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Therefore, the only-begotten Son of God came bearing lofty teachings and was about to plant the way of life of the angels, he himself also discussed not a few things about measures and things that seemed more trivial than these, of greetings and middle seats and first places at table. For these things that seem small, when neglected, become great kindling for sins. And if in the New [Testament] these things needed to be corrected, how much more in the Old, when the hearers were duller and their whole life was set aright from this, the people thus being instructed more in these things, to be far from all injustice and in nothing to defraud one's neighbor nor to crush the poverty of the more needy with the wickedness of retail-trading.

1.8 When these things are neglected, both cities have often been overturned and rulers have been brought down from thrones and implacable war has occurred; just as when they are rightly ordered, great peace and good order and security leading to virtue. Your rulers are disobedient. A sign of the greatest disease and perversion, when the physicians aggravate the diseases. For it is the duty of rulers to suppress the disorders of the people and to regulate them towards what is proper and make them obedient to the law; but when they themselves are the first to transgress the laws, how could they become teachers to others? For "They are disobedient" means, they do not obey the law, they do not endure the commandments; which Paul also rebukes, saying: You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? When therefore the root is corrupt, what good is there to expect concerning the branches? Companions of thieves. An additional accusation, that not only do they not suppress terrible things, but they also oppose; not only do they not make war on thieves, but they also cooperate with them, pursuing vice diametrically opposed to the virtue befitting a ruler. Loving gifts. Another grievous form of avarice, having a specious pretext, but under the guise of friendliness displaying the utmost greed. Pursuing recompense. Bearing grudges against enemies, eager to repay those who have caused them pain, which is the greatest form of wickedness. For which reason not only in the New [Testament], but also in the Old it is forbidden with great earnestness. For 'let none of you,' he says, 'bear a grudge against his neighbor in your hearts.' For especially the common person, and how much more the ruler, must be pure of this wickedness and be free from passing judgment on the accused out of hatred, lest the harbor become a reef. Not judging for orphans. That is, not defending them, so that they might receive their rights. And not attending to the judgment of widows. It must be observed that not doing evil, but that also not doing good is placed in the category of wickedness, just as also in the New [Testament]. For those who did not feed the hungry, not because they seized what belonged to others, but because they did not give their own things to the needy, are sent into the fire of Gehenna; just as these also are now accused, not because they are greedy, nor because they oppress, but because to those in need of their help they do not extend a hand. For this reason these things says the Master, the Lord of Sabaoth, the mighty one of Israel; that is, of the people. He has not simply put "the mighty one," but reminding them both of the benefactions beyond hope and of the grievous punishments they endured. For since, sinning many times often and enjoying much long-suffering, they fell into indifference, He wishes to show this, that it is possible for him to punish whenever He wishes, and he does not need seasons, nor times, but all things are ready and prepared for him. Woe to the mighty in Israel; for my wrath will not cease against my adversaries. For what is more wretched than those who have God as an enemy? And He said, "It will not cease," not in order to cast them into despair, but so that, by increasing their fear, He might call them to repentance. For more fearful than "My wrath will not cease," is the phrase "Against my adversaries." For nothing is so accustomed to provoke God as injustice against the poor being done against them. But woe to the mighty

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γοῦν τὰ ὑψηλὰ διδάγματα φέρων ἦλθεν ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Παῖς καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων καταφυτεύειν ἔμελλε πολιτείαν, οὐκ ὀλίγα περὶ μέτρων καὶ αὐτὸς διείλεκται καὶ τῶν τούτων εὐτελεστέρων εἶναι δοκούντων, ἀσπασμῶν καὶ μεσασμῶν καὶ πρωτοκλισιῶν. Τὰ γὰρ μικρὰ ταῦτα εἶναι δοκοῦντα παραμελούμενα μεγάλα ἁμαρτημάτων ὑπεκκαύματα γίνεται. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς Καινῆς ταῦτα διορθοῦσθαι ἔδει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς, ὅτε καὶ παχύτεροι οἱ ἀκροαταὶ καὶ πᾶς αὐτῶν ὁ βίος ἐντεῦθεν ὠρθοῦτο, τοῦ δήμου οὕτω πλέον ἐν τουτοισὶ παιδευομένου, πόρρω πάσης ἀδικίας γίνεσθαι καὶ ἐν μηδενὶ τὸν πλησίον πλεονεκτεῖν μηδὲ τὰς τῶν καταδεεστέρων ἐπιτρίβειν πενίας τῇ κακουργίᾳ τῆς καπηλείας.

