Shepherd of Hermas 60

1…with their whole heart. So then, do you suppose that the sins of those who are repenting are immediately forgiven? Not entirely. Rather, the one who repents must afflict his own soul and be humble-minded in all his conduct, resolutely, and be distressed in all kinds of tribulations; and if he bears the tribulations that come upon him, the One who created all things and strengthened them will surely be moved with compassion and will grant some healing. And this, when [God] sees the heart of the one repenting clean from everything.

2And an angel of the Lord—exceedingly glorious and very tall—was standing beside the willow, holding a great sickle, and he was cutting off branches from the willow and handing them to the people who were being sheltered by the willow; and he kept giving them little rods, about a cubit long.

3After all had received the rods, the angel laid aside the sickle, and that tree was sound, just as I had seen it before. I marveled within myself, saying, How is the tree sound, with so many branches cut off? The shepherd says to me, Do not marvel that the tree remained sound though so many branches were cut off. But wait until you see everything, and it will be shown to you what it is.

4The angel who had given the rods to the people again demanded them back from them; and as they had received them, so too they were called to him, and each one returned the rods. The angel of the Lord took them and examined them.

5From some he received the rods dry and eaten as if by a moth; the angel ordered those who had handed in such rods to stand apart. Others handed in dry rods, but they had not been eaten by a moth; these too he ordered to stand apart. Others handed in rods half-dry; and these stood apart. Others handed in their rods half-dry and having splits; and these stood apart. Others handed in their rods green and having splits; and these stood apart. Others handed in their rods half dry and half green; and these stood apart. Others presented their rods with two parts of the rod green and the third part dry; and these stood apart. Others handed in two parts dry and the third part green; and these stood apart. Others handed in their rods almost entirely green, but a very little of their rods was dry—at the very tip; and they had splits in them; and these stood apart.