3

Having received the charge to be a commander, as a commander of the people of the Lord,

keep order at every time and place, both in entrances and exits, in meetings with eminent persons, in the gatherings of the temple of the Master, leading all in chorus with order and word, maintaining for each his appointed place, demanding the proper vestment and gait. If you do these things prudently and diligently, and in a manner befitting God, gently, with discernment, you will have grace and a great reward from God.

12 To the cellarer

Who like you, child, is a worker of God? For you have a work much greater than the others, being in charge of the brotherhood's foods. Approach the care with all your might, giving to each what is fitting with discernment. Receive the fiery trials of much questioning, treating one thus, another differently, gently, calmly, sympathetically, mercifully. For thus you will have the crown with Stephen.

13 To the one in charge of lunch

Preparing lunch for your brothers, child, set well for me the tables'

places, measuring the bread by weight; and if there should be any food, dividing it equally, but more for the greater ones; for reason deems them worthy of double honor. But likewise spare the last one; for everyone is your member, even if not equally. And indeed, standing as at the table of the Master, consider that you offer service to apostles. Turn, observe, even while serving water to another, so that it may be well and grace may be rich for you.

14 To the cook

Who does not crown you, child, the cook, bearing much labor each

day? Your task is servile, but the reward is great; the practice is dirty, but a washing of faults; fire burns you now, but the future one does not judge. Therefore, approach steadily to the cooking, straight from morning, breaking firewood, wash the pots, boiling the food as God's for his children; salt these with prayers, just as you season, so that you may be blessed as Jacob of old, and rejoice in these as you complete your course.

15 To the tailors or vestiaries

You are governors and true arbiters of the brotherhood's garments, for you there is no small contest in this, but much care and concern and labor: to sew, to make new, to clean and to wash, to distribute to each what is fitting according to reason, perhaps not equally, but perhaps with affection and desire, for one is more worthy than another through labor. See to it, then, that you do these things with temperance, so that you may receive the due reward from God who gives worthy portions.

16 To the wakeners

In addition to all the others, your labor is not small: to rouse the sleepy

brethren, to drive the wanderers into the midst. Therefore, when someone strikes the wood, having run immediately like angels to every small chamber, to every hidden place, awaken them for the hymn of immaculate words, bringing them together into the temple of the Master in the days, in the nights, in the middays, calling each of them directly, so that he may grant you a worthy reward, He who measures and allots all things according to worth.

3

Τοῦ ταξιαρχεῖν τὸν λόγον δεδεγμένος, ὡς ταξίαρχος τοῦ λεὼ τοῦ Κυρίου,

τάξιν φύλαττε παντὶ καιρῷ καὶ τόπῳ, ἐν εἰσόδοις ὁμοῦ τε καὶ διεξόδοις, ἐν ταῖς ὑπανταῖς ὄψεων τῶν ἐξόχων, ἐν τοῖς ἀθροισμοῖς τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, χοροστατῶν ἅπαντας εἱρμῷ καὶ λόγῳ, τηρῶν ἑκάστου τὴν τεταγμένην βάσιν, στολὴν ἀπαιτῶν καὶ βάδισμα τὸ πρέπον. Εἰ ταῦτα ποιεῖς ἐμφρόνως καὶ συντόνως, Θεοπρεπῶς τε πραέως, κεκριμένως, ἕξεις χάριν καὶ μισθὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ μέγαν. 12 Εἰς τὸν κελλαρίτην Τίς ὡς σύ, τέκνον, ἐργάτης Θεοῦ πέλει; Ἔχεις γὰρ ἔργον σφόδρα τῶν ἄλλων πλέον, τῶν τῆς ἀδελφότητος ἄρχων βρωμάτων. Ὅλος πρόσελθε πανσθενῶς τῇ φροντίδι, διδοὺς ἑκάστῳ τὸ προσῆκον ἐν κρίσει. Πυρὰς δέχοιο τῆς πολυζητησίας, ἐκεῖνον οὕτως, ἄλλον ἀλλοίως φέρων, πράως, γαληνῶς, συμπαθῶς, οἰκτιρμόνως. Οὕτως γὰρ ἕξεις σὺν Στεφάνῳ τὸ στέφος.

