After some time I saw her bathing in the river Tiber, and I gave her my hand and helped her out of the river. Beholding her beauty I reasoned in my heart, saying: I would be happy if I had a wife of such beauty and character. This alone I pondered, and nothing more.
Some time later, as I was journeying to Cumae and glorifying the creations of God, how great and splendid and mighty they are, as I walked I fell asleep. And a spirit took me and carried me away through a pathless region through which a man could not travel; the place was steep and broken up by the waters. When I had crossed that river I came to level ground, and I knelt down and began to pray to the Lord and to confess my sins.
Looking at her I said to her: Lady, what are you doing here? And she answered me: I have been taken up, so that I might convict you of your sins before the Lord.
I said to her: Are you now my accuser? No, she said, but listen to the words I am about to speak to you. God who dwells in the heavens and created out of nothing the things that are, and multiplied and increased them for the sake of his holy Church, is angry with you because you sinned against me.
Answering her I said: Have I sinned against you? In what place or when did I ever speak a shameful word to you? Did I not always regard you as a goddess? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why, woman, do you falsely charge me with these wicked and impure things?
Laughing she said to me: The desire of wickedness arose in your heart. Or does it not seem to you to be a wicked thing for a righteous man, if an evil desire arises in his heart? It is indeed a sin, and a great one, she said. For the righteous man purposes righteous things. So long as he purposes righteous things, his repute is established in the heavens, and he finds the Lord easily reconciled to him in his every undertaking. But those who purpose evil things in their hearts bring upon themselves death and captivity, especially those who lay hold of this present age and exult in their wealth and do not hold fast to the good things to come.
Their souls shall repent, those who have no hope but have given up on themselves and their life. But you, pray to God, and he will heal your sins and those of your whole household and of all the saints.
After she had spoken these words the heavens were shut; and I was wholly shuddering and grieving. I said within myself: If this sin is recorded against me, how can I be saved? Or how shall I propitiate God concerning my full-grown sins? Or with what words shall I entreat the Lord, that he may be merciful to me?
While I was considering and debating these things in my heart, I saw opposite me a great white chair made of snow-white wool; and there came an elderly woman in most radiant clothing, holding a book in her hands, and she sat down alone and greeted me: Hermas, hail. And I, grieving and weeping, said: Lady, hail.
And she said to me: Why so gloomy, Hermas? You, the patient and even-tempered, who always laugh—why are you so downcast in appearance and not cheerful? And I said to her: Because of a most excellent lady who says that I sinned against her.
She said: By no means let this matter rest upon the servant of God. But surely the thought concerning her did arise in your heart. Such a purpose does indeed bring sin upon the servants of God; for it is a wicked and shocking purpose against a wholly reverent and already approved spirit, if he desires an evil deed—and especially Hermas the self-controlled, who abstains from every evil desire and is full of all simplicity and great guilelessness.
But it is not on account of this that God is angry with you, but in order that you may turn back your household, which has sinned against the Lord and against you their parents. But being fond of your children you did not admonish your household, but allowed it to become utterly corrupted; for this reason the Lord is angry with you. Yet he will heal all the past evils in your household; for because of their sins and lawless deeds you have been ruined in your worldly affairs.
But the great compassion of the Lord had mercy on you and your household, and will strengthen you and establish you in his glory. Only do not be slack, but take courage and strengthen your household. For just as the smith, hammering his work, masters the object he intends, so also the daily word of righteousness masters all wickedness. Do not cease, then, to admonish your children. For I know that, if they repent with all their heart, they shall be enrolled in the books of life together with the saints.
After these words of hers ceased she said to me: Do you wish to hear me read? I too said: I do, lady. She said to me: Become a hearer and listen to the glories of God. I heard great and marvelous things which I was not able to remember; for all the words were terrifying, such as a man cannot bear. So the last words I did remember, for they were beneficial to us and gentle:
Behold, the God of hosts, whom I love, by his mighty power and his great understanding created the world, and by his glorious counsel clothed his creation with beauty, and by his strong word fixed the heaven and founded the earth upon the waters, and by his own wisdom and providence created his holy Church, which also he blessed; behold, he removes the heavens and the mountains and the hills and the seas, and all things become level for his elect, that he may grant them the promise which he promised, with much glory and joy, if they keep the ordinances of God which they received in great faith.
She called me to her, touched my breast, and said to me: Did my reading please you? And I said to her: Lady, these last things please me, but the first were hard and severe. She answered me, saying: These last things are for the righteous, but the first are for the gentiles and the apostates.
While she was speaking with me, two men appeared and took her by the arms and went away, to where the chair was, toward the east. Cheerfully she departed, and as she went she said to me: Be a man, Hermas.