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rocks, it says to you: The rock is a refuge for the hares. Why the fruitless trees? learn: There the sparrows will make their nests. Why springs in the deserts? Upon them the birds of the sky will dwell, and the beasts of the field. Why wine? Not that you might drink only, since the nature of water also sufficed, but that you might be gladdened and delighted. For wine gladdens the heart of man. Having learned this, you will know also up to what point one must use wine. From where are the birds and the wild beasts fed? you will hear it saying: All things look to you, to give them their food in due season. And if you say, why the cattle? it answers you, that these too are for your sake: For he who brings forth, it says, grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. What is the use of the moon? Hear it saying: He made the moon for seasons. That all things seen and unseen are created, this too it taught clearly: He, it says, spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.

And that there will be a release from death, it teaches, saying: My God will deliver my soul from the hand of Hades, when he receives me. From where our body has come, and where it goes again, it says: He remembered that we are 55.536 dust, and he will return to his dust. Why all these things? For your sake. For with glory and honor you have crowned him, and have set him over the works of your hands. We humans have something in common with the angels, and this it says: You have made him a little lower than the angels. And concerning the love of God it says: As a father pities his sons, the Lord has pitied those who fear him. Concerning those who will succeed us after these things, and of that untroubled end: Return, my soul, to your rest. Why is the heaven so great? it will say: The heavens declare the glory of God. Why night and day? Not only that they might give light and rest, but that they might also instruct. For there are no speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard. How does the sea surround the earth? The deep as a garment, its covering. For so the Hebrew has it. And taking a start from what has been said, you will also know all the other things: those concerning Christ, concerning the resurrection, concerning the life to come, concerning rest, concerning punishment, according to the moral discourse, all things concerning the dogmas, and you will find the book filled with countless good things.

And if you fall into temptations, you will receive much comfort from it; if into sin, you will find countless remedies lying here; if into poverty, if into affliction, you will see many harbors. And if you are righteous, you will reap much benefit from it; and if a sinner, much comfort. For if you are righteous and suffer terribly, you will hear that For your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. All these things have come upon us, and we have not forgotten you. If your achievements lift you up, it says to you: Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living will be justified in your sight; and you will immediately be humbled. If you are a sinner and have despaired of yourself, you will hear it continually chanting: Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation; and you will rise up quickly. And if you have a diadem upon your head, you will learn that a king is not saved by a great army, and a giant will not be saved by the multitude of his strength; and you will be able to be moderate. If you are rich and renowned, again you will hear: Woe to those who trust in their power, and boast in the multitude of their wealth! and that Man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he will flourish; and you will consider nothing on earth to be great. For if the most splendid of all things, glory and power, is so worthless, what else on earth could be worthy of mention? But are you in despair? Say: Why are you so sorrowful, my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks to him. But do you see those who prosper undeservedly? Hear it saying that Like grass, quickly

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πέτραι, λέγει σοι· Πέτρα καταφυγὴ τοῖς λαγωοῖς. ∆ιὰ τί τὰ ἄκαρπα δένδρα, μάθε· Ἐκεῖ στρουθία ἐννοσσεύσουσι· ∆ιὰ τί ἐν ἐρήμοις αἱ πηγαί; Ἐπ' αὐτὰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσει, καὶ τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ. ∆ιὰ τί οἶνος; Οὐχ ἵνα πίνῃς μόνον, ἐπεὶ ἤρκει καὶ ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος φύσις, ἀλλ' ἵνα εὐφρανθῇς καὶ ἡσθῇς· Οἶνος γὰρ εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. Τοῦτο δὲ μαθὼν, εἴσῃ καὶ μέχρι ποῦ τῷ οἴνῳ χρῆσθαι δεῖ. Πόθεν τρέφεται τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ τὰ ἄγρια θηρία, ἀκούσῃ λέγοντος· Πάντα πρὸς σὲ προσδοκῶσι, δοῦναι τὴν τροφὴν αὐτῶν εἰς εὔκαιρον. Κἂν εἴπῃς, διὰ τί τὰ κτήνη; ἀποκρίνεταί σοι, ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα διὰ σέ· Ὁ ἐξανατέλλων γὰρ, φησὶ, χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Τί τῆς σελήνης ἡ χρεία, ἄκουσον λέγοντος· Ἐποίησε σελήνην εἰς καιρούς. Ὅτι γενητὰ πάντα τὰ ὁρώμενα καὶ τὰ μὴ ὁρώμενα, καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς ἐδίδαξεν· Αὐτὸς, φησὶν, εἶπε, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν· αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν.

