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he knew the pain and the wasting away of the poor man who was being defrauded, he would not have done what he did, but even if the fear of God did not restrain him, the mercy of nature would have bent him. But he knows, yet he does not know as one who suffers it himself. “But I understood their injuries no less than those who were wronged.” What you hate, do not do to another. Whatever you wish that people would do to you, do also to them. For this reason, whenever we often wrong others and God, exhorting us countless times, has no effect, He places us into the experience of the things themselves, so that through what 161 we suffer we may learn and be taught how terrible it is. It is said that this also happened concerning Elijah, and that for this reason He left him in famine. This also happened in the case of Jonah; for this reason He then opportunely steps in, saying to him: For you had pity on the gourd, but shall I not have pity on Nineveh, my great city, in which more than twelve myriads of men dwell? This also happened in the case of Jeremiah; “Why,” he says, “did God destroy them?” And then he curses them. It seems to me that he also recounts the passion, taking down his own eulogy, saying, “I did nothing great by not committing adultery nor by working such a great iniquity. For it roots out,” he says, “the house wherever it enters.” You have seen self-control, see also humility; 31,13a But if I also despised, he says, the judgment of my manservant or my maidservant 13b when they contended with me. “Neither slave nor free person,” he says, “has been wronged by me.” 31,14a For what shall I do, if the Lord should make an examination of me? 14b and if an inquiry, what answer shall I make? 31,15a Were they not formed in the womb, just as I was? 15b and we were formed in the same womb. See how he everywhere cuts short his praises and takes down his achievements; “I have done nothing great,” he says. “This nature itself desires; we have fellowship with one another, of all the birth is the same, the entrance is the same. All things are common; I am not more noble than their nature.” 31,16a And the helpless, whatever need they had, did not fail to receive, 16b and I did not cause the widow's eye to waste away. Do you see how he was not disdainful? How moderate? How he was the common physician of all and common harbor and common refuge of those in need? Whatever need they had, he says. Not yes to one and no to another, but 162 whatever it was, even if it was full of dangers, even if it was expensive, even if it was precarious. And see, he helped those from whom he expected nothing: widows and orphans and the helpless. And that he did not do it for display and ambition, but for God, is clear from his not wishing to say these things before this, although such long speeches were drawn out and much discussion had taken place; and it is also clear from his achieving those things for which he had no human witness—I mean the things of the mind, the things concerning his children. If my heart followed, he says, the wife of another man. And yet for this he had no human witness, but the unsleeping eye, but nevertheless even those things were achieved by him. It is very clear that these things also were for His sake; and I did not cause the widow's eye to waste away, by looking down on and passing by and allowing her to be in lamentations. 31,17a and if I also ate my morsel, he says, alone 17b and did not share it with an orphan 31,18a and from my youth I nourished him as a father 18b and from my mother's womb I guided her, 31,19 and if I also overlooked one perishing naked and did not clothe him, 31,20a and if the helpless did not bless me, 20b and their shoulders were warmed by the shearing of my lambs, 31,21a and if I also raised a hand against an orphan 21b trusting that much help was available to me, 31,22a then may my shoulder fall from my collarbone, 22b and may my arm be broken from the elbow. 31,23a For the fear of the Lord restrained me, 23b and because of His majesty I could not endure. 31,24a If I have set gold as my earth, 24b or if I have also trusted in a precious stone, 31,25a and if I also rejoiced that great wealth came to me 25b and if on countless things I laid my hand. And yet what sin is this? Do you see he is not bound to riches? See him philosophizing and with truth

