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it is possible to rejoice. And indeed, not in strength, and good muscle tone, and the other advantages of the body. which are common even to the most worthless, and to those who have them have often brought inescapable ruin because of their inconsistency and uncertainty. In all things, if one must speak the truth, man is without authority, in possession of nothing, not only of other things but not even of those concerning himself securely, not of health, not of keen senses, not of the integrity of the other parts of the body, not of voice, not of quick-wittedness. For as for wealth, or glory, or friends, or offices, or whatever other things are of fortune, who does not know that they are uncertain? So it is necessary to confess that the authority over all things belongs to one, the one who is truly Lord.

TITLE 11. -Concerning good works; and that one must do good to all; and

that one must bear the burdens of one’s neighbor, and not bear grudges, but help him, and rebuke the evils likely done by him, and not return

evil for evil. If you see your brother’s calf, or his sheep wandering on the road,

you shall not overlook them; you shall surely turn them back to your brother. But if your brother is not near, and you do not know him, you shall gather them with yourself, until your brother seeks them, and you shall return them. If you meet your enemy’s ox, or his beast of burden wandering, turning it back you shall return it to him. And if you see your enemy’s beast of burden fallen under its load, you shall not pass it by, but you shall gather it with him. You shall love your neighbor, and you shall not receive sin on account of him If your brother becomes poor, and his hands are weak beside you, you shall help him as a proselyte and a sojourner; and your brother shall live with you. You shall not take interest from him, nor an increase. 95.1137 David went out from the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord king!" and Saul looked behind him, and David bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance to him. And David said, "Why do you listen to the words of the people who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your life’? Behold, on this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hands in the cave, and I was not willing to kill you, and I spared you and said, ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord, because this is the Lord’s anointed.’ And behold, the corner of your robe is in my hand, and I did not kill you." And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me with good, but I have repaid you with evil." He who devises good things seeks good favor. Do not open your lips wide; do not say, "As he has treated me, I will treat him, for the things in which he wronged me." Do not say, "I will take vengeance on my enemy"; but wait for the Lord, that he may help you. If your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him drink. For by doing this, you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will repay you with good. The ways of the resentful lead to death. He who bears a grudge is a lawbreaker. He who hides enmity contrives deceit. Do not bear a grudge for the malice of your brother in your hearts. Judge a righteous judgment, and show mercy and compassion, each to his brother. Seek what is good, and not what is evil, and the Lord will be with you. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Say, my brothers, to those who hate you and loathe you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, and he may appear to you in your joy, and they will be put to shame. For any injustice, do not be angry with your neighbor. Forgive the injustice of your neighbor, and then when you pray your sins will be forgiven. Remember your end, and cease from being an enemy. Lend to your neighbor according to your ability. Rebuke your neighbor, lest he has not done it; and if he has done something, lest he add to it. Rebuke a friend, lest he has not said it; and if he has said it, that he may not do so a second time. Understand your neighbor’s matters from your own. Man to man keeps

31

χαίρειν ἔστι. Καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ῥώμῃ, καὶ εὐτονίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῦ σώματος πλεονεκτήμασιν. ἃ καὶ τῶν φαυλοτάτων ἐστὶ κοινὰ, καὶ τοῖς ἔχουσι πολλάκις ὄλεθρον ἀπαραίτητον ἤνεγκεν διὰ τὸ ἀσύστατον καὶ ἀβέβαιον. Πάντων μὲν, εἰ δεῖ τ' ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ἄκυρον ἄνθρωπος, οὐδενὸς ἐνειλημμένος, οὐχ ὅ τι τῶν ἄλλω ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν βεβαίως, οὐχ ὑγείας, οὐκ εὐαισθησίας, οὐκ ἀρτιότητος τῆς περὶ τὰ ἀλλὰ τοῦ σώματος, οὐχὶ φωνῆς, οὐκ ἀγχινοίας. Τὰ γὰρ κατὰ πλοῦτον, ἢ δόξαν, ἢ φίλους, ἢ ἀρχὰς, ἢ ὅσα ἄλλα τυχηρὰ, τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὡς ἔστιν ἀβέβαια; Ὥστε ἀνάγκη ὁμολογεῖν, ὅτι περὶ ἕνα τὸ κύρος τῶν ἁπάντων ἐστὶ, τὸν ὄντα ὄντος Κύριον.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΑʹ. -Περὶ ἀγαθοεργίας· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς πάντα ποιεῖν· καὶ

ὅτι χρὴ τὰ βάρη τοῦ πλησίον φέρειν, καὶ μὴ μνησικακεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλέγχειν τὰ ὡς εἰκὸς παρ' αὐτοῦ γινόμενα κακὰ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιδιδόναι

κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ. Μὴ ἰδὼν τὸν μόσχον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, ἢ τὸ πρόβατον πλανώμενα ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ,

