Stromata Editions · The Shepherd of Hermas
Mandate VIII
Man. 8.1–8.12
Complete audiobook →Greek source
Εἶπόν σοι, φησίν, ὅτι τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ διπλᾶ ἐστι· καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐγκράτεια διπλῆ ἐστιν. ἐπί τινων γὰρ δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ἐπί τινων δὲ οὐ δεῖ.
Translation
“I told you,” he said, “that God's creations are twofold. Self-control is twofold too. There are some things from which you must abstain, and others from which you must not.”
Greek source
Γνώρισόν μοι, φημί, κύριε, ἐπὶ τίνων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ἐπὶ τίνων δὲ οὐ δεῖ. Ἄκουε, φησί. τὸ πονηρὸν ἐγκρατεύου, καὶ μὴ ποίει αὐτό· τὸ δὲ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἐγκρατεύου, ἀλλὰ ποίει αὐτό. ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγκρατεύσῃ τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ποιεῖν, ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην ἐργάζῃ· ἐὰν δὲ ἐγκρατεύσῃ τὸ πονηρὸν μὴ ποιεῖν, δικαιοσύνην μεγάλην ἐργάζῃ. ἐγκράτευσαι οὖν ἀπὸ πονηρίας πάσης ἐργαζόμενος τὸ ἀγαθόν.
Translation
“Sir,” I said, “make known to me what I must abstain from and what I must not.” “Listen,” he said. “Abstain from evil, and do not do it. But do not abstain from good; do it. For if you abstain from doing good, you commit a great sin. If you abstain from doing evil, you practise great righteousness. So abstain from every wickedness while doing good.”
Greek source
Ποταπαί, φημί, κύριε, εἰσὶν αἱ πονηρίαι ἀφ’ ὧν δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἐγκρατεύεσθαι; Ἄκουε, φησίν· ἀπὸ μοιχείας καὶ πορνείας, ἀπὸ μεθύσματος ἀνομίας, ἀπὸ τρυφῆς πονηρᾶς, ἀπὸ ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν καὶ πολυτελείας πλούτου καὶ καυχήσεως καὶ ὑψηλοφροσύνης καὶ ὑπερηφανίας, καὶ ἀπὸ ψεύσματος καὶ καταλαλιᾶς καὶ ὑποκρίσεως, μνησικακίας καὶ πάσης βλασφημίας.
Translation
“Sir,” I asked, “what are the wicked things from which we must abstain?” “Listen,” he said. “From adultery and sexual immorality, lawless drunkenness, wicked luxury, excessive food, the extravagance of wealth, boasting, conceit and pride; and from falsehood, slander, hypocrisy, resentment, and every blasphemy.
Greek source
ταῦτα τὰ ἔργα πάντων πονηρότατά εἰσιν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἀπὸ τούτων οὖν τῶν ἔργων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ. ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἐγκρατευόμενος ἀπὸ τούτων οὐ δύναται ζῆσαι τῷ θεῷ.
Translation
“These deeds are the most wicked of all in human life. God's servant must therefore abstain from them. Whoever does not abstain from these things cannot live for God.
Greek source
ἄκουε οὖν καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα τούτων. Ἔτι γάρ, φημί, κύριε, πονηρὰ ἔργα ἐστί; Καί γε πολλά, φησίν, ἔστιν ἀφ’ ὧν δεῖ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι· κλέμμα, ψεῦδος, ἀποστέρησις, ψευδομαρτυρία, πλεονεξία, ἐπιθυμία πονηρά, ἀπάτη, κενοδοξία, ἀλαζονεία, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὅμοιά εἰσιν.
Translation
“Now listen to what follows from them.” “Sir,” I said, “are there still more wicked deeds?” “Yes, many,” he said, “from which God's servant must abstain: theft, falsehood, fraud, false testimony, greed, wicked desire, deceit, empty vanity, boastfulness, and everything like them.
Greek source
οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ταῦτα πονηρὰ εἶναι; Καὶ λίαν πονηρά, φημί, τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ. Τούτων πάντων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι τὸν δουλεύοντα τῷ θεῷ. ἐγκράτευσαι οὖν ἀπὸ πάντων τούτων, ἵνα ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐγγραφήσῃ μετὰ τῶν ἐγκρατευομένων αὐτά.
Translation
“Do you not think these things are wicked?” “Very wicked indeed, sir,” I said, “for God's servants.” “Anyone who serves God must abstain from all of them. So abstain from all these things, so that you may live for God and be inscribed with those who abstain from them.
Greek source
ὧν μὲν οὖν δεῖ σε ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ταῦτά ἐστιν. ἃ δὲ δεῖ σε μὴ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, φησίν, ἀλλὰ ποιεῖν, ἄκουε. τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἐγκρατεύου, ἀλλὰ ποίει αὐτό.
Translation
“These are the things from which you must abstain. But listen,” he said, “to the things from which you must not abstain, but must do. Do not abstain from good; do it.”
Greek source
Καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μοι, φημί, κύριε, δήλωσον τὴν δύναμιν, ἵνα πορευθῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ δουλεύσω αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ἐργασάμενος αὐτὰ δυνηθῶ σωθῆναι. Ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ ἔργα, ἅ σε δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι.
Translation
“Sir,” I said, “explain the power of good things to me too, so that I may live by them and serve them, and by doing them be able to be saved.” “Listen,” he said, “to the good deeds as well, which you must do and not abstain from.
