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he destroyed all. They repaid me evil for good, and childlessness. Instead of loving me, they slandered me. He who repays evil for good, evil will not be brought from his house. Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken: I have begotten and raised up sons, but they have rejected me. The hope of an ungrateful man will melt like winter frost, and will flow away like useless water. A sinner will overturn the goods of a surety, and an ungrateful man in his mind will forsake his deliverer. You will entertain and give drink to an ungrateful man, and in addition to this you will hear bitter things. It is a terrible thing for one who has been well-treated and is indebted with the greatest favors, in addition to being ungrateful, to also begin with insolence and dishonor. It is terrible indeed; but it is a greater evil for the one doing it than for the one suffering it. This is indeed an excess of ingratitude, to make the philanthropy of the benefactor an occasion for ungratefulness. We see many men after receiving benefits, just like slaves, thus also despising their benefactors, and raising their eyebrows against them. Ingratitude appears terrible to me; terrible and altogether terrible to me

TITLE 30. -Concerning impossible things.

Does the papyrus flourish without water? Or will the sedge grow high without drink, while it is still on its root? Is there a trace of a path for ships, or of a flying eagle, seeking the north wind? Who has gathered the winds in his bosom? Who has bound all the water in a garment? Who has held all the ends of the earth? There are three things impossible for me to understand, and the fourth I do not know: the tracks of a flying eagle, and the way of a serpent on a rock, and the paths of a sea-faring ship, and the way of a man in his youth. Will two walk together at all, unless they know one another? Will a lion come out of his den, having no prey? Will a cub give its voice from its lair at all, unless it has seized something? Will a bird fall to the earth without a fowler? Will a trap be sprung on the ground without catching anything? Will a trumpet sound in a city, and the people not be terrified? And will there be evil in a city, which the Lord has not done? Shall an axe be glorified without the one who chops, so as to chop with it? Or shall a saw be lifted up without the one who pulls it? Can an Ethiopian change his skin, and a leopard its spots? Then you also will be able to do good, having learned evil. The sand of the seas, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity, who will number? The height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the abyss, and wisdom, who will trace out? A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will be devoted to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature? Do they gather a grape from thorns, or figs from thistles? So a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his Lord. There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known, and come to light. You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things, being evil? A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house. How difficultly will a rich man enter into the kingdom of heaven! Again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. 95.1233 No one has ever seen God. Jesus said to Nicodemus: Amen I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered: Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter

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κατέφθειρε πάντας. Ἀνταπεδίδοσάν μοι πονηρὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἀτεκνίαν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀγαπᾷν με ἐνδιέβαλόν με. Ὃς ἀποδίδωσι κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ἐνεχθήσεται κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησεν· Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα, καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν. Ἀχαρίστου ἐλπὶς ὡς χειμέριος πάχνη τακήσεται, καὶ ῥυήσεται ὡς ὕδωρ ἄχρηστον. Ἀγαθὰ ἐγγύου ἀνατρέψει ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ ἀχάριστος ἐν διανοίᾳ ἐγκαταλείψει ῥυσάμενον. Ξενιεῖς καὶ ποτιεῖς ἀχάριστον, καὶ πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτῳ πικρὰ ἀκούσεις. ∆εινὸν, τὸν εὐεργηθέντα καὶ ταῖς μεγίσταις ὑπόχρεων χάρισι, πρὸς τῷ ἀχαρίστῳ, ἔτι καὶ ὕβρεως, καὶ ἀτιμίας κατᾶρξαι. ∆εινὸν μέν· ἀλλὰ τῷ ποιοῦντι μεῖζόν ἐστι κακὸν, ἢ τῷ πάσχοντι. Ὑπερβολὴ τοῦτό γε ἀγνωμοσύνης, τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ εὐεργέτου ἀφορμὴν ἀχαριστίας ποιεῖσθαι. Ὁρῶμεν πολλοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας, καθάπερ ἀνδραπόδων, οὕτω καὶ περιορῶντας τῶν εὐεργετησάντων, καὶ τὰς ὀφρύας ἀνασπῶντας κατ' αὐτῶν. ∆εινόν μοι ἡ ἀχαριστία καταφαίνεται· δεινόν μοι καὶ πάνδεινον

ΤΙΤΛ. Λʹ. -Περὶ ἀδυνάτων πραγμάτων.

Μὴ θάλλει πάπειρος ἄνευ ὕδατος; ἢ ὑψωθήσεται βούτομος ἄνευ ποτοῦ, ἔτι ὢν ἐπὶ ῥίζης; Εἰ ἔστι ναυσὶν ἴχνος ὁδοῦ, ἢ ἀετοῦ πετομένου, ζητοῦντος βοῤῥᾶν; Τίς συνήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐν κόλπῳ; τις συνέτριψε τὸ πᾶν ὕδωρ ἱματίῳ; τίς ἐκράτησε πάντων ἄκρων τῆς γῆς; Τρία ἐστὶν ἀδύνατά μοι νοῆσαι, καὶ τὸ τέταρτον οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω, ἴχνη ἀετοῦ πετομένου, καὶ ὁδὸν ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας, καὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης, καὶ ὁδὸν ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι. Εἰ πορεύσονται δύο ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καθόλου, ἐὰν μὴ γνωρίσωσιν ἑαυτούς; Εἰ ἐξελεύσεται λέων ἐκ τοῦ δρυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, θήραν οὐκ ἔχων; εἰ δώσει σκύμνος φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς μάνδρας αὐτοῦ καθόλου, ἐὰν μὴ ἁρπάσῃ τι; εἰ πεσεῖται ὄρνεον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἄνευ ἰξευτοῦ; εἰ σχασθήσεται παγὶς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἄνευ τοῦ συλλαβεῖν τι; εἰ φωνήσει σάλπιγξ ἐν πόλει, καὶ λαὸς οὐ πτοηθήσεται; καὶ ἔσται κακία ἐν πόλει, ἣν Κύριος οὐκ ἐποίησεν; Μὴ δοξασθήσεται ἀξίνη ἄνευ τοῦ κόπτοντος, ὥστε κόπτειν ἐν αὐτῇ; ἢ ὑψωθήσεται πρίων ἄνευ τοῦ ἕλκοντος αὐτόν; Εἰ ἀλλάξει Αἰθίοψ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάρδαλις τὰ ποικίλματα αὐτῆς, καὶ ὑμεῖς δυνήσεσθε εὖ ποιῆσαι, μεμαθηκότες κακά. Ἄμμον θαλασσῶν, καὶ σταγόνας ὑετοῦ, καὶ ἡμέρας αἰῶνος τίς ἐξαριθμήσει; Ὕψος οὐρανοῦ, καὶ πλάτος γῆς, καὶ ἄβυσσον, καὶ σοφίαν τίς ἐξιχνιάσει; Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη. Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν. Ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει· ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται, καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ Μαμμωνᾷ. Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα; Μή τι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὴν, ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα; Οὕτως οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν, οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν. Οὐκ ἔστι μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον αὐτοῦ. οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν Κύριον αὐτοῦ. Οὐδέν ἐστι συγκεκαλυμμένον, ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, καὶ κρυπτὸν, ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται, καὶ εἰς φανερὸν ἔλθῃ. Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροὶ ὄντες; Οὐκ ἔστι προφήτης ἄτιμος, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Πῶς δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν! Πάλιν λέγω ὑμῖν· Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι πασὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά. 95.1233 Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε. Εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Νικοδήμῳ· Ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος· Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὑτοῦ δεύτερον, καὶ γεννηθῆναι; Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν