After a certain time, I was journeying to Cumae, and glorifying God's creatures for their greatness and splendour and power. As I walked I fell asleep. A spirit took me, and bore me away through a plathless tract, through which no man could pass: for the place was precipitous, and broken into clefts because of the waters. When I had crossed the river, I came into the level country, and knelt down, and began to pray to the Lord and confess my sins.

Now, while I prayed, the heaven was opened, and I saw the lady, whom I had desired, greeting me from heaven, saying, "Good morrow, Hermas."

And, looking at her, I said to her, "Lady, what are you doing here?"

Then she answered me, "I was taken up, so that I might convict you of your sins before the Lord."

I said to her, "Do you convict me?"

"Not so," she said, "but hear these words, that I shall say to you. God, Who dwells in the heavens, and created, out of nothing the things which are, and increased and multiplied them for His holy Church's sake, is wroth with you, because you sinned against me."

I answered her and said, "Sin against you? In what way? Did I ever speak an unseemly word to you? Did I not always regard you as a goddess? Did I not always respect you as a sister? How could you falsely charge me, lady, with such villainy and uncleanness?"

Laughing she said to me, "The desire after evil entered into your heart. Come now, don't you think that it is an evil deed for a righteous man, if the evil desire should enter into his heart? It is indeed a sin and a great one too," she said; "for the righteous man entertains righteous purposes. While then his purposes are righteous, his repute stands steadfast in the heavens, and he finds the Lord easily propitiated in all that he does. But those who entertain evil purposes in their hearts, bring on themselves death and captivity, especially those who claim for themselves this present world, and boast in its riches, and don't cleave to the good things that are to come. Their souls shall rue it, seeing that they have no hope, but have abandoned themselves and their life. But do pray to God and He shall heal your sins, and those of your whole house, and of all the saints."

2. As soon as she had spoken these words the heavens were shut; and I was given over to horror and grief. Then I said within myself, "If this sin is recorded against me, how can I be saved? Or how shall I propitiate God for my sins which are full-blown? Or with what words shall I entreat the Lord that He may be propitious to me?"

While I was advising and discussing these matters in my heart, I saw before me a great white chair of snow-white wool; and there came an aged lady in glistening raiment, having a book in her hands, and she sat down alone, and she saluted me, "Good morrow, Hermas."

Then I, grieved and weeping, said, "Good morrow, lady."

And she said to me, "Why so gloomy, Hermas, you who are patient and good-tempered, and always smiling? Why so downcast in your looks, and far from cheerful?"

And I said to her, "Because of an excellent lady saying that I sinned against her."

Then she said, "Far be this thing from the servant of God! Nevertheless the thought did enter into your heart concerning her. Now to the servants of God such a purpose brings sin. For it is an evil and mad purpose to overtake a devout spirit that has been already approved, that it should desire an evil deed, and especially if it's Hermas the temperate, who abstains from every evil desire, and is full of all simplicity and of great guilelessness.

3. "Yet it is not for this that God is wroth with you, but so that you may convert your family, which has done wrong against the Lord and against you their parents. But out of fondness for your children you did not admonish your family, but allowed it to become fearfully corrupt. Therefore the Lord is wroth with you. But He will heal all your past sins, which have been committed in your family; for by reason of their sins and iniquities you have been corrupted by the affairs of this world. But the great mercy of the Lord had pity on you and your family, and will strengthen you, and establish you in His glory. Only don't be careless, but take courage, and strengthen your family. For as the smith hammering his work conquers the task which he wills, so also does righteous discourse repeated daily conquer all evil. Therefore, don't cease to reprove your children; for I know that if they shall repent with all their heart, they shall be written in the books of life with the saints."

After these words of hers had ceased, she said to me, "Will you listen to me as I read?"

Then I said, "Yes, lady."

She said to me, "Be attentive, and hear the glories of God."

I listened with attention and with wonder to that which I had no power to remember; for all the words were terrible, such as man cannot bear. The last words however I remembered, for they were suitable for us and gentle:

"Behold, the God of Hosts, Who by His invisible and mighty power and by His great wisdom created the world, and by His glorious purpose clothed His creation with comeliness, and by His strong word fixed the heaven, and founded the earth on the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence formed His holy Church, which also He blessed -- behold, He removes the heavens and the mountains and the hills and the seas, and all things are made level for His elect, that He may fulfil to them the promise which He promised with great glory and rejoicing, if so be that they shall keep the ordinances of God, which they received, with great faith."

