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keeping his commandments and walking in his statutes, and let no evil desire arise in your heart; but believe in God that, if you do these things and fear him and practice self-control from every evil thing, you will live to God. And if you do these things, you perform a great fast and one acceptable to the Lord. Hear the parable, which I am about to tell you, pertaining to the fast. A certain man had a field and many servants, and in a certain part of the field he planted a vineyard. Therefore, having chosen a certain servant, most faithful and well-pleasing to him, as he was going away, he called him to himself and says to him: Take this vineyard, which I planted, and stake it until I come, and do nothing else to the vineyard. And keep this my commandment, and you will be free in my household. And the master of the servant went away on his journey. And when he had gone, the servant took and staked the vineyard. And having finished the staking of the vineyard, he saw that the vineyard was full of weeds. Therefore he reasoned within himself, saying: I have completed this commandment of the master; I will now dig this vineyard, and it will be more beautiful when dug, and having no weeds it will give more fruit, not being choked by the weeds. He took and dug the vineyard and pulled out all the weeds that were in the vineyard. And that vineyard became most beautiful and flourishing, not having the weeds that were choking it. After some time the master of the field and of the servant came and entered into the vineyard. And seeing the vineyard beautifully staked, and moreover dug, and all the weeds pulled out, and the vines flourishing, he rejoiced greatly at the works of the servant. Therefore, having called to himself his beloved son, whom he had as his heir, and his friends, whom he had as counselors, he tells them what he had commanded his servant, and what he had found had been done. And they rejoiced with the servant at the testimony which the master bore to him. And he says to them: I promised this servant freedom, if he should keep my commandment, which I commanded him. And he kept my commandment and added a good work to the vineyard, and it pleased me greatly. Therefore, in return for this work which he did, I wish to make him a co-heir with my son, because, having thought of what was good, he did not neglect it, but accomplished it. With this decision the son of the master agreed with him, that the servant should become a co-heir with the son. After a few days his householder made a dinner and sent him many dishes from the dinner. And the servant, having received the dishes sent to him from his master, took what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the rest to his fellow-servants. And his fellow-servants, having received the dishes, rejoiced and began also to pray for him, that he might find greater favor with the master, because he had treated them so. His master heard all these things that had happened and again rejoiced greatly at his action. The master, having again called together all his friends and his son, reported to them the action of the servant, which he did with the dishes which he received; and they approved even more that the servant become a co-heir with his son. I say to him: Sir, I do not know these parables, nor can I understand them, unless you explain them to me. I will explain everything to you, he says, and whatever I shall speak with you, I will show you. Keep the commandments of the Lord, and you will be well-pleasing to him and you will be enrolled in the number of those who keep his commandments.

