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those who were more imperfectly disposed said these things, and those who were seeking sought them; but now he who is troubled by these things is worthy of no pardon, having learned to philosophize so much, and having received such doctrines concerning the things to come, and having been taught more clearly the word concerning Gehenna and the kingdom, and that each one will receive there what he deserves. God, who is righteous, examines hearts and reins. My help is from God, who saves the upright in heart. Another, The examiner of hearts and reins is the righteous God, my defender. And another, God is righteous. But the Seventy said thus, God examines hearts and reins. My help from God is just. He said that he will judge the world, so he now says how he will judge. He said that he needs no witnesses, no refutations, no proofs, no documents, nor any other such thing; for he himself is the one who knows the hidden things. Let none of the foolish then say: And how will he judge the world, being so great? For he who made it when it was not, will also judge it when it has come to be. And here by 'reins' he means the hidden things of the mind, the innermost, the deepest things, alluding to the position of the organ. ιʹ. What is, Examining? What the other said, Testing. And if the words are human, yet the thoughts are worthy of God. For just as Paul, saying, 'He who searches the hearts,' uses 'to search' instead of 'to know clearly;' so also this one uses 'Examining' instead of 'to know precisely.' And 'to test' is 'to lay bare,' which belongs to precise understanding and knowledge; as Paul also says: But all things are naked and laid open to his eyes. My help is just. Another, My defender is just. What is, My help from God is just? It would justly be done for me, he says, by God; for I ask nothing unjust. So if we are to enjoy the alliance from above, we must ask for such things as also have the quality of justice; so that by the nature of the request we may draw down the favor Of him who saves the upright in heart. This is his work, this is his custom. Since, therefore, I too did not begin with unjust hands, nor do I desire to avenge myself, for this reason my help from God would be just. Knowing these things, therefore, let us ask for nothing of the sort that prevents the giving. For when you ask for something against your enemies, your help is not just; for it is contrary to the law of the one who gives; and if you ask for wealth, and if you ask for beauty, and if you ask for any such worldly, fleeting thing, which is contrary to the philosophy of the soul. Let us ask, therefore, so that we may also obtain. God is a righteous judge, and strong, and long-suffering, and not bringing on wrath every day. Another says, Being indignant every day. But the 55.96 Hebrew, Throughout all life. And another, Threatening, being indignant, not punishing. And what he says is this: If he is righteous, he will surely wish to punish the unrighteous; if he is strong, he will surely be able. And where, he says, are the things of his love for humanity, if he judges according to justice? First, in not bringing on the punishment immediately, or rather, before this, in forgiving all sins through the washing of regeneration; and second, in also giving repentance. For if you consider that we sin every day, then you will see most of all the unspeakable greatness of his love for humanity. And indeed, indicating this, he added, saying: God is a righteous judge, and strong, and long-suffering. You are at a loss, since he both is able and wishes, for what reason he does not punish? Learn, he says, that he is long-suffering, and does not bring on wrath every day. For lest any of the foolish should think that he does not proceed because of weakness, he shows the reason for the delay; that his long-suffering also has great measures. For since he is long-suffering for this reason, leading you to repentance, when you gain nothing from this medicine,

