46 That thou mightest know saith he, that the goodness and mercy of the Lord is great, and to be had in honour; who gave his spirit to them that were found worthy of repentance.
47 I answered, Sir, why then did not all of them repent? He replied, Those whose minds the Lords foresaw would be pure, and that they would serve him with all their hearts, to them he gave repentance.
48 But for those whose deceit and wickedness he beheld, and perceived that they would not truly return unto him; to them he denied any return unto repentance, lest they should again blaspheme his law with wicked words.
49 I said unto him; Now, Sir, make known unto me, what is the place of every one of those, who have given up their rods, and what their portion; that when they may have not kept their seal entire, but have wasted the seal which they received, shall hear and believe these thins, and may acknowledge their evil deeds and repent;
50 And receiving again their seal from you, may give glory to God, that he was moved with compassion towards them, and sent you to renew their spirits.
51 Hearken, said he; they whose rods have been found and rotten, and as it were touch with the moth; are the deserters and the betrayers of the church;
52 Who with the rest of their crimes, have also blasphemed the Lord, and denied his name when he had called upon them. Therefore all these are dead unto God and thou seest that none of them have repented, although they have heard my commands which thou bast delivered unto them. From these men therefore life is far distant.
53 They also who have delivered up their rods dry, but not rotten, have not been far from them. For they have been counterfeits, and brought in evil doctrines, and have perverted the servants of God, especially those who had sinned; not suffering them to return unto repentance, but keeping them back by their false doctrines.
54 These therefore have hope; and thou seest that many of them have repented, since the time that thou hast laid my commands before them; and many more will yet repent. But they, that shall not repent; shall lose both repentance and life.
55 But they that have repented, their place is begun to be within the first walls, and some of them are even gone into the tower. Thou seest therefore, said he, that in the repentance of sinners there is life; but for those who repent not, death is prepared.