ὑπερίδῃς αὐτά· ἀποστροφῇ ἀποστρέψεις αὐτὰ τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἐγγίζῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, μηδὲ ἐπίστῃ αὐτὸν, συνάξεις αὐτὰ μετὰ σεαυτοῦ, ἕως ἂν ζητήσῃ αὐτὰ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, καὶ ἀποδῷς αὐτά. Ἐὰν συναντήσῃς τῷ βοῒ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ σου, ἢ τῷ ὑποζυγίῳ αὐτοῦ πλανωμένοις, ἀποστρέψας ἀποδώσεις αὐτῷ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἴδῃς τὸ ὑποζύγιον τοῦ ἐχθροῦ σου πεπτωκὸς ὑπὸ τὸν γόμον, οὐ παρελεύσῃ αὐτὸ, ἀλλὰ συνάγεις αὐτῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου, καὶ οὐ λήψῃ δι' αὐτὸν ἁμαρτίαν Ἐὰν πένηται ὁ ἀδελφός σου, καὶ ἀδυνατοῖ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν παρά σοι, ἀντιλήψῃ αὐτοῦ ὡς προσηλύτου καὶ παροίκου· καὶ ζήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ σοῦ. Οὐ λήψῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ τόκον, οὐδὲ πλεονασμόν. 95.1137 Ἐξῆλθεν ∆αβὶδ ἀπὸ τοῦ σπηλαίου, καὶ ἐβόησεν ὀπίσω Σαοὺλ, λέγων· Κύριε βασιλεῦ· καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν Σαοὺλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκυψε ∆αβὶδ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ εἶπεν ∆αβίδ· Ἵνα τί ἀκούεις τῶν λόγων τοῦ λαοῦ λεγόντων· Ἰδοὺ ∆αβὶδ ζητεῖ τὴν ψυχήν σου; Ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ ἑωράκασιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, ὥσπερ ἔδωκέ σε Κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖράς μου ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἠβουλήθην ἀποκτεῖναί σε, καὶ ἐφεισάμην σου καὶ εἶπα· Οὐκ ἐποίσω χεῖρά μου εἰς τὸν κύριόν μου, ὅτι χριστὸς Κυρίου οὗτος. Καὶ ἰδοὺ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος σου ἐν τῇ χειρί μου, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκταγκά σε. Καὶ ἐπῆρε Σαοὺλ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκλαυσεν, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς ∆αβίδ· ∆ίκαιος σὺ ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ, ὅτι σὺ ἀνταπέδωκάς μοι ἀγαθὰ, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνταπέδωκά σοι κακά. Τεκταινόμενος ἀγαθὰ, ζητεῖ χάριν ἀγαθήν. Μὴ πλατύνου σοῖς χείλεσιν· μὴ εἴπῃς· Ὃν τρόπον ἐχρήσατό μοι, χρήσομαι αὐτῷ, ὑπὲρ ὧν με ἠδίκησεν. Μὴ εἴπῃς· Τίσομαι τὸν ἐχθρόν· ἀλλ' ὑπόμεινον τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα σε βοηθήσῃ. Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν, ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Κύριος ἀνταποδώσει σοι ἀγαθά. Ὁδοὶ μνησικάκων εἰς θάνατον. Ὃς μνησικακεῖ, παράνομος. Ὁ κρύπτων ἔχθραν, συνίστησι δόλον. Κακίαν ἕκαστος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ μνησικακῆτε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. Κρῖμα δίκαιον κρίνατε, καὶ ἔλεος καὶ οἰκτιρμὸν ποιεῖτε ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ. Ἐκζητήσατε τὸ καλὸν, καὶ μὴ πονηρὸν, καὶ ἔσται μεθ' ὑμῶν Κύριος. Ἀκούσατε ῥῆμα Κυρίου οἱ τρέμοντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Εἴπατε, ἀδελφοί μου, τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ βδελυσσομένοις, ἵνα τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου δοξασθῇ, καὶ ὀφθῇ ὑμῖν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι αἰσχυνθήσονται. Ἐπὶ παντὸς ἀδικήματος μὴ μηνίσῃς τῷ πλησίον σου. Ἄφες ἀδίκημα τῷ πλησίον σου, καὶ τότε δεηθέντος σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου λυθήσονται. Μνήσθητι τὰ ἔσχατά σου, καὶ παῦσαι ἐχθραίνων. ∆άνεισον τῷ πλησίον σου κατὰ δύναμίν σου. Ἔλεγξον τὸν πλησίον σου, μήποτε οὐκ ἐποίησε· καὶ εἴ τι ἐποίησε, μήποτε προσθῇ. Ἔλεγξον τὸν φίλον, μήποτε οὐκ εἶπε· καὶ εἰ εἴρηκεν, ἵνα μὴ δευτερεύσῃ. Νόει τὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ. Ἅνθρωπος ἀνθρώπῳ συντηρεῖ