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THE TEACHING
(or, The Didache)

CHAPTER 1~4
There are two ways, one of life and one of death. But there is a great difference between the two. 2 This is the way of
life: First you shall love God who created you.
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Secondly, your neighbor as yourself; and whatever you do not want
done to you, do not do to another.
3 The teaching of these words is as follows:
4 Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what credit is it
to love those who love you? Do not even the pagans do this? As for you, love those who hate you, and you will have no
enemy. Hear what you must do to save your spirit: First of all,
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abstain from fleshly and bodily
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desires. If anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him, and you will be perfect. If anyone forces you to go one mile with
him, go two. If anyone takes your cloak, give him your tunic as well. If anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it
back, for you have no power. 5 Give to everyone who asks, and do not ask for it back; for the Father wishes that a share
of his own gifts be given to everyone. Blessed is the man who gives according to the commandment, for he is without
blame.
Woe to the man who takes. But if the one who takes is in need, he is without blame. But if he is not in need, he
shall give an account of why he received it and for what reason. And if he is imprisoned, he shall be interrogated about
what he did, and shall not go out from there until he has paid the last penny. 6 But in this matter the saying also holds,
Let your alms sweat in your hands until you know to whom you are giving.

2.1 The second commandment of the teaching is:
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2 You shall not commit murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not commit pederasty.
You shall not commit fornication.
You shall not steal.
You shall not practice magic.
You shall not practice sorcery.
You shall not murder a child by abortion, nor by killing it after it is born.
And you shall not covet what belongs to your neighbor.
3 You shall not break your oaths.
You shall not bear false witness.
You shall not slander.
You shall not harbor resentment.
4 You shall not be double-minded in giving advice
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or double-tongued, for a double-tongue is the snare of death.
5 You shall not let your speech be false or vain, but carried out in practice.
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6 You shall not be given to greed, or robbery, or hypocrisy, or malice, or pride, or quarrelsome, or bad-
mannered.
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You shall not plot evil against your neighbor.
7 You shall not hate any man; but some you shall admonish,
for others you shall pray, and others you shall love above your own soul.
3.1 My son, I say to you on behalf of the Lord,
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flee from all wickedness
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and from everything like it.
2 Do not become angry, for anger leads to murder.
Do not become jealous, or quarrelsome,
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or irritable, for from all these flow murders.
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3 My child, do not give way to evil desire, for it leads to fornication.
And do not use obscene language, or let your eye wander, for from all these flow adulteries.
4 My child, do not practice augury, for this leads to idolatry;
nor engage in enchanting, astrology, or ritual ablutions.
Do not even desire to see or hear
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these things, for from all these idolatry is spawned.
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5 My child, do not be a liar, because a lie leads to theft.
Do not be greedy for money or vainglory, for from all these thefts are spawned.
6 My child, do not be a grumbler, because it leads to blasphemy.
Do not be presumptuous or disposed to invent evil, for from all these blasphemies are spawned.
7 On the contrary, be meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth.
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8 Be patient, merciful, guileless, and peaceable and gentle;

