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for they seek not what is ours, but us. 171 17, 27 He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is discerning; but a long-suffering man is prudent. He called the thought that stirs up anger a harsh word. Or he called the speech that stirs up his neighbor's anger a harsh word. 172 17, 28 To a foolish man asking about wisdom, wisdom will be imputed; and one making himself dumb will seem to be prudent. If he who wishes to learn something about wisdom asks about wisdom, he who wishes to know nothing about wisdom is silent from wisdom; wherefore the first is said to be more prudent than the second.

173 18, 1 A man wishing to be separated from friends seeks pretexts; at every

time he will be a reproach. He calls sins pretexts; "for to make pretexts," he says, "pretexts in sins." And as friends, all the saints with whom he was joined through virtue. 174 18, 2 One who lacks sense has no need of wisdom; for he is rather led by folly. For he loved darkness more than light. 175 18, 5 To admire the face of the ungodly is not good, nor is it holy to turn aside what is just in judgment. He who accepts the inherent wickedness for the devil and acts according to it, this one admires the face of the ungodly. 176 18, 6 The lips of a fool lead him into evils; and his rash mouth calls for death. If death is born from rashness, and death separates the soul from the true life, rashness separates us from him who said, "I am the life." And just as death is born from rashness, so life is born from gentleness; for gentleness is the opposite of rashness. 177 18, 8.1 Fear casts down the slothful. Fear casts down the slothful, either the enemy fear or that of the Lord, separating them from sloth through good works. 178 18, 8.2 But the souls of the androgynous will hunger. Androgynous is he who is neither able to teach another nor willing to learn from another. 179 18, 9 He who does not heal himself in his works is a brother to him who destroys himself. And Paul says: "If therefore a man cleanses himself, he will be a vessel useful to the master." 180 18, 10 From the majesty of strength is the name of the Lord; and the righteous, running to him, are exalted. The name of the Lord signifies the knowledge of God. And through a right life the righteous run to him; but through contemplation they are exalted. 181 18, 12 Before destruction a man's heart is lifted up, and before glory it is humbled. Just as destruction follows pride, so glory follows humility. 182 18, 13 He who answers a matter before hearing it, it is folly and a reproach to him. This saying should be used for those who, not having received knowledge from God, attempt to teach others. And David says: "to hear the voice of your praise and" then "to declare" also to others "your wondrous works". And again Solomon says: "What your eyes have seen, speak." 183 18, 14 A prudent servant soothes a man's anger; but who will bear a faint-hearted man? Just as our Lord is said to become a leopard at a loss towards transgressors and a rock of offense towards the disobedient, so also is the faint-hearted towards those who sin. But it is possible to call faint-hearted also the evil one and every demon that has fallen from virtue and knowledge. 184 18, 16 A man's gift makes room for him and seats him before rulers. The right life he now called a man's gift, which makes him spacious and renders him worthy of the fullness of God, which he calls the seat of the holy powers; for the seat of the mind is a most excellent state, keeping him who is seated hard to move or immovable. 185 18, 18 A lot puts an end to disputes; and it decides between the mighty. Knowledge puts an end to folly; for this is the lot of the rational nature. 186 18, 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those who control it will eat its fruits. Here he says the soul to be of death and

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γὰρ ζητοῦσι τὰ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς. 171 17, 27 ὃς φείδεται ῥῆμα προέσθαι σκληρόν, ἐπιγνώμων· μακρόθυμος δὲ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος Τὸν λογισμὸν τὸν κινοῦντα θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. Ἢ τὸν λόγον τὸν κινοῦντα τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. 172 17, 28 ἀνοήτῳ ἐπερωτήσαντι σοφίαν σοφία λογισθήσεται· ἐνεὸν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας δόξει φρόνιμος εἶναι Εἰ οὗτος ἐρωτᾷ περὶ σοφίας ὁ βουλόμενός τι περὶ σοφίας μαθεῖν, οὗτος σιωπᾷ ἀπὸ σοφίας ὁ μηθὲν θέλων γνῶναι περὶ σοφίας· διὸ καὶ φρονιμώτερος λέγεται εἶναι ὁ πρότερος τοῦ δευτέρου.

