70

Yes, they offered me gifts, yes, they offered me wealth; having given what they had, they received the pearl better than the whole world. These things bring to me, you also, if you wish, and you will certainly receive. With these things approach me and immediately I will show you the pearl which they received, and you will rejoice; and if you give your very soul, (117) you will consider it nothing worthy, you will reckon it nothing worthy, whatever you have paid at all. For I, if you should approach as the harlot approached me, certainly have authority, certainly have pearls, which if the world should receive, and with this world myriads of other worlds, not one single pearl from my treasures will fail, and I will grant you also a gift, as I granted to her. These things God may say to you and teach, how the thief approached and how the harlot, who are sung of in the world, and how the prodigal, having immediately returned, was received. By faith the thief was saved, who had done many evil things, and justly, because he alone, when all had denied me, and all had been scandalized while I was hanging on the wood, confessed me and cried out from his heart that I was God and king and immortal.

70

Ναί, προσέφερόν μοι δῶρα, ναί, προσέφερόν μοι πλοῦτον˙ δεδωκότες ἅπερ εἶχον, ἔλαβον τόν μαργαρίτην τοῦ παντός κρείττω τοῦ κόσμου. Ταῦτά μοι καί σύ, εἰ βούλει, κόμισον καί λήψῃ πάντως. Μετά τούτων πρόσελθέ μοι καί εὐθύς σοι ὑποδείξω, ὅνπερ ἔλαβον ἐκεῖνοι μαργαρίτην, καί χαρήσῃ˙ καί ψυχήν αὐτήν εἰ δώσεις, (117) ἄξιον οὐδέν νομίσεις, ἄξιον οὐδέν λογίσῃ, ὅ,τι ὅλως κατεβάλου. Ἐγώ γάρ, ἐάν προσέλθῃς, ὡς ἡ πόρνη μοι προσῆλθε, πάντως ἔχω ἐξουσίαν, πάντως ἔχω μαργαρίτας, οὕς ὁ κόσμος, ἐάν λάβῃ, καί σύν κόσμῳ τούτῳ ἄλλαι μυριάδες ἄλλων κόσμων, οὐκ ἐκλείψει μαργαρίτης μόνος εἷς ἐκ θησαυρῶν μου, καί παρέξω σοι καί δῶρον, ὡς ἐκείνῃ παρεσχόμην. Ταῦτά σοι Θεός προσείπῃ καί διδάξει, πῶς προσῆλθεν ὁ λῃστής καί πῶς ἡ πόρνη, οἱ ᾀδόμενοι ἐν κόσμῳ, πῶς δέ ἄσωτος εὐθέως ὑποστρέψας προσεδέχθη. Πίστει δέ λῃστής ἐσώθη, ὁ πολλά κακά ποιήσας, καί δικαίως, ὅτι μόνος πάντων με ἀρνησαμένων, πάντων δέ σκανδαλισθέντων κρεμαμένου μου τῷ ξύλῳ ὡμολόγησεν ἐκεῖνος καί Θεόν καί βασιλέα καί ἀθάνατόν με εἶναι ἐκ καρδίας ἀνεβόα.