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[Did1:2] some omit who created you
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[Did:1:4] P.Ox adds Hear what you must do to save your spirit: First of all
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[Did1:4] ApCo and worldly / P.Ox omits altogether
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[Did1:4~2:1] Old Latin / all other versions include this likely spurious addition
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[Did2:4] Dctr adds
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[Did2:5] ApCo, CO omits but carried out in practice
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[Did2:6] Dctr adds
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[Did3:1] Georg adds
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[Did3:1] P.Ox from all wicked acts
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[Did3:2] Dctr omits or quarrelsome
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[Did3:2] Dctr flow fits of anger
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[Did3:4] Georg, Dctr, CO adds
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[Did3:4] adulteries. Do not practice astrology, or ritual ablutions, which things lead to manifold superstition. Do not even desire to see or hear these things.
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[Did3:7] Dctr the holy land / CO the kingdom of the heavens
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and always trembling at the words of God
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which you have heard.
9 Do not exalt yourself, or glorify yourself before men,
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or allow arrogance into your soul.
Your soul shall not be yoked with the haughty, but associate with the righteous and humble.
10 Receive the troubles that befall you as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.
4.1 My child, day and night be mindful of him who speaks the word of God to you,
and you shall honor him as the Lord,
for the Lord is there wherever the source of the lordship of the Lord is preached.
2 And every day
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you shall seek the faces of the holy ones,
that you may find support in their words.
3 You shall not desire
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divisions; instead, you shall make peace among those who quarrel.
Pass righteous judgment, knowing that you will be judged.
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And you shall you not be a respecter of persons
when rebuking transgressions.
4 You shall not be double-minded in your prayer
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whether something shall be or not.
5 You shall not stretch forth your hands to receive, while holding them back when it is time to give.
6 If you possess something by the labor of your hands, give it as a ransom for your sins.
7 You shall not be reluctant in giving; and when you give, do not grumble,
for you should know who is the good Recompenser of the reward.
8 You shall not turn away anyone who is in need,
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but share all things with your brother, and do not claim anything as your own;
for if all of you are sharers in immortal things, how much more in mortal things.
For the Lord wishes to give to everyone from his gifts.
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9 You shall not relax your hand over your son or your daughter,
but from their youth, you shall teach them the fear of God.
10 You shall not issue commands with bitterness to your slave or maidservant, who trust in the same God,
lest they should cease to fear the God who is over both of you;
for he comes not to call men according to worldly prestige, but those whom the Spirit has prepared.
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11 And as for all of you who are slaves, be subject to your masters as a type of God, in respect and fear.
12 You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything that is displeasing to the Lord.
13 You shall not forsake the commandments of the Lord,
but guard what you have received, neither adding things contrary to it
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or subtracting.
14 You shall confess your transgressions in the assembly,
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and do not go to prayer with an evil conscience.
This is the way of life.

CHAPTER 5~6
But this is the way of death:
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First of all,
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it is evil and full of accursedness: murders, adulteries, evil desires, fornications, thefts, idolatries,
magic arts, sorceries, robberies, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, guile, conceit, malice, willful
stubbornness, avarice, obscene speech, envy, arrogance, pride, boastfulness, and lack of fear of God; 2 those who walk
the way of death are persecutors of good men, haters of the truth, lovers of falsehood, who do not acknowledge any
reward of righteousness, who do not adhere to the good, nor pass righteous judgment. They are vigilant not for good
but for wickedness. They are far removed from meekness and patience.
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They love vanities and
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pursue rewards, are
without pity for the poor, do not labor to aid those oppressed by toil, do not acknowledge their Maker, are murderers of
their children, and destroy what God has formed.
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They turn away from the needy, oppress the afflicted, are advocates
of the rich,
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and unjust judges of the poorthey are altogether sinful through and through. 3 Children, may all of you
be preserved from all these.
6.1 See to it that no one leads you astray from this way of teaching, since his teaching would be apart from God. 2
If you are able to carry the full yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you are not able, do whatever you can. 3
With regard to food, abstain as much as you can, but abstain completely from whatever has been offered to idols, for
this is to worship dead gods.
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CHAPTER 7~8
Regarding immersion, immerse in this way. Having said all this beforehand, immerse in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in running water. 2 But if you have no running water, immerse in any other. And if you
cannot in cold water, then in warm. 3 But if you have neither, pour the water on the head three times in the name of the

