The Shepherd of Hermas

I said: Sir, I do not know these parables[*](The application of the parable to Fasting) and I cannot understand them if you do not explain them to me.

I will explain everything to you, he said, and everything that I talk with you.

I 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.

I 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.

This 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:

First of all, keep from every

And 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.

If 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.

You 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.

I besought him much to explain to me the[*](The application of the parable as to the servant) parable of the field and the master and the vineyard and the servant who fenced the vineyard, and the fences, and the weeds which were pulled up from the vineyard, and the son, and the friends the counsellors.

He answered and said to me: You are very importunate with asking. You ought not, he said, to ask at all, for if it be necessary for it to be explained to you it will be explained. I said to him: Sir, whatever you show me and do not explain I shall have seen in vain, and not understand what it is. So likewise it you speak parables to me and do not interpret them to me, I shall have heard something from you in vain.