Hermas, Shepherd, Parable 8
He showed me a large olive tree shading plains and mountains, and under its shade all who were called in the name of the Lord had gathered. A glorious angel of the Lord stood very tall beside the olive tree, holding a large sickle. He was cutting branches from the tree and giving them to the people sheltered beneath it. He gave each of them a small rod, about a cubit long. After everyone had taken the rods, the angel put the sickle away, and the tree remained healthy, just as it had been before.
I wondered to myself, 'How can the tree be healthy after so many branches were cut off?' The shepherd said to me, 'Do not marvel that this tree stayed healthy after so many branches were cut off. But if you see everything, it will be explained to you what this means.'
The angel who had given the rods to the people now asked for them back. Just as they had received them, so they were called to him, and each one returned his rod. The angel of the Lord took them and examined them.
From some he received rods that were dry and eaten away as if by grubs. He commanded those who had given such rods to stand aside. Others handed over rods that were dry but not eaten by grubs, and he commanded these also to stand aside. Others gave rods that were half-dry, and these stood aside. Others gave rods that were half-dry and had cracks, and these stood aside. Others gave rods that were green and had cracks, and these stood aside. Others gave rods with one half dry and the other half green, and these stood aside. Others brought rods with two parts green and one part dry, and these stood aside. Others gave rods with two parts dry and one part green, and these stood aside. Others presented rods that were almost entirely green, with only a little dryness at the tip, and these had cracks as well; these stood aside. Others had only a little green, while the rest of their rods were dry, and these stood aside.
Others came forward with green rods, just as they had received them from the angel. The majority of the crowd handed in such rods. These stood aside, and the angel was very glad over them. Others gave green rods with offshoots. These stood aside, and the angel was very glad over these. Others gave green rods with offshoots, and their offshoots bore something like fruit. Those people were very cheerful whose rods were found to be like this. The angel rejoiced over these, and the shepherd was very cheerful over them as well.
Then the angel of the Lord commanded that crowns be brought. Crowns were brought, as if made from palms, and he crowned the men who had given the rods with offshoots and some fruit, and he released them to the tower.
Greek
Ἔδειξέ μοι ἰτέαν μεγάλην, σκεπάζουσαν πεδία καὶ ὄρη, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς ἰτέας πάντες ἐληλύθασιν οἱ κεκλημένοι ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου. εἱστήκει δὲ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἔνδοξος λίαν ὑψηλὸς παρὰ τὴν ἰτέαν, δρέπανον ἔχων μέγα, καὶ ἔκοπτε κλάδους ἀπὸ τῆς ἰτέας, καὶ ἐπεδίδου τῷ λαῷ τῷ σκεπαζομένῳ ὑπὸ τῆς ἰτέας: μικρὰ δὲ ῥαβδία ἐπεδίδου αὐτοῖς, ὡσεὶ πηχυαῖα. μετὰ τὸ πάντας λαβεῖν τὰ ῥαβδία ἔθηκε τὸ δρέπανον ὁ ἄγγελος, καὶ τὸ δένδρον ἐκεῖνο ὑγιὲς ἦν, οἷον καὶ ἑωράκειν αὐτό. ἐθαύμαζον δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ λέγων: Πῶς τοσούτων κλάδων κεκομμένων τὸ δένδρον ὑγιές ἐστι ; λέγει μοι ὁ ποιμήν: Μὴ θαύμαζε, εἰ τὸ δένδρον τοῦτο ὑγιὲς ἔμεινε τοσούτων κλάδων κοπέντων: ἐὰν δέ, φησί, πάντα ἴδῃς, σοι δηλωθήσεται τὸ τί ἐστιν. ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ἐπιδεδωκὼς τῷ λαῷ τὰς ῥάβδους πάλιν ἀπῄτει αὐτούς: καὶ καθὼς ἔλαβον, οὕτω καὶ ἐκαλοῦντο πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ εἷς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἀπεδίδου τὰς ῥάβδους. ἐλάμβανε δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατενόει αὐτάς. παρά τινων ἐλάμβανε τὰς ῥάβδους ξηρὰς καὶ βεβρωμένας ὡς ὑπὸ σητός: ἐκέλευσεν ὁ ἄγγελος τοὺς τὰς τοιαύτας ῥάβδους ἐπιδεδωκότας χωρὶς ἱστάνεσθαι. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδοσαν ξηράς, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἦσαν βεβρωμέναι ὑπὸ σητός: καὶ τούτους ἐκέλευσε χωρὶς ἱστάνεσθαι. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν ἡμιξήρους: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν ἡμιξήρους καὶ σχισμὰς ἐχούσας: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἵσταντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν χλωρὰς καὶ σχισμὰς ἐχούσας: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους τὸ ἥμισυ ξηρὸν καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ μέρος χλωρόν: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ προσέφερον τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν τὰ δύο μέρη τῆς ῥάβδου χλωρά, τὸ δὲ τρίτον ξηρόν: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰ δύο μέρη ξηρά, τὸ δὲ τρίτον χλωρόν: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν παρὰ μικρὸν ὅλας χλωράς, ἐλάχιστον δὲ τῶν ῥάβδων αὐτῶν ξηρὸν ἦν, αὐτὸ τὸ ἄκρον: σχισμὰς δὲ εἶχον ἐν αὐταῖς: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἵσταντο. ἑτέρων δὲ ἦν ἐλάχιστον χλωρόν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν ῥάβδων ξηρά: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἤρχοντο τὰς ῥάβδους χλωρὰς φέροντες ὡς ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου: τὸ δὲ πλεῖον μέρος τοῦ ὄχλου τοιαύτας ῥάβδους ἐπεδίδουν. ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐχάρη λίαν: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἱστάνοντο. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν χλωρὰς καὶ παραφυάδας ἐχούσας: καὶ οὗτοι χωρὶς ἵσταντο: καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ ἄγγελος λίαν ἐχάρη. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐπεδίδουν τὰς ῥάβδους αὐτῶν χλωρὰς καὶ παραφυάδας ἐχούσας: αἱ δὲ παραφυάδες αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ καρπόν τινα εἶχον: καὶ λίαν ἱλαροὶ ἦσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκεῖνοι, ὧν αἱ ῥάβδοι τοιαῦται εὑρέθησαν. καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τούτοις ἠγαλλιᾶτο, καὶ ὁ ποιμὴν λίαν ἱλαρὸς ἦν ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ἐκέλευσε δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου στεφάνους ἐνεχθῆναι. καὶ ἐνέχθησαν στέφανοι ὡσεὶ ἐκ φοινίκων γεγονότες, καὶ ἐστεφάνωσε τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότας τὰς ῥάβδους τὰς ἐχούσας τὰς παραφυάδας καὶ καρπόν τινα καὶ ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πύργον.