6 For if ye shall keep yourselves
from sin for the time to come,
ye shall cut off a great deal
of your former sins. Walk in my
commands, and ye shall live unto
God: These things have I spoken
unto you.
7 And when he, had said this,
he added; let us go into the field,
and I will show thee shepherds of
sheep. I replied, sir, let us go.
8 And we came into a certain
field, and there he showed me a
young shepherd, finely arrayed,
with his garments of a purple
colour. And he fed large flocks;
and his sheep were full of pleasure,
and in much delight and cheerfulness;
and they skipping, ran here and there.
9 And the shepherd took very
great satisfaction in his flock; and
the countenance of that shepherd
was cheerful, running up and down
among his flock.
10 Then the angel said unto
me, Seest then this shepherd?
I answered, sir, I see him.
He said unto me, this is the
messenger of delight and pleasure.
He therefore corrupts the minds
of the servants of God, and turns
them from the truth, delighting them
with many pleasures, and they perish.
11 For they forget the commands
of the living God, and live in
luxury and in vain pleasures,
and are corrupted by the evil
angel, some of them even unto
death; and others to a falling
away.
12 I replied; I understand not
what you mean, by saying unto
death, and to a falling away.
Hear, says he; all those sheep
which thou sawest exceeding
joyful, are such as have for ever
departed from God, and given
selves up to the lusts of this
present time.
13 To these therefore there is
no return, by repentance, unto
life; because, to their other sins
they have added this, that they
have blasphemed the name of the
lord: These kind of men are
ordained unto death.
14 But those sheep which thou
sawest not leaping, but feeding in
one place; are such as have indeed
given themselves up to pleasure
and delights; but have not spoken
anything wickedly against the Lord.
15 These therefore are only
fallen off from the truth, and so
have yet hope laid up for them in
repentance. For such a falling off
hath some hope still left of a
renewal; but they that are dead,
are utterly gone for ever.