to live. But if ye continue in wickedness
and in bearing malice, no one of this kind shall live unto God. All things which were to be
spoken by me have (now) been spoken to you."
33 [ 110 ]: 2 The shepherd said to me, "Hast thou asked me all thy questions?" And I said, "Yes,
Sir." "Why then hast thou not enquired of me concerning the shape of the stones placed in the
building, in that we filled up their shapes?" And I said, "I forgot, Sir."
33 [ 110 ]: 3 "Listen now," said he, "concerning them. These are they that have heard my
commandments now, and have practiced repentance with their whole heart. So when the Lord
saw that their repentance was good and pure, and that they could continue therein, he ordered
their former sins to be blotted out. These shapes then were their former sins, and they have been
chiseled away that they might not appear."
Parable 10
1 [ 111 ]: 1 After I had written out this book completely, the angel who had delivered me to the
shepherd came to the house where I was, and sat upon a couch, and the shepherd stood at his
right hand. Then he called me, and spake thus unto me;
1 [ 111 ]: 2 "I delivered thee," said he, "and thy house to this shepherd, that thou mightest be
protected by him." "True, Sir," I said "If therefore," said he, "thou desirest to be protected from
all annoyance and all cruelty, to have also success in every good work and word, and all the
power of righteousness, walk in his commandments, which I have given thee, and thou shalt be
able to get the mastery over all wickedness.
1 [ 111 ]: 3 For if thou keep his commandments, all evil desire and the sweetness of this world shall
be subject unto thee; moreover success shall attend thee in every good undertaking. Embrace his
gravity and self-restraint, and tell it out unto all men that he is held in great honor and dignity
with the Lord, and is a ruler of great authority, and powerful in his office. To him alone in the
whole world hath authority over repentance been assigned. Seemeth he to thee to be powerful?
Yet ye despise the gravity and moderation which he useth towards you."
2 [ 112 ]: 1 I say unto him; "Ask him, Sir, himself, whether from the time that he hath been in my
house, I have done ought out of order, whereby I have offended him."
2 [ 112 ]: 2 "I myself know," said he, "that thou hast done nothing out of order, nor art about to do
so. And so I speak these things unto thee, that thou mayest persevere. For he hath given a good
account of thee unto me. Thou therefore shalt speak these words to others, that they too who
have practiced or shall practice repentance may be of the same mind as thou art; and he may give
a good report of them to me, and I unto the Lord."
2 [ 112 ]: 3 "I too, Sir," I say, "declare to every man the mighty works of the Lord; for I hope that
all who have sinned in the past, if they hear these things, will gladly repent and recover life."
ron
(Ron)
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