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retribution of like things. For how will he teach another to render evil to no one for evil, when he does everything to avenge himself and to inflict pain in return on the one who harmed him?, not imitating the gentleness of David, who says: "If I have repaid those who repay me with evils;" nor of Jeremiah, remembering that "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He will sit alone and be silent, because he has taken it upon himself. He will give his cheek to the one who strikes him; he will be filled with reproaches." And what need is there to speak of the Lord's teachings, how those who seek retribution despise them? the Lord saying: "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Therefore, for everyone it is an accusation to seek retribution, but especially when someone does this from a position of ruling authority, when he ought to be by his action a teacher to the people of the good things that come from patience. For what a spectacle, how dignified and wonderful and almost transcending human nature, for one who has been much reviled and perhaps received a blow on the cheek and suffered countless other things both in word and deed that lead to the utmost dishonor, not to boil over with anger, nor to rise up for vengeance; but, having risen gently and without anger, to pray for the one who insulted him; so that both his past sin may be forgiven him, and for the future he may be deemed worthy of fitting care from God, so that he might cease from his insolence. But now we who are rulers, along with our other evils, sin especially in this, seeking retribution, and not even retaliating in equal measure, but avenging ourselves with excess, being provoked not only if we are insulted, but also if we are not honored, considering as enemies even those who honor us less than we have supposed ourselves worthy. 1.53 *Not judging for the orphans, and not paying attention to the judgment of the widow.* The rest has been said in what follows, concerning orphans and widows; but here pay attention to how much arrogance of the ruler the phrase "not paying attention" indicates, how it shows him to be even wilder than the judge of unrighteousness; if indeed the latter, after many entreaties, even if he was otherwise unsympathetic, yet because of the widow's persistence, paid attention to the judgment, avoiding being worn out by her any longer. But concerning these it is said that, generally, they do not deign to pay attention to the judgment of a widow. 1.54 *For this reason the Lord, the Lord of Sabaoth, says this: Woe to the strong ones of Israel.* It is an idiom of Scripture to form the phrase thus; instead of "to the strong ones," He said "Woe to the strong ones," saying that this cry uttered over unbearable pains is fitting for those who a little later will be in most intolerable torment, that is, the strong ones of Israel. And this is said not conjecturally by the Prophet, but as a decree, which proceeded from the mouth that does not lie. And by "the strong ones" we must understand the same as "the rulers," who, in addition to disobeying God, also love gifts and seek retribution and the rest of the things of which they are accused. Woe to those who are strong and disobedient. For to the weaker there is perhaps pardon; "For the lowliest is pardonable in mercy, but the mighty shall be mightily tested." And "from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more." For this reason also, woe to the rich, because, being strong enough to comfort the poor, they do not use the power of their wealth for the purposes for which they received it. And if anyone is quicker of mind than another, and does not use the strength of his nature for the investigation of divine things, to him also is woe, when the work is demanded in proportion to what was given. And if any, having undertaken ecclesiastical leadership, do not adorn their work with the conduct befitting their profession, to them also is woe. *For my anger will not cease against my adversaries.* Adversaries to God are those who go against His commands; as long as they are adversaries, the so-called anger of God will not cease against them. For by persisting in wickedness, we kindle the wrath of God against ourselves, our sins being like fuel for a fire

