Pastor de Hermas 83

1E eis que, depois de um pouco, vejo uma multidão de muitos homens que vinha, e no meio deles um homem de tamanho tão notável que ultrapassava a torre. E os seis homens que tinham trabalhado na construção estavam com ele, e muitos outros homens honrados estavam ao seu redor. E as virgens que guardavam a torre correram para diante e o beijaram e começaram a andar perto dele ao redor da torre.

1And, behold, after a little I see an array of many men coming, and in the midst of them one man of so remarkable a size as to overtop the tower. And the six men who had worked upon the building were with him, and many other honourable men were around him. And the virgins who kept the tower ran forward and kissed him, and began to walk near him around the tower.

2E aquele homem examinou cuidadosamente a construção, apalpando cada pedra separadamente; e segurando uma vara na mão, bateu em cada pedra da construção três vezes. E quando bateu nelas, algumas delas se tornaram negras como fuligem, e algumas apareceram como se cobertas de crostas, e algumas rachadas, e algumas mutiladas, e algumas nem brancas nem negras, e algumas ásperas e sem combinar com as outras pedras, e algumas tendo [muitíssimas] manchas: tais eram as variedades de pedras deterioradas que foram achadas na construção.

2And that man examined the building carefully, feeling every stone separately; and holding a rod in his hand, he struck every stone in the building three times. And when he struck them, some of them became black as soot, and some appeared as if covered with scabs, and some cracked, and some mutilated, and some neither white nor black, and some rough and not in keeping with the other stones, and some having [very many] stains: such were the varieties of decayed stones that were found in the building.

3Ordenou que todas estas fossem retiradas da torre e postas ao lado dela, e que outras pedras fossem trazidas e postas no lugar delas.

3He ordered all these to be taken out of the tower, and to be laid down beside it, and other stones to be brought and put in their stead.

4[E os construtores lhe perguntaram de que monte queria que fossem trazidas e postas no lugar delas.] E não mandou que fossem trazidas dos montes, [mas ordenou que fossem trazidas de uma certa planície que estava perto.] E a planície foi escavada, e foram achadas pedras resplandecentes e retangulares e algumas também de forma redonda; e todas as pedras que havia naquela planície foram trazidas e levadas pela porta pelas virgens.

4[And the builders asked him from what mountain he wished them to be brought and put in their place.] And he did not command them to be brought from the mountains, [but he bade them be brought from a certain plain which was near at hand.] And the plain was dug up, and shining rectangular stones were found, and some also of a round shape; and all the stones which were in that plain were brought, and carried through the gate by the virgins.

5E as pedras retangulares foram talhadas e postas no lugar das que foram retiradas; mas as pedras arredondadas não foram postas na construção, porque eram difíceis de talhar e pareciam ceder lentamente ao cinzel; foram depositadas, porém, ao lado da torre, como se destinadas a ser talhadas e usadas na construção, pois eram extremamente brilhantes.

5And the rectangular stones were hewn, and put in place of those that were taken away; but the rounded stones were not put into the building, because they were hard to hew, and appeared to yield slowly to the chisel; they were deposited, however, beside the tower, as if intended to be hewn and used in the building, for they were exceedingly brilliant.