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[Did3:8] ApCo, CO omit always / ApCo adds of God / Dctr Be patient and by your industry be good and tremble at all the words
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[Did3:9] Dctr adds
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[Did4:2] Dctr omits every day
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[Did4:3] some make (as in Barnabas & Apostolic Constitutions)
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[Did4:3] Dctr adds
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[Did4:4] ApCo, CO add
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[Did4:8] One CO ends here after adding, for you will receive the worthy reward from the God who loves men, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.
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[Did4:8] Dctr for if we are sharers in mortal things, how much more ought we henceforth to be, having made such a start. For the Lord.gifts.
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[Did4:10] Dctr those in whom he found the Spirit / ApCo omits for he comesprepared
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[Did4:13] Dctr adds
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[Did4:14] many, Georg / ApCo, CO omits in the assembly / Dctr omits shall confess your sins in the assembly and
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[Did5:1] Dctr But the way of death is contrary to this
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[Did5:1] Dctr omits of all
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[Did5:2] Dctr removed from gentleness, and pride is near.
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[Did5:2] Dctr omits love vanities and
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[Did5:2] Dctr Maker, are destroyers of their children, and abortionists
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[Did5:2] some omit they are advocates of the rich
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[Did6:3] Latin omits and abstain completely from whateverdead gods. and instead has the following conclusion, See that no one leads you astray from this teaching,
otherwise you will be taught outside the rule of discipline. If you perform these things daily, you will be close to God; if you do not, you will be far from the truth. Keep all these
things in mind and do not be deceived in your trust; by these holy struggles you will gain a crown. Through the Lord Jesus the Anointed-One who lives and reigns with God the
Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. 4 But before the immersion, let the one who immerses and the one to be immersed
fast, along with any others who are able to do so. And you shall require the person being immersed to fast for one or
two days before.
8.1 But do not let your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week; but you
shall fast on the fourth and sixth days. 2 And do not pray as the hypocrites; instead, pray in this way, as the Lord
directed in his Good-Message, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth just as it is in heaven; give us today our bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One; for yours is the power and glory forever. 3 Pray in this
manner three times a day.

CHAPTER 9~10
As for offering thanks, you shall offer thanks in the following way: 2 First, in connection with the cup, Our Father, we
offer you thanks for the holy vine of your son David, which you have made known to us through your son Jesus. To
you be glory forever.
3 And in connection with the breaking of bread, Our Father, we offer you thanks for the life and knowledge which
you have revealed to us through your son Jesus. To you be glory forever. 4 As this broken bread was scattered upon the
mountain tops and after being harvested was made one, so let your assembly be gathered together from the ends of the
earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus the Anointed-One forever.
5 But do not let anyone eat or drink of your thanks-offering except for those immersed in the name of the Lord, for
it was in reference to this that the Lord said, Do not give what is holy to dogs.
10.1 But, after it has been completed, offer thanks in the following way: 2 We thank you, holy Father, for your
holy name which you have caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which you
have made known to us through your son Jesus. To you be glory forever. 3 You, Lord Almighty, have created all things
for the sake of your name, and have given food and drink to men for their refreshment, so that they might offer you
thanks. But upon us you have bestowed spiritual food and drink, and everlasting life through your Son. 4 For all things
we offer you thanks, because you are mighty. To you be glory forever. 5 Be mindful of your assembly, O Lord;
preserve it from every evil and make it perfect in your love. And gather it from the four winds; sanctified
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into the
kingdom, which you have prepared for it. For yours is the power and the glory forever. 6 Let grace come, and let this
world pass away. Grant salvation to the God of David! 6 If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not, let him
repent. Lord, come! Amen. 7 But allow prophets to offer thanks as they desire.
But because of the word of the oil of anointing, offer thanks, saying: We offer you thanks, Father, for the oil of
anointing that you have made known through your Son Jesus. For yours is the glory forever.
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CHAPTER 11~13
Therefore, if anyone comes to you and teaches everything that has been mentioned above, receive him. 2 But if the
teacher himself turns away and teaches another doctrine to contradict this, do not listen to him. But if he teaches so that
righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord increase, receive him as the Lord.
3 In regard to apostles and prophets, act according to the ordinance of the Good-Message. 4 Let every apostle who
comes to you be received as the Lord. 5 But he shall not remain more than one day. But, if necessary, let him remain a
second day. But, if he stays for three, he is a false prophet. 6 And when the apostle departs, let him take only enough
bread to last until he reaches shelter; but, if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
7 And you shall not tempt or judge any prophet who speaks in the spirit; for every sin will be forgiven, but this sin
will not be forgiven. 8 But not everyone who speaks in the spirit is a prophet, but only if he follows the conduct of the
Lord. Accordingly, the false prophet and the true prophet will be known by their conduct. 9 No prophet who, in the
spirit, orders a meal to be prepared eats of it; but, if he does, he is a false prophet. 10 And every prophet who teaches
the truth and fails to do what he teaches is a false prophet. 11 Anyone who has been proved to be a true prophet and
who does something for the earthly mystery of the assembly,
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but does not teach others to do what he himself does, is
not to be judged by you, for his judgment is with God. For the ancient prophets also acted in this manner. 12 And
whoever says in spirit, Give me money, or anything like it, do not listen to him. But if he asks that it be given to
others in need, let no one judge him.
12.1 Let everyone who comes to you in the name of the Lord be received; but, after testing him, you will know
for you will have insight as to what is right and wrong. 2 If the one who comes to you is a traveler, help him as much as
you can; but he shall not remain with you more than two or three days, unless there is need. 3 But if he wishes to settle
among you and is a craftsman, let him work and eat. 4 But if he has no trade, take care in your insight that no Christian
shall live among you idle. 5 But if he does not agree to do this, he is trading on the name of the Anointed-One; be on
your guard against such men.
13.1 Every true prophet who desires to settle among you is worthy of his food. 2 Likewise, a true teacher is worthy,
as a workman, of his food. 3 So when you take all the firstfruits of the winepress and of the harvest, of the cattle and of
the sheep, all of you shall give them to the prophets, for they are your high priests. 4 But if you do not have a prophet,
give it to the poor. 5 If you prepare dough,
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take the firstfruits and give them to the prophets. 6 Likewise, when you
open a jar of wine or oil, take and give the firstfruits to the prophets. 7 Also of silver and of clothes and every other
possession, take the firstfruits as it seems best to you and give according to the commandment.




