The Rule of Saint Benedict
Chapters and prologue. Select one to read.
- 1. Prologue
- 2. Chapter 1: On the Kinds of Monks
- 3. Chapter 2: What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be
- 4. Chapter 3: On Calling the Brethren for Counsel
- 5. Chapter 4: What Are the Instruments of Good Works
- 6. Chapter 5: On Obedience
- 7. Chapter 6: On the Spirit of Silence
- 8. Chapter 7: On Humility
- 9. Chapter 8: On the Divine Office During the Night
- 10. Chapter 9: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at the Night Office
- 11. Chapter 10: How the Night Office Is to Be Said in Summer Time
- 12. Chapter 11: How the Night Office Is to Be Said on Sundays
- 13. Chapter 12: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said
- 14. Chapter 13: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said on Weekdays
- 15. Chapter 14: How the Night Office Is to Be Said on the Feasts of the Saints
- 16. Chapter 15: At What Times “Alleluia” Is to Be Said
- 17. Chapter 16: How the Work of God Is to Be Performed During the Day
- 18. Chapter 17: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at These Hours
- 19. Chapter 18: In What Order the Psalms Are to Be Said
- 20. Chapter 19: On the Manner of Saying the Divine Office
- 21. Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer
- 22. Chapter 21: On the Deans of the Monastery
- 23. Chapter 22: How the Monks Are to Sleep
- 24. Chapter 23: On Excommunication for Faults
- 25. Chapter 24: What the Measure of Excommunication Should Be
- 26. Chapter 25: On Weightier Faults
- 27. Chapter 26: On Those Who Without an Order Associate With the Excommunicated
- 28. Chapter 27: How Solicitous the Abbot Should Be for the Excommunicated
- 29. Chapter 28: On Those Who Will Not Amend After Repeated Corrections
- 30. Chapter 29: Whether Brethren Who Leave the Monastery Should Be Received Again
- 31. Chapter 30: How Boys Are to Be Corrected
- 32. Chapter 31: What Kind of Man the Cellarer of the Monastery Should Be
- 33. Chapter 32: On the Tools and Property of the Monastery
- 34. Chapter 33: Whether Monks Ought to Have Anything of Their Own
- 35. Chapter 34: Whether All Should Receive in Equal Measure What Is Necessary
- 36. Chapter 35: On the Weekly Servers in the Kitchen
- 37. Chapter 36: On the Sick Brethren
- 38. Chapter 37: On Old Men and Children
- 39. Chapter 38: On the Weekly Reader
- 40. Chapter 39: On the Measure of Food
- 41. Chapter 40: On the Measure of Drink
- 42. Chapter 41: At What Hours the Meals Should Be Taken
- 43. Chapter 42: That No One Speak After Compline
- 44. Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table
- 45. Chapter 44: How the Excommunicated Are to Make Satisfaction
- 46. Chapter 45: On Those Who Make Mistakes in the Oratory
- 47. Chapter 46: On Those Who Fail in Any Other Matters
- 48. Chapter 47: On Giving the Signal for the Time of the Work of God
- 49. Chapter 48: On the Daily Manual Labor
- 50. Chapter 49: On the Observance of Lent
- 51. Chapter 50: On Brethren Who Are Working Far From the Oratory or Are on a Journey
- 52. Chapter 51: On Brethren Who Go Not Very Far Away
- 53. Chapter 52: On the Oratory of the Monastery
- 54. Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests
- 55. Chapter 54: Whether a Monk Should Receive Letters or Anything Else
- 56. Chapter 55: On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren
- 57. Chapter 56: On the Abbot’s Table
- 58. Chapter 57: On the Craftsmen of the Monastery
- 59. Chapter 58: On the Manner of Receiving Brethren
- 60. Chapter 59: On the Sons of Nobles and of the Poor Who Are Offered
- 61. Chapter 60: On Priests Who May Wish to Live in the Monastery
- 62. Chapter 61: How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received
- 63. Chapter 62: On the Priests of the Monastery
- 64. Chapter 63: On the Order of the Community
- 65. Chapter 64: On Constituting an Abbot
- 66. Chapter 65: On the Prior of the Monastery
- 67. Chapter 66: On the Porters of the Monastery
- 68. Chapter 67: On Brethren Who Are Sent on a Journey
- 69. Chapter 68: If a Brother Is Commanded to Do Impossible Things
- 70. Chapter 69: That the Monks Presume Not to Defend One Another
- 71. Chapter 70: That No One Venture to Punish at Random
- 72. Chapter 71: That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another
- 73. Chapter 72: On the Good Zeal Which Monks Ought to Have
- 74. Chapter 73: On the Fact That the Full Observance of Justice Is Not Established in This Rule