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of the knowledge of God, being taken from the men who used them badly. He who plants a fig tree will eat its fruits: Our Lord is the fig tree; for its fruit heals leprosy. If you scourge the foolish man in the midst of the council, dishonoring him, you will not take away his foolishness: Not by dishonoring the foolish man will you turn him from foolishness, but by teaching him what kind of dishonor foolishness causes. You will know well the souls of your flock: Pay attention to yourself and direct your virtues, because men are not always equally strong in them; nor do they pass soundly from virtue to virtue or from knowledge to knowledge, the human condition not easily accepting those who do not ....; But that he calls the virtues and the kinds of knowledge generations, according to which the saints are born, he shows through what he writes: The generation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and riches and glory and life. And this proverb must be used also for the shepherds of the churches, who must pay attention not to faces but to hearts and shepherd the sheep intellectually. Take care of the green things in the field and you will cut grass: By field he means the intellect, and by green things the virtues existing in it according to its capacity; he who takes care of these will cut grass, which is a symbol of the knowledge of God, which he also calls mountain fodder; for mountain fodder is knowledge of holy powers, fitting for the more irrational state of souls. And it is a custom in Scripture to call the saints mountains. Thus also David lifts up his soul to the mountains, from where his help will come; and again, the mountains leap like rams, and the hills like lambs of the flock, at the salvation of Israel; for if angels rejoice over one who repents, how much more over so great a multitude 118 proceeding from vice to virtue. Therefore also only the knowledge of the holy angels nourishes the virtues in us, from which a soul puts on bowels of mercy, kindness, long-suffering, humility, faith, self-control, love, and the good things born from this. That David also calls rational souls fields, can be learned from this. For he says, And your fields will be filled with fatness; and again after a little: And the valleys will abound with grain; they will cry out, for they will also sing hymns. And a hymn and a cry are naturally suited to occur only to the rational nature. A man in impieties slanders the poor: If there is a man brave in impieties, there is also one brave in virtues; and if the one brave in impieties slanders the poor, the one brave in virtues comforts the poor; therefore everyone who comforts the poor is brave in pieties. But those who love the law surround themselves with a wall: Everyone who loves the law does the law, and everyone who does the law acquires dispassion and knowledge of God; but if those who love the law surround themselves with a wall, now the wall signifies dispassion and the knowledge of God, which alone are suited to guard the rational nature. But he who shepherds profligacy dishonors his father: He calls the intellect the shepherd, and the impassioned thoughts in it the sheep, which by nurturing in himself through the transgression of the law, he dishonors God; for profligacy of soul is impassioned reasonings being carried out through the body; and profligacy of intellect is the assumption of false dogmas and theories. He who increases his wealth with interest and avarice gathers it for him who has mercy on the poor: If the wealth of the impious is vice, and wise men will destroy it, it is clear that the just and wise destroy vice, by leading the impure back to virtue through spiritual teaching. He who turns away his ear from hearing (edd. to hear) the law, his prayer also is an abomination: It is not the law that abominates someone's prayer, but God who gave the law. And Paul says: But Scripture, foreseeing the future, instead of He who gave the Scripture. But he who explains and reproves (edd. explains reproofs) will be loved: I said: I will confess my transgression against myself to the Lord, and you forgave the impiety of my heart.

