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his brother, and do not oppress a widow and an orphan and a sojourner and a poor man, and let each not hold a grudge for the evil of his brother in your hearts. 2.133 The word of the Lord that came to the prophet, as has been said before, reports what the Lord Almighty commanded, beginning from: "Judge a just judgment, and let each" of those who hear "show mercy and compassion toward his brother"; and in addition, "not to oppress a widow and an orphan," and in addition, "a sojourner and a poor man." For thus it will be easiest for "each not to hold a grudge for the evil of his brother in his heart." But what these things mean, I say the commands, it is time to see. 2.134 The word of the Lord, as it has often already come in Zechariah, and having now come in him, proclaims these things. "Thus, he says, says the Lord Almighty" to each of the rulers of the people: "Judge a just judgment," since it is possible also to judge unjustly for those who judge contrary to right reason through bribery and showing favor out of friendship, and sometimes also out of hatred toward some of the litigants. 2.135 They were subject to such charges against whom the divine word has cried out and shouts: "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Judge for the orphan and the poor, vindicate the humble and the needy." Such also are those about whom is the prophet Isaiah: "Those who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the right of the righteous." 2.136 Concerning those who so transgress the law, Habakkuk the prophet cries out to God: "Judgment has become before me, and the judge accepts bribes; for this reason the law is scattered and judgment is not brought to completion, because the wicked oppresses the righteous." But it must be said that those who thus examine the matters of those disputing among themselves are not even lawful judges, but entirely unjust and lawless judges. 2.137 For it is fitting for the one judging to consider not even a companion, not wealth, not rank, not kinship, not preferring friendship, not looking to hatred, but to the matters of those being judged. 2.138 These things the divinely inspired hierophant proclaims to those ordained to judge, thus: "You shall judge the great and the small alike, you shall not show partiality," "and you shall not pity a poor man in judgment," "because the judgment is God's." But one must not distribute and measure out the things of God to just anyone. For let each one have authority over his own things to bestow them on whomever he wishes; but judgment according to the divine law is not his own, but God's. 2.139 It occurred to one of the ancients to say that the judge is animate justice, that is, substantial and hypostatic, perfectly qualified according to righteousness, so that just as in the other works of virtue he justly pursues what is just, so also in judging. 2.140 But the power of what is being considered will be known from its opposite; for as he who has both his disposition and his action qualified according to righteousness justly pursues what is just, so he who has both his judgment and his work shaped according to inequality and wickedness unjustly pursues what is unjust. 2.141 Such were all those to whom the word says: "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" with the divine lawgiver saying: "You shall judge the great and the small alike, not showing partiality," even if the one being judged is rich, or has glory and rank. For the law does not enumerate the abundance of money and poverty, nor the ranks and dishonors of the litigants, but works and deeds accomplished according to virtue or wickedness. 2.142 Therefore, just as one must not take into account the advantages from wealth and rank of the litigants, so too one must not take into account the lack of money and the lowliness from dishonor; "For you shall not pity a poor man in judgment." For the affairs of the poor man must also be examined according to the just judgment. For thus will someone vindicate an orphan and a widow, a beggar and a poor man, not granting him what is just if he does wrong,

