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Woe to you, O city, whose king is a youth. He does not simply mean one who is young in age; for he would not have said: a poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish king for nowhere does he slander age in itself. And your princes eat in the morning. Such men <he says>; for he would not otherwise have distinguished that one; for he ought to have contrasted the old man. Blessed is the land, whose king is the son of free men, and whose princes will eat at the proper time, in strength, and will not be ashamed. For those do not eat in strength nor with eagerness, not contradicting. Through sloth a rafter will be brought low, and through idleness of hands the house will leak. Do you see how much blame is attached to idleness? They make bread for laughter. Not hunger will consume you, he says, but wine; it was given for gladness, he says, but they make it for drunkenness; for wine gladdens the living, so that they not be drunk. Both wine and oil for the living to be gladdened. This he says; for it has been given for gladness.

11 Send your bread upon the face of the water, for in the multitude of your days you will find it. Hear what he says. Since the fruit is <not> given back immediately and not at that very moment, but after this, in a long time, it will certainly be given back. For just as bread cast upon the water immediately runs past and is carried away, so in almsgiving you have given and immediately received nothing, but you will certainly receive. What then, if I am not immediately persuaded, he says, but at a future time? Give a portion to seven and even to eight. That is, to the multitude; do not deprive them, even if they are many.

Because you do not know what evil will be upon the earth. That is, you have need of this contribution. If the clouds are filled with rain, they pour it out upon the earth. Just as these release the rain when they are filled, so also almsgiving, when it is completed, will then give its reward. If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will be. Just as this, he says, remains where it falls, if in a desert, so also no one will be able to move the alms; for it certainly remains. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. It seems to me that he says this so that one not perform almsgiving with exactness, scrutinizing the ways of those who receive. For if you sat as a judge, you would have done these things well; but if you are a lover of mankind and merciful, revere the name of almsgiving. But it seems to me that this, which he says about the seed and farming, is also useful for these very things, so as not to be everywhere secure or exact. For you do not know what the way of this economy and of the spirit will be. In many places these things fail you, he says; for it is not possible for the economy of God to be clear. For as the bones of her who is with child, so you will not know the works of God, all that he will do. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening let not your hand be idle, because you do not know which will prosper, this or that.

That is, sowing both early and late, do not be neglectful. Let every season be a season for you; for if you fail in the one, you will not fail in the other. He commands that many opportunities be provided to those who wish to be saved and to prosper. And if the two are good for the same thing. For if both turn out well, you will not fail in the one. And so you, then, both through stewardship and through all things and through almsgiving and through temperance and through all things, hold to your own salvation. Light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes. He marvels at the providence of God, how He made the present life most pleasant and desirable for us; and from this He prepares us to do those things that can make us live. Then he again praises life; one never has enough of the light, even though it is such. For that he does it for this reason, see how he exhorts the young man to pay attention to himself, until death comes. Rejoice, he says, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you, and walk in blameless ways, and know that for all these things he will bring you

11

Οὐαί σοι, πόλις, ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου νεώτερος. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας λέγει· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἶπεν· ἀγαθὸν παῖς πένης σοφὸς ὑπὲρ βασιλέα πρεσβύτην καὶ ἄφρονα οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ τὴν ἡλικίαν καθ' ἑαυτὴν διαβάλλει. Καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρωῒ ἐσθίουσιν. Τοὺς τοιούτους <λέγει>· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἄλλως διέστειλεν ἐκεῖνον· ἐχρῆν γὰρ τὸν πρεσβύτην ἀντιδιαστεῖλαι. Μακαρία ἡ γῆ, ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου υἱὸς ἐλευθέρων, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρὸς καιρὸν φάγονται ἐν δυνάμει καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐκ ἐν δυνάμει οὐδὲ μετὰ προθυμίας ἐσθίουσιν, οὐκ ἀντιλέγοντες. Ἐν ὀκνηρίαις ταπεινωθήσεται δόκωσις καὶ ἐν ἀργίαις χειρῶν στάξει οἰκία. Ὁρᾷς πόσος ψόγος τῇ ἀργίᾳ; Εἰς γέλωτα ποιοῦσιν ἄρτον. Οὐχὶ λιμὸς ὑμᾶς ἀναλώσει, φησίν, ἀλλὰ οἶνος· εἰς εὐφροσύνην ἐδόθη, φησίν, αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς μέθην ποιοῦσιν αὐτόν· οἶνος γὰρ εὐφραίνει ζῶντας, ὥστε μὴ μεθύσκεσθαι. Καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ζῶντας. Ταῦτά φησιν· εἰς γὰρ εὐφροσύνην δέδοται.