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γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, λαμβανόμενα ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶς αὐτοῖς χρησαμένων ἀνθρώπων. Ὃς φυτεύει συκῆν, φάγεται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς: Ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ἐστὶν ἡ συκῆ· ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς αὐτῆς λέπραν θεραπεύει. Ἐὰν μαστιγοῖς τὸν ἄφρονα ἐν μέσῳ συνεδρίου ἀτιμάζων, οὐ μὴ περιέλῃς τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ: Οὐκ ἀτιμάζων τὸν ἄφρονα ἀποστήσεις αὐτὸν τῆς ἀφροσύνης, ἀλλὰ διδάσκων αὐτὸν ὁποίας ἀτιμίας ἡ ἀφροσύνη γίνεται πρόξενος. Γνωστῶς ἐπιγνώσῃ ψυχὰς ποιμνίου σου: Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τὰς ἀρετάς σου κατεύθυνε, ὅτι οὐκ ἀεὶ ἐν αὐταῖς ἰσχύουσιν ἐπίσης οἱ ἄνθρωποι· οὐδὲ ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς ἐπ' ἀρετὴν ἢ ἀπὸ γνώσεως ἐπὶ γνῶσιν ὑγιῶς μεταβαίνουσιν, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καταστάσεως τοὺς οὐ ῥᾳδίως μὴ δεχομένους ....· ὅτι δὲ γενεὰς λέγει τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς γνώσεις, καθ' ἃς γεννῶνται οἱ ἅγιοι, δείκνυσι δι' ὧν γράφει· Γενεὰ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα καὶ ζωή. χρηστέον δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ παροιμίᾳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ποιμένας τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, οὓς δεῖ μὴ προσώποις ἀλλὰ καρδίαις προσέχειν καὶ νοητῶς ποιμαίνειν τὰ πρόβατα. Ἐπιμελοῦ τῶν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ χλωρῶν καὶ κερεῖς πόαν: Πεδίον λέγει τὸν νοῦν, χλωρὰ δὲ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐνυπαρχούσας ἀρετάς· ὧν ὁ ἐπιμελούμενος κερεῖ πόαν, σύμβολον οὖσαν τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν καὶ χόρτον πάλιν ὀρεινὸν ὀνομάζει· χόρτος γάρ ἐστιν ὀρεινὸς γνῶσις ἁγίων δυνάμεων, ἁρμόζουσα τῇ ἀλογωτέρᾳ τῶν ψυχῶν καταστάσει. ἔθος δὲ τῇ γραφῇ τοὺς ἁγίους ὄρη καλεῖν. οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ αἴρει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ ὄρη, πόθεν ἥξει ἡ βοήθεια αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν ὄρη σκιρτῶσιν ὡς κριοί, καὶ βοῦνοι ὡς ἀρνία προβάτων, ἐπὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ μετανοοῦντι χαίρουσιν ἄγγελοι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ πλήθει 118 τοσούτῳ ὁδεύοντι ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετήν. διὸ καὶ μόνη ἡ γνῶσις τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων τρέφει τὰς ἐν ἡμῖν ἀρετάς, ἀφ' ὧν ἐνδύεται σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ ψυχή, χρηστότητα, μακροθυμίαν, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πίστιν, ἐγκράτειαν, ἀγάπην, καὶ τὰ ἐκ ταύτης γεννώμενα ἀγαθά. ὅτι δὲ πεδία καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγει τὰς λογικὰς ψυχάς, ἐντεῦθεν ἔστιν μαθεῖν. Καὶ τὰ πεδία σου γάρ φησιν πλησθήσονται πιότητος· καὶ πάλιν μετ' ὀλίγα· Καὶ αἱ κοιλάδες πληθυνοῦσι σῖτον· κεκράξονται, καὶ γὰρ ὑμνήσουσιν. ὕμνος δὲ καὶ κραυγὴ μόνη πέφυκεν ἐπισυμβαίνειν τῇ φύσει τῇ λογικῇ. Ἀνὴρ ἐν ἀσεβείαις συκοφαντεῖ πτωχούς: Εἰ ἔστιν ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀσεβείαις, ἔστιν ἀνδρεῖος καὶ ἐν ἀρεταῖς· καὶ εἰ ὁ ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀσεβείαις συκοφαντεῖ πτωχούς, ὁ ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀρεταῖς παρακαλεῖ πτωχούς· οὐκοῦν πᾶς ὁ παρακαλῶν πτωχοὺς ἀνδρεῖός ἐστιν ἐν εὐσεβείαις. Οἱ δὲ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχος: Πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν νόμον ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον, πᾶς δὲ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ νόμον ἀπάθειαν κτᾶται καὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ· εἰ δὲ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχος, νῦν τὸ τεῖχος τὴν ἀπάθειαν σημαίνει καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἅπερ μόνα πέφυκε φυλάσσειν τὴν φύσιν τὴν λογικήν. Ὃς δὲ ποιμαίνει ἀσωτίαν, ἀτιμάζει πατέρα αὐτοῦ: Ποιμένα λέγει τὸν νοῦν, πρόβατα δὲ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπαθῆ νοήματα, ἅπερ ἐκτρέφων ἐν ἑαυτῷ διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζει· ἀσωτία γὰρ ψυχῆς ἐστίν, λογισμοὶ ἐμπαθεῖς διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἐκτελούμενοι· ἀσωτία δὲ νοῦ ἐστίν, ψευδῶν δογμάτων καὶ θεωρημάτων ὑπόληψις. Ὁ πληθύνων τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ μετὰ τόκων καὶ πλεονασμῶν τῷ ἐλεοῦντι πτωχοὺς συνάγει αὐτόν: Εἰ πλοῦτος ἀσεβῶν κακία, ἄνδρες δὲ σοφοὶ ἀπολέσουσιν αὐτόν, δηλονότι κακίαν ἀπολλύουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι καὶ σοφοί, διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας τοὺς ἀκαθάρτους πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπανάγοντες. Ὁ ἐκκλίνων τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ μὴ εἰσακούων (edd. εἰσακοῦσαι) νόμου, καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν προσευχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐβδέλυκται: Οὐχ ὁ νόμος βδελύσσεταί τινος τὴν προσευχήν, ἀλλ' ὁ δεδωκὼς τὸν νόμον θεός. καὶ ὁ Παῦλος φησίν· Προϊδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τὸ μέλλον, ἀντὶ τοῦ Ὁ τὴν γραφὴν δεδωκώς. Ὁ δὲ ἐξηγούμενος καὶ ἐλέγχων (edd. ἐξηγ. ἐλέγχους) ἀγαπηθήσεται: Εἶπα· Ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας μου.