1.8 Τούτων γοῦν ἀμελουμένων καὶ πόλεις πολλάκις ἀνετράπησαν καὶ ἀπὸ θρόνων ἄρχοντες κατηνέχθησαν καὶ πόλεμος ἄσπονδος γέγονεν· ὥσπερ κατορθουμένων εἰρήνη πολλὴ καὶ εὐνομία καὶ ἀσφάλεια πρὸς ἀρετὴν χειραγωγοῦσα. Οἱ ἄρχοντές σου ἀπειθοῦσιν. Μεγίστης νόσου καὶ διαστροφῆς σημεῖον, ὅταν οἱ ἰατροὶ τὰς νόσους ἐπιτρίβωσιν. Ἀρχόντων γὰρ τοῦ δήμου τὰς ἀταξίας καταστέλλειν καὶ πρὸς τὸ δέον ῥυθμίζειν καὶ τῷ νόμῳ ποιεῖν καταπειθεῖς· ὅταν δὲ αὐτοὶ πρῶτοι τοὺς νόμους παραβαίνωσι, πῶς ἂν ἑτέροις γένοιντο διδάσκαλοι; Τὸ γὰρ Ἀπειθοῦσιν, τουτέστιν, οὐ πείθονται τῷ νόμῳ, οὐκ ἀνέχονται τῶν ἐντολῶν· ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ἐγκαλεῖ λέγων· Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον, σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; Ὅταν οὖν ἡ ῥίζα διεφθαρμένη ᾖ, τί χρηστόν ἐστι περὶ τῶν κλάδων ὑποπτεύειν; Κοινωνοὶ κλεπτῶν. Προσθήκη κατηγορίας, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐ καταστέλλουσι τὰ δεινά, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιτείνουσιν· οὐ μόνον οὐ πολεμοῦσι τοῖς κλέπταις, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμπράττουσιν, ἐκ διαμέτρου τῆς προσηκούσης ἀρετῆς ἄρχοντι τὴν κακίαν μετιόντες. Ἀγαπῶντες δῶρα. Ἕτερον φιλοχρηματίας εἶδος χαλεπόν, εὐπρόσωπον μὲν ὑπόθεσιν ἔχον, ἐν προσχήματι δὲ φιλοφροσύνης τὴν ἐσχάτην πλεονεξίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενον. ∆ιώκοντες ἀνταπόδομα. Μνησικακοῦντες τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ἀνταποδοῦναι σπουδάζοντες τοῖς λελυπηκόσιν, ὅπερ μέγιστον κακίας εἶδος. ∆ι' ὃ οὐκ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ μετὰ πολλῆς εἴργεται τῆς σπουδῆς. Κακίαν γὰρ ἕκαστος, φησί, τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ μὴ μνησικακεῖτε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ καὶ τὸ δημοτικόν, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν ἄρχοντα ταύτης δεῖ καθαρεύειν τῆς κακίας καὶ τοῦ πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν ψηφίζεσθαι τοῖς κρινομένοις ἀπηλλάχθαι, ἵνα μὴ ὁ λιμὴν σκόπελος γένηται. Ὀρφανοῖς οὐ κρίνοντες. Τουτέστιν, οὐ προϊστάμενοι, ὥστε τῶν δικαίων τυχεῖν. Καὶ κρίσει χηρῶν οὐ προσέχοντες. Παρατηρητέον ὅτι οὐ τὸ κακοποιεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι ἐν τάξει κεῖται πονηρίας, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ. Οἱ γὰρ πεινῶντα μὴ θρέψαντες οὐχ ὅτι τὰ ἀλλότρια ἥρπασαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὰ αὐτῶν οὐ προήκαντο τοῖς δεομένοις, εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης πέμπονται πῦρ· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ οὗτοι νῦν ἐγκαλοῦνται, οὐχ ὅτι πλεονεκτοῦσιν, οὐδ' ὅτι καταδυναστεύουσιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις τῆς αὐτῶν βοηθείας οὐκ ὀρέγουσι χεῖρα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει ὁ ∆εσπότης Κύριος Σαβαώθ, ὁ δυνάστης τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· τουτέστι, τοῦ λαοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ τέθεικεν τὸ δυνάστης, ἀλλὰ ἀναμιμνῄσκων αὐτοὺς καὶ τῶν παρ' ἐλπίδας εὐεργεσιῶν καὶ τῶν χαλεπῶν κολάσεων ἃς ὑπέμειναν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ πολλάκις ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντες τῆς μακροθυμίας εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐνέπιπτον, τοῦτο ἐνδείξασθαι βούλεται, ὅτι δυνατὸν ὅτε βούλεται ἐπεξελθεῖν, καὶ οὐ δεῖται καιρῶν, οὐδὲ χρόνων, ἀλλ' ἕτοιμα αὐτῷ πάντα καὶ παρεσκευασμένα. Οὐαὶ τοῖς ἰσχύουσιν ἐν Ἰσραήλ· οὐ παύσεται γάρ μου ὁ θυμὸς ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις μου. Τί γὰρ ἀθλιώτερον τῶν τὸν Θεὸν πολέμιον ἐχόντων; Οὐ παύσεται δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβάλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐξήσας τὸν φόβον εἰς μετάνοιαν καλέσῃ. Τοῦ γάρ· Οὐ παύσεται ὁ θυμός, φοβερώτερον τό· Ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις μου. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν παροξύνειν εἴωθεν, ὡς ἡ κατὰ τῶν πενήτων ἀδικία κατ' αὐτοὺς γινομένη. Οὐαὶ δὲ τοῖς ἰσχύουσιν