heed to
thyself, and keep thyself from every
wicked act, and from every filthy
word, and from every hurtful desire;
and purify thy mind from all the
vanity of this present world. If
thou shalt observe these things,
this fast shall be right.

30 Thus therefore do. Having
performed what is before written,
that day on which thou fastest
thou shalt taste nothing at all but
bread and water; and computing
the quantity of food which thou
art want to eat upon other days,
thou shalt lay aside the expense
which thou shouldest have made
that day, and give it unto the
widow, the fatherless, and the
poor.

31 And thus thou shalt perfect
the humiliation of thy soul; that
he who receives of it may satisfy
his soul, and his prayer come up
to the Lord God for thee.

32 If therefore thou shalt thus
accomplish thy fast, as I command
thee, thy sacrifice shall be
acceptable unto the Lord, and thy
fast shall be written in his book.

33 This station, thus performed,
is good and pleasing and acceptable
unto the Lord. These things if thou
shalt observe with thy children and
with all thy house, thou shalt
be happy.

34 And whosoever, when they
hear these things, shall do them,
they also shall be happy; and
whatsoever they shall ask of the
Lord they shall receive it.

35 And I prayed him that he
would expound unto me the similitude
of the farm, and the Lord, and of
the vineyard, and of the servant
that had staked the vineyard;
and of the weeds that were
plucked out of the vineyard; and
of his son and his friends which
he took into counsel with him;
for I understand that that was
a similitude.

36 He said unto me, Thou art
very bold in asking; for thou
oughtest not to ask any thing;
because if it be fitting to show it
unto thee, it shall be showed unto
thee.

37 I answered him; Sir, whatsoever
thou shalt show me, without explaining
it unto me, I shall in vain see it,
if I do not understand what it is.
And if thou shalt propose any
similitudes, and not expound them,
I shall in vain hear them.

38 He answered me again, saying:
Whosoever is the servant of God,
and has the Lord in his heart,
he desires understanding of him,
and receives it; and he explains
every similitude, and understands
the words of the Lord which need
an inquiry.

39 But they that are lazy and
slow to pray, doubt to seek from
the Lord: although the Lord be of
such an extraordinary goodness,
that without ceasing he give