173 18, 1 προφάσεις ζητεῖ ἀνὴρ βουλόμενος χωρίζεσθαι ἀπὸ φίλων· ἐν παντὶ

δὲ καιρῷ ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται Προφάσεις λέγει τὰς ἁμαρτίας· «τοῦ προφασίζεσθαι γάρ, φησίν, προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις.» Φίλους δὲ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους οἷς δι' ἀρετῆς συνήπτετο. 174 18, 2 οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν· μᾶλλον γὰρ ἄγεται ἀφροσύνῃ Ἠγάπησεν γὰρ τὸ σκότος μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ φῶς. 175 18, 5 θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ καλὸν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐκκλίνειν τὸ δίκαιον ἐν κρίσει Ὁ τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν κακίαν τῷ διαβόλῳ ἀποδεχόμενος καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐνεργῶν, οὗτος θαυμάζει τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς. 176 18, 6 χείλη ἄφρονος ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς κακά· τὸ δὲ στόμα αὐτοῦ τὸ θρασὺ θάνατον ἐπικαλεῖται Εἰ ὁ θάνατος γεννᾶται ἀπὸ θρασύτητος, ὁ δὲ θάνατος χωρίζει ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς, ἡ θρασύτης ἡμᾶς ἀποχωρίζει ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή.» Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ τῆς θρασύτητος γεννᾶται ὁ θάνατος, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς πραΰτητος ἡ ζωή· ἀντίκειται γὰρ τῇ θρασύτητι ἡ πραύτης. 177 18, 8.1 ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος Ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος ἤτοι ὁ ἐχθρὸς φόβος ἢ ὁ τοῦ κυρίου χωρίζων αὐτοὺς τοῦ ὄκνου διὰ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν. 178 18, 8.2 ψυχαὶ δὲ ἀνδρογύνων πεινάσουσιν Ἀνδρόγυνός ἐστιν ὁ μήτε διδάσκειν ἄλλον δυνάμενος μήτε μανθάνειν ὑφ' ἑτέρου βουλόμενος. 179 18, 9 ὁ μὴ ἰώμενος ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ ἀδελφός ἐστιν τοῦ λυμαινομένου ἑαυτόν Καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτόν, ἔσται σκεῦος χρήσιμον τῷ δεσπότῃ.» 180 18, 10 ἐκ μεγαλωσύνης ἰσχύος ὄνομα κυρίου· αὐτῷ δὲ προσδραμόντες δίκαιοι ὑψοῦνται Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν σημαίνει. Καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ ὀρθοῦ βίου προστρέχουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ δίκαιοι· διὰ δὲ θεωρίας ὑψοῦνται. 181 18, 12 πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς καὶ πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται Ὥσπερ τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ ἕπεται συντριβή, οὕτως τῇ ταπεινώσει δόξα. 182 18, 13 ὃς ἀποκρίνεται λόγον πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι, ἀφροσύνη αὐτῷ ἐστιν καὶ ὄνειδος Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ λαβόντας μὲν γνῶσιν παρὰ θεοῦ, διδάσκειν δὲ ἄλλους ἐπιχειροῦντας. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν αἰνέσεώς σου καὶ» τότε «διηγήσασθαι» καὶ ἄλλοις «τὰ θαυμάσιά σου». Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Σολομών φησιν· «ἃ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, λέγε.» 183 18, 14 θυμὸν ἀνδρὸς πραΰνει θεράπων φρόνιμος· ὀλιγόψυχον δὲ ἄνδρα τίς ὑποίσει; Ὥσπερ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν πάρδαλις ἀπορουμένη λέγεται γίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου πρὸς τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας, οὕτω καὶ ὀλιγόψυχος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν. ∆ύναται δὲ ὀλιγόψυχον λέγειν καὶ τὸν πονηρὸν καὶ πάντα δαίμονα ἀρετῆς ἐκπεπτωκότα καὶ γνώσεως. 184 18, 16 δόμα ἀνθρώπου ἐμπλατύνει αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ δυνάσταις καθιζάνει αὐτόν Τὸν βίον τὸν ὀρθὸν νῦν εἶπεν δόμα ἀνθρώπου, ὅστις αὐτὸν πλατύνει καὶ παρέχει τοῦ πληρώματος ἄξιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅπερ καθέδραν τῶν ἁγίων δυνάμεων ὀνομάζει· νοῦ γὰρ καθέδρα ἐστὶν ἕξις ἀρίστη δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον διατηροῦσα τὸν καθεζόμενον. 185 18, 18 ἀντιλογίας παύει κλῆρος· ἐν δὲ δυνάσταις ὁρίζει Ἄνοιαν παύει γνῶσις· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος τῆς φύσεως τῆς λογικῆς. 186 18, 21 θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης· οἱ δὲ κρατοῦντες αὐτῆς ἔδονται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς Ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὴν ψυχὴν εἶναι θανάτου καὶ