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[Did10:5] Coptic, Apostolic Constitutions omit sanctified
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[Did10:7] Coptic adds
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[Did11:11] Coptic who teaches and attests a worldly tradition in the assembly / Eth who acts in the assembly of men and acts unlawfully
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[Did13:5] Eth bread
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CHAPTER 14~16
And on the Lords Day of the Lord, after you have assembled, break bread and offer thanks, having first confessed your
sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure. 2 But let no one who has a quarrel with his neighbor join you until he is
reconciled, lest your sacrifice be defiled. 3 For it was said by the Lord, In every place and time let a pure sacrifice be
offered to me, because I am the great king; and also, And my name is wonderful among the nations.
15.1 Therefore, elect for yourselves overseers and ministers worthy of the Lord, mild-tempered men and who are
not greedy, and who are faithful and well-tested; for they also serve you in the ministry of the prophets and teachers. 2
Therefore, do not despise them, for they are the honored men among you, along with the prophets and teachers. 3 And
correct one another, not in anger but in peace, as you have it in the Good-Message. And let no one speak with anyone
who has harmed his neighbor, nor let him hear from you until he repents. 4 Offer your prayers and alms and do all
things according to the Good-Message of our Lord.
16.1 Be vigilant over your life; do not let your lamps be extinguished, or your loins be ungirded, but be prepared,
for you do not know the hour in which our Lord is coming. 2 Assemble frequently, and seek what pertains to your
souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, unless you shall be found perfect in the last hour.
3 For in the last days, false prophets and seducers will multiply, and sheep will be turned into wolves, and love will
be changed into hate. 4 For as lawlessness grows, men will hate one another and persecute one another and betray one
another. And then the one who leads the whole world astray will appear, as though he were the Son of God, and will
work signs and wonders; and the world will be delivered into his hands, and he will do horrible things which have not
been done since the beginning of the world. 5 Then all created men shall pass through the fire of judgment, and many
will fall away and perish; but those who persevere in their faith will be saved by the curse itself.
6 And then signs of the truth will appear: first, the sign spreading out in the heaven; second, the signal of the
trumpet call; and third, the resurrection of the dead7 not the resurrection of all men, but, as it was said, The Lord
will come and all the holy ones with him. 8 Then the world shall see the Lord coming on the clouds of heaven.