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τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ πορευόμενος ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ μηδεμία ἐπιθυμία πονηρὰ ἀναβήτω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· πίστευσον δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι, ἐὰν ταῦτα ἐργάσῃ καὶ φοβηθῇς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐγκρατεύσῃ ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος, ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ· ταῦτα δὲ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ, μεγάλην νηστείαν τελεῖς καὶ δεκτὴν τῷ κυρίῳ. Ἄκουε τὴν παραβολήν, ἣν μέλλω σοι λέγειν, ἀνήκουσαν τῇ νηστείᾳ. εἶχέν τις ἀγρὸν καὶ δούλους πολλούς, καὶ εἰς μέρος τι τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπε λῶνα· ἐκλεξάμενος οὖν δοῦλόν τινα πιστότατον καὶ εὐάρεστον αὐτῷ, ἀπο δημῶν προσεκαλέσατο αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Λάβε τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῦτον, ὃν ἐφύτευσα, καὶ χαράκωσον αὐτὸν ἕως ἔρχομαι, καὶ ἕτερον δὲ μὴ ποιήσῃς τῷ ἀμπελῶνι· καὶ ταύτην μου τὴν ἐντολὴν φύλαξον, καὶ ἐλεύθερος ἔσῃ παρ' ἐμοί. ἐξῆλθε δὲ ὁ δεσπότης τοῦ δούλου εἰς τὴν ἀποδημίαν. ἐξελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἔλαβεν ὁ δοῦλος καὶ ἐχαράκωσε τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. καὶ τελέσας τὴν χαρά κωσιν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος εἶδε τὸν ἀμπελῶνα βοτανῶν πλήρη ὄντα. ἐν ἑαυτῷ οὖν ἐλογίσατο λέγων· Ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ κυρίου τετέλεκα· σκάψω λοιπὸν τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῦτον, καὶ ἔσται εὐπρεπέστερος ἐσκαμμένος, καὶ βοτάνας μὴ ἔχων δώσει καρπὸν πλείονα, μὴ πνιγόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν βοτανῶν. λαβὼν ἔσκαψε τὸν ἀμπελῶνα καὶ πάσας τὰς βοτάνας τὰς οὔσας ἐν τῷ ἀμπε λῶνι ἐξέτιλλε. καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἀμπελὼν ἐκεῖνος εὐπρεπέστατος καὶ εὐθαλής, μὴ ἔχων βοτάνας τὰς πνιγούσας αὐτόν. μετὰ χρόνον τινὰ ἦλθεν ὁ δεσπότης τοῦ ἀγροῦ καὶ τοῦ δούλου καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν ἀμπελῶνα κεχαρακωμένον εὐπρεπῶς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐσκαμμένον καὶ πάσας τὰς βοτάνας ἐκτετιλμένας καὶ εὐθαλεῖς οὔσας τὰς ἀμπέλους, ἐχάρη λίαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ δούλου. προσκαλεσάμενος οὖν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀγαπητόν, ὃν εἶχε κληρονόμον, καὶ τοὺς φίλους, οὓς εἶχε συμβούλους, λέγει αὐτοῖς, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅσα εὗρε γεγονότα. κἀκεῖνοι συνεχάρησαν τῷ δούλῳ ἐπὶ τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ ᾗ ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῷ ὁ δεσπότης. καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἐγὼ τῷ δούλῳ τούτῳ ἐλευθερίαν ἐπηγγειλάμην, ἐάν μου τὴν ἐντολὴν φυλάξῃ, ἣν ἐνετειλάμην αὐτῷ· ἐφύλαξε δέ μου τὴν ἐντολὴν καὶ προσέθηκε τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ἔργον καλόν, καὶ ἐμοὶ λίαν ἤρεσεν. ἀντὶ τούτου οὖν τοῦ ἔργου οὗ εἰργάσατο θέλω αὐτὸν συγκληρονόμον τῷ υἱῷ μου ποιῆσαι, ὅτι τὸ καλὸν φρονήσας οὐ παρενεθυμήθη, ἀλλ' ἐτέλεσεν αὐτό. ταύτῃ τῇ γνώμῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ δεσπότου συνηυδόκησεν αὐτῷ, ἵνα συγκληρονόμος γένηται ὁ δοῦλος τῷ υἱῷ. μετὰ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας δεῖπνον ἐποίησεν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ ἐδέσματα ἐκ τοῦ δείπνου πολλά. λαβὼν δὲ ὁ δοῦλος τὰ ἐδέσματα τὰ πεμφθέντα αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀρκοῦντα αὐτῷ ἦρε, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τοῖς συνδούλοις αὐτοῦ διέδωκεν. οἱ δὲ σύνδουλοι αὐτοῦ λαβόντες τὰ ἐδέσματα ἐχάρησαν καὶ ἤρξαντο καὶ εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μείζονα χάριν εὕρῃ παρὰ τῷ δεσπότῃ, ὅτι οὕτως ἐχρήσατο αὐτοῖς. ταῦτα πάντα τὰ γεγονότα ὁ δεσπότης αὐτοῦ ἤκουσεν καὶ πάλιν λίαν ἐχάρη ἐπὶ τῇ πράξει αὐτοῦ. συνκαλέσας πάλιν πάντας τοὺς φίλους ὁ δεσπότης καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς τὴν πρᾶξιν τοῦ δούλου, ἣν ἔπραξεν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐδέσμασιν οἷς ἔλαβεν· οἱ δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον συνευδόκησαν γενέσθαι τὸν δοῦλον συνκληρονόμον τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. Λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἐγὼ ταύτας τὰς παραβολὰς οὐ γινώσκω οὐδὲ δύναμαι νοῆσαι αὐτάς, ἐὰν μή μοι ἐπιλύσῃς αὐτάς. Πάντα σοι ἐπιλύσω, φησίν, καὶ ὅσα ἂν λαλήσω μετὰ σοῦ, δείξω σοι. τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ κυρίου φύλασσε καὶ ἔσῃ εὐάρεστος αὐτῷ καὶ ἐνγραφήσῃ εἰς ἀριθμὸν τῶν τηρούντων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ.