[That Charitable Distributions are Not to Be Made to Every Widow, But that Sometimes a Woman Who Has a Husband is to Be Preferred: and that No Distributions are to Be Made to Any One Who is Given to Gluttony, Drunkenness, and Idleness. ]

IV. For if there be a widow who is able to support herself, and another woman who is not a widow, but is needy by reason of sickness, or the bringing up many children, or infirmity of her hands, let him stretch out his hand in charity rather to this latter. But if any one be in want by gluttony, drunkenness, or idleness, he does not deserve any assistance, or  to be esteemed a member of the Church of God. For the Scripture, speaking of such persons, says: “The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom, and is not able to bring it to his mouth again.”  20  [The incorrect rendering of the LXX. is here cited, as given in the text.—R.] [The incorrect rendering of the LXX. is here cited, as given in the text.—R.] And again: “The sluggard folds up his hands, and eats his own flesh.”  21  Prov. xxxi. 10, etc. Prov. xxxi. 10, etc. “For every drunkard and whoremonger shall come to poverty, and every drowsy person shall be clothed with tatters  and rags .”  22  Prov. xii. 4 Prov. xii. 4 And in another passage: “If thou give thine eyes to drinking and cups, thou shalt afterwards walk more naked than a pestle.”  23  [A.V., “Every wise woman buildeth her house.”—R.] Prov. xiv. 1. [A.V., “Every wise woman buildeth her house.”—R.] Prov. xiv. 1. For certainly idleness is the mother of famine.

[4] Ἔστω καὶ εὐμετάδοτος, φιλόχηρος, φιλόξενος, ὑπηρετικός, εὐδιάκονος, εὔσκυλτος, ἀνεπαίσχυντος, εἰδὼς τὸν μᾶλλον ὄντα ἄξιον ὑπολήψεως. Εἰ γὰρ χήρα τις ὑπάρχουσα ἡ δυναμένη ἐπαρκεῖν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τὰ χρηστήρια, ἑτέρα δὲ οὐ χήρα, ἀλλ' ἐνδεὴς ὑπάρχει καὶ διὰ νόσον ἢ τεκνοτροφίαν ἢ δι' ἀσθένειαν χειρῶν, ἐπὶ ταύτην μᾶλλον ἐκτεινάτω τὴν χεῖρα. Εἰ δέ τις ὡς καταφαγᾶς ἢ μέθυσος ἢ ἀργὸς ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς θλίβεται, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος ἐπικουρίας, οὔτε μὴν Ἐκκλησίας Θεοῦ. Λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ περὶ τούτων φάσκουσα, ὅτι «Κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν κόλπον οὐ δυνήσεται ἀπενεγκεῖν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ πάλιν: «Ὁ ἀργὸς περιέλαβεν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφαγεν τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ: πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει, καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρωγότα πᾶς ὑπνώδης.» Καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις: «Ἐὰν δὲ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου.» Ὡς ἀληθῶς γὰρ μήτηρ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀργία τοῦ λιμοῦ.