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I say these things of brothers only, but neither must one have the wives of others, nor those who are simply without husbands and common. One must abstain from all fornication; wherefore he says, For the Lord is an avenger in all these things. First he exhorted, he reproved by saying, Even as the Gentiles; then from reasoning he showed the absurdity. And this was it, To defraud his brother. He then brings on the main point; wherefore he says, The Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we also forewarned you and testified. For we shall not do these things unpunished, nor shall we enjoy as much pleasure as the punishment we shall undergo. For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Since he said, his brother, and added that God avenges, showing that even if an unbeliever suffers this, the one who did it 62.425 will pay the penalty, so he spoke. And what he says is this: He does not punish you avenging that man, but because you have insulted Him; He Himself called you, you have insulted the One who called you. For this reason he added; Therefore he that despises, despises not man, but God, who has given His Holy Spirit to us. So that whether you corrupt the queen, he says, or your own handmaid who is married, the crime is the same. Why? Because He does not avenge the persons who are wronged, but Himself; for you were equally defiled, you equally insulted God. For both this and that are adultery, since both this and that are marriage; and even if you do not commit adultery, but fornicate, although the prostitute has no husband, yet God avenges, because He avenges Himself. For you do not do this so much out of contempt for that man, as for God; and it is clear from this. For you do it even while hiding from him, but you do not put on a pretense before God who sees. For tell me, if someone deemed worthy of the purple robe by the king, and of countless other honors, and commanded to live worthily of the honor, should go away and be corrupted with some woman, whom has he insulted? Her, or the king who gave it? She has been insulted, indeed, but not in the same way. Therefore, I beseech you, let us guard against this sin. For just as we punish our wives, when living with us they give themselves to others; so too are we punished, if not by the laws of the Romans, yet by God. For this too is adultery. For adultery is not only to have relations with a woman joined to another, but also for one who is himself bound to a wife. Pay close attention to what I say; for even if what is said is burdensome to many, yet it is necessary to say it, so that you may be corrected for the future. And not only is this adultery, when we corrupt a woman joined to a man, but even if she is unbetrothed and free, if we ourselves are bound to a wife, the act is adultery. For what if the woman with whom the adultery is committed is not bound? But you are bound; you have transgressed the law, you have wronged your own flesh. For why, tell me, do you punish your wife, even if she fornicates with a man who is free and has no wife? Because it is adultery. And yet he who fornicated with her has no wife, but she is bound to a husband. Therefore you too are bound to a wife. So that your act is likewise adultery. For he who puts away, he says, his wife, except for the cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery; and he who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery. If he who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery, does not he who, while having his own wife, is also corrupted with this one, do this much more? It is clear to everyone. But to you men, these things have been said sufficiently; for concerning such things Christ also says, Their worm shall not die, and the fire shall not be quenched. But for the sake of the young it is necessary to speak to you, or rather not so much for their sake, as for yours; for these things are fitting not only for them, but also for you, and how, I will now say; He who has not learned to fornicate will not know how to commit adultery either; but he who wallows with harlots will also quickly come to this; and if not with married women, yet he will be corrupted with those who are free. 3. What then do I advise? So that you may cut out the roots, as many of you as have young sons, and are about to lead them into the worldly life, quickly bring them under the yoke of marriage.

