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1I said: “Sir, I do not know these parables and I cannot understand them if you do not explain them to me.” 2“I will explain everything to you,” he said, “and everything that talk with you. 3I will show you his commandments and if you do anything good, beyond the commandment of God, you will gain for yourself greater glory, and shall be more honourable with God than you were destined to be. If then, you keep the commandments of God, and add these services also, you shall rejoice, if you keep them according to my commandment.” 4I said to him: “Sir, I will keep whatever you command me, for I know that you are with me.” “I will be with you,” said he, “because you have such zeal for doing good, and I will be with all, said he, who have this zeal. 5This fast,” said he, “if the commandments of the Lord are kept, is very good. You shall therefore keep this fast, which you are going to observe in this way: 6First of all, keep from every evil word, and from every evil desire and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you keep these things, this fast shall be perfect for you. 7And you shall do thus: After completing what has been written, in that day on which you fast you shall taste nothing except bread and water, and you shall reckon the price of the expense for that day which you are going to keep, of the foods which you would have eaten, and you shall give it to a widow or an orphan or to some one destitute, and you shall thus be humble-minded that through your humility he who receives it may fill his soul and pray to the Lord for you. 8If then you thus fulfil the fast as I commanded you, your ‘sacrifice shall be acceptable to God,’ and this fast shall be written down to your credit, and the service which is thus done is good and joyful and acceptable to the Lord. 9You shall therefore keep these things thus with your children and all your house, and if you keep them you shall be blessed, and all who hear them and keep them shall be blessed and shall obtain from the Lord whatever they ask.”