³³ And they said unto him, `Wherefore do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications -- in like manner also those of the Pharisees -- but thine do eat and drink?'

¹² I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things -- as many as I possess.

¹ And it came to pass, in his being in a certain place praying, as he ceased, a certain one of his disciples said unto him, `Sir, teach us to pray, as also John taught his disciples.'

¹⁸ And the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees were fasting, and they come and say to him, `Wherefore do the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples do not fast?'

¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, `Are the sons of the bride-chamber able, while the bridegroom is with them, to fast? so long time as they have the bridegroom with them they are not able to fast;

²⁰ but days shall come when the bridegroom may be taken from them, and then they shall fast -- in those days.

²¹ `And no one a patch of undressed cloth doth sew on an old garment, and if not -- the new filling it up doth take from the old and the rent doth become worse;

²² and no one doth put new wine into old skins, and if not -- the new wine doth burst the skins, and the wine is poured out, and the skins will be destroyed; but new wine into new skins is to be put.'

¹⁴ Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, `Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?'

¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, `Can the sons of the bride-chamber mourn, so long as the bridegroom is with them? but days shall come when the bridegroom may be taken from them, and then they shall fast.

¹⁶ `And no one doth put a patch of undressed cloth on an old garment, for its filling up doth take from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

¹⁷ `Nor do they put new wine into old skins, and if not -- the skins burst, and the wine doth run out, and the skins are destroyed, but they put new wine into new skins, and both are preserved together.'

² for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,

³ for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.

¹¹ and the Lord `saith' unto him, `Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, `one' by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray,

²⁵ there arose then a question from the disciples of John with `some' Jews about purifying,

³⁵ On the morrow, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples,

⁴⁷ who devour the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, these shall receive more abundant judgment.'

³⁴ the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and ye say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners;

³⁵ and the wisdom was justified from all her children.'

⁴⁰ who are devouring the widows' houses, and for a pretense are making long prayers; these shall receive more abundant judgment.'

¹³ `Wo to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter.

⁵ `And when thou mayest pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, because they love in the synagogues, and in the corners of the broad places -- standing -- to pray, that they may be seen of men; verily I say to you, that they have their reward.

⁶ `But thou, when thou mayest pray, go into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who `is' in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.

⁶ When ye fasted with mourning in the fifth and in the seventh `months' -- even these seventy years -- did ye keep the fast `to' Me -- Me? And when ye eat, and when ye drink, is it not ye who are eating, and ye who are drinking?

³ `Why have we fasted, and Thou hast not seen? We have afflicted our soul, and Thou knowest not.' Lo, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And all your labours ye exact.

⁴ Lo, for strife and debate ye fast, And to smite with the fist of wickedness, Ye fast not as `to'-day, To sound in the high place your voice.

⁵ Like this is the fast that I choose? The day of a man's afflicting his soul? To bow as a reed his head, And sackcloth and ashes spread out? This dost thou call a fast, And a desirable day -- to Jehovah?

⁶ Is not this the fast that I chose -- To loose the bands of wickedness, To shake off the burdens of the yoke, And to send out the oppressed free, And every yoke ye draw off?

¹⁵ And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full.

⁹ Whoso is turning his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer `is' an abomination.