Chapter 35

1Moses the prophet said plainly unto the people, even unto the people of Israel, ‘And behold 1 shew you plainly the way of death, and (the way of) life; choose life for yourselves, that ye may live.” ? And Elijah the prophet said unto the people, “How long halteth your heart concerning the Lord—the Lord is One; seek Him.”® Our Lord Jesus Christ said, We say then that there are two ways, one of death, and one of life: separate and having no connection one with the other; one which leadeth unto death, and one (which leadeth) unto life. The first is the way of life concerning which the Law hath spoken, tained here in Eth. nor in the Eth. N.T. in Mt or Lk. and said, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength and with thy soul, besides whom there is no other god,” © and, “love thy neighbour as thyself,” ° and “what thou desirest not for thyself, that do not to thy neighbour,” 7 “‘ Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that oppress you,” ® and “ Love your enemies,” “What then is your reward, if ye do good to them that do good to you?”® Take heed then and hate no man. And again it is said, “Thou shalt not hate any man, neither an Egyptian, nor an Edomite "; for they are all creatures of God. Keep far from evil men and from the desires of this world. “And to him that striketh thee on the right cheek, turn the other.”!! For David saith, “If I have rendered a return to them that rendered evil to me, lect thine enemies cause me to fall naked.” #2 And again it is said, “If any man compel thee to go one mile, go (with him) twain”; and, “If any man take thy coat, leave to him thy cloak (also); 18 and, “Prevent not him that taketh thy goods”; 4 and, “Give to him that asketh of thee, and shut not thy door against him that desireth to borrow of thee.” © For God is merciful a lover of men, and giveth all things to him that asketh of Him. And the Father “maketh the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the righteous and the sinful.” *' Ye ought to give to all men of the labour of your hands; and honour ye the saints. For it is said, ‘Thou shalt do no murder.” (Everyman) is thine image and thy likeness; and there is nothing worse than murder. And, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” nor separate (what is) thy flesh, nor make two parts (thereof); for it is said, “They twain shall be one flesh,” and one spirit; and in form (only) are they separate; and “Thou shalt not steal,” for when Achan the Israelite stole, they stoned him with stones, and he perished ; and in like manner. Gehazi stole and lied and was clad with the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian; and Judas Iscariot also stole the purse of alms which alms were given to the poor, and betrayed the Lord of Glory into the hands of the Jews, and then repented, and hanged himself, and his bowels gushed out, and he died; ‘Ananias and Sapphira his wife kept back part of the price of their possessions, and lied to the Holy Spirit, and died by (the sentence of) our beloved brother Peter the Apostle. _ [vii., 3-] Thou shalt not practise magic, nor use divination, nor consult wizards, for it is said, ‘Ye shall not trust in wizards.” And, Thou shalt not kill a child by abortion, for it is the image and spirit of God. And, “Thou shalt not covet the possessions of thy brother, | nor his wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ass, nor his ox.” Moreover, thou shalt never swear falsely, but if thou swearest, swear truly. And again it is said, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” for “he that speaketh lies against the poor provoketh his creator to anger.” 18 And the way of evildoers leadeth unto death. Thou shalt not be of a double heart, or of a double tongue, for “the snare of a man is the word of his mouth,” ” and, “a talkative man shall not prosper upon earth.” And let not your words be idle, for everyone that speaketh thoughtlessly shall be condemned. And, Thou shalt not be rapacious, for it is said, “Woe unto them that wrong their neighbours.” # And ye shall not accept persons, nor be deceitful in heart, nor proud, for ‘God humbleth the proud.” And, Thou shalt not hate any man, nor curse thy brother, nor do evil unto him. And abstain from all evil, and be not passionate, nor envious, lest that befall thee that befell Cain, and Saul, and Joab. For Cain slew Abel his brother, and God chose Abel ™ Prov 14, 31. acer tee ae ae and accepted his sacrifice; and t Saul persecuted t% David, when he overcame Goliath the Philistine, was envious of him because of the songs which the women sang; and Joab, also slew Abner the Israelite, and Amasa of Judah. And, Thou shalt not be an augur, for it leadeth to idolatry, and concerning this Samuel saith, “This thing is sin,” and it shall not be thus in Israel, for all these things are rejected in the law. (vit., 7-],And, Thou shalt not be a murmurer, for ye have heard what befell those who murmured against Moses. Be meck like Moses and David, for the meék shall inherit the earth. Be ye therefore merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Accept every toil that cometh upon thee, like Job and Lazarus, that thou mayest receive a reward from God. And reconcile those who are at variance, and judge uprightly, for the judgment is the Lord’s. And when thou prayest, be not of a double heart. Peter said, He said to me while I] was on the sea, Whercfcre dost thou doubt, and makest for thyself a double heart? And if thou givest alms to the poor, Doubt not; know thou then who it is that will render the reward; is it not the Lord? Give, then, to everyone that asketh of thee that which he needeth. And forget not any of the commandments of the Lord; and confess thy trespass before Him, and sin no more, that thou mayest find (that which is) good before the Lord thy God, for He desireth not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn to repentance. And honour thy father and thy mother; forsake not thy brethren and thy kinsmen. [vii., 16.1 And fear the King, and know that his 72, As the MS. reads: And on Saul who persecuted, etc. position is from the Lord; and h pad ena and honour rulers, for they : vil., 17.) And offer not a sacrifice whilst thou d evil, before thou repentest of the evil of thy ane, This ae ie oe of death and (the way) of life; and Lord Jesus Christ. : pea werah glove’