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μὲνἀτελέστερον διακείμενοι, ταῦτα ἔφασκον οἱ φάσκοντες, καὶ ἐζήτουν οἱ ζητοῦντες· νῦν δὲ οὐδεμιᾶς συγγνώμης ἄξιος ὁ τούτοις θορυβούμενος, ὁ τοσαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν μαθὼν, καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων τοιαῦτα δόγματα δεξάμενος, καὶ τὸν περὶ γεέννης καὶ τὸν περὶ βασιλείας σαφέστερον διδαχθεὶς λόγον, καὶ ὅτι τὰ κατ' ἀξίαν ἕκαστος ἐκεῖ ἀπολήψεται. Ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ Θεὸς δίκαιος. Ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ σώζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἄλλος, Ὁ ἐταστὴς καρδιῶν καὶ νεφρῶν ὁ Θεὸς δίκαιος, ὁ ὑπερασπιστής μου. Καὶ ἕτερος, Ὁ Θεὸς δίκαιος. Οἱ Ἑβδομήκοντα δὲ οὕτως εἶπον, Ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ Θεός. ∆ικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἶπεν ὅτι κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει λοιπὸν καὶ πῶς κρινεῖ. Εἶπεν ὅτι οὐ μαρτύρων δεόμενος, οὐκ ἐλέγχων, οὐκ ἀποδείξεων, οὐ γραμματείων, οὐκ ἄλλου τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενός· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐπιστάμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν λεγέτω τις τῶν ἀνοήτων· Καὶ πῶς κρινεῖ τὸν κόσμον τοσοῦτον ὄντα; Ὁ γὰρ ποιήσας οὐκ ὄντα, καὶ γενόμενον κρινεῖ. Νεφροὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας λέγει, τὰ ἐνδότατα, τὰ βαθύτατα, ἀπὸ τῆς θέσεως τοῦ μορίου αἰνιξάμενος. ιʹ. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐτάζων; Ὅπερ ὁ ἄλλος εἶπε, ∆οκιμάζων. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώπιναι αἱ λέξεις, ἀλλὰ θεοπρεπῆ τὰ νοήματα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος λέγων, Ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν τὰς καρδίας, τὸ ἐρευνᾷν, ἀντὶ τοῦ σαφῶς εἰδέναι, τίθησιν· οὕτω καὶ οὗτος, τὸ Ἐτάζων, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀκριβῶς ἐπίστασθαι. Καὶ τὸ βασανίσαι δὲ τὸ γυμνῶσαί ἐστιν, ὅπερ ἀκριβοῦς ἐστιν ἐπιστήμης καὶ γνώσεως· ὡς καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Πάντα δὲ γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ. ∆ικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου. Ἄλλος, ∆ίκαιος ὁ ὑπερασπιστής μου. Τί ἐστι, ∆ικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ; ∆ικαίως ἂν γένοιτό μοι, φησὶ, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄδικον αἰτῶ. Ὥστε εἰ μέλλοιμεν ἀπολαύειν συμμαχίας τῆς ἄνωθεν, τοιαῦτα αἰτεῖν δεῖ, ἃ καὶ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον ἔχει· ἵνα τῇ φύσει τῆς αἰτήσεως τὴν ῥοπὴν ἐπισπασώμεθα Τοῦ σώζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτῷ, τοῦτο ἔθος αὐτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἦρξα χειρῶν ἀδίκων, οὐδὲ ἀμύνασθαι ἐπιθυμῶ, διὰ τοῦτο δικαία ἂν γένοιτο ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, μηδὲν τοιοῦτον αἰτῶμεν, ὃ κωλύει τὴν δόσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ κατὰ ἐχθρῶν αἰτῇς, οὐκ ἔστι δικαία ἡ βοήθειά σου· ἐναντία γάρ ἐστι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ παρέχοντος· κἂν πλοῦτον αἰτῇς, κἂν κάλλος αἰτῇς, κἂν ὁτιοῦν τοιοῦτον αἰτῇς βιωτικὸν, παραῤῥέον, καὶ ἐναντίον τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς φιλοσοφίᾳ. Αἰτῶμεν τοίνυν ὥστε καὶ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς δίκαιος, καὶ ἰσχυρὸς, καὶ μακρόθυμος, καὶ μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐμβριμώμενος κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν. Ὁ δὲ 55.96 Ἑβραῖος, Κατὰ πᾶσαν ζωήν. Καὶ ἄλλος, Ἀπειλούμενος, ἐμβριμώμενος, οὐ κολάζων. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Εἰ δίκαιος, πάντως βουλήσεται τοὺς ἀδίκους κολάσαι· εἰ ἰσχυρὸς, πάντως δυνήσεται. Καὶ ποῦ, φησὶ, τὰ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, εἰ κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον κρινεῖ; Πρῶτον μὲν, ἐν τῷ μὴ κατὰ πόδας ἐπάγειν τὴν δίκην, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τούτου, ἐν τῷ πάντα ἀφεῖναι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας· δεύτερον δὲ ἐν τῷ καὶ μετάνοιαν δοῦναι. Ἂν γὰρ ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην ἁμαρτάνομεν ἡμέραν, τότε μάλιστα ὄψει αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄφατον μέγεθος τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐμφαίνων ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς δίκαιος, καὶ ἰσχυρὸς, καὶ μακρόθυμος. Ἀπορεῖς, ἐπεὶ καὶ δύναται καὶ βούλεται, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ κολάζει; Μάνθανε, φησὶν, ὅτι μακρόθυμος, καὶ μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις τῶν ἀνοήτων νομίσῃ, ὅτι δι' ἀσθένειαν οὐκ ἐπεξέρχεται, δείκνυσι τῆς μελλήσεως τὴν αἰτίαν· ὅτι μεγάλα καὶ ἡ μακροθυμία μέτρα ἔχει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο μακροθυμεῖ, εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγων, ὅταν ἀπὸ τοῦ φαρμάκου τούτου μηδὲν κερδάνῃς,