Greek source
πρῶτον πάντων πίστις, φόβος κυρίου, ἀγάπη, ὁμόνοια, ῥήματα δικαιοσύνης, ἀλήθεια, ὑπομονή· τούτων ἀγαθώτερον οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ταῦτα ἐάν τις φυλάσσῃ καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύηται ἀπ’ αὐτῶν, μακάριος γίνεται ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ.
Translation
“First of all: faith, fear of the Lord, love, concord, righteous words, truth, and endurance. Nothing in human life is better than these. If someone keeps them and does not abstain from them, that person is blessed in life.
Greek source
εἶτα τούτων τὰ ἀκόλουθα ἄκουσον· χήραις ὑπηρετεῖν, ὀρφανοὺς καὶ ὑστερουμένους ἐπισκέπτεσθαι, ἐξ ἀναγκῶν λυτροῦσθαι τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ, φιλόξενον εἶναι (ἐν γὰρ τῇ φιλοξενίᾳ εὑρίσκεται ἀγαθοποίησίς ποτε), μηδενὶ ἀντιτάσσεσθαι, ἡσύχιον εἶναι, ἐνδεέστερον γίνεσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων, πρεσβύτας σέβεσθαι, δικαιοσύνην ἀσκεῖν, ἀδελφότητα συντηρεῖν, ὕβριν ὑποφέρειν, μακρόθυμον εἶναι, μνησικακίαν μὴ ἔχειν, κάμνοντας τῇ ψυχῇ παρακαλεῖν, ἐσκανδαλισμένους ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως μὴ ἀποβάλλεσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ εὐθύμους ποιεῖν, ἁμαρτάνοντας νουθετεῖν, χρεώστας μὴ θλίβειν καὶ ἐνδεεῖς, καὶ εἴ τινα τούτοις ὅμοιά ἐστι.
Translation
“Then listen to what follows from them: serving widows; looking after orphans and those in need; rescuing God's servants from distress; being hospitable, for hospitality offers opportunities to do good; opposing no one; being quiet; being humbler than everyone else; respecting the elderly; practising righteousness; preserving the fellowship of brothers and sisters; enduring insults; being patient; bearing no grudge; encouraging those whose souls are weary; not rejecting those who have stumbled away from faith, but turning them back and making them cheerful; admonishing those who sin; not oppressing debtors or the needy; and whatever else is like these things.
Greek source
δοκεῖ σοι, φησί, ταῦτα ἀγαθὰ εἶναι; Τί γάρ, φημί, κύριε, τούτων ἀγαθώτερον; Πορεύου οὖν, φησίν, ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύου ἀπ’ αὐτῶν, καὶ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ.
Translation
“Do you think these things are good?” he asked. “Sir,” I said, “what could be better?” “Live by them, then,” he said, “and do not abstain from them, and you will live for God.
Greek source
φύλασσε οὖν τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην· ἐὰν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιῇς καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύσῃ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ πάντες ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ οἱ οὕτω ποιοῦντες. καὶ πάλιν ἐὰν τὸ πονηρὸν μὴ ποιῇς καὶ ἐγκρατεύσῃ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ πάντες ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ, ὅσοι ἐὰν ταύτας τὰς ἐντολὰς φυλάξωσι καὶ πορευθῶσιν ἐν αὐταῖς.
Translation
“So keep this commandment. If you do good and do not abstain from it, you will live for God, and everyone who does this will live for God. Again, if you do not do evil and abstain from it, you will live for God, and all who keep these commandments and live by them will live for God.”
Reader’s notes
1. 8.2
The entire supplied sentence about abstaining from doing good is marked. The argument concerns two sides of self-control: refraining from evil and refusing to refrain from good.
2. 8.10
The list of good deeds includes assistance to widows, orphans, and people in need, not oppressing debtors, hospitality, and bearing insults. “Humbler” renders ἐνδεέστερον in a comparison of one's own position with others; the word can also convey being more needy or lacking more. That range remains a lexical question rather than an inserted social theory.
About this edition
English translation v02. Greek source v01: Molly Whittaker, second revised edition, 1967; Patristic Text Archive (2018), Annette von Stockhausen — conversion to CTS-compliant PTA TEI and markup of places and persons. Technical derivative: Stromata Editions, 2026-09-29. Fixed version ef861ab3.
Dotted underlining marks editorial supplied spans in the selected source and the corresponding translation, including partial spans. The sign alone does not establish the intervention’s nature or necessarily indicate a conjecture. Original square brackets are preserved.
Latin ending: the ancient Vulgata edited by Adolphus Hilgenfeld, Hermae Pastor (Leipzig, 1873), pp. 155–164; project source HER-ENDING-SOURCE-v01. Hilgenfeld took the insertion in Sim. 10.2.4 from the Palatina and added habet himself. The Greek digital source’s license does not automatically cover the Latin edition or the translations.
The translation is a reviewed working version following an AI editorial pass; human philological review is not claimed.
The reproduced Greek source and its technical derivative: CC BY-SA 4.0. Whitespace adapted for reading; words and diacritics preserved. Attribution does not imply endorsement of Stromata by PTA contributors.
Vulgata · Hilgenfeld 1873 · StromataPTA · ef861ab3CC BY-SA 4.0
← Hermas edition hub