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And they, for their part, ran rejoicing as through a grassy plain, but their enemies, the Egyptians, were plunged into the water like lead. So good is it to pray and to render unto the Lord our God. Or were they not also in want of water and bread in the desert? For how were they not to lack bread and water in the desert, where there is no tilled land, no vine, no tree, no herb, no seed, no harvest? But holy prayer both opened heaven to give them manna and the air to give them meat, and prepared the rock to sprout forth streams gushing from its highest point. For they were served by these three elements: heaven, air, and rock. For heaven bubbled up for them snow-colored water, and the air tirelessly brought them the fattened quail. And the time of day will fail me as I recount the unexpected victories of the fathers, prophets, and kings, which came about through prayer, the good and life-giving outcomes in sicknesses and dangers and other more difficult matters, which came about through prayer.

For so great a thing it is to pray and to render unto the Lord our God. If any of you is involved in some matter despaired of among men, or is pressed by some necessity or danger, let him remember this scripture; let him pray and render unto the Lord our God, and he will find the life-giving and blessed end of the good teaching. But if anyone wishes, beloved, to take the verse of Scripture in another way, and to say that to pray is to vow, in this way too the saying will be profitable. For in many ways in Scripture we have found 'to pray' used instead of 'to vow'; as Wisdom says: 55.597 It is good for you not to pray, than having prayed not to render; that is, it is better not to vow to God, than having vowed to be false. Wherefore it commands, And do not speak a false word in the time of your prayer. Did you pray that, receiving your daughter or your son back healthy from a grave illness, you would dedicate them to God? Do not speak a false word in the time of your prayer. But as the blessed Hannah, being barren before, having prayed that whatever she would bear, she would dedicate to God, and having done this, she became an heir of eternal blessing; and her son Samuel has been reckoned first and chosen among the prophets, and was so honored by God as to be numbered with Moses and Aaron; for Moses and Aaron are among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name. The first good thing is to pray, that is, to vow; to render it quickly with a cheerful and good disposition.

For God loves a good and cheerful giver. Thus Abel pleased God, because he brought his gifts to God from a cheerful and good disposition; but Cain displeased God, because he brought his gifts to God not from a cheerful heart, but as from grief and necessity, being grieved at his brother's good repute. But having stirred up the terrible spark of envy in his heart, he was inflamed to murder, instead of which he should have imitated his brother's God-loving mind, to receive honor from the Lord equal to his brother. But now, neither looking to their common nature and kinship, nor considering God as overseeing his own lawless deed, having drawn the young man into the field with deceitful words, he destroyed the bright creation of God by murder. This man first committed fratricide, first defiled the earth with blood, first opened the gates of death. For death had not yet tasted man, until Cain through envy conceived murder. For what did Abel's life harm you, Cain? Or what did his death profit you? Or did it not rather also harm you? For behold, you have completed your life with an unsteady mind and with trembling.

3. O envy, brother of hypocrisy, creator of deceit, sower of murder,

serpent's seed, death-breathing flower. What is more defiled than envy? But nothing. And what

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Καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ὥσπερ διὰ χλοηφόρου πεδίου ἔδραμον χαίροντες, οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν Αἰγύπτιοι ὡσεὶ μόλυβδος ὑποβρύχιοι ἐποντίζοντο. Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν τὸ εὔξασθαι καὶ ἀποδοῦναι Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὕδατος καὶ ἄρτου ἐνδεεῖς γενόμενοι; Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὑστε ρεῖσθαι ἄρτου καὶ ὕδατος, ὅπου γε οὐκ ἄρουρα, οὐκ ἄμπελος, οὐ δένδρον, οὐ βοτάνη, οὐ σπόρος, οὐ θέρος; Ἀλλ' εὐχὴ ἁγία καὶ οὐρανὸν αὐτοῖς μαννοδοτεῖν ἤνοιγε καὶ ἀέρα κρεοδοτεῖν, καὶ πέτραν ἀκροτοπηγόβρυτα νά ματα βλαστάνειν ἡτοίμαζεν. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν τριῶν τούτων στοιχείων ὑπηρετοῦντο, οὐρανοῦ, ἀέρος καὶ πέτρας. Οὐρανὸς μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς χιονόχροον τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκόχλαζε, καὶ ἀὴρ σεσιτευμένην αὐτοῖς τὴν ὀρτυγομήτραν ἀκαμά τως προσέφερε. Καὶ ἐπιλείψει μοι διηγουμένῳ καὶ ὁ τῆς ἡμέρας χρόνος τὰ τῶν πατέρων, προφητῶν τε καὶ βα σιλέων δι' εὐχῆς παρ' ἐλπίδα γεγενημένα νικήματα, τὰς ἐν νόσοις καὶ κινδύνοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις χαλεπωτέροις πράγμασι δι' εὐχῆς γεγενημένας ἀγαθὰς καὶ ζωοφόρους ἐκβάσεις.