13 Εἰς τὸν ἀριστητάριον

Ἀριστοποιῶν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς σου, τέκος, εὖ μοι στίβαζε τῶν τραπεζῶν τὰς

θέσεις, σταθμῶ τὸν ἄρτον· εἴ τι δ' ἂν βρωτὸν τύχῃ, ἴσως μερίζων, τοῖς δὲ μείζοσι πλέον· διπλῆς τιμῆς γὰρ ἀξιοῦν τούτους λόγος. Φείδου δ' ὁμοίως καὶ τὸν ὑστεροστάτην· ἅπας γάρ ἐστι σὸν μέλος, κἂν οὐκ ἴσως. Καὶ μὴν παρεστὼς ὡς τραπέζῃ ∆εσπότου ἀποστόλοις νόμιζε δουλείαν φέρειν. Στρέφου, θεώρει, νηρὸν ἄλλο περ νέμων, ἵν' εὖ γένηται καὶ χάρις σοι πλουσία.

14 Εἰς τὸν ὀψοποιόν

Τὸν ὀψοποιὸν τίς σε, τέκνον, οὐ στέφει πολὺν φέροντα τὸν κόπον καθ'

ἡμέραν; ∆ουλευτικόν σοι χρῆμα, μισθὸς δ' οὖν μέγας· χρῆσις ῥυπώδης, ἀλλὰ πλυτρὶς πταισμάτων· φλέγει σε νῦν πῦρ, οὐ τὸ μέλλον δὲ κρίνει. Προσβὰς σταθηρὸς λοιπὸν εἰς τὴν ἑψίαν ἕωθεν εὐθὺς κλῶν δαλούς, χύτρας κλύε, βρώσεις προσεψῶν ὡς Θεοῦ τὰ τῶν τέκνων· εὐχαῖς ἁλίζοις ταῦτα, ὥσπερ ἀρτύσεις, ἵν' εὐλογηθῇς ὡςἸακὼβ τῷ πάλαι, καὶ χαῖρε τούτοις ἐκτελῶν σου τὸν δρόμον. 15 Εἰς τοὺς ῥαφεῖς ἤτοι βεστηαρίουσ Ὑμεῖς ἔπαρχοι καὶ διαιτηταὶ μάλα τῶν τῆς ἀδελφότητος ἀμφιασμάτων, ἀγὼν ὑμῖν οὐ μικρὸς ἐν τούτῳ πέλει, φροντὶς δὲ πολλὴ καὶ μέριμνα καὶ κόπος· ῥάπτειν, νεουργεῖν, ἐκκαθαίρειν καὶ πλύνειν, νέμειν ἑκάστῳ τὸ προσαρμόζον λόγῳ, ἴσως μὲν οὔκ, ἴσως δὲ φίλτρῳ καὶ πόθῳ, ἄλλου γὰρ ἄλλος ἀξιώτερος πόνῳ. Σκοπεῖτε λοιπὸν ταῦτα ποιεῖν σωφρόνως, ὅπως ἀμοιβῶν ἀντιλήψεσθε χρέος πρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ διδοῦντος ἀξίας δόσεις.

16 Εἰς τοὺς ἀφυπνιστάσ

Πρὸς πᾶσιν ἄλλοις οὐδ' ὑμῖν μικρὸς κόπος· διεξανιστᾶν τοὺς ὑπνώδεις

συγγόνους, συνεισελαύνειν τοὺς γυρευτὰς εἰς μέσον. Τοίνυν ἐπειδ' ἂν σαλπίσῃ τις τὸ ξύλον, ὡς ἄγγελοι παρευθὺ δεδραμηκότες εἰς πάντα κοιτωνίσκον, εἰς κρυπτὸν τόπον, ἐγείρετε πρὸς ὕμνον ἀχράντων λόγων, συνεισφέροντες εἰς νεὼν τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἐν ἡμέραις, ἐν νυξίν, ἐν μεσημβρίαις, ἕκαστον αὐτῶν προσκαλοῦντες εὐθέτως, ὅπως ὑμῖν τὸν μισθὸν ἄξιον νέμῃ ὁ πάντα μετρῶν καὶ νέμων κατ' ἀξίαν.