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.

16 Again we went a little farther
forward, and he showed me a great
shepherd, who had as it were a rustic
figure; clad with a white goat's skin,
having his bag upon his shoulder,
and in his hand a stick full of knots,
and very hard, and a whip in his other
hand; and his countenance was stern and
sour, enough to affright a man;
such was his look.

17 He took from that young
shepherd such sheep as lived in
pleasures, but did not skip up and
down; and drove them into a
certain steep craggy place fall of
thorns and briars, insomuch that
they could not get themselves free
from them:

18 But being entangled in them,
fed upon thorns and briars, and
were grievously tormented with
his whipping. For he still drove
them on, and afforded them not
any place, or time, to stand still.

19 When therefore I saw them so
cruelly whipped and afflicted,
I was grieved for them; because
they were greatly tormented, nor
had they any rest afforded them.

20 And I said unto the shepherd
that was with me: Sir, who is this
cruel and implacable shepherd, who
is moved with no compassion towards
these sheep? He answered, This