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especially when he saw the aptitude for repentance that was in them, these things were said. And the phrase, "Have I asked you for anything?" reveals also that they were unable to help; for I know that it belongs to God alone to save, who also has given forgiveness. For the saints make their requests with knowledge. "Teach me, and I will be silent. If I have erred in anything, tell me." And with this, with the greatest possible gentleness, the saint teaches them how they should use words towards those in adversity, saying: you ought to teach, not to rebuke unseasonably, unless he also does this for instruction, according to what is said by Paul: "reprove, rebuke, exhort". Furthermore, being a model of moderation, he also requests from such men a word of teaching183, lest he might find something useful. And if the saint does so, no one ought to be proud and hesitate to be taught by anyone. "But, as it seems, the words of a true man are worthless." This is a rebuke against those who despise the opinions of just or otherwise upright men, which the proud are accustomed to do, paying attention not to the opinion and life of right choice, but to external things, according to what is said: "A rich man spoke, and all were silent and praised his word; a poor man spoke, and they said, 'Who is this?'." And these things are clear from the evidence. And it is clear that the blessed man was true, to which God also bears witness. And "worthless" instead of "cheap," "worthless" sometimes being said instead of "evil." "For I do not ask for strength from you." This is in agreement with the things above, where he said: "For what? Have I asked you for anything?" with the part "teach me" until "But, as it seems" being said in between. Therefore, that meaning must be applied to them. "Nor will your rebuke in words stop me." For a word uttered without works is uncertain and untrustworthy, especially when not proceeding truthfully, it has weakness. 184 he says that: you, using such a rebuke, do not stop me either from uttering true things or from growing weary towards virtue. "For I will not endure the sound of a word from you." And this is of courage; for many often, hearing burdensome words from those in adversity, grow weary, so as even to become weak because of them. But the saint accepted neither the rebuke from his friends nor their words with contempt, not admitting them at all from the start as things able to shake him. "Except that you attack an orphan, and you leap upon your friend." For this reason I do not accept the rebukes from you as being correct, because you attack me as if I were an orphan and helpless, not looking to the helper of all, but you also leap upon a friend, not recognizing the duties of friendship. The saying is useful for not trampling on the misfortunes of others. "But now, looking into your faces, I will not lie." The saying is instructive for not uttering words of slander about those who are absent, but saying what must be said to their face. For it is said: "Do not slander, nor listen with pleasure to one who slanders185." And it is also bold to say: "I will not lie," just as Paul also says: "that I am not lying." "Sit down now and let there be nothing unjust. And again, agree with what is just." These are permissive and patient words, teaching to speak with leisure and attention, which is indicated by "sit down", and with examination. This has also been said elsewhere: "Do not find fault before you examine." And great also is the command: "let there be nothing unjust." For it is a great thing not to do wrong in word, as it has been said: "If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is able to bridle the whole body also." "Again, agree with what is just." The word "again" teaches, as they had previously agreed when he was not in adversity, that they ought not to make their judgment out of the necessity of afflictions, but by looking to what is just. And he reverently fulfills his promise, saying: "looking into your faces, I will not lie," advising them to take time for the search of what is just.

