not think of coin or money having any greater usefulness than stones.^{a 4}The devil wants to blind those who desire or consider it better than stones. ^{Mt 19:27 5}May we who have left all things, then, be careful of not losing the kingdom of heaven for so little.

⁶If we find coins anywhere, let us pay no more attention to them than to the dust we trample underfoot, for vanity of vanities and all is vanity. ^{Eccl 1:2 7}If by chance, which God forbid, it happens that some brother is collecting or holding coin or money, unless it is only for the aforesaid needs of the sick, let all the brothers consider him a deceptive brother, an apostate, a thief, a robber, and as the one who held the money bag, unless he has sincerely repented. ^{Jn 12:6}

⁸Let the brothers in no way receive, arrange to receive, seek, or arrange to seek money for leper colonies or coins for any house or place;^b and let them not accompany anyone begging money or coins for such places. ⁹However, the brothers can perform for those places other services not contrary to our life with the blessing of God. ¹⁰Nevertheless, the brothers can beg alms for a manifest need of the lepers. ¹¹But let them beware of money. ¹²Similarly, let all the brothers be careful of going throughout the world for filthy gain.

[Chapter IX: Begging Alms]

¹Let all the brothers strive to follow the humility and poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ and let them remember that we should have nothing else in the whole world except, as the Apostle says: having food and clothing, we are content with these. ^{1 Tm 6:8}

²They must rejoice when they live among people considered of little value and looked down upon, among the poor and the powerless, the sick and the lepers, and the beggars by the wayside.

³When it is necessary, they may go for alms. ⁴Let them not be ashamed and remember, moreover, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the all powerful living God, ^{Jn 11:27} set His face like flint ^{Is 50:7} and was not ashamed. ⁵He was poor and a stranger and lived on alms—He, the Blessed Virgin, and His disciples. ⁶When people revile them and refuse to give them alms, let them thank God for this because they will receive great honor before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ for such insults. ⁷Let them realize that a reproach is imputed not to those who suffer it but to those who caused it.

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³Unde nullus fratrum, ubicumque sit et quocumque vadit, aliquo modo tollat nec recipiat nec recipi faciat pecuniam aut denarios neque occasione vestimentorum nec librorum nec pro pretio alicuius laboris, immo nulla occasione, nisi propter manifestam necessitatem infirmorum fratrum; quia non debemus maiorem utilitatem habere et reputare in pecunia et denariis quam in lapidibus.⁴Et illos vult diabolus excaecare, qui eam appetunt vel reputant lapidibus meliorem. ⁵Caveamus ergo nos, qui omnia relinquimus, ne pro tam modico regnum caelorum perdamus.

⁶Et si in aliquo loco inveniremus denarios, de his non curemus tamquam de pulvere, quem pedibus calcamus, quia vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas. ⁷Et si forte, quod absit, aliquem fratrem contigerit pecuniam vel denarios colligere vel habere, excepta solummondo praedicta infirmorum necessitate, omnes fratres teneamus eum pro falso fratre et apostata et fure et latrone et loculos habente, nisi vere poenituerit.

⁸Et nullo modo fratres recipiant nec recipi faciant nec quaerant nec quaeri faciant pecuniam pro eleemosyna neque denarios pro aliquibus domibus vel locis; neque cum persona pro talibus locis pecunias vel denanios quaerente vadant; ⁹alia autem servitia, quae non sunt contraria vitae nostrae, possunt fratres locis facere cum benedictione Dei. ¹⁰Fratres tamen in manifesta necessitate leprosorum possunt pro eis quaerere eleemosynam. ¹¹Caveant tamen multum a pecunia. ¹²Similiter caveant omnes fratres, ut pro nullo turpi lucro terras circueant.

[Caput IX - De petenda eleemosyna]

¹Omnes fratres studeant sequi humilitatem et paupertatem Domini nostri Jesu Christi et recordentur, quod nihil aliud oportet nos habere de toto mundo, nisi, sicut dicit apostolus, habentes alimenta et quibus tegamur, his contenti sumus.

²Et debent gaudere, quando conversantur inter viles et despectas personas, inter pauperes et debiles et infirmos et leprosos et iuxta viam mendicantes.

³Et cum necesse fuerit, vadant pro eleemosynis. ⁴Et non verecundentur et magis recordentur, quia Dominus noster Jesus Christus, Filius Dei vivi omnipotentis, posuit faciem suam ut petram durissimam, nec verecundatus fuit; ⁵et fuit pauper et hospes et vixit de eleemosynis ipse et beata Virgo et discipuli eius . ⁶Et quando facerent eis homines verecundiam et nollent eis dare eleemosynam, referant inde gratias, Deo; quia de verecundiis recipient magnum honorem ante tribunal Domini nostri Jesu Christi . ⁷Et sciant, quod verecundia non patientibus, sed inferentibus imputatur.