In 1524 Martin Luther published Von Kaufshandlung und Wucher, On Trade and Usury. He quotes the rule of the merchants. In modern German it reads: Ich darf meine Ware so teuer geben, wie ich kann. I may sell my goods as dear as I can. Luther calls this rule the basis of all the tricks of usury. He tells the Christian merchant to ask a different question: Ja, wie teuer soll ich’s denn geben? Wo treffe ich das Rechte und die Billigkeit, dass ich meinen Nächsten nicht übervorteile oder überteuere? How dear should I sell it, then? Where do I find what is right and fair, so that I do not take advantage of my neighbor or overcharge him? Luther also gives the method. The merchant should count the days he spent getting and fetching the goods. He should weigh his labor and his risk, and compare his reward with the wage of a common day laborer.