Do not be excessivelyrighteousand do not be overlywise.Whyshould you ruinyourself?
When the womansawthat the treewas goodfor food,and that it was a delightto the eyes,and that the treewas desirableto make [one] wise,she tookfrom its fruitand ate;and she gavealsoto her husbandwith her, and he ate.
"An idiotwill becomeintelligentWhen the foalof a wilddonkeyis borna man.
"And to manHe said,'Behold,the fearof the Lord,that is wisdom;And to departfrom evilis understanding.'"
Do not wearyyourself to gainwealth,Ceasefrom your consideration[of it].
Have you foundhoney?Eat[only] whatyou need,That you not haveit in excessand vomitit.
But beyondthis,my son,be warned:the writingof manybooksis endless,and excessivedevotion[to books] is wearyingto the body.
"Woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites!For you buildthe tombsof the prophetsand adornthe monumentsof the righteous,
"Behold,your houseis being leftto you desolate!
"But they doalltheir deedsto be noticedby men;for they broadentheir phylacteriesand lengthenthe tassels[of their garments].
Thenthe disciplesof Johncameto Him, asking,"Whydo we and the Phariseesfast,but Your disciplesdo not fast?"
I fasttwicea week;I pay tithesof allthat I get.'
For I testifyabout them that they havea zealfor God,but not in accordancewith knowledge.
For I do not wantyou, brethren,to be uninformedof thismystery--sothat you will not be wisein your own estimation--that a partialhardeninghas happenedto Israeluntilthe fullnessof the Gentileshas comein;
For throughthe gracegivento me I sayto everyoneamongyou not to think more highlyof himself thanhe oughtto think;but to thinksoas to have sound judgment,as Godhas allottedto eacha measureof faith.
Let no mandeceivehimself.Ifany manamongyou thinksthat he is wisein thisage,he must becomefoolish,sothat he may becomewise.
and again,"THE LORDKNOWSTHE REASONINGSof the wise,THAT THEY ARE USELESS."
as to zeal,a persecutorof the church;as to the righteousnesswhich is in the Law,foundblameless.
Let no onekeep defrauding you of your prizeby delightingin self-abasementand the worshipof the angels,taking his standon [visions] he has seen,inflatedwithout causeby his fleshlymind,
Theseare matterswhichhave,to be sure,the appearanceof wisdomin self-made religionand self-abasementand severe treatmentof the body,[but are] of novalueagainstfleshlyindulgence.
[men] who forbidmarriage[and advocate] abstainingfrom foodswhichGodhas createdto be gratefullysharedin by thosewho believeand knowthe truth.
"And they threwduston their headsand were cryingout, weepingand mourning,saying,Woe,woe,the greatcity,in whichallwho hadshipsat seabecame richby her wealth,for in onehourshe has been laid waste!'
