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telling me that I had sinned against her. And she said: By no means is this thing against the servant of God. But in some way it came up in your heart concerning her. For the servants of God, such a thought does indeed bring sin; for it is an evil and astounding thought for an all-holy spirit that has already been tested, if it should desire an evil deed, and especially for Hermas the self-controlled, who refrains from all evil desire and is full of all simplicity and great innocence. But not for this reason is God angry with you, but so that you may turn back your household, which has acted lawlessly against the Lord and against you, their parents. But because you love your children you did not admonish your household, but you allowed it to become utterly corrupt; for this reason the Lord is angry with you. But he will heal all the past evils in your house; for because of their sins and lawless deeds you have been corrupted from the affairs of this life. But the great compassion of the Lord has had mercy on you and your house and will strengthen you and establish you in his glory. Only do not you be disheartened, but be of good courage and strengthen your house. For just as the smith by hammering his work masters the thing which he wants, so also the daily righteous word overcomes all evil. Do not cease, therefore, admonishing your children; for I know that if they will repent with their whole heart, they will be inscribed in the books of life with the saints. After she had finished these words, she says to me: Do you wish to hear me read? And I say: I wish it, lady. She says to me: Be a hearer and listen to the glories of God. I heard great and wonderful things which I was not able to remember; for all the words were terrifying, which a man is not able to bear. The last words, however, I remembered; for they were suitable for us and gentle. Behold, the God of powers, who with invisible and mighty power and with his great understanding created the world, and with his glorious counsel clothed his creation with beauty, and with his strong word fixed the heaven and founded the earth upon the waters, and with his own wisdom and providence created his holy church, which he also 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 give them the promise which he promised, with much glory and joy, if they keep the ordinances of God which they received in great faith. When, therefore, she had finished reading and arose from the chair, four young men came and took up the chair and went away toward the east. And she calls me to her and touched my breast and says to me: Did my reading please you? And I say to her: Lady, these last things please me, but the former were difficult and harsh. And she spoke to me, saying: These last things are for the righteous, but the former for the Gentiles and the apostates. While she was speaking with me, two men appeared and took her by the arms and went away, where the chair also was, toward the east. And she departed cheerfully, and as she went she says to me: Be courageous, Hermas. Vision 2 As I was going to Cumae, at the same time as last year, while walking I remembered last year's vision, and again a spirit takes me and carries me away to the same place as last year. So when I came to the place, I set my knees and began to pray to the Lord and to glorify his name, because he considered me worthy and made known to me my former sins.

