145 they will gnash their teeth considering the end of the suffering and the excess of the punishment, as if wishing to bear these things nobly. he says that the ten virgins are the senses in each soul which have turned away from idolatry by accepting "whether in pretense or in truth" the pure word of God and have been made virgins. 146 ... which also correspond as the virtues to the hypostasis of Christ (variant reading: Christ). and they are both those commonly understood and those found in Proverbs, wherefore also in the group of five not some foolish and some wise, but if one is, then all are. ... and the lamps are the instruments of one who lives well and according to reason 147 or the opposite. And they went out to meet, those who accepted the mystery concerning Christ and the church; for they go out from the error of the world to the one rushing readily towards them. ... oil is the word poured upon the soulish man, the one who performs the good deed 148 ... they are sleeping, those departing from the vital tone; at any rate, the wise do not let their lamps go out nor are they careless about keeping the oil. the angels cry out to the sleeping senses (Diehl: of the sleeping) awakening them, that is the "ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." 149 And those who sell the oil are the teachers for the price of attendance, attention, love of learning, zeal, love of labor. For there are many who have a word that is sufficient for the use of their way of life, but not so as to teach others also. But the one who does not acquire the rational oil in time truly loses 150 entering into the wedding feast with the bridegroom; such are those who have begun to learn at the time of their departure. ... The adornment of the lamps is the evangelical use of the senses, of the eyes in admiring the one who made them and in closing them "that they may not see iniquity," of hearing in not accepting a vain thing nor "a judgment of blood," but the words of Jesus, of taste in eating Christ the Lord, of smell in enjoying the fragrance of Christ (II. Cor. 2,15) and of the poured-out ointment (Cant. 1,3), of touch 151 in touching the word as John says, "our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life" (1 Joh. 1:1). But the conclusion of the argument is, to be prepared at all times for the departure. 156.10 But do not be amazed if on account of not teaching the word someone will suffer such things; for Paul says: "For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." 157 ... whence also not the servants to the master, but he comes, so that having judged he might render what is according to worth. 159 And what the righteous one sows "to the Spirit," from which he "reaps eternal life," is a possession of God. 160 again, the righteous one "has scattered, he has given to the poor"; and these things the Lord gathers, reckoning them to himself: "for I was hungry and you gave me to eat," gathering to himself the things done to the little ones. 161 Let us therefore sow and offer to him tithes and firstfruits. Therefore wicked, because no one benefited from the silver which he had, of those who are able to examine with him the divine mysteries. and slothful because he was afraid to work. And the money-changers are the hearers who hold fast to the good doctrines, but abstain from the worthless ones. The silver of the Lord, then, is that which has the royal form of God and the image of his Word. 162 For example, to one who has faith which comes from what is in our power will be given the gift of faith, and simply to the one who has something of what is naturally inherent in him from his constitution, which has been improved by attention and care, what is lacking will be given from God. 163 And he speaks of outer darkness, where there is no light, perhaps not even physical light, but certainly no visitation of divine light. But if the darkness is above the abyss, and this is outside the world, as some say, on this account those unworthy of the whole world are cast out into that abyss, with nothing illuminating the things outside the constitution of the whole world. 166 And he calls the saints sheep because of their gentleness ... and the ungodly he calls goats because of their leaping. 171 And he calls them cursed not from the Father; for their own works make them accursed. 178 It seems to some to be one and the same in all the evangelists. 180 Perhaps someone might say

