So walking alone I asked the Lord to complete the revelations and the visions which he had shown me through his holy Church, that he might strengthen me and grant repentance to his servants who had stumbled, that his great and glorious name might be glorified, because he had counted me worthy to show me his wonders.
And as I was glorifying and giving thanks to him, something like the echo of a voice answered me: Do not be double-minded, Hermas. I began to debate within myself and to say: What have I to be double-minded about, I who have been so firmly established by the Lord and have seen glorious things?
And I went forward a little, brethren, and behold, I saw dust as it were rising to heaven, and I began to say within myself: Are cattle perhaps coming and raising the dust? It was about a stadium away from me.
As the dust grew greater and greater, I suspected it was something supernatural. The sun shone out a little, and behold, I saw an enormous beast like some sea-monster, and out of its mouth fiery locusts were going forth; the beast was about a hundred feet in length, and it had a head like an earthen jar.
So having put on the faith of the Lord, brethren, and remembering the great things he had taught me, I took courage and gave myself up to the beast. The beast was coming on with such a rush that it could have ruined a city.
I came near it, and the great sea-monster stretched itself out on the ground and put forth nothing but its tongue, and did not move at all, until I had passed it by.
After I had passed by the beast and gone forward about thirty feet, behold, a maiden met me, adorned as though coming forth from a bridal chamber, all in white and with white sandals, veiled to the forehead, her veiling being a turban; and her hair was white.
I knew from the previous visions that it was the Church, and I became more cheerful. She greeted me, saying: Hail, you man. And I greeted her in return: Lady, hail.
Answering me she said: Did nothing meet you? I said to her: Lady, a beast so great that it could destroy whole peoples; but by the power of the Lord and his great compassion I escaped it.
You escaped well, she said, because you cast your care upon God and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by nothing except by the great and glorious Name. For this reason the Lord sent his angel who is over the beasts, whose name is Thegri, and he stopped its mouth, so that it might not harm you. You have escaped a great tribulation because of your faith, and because, though you saw so great a beast, you were not double-minded.
Go, then, and recount to the elect of the Lord his mighty works, and tell them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If, then, you prepare yourselves beforehand and repent with all your heart toward the Lord, you shall be able to escape it, if your heart becomes pure and blameless and you serve the Lord without blame the remaining days of your life. Cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will set them straight.
Believe the Lord, you double-minded, that he can do all things, and turns away his wrath from you, and sends out scourges upon you who are double-minded. Woe to those who hear these words and disobey; it would have been better for them not to have been born.
I asked her concerning the four colors which the beast had on its head. Answering me she said: Again you are inquisitive about such matters. Yes, I said, lady; make known to me what these are.
the golden part is you who have escaped this world. For just as gold is tested by fire and becomes useful, so also you who dwell among them are being tested. Those, then, who remain and are refined by them shall be cleansed. Just as gold casts off its dross, so also you shall cast off all grief and distress, and shall be cleansed and become useful for the building of the tower.
But the white part is the age that is coming, in which the elect of God shall dwell; because those chosen by God unto eternal life shall be spotless and pure.
Do not cease, then, to speak into the ears of the saints. You also have the type of the great tribulation that is coming. But if you yourselves are willing, it shall be nothing. Remember the things written beforehand.
When she had said these things she departed, and I did not see to what place she went; for there was a cloud; and I turned back behind me in fear, thinking that the beast was coming.