The Shepherd of Hermas 21 — Similitude 4

¹He showed me many trees again, some of them sprouting, and others withered, and he saith to me; "Seest thou," saith he, "these trees?" "I see them, Sir," say I, "some of them sprouting, and others withered." "These trees," saith he, "that are sprouting are the righteous, who shall dwell in the world to come; for the world to come is summer to the righteous, but winter to the sinners. When then the mercy of Yahuah (Lord) shall shine forth, then they that serve Elohim (God) shall be made manifest; yea, and all men shall be made manifest. For as in summer the fruits of each several tree are made manifest, and are recognized of what sort they are, so also the fruits of the righteous shall be manifest, and all [even the very smallest] shall be known to be flourishing in that world. But the Gentiles and the sinners, just as thou sawest the trees which were withered, even such shall they be found, withered and unfruitful in that world, and shall be burnt up as fuel, and shall be manifest, because their practice in their life hath been evil. For the sinners shall be burned, because they sinned and repented not; and the Gentiles shall be burned, because they knew not Him that created them. Do thou therefore bear fruit, that in that summer thy fruit may be known. But abstain from overmuch business, and thou shalt never fill into any sin. For they that busy themselves overmuch, sin much also, being distracted about their business, and in no wise serving their own Yahuah (Lord). How then," saith he, "can such a man ask anything of Yahuah (Lord) and receive it, seeing that he serveth not Yahuah (Lord)? [For] they that serve Him, these shall receive their petitions, but they that serve not Yahuah (Lord), these shall receive nothing. But if any one work one single action, he is able also to serve Yahuah (Lord); for his mind shall not be corrupted from (following) Yahuah (Lord), but he shall serve Him, because he keepeth his mind pure. If therefore thou doest these things, thou shalt be able to bear fruit unto the world to come; yea, and whosoever shall do these things, shall bear fruit."