4. When she finished reading and arose from her chair, there came four young men, and they took away the chair, and departed towards the East.

Then she called me to her, and she touched my breast, and said to me, "Did my reading please you?"

And I said to her, "Lady, these last words pleased me, but the former were difficult and hard."

Then she spoke to me, saying, "These last words are for the righteous, but the former are for the heathen and the rebellious."

While she yet spoke with me, two men appeared, and took her by the arms, and they departed, in the direction the chair also had gone, towards the East. She smiled as she departed and, as she was going, she said to me, "Play the man, Hermas."
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1. I was on the way to Cumae, at the same season as last year, and as I walked, I called to mind my last year's vision; and again a Spirit took me, and carried me away to the same place as last year. When I arrived at the place, I fell on my knees, and began to pray to the Lord, and to glorify His name, because he counted me worthy, and made known to me my former sins.

After I had risen up from prayer, I saw before me the aged lady, whom I had also seen last year, walking and reading a little book. And she said to me, "Can you report these things to the elect of God?"

I said to her, "Lady, I cannot recollect so much; but give me the little book, so that I may copy it."

"Take it," she said, "and be sure and return it to me."

I took it, and retiring to a certain spot in the country I copied it letter for letter: because I could not make out the syllables. When then I had finished the letters of the book, suddenly the book was snatched out of my hand; but by whom I did not see.

2. Now after fifteen days, when I had fasted and entreated the Lord earnestly, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. And this is what was written: --

"Your seed, Hermas, have sinned against God, and have blasphemed the Lord, and have betrayed their parents through great wickedness, yes, they have got the name of betrayers of parents, and yet they did not profit by their betrayal; and they further added to their sins wanton deeds and reckless wickedness; so the measure of their transgressions was filled up. But make these words known to all your children, and to your wife who shall be as your sister; for she too doesn't refrain from using her tongue, thereby she does evil. But, when she hears these words, she will refrain, and will find mercy. After you have made known to them all these words, which the Master commanded me that they should be revealed to you, then all their sins which they sinned aforetime will forgiven them; yes, [not only these but] to all the saints that have sinned to this day, if they repent with their whole heart, and remove double-mindedness from their heart. You are therefore to say to the rulers of the Church, that they direct their paths in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with abundant glory. You therefore that work righteousness be steadfast, and don't be double-minded, that you may have admission with the holy angels. Blessed are you, as many as endure patiently the great tribulation that comes, and as many as shall not deny their life.

3. "But do you, Hermas, no longer bear a grudge against your children, neither suffer your sister to have her way, so that they may be purified from their former sins. For they shall be chastised with a righteous chastisement, unless you bear a grudge against them yourself. The bearing of a grudge works death. But you, Hermas, have had great tribulations of your own, by reason of the transgressions of your family, because you had no care from them. For you were neglectful of them, and were mixed up with your evil transactions. But herein is your salvation, in that you did not depart from the living God, and in your simplicity and your great continence. These have saved you, if you abide therein; and they save all who do such things, and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. These men prevail over all wickedness, and continue to life eternal. Blessed are all those who work righteousness. They shall never be destroyed. But you are to say to Maximus, 'Look out! Tribulation comes on you, if you think fit to deny a second time. THE LORD IS NEAR TO THEM THAT TURN TO HIM, as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness.'"

4. Now, brethren, a revelation was made to me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, "Whom do you think the aged woman is, from whom you received the book?"

I said, "The Sibyl."

"You are wrong," he said, "she is not."

"Who then is she?" I said.

"The Church," he said.

I said to him, "Why then is she aged?"

"Because," he said, "She was created before all things; therefore she is aged; and for her sake the world was framed."

Afterwards I saw a vision in my house. The aged woman came, and asked me, if I had already given the book to the elders. I said that I had not given it.

"You have done well," she said, "because I have words to add. When then I have finished all the words, it shall be made known through you to all the elect. You must therefore write two little books, and send one to Clement, and one to Grapte. So Clement shall send to the foreign cities, for this is his duty; while Grapte shall instruct the widows and the orphans. But you are to read the book to this city along with the elders that preside over the Church."
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