3 When, therefore, the mercy
of the Lord shall shine forth, then
they who serve God shall be made
manifest, and plain unto all. For
as in the summer the fruit of every
tree is shown and made manifest.
so also the works of the righteous
shall be declared and made manifest,
and they shall all be restored
in that world merry and joyful.

4 For the other kind of men,
namely the wicked, like the trees
which thou rawest dry, shall, as
such, be found dry and without
fruit in that other world; and like
dry wood shall be burnt; and it
shall be made manifest that they
have done evil all the time of their
life;

5 And they shall be burnt because
they have sinned and have not
repented of their sins. And
also all the other nations shall
be burnt, because they have not
acknowledged God their Creator.

6 Do then, therefore, bring forth
good fruit, that in the summer thy
fruit may be known; and keep
thyself from much business, and
thou shalt not offend. For they
who are involved in much business,
sin much; because they are taken
up with their affairs, and
serve not God.

7 And how can a man that does
not serve God, ask anything of
God, and receive it? But they
who serve him, ask and receive
what they desire.

8 But if a man has only one
thing to follow, he may serve God,
because his mind is not taken off
from God, but he serves him with
a pure mind.

9 If, therefore, thou shalt do
this, thou mayest have fruit in
the world to come; and as many as
shall do in like manner, shall
bring forth fruit.

SIMILITUDE V.
Of a true fast, and the rewards of it:
also of the cleanliness of the body.

AS I was fasting, and sitting
down in a certain mountain,
and giving thanks unto God for all
the things that he had done unto
me; behold, I saw the Shepherd,
who was wont to converse with
me, sitting by me, and saying
unto me: What has brought thee
hither thus early in the morning?
I answered, Sir, to-day I keep a
station.

2 He answered, What is a station;
I replied, it is a fast. He said,
What is that fast? I answered,
I fast as I have been wont to
do. Ye know not, said he, what
it is to fast unto God; nor is this
a fast which ye keep, profiting
nothing with God.

3 Sir, said I, what makes you
speak thus? He replied, I speak
it, because it is not the true fast
which you think that you keep;
but I will show you what that is
which is a complete fast, and
acceptable unto God.

4