Fasting and prayer not like the hypocrites

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The Didache has just finished instructing how to baptize and is now teaching the community how to fast and pray, contrasting their practice with that of the hypocrites.

Do not fast with the hypocrites. They fast on the second day of the week and the fifth, but you are to fast on the fourth day and the preparation day.

Do not pray as the hypocrites do either. Pray as the Lord commanded in his gospel: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the power and the glory forever.”

Pray this way three times a day.

Greek

Αἱ δὲ νηστεῖαι ὑμῶν μὴ ἔστωσαν μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν. νηστεύουσι γὰρ δευτέρᾳ σαββάτων καὶ πέμπτῃ: ὑμεῖς δὲ νηστεύσατε τετράδα καὶ παρασκευήν.

μηδὲ προσεύχεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ αὐτοῦ, οὕτω προσεύχεσθε: Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς: τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον, καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ: ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.

τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας οὕτω προσεύχεσθε.

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About this text

An early Christian handbook, probably from about 100: the way of life and the way of death, then teaching on baptism, fasting, prayer, the Eucharist, traveling prophets, church leaders and the Lord's return.

An early Christian manual by an unknown author (c. 100 AD). It speaks to Christian communities as a teacher speaks to his children.

The work opens with the Two Ways, a way of life and a way of death, and urges the reader to follow the way of life by loving God and neighbor and obeying commandments. It then gives instructions for baptism, fasting and prayer, including the Lord's Prayer three times daily, and the Eucharist with set prayers. It offers rules for receiving and testing apostles, prophets, and teachers, and for supporting true prophets with first fruits. It closes with instructions to appoint bishops and deacons, to practice mutual correction, and to stay watchful for the Lord's coming amid the final tribulation.

The author quotes sayings of the Lord and gives liturgical prayers for the community to speak. The author cites the gospel and the Lord's Prayer in forms close to Matthew, and quotes material resembling Malachi in section 14.

Fresh English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Anonymus Kirsopp Lake The Apostolic Fathers William Heinemann The Macmillan Company London New York 1912 1 Hathi Trust (Greek)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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