Καὶ ὅτι θανάτου λύσις ἔσται, διδάσκει λέγων· Ὁ Θεός μου λυτρώσεται τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ χειρὸς ᾅδου, ὅταν λαμβάνῃ με. Πόθεν τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν γέγονε, καὶ ποῦ πάλιν ἀπέρχεται, λέγει· Ἐμνήσθη ὅτι χοῦς 55.536 ἐσμὲν, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει εἰς τὸν χοῦν αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί ταῦτα πάντα; ∆ιὰ σέ· ∆όξῃ γὰρ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτὸν, καὶ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου. Ἔχομέν τι κοινὸν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ τοῦτο λέγει· Ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ' ἀγγέλους. Καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγει· Καθὼς οἰκτείρει πατὴρ υἱοὺς, ᾠκτείρησε Κύριος τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν. Περὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα διαδεξομένων ἡμᾶς, καὶ τῆς ἀταράχου λήξεως ἐκείνης· Ἐπίστρεψον, ψυχή μου, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου. ∆ιὰ τί οὕτω μέγας ὁ οὐρανὸς, ἐρεῖ· Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί νὺξ καὶ ἡμέρα; Οὐχ ἵνα φαίνωσι καὶ ἀναπαύωσι μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ παιδεύωσιν. Οὐ γάρ εἰσι λαλιαὶ, οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν. Πῶς ἡ θάλασσα περίκειται τῇ γῇ Ἄβυσσος ὡς ἱμάτιον, τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐτῆς. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν ἔχει. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀρχὴν λαβόντες, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα εἴσεσθε· τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ, τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως, τὰ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς, τὰ περὶ ἀναπαύσεως, τὰ περὶ κολάσεως, τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἠθικὸν λόγον, τὰ περὶ τῶν δογμάτων ἅπαντα, καὶ μυρίων ἀγαθῶν ἐμπεπλησμένον τὸ βιβλίον εὑρήσετε.

Κἂν εἰς πειρασμοὺς ἐμπέσῃς, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν λήψῃ παραμυθίαν· κἂν εἰς ἁμαρτίαν, μυρία φάρμακα κείμενα ἐνταῦθα εὑρήσεις· ἂν εἰς πενίαν, ἂν εἰς θλίψιν, πολλοὺς τοὺς λιμένας ὄψει. Κἂν δίκαιος ᾖς, πολλὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐκεῖθεν καρπώσῃ· κἂν ἁμαρτωλὸς, πολλὴν τὴν παραμυθίαν. Ἄν τε γὰρ δίκαιος ᾖς καὶ πάσχῃς δεινὰ, ἀκούσῃ, ὅτι Ἕνεκα σοῦ θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν· ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς. Ταῦτα πάντα ἦλθεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπελαθόμεθά σου. Ἂν ἐπάρῃ σε τὰ κατορθώματα, λέγει σοι· Μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν· καὶ εὐθέως ταπεινωθήσῃ. Ἂν ἁμαρτωλὸς ᾖς καὶ ἀπεγνωκὼς ἑαυτοῦ, ἀκούσῃ συνεχῶς ἐπᾴδοντος· Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ· καὶ ἀναστήσῃ ταχέως. Κἂν διάδημα ἔχῃς ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς, μαθήσῃ, ὅτι Οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ· καὶ δυνήσῃ μετριάζειν. Ἐὰν πλούσιος ᾖς καὶ ἐπίδοξος, πάλιν ἀκούσῃ· Οὐαὶ οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει τοῦ πλούτου αὐτῶν καυχώμενοι! καὶ ὅτι Ἄνθρωπος, ὡσεὶ χόρτος αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ· ὡσεὶ ἄνθος τοῦ ἀγροῦ, οὕτως ἐξανθήσει· καὶ οὐδὲν ἡγήσῃ μέγα εἶναι τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸ γὰρ πάντων λαμπρότερον, ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ δυναστεία, ὅταν οὕτως εὐτελὴς ᾖ, τί ἕτερον ἄξιον ἂν εἴη λόγου τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Ἀλλ' ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ κατέστης; Εἰπέ· Ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνταράσσεις με; Ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ. Ἀλλ' ὁρᾷς εὐδοκιμοῦντας παρ' ἀξίαν; Ἄκουσον λέγοντος, ὅτι Ὡσεὶ χόρτος, ταχὺ