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the strength of your hands according to the blessing of the Lord your God, which He has given to you. Honor the Lord from your just labors, and offer first-fruits to him from your fruits of righteousness, that your storehouses may be filled with abundance of grain, and your wine-presses may overflow with wine. Do not appear empty before the Lord. In every gift, gladden your face, and in gladness sanctify a tithe. Give to the Most High according to His gift. 95.1241 for the Lord is one who repays us, and He will repay you sevenfold. From all your first-fruits shall be for the priests. The most beautiful gift of God is one's character. Even if you bring everything, you will bring nothing worthy. That which even a poor man gives, offer this. The wage of a prostitute is not shared by the pure.

TITLE 33. —Concerning good tidings.

As cold water is pleasing to a thirsty soul, so is good tidings from a far country. Behold, swift upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, and announces peace. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who proclaims a report of peace, who brings good tidings!

TITLE 34. —Concerning bad tidings.

Taking Joseph's tunic, they slaughtered a young goat, and stained Joseph's tunic with the blood, and brought it to their father, saying: "We found this; recognize whether it is your son's tunic or not." And Jacob recognized it, and said: "It is my son's tunic. An evil beast has devoured him; an evil beast has torn him to pieces." And Jacob tore his garment, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. The man who had come from the camp answered and said to Eli: "A man of Israel has fled from the face of the foreigners, and a great plague has come upon the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God has been taken." And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his back was broken, and he died. Behold, a man came from the camp of the people who were with Saul, with his clothes torn and earth upon his head. And it happened when he came to David, that he fell on his face to the ground and did obeisance to him. And David said to him: "From where have you come?" And he said: "From the camp of Israel I have been saved." And David said to him: "What is this word? Tell me." And he said: "The people are fleeing from the war of the camp, and many of the people have fallen, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead." And David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him. And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the people of Judah, and for the house of Israel, because they had been struck by the sword. Cushai said to the king: "Good tidings, my lord king." And the king said to Cushai: "Is there peace for the young man Absalom?" And Cushai said: 95.1244 "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rose up against you for evil, be as the young man Absalom." And the king wept, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept, and said these things as he wept: "My child Absalom; Absalom, my child." "Who will grant us death instead of you, Absalom my son?" I will chasten them according to the report of their affliction. Woe shall be upon woe, and tidings upon tidings shall be. And a vision shall be sought from a prophet, and the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. And the ruler will be clothed with ruin, and the hands of my people of the land will be paralyzed.

TITLE 35. —Concerning greeting; that moderation begets good will.

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τὴν δύναμιν τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν κατὰ τὴν εὐλογίαν Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, ἣν ἔδωκέ σοι. Τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων, καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης, ἵνα πίμπληται τὰ ταμεῖά σου πλησμονῆς σίτου, οἴνου δὲ αἱ ληνοί σου ἐκβλύζωσι. Μὴ ὀφθῇς ἐνώπιον Κυρίου κενός. Ἐν πάσῃ δόσει ἱλάρυνον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, καὶ εὐφροσύνῃ ἁγίασον δεκάτην. ∆ὸς Ὑψίστῳ κατὰ τὴν δόσιν αὐτοῦ. 95.1241 ὅτι Κύριος ἀνταποδιδούς ἐστιν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἑπταπλάσιον ἀποδώσει σοι. Ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἀπαρχῶν ὑμῶν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἔσται. ∆ῶρον Θεοῦ κάλλιστόν ἐστιν ὁ τρόπος. Κἂν πάντα ἐνέγκῃς, οὐδὲν οἴσεις ἄξιον. Ὃ καὶ πένης δίδωσι, τοῦτο πρόσφερε. Μίσθωμα πόρνης ἁγνὸς οὐ μερίζεται.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΛΓʹ. -Περὶ ἀγγελίας ἀγαθῆς.

Ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ψυχῇ διψώσῃ προσηνὲς, οὕτω ἀγγελία ἀγαθὴ ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν. Ταχεῖς ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην. Ὡς ὡραῖοι πόδες ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης, εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀγαθά!

ΤΙΤΛ. Λ∆ʹ. -Περὶ ἀγγελίας κακῆς.

Λαβόντες χιτῶνα τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, ἔσφαξαν ἔριφον αἰγῶν, καὶ ἐμόλυναν τὸν χιτῶνα τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ αἵματι, καὶ εἰσήνεγκαν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῶν, λέγοντες· Τοῦτον εὕρομεν, ἐπίγνωθι εἰ ὁ χιτὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ σού ἐστιν, ἢ οὔ. Καὶ ἐπέγνω αὐτὸν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ εἶπεν· Χιτὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ μού ἐστιν. Θηρίον πονηρὸν κατέφαγεν αὐτόν· θηρίον πονηρὸν διήρπασεν αὐτόν. ∆ιέῤῥηξε δὲ Ἰακὼβ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέθετο σάκκον ἐπὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπένθει τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας πολλάς. Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἐληλυθὼς ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ εἶπε τῷ Ἡλεί· Πέφευγεν ἀνὴρ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ πληγὴ μεγάλη γέγονεν ἐν τῷ λαῷ, καὶ ἀμφότεροι οἱ υἱοί σου τεθνήκασι, καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλήφθη. Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἐμνήσθη τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ δίφρου εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἐχόμενα τῆς πύλης, καὶ συνετρίβη ὁ νῶτος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέθανεν. Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μετὰ Σαοὺλ, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ διεῤῥωγότα, καὶ γῆ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὸν πρὸς ∆αβὶδ, ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτόν. Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ∆αβίδ· Πόθεν παρεγένου; Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς Ἰσραὴλ σέσωσμαι. Καὶ εἶπε ∆αβὶδ πρὸς αὐτόν· Τίς ὁ λόγος οὗτος; ἀπάγγειλόν μοι. Καὶ εἶπε· Φεύγει ὁ λαὸς ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ ἔπεσαν πολλοὶ ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ Ἰωνάθαν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ τεθνήκασι. Καὶ ἐκράτησεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ, καὶ διέῤῥηξεν αὐτὰ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐκόψαντο, καὶ ἔκλαυσαν, καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἕως δείλης ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ Ἰωνάθαν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν λαὸν Ἰούδα, καὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἐπλήγησαν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ. Εἶπε Χουσὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ· Εὐαγγέλια, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Χουσί· Εἰ εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ Ἀβεσαλώμ; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Χουσί· 95.1244 Γένοιντο ὡς τὸ παιδάριον Ἀβεσαλὼμ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπανέστησάν σοι εἰς κακά. Καὶ ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον τῆς πύλης, καὶ ἔκλαυσε, καὶ τάδε εἶπεν ἐν τῷ κλαίειν αὐτόν· Τέκνον ἐμὸν Ἀβεσαλώμ· Ἀβεσαλὼμ τέκνον ἐμόν. Τίς δῷ ἡμῖν θάνατον ἀντὶ σοῦ, Ἀβεσαλὼμ υἱέ μου; Παιδεύσω αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ ἀκοῆς τῆς θλίψεως αὐτῶν. Οὐαὶ ἐπὶ οὐαὶ ἔσται, καὶ ἀγγελία ἐπὶ ἀγγελίαν ἔσται. Καὶ ζητηθήσεται ὅρασις ἐκ προφήτου, καὶ νόμος ἀπολεῖται ἐξ ἱερέως, καὶ βουλὴ ἐκ πρεσβυτέρων. Καὶ ὁ ἄρχων ἐνδύσεται ἀφανισμὸν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες τοῦ λαοῦ μου τῆς γῆς παραλυθήσονται.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΛΕʹ. -Περὶ ἀσπασμοῦ· ὅτι τὸ μετριάζειν εὔνοιαν προξενεῖ.