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they keep these, expecting a resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come. 15.4 They do not commit adultery, they do not fornicate, they do not bear false witness, they do not covet the things of others, they honor father and mother, and they love their neighbors, they judge justly. 15.5 Whatever they do not wish to be done to them, they do not do to another; they exhort those who wrong them and make them friendly to themselves; they are eager to do good to their enemies; they are gentle and kind. 15.6 They restrain themselves from all unlawful intercourse and from all impurity, 15.7 they do not despise a widow, they do not grieve an orphan; he who has supplies him who has not without grudging; if they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for they do not call themselves brothers according to the flesh but according to the spirit. 15.8 They are ready to give up their lives for Christ; for they keep his commandments securely, living holily and justly, as the Lord God commanded them, giving thanks to him at every hour in all food and drink and the other good things.
16-17.1 Truly, then, this is the way of truth, which leads by the hand those who travel on it to the eternal kingdom promised by Christ in the life to come. And that you may know, O king, that I do not say these things of myself, if you look into the writings of the Christians you will find that I say nothing outside the truth. Well then did your son understand and rightly was he taught to serve the living God and to be saved for the age that is to come. For great and wonderful are the things said and done by the Christians; for they do not speak the words of men, but those of God. But the other nations are deceived and deceive themselves; for, walking in darkness, they stumble against themselves as if drunk. Thus far my speech to you, O king, which was dictated by the truth in my mind. Therefore let your foolish wise men cease from speaking idly against the Lord. For it is profitable for you to worship God the creator and that you may be shown to be heirs of the imperishable.
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ταύτας φυλάττουσι, προσδοκῶντες ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. 15.4 οὐ μοιχεύουσιν, οὐ πορνεύουσιν, οὐ ψευδομαρτυροῦσιν, οὐκ ἐπιθυ- μοῦσι τὰ ἀλλότρια, τιμῶσι πατέρα καὶ μητέρα, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον φιλοῦσι, δίκαια κρίνουσιν. 15.5 ὅσα οὐ θέλουσιν αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι ἑτέρῳ οὐ ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας αὐτοὺς παρακαλοῦσι καὶ προσφιλεῖς αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετεῖν σπουδάζουσι, πραεῖς εἰσι καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς. 15.6 ἀπὸ πάσης συνουσίας ἀνόμου καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας ἐγκρατεύονται, 15.7 χήραν οὐχ ὑπερορῶσιν, ὀρφανὸν οὐ λυποῦσιν· ὁ ἔχων τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ἀφθόνως ἐπιχορηγεῖ· ξένον ἐὰν ἴδωσιν ὑπὸ στέγην εἰσάγουσι καὶ χαίρουσιν ἐπ' αὐτῷ ὡς ἐπὶ ἀδελφῷ ἀληθινῷ· οὐ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελ- φοὺς ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦσιν ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. 15.8 ἕτοιμοί εἰσιν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν προέσθαι· τὰ γὰρ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ἀσφαλῶς φυλάττουσιν, ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως ζῶντες, καθὼς κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτοῖς προσέταξεν, εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν ἐν παντὶ βρώματι καὶ ποτῷ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀγαθοῖς.
16-17.1 Ὄντως οὖν αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, ἥτις τοὺς ὁδεύοντας αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον χειραγωγεῖ βασιλείαν τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην παρὰ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ ζωῇ. καὶ ἵνα γνῷς, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ταῦτα λέγω, ταῖς γραφαῖς ἐγκύψας τῶν Χριστιανῶν εὐρήσεις οὐδὲν ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας με λέγειν. καλῶς οὖν συνῆκεν ὁ υἱός σου καὶ δικαίως ἐδιδάχθη λατρεύειν ζῶντι θεῷ καὶ σωθῆναι εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἐπέρχεσθαι αἰῶνα. μεγάλα γὰρ καὶ θαυμαστὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Χριστιανῶν λεγόμενα καὶ πραττόμενα; οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ῥήματα λαλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἔθνη πλανῶνται καὶ πλανῶσιν ἑαυτούς· ὁδεύοντες γὰρ ἐν σκότει προσρήσσονται ἑαυτοῖς ὡς μεθύοντες. ἕως ὧδε ὁ πρὸς σέ μου λόγος, βασιλεῦ, ὁ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νοΐ μου ὑπαγορευθείς. διὸ παυσάσθωσαν οἱ ἀνόητοί σου σοφοὶ ματαιολογοῦντες κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου. συμφέρει γὰρ ὑμῖν θεὸν κτίστην σέβεσθαι καὶ τὰ ἀνωλέθρου δειχθείητε κληρονόμοι.