Book 1

He who brought me up sold me to a certain Rhoda at Rome. After many years I made her acquaintance again, and began to love her as a sister.

After some time I saw her bathing in the river Tiber, and gave her my hand and helped her out of the river. When I saw her beauty I reflected in my heart and said: I should be happy if I had a wife of such beauty and character. This was my only thought, and no other, no, not one.

After some time, while I was going to Cumae, and glorifying the creation of God, for its greatness and splendour and might, as I walked along I became sleepy. And a spirit seized me and took me away through a certain pathless district, through which a man could not walk, but the ground was precipitous and broken up by the streams of water. So I crossed that river, and came to the level ground and knelt down and began to pray to the Lord and to confess my sins.

Now while I was praying the Heaven was opened, and I saw that woman whom I had desired greeting me out of the Heaven and saying: Hail, Hermas.

And I looked at her, and said to her: Lady, what are you doing here? and she answered me: I was taken up to accuse you of your sins before the Lord.

I said to her: Are you now accusing me? No, she said, but listen to the words which I am going to say to you. God who dwells in Heaven and created that which is out of that which is not, and increased and multiplied it, for the sake of his Holy Church, is angry with you because you sinned against me.

I answered and said to her: Did I sin against you? In what place, or when did I speak an evil word to you? Did I not always look on you as a goddess? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why do you charge me falsely. Lady, with these wicked and impure things?

She laughed and said to me: The desire of wickedness came up in your heart. Or do you not think that it is an evil deed for a righteous man if an evil desire come up in his heart? Yes, it is a sin, said she, and a great one. For the righteous man has righteous designs. So long then as his designs are righteous his repute stands fast in Heaven, and he finds the Lord ready to assist him in all his doings. But they who have evil designs in their hearts bring upon themselves death and captivity, especially those who obtain this world for themselves, and glory in their wealthy and do not lay hold of the good things which are to come.

Their hearts will repent; yet have they no hope, but they have abandoned themselves and their life. But do you pray to God, and He shall heal the sins of yourself, and of all your house and of all the saints.

After she had spoken these words the Heavens were shut, and I was all shuddering and in grief. And I began to say in myself: If this sin is recorded against me, how shall I be saved? Or how shall I propitiate God for my completed sins? Or with what words shall I beseech the Lord to be forgiving unto me?

While I was considering and doubting these things in my heart I saw before me a white chair of great size made of snow-white wool; and there came a woman, old and clothed in shining garments with a book in her hand, and she sat down alone and greeted me: Hail, Hermas! And I, in my grief and weeping, said: Hail, Lady!

And she said to me: Why are you gloomy, Hermas? You who are patient and good-tempered, who are always laughing, why are you so downcast in appearance and not merry? And I said to her: Because of a most excellent lady, who says that I sinned against her.

And she said: By no means let this thing happen to the servant of God; but for all that the thought did enter your heart concerning her. It is such a design as this which brings sin on the servants of God. For it is an evil and mad purpose against a revered spirit and one already approved, if a man desire an evil deed, and especially if it be Hennas the temperate, who abstains from every evil desire and is full of all simplicity and great innocence.

But it is not for this that God is angry with you, but in order that you should convert your family, which has sinned against the Lord, and against you, their parents. But you are indulgent, and do not correct your family, but have allowed them to become corrupt. For this reason the Lord is angry with you, but he will heal all the past evils in your family, for because of their sins and wickednesses have you been corrupted by the things of daily life.

But the great mercy of the Lord has had pity on you and on your family, and will make you strong and will establish you in his glory; only do not be slothful, but have courage and strengthen your family. For as the smith, by hammering his work, overcomes the task which he desires, so also the daily righteous word overcomes all wickedness. Do not cease, then, correcting your children, for I know that if they repent with all their heart, they will be inscribed in the books of life with the saints.

After she had ceased these words she said to me: Would you like to hear me read aloud? and I said: I should like it, Lady. She said to me: Listen then, and hear the glory of God. I heard great and wonderful things which I cannot remember; for all the words were frightful, such as a man cannot bear. So I remembered the last words, for they were profitable for us and gentle:

Lo, the God of the powers, whom I love, by his mighty power, and by his great wisdom created the world, and by his glorious counsel surrounded his creation with beauty, and by his mighty word fixed the Heaven and founded the earth upon the waters, and by his own wisdom and forethought created his holy Church, which he also blessed—Lo, he changes the heavens, and the mountains and the hills and the seas, and all things are becoming smooth for his chosen ones, to give them the promise which he made with great glory and joy, if they keep the ordinances of God, which they received with great faith.

So, when she had finished reading, and rose from the chair, there came four young men, and took up the chair and went away towards the East.

And she called me and touched my breast and said to me; Did my reading please you? and I said to her: Lady, this last part pleases me, but the first part was hard and difficult. And she said to me: This last part is for the righteous, but the first part was for the heathen and the apostates.

While she was speaking with me two men appeared, and took her by the arm and they went away towards the East, whither the chair had gone. But she went away cheerfully, and as she went said to me, Play the man, Hermas.