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word; but set your heart, that you may know that they are good He hears the words of God who does the things commanded by them; “for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” 247 22, 20 And you, write them down for yourself in a threefold way for counsel and knowledge upon the breadth of your heart He who has broadened his heart through purity will understand the words of God, both the practical and the natural and the theological. For all the subject matter according to scripture is divided threefold into the ethical, the natural, and the theological. And Proverbs follows the first, Ecclesiastes the second, and the Song of Songs the third. 248 22, 26 Do not give yourself as surety, being ashamed of a face; 22, 27 for if you do not have the means to repay, they will take the bedding from under your ribs Let those who receive base thoughts and by this honor the evil one strive with all their power to repay the worse ones through good thoughts. For if they are not strong enough to do this, they will take the bedding from under the ribs of the soul, that is, virtue. For this is called the garment of the mind that stands in righteousness; but of one who has finally fallen through base thoughts, it is called a mattress. 249 22, 28 Do not move the ancient boundaries which your fathers have set He who shifts the boundaries of godliness proves it to be superstition or impiety, and he who shifts the boundaries of courage makes it rashness or cowardice. Likewise, it is to be understood also concerning the other virtues and concerning doctrines and concerning faith itself. But especially this must be observed concerning the holy trinity; for he who does not theologize the Holy Spirit dissolves baptism; and he who names certain others as gods introduces a crowd of gods.

250 23, 1 If you sit down to dine at the table of a ruler, thoughtfully consider the things

set before you ... 23, 3 But if you are more greedy, do not desire his delicacies; for these are connected to a false life For not all can grasp the more mystical meaning of the scripture. 251 The divine scripture must be understood intellectually and spiritually; for the perceptible knowledge according to the history is not true. 252 23, 6 Do not dine with an envious man; nor desire his foods; 23, 7 for in the way that one might swallow a hair, so he eats and drinks; 23, 8 nor bring him in to yourself and eat your morsel with him; for he will vomit it up and will defile your good words If the envious man eats the food of impiety and is drunk with lawless wine, and one must not dine with him, then one must not be impious and lawless; for these evils defile spiritual knowledge. 253 23, 9 Speak nothing into the ears of a fool, 253 lest he sneer at your wise words Say nothing wise, that is, profound and mystical; for one must not cast pearls before swine. 254 23, 10 Do not move the ancient boundaries which your fathers have set; and do not enter into the possession of orphans The possession of orphans is wickedness, because of which they were deprived of the Father in heaven. 255 23, 17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the Lord all the day long If “by the fear of the Lord everyone turns from evil,” he rightly exhorts us to turn from all evil throughout our whole life. 256 23, 18 For if you keep them, you will have offspring; and your hope will not be taken away He called right thoughts and spiritual contemplations the offspring of the mind. For this reason, the soul is also childless which does not have these offspring, which are naturally born from the spiritual bridegroom. 257 23, 21 for every drunkard and fornicator will become poor, and every drowsy person will be clothed with torn and ragged garments A torn and ragged garment is not a wedding garment. 258 23, 22 Hear, son, the father who begot you, and do not despise that your mother has grown old I heard one of the elders the

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λόγον· τὴν δὲ σὴν καρδίαν ἐπίστησον, ἵνα γνῷς ὅτι καλοί εἰσιν Οὗτος ἀκούει τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγων ὁ ποιῶν τὰ προστασσόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν· «οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ θεῷ, ἀλλὰ οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται.» 247 22, 20 καὶ σὺ δὲ ἀπόγραψαι αὐτὰ σεαυτῷ τρισσῶς εἰς βουλὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς καρδίας σου Ὁ πλατύνας διὰ τῆς καθαρότητος τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ νοήσει τοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγους τούς τε πρακτικοὺς καὶ τοὺς φυσικοὺς καὶ τοὺς θεολογικούς. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν πραγματεία τέμνεται τριχῶς εἰς ἠθικὴν καὶ φυσικὴν καὶ θεολογικήν. Καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ αἱ Παροιμίαι, τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ τὰ Ἄσματα τῶν ᾀσμάτων. 248 22, 26 μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην αἰσχυνόμενος πρόσωπον· 22, 27 ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς πόθεν ἀποτείσῃς, λήμψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου Οἱ τοὺς φαύλους ἀναδεχόμενοι λογισμοὺς καὶ τούτῳ τιμῶντες τὸν πονηρὸν σπουδαζέτωσαν ὅση δύναμις διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν λογισμῶν ἀποδιδόναι τοὺς χείρονας. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἰσχύσωσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευρὰς τῆς ψυχῆς, τουτέστιν τὴν ἀρετήν. Αὕτη γὰρ τοῦ μὲν ἑστῶτος ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ νοῦ ἱμάτιον λέγεται· τοῦ δὲ λοιπὸν πεσόντος διὰ τῶν φαύλων λογισμῶν ὑπόστρωμα καλεῖται. 249 22, 28 μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ έθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου Ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς θεοσεβείας δεισιδαιμονίαν ἢ ἀσέβειαν αὐτὴν ἀποδείκνυσι καὶ ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς ἀνδρείας θρασύτητα ἢ δειλίαν αὐτὴν ἀπεργάζεται. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς πίστεως νοητέον. Μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτο τηρητέον ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τρίαδος· ὁ γὰρ μὴ θεολογῶν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διαλύει τὸ βάπτισμα· ὁ δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ὀνομάζων θεοὺς δῆμον εἰσάγει θεῶν.

250 23, 1 ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστοῦ, νοητῶς νόει τὰ

παρατιθέμενά σοι ... 23, 3 εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ, μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς Οὐ γὰρ πάντες χωροῦσι τὴν μυστικωτέραν διάνοιαν τῆς γραφῆς. 251 ∆εῖ τὴν θείαν γραφὴν νοητῶς νοεῖσθαι καὶ πνευματικῶς· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν αἰσθητὴ γνῶσις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής. 252 23, 6 μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ· μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ· 23, 7 ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα, οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· 23, 8 μηδὲ πρὸς σὲ εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετ' αὐτοῦ· ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς Εἰ ὁ βάσκανος σῖτα ἀσεβείας ἐσθίει καὶ οἴνῳ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκεται, οὐ δεῖ δὲ συνδειπνεῖν τούτῳ, οὐ χρὴ ἄρα εἶναι ἀσεβῆ καὶ παράνομον· αὗται γὰρ αἱ κακίαι λυμαίνονται γνῶσιν πνευματικήν. 253 23, 9 εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, 253 μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου Μηδὲν λέγε συνετόν, τουτέστιν βαθὺ καὶ μυστικόν· οὐ δεῖ γὰρ βάλλειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. 254 23, 10 μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου· εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς Κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν ἡ κακία ἐστίν, δι' ἣν ἐστερήθησαν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρός. 255 23, 17 μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν Εἰ «τῷ φόβῳ κυρίου ἐκκλίνει πᾶς ἀπὸ κακοῦ», καλῶς παραινεῖ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου ἐκκλίνειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. 256 23, 18 ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτά, ἔσται σοι ἔγγονα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται Τοὺς ὀρθοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ θεωρήματα ἔγγονα εἶπεν τοῦ νοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἄτεκνός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα ταῦτα τὰ ἔγγονα, ἅπερ πέφυκε τίκτεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νυμφίου. 257 23, 21 πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρηγμένα καὶ ῥακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔνδυμα γάμου διερρηγμένον ἱμάτιον καὶ ῥακῶδες. 258 23, 22 ἄκουε, υἱέ, πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέν σου ἡ μήτηρ Ἤκουσά τινος τῶν γερόντων τὴν