Part 2

21 Nevertheless the Lord is not so much angry with thee for thine own sake, as upon the account of thy house, which has committed wickedness against the Lord, and against their parents.

22 And for that out of thy fondness towards thy sons, thou hast not admonished thy house, but hast permitted them to live wickedly; for this cause the Lord is angry with thee: but he will heal all the evils that are done in thy house. For through their sins and iniquities, thou art wholly consumed in secular affairs.

23 But now the mercy of God hath taken compassion upon thee, and upon thine house, and hath greatly comforted thee. Only as for thee, do not wander, but be of an even mind, and comfort thy house.

24 As the workman bringing forth his work, offers it to whomsoever he pleaseth; so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just, cut off a great sin. Wherefore cease not to admonish thy sons, for the Lord knows that they will repent with all their heart, and they shall be written in the book of life.

25 And when she had said this, she added unto me; Wilt thou hear me read? I answered her, Lady, I will.

26 Hear then, said she; and opening the book she read, gloriously, greatly. and wonderfully, such things as I could not keep in my memory. For they were terrible words, such as no man could bear.

27 How it be I committed her last words to my remembrance; for they were but few, and of great use to us:--

28 Behold the mighty Lord, who by his invisible power, and with his excellent wisdom made the world, and by his glorious counsel beautified his creature, and with the word of his strength fixed the heaven, and founded the earth upon the waters; and by his powerful virtue established the Holy Church, which he hath blessed.

29 Behold he will remove the heavens, and the mountains, the hills, and the seas; and all things shall be made plain for his elect; that he may render unto them the promise which he has promised, with much honour and joy; if so be that they shall keep the commandments of God, which they have received with great faith.

30 And when she had made an end of reading, she rose out of the chair; and behold four young men came, and carried the chair to the east.

31 And she called me unto her, and touched my breast, and said unto me, Did my reading please thee? I answered, Lady, these last things please me; but what went before was severe and hard.

32 She said unto me, these last things are for the righteous, but the foregoing for the revolters and heathen.

33 And as she was talking with me, two men appeared, and took her upon their shoulders, and went to the east where the chair was.

34 And she went cheerfully away; and as she was going, said unto me, Hermas, be of good cheer.

VISION II.

Again, of his neglect in correcting his talkative wife; and of his lewd sons.

AS I was on the way to Cuma, about the same time that I went the year before, I began to call to mind the vision I formerly had. And again the spirit carried me away, and brought me into the same place, in which I had been the year before.

2 And when I was come into the place, I fell down upon my knees, and began to pray unto the Lord, and to glorify his name, that he had esteemed me worthy, and had manifested unto me my former sins.

3 And when I arose from prayer, behold I saw over against me the old woman whom I had seen the last year, walking and reading in a certain book.

4 And she said unto me, Canst thou tell these things to the elect of God? I answered and said unto her, Lady, I cannot retain so many things in my memory, but give me the book, and I will write them down.

5 Take it, says she, and see that thou restore it again to me.

6 As soon as I had received it, I went aside into a certain place of the field, and transcribe every letter, for I found no syllables.

7 And as soon as I had finished what was written in the book, the book was suddenly caught out of my hand, but by whom I saw not.

8 After fifteen days, when I had fasted, and entreated the Lord with all earnestness, the knowledge of the writing was revealed unto me. Now the writing was this:--

9 Thy seed, O Hermas! hath sinned against the Lord, and have betrayed their parents, through their great wickedness. And they have been called the betrayers of their parents, and have gone on in their treachery.

10 And now have they added lewdness to their other sins, and the pollutions of their naughtiness: thus have they filled up the measure of their iniquities. But do thou upbraid thy sons with all these words; and thy wife, who shall be as thy sister; and let her learn to refrain her tongue, with which she calumniates.

11 And when she shall hear these things, she will refrain herself, and shall obtain mercy.

12 And they also shall be instructed, when thou shalt have reproached them with these words, which the Lord has commanded to be revealed unto them.