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ὁμοίων ἀντίδοσιν. Πῶς γὰρ διδάξει ἕτερον, μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόναι, ὁ πάντα ποιῶν εἰς τὸ ἀμύνασθαι καὶ ἀντιλυ πῆσαι τὸν βλάψαντα;, μὴ μιμούμενος τὴν πραότητα τοῦ ∆α βὶδ, λέγοντος· Εἰ ἀνταπέδωκα τοῖς ἀνταποδιδοῦσί μοι κακά· μήτε δὲ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου, μεμνημένος ὅτι Ἀγαθὸν ἀνδρὶ, ὅταν ἄρῃ ζυγὸν ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ· καθήσεται καταμόνας, καὶ σιω πήσεται, ὅτι ἦρεν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ. ∆ώσει τῷ παίοντι αὐτὸν σια γόνα, χορτασθήσεται ὀνειδισμῶν. Τί δὲ δεῖ λέγειν περὶ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου διδαγμάτων, ὅπως αὐτῶν καταφρονοῦσιν οἱ διώ κοντες ἀνταπόδομα; τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἐάν τίς σε ῥαπίσῃ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην. Παντὶ μὲν οὖν κατηγόρημα τὸ διώκειν ἀνταπόδομα, μάλι στα δὲ ὅταν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχοντικῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦτο ποιῇ τις, δέον ἔργῳ διδάσκαλον τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καλῶν γίνεσθαι τῷ λαῷ. Οἷον γὰρ θέαμα, πῶς σεμνὸν καὶ θαυμάσιον καὶ μικροῦ τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐκβαῖνον, πολλὰ λοιδο ρηθέντα καί που καὶ πληγὴν δεξάμενον ἐπὶ κόῤῥης καὶ ἄλλα μυρία παθόντα καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ πρὸς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀτι μίαν φερόντων, μὴ ὑπερζέσαι θυμῷ, μηδὲ διαναστῆναι πρὸς ἄμυναν· ἀλλὰ πράως καὶ ἀοργήτως ἀναστάντα, προσεύξασθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὑβριστοῦ· ὥστε καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς φθάσασιν αὐτῷ ἁμαρτίαν συγχωρηθῆναι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς τῆς πρεπούσης παρὰ Θεοῦ ἐπιμελείας ἀξιωθῆναι, ὥστε ἀσελγαίνοντα παύ σασθαι. Νῦν δὲ ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄρχοντες, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν, καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἁμαρτάνομεν, διώκοντες ἀνταπόδομα, οὐδὲ καὶ ἴσῳ τῷ μέτρῳ ἀντιδιδόντες, ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἀμυνό μενοι, οὐκ ἐὰν ὑβρισθῶμεν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ καὶ τιμηθῶμεν, παροξυνόμενοι, ἐχθροὺς ἡγούμενοι καὶ τοὺς ἔλαττον ἡμᾶς τιμῶντας, ὧν ἀξίους ἑαυτοὺς ὑπειλήφαμεν. 1.53 Ὀρφανοῖς οὐ κρίνοντες, καὶ κρίσει χήρας οὐ προσ έχοντες. Τὰ λοιπὰ εἴρηται καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατόπιν, τὰ περὶ ὀρ φανῶν καὶ χήρας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπίστησον τῷ Οὐ προσ έχοντες πόσην ἐμφαίνει ἀλαζονείαν τοῦ ἄρχοντος, ὅπως αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ κριτοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας ἀγριώτερον δείκνυσιν· εἴγε ὁ μὲν μετὰ πολλὰς ἐντεύξεις, εἰ καὶ ἄλλως ἀσυμπαθὴς ἦν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ φιλόπονον τῆς χήρας, προσέσχε τῇ κρίσει, τὸ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ὑπὸ αὐτῆς κοποῦσθαι περιιστάμενος. Περὶ δὲ τούτων εἴρηται ὡς, καθόλου, κρίσει χήρας προσέχειν μὴ καταδεχομένων. 1.54 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει ὁ ∆εσπότης Κύριος Σαβαώθ· Οὐαὶ οἱ ἰσχύοντες Ἰσραήλ. Ἰδίωμα τῆς Γραφῆς, οὕτω σχηματίζειν τὴν λέξιν· Ἀντὶ τοῦ τοῖς ἰσχύουσιν, Οὐαὶ οἱ ἰσχύοντες, εἶπε τὴν ἐπὶ δυσ υπομονήτοις πόνοις ἐκπεμπομένην φωνὴν ταύτην ἁρμόζειν λέγον τοῖς μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐν βασάνῳ δυσφορωτάτῃ γενησομέ νοις, τοῖς ἰσχύουσι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐ στοχαστικῶς εἴ ρηται παρὰ τοῦ Προφήτου, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀπόφασιν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς στόματος προελθοῦσαν. Τοὺς ἰσχύοντας δὲ τοὺς αὐ τοὺς νοητέον τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, οἳ, πρὸς τῷ ἀπειθεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἀγαπῶσι δῶρα καὶ διώκουσιν ἀνταπόδομα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ, ἃ κατηγοροῦνται. Οὐαὶ τοῖς ἰσχύουσι καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι. Τοῖς γὰρ ἀσθενεστέροις τάχα συγγνώμη· Ὁ γὰρ ἐλάχιστος συγγνω στός ἐστιν ἐλέους· δυνατοὶ δὲ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται. Καὶ Ὧ πολὺ παρέθεντο, περισσότερον ἀπαιτήσουσιν αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς πλουσίοις οὐαὶ, ὅτι ἰσχύοντες εἰς τὸ παρα μυθεῖσθαι τοὺς πένητας, οὐ κέχρηνται τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πλού του, εἰς ἃ εἰλήφασι. Καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρου τὴν διάνοιαν ἐντρε χέστερος, μὴ ἀποχρῆται τῇ ἰσχύϊ τῆς φύσεως πρὸς τὴν τῶν θείων ἔρευναν, καὶ τούτῳ οὐαὶ, ὅταν ἀπαιτῆται κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῶν δεδομένων τὸ ἔργον. Καὶ εἴ τινες δὲ προστα σίας ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐπειλημμένοι, μὴ κοσμοῦσι τὸ ἔργον τῇ πρεπούσῃ τῷ ἐπαγγέλματι πολιτείᾳ, καὶ τούτοις οὐαί. Οὐ παύσεται γάρ μου ὁ θυμὸς ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις. Ὑπε ναντίοι Θεῷ, οἱ ἀντιβαίνοντες αὐτοῦ τοῖς Προστάγμασιν· οἵτινες ἐφ' ὅσον εἰσὶν ὑπεναντίοι, οὐ παύσεται ὁ λεγόμενος θυμὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατ' αὐτῶν. Ἐπιμένοντες μὲν γὰρ ταῖς πονηρίαις, ἐξάπτομεν ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἷον πυρὶ ὕλην τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν