[ 2 ] Augustine of Hippo , St . Augustine ’ s Confessions , 463 – 65 . " Thus much I uttered , weeping , in the most bitter contrition of my heart : whenas behold I heard a voice from some neighbour ’ s house , as it had been of a boy or girl , I know not whether , in a singing tune saying , and often repeating : Take up and read , Take up and read . Instantly changing my countenance thereupon , I began very heedfully to bethink myself , whether children were wont in any kind of playing to sing any such words : nor could I remember myself ever to have heard the like Whereupon refraining the violent torrent of my tears , up I gat me ; interpreting it no other way , but that I was from God himself commanded to open the book , and to read that chapter which I should first light upon . " See another version of his Confession . Augustine of Hippo , St . Augustine ’ s Confessions , Vol . 1 : Latin Text , 462 – 64 . “ Dicebam haec , et flebam , amarissima contritione cordis mei . et ecce audio vocem de vicina domo cum cantu dicentis , et crebro repetentis , quasi pueri an puellae , nescio : “ tolle lege , tolle lege . ” statimque mutato vultu intentissimus cogitare coepi , utrumnam solerent pueri in aliquo genere ludendi cantitare tale aliquid , nec occurrebat omnino audisse me uspiam : repressoque impetu lacrimarum surrexi , nihil aliud interpretans divinitus mihi iuberi , nisi ut aperirem codicem et legerem quod primum caput invenissem . ”