The Fifth Vision of the Shepherd

1 As I was praying in the house, and sitting on the couch, a man glorious in appearance came in,⁠a dressed as a shepherd, with a white skin wrapped around him, and with a bag on his shoulders and a staff in his hand.⁠b And he greeted me, and I greeted him in return. 2 He immediately sat down beside me and said to me, “I was sent by the most holy angel, so that I might stay with you for the rest of your days.” 3 I thought he had come to test me, and I said to him, “Who are you? For I know,” I said, “the one I was entrusted to.” He said to me, “Do you not recognize me?” “No,” I said. “I,” he said, “am the shepherd to whom you were entrusted.” 4 While he was still speaking, his form changed, and I recognized him as the one to whom I was entrusted; and at once I was confused, and fear seized me, and I was completely overwhelmed with distress that I had answered him so wickedly and senselessly. 5 But he answered me, “Do not be confused, but be strengthened by my commandments, which I am about to give you. For I was sent,” he said, “to show you again all the things you saw before, only the main points that are helpful to you. First of all, write down my commandments and my parables; and the other matters you will write down as I show them to you. The reason why,” he said, “I tell you to write down first the commandments and parables is so that you can read them at any time, and be able to keep them.” 6 So I wrote down the commandments and parables, as he commanded me. 7 If then, when you hear them, you keep them and walk in them, and do them with a pure heart, you will receive from the Lord all the things He promised you; but if, when you hear them, you do not repent, but keep adding to your sins, you will receive from the Lord the opposite. All these things the shepherd, the angel of repentance, commanded me to write.