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θωτάτης λεγούσης μοι ὅτι ἥμαρτον εἰς αὐτήν. ἡ δὲ ἔφη· Μηδαμῶς ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀνέβη περὶ αὐτῆς. ἔστιν μὲν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ τοιαύτη βουλὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιφέρουσα· πονηρὰ γὰρ βουλὴ καὶ ἔκπληκτος εἰς πάνσεμνον πνεῦμα καὶ ἤδη δεδοκιμασμένον, ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ πονηρὸν ἔργον, καὶ μάλιστα Ἑρμᾶς ὁ ἐγκρατής, ὁ ἀπεχόμενος πάσης ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς καὶ πλήρης πάσης ἁπλό τητος καὶ ἀκακίας μεγάλης. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἕνεκα τούτου σοι ὀργίζεται ὁ θεός, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὸν οἶκόν σου τὸν ἀνομήσαντα εἰς τὸν κύριον καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψῃς. ἀλλὰ φιλότεκνος ὢν οὐκ ἐνουθέτεις σου τὸν οἶκον, ἀλλὰ ἀφῆκες αὐτὸν κατα φθαρῆναι· διὰ τοῦτο ὀργίζεταί σοι ὁ κύριος· ἀλλὰ ἰάσεταί σου πάντα τὰ προγεγονότα πονηρὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου· διὰ γὰρ τὰς ἐκείνων ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀνομήματα σὺ κατεφθάρης ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν πράξεων. ἀλλ' ἡ πολυ σπλαγχνία τοῦ κυρίου ἠλέησέν σε καὶ τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ ἰσχυροποιήσει σε καὶ θεμελιώσει σε ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. σὺ μόνον μὴ ·αθυμήσῃς, ἀλλὰ εὐψύχει καὶ ἰσχυροποίει σου τὸν οἶκον. ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκεὺς σφυροκοπῶν τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ περιγίνεται τοῦ πράγματος οὗ θέλει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ λόγος ὁ καθημερινὸς ὁ δίκαιος περιγίνεται πάσης πονηρίας. μὴ διαλίπῃς οὖν νουθετῶν σου τὰ τέκνα· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι ἐὰν μετανοήσουσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἐνγραφή σονται εἰς τὰς βίβλους τῆς ζωῆς μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων. μετὰ τὸ παῆναι αὐτῆς τὰ ·»ματα ταῦτα λέγει μοι· Θέλεις ἀκοῦσαί μου ἀναγινωσκούσης; λέγω κἀγώ· Θέλω, κυρία. λέγει μοι· Γενοῦ ἀκροατὴς καὶ ἄκουε τὰς δόξας τοῦ θεοῦ. ἤκουσα μεγάλως καὶ θαυμαστῶς ὃ οὐκ ἴσχυσα μνημονεῦσαι· πάντα γὰρ τὰ ·»ματα ἔκφρικτα, ἃ οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος βαστάσαι. τὰ οὖν ἔσχατα ·»ματα ἐμνημόνευσα· ἦν γὰρ ἡμῖν σύμφορα καὶ ἥμερα· Ἰδοὺ ὁ θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ὁ ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει καὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ συνέσει αὐτοῦ κτίσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ τῇ ἐνδόξῳ βουλῇ περιθεὶς τὴν εὐπρέπειαν τῇ κτίσει αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ ἰσχυρῷ ·»ματι πήξας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ θεμελιώσας τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ ὑδάτων καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ σοφίᾳ καὶ προνοίᾳ κτίσας τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν καὶ ηὐλόγησεν, ἰδοὺ μεθιστάνει τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς καὶ τὰς θαλάσσας, καὶ πάντα ὁμαλὰ γίνεται τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἀποδοῖ αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο, μετὰ πολλῆς δόξης καὶ χαρᾶς, ἐὰν τηρήσωσιν τὰ νόμιμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἃ παρέλαβον ἐν μεγάλῃ πίστει. Ὅτε οὖν ἐτέλεσεν ἀναγινώσκουσα καὶ ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῆς καθέδρας, ἦλθαν τέσσαρες νεανίαι καὶ ἦραν τὴν καθέδραν καὶ ἀπῆλθον πρὸς τὴν ἀνατολήν. προσκαλεῖται δέ με καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ στήθους μου καὶ λέγει μοι· Ἤρεσέν σοι ἡ ἀνάγνωσίς μου; καὶ λέγω αὐτῇ· Κυρία, ταῦτά μοι τὰ ἔσχατα ἀρέσκει, τὰ δὲ πρότερα χαλεπὰ καὶ σκληρά. ἡ δὲ ἔφη μοι λέγουσα· Ταῦτα τὰ ἔσχατα τοῖς δικαίοις, τὰ δὲ πρῶτα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ τοῖς ἀποστάταις. λαλούσης αὐ τῆς μετ' ἐμοῦ δύο τινὲς ἄνδρες ἐφάνησαν καὶ ἦραν αὐτὴν τῶν ἀγκώνων καὶ ἀπῆλθαν, ὅπου καὶ ἡ καθέδρα, πρὸς τὴν ἀνατολήν. ἱλαρὰ δὲ ἀπῆλθεν καὶ ὑπάγουσα λέγει μοι· Ἀνδρίζου, Ἑρμᾶ. Ὅρασις β Πορευομένου μου εἰς Κούμας κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ὃν καὶ πέρυσι, περιπατῶν ἀνεμνήσθην τῆς περυσινῆς ὁράσεως, καὶ πάλιν με αἴρει πνεῦμα καὶ ἀπο φέρει εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ὅπου καὶ πέρυσι. ἐλθὼν οὖν εἰς τὸν τόπον τιθῶ τὰ γόνατα καὶ ἠρξάμην προσεύχεσθαι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ δοξάζειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα, ὅτι με ἄξιον ἡγήσατο καὶ ἐγνώρισέν μοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου τὰς πρότερον.