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ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ χήραν καὶ ὀρφανὸν καὶ προσήλυτον καὶ πένητα μὴ καταδυναστεύετε, καὶ κακίαν ἕκαστος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ μὴ μνησικακείτω ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. 2.133 Ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγος γενάμενος πρὸς τὸν προφήτην ὡς εἴρηται πρότερον ἀπαγγέλλει ἃ προσέταξεν ὁ παντοκράτωρ Κύριος, ἀρχόμενα ἀπὸ τοῦ· «Κρίμα δίκαιον κρίνατε, καὶ ἔλεον καὶ οἰκτιρμὸν ἕκαστον» τῶν ἀκουόντων «ποιεῖν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἑαυτοῦ»· καὶ προσέτι «μὴ καταδυναστεύειν χήραν καὶ ὀρφανόν», καὶ προσέτι «προσήλυτον καὶ πένητα». Οὕτω γὰρ ῥᾷστα ὑπάρξεται τὸ «κακίαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μὴ μνησικακεῖν ἕκαστον ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἑαυτῶν». Τί δὲ ταῦτα βούλεται, τὰ προσταχθέντα φημί, καιρὸς ἰδεῖν. 2.134 Ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγος, ὡς πολλάκις ἤδη γενάμενος ἐν τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ, καὶ νῦν ὑπάρξας ἐν αὐτῷ, τάδε διαγορεύει. «Τάδε, φησίν, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ» πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ λαοῦ· «Κρίμα δίκαιον κρίνατε», ὡς ἐνόντος καὶ ἀδίκως κρῖναι τοῖς παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον δικάζουσιν διὰ δωροδοκίαν καὶ τὸ φιλίᾳ χαρίζεσθαι, ἔστιν δ' ὅτε καὶ κατὰ ἀπέχθειαν τὴν πρός τινας τῶν δικαζομένων. 2.135 Τοιούτοις ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπέκειντο πρὸς οὓς κέκραγεν καὶ βοᾷ ὁ θεῖος λόγος· «Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; Κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε.» Τοιοῦτοι δ' εἰσὶν καὶ περὶ ὧν ὁ προφήτης Ἠσαΐας· «Οἱ δικαιοῦντες τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἕνεκεν δώρων καὶ τὸ δίκαιον τοῦ δικαίου αἴροντες.» 2.136 Περὶ τῶν οὕτω παρανομούντων Ἁμβακοὺμ ὁ προφήτης πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν βοᾷ· «Ἐξ ἐναντίας μου γέγονεν κρίμα καὶ ὁ κριτὴς λαμβάνει· διὰ τοῦτο διεσκέδασται νόμος καὶ οὐ διεξάγεται εἰς τέλος κρίμα, ὅτι ὁ ἀσεβὴς καταδυναστεύει τὸν δίκαιον.» Λεκτέον δὲ τοὺς οὕτω ἐξετάζοντας τὰ πράγματα τῶν διαμφισβητούντων πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς μηδὲ κριτὰς νομίμους εἶναι, ἀλλ' ὅλον τοῦτο ἀδίκους καὶ παρανόμους δικαστάς. 2.137 Προσῆκον γάρ ἐστιν μηδ' ἑταῖρον σκοπεῖν τὸν δικάζοντα, μὴ πλοῦτον, μὴ ἀξίωμα, μὴ γένους ἀγχιστείαν, μὴ φιλίαν προκρίνοντα, μὴ εἰς ἀπέχθειαν βλέποντα, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰ πράγματα τῶν κρινομένων. 2.138 Ταῦτα ὁ θεολημπτούμενος ἱεροφάντης διαγορεύει τοῖς εἰς τὸ κρίνειν χειροτονουμένοις οὕτως· «Κατὰ τὸν μέγαν καὶ τὸν μικρὸν κρινεῖς, οὐ λήμψει πρόσωπον», «καὶ πένητα οὐκ ἐλεήσεις ἐν κρίσει», «ὅτι ἡ κρίσις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν». Οὐ δεῖ δὲ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ νέμειν καὶ ἐπιμετρεῖν τοῖς τυχοῦσιν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἰδίων ἕκαστος ἐξουσίαν ἐχέτω χαρίζεσθαι οἷς ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ· οὐκ αὐτοῦ δέ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν ἡ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον κρίσις. 2.139 Ἐπῆλθέν τινι τῶν παλαιῶν εἰπεῖν τὸν δικαστὴν ἔμψυχον δίκαιον εἶναι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐνούσιον καὶ ἐνυπόστατον, τελείως κατὰ δικαιοσύνην πεποιωμένον, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργοις δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκει, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ δικάζειν. 2.140 Γνωσθήσεται δὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεωρουμένου ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου· ὡς γὰρ δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκει ὁ καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν κατὰ δικαιοσύνην πεποιωμένην ἔχων, οὕτως ἀδίκως τὸ ἄδικον διώκει ὁ καὶ τὴν γνώμην καὶ τὸ ἔργον κατὰ ἀνισότητα καὶ κακίαν ῥερυθμισμένος. 2.141 Τοιοῦτοι πάντες ὑπῆρχον πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος φησίν· «Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε;» τοῦ θείου νομοθέτου λέγοντος· «Κατὰ τὸν μέγαν καὶ τὸν μικρὸν κρινεῖς, οὐ λαμβάνων πρόσωπον», κἂν πλούσιος ᾖ, κἂν δοξάριον καὶ ἀξίωμα ἔχων ᾖ ὁ κρινόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ εὐπορίας χρημάτων καὶ πενίας, ἀξιώματά τε καὶ ἀδοξίας ὁ νόμος τῶν δικαζομένων ἐξαριθμεῖται, ἀλλ' ἔργα καὶ πράξεις κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἢ κακίαν ἐπιτελεσθέντα. 2.142 Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐ δεῖ ὑπεροχὰς λαμβάνειν τὰς ἐκ πλούτου καὶ ἀξιώματος τῶν δικαζομένων, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐλλείψεις χρημάτων καὶ ταπεινότητα τὴν ἐξ ἀδοξίας· «Καὶ πένητα γὰρ οὐκ ἐλεήσεις ἐν κρίσει.» Κατὰ γὰρ τὸ κρίμα τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὰ τοῦ πένητος ἐξεταστέον. Οὕτω γὰρ δικαιώσει τις ὀρφανὸν καὶ χήραν, πτωχόν τε καὶ πένητα, οὐ νέμων αὐτῷ τὸ δίκαιον ἐὰν ἀδικῇ,