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ἀδελφῶν μόνον ταῦτά φημι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰς ἑτέρων γυναῖκας, οὐδὲ τὰς ἁπλῶς ἀνάνδρους καὶ κοινὰς ἔχειν χρή. Πάσης πορνείας ἀπέχεσθαι δεῖ· διό φησι, ∆ιότι ἔκδικος ὁ Κύριος περὶ πάντων τούτων. Παρεκάλεσε πρῶτον, ἐνέτρεψεν εἰπὼν, Καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη· εἶτα ἀπὸ λογισμῶν τὸ ἄτοπον ἔδειξε. Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τὸ, Πλεονεκτεῖν τὸν ἀδελφόν. Ἐπάγει λοιπὸν τὸ κεφάλαιον· διό φησιν, Ἔκδικος ὁ Κύριος περὶ πάντων τούτων, καθὼς καὶ προείπομεν ὑμῖν καὶ διεμαρτυράμεθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀτιμωρητὶ ταῦτα πράξομεν, οὐδὲ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσομεν ἡδονῆς, ὅσην ὑποστησόμεθα κόλασιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἁγιασμῷ. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπε, Τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐκδικεῖ, δεικνὺς ὅτι κἂν ἄπιστος τοῦτο πάθῃ, τιμωρίαν ὁ 62.425 πεποιηκὼς δώσει, οὕτως εἶπεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἐκδικῶν τιμωρεῖταί σε, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ εἰς αὐτὸν ὕβρισας· αὐτός σε ἐκάλεσε, τὸν καλέσαντα ὕβρισας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε· Τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν δόντα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ὥστε κἂν τὴν βασιλίδα διαφθείρῃς, φησὶ, κἂν τὴν δούλην τὴν σὴν ὕπανδρον οὖσαν, ὅμοιον τὸ ἔγκλημα. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐ τὰ ἀδικούμενα ἐκδικεῖ πρόσωπα, ἀλλ' ἑαυτόν· σὺ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἐμολύνθης, ὁμοίως τὸν Θεὸν ὕβρισας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο μοιχεία, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο γάμος· κἂν μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, πορνεύσῃς δὲ, καίτοι οὐκ ἔχει ἄνδρα ἡ πόρνη, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ Θεὸς ἐκδικεῖ, ἐπειδὴ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδικεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἐκείνου καταφρονῶν τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Ἐκεῖνον μὲν γὰρ καὶ λανθάνων ποιεῖς, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν ὁρῶντα οὐ προσποιῇ. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τις ἁλουργίδος ἀξιωθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ μυρίας ἑτέρας τιμῆς, καὶ κελευσθεὶς ἀξίως ζῇν τῆς τιμῆς, ἀπελθών τινι προσφθαρείη γυναικὶ, τίνα ὕβρισεν; ἐκείνην, ἢ τὸν βασιλέα τὸν δεδωκότα; Ὕβρισται μὲν κἀκείνη, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁμοίως. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, φυλαττώμεθα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τὰς γυναῖκας κολάζομεν, ὅταν ἡμῖν συνοικοῦσαι ἑτέροις ἑαυτὰς δῶσιν· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς κολαζόμεθα, κἂν μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μοιχεία ἐστί. Μοιχεία γὰρ οὐ μόνον τὸ ἑτέρῳ συνεζευγμένην μοιχᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δεδεμένον αὐτὸν γυναικί. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς ᾧ λέγω· εἰ γὰρ καὶ φορτικὸν πολλοῖς τὸ λεγόμενον, ἀλλ' ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν ὥστε διορθώσασθαι τοῦ λοιποῦ. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἐστὶ μοιχεία, ὅταν ἀνδρὶ συνεζευγμένην διαφθείρωμεν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀφετὴν καὶ λελυμένην, αὐτοὶ δεδεμένοι γυναικὶ, μοιχεία τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἡ μοιχευομένη οὐ δέδεται; Ἀλλὰ σὺ δέδεσαι· τὸν νόμον παρέβης, ἠδίκησας τὴν σάρκα τὴν σήν. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὴν γυναῖκα κολάζεις, κἂν πορνευθῇ λελυμένῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ μὴ ἔχοντι γυναῖκα; Ὅτι μοιχεία ἐστί. Καίτοι ὁ πορνεύσας αὐτὴν, οὐκ ἔχει γυναῖκα, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ δέδεται ἀνδρί. Οὐκοῦν καὶ σὺ δέδεσαι γυναικί. Ὥστε ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ σὸν μοιχεία ἐστίν. Ὁ ἀπολύσας γὰρ, φησὶ, παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι· καὶ ὁ ἀπολελυμένην γαμῶν, μοιχᾶται. Εἰ ὁ γαμῶν ἀπολελυμένην μοιχᾶται, ὁ μετὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γυναικὸς, καὶ ταύτῃ προσφθειρόμενος, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Παντί που δῆλον. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν ὑμᾶς ἱκανῶς τοὺς ἄνδρας εἴρηται ταῦτα· περὶ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων φησὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, Ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτήσει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ οὐ σβεσθήσεται. Τῶν δὲ νέων ἕνεκεν εἰπεῖν ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς ὑμᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοσοῦτον δι' ἐκείνους, ὅσον δι' ὑμᾶς· οὐκ ἐκείνοις γὰρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἁρμόδια, καὶ πῶς, ἤδη λέξω· Ὁ μὴ μαθὼν πορνεύει οὐδὲ μοιχεύειν εἴσεται· ὁ δὲ πόρναις ἐγκαλινδούμενος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦτο ταχέως ἥξει· κἂν μὴ ὑπάνδροις, ἀλλὰ λελυμέναις συμφθαρήσεται γυναιξί. γʹ. Τί οὖν παραινῶ; Ὥστε τὰς ῥίζας ἐκτέμνειν, ὅσοι παῖδας ἔχετε νέους, καὶ πρὸς τὸν κοσμικὸν αὐτοὺς βίον ἀγαγεῖν μέλλετε, ταχέως ὑπὸ τὸν τοῦ γάμου ζυγὸν ἕλκετε.