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English translation and notes by John Barach
Chapter 4
Last days are near
4:1 Δεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων ἐπιπολὺ ἐραυνῶντας ἐκζητεῖν τὰ δυνάμενα ἡμᾶς σῴζειν.
φύγωμεν οὖν τελείως ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων τῆς ἀνομίας, μήποτε καταλάβῃ ἡμᾶς τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀνομίας·
καὶ μισήσωμεν τὴν πλάνην τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ, ἵνα εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἀγαπηθῶμεν.
 It is necessary, therefore, for us to search out intently concerning present matters and inquire into the things that are able to save us.
Let us flee completely, therefore, from all the works of lawlessness, lest the works of lawlessness overtake us; and let us hate the error of the present time, so that we may be loved in the future one.
4:2 μὴ δῶμεν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ ἄνεσιν, ὥστε ἔχειν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ πονηρῶν συντρέχειν, μήποτε ὁμοιωθῶμεν αὐτοῖς.
 Let us not give relaxation to our own soul, so that it should have authority to run along with sinners and wicked men, lest we become like them.
4:3 τὸ τέλειον σκάνδαλον ἤγγικεν, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, ὡς Ἐνὼχ λέγει.
Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης συντέτμηκεν τοὺς καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας, ἵνα ταχύνῃ ὁ ἠγαπημένος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν ἥξῃ.
 The final offense has drawn near, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says.
For to this end the Master has shortened the times and the days, so that His beloved might hasten and come to his inheritance.
4:4 λέγει δὲ οὕτως καὶ ὁ προφήτης·
Βασιλεῖαι δέκα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς βασιλεύσουσιν, καὶ ἐξαναστήσεται ὄπισθεν[3] μικρὸς βασιλεύς, ὃς ταπεινώσει τρεῖς ὑφ' ἓν τῶν βασιλειῶν.
 And the prophet also speaks thus: “Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up behind them, who shall humble three of the kings under one.”
[3] Alt. text adds: αὐτῶν
4:5 ὁμοίως περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λέγει Δανιήλ·
Καὶ εἶδον τὸ τέταρτον θηρίον τὸ πονηρὸν καὶ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ χαλεπώτερον παρὰ πάντα τὰ θηρία τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀνέτειλεν δέκα κέρατα, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν μικρὸν κέρας παραφυάδιον, καὶ ὡς ἐταπείνωσεν ὑφ' ἓν τρία τῶν μεγάλων κεράτων.
 Similarly Daniel speaks concerning the same thing:
“And I saw the fourth beast, wicked and strong and more terrifying than all the beasts of the sea, and how ten horns sprang up from it, and from them a little lateral horn, and how it humbled three of the great horns under one.”
Lesson from Israel’s failure
4:6 Συνιέναι οὖν ὀφείλετε.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐρωτῶ ὑμᾶς ὡς εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὤν, ἰδίως δὲ καὶ πάντας ἀγαπῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν μου, προσέχειν νῦν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ μὴ ὁμοιοῦσθαί τισιν ἐπισωρεύοντας ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν λέγοντας, ὅτι ἡ διαθήκη ἐκείνων καὶ ἡμῶν.
 You ought to understand, therefore.
Furthermore, I also ask you this (being as one of you, and especially loving you all beyond my own soul) to pay attention to yourselves now and not to be like certain ones who heap up their sins, saying that their covenant and ours is the same.
4:7 ἡμῶν μέν·
ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι οὕτως εἰς τέλος ἀπώλεσαν αὐτὴν λαβόντος ἤδη τοῦ Μωϋσέως.
λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή·
Καὶ ἦν Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ ὄρει νηστεύων ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα καὶ νύκτας τεσσαράκοντα, καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν διαθήκην ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, πλάκας λιθίνας γεγραμμένας τῷ δακτύλῳ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ κυρίου.
 Ours indeed it is; but they lost it completely to the end, Moses having already received it.
For the Scripture says:
“And Moses was on the mountain fasting forty days and forty nights, and he received the covenant from the Lord, stone tablets written with the finger of the hand of the Lord.”
4:8 ἀλλὰ ἐπιστραφέντες ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα ἀπώλεσαν αὐτήν.
λέγει γὰρ οὕτως κύριος.
Μωϋσῆ Μωϋσῆ, κατάβηθι τὸ τάχος, ὅτι ἠνόμησεν ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ συνῆκεν Μωϋσῆς καὶ ἔριψεν τὰς δύο πλάκας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ·
καὶ συνετρίβη αὐτῶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἵνα ἡ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ ἐγκατασφραγισθῇ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν ἐν ἐλπίδι τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ.
 But having turned to idols, they lost it.
For the Lord speaks thus:
“Moses, Moses, go down quickly, for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have acted lawlessly.”
And Moses understood and threw the two tablets out of his hands, and their covenant was broken, so that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed into our hearts in the hope of His faith.
4:9 πολλὰ δὲ θέλων γράφειν, οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἀλλ' ὡς πρέπει ἀγαπῶντι ἀφ' ὧν ἔχομεν μὴ ἐλλείπειν, γράφειν ἐσπούδασα, περίψημα ὑμῶν.
 Wishing to write many things—not as a teacher, but as is fitting for one who loves not to fall short of what we possess—I made haste to write to you, being the offscouring of you all.
