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Chapter 6
1. A law student came to him and asked, ‘Master, should we respect the Law?’
2. But he answered, ‘Young snake—why do you call me master?
3. ‘Truthfully there are no disciples nor masters—for the master himself can learn much from his own disciple.
4. ‘As for respecting the Law, listen: Respect yourself, that’s enough, now as always.’
5. Now, he was passing a troop of army recruits—and a man tried to tempt him asking,
6. ‘Must the youth agree to be soldiers—or should they refuse the service and flee?’
7. He answered, ‘Rotten plank, they might mistake you for a man, but you are a trap!
8. ‘I come to say what must be done today—I announce the coming Hour so that everyone can be prepared.
9. ‘Then those who are ready will know what they have to do—where they have to be.’
10. But one of those who were dressed like everyone else—to not arouse suspicion asked him,
11. ‘You who speaks so wisely, what do you suggest we do—if war breaks out between countries?’
12. He told him, ‘Sinister mask, who am I to give advice? I have no country to defend: my country is not yet part of this world.
13. ‘But know that if war even just threatens—believe that at that sound he who will signal the Hour will awaken.
14. ‘And who can say what will happen from one country to another—when men hear the Hour sound?’
15. And another asked him, ‘Must we pay taxes to the State?’—He answered, ‘People with plugged up ears.
16. ‘Now it’s been almost two thousand years since I told you: Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
17. ‘Render the coins struck in his likeness—and the bills graven in his name, you won’t be losing much.’
18. ‘Because all these things won’t be worth much to you—when the Hour of accounts has sounded!
19. ‘Furthermore, today the poor pay taxes without wanting or being able to—and as for the rich: let the thieves make their own arrangements!’
20. But another man asked him, ‘You say that the rich are thieves—but isn’t this coat that I bought mine?’
21. And he answered, ‘What do I know? You alone know it in the depths of your conscience.
22. ‘What you need to live and work, that is legitimately yours—for, need alone justifies possession.
23. ‘But how many times have you heard—that he who keeps what he doesn’t need, steals what he needs?
24. ‘Go away! When the Hour I announce has sounded—you will ask no one if the coat is yours.’
25. And a woman came up to him and asked, ‘Mustn’t the children pay with love for the life they have been given?’
26. But he answered, ‘The life you have given them—is it really worth them thanking you for it?’
27. And he added, ‘You see this young girl riddled with sores—her life is nothing but a dreadful torment and an incessant martyrdom;
28. ‘She owes this happy life to her mother who from the time of her conception tried to free her with illegal remedies.
29. ‘So, today this young girl knows all this—Maybe to pay with love for a life like this that they have given her?
30. ‘When the Hour has sounded there will be no more father and son according to the flesh—but father and son will earn their names by their works.’
31. And everyone was confused and angry because of what he was saying—but they didn’t know how to answer him.
32. And they dared to offend him publicly because of the crowd—that pressed in around him, eager to hear him.
33. But they said amongst themselves, ‘This man blasphemes everything that’s most sacred.’ And they thought at least of bringing him down and hushing him up.
Chapter 5 * Chapter 7
Black Lung
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