As I was traveling to Cumae at the same season as the year before, I remembered the previous year’s vision while I walked. Once again a spirit took me and carried me away to the same place as the year before. When I arrived there, I knelt down and began to pray to the Lord and glorify His name, because He had considered me worthy and had made my former sins known to me. After I rose from prayer, I saw before me the elderly woman whom I had seen the year before. She was walking and reading a little book. She said to me, ‘Can you report these things to God’s elect?’ I said to her, ‘Lady, I cannot remember so much. Give me the little book so that I may copy it.’ ‘Take it,’ she said, ‘and return it to me.’ I took it and withdrew to a certain place in the countryside, where I copied everything letter by letter, for I could not make out the syllables. When I had finished copying the letters of the little book, it was suddenly snatched from my hand, but I did not see by whom.
After fifteen days, when I had fasted and earnestly pleaded with the Lord, the understanding of the writing was revealed to me. This is what had been written: ‘Your children, Hermas, have rebelled against God and blasphemed the Lord. In great wickedness they betrayed their parents and came to be called betrayers of parents, yet they gained nothing from their betrayal. They further added shameless acts and various kinds of wickedness to their sins, and so their lawlessness reached its full measure. But make these words known to all your children and to your wife, who is to be as your sister. She too does not restrain the tongue with which she acts wickedly. But when she hears these words, she will restrain it and will receive mercy. After you have made known to them all these words, which the Master commanded me to reveal to you, then all the sins they committed before are forgiven them. The same is true for all the saints who have sinned up to this day, if they repent with their whole heart and remove double-mindedness from their hearts. For the Master swore by His glory concerning His elect: if, after this day has been appointed, any further sin is committed, they will have no salvation. For repentance has an end for the righteous. The days of repentance have been fulfilled for all the saints, while for the gentiles there is repentance until the last day. Therefore you shall tell those who lead the Church to make their ways straight in righteousness, so that they may receive the promises in full with abundant glory. So remain steadfast, you who practice righteousness, and do not be double-minded, so that your passage may be with the holy angels. Blessed are all of you who endure the great tribulation that is coming and who do not deny their life. For the Lord swore by His Son that those who have denied their Christ are to be rejected from their life—those who are now about to deny Him in the coming days. But toward those who denied Him before, He became merciful because of His great compassion.’
‘But you, Hermas, no longer hold a grudge against your children, and do not let your sister continue as she is, so that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be disciplined with righteous discipline if you do not hold a grudge against them. Holding a grudge produces death. You, Hermas, have suffered great personal afflictions because of the transgressions of your household, since you did not concern yourself with them. Instead, you were distracted and became entangled in your evil business dealings. But what saves you is that you did not turn away from the living God, along with your simplicity and your great self-control. These things have saved you, if you remain in them, and they save everyone who practices such things and walks in guilelessness and simplicity. Such people will overcome every wickedness and will continue into eternal life. Blessed are all who practice righteousness. They will never be destroyed. And you shall say to Maximus: “Look, tribulation is coming. If it seems good to you, deny again. The Lord is near to those who turn back to Him,” as it is written in Eldad and Medad, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness.’
A revelation was given to me in my sleep, brothers, by a very handsome 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 is she, then?’ I asked. ‘The Church,’ he said. I said to him, ‘Why, then, is she elderly?’ ‘Because,’ he said, ‘she was created first of all. That is why she is elderly, and for her sake the world was formed.’ 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 said that I had not. ‘You have done well,’ she said, ‘for I have words to add. When I have completed all the words, they will be made known through you to all the elect. Therefore, you shall write two little books and send one to Clement and one to Grapte. Clement will send his to the cities abroad, for this has been entrusted to him. Grapte will admonish the widows and the orphans. But you shall read the book in this city together with the elders who preside over the Church.’