Διὸ προσέχωμεν ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις·
οὐδὲν γὰρ ὠφελήσει ἡμᾶς ὁ πᾶς χρόνος τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν, ἐὰν μὴ νῦν ἐν τῷ ἀνόμῳ καιρῷ καὶ τοῖς μέλλουσιν σκανδάλοις, ὡς πρέπει υἱοῖς θεοῦ, ἀντιστῶμεν, ἵνα μὴ σχῇ παρείσδυσιν ὁ μέλας.
 Therefore let us pay attention in the last days; for the whole time of our faith will profit us nothing, unless now in the lawless time and the coming offenses we resist, as is fitting for children of God, so that the dark one may not find a stealthy entry.
4:10 φύγωμεν ἀπὸ πάσης ματαιότητος, μισήσωμεν τελείως τὰ ἔργα τῆς πονηρᾶς ὁδοῦ.
μὴ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐνδύνοντες μονάζετε ὡς ἤδη δεδικαιωμένοι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ[4] συνερχόμενοι συνζητεῖτε περὶ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέροντος.
 Let us flee from all vanity, let us completely hate the works of the wicked way.
Do not, by dressing apart by yourselves, live in isolation as if you were already justified, but gathering together into the same place, consult together concerning what is mutually beneficial.
[4] ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό = at same place/time; in common, together.
4:11 λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή·
Οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον ἑαυτῶν ἐπιστήμονες.
γενώμεθα πνευματικοί, γενώμεθα ναὸς τέλειος τῷ θεῷ.
ἐφ' ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐν ἡμῖν, μελετῶμεν τὸν φόβον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ φυλάσσειν ἀγωνιζώμεθα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτοῦ εὐφρανθῶμεν.
 For the Scripture says:
“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and discerning in their own sight!”
Let us become spiritual, let us become a temple perfect to God.
So far as it is in us, let us practice the fear of God and strive to keep His commandments, so that we may be gladdened in His ordinances.
4:12 ὁ κύριος ἀπροσωπολήμπτως κρινεῖ τὸν κόσμον.
ἕκαστος καθὼς ἐποίησεν κομιεῖται.
ἐὰν ᾖ ἀγαθός, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ προηγήσεται αὐτοῦ·
ἐὰν ᾖ πονηρός, ὁ μισθὸς τῆς πονηρίας ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ·
 The Lord judges the world without partiality.
Each person will receive according to what he did.
If he is good, his righteousness will go before him; if he is wicked, the wage of wickedness is before him—
4:13 ἵνα μήποτε ἐπαναπαύομενοι ὡς κλητοὶ ἐπικαθυπνώσωμεν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄρχων λαβὼν τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐξουσίαν ἀπώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ κυρίου.
 lest at any time, resting at ease as the called ones, we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked ruler, taking authority against us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord.
4:14 ἔτι δὲ κἀκεῖνο, ἀδελφοί μου, νοεῖτε·
ὅταν βλέπετε μετὰ τηλικαῦτα σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γεγονότα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ οὕτως ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι αὐτούς·
προσέχωμεν, μήποτε, ὡς γέγραπται, πολλοὶ κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοὶ εὑρεθῶμεν.
 And understand this also, my brothers: when you see that after such great signs and wonders having taken place in Israel, they were thus abandoned—let us pay attention, lest, as it is written, many are called, but few chosen.
Summary
In this concluding portion of the text from the Epistle of Barnabas, the author urges believers to remain vigilant and separate themselves entirely from lawlessness, warning that the "final offense" has drawn near and that God has shortened the end-times for the sake of His chosen.
He references biblical prophecies from Enoch and Daniel regarding the ten kingdoms and the little horn.
A central polemical point of the passage is the covenant: while Israel lost their covenant due to idolatry (symbolized by Moses breaking the stone tablets), believers receive the new covenant sealed by Jesus Christ.
The author exhorts his readers not to isolate themselves in self-righteous pride, but to gather together in community, practice the fear of God, and resist the devil so they are not excluded from the kingdom of God on the day of impartial judgment.
Significant Greek Expressions
τὸ τέλειον σκάνδαλον ἤγγικεν (the final offense has drawn near): Refers to the climax of trials and tribulations expected at the end of the age, drawing on apocalyptic traditions.

συντέτμηκεν τοὺς καιροὺς (has shortened the times): An apocalyptic concept derived from Christian eschatology (cf. Matthew 24:22), indicating that God shortens the period of tribulation out of mercy for His elect (ὁ ἠγαπημένος).

περίψημα ὑμῶν (the offscouring of you all / scum for you): A striking expression of extreme humility and self-deprecation by the author (similar to Paul’s use in 1 Corinthians 4:13), placing himself at the absolute bottom for the sake of his flock.

μὴ καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἐνδύνοντες μονάζετε (do not, by dressing apart by yourselves, live in isolation): Warns against arrogant spiritual isolationism or separatist elitism, commanding communal gathering and mutual counsel.

οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ ἑαυτοῖς (Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes): A direct citation of Isaiah 5:21 used to condemn self-satisfied intellectual or spiritual pride within the community.

ἀπροσωπολήμπτως κρινεῖ τὸν κόσμον (judges the world without partiality): Emphasizes the universal, unbiased moral accountability under divine judgment, where everyone receives according to their deeds.
Epistle of Barnabas