# Didache 1.5

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Didache](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/) (*Doctrina duodecim apostolorum*)
- Date: ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:310; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 308–333 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/1/5/

Summary: Give freely; those who receive without need will answer for it.

## Greek text

παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου καὶ μὴ ἀπαίτει· πᾶσι γὰρ θέλει δίδοσθαι ὁ πατὴρ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων χαρισμάτων. μακάριος ὁ διδοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν· ἀθῷος γάρ ἐστιν. οὐαὶ τῷ λαμβάνοντι· εἰ μὲν γὰρ χρείαν ἔχων λαμβάνει τις, ἀθῷος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχων δώσει δίκην, ἱνατί ἔλαβε καὶ εἰς τί· ἐν συνοχῇ δὲ γενόμενος ἐξετασθήσεται περὶ ὧν ἔπραξε, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ἐκεῖθεν, μέχρις οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην.

## English translation (Claude)

Give to everyone who asks you, and do not demand it back; for the Father wants to give to everyone from his own gifts. Blessed is the one who gives according to the commandment, for he is guiltless. Woe to the one who receives: if someone receives because he is in need, he will be guiltless; but the one who is not in need will give account of why he received and for what purpose. Held in custody, he will be questioned about what he did, and he will not come out from there until he has paid back the last penny.

## Scripture references

- Luke 6:30: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 5:42: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 5:26: allusion, high confidence

## Citation (SBL)

Did. 1.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/1/5/).