As I was journeying to Cumae about the same season as the year before, while walking I called to mind the vision of the previous year, and again a spirit took me up and carried me to the same place where I had been the year before.
So when I came to the place I knelt down and began to pray to the Lord and to glorify his name, because he had counted me worthy and had made known to me my former sins.
After I rose from prayer I saw opposite me the elderly woman whom I had also seen the year before, walking and reading a little book; and she said to me: Can you announce these things to the elect of God? I said to her: Lady, I cannot remember so much; but give me the little book, that I may copy it. Take it, she said, and you shall give it back to me.
I took it, and withdrawing to a certain place in the field I copied it all out letter by letter; for I could not make out the syllables. When I had finished the letters of the little book, suddenly it was snatched from my hand; but by whom I did not see.
After fifteen days, when I had fasted and earnestly entreated the Lord, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. And these were the things written:
Your offspring, Hermas, have set God at nought and have blasphemed the Lord, and have betrayed their parents in great wickedness, and have been called betrayers of parents; and though they betrayed, it profited them nothing, but they still added to their sins acts of debauchery and heapings-up of wickedness, and so their iniquities were filled up.
But make these words known to all your children and to your wife, who is to be a sister to you; for she too does not restrain her tongue, with which she does evil; but when she hears these words she will restrain it, and will obtain mercy.
After you make these words known to them—which the Master commanded me to be revealed to you—then all the sins which they formerly sinned are forgiven them, and to all the saints who have sinned up to this day, if they repent with all their heart and remove from their hearts their double-mindedness.
For the Master has sworn by his glory concerning his elect: if, after this day has been appointed, any further sin occurs, they shall not have salvation; for repentance for the righteous has an end. The days of repentance have been completed for all the saints; but for the gentiles repentance is open until the last day.
You shall therefore say to those who lead the Church, that they should set straight their ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with much glory.
Stand firm, then, you who work righteousness, and do not be double-minded, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Blessed are you, all who endure the great tribulation that is coming, and all who will not deny their life.
For the Lord has sworn by his Son, that those who deny their Christ shall be cut off from their life, even those who are now about to deny him in the coming days; but to those who denied him in former times, on account of his great compassion he has become merciful.
But you, Hermas, no longer bear a grudge against your children, nor neglect your sister, so that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be disciplined with righteous discipline, if you do not bear a grudge against them. Grudge-bearing works death. But you, Hermas, have had great private troubles because of the transgressions of your household, since you took no care concerning them; rather, you neglected them and became entangled in your own evil business dealings.
But what saves you is that you did not depart from the living God, and your simplicity and great self-control: these have saved you, if you remain in them, and they save all who do such things and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. These shall prevail over all wickedness and shall continue to eternal life.
And you shall say to Maximus: Behold, tribulation is coming; if it seems good to you, deny again. The Lord is near to those who turn to him, as it is written in the book of Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness.
It was revealed to me, brethren, as I slept, by a most beautiful young man who said to me: Who do you think the elderly woman is, from whom you received the little book? I said: The Sibyl. You are mistaken, he said; she is not. Who then is she? I said. The Church, he said. I said to him: Why then is she elderly? Because, he said, she was created first of all; for this reason she is elderly, and for her sake the world was framed.
Afterward I saw a vision in my house. The elderly woman came and asked me whether I had already given the book to the elders. I denied that I had given it. She said: You have done well, for I have words to add. So when I complete all the words, they shall be made known through you to all the elect.
You shall therefore write two little books, and send one to Clement and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, for that is committed to him; but Grapte shall admonish the widows and the orphans. And you shall read it in this city, with the elders who preside over the Church.