At Sychar. Life and behavioural hints. ‘Giving is more blessed than receiving’. ‘What is done by love remains good forever’. The plight in the beyond of friends of the world. The Lord's advice on the proper use of wealth. How to come by God's blessing.

1. Says the merchant: 'I know them, they are tough Sycharites who are pagan rather than children of Israel. But the most miserable among them are those from the region of the Galilean sea; these are sheer servants of matter and no longer have an incline of anything exalted and divine! Pure spectacle heroes! A magician from Persia is more to them than Moses and all the prophets, and a voluptuous whore from central Asia preferable to gold and precious stone! I know them only too well; but to keep them quiet I shall banquet them at the summer house. Because not to serve them should be the end!

2. Say I: 'Do what you like and can; because it is more blessed to give than to receive! But in future give only to the needy and poor, and if someone wants to borrow money from you but is rich, and it is obvious to you that he can repay you handsomely, then don't lend! Because once you have loaned to him he shall soon secretly turn into your foe, and you shall find it hard to get back your money and interest.