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with his baits into all evil. Verse 30. An eye seeing beautiful things, that is, discerning; but what things are beautiful must be investigated; and not seeing gold, it is grieved; or a splendid body, again it wastes away; but what things are beautiful, listen: The heaven, the earth, the sea and all creation; so see such things as gladden the soul; since what is the profit for the eye to be delighted, but for nothing more to happen, but for the soul to be corrupted? Verse 31. Having spoken above of the many things of his wickedness, we will add the remaining things to what has been said. With all his excesses he says also these things to those who obey him: This thing is by necessity (having sharpened his foresight for evil), one must use it. Pleasure is natural, one must use it; money is from God, one must enjoy it. And whenever he has persuaded his subject in all things, then he makes him boast in his mind, as though he were performing great acts of righteousness, and that among the old he suggests these things. Verse 6. The faithful one, not hastening after sensible things, is as one who has all things; but the one hastening after these things is as one who has nothing; for he who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; or also, The faithful one will see the words of this world, as riches of the mind spoken tropologically; but the unfaithful one will not grasp even the least thing of the words because of the impurity of his soul. Verse 28. Speechless, he who by silence hides his own ignorance, or passion within himself or from his neighbors, it seems.

39.1640 Verse 7. He does not carry out all wickedness (for it is impossible), but he does the things that can coexist; and yet doing evil he has not ceased. Or, he calls Christ a good thought; for he himself guarantees it; and everyone who does good things will find him; for he calls prudent the one who does every good work. Verse 24. He who does not live rightly hides his hands in his soul unjustly; not wanting to cultivate his own land, how will he be filled with loaves? For the practical virtues hold the place of hands, bringing to our mouth the bread that came down from heaven. Therefore this one, being lazy, cannot even begin to be helped. Verse 21. That is, judgment covers the defense of the impious. For God surpasses with rewards those who do well. Verse 26. Do not give yourself over to postponing repentance, being ashamed of someone. For if you die, and do not have time to repent, you will no longer have rest. Verse 23. And he brings the envious devil in beside himself, and eats his morsel with him, who does any of the good works with vainglory, or to please men; for such a one receives his reward. For the devil also makes them manifest to men, so that through the praise directed to the men-pleaser he might corrupt and deprive him of eternal goods. Verse 20. The wicked will not beget virtues and right doctrines (for these are the offspring of the soul), because they do not fear the Lord; but those who are in the fear of the Lord will have offspring all the day, and their hope will not depart. And these things follow what has been said. For the enemies, he says, being wicked, rejoiced at the falls of others; but that which you blame, do not envy. For their supposed splendor and deceitfulness last until this life, and are extinguished at death; and often it was extinguished even while they were still living, having been refuted. Verse 7. The wise man says these things to wisdom, or the servant of Christ to the Lord. And having said two things, he asks for more; but the first thing seems to be a preliminary request for obtaining what he asks, saying: Do not disregard me, but give grace; upon which he brought forward the first request: Make a vain word, that which is falsely named, far from me, lest being filled, I become a liar. Satiety produces arrogance, and the seeming to be above refutation; in word and deed as sinless. For, "Who sees me," he says, instead of, "refutes"; lest being filled with wisdom, I might seem incomprehensible to others, or even seem a liar speaking things beyond them. Verse 15. The leech is born indeed in the sweet 39.1641 waters,

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δελεάσμασιν αὐτοῦ εἰς πᾶσαν κακίαν. Στ. λʹ. Ὀφθαλμὸς θεωρῶν καλὰ, ἤτοι διακεκριμένος· τίνα δὲ τὰ καλὰ, ζητητέον· καὶ μὴ θεωρῶν χρυσὸν, λυπεῖται· εἴτε σῶμα λαμπρὸν, πάλιν κατατήκεται· ἀλλὰ τίνα ἐστὶ τὰ καλὰ, ἄκουσον· Τὸν οὐρανὸν, τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν κτίσιν πᾶσαν· ὥστε τὰ τοιαῦτα βλέπετε, οἷον τὴν ψυχὴν εὐφραίνει· ἐπεὶ τί ὄφελος τερφθῆναι μὲν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, μηδὲν δὲ γενέσθαι πλέον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν διαφθαρῆναι; Στ. λαʹ. Τὰ πολλὰ τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ ἀνωτέρω εἰπόντες, τοῖς εἰρημένοις τὰ λείποντα προσθήσομεν. Μετὰ τῶν ὑπερβολῶν αὐτοῦ πάντων λέγει καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς πειθομένοις αὐτῷ· Τοῦτο τὸ πρᾶγμα κατ' ἀνάγκην ἐστὶ (τὸ διορατικὸν ἀκονήσας εἰς τὸ κακὸν), χρηστέον αὐτῷ. Ἡ ἡδονὴ φυσική ἐστι, χρηστέον αὐτῇ· ἐκ Θεοῦ τὰ χρήματα, ἀπολαυστέον αὐτῶν. Ὁπόταν δὲ εἰς πάντα καταπείσῃ τὸν ὑπήκοον αὐτοῦ, τότε ποιεῖ αὐτὸν ἐγκαυχᾶσθαι κατὰ διάνοιαν, ὡς δικαιοσύνας μεγάλας ποιῶν, καὶ ὅτι ἐν τοῖς γηραιοῖς ταῦτα ὑποτίθεται. Στ. ςʹ. Ὁ πιστὸς μὴ σπεύδων περὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ, ὡς πάντα ἔχων ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ περὶ ταῦτα σπεύδων, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχων ἐστίν· ἀγαπῶν γὰρ ἀργύριον, οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀργυρίου· ἢ καὶ, Ὁ πιστὸς ὄψεται τοὺς λόγους τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, ὡς χρήματα τοῦ νοῦ τροπικῶς εἰρημένους· ὁ δὲ ἄπιστος, οὐδὲ τοῦ τυχόντος ἅψεται πράγματος τῶν λόγων δι' ἀκαθαρσίαν ψυχῆς. Στ. κηʹ. Ἐνεὸς, ὁ τῇ σιωπῇ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀμαθίαν, ἢ τὸ πάθος κρύπτων παρ' ἑαυτῷ ἣ τοῖς πέλας, δοκεῖ.

