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for ever and ever, amen. But if two or three virgins are present with you, let them give thanks over the bread that is set out and let them pray together. but if a catechumen is found at the table, let her not pray with the faithful, nor should you sit to eat your bread with her nor again will you sit to eat your morsel with more careless and jesting women without necessity; for you are holy to the Lord God, and your food and your drink are sanctified; for through prayers and holy words it is sanctified. Pious and God-fearing virgins will eat with you; you will not dine with arrogant women, nor will you acquire an arrogant woman as a friend. For the divine scripture says: 'He who touches pitch will be defiled, and he who has fellowship with an arrogant person will become like him.' When a rich woman is sitting with you at the table, if you see a poor woman, you will call her to eat and you will not be ashamed before the rich one. Do not love the glory of men more than the glory of God; for God is of the poor and the despised. Blessed is the soul that keeps these things.

14 It is not good for a younger woman to associate with a younger woman; if not, they do nothing good; for one disobeys the other and one despises the other. But it is good to be under an older woman. For the older woman does not condescend to the wishes of the younger. Woe to the virgin who is not under a rule. For she is like a ship without a pilot. For with its steerage broken, having no guide, it is tossed by the waves here and there, until it strikes against a rock and is immediately destroyed; so is every virgin who does not have one whom she fears. Blessed is the virgin who is under a rule; for she will be like a fruitful vine in paradise; and her husbandman comes and prunes her branches and waters her and pulls up the rotten weeds around her. And she, having one who labors for her, yields her precious fruit in due season. Keep and say the doxologies at the table, and your food and your drink will be sanctified; when therefore you rise from the table, giving thanks again say three times: 'The Lord is merciful and compassionate, he has given food to those who fear him. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit'. And after the doxology again complete the prayer, saying thus: 'God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ, the name which is above every name, we thank you and praise you, that you have counted us worthy to partake of your good things, of fleshly foods. We beseech and entreat you, Lord, that you would also grant us heavenly foods; and grant us to tremble and fear your dreadful and honorable name, and not to disobey your commandments; place your law and your statutes in our hearts, and sanctify our spirit and soul and body through your beloved child, our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to you be glory, honor, power for ever and ever, amen.'

15 For there are many worldly people, who are foolish and are fed like irrational animals, rising early and seeking whom they will take advantage of, whom they will oppress, that they may fill their shameful belly; these do not know to glorify God at the table. Concerning these the divine Paul said: 'These are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things; but our citizenship is in heaven.' These are worse even than the wild beasts and the cattle; for the cattle and the wild beasts know God who made them, and they bless him; but men, who were formed by his hands and bear his image, do not know the one who made them; but they confess him with their mouth, but with their works they deny him; 'You believe that there is a God? You do well, and the

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αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν. Ἐὰν δὲ συμπαρῶσι μετὰ σοῦ δύο ἢ τρεῖς παρθένοι εὐχαρισ τήτωσαν ἐπὶ τὸν προκείμενον ἄρτον καὶ συνευχέσθωσαν. ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῇ κατηχουμένη ἐν τῇ τραπέζῃ, μὴ συνευχέσθω μετὰ τῶν πιστῶν, οὐδὲ μὴ καθίσῃς φαγεῖν τὸν ἄρτον σου μετ' αὐτῆς οὐδὲ πάλιν καθίσεις φαγεῖν τὸν ψωμόν σου μετὰ γυναικῶν ἀμελεστέρων καὶ γελοιαστριῶν ἄνευ ἀνάγκης· σὺ γὰρ ἁγία εἶ κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸ βρῶμά σου καὶ τὸ πόμα σου ἡγιασ μένον ἐστί· διὰ γὰρ τῶν προσευχῶν καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ῥημάτων ἁγιάζεται. παρθένοι εὐλαβεῖς καὶ θεοσεβεῖς συμφάγονταί σοι· οὐ συνδειπνήσεις μετὰ γυναικῶν ὑπερηφάνων, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ κτήσῃ φίλην γυναῖκα ἀλαζόνα. λέγει γὰρ ἡ θεία γραφή· «ὁ ἁπτόμενος πίσσης μολυνθήσεται, καὶ ὁ κοινωνῶν ὑπερη φάνῳ ὁμοιωθήσεται αὐτῷ.» καθεζομένης πλουσίας μετά σου ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης, ἐὰν ἴδῃς γυναῖκα πενιχρὰν, καλέσεις αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ φαγεῖν καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσῃ εἰς τὴν πλουσίαν. μὴ ἀγαπήσῃς τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπὲρ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ τῶν ἐξουδενωμένων ἐστί. μακαρία ψυχὴ ἡ φυλάσσουσα ταῦτα.