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ὀδύνην καὶ τὴν τηκεδόνα τοῦ πένητος ᾔδει τοῦ πλεονεκτουμένου, οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν, ὅπερ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος αὐτὸν μὴ κατεῖχεν, ὁ τῆς φύσεως ἂν ἐπέκαμψεν ἔλεος. ἀλλ' οἶδε μέν, οὐκ οἶδε δὲ ὥσπερ ὁ πάσχων αὐτός. «ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδικουμένων οὐχ ἧττον ἠπιστάμην τὰς ἐπηρείας.» ὃ μισεῖς, ἄλλῳ μὴ ποιήσῃς. ὃ θέλετε, ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς. διὰ τοῦτο, ἐπειδὰν πολλάκις ἑτέρους ἀδικῶμεν καὶ μυρία παραινῶν ὁ θεὸς μηδὲν ἰσχύσῃ, καθίστησιν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν πεῖραν τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν, ἵνα δι' ὧν 161 πάσχομεν μανθάνωμεν καὶ ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν παιδευθῶμεν. λέγεται καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἠλία τοῦτο γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν εἴασεν ἐν λιμῷ. τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ γέγονεν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπεμβαίνει αὐτῷ λοιπὸν εὐκαίρως λέγων· σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἐφείσω ὑπὲρ τῆς κολοκύνθης, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ φείσομαι ὑπὲρ Νινευὴ τῆς πόλεώς μου τῆς μεγάλης, ἐν ᾗ κατοικοῦσι πλείους ἢ δώδεκα μυριάδες ἀνδρῶν; τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰερεμίου γέγονεν· «τί γάρ», φησίν, «κατέστρεψεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός;» καὶ τότε αὐτοῖς ἀρᾶται. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ καὶ τὸ πάθος διηγεῖσθαι καθαιρῶν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ἐγκώμιον, ὅτι «οὐδὲν μέγα ἐποίησα μὴ μοιχεύσας μηδὲ τὴν ἀνομίαν τὴν οὕτω μεγάλην ἐργασάμενος. ἐκριζοῖ γάρ», φησίν, «τὴν οἰκίαν, οὗ ἂν εἰσέλθῃ.» εἶδες σωφροσύνην, ὅρα καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην· 31,13a εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐφαύλισα, φησίν, κρίμα θεράποντός μου ἢ θεραπαίνης 13b κρινομένων αὐτῶν πρός με. «οὔτε δοῦλος οὔτε ἐλεύθερος παρ' ἐμοῦ», φησίν, «ἠδίκηται.» 31,14a τί γὰρ ποιήσω, ἐὰν ἔτασίν μου ποιήσηται ὁ κύριος; 14b ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπισκοπήν, τίνα ἀπόκρισιν ποιήσομαι; 31,15a πότερον οὐχ, ὡς ἐγὼ ἐγενόμην ἐν γαστρί, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασιν; 15b γεγόναμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κοιλίᾳ. ὅρα, πῶς ὑποτέμνεται αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐγκώμια πανταχοῦ καὶ καθαιρεῖ τὰ κατορθώματα· «οὐδὲν μέγα ἐποίησα», φησίν. «τοῦτο αὐτὴ ἡ φύσις βούλεται· κοινωνοῦμεν ἀλλήλοις, ἁπάντων ἡ αὐτὴ γένεσις, ἡ αὐτὴ εἴσοδος. πάντα κοινά· οὐ σεμνότερος ἐγὼ τῆς ἐκείνων φύσεως.» 31,16a ἀδύνατοι δέ, ἥν ποτε εἶχον χρείαν, οὐκ ἀπέτυχον, 16b καὶ χήρας τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα. ὁρᾷς, πῶς οὐκ ἦν ὑπερόπτης; πῶς μέτριος; πῶς κοινὸς ἁπάντων ἰατρὸς καὶ κοινὸς λιμὴν καὶ κοινὴ καταφυγὴ τῶν ἐν ἀνάγκαις ὄντων; ἥν ποτε εἶχον χρείαν, φησίν. οὐχὶ τὴν μὲν ναί, τὴν δὲ οὔ, ἀλλ' 162 οἱανδήποτε, εἰ καὶ κινδύνων ἔγεμεν, εἰ καὶ δαπανηρά τις ἦν, εἰ καὶ ἐπισφαλής. καὶ ὅρα, τούτοις ἐβοήθει, παρ' ὧν οὐδὲν προσεδόκα, χήραις καὶ ὀρφανοῖς καὶ ἀδυνάτοις. καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἐποίει καὶ φιλοτιμίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν θεόν, δῆλον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ θελῆσαι πρὸ τούτου ταῦτα εἰπεῖν, καίτοι μακρῶν οὕτω λόγων ἀποταθέντων καὶ πολλῆς τῆς ὁμιλίας γεγενημένης, δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐκεῖνα κατορθοῦν, ὧν οὐδένα μάρτυρα ἀνθρώπων εἶχεν, τὰ κατὰ διάνοιαν λέγω, τὰ περὶ τῶν παίδων. εἰ ἐξηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου, φησίν, γυναικὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑτέρου. καίτοι τούτου μάρτυρα ἄνθρωπον οὐκ εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀκοίμητον ὀφθαλμόν, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐκεῖνα αὐτῷ κατώρθωτο. εὔδηλον, ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα δι' ἐκεῖνον· χήρας δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα, ὑπερορῶν καὶ παρατρέχων καὶ ἐν θρήνοις ἐῶν εἶναι. 31,17a εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν ψωμόν μου ἔφαγον, φησίν, μόνος 17b καὶ οὐχὶ μετέδωκα ὀρφανῷ ἐξ αὐτοῦ 31,18a καὶ ἐκ νεότητός μου ἐξέτρεφον ὡς πατὴρ 18b καὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρὸς ὡδήγησα, 31,19 εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπερεῖδον γυμνὸν ἀπολλύμενον καὶ οὐκ ἠμφίασα, 31,20a ἀδύνατοι δὲ εἰ μὴ ηὐλόγουν με, 20b ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς ἀμνῶν μου ἐθερμάνθησαν οἱ ὦμοι αὐτῶν, 31,21a εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπῆρα ὀρφανῷ χεῖρα 21b πεποιθώς, ὅτι πολλή μοι βοήθεια πάρεστιν, 31,22a ἀποσταίη ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς κλειδός μου ὁ ὦμός μου, 22b ὁ δὲ βραχίων μου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγκῶνος συντριβείη. 31,23a φόβος γὰρ κυρίου συνεῖχέ με, 23b καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ λήμματος αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑποίσω. 31,24a εἰ ἔταξα χρυσίον εἰς χοῦν μου, 24b εἰ δὲ καὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ ἐπεποίθησα, 31,25a εἰ δὲ καὶ ηὐφράνθην πολλοῦ πλούτου γενομένου μοι 25b καὶ εἰ ἐπ' ἀναριθμήτοις ἐθέμην χεῖρά μου. καίτοι ποῖον τοῦτο ἁμάρτημα; ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν οὐ προσδεδεμένον χρήμασιν; ὅρα φιλοσοφοῦντα καὶ μετὰ ἀληθείας