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μάλιστα ὅταν ἐνοῦσαν ᾐ῀̣ α̣ὐτοῖς εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐπιτηδειότητα θεάσασθαι, ταῦτα εἴρηται. ἐμφαίνει δὲ τό· "μή τι ὑμᾶς ᾔτησα;" καὶ τὸ ἀδυνάτους αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἐπαμῦναι· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι θεοῦ μόνου ἐστὶν τὸ σῶσαι τοῦ καὶ τὴν συγχώρησιν δεδωκότος. ἐπιστημονικῶς γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ τὰς αἰτήσεις ποιοῦνται. "διδάξετέ με, ἐγὼ δὲ κωφεύσω. εἴ τι πεπλάνημαι, φράσετέ μοι." καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ πλείστης ὅσης πραότητος ὁ ἅγιος παιδεύει αὐτούς, πῶς χρήσωνται λόγοις πρὸς τοὺς ἐν περιστάσει λέγων· διδάσκειν ὀφείλετε, οὐκ ἐλέγχειν ἀκαίρως, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς παίδευσιν ποιεῖ κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ Παύλου· "ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον". ἔτι δὲ καὶ μετριότητος χαρακτὴρ ὑπάρχων ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ παρὰ τοιούτων λόγον διδασκαλί183 ας, μή που εὕρῃ τι χρήσιμον. εἰ δὲ οὕτω ποιεῖ ὁ ἅγιος, οὐ δεῖ τινα ὑπερηφανεύεσθαι καὶ ὀκνεῖν παρ' ὁτουοῦν παιδεύεσθαι. "ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικεν, φαῦλα ἀληθινοῦ ῥήματα." ἔλεγχός ἐστιν οὗτος κατὰ τῶν ὑπερορώντων τὰς τῶν δικαίων ἢ ἄλλως ὀρθῶν ἀνθρώπων γνώμας, ὅπερ ὑπερήφανοι ποιεῖν εἰώθασιν, οὐ γνώμῃ καὶ βίῳ προαιρέσει ὀρθῇ προσέχοντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔξωθεν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "πλούσιος ἐλάλησεν καὶ πάντες ἐσίγησαν καὶ ᾔνεσαν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, πτωχὸς ἐλάλησεν καὶ εἶπαν· «τίς οὗτος;»." καὶ δῆλα ταῦτα ἐκ τῆς ἐν̣αργείας. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι ἀληθινὸς ἦν ὁ μακάριος, ὃ καὶ θεὸς μαρτυρεῖ. τὸ δὲ "φαῦλα" ἀντὶ τοῦ εὐτελῆ, λε γομένου ποτὲ τοῦ φαύλου ἀντὶ κακοῦ. "οὐ γὰρ παρ' ὑμῶν ἰσχὺν αἰτοῦμαι." τοῦτο σύμφωνον τοῖς ἄνω, ἔνθα ἔλεγεν· "τί γάρ; μή τι ὑμᾶς ᾔτησα;" διὰ μέσου εἰρημένου τοῦ· "διδάξετέ με" ἕως τοῦ· "ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικεν". καὶ α̣ὐτοῖς οὖν ἐκείνην τὴν διάνοιαν ἐφαρμοστέον. "οὐδὲ ὁ ἔλεγχος ὑμῶν ῥήμασί με παύσει." λόγος γὰρ χωρὶς ἔργων προφερόμενος ἀβέβαιός ἐστιν καὶ ἄπιστος, ἄλλως τε καὶ μὴ ἀληθῶς προϊὼν ἔτι τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἔχει. 184 φησὶν ὅτι· ὑμεῖς τοιούτωι ἐλέγχωι χρώμενοι οὐ παύετέ με οὔτε τοῦ τὰ ἀληθῆ προφέρειν οὔτε ἀποκάμνειν πρὸς ἀρετήν. "οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν φθέγμα ῥήματος ἀνέξομαι." καὶ τοῦτο ἀνδρείας· πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλάκις τῶν ἐν περιστάσεσιν φορτικῶν ἀκούοντες λόγων ἀποκάμνουσιν, ὥστε καὶ δι' αὐτοὺς ἐξασθενεῖν. ἀλλ' ὁ ἅγιος οὔτε τὸν ἔλεγχον τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων οὔτε τοὺς λόγους πρὸς ὀλιγωρίαν ἐδέξατο, ὅλως μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν καταδεχόμενος αὐτὰ ὡς δυνάμενα αὐτὸν σεῖσαι. "πλὴν ὅτι ἐπ' ὀρφανῷ ἐπιπίπτετε, ἐνάλλεσθε δὲ ἐπὶ φίλῳ ὑμῶν." διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δέχομαι ὡς ὀρθοὺς γινομένους τοὺς παρ' ὑμῶν ἐλέγχους, ὅτι καθάπερ ὀρφανῷ καὶ ἀβοηθήτῳ ἐπιπίπτετε μὴ ἐνορῶντες ἁπάντων βοηθῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνάλλεσθε ἐπὶ φίλῳ τὰ τῆς φιλίας καθήκον τα μὴ ἐπιγιγνώσκοντες. ὠφέλιμον τὸ ῥητὸν πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπεμβαίνειν ταῖς ἑτέρων δυσπραγίαις. "νυνὶ δὲ εἰσβλέψας εἰς πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ ψεύσομαι." διδακτικὸν τὸ ῥητὸν πρὸς τὸ μὴ περὶ ἀπόντων προφέρειν λόγους καταλαλιᾶς, ἀλλ' εἰς πρόσωπον λέγειν ἃ δεῖ. εἴρηται γάρ· "μὴ καταλάλει μηδὲ ἡδέως ἄκουε κα185 ταλαλοῦντος." εὐπαρρησίαστον δὲ καὶ τὸ λέγειν· "οὐ ψεύσομαι", καθὰ καὶ Παῦλος· "ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι". "καθίσατε δὴ καὶ μὴ εἴη ἄδικον. καὶ πάλιν τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε." ἐπιτρεπτικὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀνεξίκακα παιδεύοντα σχολῇ καὶ προσοχῇ, ὃ δηλοῦται διὰ τοῦ "καθίσατε", καὶ ἐξετάσει φθέγγεσθαι. τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχόσε εἴρηται· "πρὶν ἐξετάσῃς μὴ μέμψῃ." μέγα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐπίταγμα τό· "μὴ εἴη ἄδικον." μέγα γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἐν λόγῳ ἀδικεῖν καθὸ εἴρηται· "εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σ̣ῶμα." "πάλιν τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε." τὸ πάλιν ὡς πρότερον αὐτῶν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ἐν περιστάσει συνερχομένων παιδεύει, ὅτ̣ι δεῖ αὐτοὺς μὴ ἐκ τῆς τῶν θλιβηρῶν ποιεῖσθαι ἀνάγκης τὴν ἐπίκρισιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ δίκαιον ἀποβλέποντας. εὐλαβῶς δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἀποπληροῖ λέγων· "εἰσβλέψας εἰς πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ ψεύσομαι", παραινῶν αὐτοῖς σχολάσαι τῆι ζητήσει τοῦ δ̣ικαίου.