Rule thou over them, and control them; humble the foolish among them with the aid of the lustful, and the lustful with the aid of the foolish. Judge them in righteousness, and pervert not justice. As for him among them who speaks vanity and falsehood, thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; even when he speaks fair, believe him not, for seven abominations are in his heart. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, before the day breathes and the shadow flees away: Heed my words, and forget them not, nor shouldst thou ever forsake them; keep them continually in thy bosom, and write them upon the tablet of thy heart; let them be for thyself alone, and not for strangers beside thee. For they shall be chaplets of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck, so that thy days may be spent in prosperity, and thy years in pleasantness.’ And it came to pass, when I heard from him these words, which are more precious than rubies (and I knew that he who departs from his instructions and changes his sayings, or causes aught of his words to fall, wrongs and destroys his soul, and harms and kills his spirit, while he who takes fast hold of them, and lets them not go, shall live for ever, and shall not be destroyed; for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh), that I said: ‘Draw me, I shall run after thee. I shall rejoice and exult in thee; and shall be more glad and joyous with thy love than with spiced wine and sweet juice.’ And he said unto me: ‘Thou art not able to run at my side, nor to fly with me, for thy wings are broken, and thou hast no pinions.’ Then I said: ‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest! I pray thee, my lord, look not unto my presumptuousness, for unto thee have I revealed my cause, and upon thee have I cast my burden. In thee is my hope and expectation; cure thou my sickness, and bind up my wound.’ So he led me through a short way to a spacious land, which is divided into three parts that are deep and distant. The beginning of one is in the water, and its end is in heaven. As for the remaining two, which are the chief parts, one ends in the east, and the other begins in the west. They give each other light, and clothe each other with splendor. These parts form the chief divisions of the land. None is able to walk in these lofty places, except a man filled with the spirit of God. At the end of this land there is a murmuring spring, which makes its voice heard at a distance. Its streams are rivers, and its waters are mighty waters; they heal every wound and disease, and produce healing and medicine. When we approached and stood near it, he stripped me of my coat, which he cast away, and brought me down naked into the midst of the spring, and he said unto me: ‘Drink waters out of its fountain, and running waters out of its well; for through it shall thy wounds be bound up, and thy pinions shall be healed; and thou shalt have wings to soar in the heavens.’