145 βρύξουσι δὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας λογιζό μενοι τὸ τέλος τοῦ πόνου καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κολάσεως οἱονεὶ θέ λοντες αὐτὰ γενναίως φέρειν. δέκα παρθένους εἶναί φησι τὰς ἐν ἑκάστῃ ψυχῇ αἰσθήσεις ἀποστάσας τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας τῷ παραδέξασθαι «εἴτε προφάσει εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ» τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθαρὸν λόγον καὶ παρθενοποιηθείσας. 146 ... αἳ καὶ ἀντανακολουθοῦσαι ὡς αἱ ἀρεταὶ τῇ ὑποστάσει τοῦ Χριστοῦ (var. lect. ὁ Χριστός). εἰσὶ δὲ αἵ τε κοινῶς νοούμεναι καὶ αἱ ἐν Παροιμίαις κείμεναι, διὸ καὶ ἐν τῇ πεντάδι οὐχ αἳ μὲν μωραὶ αἳ δὲ φρόνιμοι, ἀλλ' εἰ μία καὶ πᾶσαι. ... λαμπάδες δὲ τὰ ὄργανα τοῦ καλῶς καὶ κατὰ λόγον 147 βιοῦντος ἢ ἐναντίως. ἐξῆλθον δὲ εἰς ἀπάντησιν αἱ παραδεξάμεναι τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐκκλησίας μυ στήριον· ἐξίασι γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου πλάνης πρὸς τὸν ἑτοίμως ὁρμῶντα πρὸς αὐτάς. ... ἔλαιον ὁ ἐπιχεόμενος λόγος τοῦ ψυχικοῦ, τοῦ τὴν ἀγαθὴν πρᾶξιν ἐργαζο μένου 148 ... καθεύδουσιν οἱ ἀπαν ιστάμενοι τοῦ ζωτικοῦ τόνου· οὐκ ἀπολλύουσι γοῦν τὰς λαμπάδας αἱ φρόνιμοι οὐδὲ ἀπροσεκτοῦσι περὶ τὴν τήρησιν τοῦ ἐλαίου. ἐμβοῶσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι ταῖς κοιμωμέ ναις (κοιμωμένων Diehl) αἰσθήσεσι διεγείροντες αὐτάς, τουτ έστι τὰ «λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν». 149 πωλοῦσι δὲ τὸ ἔλαιον οἱ διδάσκοντες μισθοῦ προσεδρίας, προσοχῆς, φιλομαθίας, σπουδῆς, φι λοπονίας. πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσιν, οἳ αὐτάρκη μὲν πρὸς τὴν χρῆσιν τῆς πολιτείας ἔχουσι λόγον, οὐ μὴν ὥστε καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι. ὁ δὲ μὴ ἐν καιρῷ τὸ λογικὸν ἔλαιον κτώμενος ἀπόλλυσιν 150 ὄντως τὸ συνεισελθεῖν εἰς τοὺς γά μους τῷ νυμφίῳ· ὁποῖοί εἰσιν οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον μαν θάνειν ἀρξάμενοι. ... κόσμος λαμπά δων ἡ κατὰ τὰς αἰσθήσεις εὐαγγελικὴ χρῆσις, ὀφθαλμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ θαυμά ζειν τὸν πεποιηκότα καὶ μύειν «ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν ἀδικίαν», ἀκοῆς μὴ παρα δεχομένης μάταιον μηδὲ «κρίσιν αἵ ματος», τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ λόγους, γεύσεως ἐσθιούσης Χριστὸν κύριον, ὀσφρήσεως Χριστοῦ εὐωδίας (II. Cor. 2,15) ἀπολαυούσης καὶ τοῦ ἐκκε νωθέντος μύρου (Cant. 1,3), ἁφῆς 151 ἁπτομένης τοῦ λόγου ὡς Ἰωάννης λέ γει «αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς» (. Joh. 1,1). συμπέρασμα δὲ τοῦ λόγου, παντὶ καιρῷ παρεσκευάσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον. 156.10 μὴ θαύμαζε δὲ εἰ ἕνεκα τοῦ μὴ διδάξαι τὸν λόγον τοιαῦτά τις πείσεται· Παῦλος γὰρ λέγει· «οὐαί μοι γάρ ἐστιν ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίζωμαι». 157 ... ὅθεν καὶ οὐχ οἱ δοῦλοι πρὸς τὸν κύριον, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ἔρχεται, ἵνα κρίνας τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀποδῷ. 159 καὶ ἃ σπείρει ὁ δίκαιος «εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα», ἐξ οὗ «θερί ζει ζωὴν αἰώνιον», θεοῦ ἐστι κτῆμα. 160 πάλιν ὁ δίκαιος «ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησιν»· ταῦτα δὲ συνάγει ὁ κύριος εἰς ἑαυτὸν λογιζόμενος· «ἐπείνασα γὰρ καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν», τὰ εἰς μικροὺς γενόμενα εἰς ἑαυτὸν συνάγων. 161 σπείρωμεν γοῦν καὶ ἀναφέρωμεν αὐτῷ δεκάτας καὶ ἀπαρχάς. πονηρὸς οὖν ἐπειδὴ μηδεὶς ἀπέλαυσεν οὗ ἔσχεν ἀργυρίου τῶν δυναμένων συνεξετά σαι αὐτῷ τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια. ὀκνηρὸς δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐδειλίασεν ἐργάσασθαι. τραπεζῖται δὲ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ οἱ τὰ μὲν καλὰ κατέ χοντες δόγματα, τῶν δὲ φαύλων ἀπεχόμενοι. ἀργύρια τοίνυν τοῦ κυρίου εἰσὶ τὰ ἔχοντα τὴν βασιλικὴν τοῦ θεοῦ μορφὴν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ λόγου αὐτοῦ. 162 οἷον πίστιν ἔχοντι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν δοθήσεται χάρισμα πίστεως, καὶ ἁπλῶς τῷ ἔχοντί τι τῶν ἐκ κα τασκευῆς φυσικῆς ἐνυπαρχόντων αὐτῷ βελτιωθὲν προσοχῇ καὶ ἐπι μελείᾳ τὸ ἐνδέον ἀπὸ θεοῦ δοθήσε ται. 163 σκότος δὲ ἐξώτερόν φησιν, ἔνθα οὐδεὶς φωτισμός ἐστιν, τάχα μὲν οὐδὲ σωματικός, πάντως δὲ οὐδεμία ἐπισκοπὴ θείου φωτός. εἰ δὲ τὸ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου, αὕτη δὲ ἔξω τοῦ κόσμου, ὥς φασί τινες, κατὰ τοῦτο οἱ ἀνάξιοι τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου ἐκ βάλλονται εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἐκείνην, οὐδενὸς φωτίζοντος τὰ ἔξω τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου κατασκευῆς. 166 πρόβατα δὲ καλεῖ τοὺς ἁγίους διὰ τὸ ἥμερον ... τοὺς δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἐρίφους διὰ τὸ πη δητικόν. 171 καλεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς κα τηραμένους οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρός· τὰ γὰρ ἴδια αὐτῶν ἔργα ποιεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐπικαταράτους. 178 δοκεῖ μέν τισι μία εἶναι καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ παρὰ τοῖς εὐαγγελισταῖς ἅπασιν. 180 τάχα μὲν εἴποι τις