The Shepherd of Hermas

All these things which have been written above I, the shepherd, the angel of repentance, have declared and spoken to the servants of God. If then you shall believe and shall listen to my words and shall walk in them, and shall correct your ways, you shall be able to live. But if you shall remain in malice and in the memory of offences, none of such kind shall live to God. All these things that I must tell have been told to you.

The shepherd himself said to me, Have you asked me about everything? And I said: Yes, Sir, Why then did you not ask me about the marks of the stones which were placed in the building, why we filled up the marks? And I said: I forgot. Sir.

Listen now, said he, about them. These are those who heard my commandments, and repented with all their hearts. And when the Lord saw that their repentance was good and pure, and that they could remain in it, he commanded their former sins to be blotted out. For these marks were their sins, and they were made level that they should not appear.

After I had written this book the angel who[*](The final vision of the Angel) had handed me over to the shepherd came to the house in which I was, and sat on the couch, and the shepherd stood on his right hand. Then he called me and said to me:

I have handed you over, said he, and your house to this shepherd, that you may be protected by him. Yes, Sir, said I. If then, said he, you wish to be protected from all vexation and all cruelty, and to have success in every good work and word, and every virtue of righteousness, walk in his commandments, which he gave you, and you will be able to overcome all wickedness.