I answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, show further to me, your servant, whether on the day of Judgement the righteous will be able to intercede for the ungodly or to entreat the Most High for them; fathers for sons or sons for parents, brothers for brothers, relatives for their kindred, or friends for those who are most dear."
He answered me and said, "Since you have found favor in my sight, I will show you this also. The day of judgement is decisive and displays to all the seal of truth. Just as now a father does not send his son, or a son his father, or a master his servant, or a friend his dearest friend, to be ill or sleep or eat or be healed in his place, so no one shall ever pray for another on that day, neither shall anyone lay a burden on another, for then all shall bear their own righteousness and unrighteousness."
106 I answered and said, "How then do we find that first Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, and Moses for our ancestors who sinned in the desert, and Joshua after him for Israel in the days of Achan, and Samuel in the days of Saul, and David for the plague, and Solomon for those at the dedication, and Elijah for those who received the rain, and for the one who was dead, that he might live, and Hezekiah for the people in the days of Sennacherib, and many other prayed for many? So if now, when corruption has increased and unrighteousness has multiplied, the righteous have prayed for the ungodly, why will it not be so then as well?
He answered me and said, "This present world is not the end; the full glory does not remain in it, therefore those who were strong prayed for the weak. But the day of judgement will be the end of this age and the beginning of the immortal age to come, in which corruption has passed away, sinful indulgence has come to an end, unbelief has been cut off and righteousness has increased and truth has appeared. Therefore no one will then be able to have mercy on someone who has been condemned in the judgement, or to harm someone who is victorious." 2 Edras 7: 102-115
The Acceptable True Fast
As I was fasting, and sitting down in a certain mountain, and giving thanks unto God for all the things that he had done unto me; behold I saw the shepherd, who was wont to converse with me: What has brought thee hither thus early in the morning? I answered, Sir, today I keep a station. 2 He answered, What is a station? I replied, it is a fast? I answered, I fast, as I have been wont to do. Ye know not, said he, what it is to fast unto God; nor is this a fast which ye fast profiting nothing with God.
3 Sir, said I, what makes you speak thus? He replied, I speak it because this is not the true fast which is a complete fast, and acceptible unto God. Hearken, said he, The Lord does not desire needless fast; for by fasting in this manner, thou advancest nothing in righteousness.
But the true fast is this: Do nothing wickedly in thy life, but serve God with a pure mind; and keep his commandments and walk according to his precepts, nor suffer any wicked desire to enter into the mind. But trust in God, that if thou dost these things, and fearest Him, and abstaineth from every evil work, thou shalt live unto God. If Thou shalt do this, thou shalt perfect a great fast, and an acceptible one unto God.
This fast, saith he, whilst thou dost also observe the commandment of Yah, is exceeding good. Thus shalt therefore thou keep it. First of all, take heed to thyself, and keep thyself from every wicked act, and from every filthy word, and from every hurtful desire; and purify thy mind from all vanity of this present world. If thou shalt observe these things, this fast shall be right.
Thus therefore do. Having performed what is before written, that day on which thou fastest thou shalt taste nothing at all but bread and water; and computing the quantity of food which thou art wont to eat upon other days, thou shalt lay aside the expense which thou shouldest have made that day, and give it unto the widow, the fatherless, and the poor.
And thus thou shalt perfect the humiliation of thy soul; that he who receives of it may satisfy his soul, and his prayer come up to Yah for thee. I therefore thou shalt thus accomplish thy fast, as I command thee, thy sacrifice shall be acceptable unto Yah God, and thy fast shall be written in His book. This station, thus performed, is good and pleasing, and acceptable unto Yah God. These things if thou shalt observe with thy children and with all thy house, thou shalt be happy.
And whosoever when they hear these things, shall do them, they also shall be happy; and whatsoever they shall ask of Yah God they shall receive it.
Reference:
Book III Hermas Similitude V 1-7, 28-35
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