Pastor de Hermas 55

1“Ouve a semelhança que te vou narrar a respeito do jejum.

1“Hear the similitude which I am about to narrate to you relative to fasting.

2Um certo homem tinha um campo e muitos escravos, e plantou uma certa parte do campo com uma vinha e, escolhendo um escravo fiel, amado e muito estimado, chamou-o a si e disse: ‘Toma esta vinha que plantei e estaca-a até que eu venha, e nada mais faças à vinha; e atende a esta minha ordem, e receberás de mim a tua liberdade.’ E o senhor do escravo partiu para um país estrangeiro.

2A certain man had a field and many slaves, and he planted a certain part of the field with a vineyard, and selecting a faithful and beloved and much valued slave, he called him to him, and said, ‘Take this vineyard which I have planted, and stake it until I come, and do nothing else to the vineyard; and attend to this order of mine, and you shall receive your freedom from me.’ And the master of the slave departed to a foreign country.

3E quando ele partiu, o escravo tomou e estacou a vinha; e quando terminou de estacar as videiras, viu que a vinha estava cheia de ervas daninhas. Então refletiu, dizendo: ‘Guardei esta ordem do meu senhor: cavarei o resto desta vinha, e será mais bela cavada; e, livre de ervas daninhas, dará mais fruto, não sendo sufocada por elas.’ Tomou, portanto, e cavou a vinha e arrancou todas as ervas daninhas que havia nela.

3And when he was gone, the slave took and staked the vineyard; and when he had finished the staking of the vines, he saw that the vineyard was full of weeds. He then reflected, saying, ‘I have kept this order of my master: I will dig up the rest of this vineyard, and it will be more beautiful when dug up; and being free of weeds, it will yield more fruit, not being choked by them.’ He took, therefore, and dug up the vineyard, and rooted out all the weeds that were in it.

4E aquela vinha tornou-se muito bela e frutífera, não tendo ervas daninhas que a sufocassem. E depois de certo tempo o senhor do escravo e do campo voltou e entrou na vinha. E vendo que as videiras estavam convenientemente amparadas em estacas, e a terra, além disso, cavada, e todas as ervas daninhas arrancadas, e as videiras frutíferas, ficou muito satisfeito com a obra do seu escravo.

4And that vineyard became very beautiful and fruitful, having no weeds to choke it. And after a certain time the master of the slave and of the field returned, and entered into the vineyard. And seeing that the vines were suitably supported on stakes, and the ground, moreover, dug up, and all the weeds rooted out, and the vines fruitful, he was greatly pleased with the work of his slave.

5E chamando o seu filho amado, que era o seu herdeiro, e os seus amigos, que eram os seus conselheiros, contou-lhes que ordens dera ao seu escravo e o que achara realizado. E eles se alegraram com o escravo pelo testemunho que o seu senhor lhe dava. E disse-lhes: ‘Prometi liberdade a este escravo se obedecesse à ordem que lhe dei, e ele guardou a minha ordem e fez, além disso, uma boa obra na vinha, e me agradou extremamente.

5And calling his beloved son who was his heir, and his friends who were his councillors, he told them what orders he had given his slave, and what he had found performed. And they rejoiced along with the slave at the testimony which his master bore to him. And he said to them, ‘I promised this slave freedom if he obeyed the command which I gave him, and he has kept my command, and done besides a good work to the vineyard, and has pleased me exceedingly.

6Em retribuição, pois, pela obra que fez, quero fazê-lo co-herdeiro com o meu filho, porque, tendo bons pensamentos, não os negligenciou, mas os levou a efeito.’ Com esta resolução do senhor ficaram muito satisfeitos o seu filho e os amigos, a saber, que o escravo fosse co-herdeiro com o filho. Depois de poucos dias o senhor fez um banquete e enviou ao seu escravo muitos pratos da sua mesa.

6In return, therefore, for the work which he has done, I wish to make him co-heir with my son, because, having good thoughts, he did not neglect them, but carried them out.’ With this resolution of the master his son and friends were well pleased, viz. that the slave should be co-heir with the son. After a few days the master made a feast, and sent to his slave many dishes from his table.

7E o escravo, recebendo os pratos que lhe foram enviados do seu senhor, tomou deles o que era suficiente para si e distribuiu o resto entre os seus companheiros escravos. E os seus companheiros escravos se alegraram ao receber os pratos e começaram a orar por ele, para que achasse ainda maior favor junto ao seu senhor por os ter tratado assim. O seu senhor ouviu todas estas coisas que foram feitas e ficou de novo muito satisfeito com o seu procedimento.

7And the slave receiving the dishes that were sent him from his master, took of them what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the rest among his fellow-slaves. And his fellow-slaves rejoiced to receive the dishes, and began to pray for him, that he might find still greater favour with his master for having so treated them. His master heard all these things that were done, and was again greatly pleased with his conduct.

8E o senhor, reunindo de novo os seus amigos e o seu filho, relatou-lhes o procedimento do escravo com respeito aos pratos que lhe enviara. E ficaram ainda mais satisfeitos de que o escravo se tornasse co-herdeiro com o seu filho.”

8And the master again calling together his friends and his son, reported to them the slave’s proceeding with regard to the dishes which he had sent him. And they were still more satisfied that the slave should become co-heir with his son.”