31
"What does a graven thing profit a man, that he has graven it, a false image? Woe to him who says to the stone, 'Arise,' and to the wood, 'Be exalted.'" Likewise said also the other prophets of the truth. And why should I enumerate the multitude of the prophets, since they are many and have spoken countless things that are friendly and in agreement? For those who wish are able, by encountering the things spoken through them, to know accurately the truth and not to be led astray by thought and vain labor. These prophets, therefore, whom we have mentioned before, were among the Hebrews, unlettered and shepherds and private citizens. But the Sibyl, being a prophetess among the Greeks and among the other nations, at the beginning of her prophecy reproaches the race of men, saying: Mortal and fleshly men, being nothing, how quickly you are exalted, not seeing the end of life, do you not tremble nor fear God, your overseer, the most high knower, the all-seeing, witness of all things, the all-nourishing creator, who a sweet spirit in all placed, and made a guide for all mortals? There is one God, who alone rules, exceedingly great, unbegotten, all-powerful, invisible, Himself alone seeing all things, but He Himself is not seen by any mortal flesh. For what flesh is able to see with eyes the heavenly and true God, the immortal, who inhabits the heavens? But not even before the rays of the sun are men able to stand, having been born mortal, men in bones, being veins and flesh. Revere Him who alone is, the ruler of the world, who alone has existed from age to age. Self-begotten, unbegotten, ruling all things throughout all time, apportioning judgment to all mortals in a common light. And for your evil counsel you will have the worthy reward, because having forsaken the true and ever-living God to glorify, and to offer to Him holy hecatombs, you have made your sacrifices to the demons in hades. And you walk in pride and madness, and the straight path, the direct one, you have forsaken and gone away, and through thorns and stakes you have wandered. Mortals, cease being vain, reeling in darkness and in the lightless black night, and leave the darkness of night, and take hold of the light. Behold, He is clear and unerring to all. Come, and do not pursue darkness and gloom forever. Behold, the sweet-looking light of the sun shines exceedingly. But know, having placed wisdom in your breasts: there is one God, who sends rains, winds, earthquakes, lightnings, famines, plagues, and grievous sorrows, and snows, and ice. Why indeed do I declare them one by one? He leads the heaven, rules the earth, He Himself exists.
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"Τί ὠφελεῖ γλυπτὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὅτι ἔγλυψεν αὐτὸ φαντασίαν ψευδῆ; οὐαὶ τῷ λέγοντι τῷ λίθῳ ἐξεγέρθητι, καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ ὑψώθητι." ὁμοίως εἶπον καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τῆς ἀληθείας προφῆται. Καὶ τί μοι τὸ πλῆθος καταλέγειν τῶν προφητῶν, πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ μυρία φίλα καὶ σύμφωνα εἰρηκότων; οἱ γὰρ βουλόμενοι δύνανται ἐντυχόντες τοῖς δι' αὐτῶν εἰρημένοις ἀκριβῶς γνῶναι τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ μὴ παράγεσθαι ὑπὸ διανοίας καὶ ματαιοπονίας. οὗτοι οὖν οὓς προειρήκαμεν προφῆται ἐγένοντο ἐν Ἑβραίοις, ἀγράμματοι καὶ ποιμένες καὶ ἰδιῶται. Σίβυλλα δέ, ἐν Ἕλλησιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν γενομένη προφῆτις, ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς προφητείας αὐτῆς ὀνειδίζει τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, λέγουσα· Ἄνθρωποι θνητοὶ καὶ σάρκινοι, οὐδὲν ἐόντες, πῶς ταχέως ὑψοῦσθε, βίου τέλος οὐκ ἐσορῶντες, οὐ τρέμετ' οὐδὲ φοβεῖσθε θεόν, τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὑμῶν, ὕψιστον γνώστην, πανεπόπτην, μάρτυρα πάντων, παντοτρόφον κτίστην, ὅστις γλυκὺ πνεῦμ' ἐν ἅπασιν κάτθετο, χἠγητῆρα βροτῶν πάντων ἐποίησεν; εἷς θεός, ὃς μόνος ἄρχει, ὑπερμεγέθης, ἀγένητος, παντοκράτωρ, ἀόρατος, ὁρῶν μόνος αὐτὸς ἅπαντα, αὐτὸς δ' οὐ βλέπεται θνητῆς ὑπὸ σαρκὸς ἁπάσης. τίς γὰρ σὰρξ δύναται τὸν ἐπουράνιον καὶ ἀληθῆ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν θεὸν ἄμβροτον, ὃς πόλον οἰκεῖ; ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἀκτίνων κατεναντίον ἡελίοιο ἄνθρωποι στῆναι δυνατοί, θνητοὶ γεγαῶτες, ἄνδρες ἐν ὀστήεσσι, φλέβες καὶ σάρκες ἐόντες. αὐτὸν τὸν μόνον ὄντα σέβεσθ' ἡγήτορα κόσμου, ὃς μόνος εἰς αἰῶνα καὶ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἐτύχθη. αὐτογενής, ἀγένητος, ἅπαντα κρατῶν διαπαντός, πᾶσι βροτοῖσι νέμων τὸ κριτήριον ἐν φαῒ κοινῷ. τῆς κακοβουλοσύνης δὲ τὸν ἄξιον ἕξετε μισθόν, ὅττι θεὸν προλιπόντες ἀληθινὸν ἀεναόν τε δοξάζειν, αὐτῷ τε θύειν ἱερὰς ἑκατόμβας, δαίμοσι τὰς θυσίας ἐποιήσατε τοῖσιν ἐν ἅδῃ· τύφῳ καὶ μανίῃ δὲ βαδίζετε, καὶ τρίβον ὀρθὴν εὐθεῖαν προλιπόντες ἀπήλθετε, καὶ δι' ἀκανθῶν καὶ σκολόπων ἐπλανᾶσθε. βροτοὶ παύσασθε μάταιοι ·εμβόμενοι σκοτίῃ καὶ ἀφεγγέϊ νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ, καὶ λίπετε σκοτίην νυκτός, φωτὸς δὲ λάβεσθε. οὗτος ἰδοὺ πάντεσσι σαφὴς ἀπλάνητος ὑπάρχει. ἔλθετε, μὴ σκοτίην δὲ διώκετε καὶ γνόφον αἰεί· ἡελίου γλυκυδερκὲς ἰδοὺ φάος ἔξοχα λάμπει. γνῶτε δὲ κατθέμενοι σοφίην ἐν στήθεσιν ὑμῶν· εἷς θεὸς ἔστι, βροχάς, ἀνέμους, σεισμοὺς ἐπιπέμπων, ἀστεροπάς, λιμούς, λοιμοὺς καὶ κήδεα λυγρὰ καὶ νιφετούς, κρύσταλλα. τί δὴ καθ' ἓν ἐξαγορεύω; οὐρανοῦ ἡγεῖται, γαίης κρατεῖ, αὐτὸς ὑπάρχει.