,

It is said, then, also in proverbs by this same wise man: "Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth." "Ignorance" springs up with "youth". Unless one, then, surpasses the motion of "youth" and, as if in "youth," is moved as an old man, he has much "ignorance". "to give prudence to the simple, and to the young man perception and thought." If "perception and thought" are "given to the young man" by wisdom, it is clear that he has cast off "ignorance". When he does not have knowledge, he is in foolishness. For this reason also in the Psalms he attached such things to "youth": "Do not remember the sins of my youth and my ignorances." See that "youth" is most receptive of these things and has them. For this reason "rejoice," so that you may not have "folly"; for this reason "walk," so that you may not have "vanity" and "wickedness of the flesh." 12,1ba In the day of your youth, therefore, remember who created you. God is the one "who created"; but God does not "create" with evil; for this reason consider that "he created you in youth," not so that you might have "ignorance," not so that you might be foolish, not so that you might be without knowledge, but so that being receptive of knowledge, you might take it up.

12,1c until the days of your evil come. If he means "evil" to be this which is contrary to virtue, bringing blame to the one who has it, he says: "until the days of your evil do not come," as long as you are receptive of virtue and "evil," do not await "evil," do not prepare yourself ready for it. For when you have virtue, "evil" has no place in you. In the very young there is a capacity for both, both virtue and "evil"; but in those who have passed the young age of mere infants, there is thus no "evil" because 339 virtue is in that soul. Both the infant lacks "evil" and the good man, but they are outside of "evil" in different ways. For the good man, by having a disposition contrary to "evil"—and this is practical virtue, virtue simply so called; and contraries cannot coexist—, but in the infant, not having "evil" is not a disposition, but an absence of "evil". If, therefore, he means "evil" to be this most wicked state, "until the days of your evil do not come," do what has been commanded you, walk "blameless." Since: "until they come" as if they were "coming" of necessity? —No, but of us drawing "evil" upon ourselves. If I say that as long as the body of a living creature is healthy, sickness does not "come," I am not speaking of something necessary. Again I say that as long as one is an infant, knowledge does not "come" to him. I say this in a different way; for age hinders it; for it is not age that prevents sickness or health, but the state of one of the contraries. But if by "evil" he means what he calls affliction—and affliction can also be punishment—, before the punishment, the "evil," "comes," do what I tell you, so that when the punishing affliction "comes" it may not find you liable. Since: before the punishment "comes"? —God brings punishment on men not at random, but when he judges it advantageous to inflict it; for the Lord is "a righteous judge, strong and long-suffering, not bringing on wrath every day; if you do not turn back, he will whet his sword." Since God is a "righteous judge," how is it that men, having sinned, do not fall under punishment and retribution? Was it because of weakness that he "did not bring it on"? No; he is "strong" and was able to punish immediately, but with his strength he is "also long-suffering" and "does not bring on wrath every day"; on one he "brings it," on another he does not, for reasons he himself knows, which are most profound. When, therefore, "he does not bring on his wrath every day" they despise the threat, since the things of "evil" escape notice, so that it becomes necessary for them to be punished, then, "if they do not turn back" toward whom he was long-suffering, "he will whet his sword." This is the "evil" that is "coming," not being a most wicked state, but a punitive one, being a most vehement affliction. In the "time" of "judgment," therefore, at each "time," he judges all. And he calls this "time" 340 sometimes "a time of

εἴρηται γοῦν καὶ ἐν παροιμίαις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῦ σοφοῦ· "ἄνοια ἐξῆπται καρδίᾳ νέου". παραφύεται τῇ "νεότητι" ἡ "ἄγνοια". εἰ μή τις γοῦν ὑπερβάλῃ τὴν τῆς "νεότητος" κίνησιν καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν "νεό τητι" πρεσβυτικῶς κινῆται, "ἄγνοιαν" πολλὴν ἔχει. "ἵνα δῷ ἀκάκῳ πανουργίαν, παιδὶ δὲ νέῳ αἴσθησίν τε καὶ ἔννοιαν". εἰ "δίδοται τῷ παιδὶ τῷ νέῳ" ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας "αἴσθησις καὶ ἔννοια", δῆλον ὅτι ἀπέβαλεν τὴν "ἄγνοιαν". ὅτε μὴ ἔχει ἐπιστήμην, ἐν ἀνοησίᾳ ἐστίν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς τῇ "νεότητι" προσῆψεν τὰ τοιαῦτα· "ἁμαρτίας νεότητός μου καὶ τὰς ἀγνοίας μου μὴ μνησθῃ῀̣ς". ὅρα ὅτι ἡ "νεότης" μάλιστα τούτων δεκτική ἐστιν καὶ ταῦτα ἔχει. διὰ τοῦτο "εὐφραίνου", ἵνα μὴ ἔχῃς "ἄνοιαν"· διὰ τοῦτο "πορεύου", ἵνα μὴ "μα ταιότητα" ἔχῃς καὶ "πονηρίαν σαρκός". 12,1ba ἐν ἡμέρᾳ οὖν τῆς νεότητός σου μνήσθητι τίς ἔκτισέν σε. θεός ἐστιν ὁ "κτίσας"· οὐ "κτίζει" δὲ θεὸς με τὰ κακίας· διὰ τοῦτο σκόπει ὅτι "ἔκτισέν σε ἐν νεό τητι", οὐχ ἵνα "ἄγνοιαν" ἔχῃς, οὐχ ἵνα ἀφραίνῃς, οὐχ ἵνα ἀνεπιστήμων ᾖς, ἀλλ' ἵνα δεκτικὸς ὢν ἐπιστήμης ἀναλάβῃς αὐτήν.

