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But the Master did not say, as you suppose, to sell your possessions in the hope of finding (114) or in the hope of acquiring. Why are you led astray, why do you rely on vain hopes? Why do you wish in vain to become a cause of destruction for others who are persuaded, and of severe punishment for yourselves? But He advises you first to find the pearl, and when you have seen that it is priceless, then, having sold all, to purchase it; but you speak in hopes and show yourself as one not willing to sell your possessions and take up the kingdom of heaven, which the Master said is within you, if you wish. Perhaps you are poor and do not possess gold, nor property, nor wealth, and hearing that the priceless pearl is bought by the sale of all one's possessions, you might say: How then, having no possessions, will I be able (115) to acquire this divine and beautiful pearl? Therefore I entreat you to listen prudently concerning this. If you possess the whole world and the things in the world and having scattered them, distribute these to orphans and widows and to the needy poor,

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Ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ὥσπερ σύ ὑπολαμβάνεις, οὐδ᾿ ἐλπίσι τοῦ εὑρέσθαι (114) οὐδ᾿ ἐλπίσι τοῦ λαβέσθαι τά ὑπάρχοντα πωλῆσαι. Τί πλανᾶσθε, τί ματαίαις ἐπερείδεσθε ἐλπίσι; Τί καί ἄλλοις ἀπωλείας, ἑαυτοῖς τε τιμωρίας αἴτιοι σφοδρᾶς γενέσθαι μάτην βούλεσθε πεισθεῖσιν; Ἀλλά πρότερον εὑρεῖν σοι παραινεῖ τόν μαργαρίτην, καί ἀτίμητον ὡς ὄντα θεασάμενόν σε τοῦτον καί αὐτόν τότε πωλήσας ἅπαντα ἐξαγοράσαι˙ σύ δέ λέγεις ἐν ἐλπίσι καί σαυτόν ἀποδεικνύεις ὡς οὐ θέλοντα πωλῆσαι τά ὑπάρχοντα καί ἆραι οὐρανῶν τήν βασιλείαν, ἥν ἐντός σου, ἐάν θέλῃς, ὁ ∆εσπότης εἶπεν εἶναι. Ἴσως δέ πτωχός ὑπάρχεις καί οὐ κέκτησαι χρυσίον, οὐδέ κτήματα, οὐ πλοῦτον, καί ἀκούων, ὅτι πάντων ὑπαρχόντων διαπράσει ὁ ἀτίμητος ὠνεῖται μαργαρίτης, ἵνα λέγῃς ὄτι˙ Ἆρα πῶς μή ἔχων ὕπαρξιν ἐγώ ἰσχύσω (115) κτήσασθαι τόν θεῖον τοῦτον καί ὡραῖον μαργαρίτην; Περί τούτου οὖν ἀκοῦσαι συνετῶς παρακαλῶς σε. Ἐάν ἅπαντα τόν κόσμον καί τά ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἔχῃς καί σκορπίσας διανείμῃς ὀρφανοῖς καί χήραις ταῦτα καί πτωχοῖς ἠπορημένοις,