Τοσοῦτον γάρ ἐστι τὸ εὔξασθαι καὶ ἀποδοῦναι Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Εἴ τις ὑμῶν ἔν τινι πράγματι παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀπελπισμένῳ ἐνέχεται, ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνάγκης τινὸς ἢ κινδύνου πεπίεσται, μνημονευσάτω ταύτης τῆς γραφῆς· εὐξάσθω καὶ ἀποδότω Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, καὶ εὑρήσει τῆς ἀγαθῆς διδασκαλίας τὸ ζωοφόρον καὶ μα κάριον τέλος. Εἰ δέ τις βούλεται, ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ ἄλλως ἐκλαβεῖν τὸν στίχον τῆς Γραφῆς, καὶ λέγειν, ὅτι τὸ εὔ ξασθαί ἐστι τὸ ἐπαγγείλασθαι, καὶ οὕτως ἔσται ὁ λόγος ὠφέλιμος. Πολλαχῶς γὰρ παρὰ τῇ Γραφῇ ηὕραμεν τὸ εὔξασθαι ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπαγγείλασθαι· ὥς φησιν ἡ Σοφία· 55.597 Καλόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ εὔξασθαί σε, ἢ εὐξάμενον μὴ ἀποδοῦναι· τουτέστι, τὸ μὴ ἐπαγγείλασθαι Θεῷ μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐπαγγειλάμενον ψεύσασθαι. ∆ιὸ παραγγέλλει, Καὶ μὴ ψεύσῃ λόγον ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς σου. Ηὔξω τὴν θυγα τέρα σου ἢ τὸν υἱόν σου ἀπὸ νόσου βαρείας ὑγιαίνοντα ἀπολαμβάνοντα, Θεῷ ἀφιεροῦν; Μὴ ψεύσῃ λόγον ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς σου. Ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ μακαρία Ἄννα στεῖρα οὖσα τὸ πρὶν, εὐξαμένη, ὃ ἂν γεννήσει, Θεῷ ἀφιερῶσαι, καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσασα, αὕτη μὲν γέγονεν εὐ λογίας αἰωνίου κληρονόμος· ὁ δὲ αὐτῆς υἱὸς Σαμουὴλ, πρῶτος καὶ ἐκλελεγμένος ἐν προφήταις λελόγισται, καὶ τοσοῦτον παρὰ Θεῷ ἐτετίμητο, ὡς μετὰ Μωϋσῆν αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀαρὼν συγκαταριθμηθῆναι· Μωϋσῆς γὰρ καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Πρῶτον ἀγαθόν ἐστι τὸ εὔξασθαι, τουτέστι, τὸ ἐπαγγείλασθαι· ταχέως ἀπο δοῦναι μετὰ ἱλαρᾶς καὶ ἀγαθῆς προαιρέσεως.

Ἀγαθὸν γὰρ καὶ Ἱλαρὸν δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. Οὕτως Ἄβελ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησεν, ἐπειδὴ ἐξ ἱλαρᾶς καὶ ἀγαθᾶς προαι ρέσεως τὰ δῶρα τῷ Θεῷ προσεκόμισε· Κάϊν δὲ ἀπήρεσε Θεῷ, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐξ ἱλαρᾶς καρδίας, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκ λύπης καὶ ἀνάγκης τὰ δῶρα τῷ Θεῷ προσέφερεν, ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ εὐδοξίᾳ λυπηθείς. ∆εινὸν δὲ τὸν σπινθῆρα τοῦ φθόνου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀνακινήσας, πρὸς δολοφονίαν ἐξεκαίετο, ἀνθ' ὧν ἔδει μιμησάμενον αὐτὸν τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ φιλόθεον γνώμην, ἰσόῤῥοπον τῷ ἀδελφῷ τὴν τιμὴν παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ κομίσασθαι. Νῦν δὲ μήτε πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον καὶ συγγενὲς ἀπιδὼν, μήτε τὸν Θεὸν ἐφορῶντα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀθεμίτου πράξεως ψηφισάμενος, λόγοις ἀπατηλοῖς τὸν νεανίαν ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον ἑλκύσας, τὸ φαιδρὸν ποίημα Θεοῦ τῷ φόνῳ διέλυσεν. Οὗτος πρῶτος ἀδελφοκτονίαν εἰργάσατο, πρῶτος τὴν γῆν αἵματι ἐμίανε, πρῶτος πύλας θανάτου ἠνέῳξεν. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν θάνατος γευσάμενος ἄνθρωπον, εἰ μὴ Κάϊν διὰ τοῦ φθόνου τὸν φόνον ἐκύησε. Τί γάρ σε ἔβλαπτε, Κάϊν, ἡ τοῦ Ἄβελ ζωή; ἢ τί σε ὠφέλησεν ἐκείνου ὁ θάνατος; ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον καὶ ἔβλαψεν; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀστάτως τῷ νῷ καὶ τρόμῳ τὸ ζῇν ἐξετέλεσας.

γʹ. Ὦ φθόνε, ὑποκρίσεως ἀδελφὲ, δόλου δημιουργὲ φόνου σπορεῦ,

δρακόντιον σπέρμα, θανατόπνοον ἄνθος. Τί μιαρώτερον φθόνου; Ἀλλ' οὐδέν. Τί δὲ