12,1c ἕως οὗ ἔλθωσιν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας σου. ἐὰν τὴν "κακίαν" λέγῃ

ταύτην τὴν ἐναντίαν τῇ ἀρε τῇ τὴν ψόγον φέρουσαν τῷ ἔχοντι, λέγει· "ἕως μὴ ἔλ θωσιν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας σου", ἐς ὅσον δεκτικὸς εἶ ἀρετῆς καὶ "κακίας", μὴ προσδόκα τὴν "κακίαν", μὴ ἕτοιμον σε̣αυτὸν πρὸς ταύτην παρασκεύαζε. ὅταν γὰρ ἀρετὴν ἔχῃς, οὐκ ἔχει χώραν ἔν σοι ἡ "κακία". ἐν τοῖς ἄγαν νηπίοις δύναμις ἀμφοτέρων ἐστίν, καὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ "κακίας"· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ὑπερβᾶσιν τὴν νέαν ἡλικίαν τὴν κομιδῇ νηπίων οὕτως οὐκ ἔνι "κακία" τῷ 339 ἀρετὴν εἶναι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἐκείνῃ. καὶ τὸ βρέφος ἀμοι ρεῖ "κακίας" καὶ ὁ σπουδαῖος ἀνήρ, ἀλλ' ἑτέρως καὶ ἑτέρως ἐκτός εἰσιν "κακίας". ὁ μὲν γὰρ σπουδαῖος τῷ διάθεσιν ἔχειν ἐναντίαν τῇ "κακίᾳ"-αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ πρακτικὴ ἀρετή, ἡ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀρετή· οὐ δύνανται δὲ συνυπάρξαι τὰ ἐναντία-, ἐν δὲ τῷ βρέφει οὐ διάθε σίς ἐστιν τὸ μὴ ἔχειν "κακίαν", ἀλλὰ ἀπόφασις "κα κίας". ἐὰν οὖν τὴν "κακίαν" λέγῃ̣ ταύτην τὴν χειρίστην ἕξιν, "ἕως μὴ ἔλθωσιν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας σου", ποί ει τὰ προςτεταγμένα σοι, "ἄμωμος" βάδιζε. ἐπερ· "ἕως οὗ ἔλθωσιν" ὡς ἀναγκαίως "ἐρχομένων" αὐτῶν; -οὔ, ἀλλ' ἡμῶν ἐπισπωμένων τὴν "κακίαν". ἐὰν λέ γω ὅτι ἐς ὅσον ὑγιαίνει τὸ τοῦ ζῴου σῶμα, οὐκ "ἔρχε ται" νόσος, μὴ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον λέγω. πάλιν λέγω ὅτι ἐς ὅσον νήπιός τίς ἐστιν, οὐκ "ἔρχεται" αὐτῷ ἐπιστή μη. ἑτέρως λέγω τοῦτο· ἡ ἡλικία γὰρ ἐνποδίζει· οὐχ ἡλικία γὰρ κωλύει τὴν νόσον ἢ τὴν ὑγίειαν, ἀλλὰ ἡ θα τέρου τῶν ἐναντίων λέξις. ἐὰν δὲ "κακίαν" λέγει ὅπερ λέγει τὴν κάκωσιν-ἡ κάκωσις δὲ καὶ κόλασις εἶναι δύναται-, πρὶν "ἔλ θῃ" ἡ κόλασις, ἡ "κακία", ποίησον ἃ λέγω σοι, ἵνα "ἐλ θοῦσα" ἡ κάκωσις ἡ κολαστικὴ μὴ εὕρῃ σε ὑπεύθυνον. ἐπερ· πρὶν "ἔλθῃ" ἡ κόλασις; -ὁ θεὸς προσάγει τιμωρίαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλ' ὅταν κρίνῃ συμφερόντως αὐτὴν ἐπενεγ κεῖν· κύριος γὰρ "κριτὴς δίκαιος, ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρό θυμος μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· ἐὰν μὴ ἐ πιστραφῆτε, τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ στιλβώσει". "κριτοῦ δικαίου" ὄντος τοῦ θεοῦ πῶς ἁμαρτόντες ἄνθρωποι οὐχ ὑποπίπτουσιν τιμωρίᾳ καὶ ἀνταποδόσει; ἆρα πα ρὰ ἀσθένειαν "μὴ ε᾿̣π̣ήγαγεν"; οὔ· "ἰσχυρός" ἐστιν καὶ η᾿̣δ̣ύνατο παραυτὰ τιμωρήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ σὺν τῇ ἰσχύι "καὶ μακρόθυμός" ἐστιν καὶ "οὐκ ἐπάγει ὀργὴν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν"· ᾧ μὲν "ἐπάγει", ᾧ δὲ οὔ, δι' οὓς οἶδεν α̣ὐ τὸς βαθυτάτους λόγους. ὅταν οὖν "μὴ ἐπάγοντος αὐτοῦ ὀργὴν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν" καταφρονοῦσιν τῆς ἀ πειλῆς, ἐπεὶ λάθῃ τὰ τῆς "κακίας", ὡς χρείαν λοιπὸν γενέσθαι τιμωρηθῆναι, τότε, "ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιστραφῶσιν" οἷς ἐμακροθύμησεν, "τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ στιλβώσει". αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ "κακία" ἡ "ἐρχομ̣ένη", οὐ χειρί στη ἕξις οὖσα, ἀλλὰ κολαστική, σφοδροτάτη οὖσα κάκω σις. ἐν τῷ "καιρῷ" οὖν τῆς "κρίσεως", ἐπὶ καθένα "καιρόν", πάντας κρίνει. καὶ καλεῖ τὸν "καιρὸν" 340 τοῦτον ὁτὲ μὲν "καιρὸν