Once upon a time there was a young man who followed a life of pleasure, eating and drinking and gambling. He refused to obey his pious father and mother and associated with rogues and thieves. He lived in their company so long that he became a greater thief than all his associates.

After a time he grew tired of his wild life and began to think: "What will be my end? What will become of me if I continue the life of a vagabond and a thief? In the end I shall lose my life." So he said: "I will return from my evil ways and go back to my father and mother."

And he repented of the evil deeds which he had done and cried and wept because of his wickedness. Then he rose up and went to Simeon, son of Shetah, who was a very good man, and said to him: "Dear Rabbi, I have made up my mind to give up my evil ways and live a good life."

Simeon, son of Shetah, replied: "Sit down at my right hand and cease your weeping and sorrow. For I will give you an easy remedy for your illness, which will help you to give up your evil deeds. My son, this is what you must do. Take care that you never under any circumstances tell a lie, and be careful that you do no injustice to anyone. If you abstain from evil and wrongdoing, you will be protected from all harm."

The young man replied: "This is a very simple thing, I can easily keep it and I will do so, my dear Rabbi, as you will soon see."

Then Simeon, son of Shetah, said: "If you intend to keep your promise, swear to me that you will never tell a lie or do any injustice."

He did so and went home. This lasted for a while.

Next to his father's house there lived a widow, who kept a bathhouse where people went to bathe. One day the young man went to this neighbor's house to take a bath, and as he was beginning to undress he noticed in one of the chambers a great quantity of gold and silver and linen. The evil inclination overcame him and he went into the widow's chamber and stole all the silver and the gold and the linen sheets, leaving nothing behind. When he had gathered the things up and was about to leave the house, he said to himself: "If my neighbor misses her property and raises a hue and cry and asks everyone she meets, she will come to me also and ask me whether I have seen anything. What shall I tell her? If I tell her I do not know, I shall be telling a lie, for I have the stolen property, and will thus be breaking the oath which I made to Simeon, son of Shetah. I had better replace all the stolen things and take nothing."

Therefore, my dear friends, see what this story teaches. Because he would not tell a lie, he did not take away the stolen goods; and because he followed the simple advice of R. Simeon, son of Shetah, he obtained the reward of heavenly bliss.