answered, Now thou hearest them Take care from henceforth, that even those things which thou hast formerly spoken falsely for the sake of thy business, may, by thy present truth receive pardon.
9 For even those things may be forgiven, if for the time to come thou shalt speak the truth; and by so doing thou mayest attain unto life.
10 And whosoever shall hearken unto this command, and do it, and shall depart from all lying, he shall live unto God.
COMMAND IV.
Of putting away one's wife for adultery.
FURTHERMORE, said he, I command thee, that thou keep thyself chaste; and that thou suffer not any thought of any other marriage, or of fornication, to enter into thy heart; for such a thought produces great sin.
2 But be thou at all times mindful of the Lord, and thou shalt never sin. For if such an evil thought should arise in thy heart, then thou shall be guilty of a great sin; and they who do such things, follow the way of death.
3 Look therefore to thyself, and keep thyself from such a thought; for where chastity remains in the heart of a righteous man, there an evil thought ought never to arise.
4 And I said unto him, Sir, suffer me to speak a little to you. He bade me say on. And I answered, Sir, if a man that is faithful in the Lord shall have a wife, and shall catch her in adultery; doth a man sin that continues to live still with her?
5 And he said unto me, As long as he is ignorant of her sin, he commits no fault in living with her; but if a man shall know his wife to, have offended, and she shall not repent of her sin, but go on still in her fornication, and a man shall continue nevertheless to live with her, he shall become guilty of her sin, and partake with her in her adultery.
6 And I said unto him, What therefore is to be done, if the woman continues on in her sin? He answered, Let her husband put her away, and let him continue by himself; but if he shall put away his wife and marry another, he also doth commit adultery.
7 And I said, What, if the woman that is so put away, should repent, and be willing to return to her husband, shall she not be received by him? He said unto me, Yes; and if her husband shall not receive her, he will sin, and commit a great offence against himself; for he ought to receive the offender, if she repents: only not often.
8 For, to the servants of God, there is but one repentance; and for this cause a man that putteth away his wife ought not to take another, because she may repent.
9 This act is alike both in the man and in the woman. Now they commit adultery, not only who pollute their flesh, but who also make an image. If therefore a woman perseveres in any thing of this kind, and repents not, depart from her; and live not with her, otherwise thou also shalt be partaker of her sin.
10 But it is therefore commanded that both the man and the woman should remain unmarried, because such persons may repent.
11 Nor do I in this administer any occasion for the doing of these things; but rather that whoso has offended, should not offend any more.
12 But for their former sins, God who has the power of healing will give a remedy; for he has the power of all things.
13 I asked him again, and said, Seeing the Lord hath thought me worthy that thou shouldest dwell with me continually, speak
