I.

Of the building of the church triumphant,
and of the several sorts of reprobates.

THE vision which I saw, brethren,
was this.

2 When I had often fasted and
prayed unto the Lord, that he
would manifest unto me the
revelation, which he had promised
by the old woman to show unto me;
the same night she appeared unto
me, and said unto me,

3 Because thou dost thus afflict
thyself, and art so desirous to know
all things, come into the field,
where thou wilt, and about the
sixth hour, I will appear unto thee,
and show thee what thou must
see.

4 I asked her, saying; Lady,
into what part of the field? She
answered, wherever thou wilt, only
choose a good and a private place.
And before I began to speak and
tell her the place, she said unto
me; I will come where thou wilt.

5 I was therefore, brethren in
the field and I observed the hours,
and came into the place where I
had appointed her to come.

6 And I beheld a bench placed;
it was a linen pillow, and over it
spread a covering of fine linen.

7 When I saw these things ordered
in this manner, and that there was
nobody in the place, I began to be
astonished, and my hair stood on end,
and a kind of horror seized me;
for I was alone.

8 But being come to myself,
and calling to mind the glory of
God, and taking courage, I fell
down upon my knees and began
again to confess my sins as before.

9 And whilst I was doing this,
the old woman came thither with
the six young men whom I had
seen before, and stood behind me
as I was praying, and heard me
praying and confessing my sins
unto the Lord.

10 And touching me, she said;
Leave off praying now only for thy
sins; pray also for righteousness,
that thou mayest receive a part of
it in thy house.

11 And she lifted me up from
the place, and took me by the
hand, and brought me to the seat;
and said to the young men, go,
and build.

12 As soon as they were departed,
and we were alone, she said unto me;
sit here. I answered her; Lady,
let those who are elder sit first.
She replied, Sit down as I bid you.

13 And when I would have sat
on the right side, she suffered me
not, but made a sign to me with
her hand, that I should sit on the
left.

14 As I was therefore musing,
and full of sorrow, that she would
not suffer me to sit on the right
side, she said unto me, Hermas,
why art thou sad?

15 The place which is on the
right hand is theirs who have
already a