Pastor de Hermas 52

1Mostrou-me muitas árvores sem folhas, mas secas, como me pareceu; pois todas eram iguais.

1He showed me many trees having no leaves, but withered, as it seemed to me; for all were alike.

2E me disse: “Vês aquelas árvores?” “Vejo, senhor,” respondi, “que todas são iguais e secas.” Respondeu-me e disse: “Estas árvores que vês são os que habitam neste mundo.” “Por que, então, senhor,” disse eu, “estão como que secas e iguais?” “Porque,” disse ele, “nem os justos são manifestos nesta vida, nem os pecadores, mas são iguais; pois esta vida é um inverno para os justos, e eles não se manifestam, porque habitam com os pecadores: pois assim como no inverno as árvores que perderam as folhas são iguais, e não se vê quais estão mortas e quais vivas, assim neste mundo nem os justos se mostram, nem os pecadores, mas todos são iguais uns aos outros.”

2And he said to me, “Do you see those trees?” “I see, sir,” I replied, “that all are alike, and withered.” He answered me, and said, “These trees which you see are those who dwell in this world.” “Why, then, sir,” I said, “are they withered, as it were, and alike?” “Because,” he said, “neither are the righteous manifest in this life, nor sinners, but they are alike; for this life is a winter to the righteous, and they do not manifest themselves, because they dwell with sinners: for as in winter trees that have cast their leaves are alike, and it is not seen which are dead and which are living, so in this world neither do the righteous show themselves, nor sinners, but all are alike one to another.”