11 Ἀπόστειλον τὸν ἄρτον σου ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ ὕδατος, ὅτι ἐν πλήθει τῶν ἡμερῶν σου εὑρήσεις αὐτόν. Ἀκούετε τί φησιν. Ἐπεὶ <οὐ> παραχρῆμα καὶ οὐ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν ὁ καρπὸς ἀποδίδοται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνῳ πολλῷ πάντως ἀποδοθήσεται. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἰς ὕδωρ ῥιπτούμενος ἄρτος εὐθέως παρατρέχει καὶ παρασύρεται, οὕτως ἐν τῇ ἐλεημοσύνῃ ἔδωκας καὶ εὐθέως οὐδὲν ἔλαβες, ἀλλὰ πάντως λήψει. Τί οὖν, ἐὰν εὐθέως οὐ πείθωμαι, φησίν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι καιρῷ; ∆ὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καί γε τοῖς ὀκτώ. Τουτέστιν τῷ πλήθει· μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς αὐτούς, κἂν πολλοὶ ὦσιν.

Ὅτι οὐ γινώσκεις τί ἔσται πονηρὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Τουτέστιν, χρείαν ἔχεις τοῦ ἐράνου τούτου. Ἐὰν πλησθῶσιν τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσιν. Ὥσπερ ταῦτα τότε ἀφιᾶσιν τὸν ὑετόν, ὅταν πληρωθῇ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη, ὅταν ἀπαρτισθῇ, τότε ἀποδώσει τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Ἐὰν πέσῃ ξύλον ἐν τῷ νότῳ καὶ ἐὰν ἐν τῷ βορέᾳ, οὗ πεσεῖται τὸ ξύλον, ἐκεῖ ἔσται. Ὥσπερ τοῦτο, φησίν, μένει ἔνθα ἂν πέσῃ, εἰ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην οὐδεὶς μετακινῆσαι δυνήσεται· πάντως γὰρ μένει. Τηρῶν ἄνεμον οὐ σπερεῖ, καὶ βλέπων ἐν ταῖς νεφέλαις οὐ θερίζει. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τοῦτο λέγειν ὥστε μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ποιεῖν, περιεργαζόμενον τοὺς τρόπους τῶν λαμβανόντων. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δικαστὴς ἐκάθισας, καλῶς ἂν ταῦτα ἐποίησας· εἰ δὲ φιλάνθρωπος εἶ καὶ ἐλεήμων, τὸ ὄνομα αἰδέσθητι τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ καὶ εἰς αὐτὰ ταῦτα χρήσιμον εἶναι τοῦτο, ὅπερ περὶ τοῦ σπόρου καὶ τῆς γεωργίας φησίν, ὥστε μὴ πανταχοῦ ἀσφαλῆ εἶναι μηδὲ ἀκριβῆ. Οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί ἔσται ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς οἰκονομίας ταύτης καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος. Πολλαχοῦ σοι διαπίπτει ταῦτα, φησίν· οὐ δυνατὸν γὰρ εἶναι τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ θεοῦ δήλην. Ὡς ὀστᾶ γὰρ τῆς κυοφορούσης, οὕτως οὐ γνώσει τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅσα ποιήσει τὰ σύμπαντα. Ἐν πρωΐᾳ σπεῖρον τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ μὴ ἀφιέτω ἡ χείρ σου, ὅτι οὐ γινώσκεις ποῖον στοιχήσει, τοῦτο ἢ τοῦτο.

Τουτέστιν, καὶ πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον σπεῖρον, μὴ ἀμέλει. Πᾶς καιρὸς ἔστω σοι καιρός· ἂν γὰρ ἑνὸς ἐκπέσῃς, τοῦ ἑτέρου οὐκ ἐκπέσῃς. Πολλὰς κελεύει παρέχειν ἀφορμὰς τοῖς βουλομένοις σῴζεσθαι καὶ εὐδοκιμεῖν. Καὶ ἐὰν τὰ δύο ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀγαθά. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀμφότερα συμπέσῃ καλῶς, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑνὸς οὐκ ἐκπέσῃς. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν καὶ δι' οἰκονομίας καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ δι' ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ διὰ σωφροσύνης καὶ διὰ πάντων ἔχου τῆς σαυτοῦ σωτηρίας. Γλυκὺ τὸ φῶς καὶ ἀγαθὸν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Τοῦ θεοῦ θαυμάζει τὴν πρόνοιαν, πῶς ἐποίησεν ἥδιστον τὸν παρόντα βίον καὶ ποθεινὸν ἡμῖν· καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου παρασκευάζει ταῦτα ποιεῖν τὰ δυνάμενα ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς ζῆν. Εἶτα ἐγκωμιάζει πάλιν τὴν ζωήν· οὐδέποτε κόρον λαμβάνει τοῦ φωτός, καὶ τοιούτου ὄντος. Ὅτι γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὅρα πῶς παραινεῖ τῷ νέῳ προσέχειν ἑαυτῷ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ θάνατος. Εὐφραίνου, γάρ φησιν, νεανίσκε ἐν νεότητί σου, καὶ ἀγαθυνάτω σε ἡ καρδία σου, καὶ περιπάτει ἐν ὁδοῖς ἄμωμος, καὶ γνῶθι ὅτι ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τούτοις ἄξει σε