39.1640 Στ. ζʹ. Οὐ πᾶσαν ἐκτελεῖ τὴν κακίαν (ἀδύνατον γὰρ), ἀλλὰ πράττει τὰ συνυπάρχειν δυνάμενα· ἔτι δὲ κακοποιῶν οὐκ ἐπαύσατο. Ἢ ἔννοιαν ἀγαθὴν τὸν Χριστὸν λέγει· αὐτὸς γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐγγυᾷ· καὶ πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγαθὰ πράττων εὐρήσει αὐτόν· φρόνιμον γὰρ τὸν πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ποιοῦντα λέγει. Στ. κδʹ. Ὁ μὴ ὀρθῶς βιοὺς κρύπτει ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τὰς χεῖρας ἀδίκως· τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν ἐργάσασθαι μὴ βουλόμενος, πῶς ἐμπλησθήσεται ἄρτων; Αἱ γὰρ πρακτικαὶ ἀρεταὶ χειρῶν ἐπέχουσι λόγον, τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν προσφέρουσαι τῷ στόματι τὸν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ καταβάντα. Οὐ δύναται τοίνυν οὗτος οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὠφεληθῆναι, ὀκνηρὸς ὤν. Στ. καʹ. Ἤγουν ἡ κρίσις καλύπτει τὴν ἀπολογίαν τῶν ἀσεβῶν. Ὑπερβάλλει γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς εὖ ποιοῦντας ταῖς ἀμοιβαῖς. Στ. κςʹ. Μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς τὸ ὑπερτίθεσθαι μετανοεῖν, αἰσχυνόμενός τινα. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃς, καὶ οὐκ ἔχῃς καιρὸν τοῦ μετανοῆσαι, οὐκέτι ἕξεις ἀνάπαυσιν. Στ. κγʹ. Εἰσάγει δὲ παρ' ἑαυτῷ τὸν βάσκανον διάβολον, καὶ τρώγει τὸν ψωμὸν αὑτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ, ὁ μετὰ κενοδοξίας, ἢ ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας ποιῶν τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων· ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ἀπέχει τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος φανεροῖ αὐτὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ ἐπαίνου τοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἀνθρωπάρεσκον λοιμανῆται καὶ ἀποστερήσῃ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. Στ. κʹ. Οὐ γεννήσουσι πονηροὶ ἀρετὰς καὶ δόγματα ὀρθὰ (ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι γεννήματα τῆς ψυχῆς), διὰ τὸ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς τὸν Κύριον· οἱ δὲ ὄντες ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἕξουσιν ἔκγονα, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀποστήσεται. Ἀκολουθεῖ δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς εἰρημένοις. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐχθροὶ, φησὶ, πονηροὶ ὄντες, ἑτέρων ἐπέχαιρον πτώμασιν· ὃ δὲ μέμφῃ σὺ, μὴ ζηλώσῃς. Τὸ γὰρ λαμπρὸν δῆθεν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπατηλὸν, μέχρι τούτου τοῦ βίου, καὶ σβέννυται τελευτῇ· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἔτι ζώντων διελεγχθέντων ἐσβέσθη. Στ. ζʹ. Ὁ σοφὸς ταῦτα τῇ σοφίᾳ φησιν, ἢ ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος τῷ Κυρίῳ. ∆ύο δὲ φήσας, περὶ πλειόνων αἰτεῖ· ἀλλὰ τὸ δοκοῦν πρῶτον προαιτητικόν ἐστι τοῦ τυχεῖν ὧν αἰτεῖ λέγοντος· Μή μου παρακούσῃς, ἀλλὰ δίδου τὴν χάριν· ἐφ' ᾧ τὸ πρῶτον ἐπήγαγεν αἴτημα· Μάταιον λόγον, τὴν ψευδώνυμον μακράν μου ποίησον, ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς, ψευδὴς γένωμαι. Ὁ κόρος ὑπερηφανίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν ὑπὲρ ἔλεγχον εἶναι· λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ ὡς ἀναμάρτητον. Τὸ γὰρ, Τίς με ὁρᾷ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐλέγχει, φησίν· ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς σοφίας, ἀκατάληπτος εἶναι δόξω τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἢ καὶ ψεύστης δόξω τὰ ὑπὲρ τούτους λαλῶν. Στ. ιεʹ. Ἡ βδέλλα τίκτεται μὲν ἐν τοῖς γλυκέσι τῶν 39.1641 ὑδάτων,