Pastor de Hermas 67

1Mostrou-me um grande salgueiro que fazia sombra sobre planícies e montes, e à sombra deste salgueiro se haviam reunido todos os que eram chamados pelo nome do Senhor. E um glorioso anjo do Senhor, muito alto, estava de pé ao lado do salgueiro, tendo uma grande podadeira, e cortava raminhos do salgueiro e os distribuía entre o povo que estava à sombra do salgueiro; e os raminhos que lhes dava eram pequenos, de cerca de um côvado, por assim dizer, de comprimento.

1He showed me a large willow tree overshadowing plains and mountains, and under the shade of this willow had assembled all those who were called by the name of the Lord. And a glorious angel of the Lord, who was very tall, was standing beside the willow, having a large pruning-knife, and he was cutting little twigs from the willow and distributing them among the people that were overshadowed by the willow; and the twigs which he gave them were small, about a cubit, as it were, in length.

2E depois que todos receberam os raminhos, o anjo pôs de lado a podadeira, e aquela árvore estava sã, como eu a vira no princípio.

2And after they had all received the twigs, the angel laid down the pruning-knife, and that tree was sound, as I had seen it at first.

3E maravilhei-me dentro de mim, dizendo: “Como está a árvore sã, depois de tantos ramos terem sido cortados?” E o Pastor me disse: “Não te surpreendas se a árvore permanece sã depois de tantos ramos terem sido podados; [mas espera,] e quando tiveres visto tudo, então te será explicado o que significa.” O anjo que distribuíra os ramos entre o povo de novo os pediu, e na ordem em que os tinham recebido foram convocados a ele, e cada um deles devolveu o seu ramo.

3And I marvelled within myself, saying, “How is the tree sound, after so many branches have been cut off?” And the Shepherd said to me, “Do not be surprised if the tree remains sound after so many branches were lopped off; [but wait,] and when you shall have seen everything, then it will be explained to you what it means.” The angel who had distributed the branches among the people again asked them from them, and in the order in which they had received them were they summoned to him, and each one of them returned his branch.

4E o anjo do Senhor os tomou e os examinou. De alguns recebeu os ramos secos e roídos de traça; os que devolveram ramos nesse estado o anjo do Senhor ordenou que ficassem à parte. Outros, de novo, devolveram-nos secos, mas não roídos de traça; e a estes ordenou que ficassem à parte. E outros os devolveram meio secos, e estes ficaram à parte; e outros devolveram os seus ramos meio secos e com rachaduras, e estes ficaram à parte.

4And the angel of the Lord took and looked at them. From some he received the branches withered and moth-eaten; those who returned branches in that state the angel of the Lord ordered to stand apart. Others, again, returned them withered, but not moth-eaten; and these he ordered to stand apart. And others returned them half-withered, and these stood apart; and others returned their branches half-withered and having cracks in them, and these stood apart.

5[E outros devolveram os seus ramos verdes e com rachaduras; e estes ficaram à parte.] E outros devolveram os seus ramos, uma metade seca e a outra verde; e estes ficaram à parte. E outros trouxeram os seus ramos dois terços verdes e o terço restante seco; e estes ficaram à parte. E outros os devolveram dois terços secos e um terço verde; e estes ficaram à parte.

5[And others returned their branches green and having cracks in them; and these stood apart.] And others returned their branches, one-half withered and the other green; and these stood apart. And others brought their branches two-thirds green and the remaining third withered; and these stood apart. And others returned them two-thirds withered and one-third green; and these stood apart.

6E outros devolveram os seus ramos quase todos verdes, apenas a menor parte, a ponta, estando seca, mas tinham rachaduras; e estes ficaram à parte. E de outros muito pouco era verde, mas as partes restantes secas; e estes ficaram à parte. E outros vieram trazendo os seus ramos verdes, como os tinham recebido do anjo. E a maioria da multidão devolveu ramos dessa espécie, e com estes o anjo ficou extremamente satisfeito; e estes ficaram à parte.

6And others returned their branches nearly all green, the smallest part only, the top, being withered, but they had cracks in them; and these stood apart. And of others very little was green, but the remaining parts withered; and these stood apart. And others came bringing their branches green, as they had received them from the angel. And the majority of the crowd returned branches of that kind, and with these the angel was exceedingly pleased; and these stood apart.

7[E outros devolveram os seus ramos verdes e com rebentos; e estes ficaram à parte, e com estes o anjo ficou extremamente deleitado.] E outros devolveram os seus ramos verdes e com rebentos, e os rebentos tinham algum fruto, por assim dizer; e aqueles homens cujos ramos foram achados dessa espécie ficaram extremamente jubilosos. E o anjo exultou por causa deles; e o Pastor também se alegrou muito por causa deles.

7[And others returned their branches green and having offshoots; and these stood apart, and with these the angel was exceedingly delighted.] And others returned their branches green and with offshoots, and the offshoots had some fruit, as it were; and those men whose branches were found to be of that kind were exceedingly joyful. And the angel was exultant because of them; and the Shepherd also rejoiced greatly because of them.