14 Οὐκ ἀγαθὸν νεωτέραν συναναστρέφεσθαι μετὰ νεω τέρας· εἰ δὲ μή γε, οὐδὲν καλὸν πράττουσι· μία γὰρ τῆς μιᾶς παρακούει καὶ μία τῆς μιᾶς καταφρονεῖ. ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ πρεσβύτιδα εἶναι ἀγαθόν. ἡ γὰρ πρεσβύτις οὐ συγκαταβαίνει τοῖς θελή μασι τῆς νεωτέρας. οὐαὶ παρθένῳ τῇ μὴ οὔσῃ ὑπὸ κακόνα. ἔστι γὰρ ὡς πλοῖον τὸν κυβερνῶντα μὴ ἔχον. κεκλασμένων γὰρ τῶν αὐχένων μὴ ἔχον τὸν ὁδηγὸν ῥίπτεται ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων ὧδε κἀκεῖσε, ἕως προσκρούει πρὸς πέτραν καὶ εὐθὺς ἀπόλλυται· οὕτως ἐστὶ πᾶσα παρθένος μὴ ἔχουσα, ὃν φοβεῖται. μακαρία παρθένος ἡ οὖσα ὑπὸ κακόνα· ἔσται γὰρ ὡς ἄμπε λος ἐν παραδείσῳ καρποφόρος· καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ γεωργὸς αὐτῆς διακαθαίρει τὰ κλήματα αὐτῆς καὶ ποτίζει καὶ κνίζει τὰς σαπρὰς βοτάνας τὰς κύκλῳ αὐτῆς. ἐκείνη δὲ ἔχουσα τὸν πο νοῦντα ἀποδίδωσι τίμιον τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς ἐν καιρῷ εὐθέτῳ. φύλασσε δὲ καὶ ποίει τὰς δοξολογίας τὰς ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης, καὶ ἔσται σοι τὸ βρῶμα καὶ τὸ πόμα ἡγιασμένον· ὅταν οὖν ἀναστῇς ἐκ τῆς τραπέζης, πάλιν εὐχαριστοῦσα λέγε ἐπὶ τρίς· «ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων ὁ κύριος, τροφὴν ἔδωκε τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν. δόξα πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι». καὶ μετὰ τὴν δοξολογίαν πάλιν τὴν εὐχὴν πλήρωσον λέγουσα οὕτως· «Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, εὐχα ριστοῦμέν σοι καὶ αἰνοῦμέν σε, ὅτι κατηξίωσας ἡμᾶς μετα λαβεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν σῶν, τῶν σαρκικῶν τροφῶν. δεό μεθα καὶ παρακαλοῦμέν σε, κύριε, ἵνα καὶ τὰς ἐπουρανίους τροφὰς ἡμῖν δωρήσῃ· καὶ δὸς ἡμῖν τρέμειν καὶ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ φρικτὸν καὶ ἔντιμον ὄνομά σου, καὶ μὴ παρακούειν τῶν ἐντολῶν σου· τὸν νόμον σου καὶ τὰ δικαιώματά σου ἐγκατά θου ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, ἁγίασον δὲ ἡμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα διὰ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου σου παιδός, τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ σοι δόξα, τιμή, κρά τος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶμας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.»

15 Εἰσὶ γὰρ πλείονες τῶν κοσμικῶν, οἵτινές εἰσιν ἀνόη τοι καὶ ὡς τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα τρεφόμενοι, ἀνιστάμενοι πρωῒ καὶ ζητοῦντες, τίνα πλεονεκτήσουσι, τίνα καταδυναστεύσουσιν, ἵνα ἐμπλήσωσι τὴν αἰσχρὰν αὐτῶν γαστέρα· οὗτοι οὐκ οἴδασι τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζειν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης. ἐπὶ τούτων εἶπεν ὁ θεσπέ σιος Παῦλος· «οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια, ὧν ὁ Θεὸς ἡ κοιλία, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες· ἡμῶν δὲ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει.» οὗτοι χείρονες καὶ τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν εἰσι· τὰ γὰρ κτήνη καὶ τὰ θηρία οἴδασι τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτοὺς Θεὸν, καὶ εὐλογοῦσιν αὐτόν· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι, οἱ ὑπὸ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ πλασθέντες καὶ εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ φοροῦντες, οὐκ οἴδασι τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτούς· ἀλλ' ὁμολογοῦσιν αὐτὸν μὲν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις ἀρνοῦνται αὐτόν· «σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι ἔστι Θεός; καλῶς ποιεῖς, καὶ τὰ