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TITLE 9. -Concerning a good and evil-hating king.

His kingdom shall be increased, he shall eat the nations of his enemies, and he shall suck out their marrow, and with his darts he shall gore the nations. His horns are the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall gore the nations. Your enemies shall lie to you, and you shall tread upon their neck. God saved David in all things wherever he went, and David was executing judgment and justice. David said: Let him curse, for God has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look upon my humiliation, and will return good to me instead of this curse. And Shimei fell on his face before the king, and said to the king: Let not the lord impute iniquity, and do not remember the wrongs your servant did on the day my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, for your servant knew that I have sinned. And the king swore to him: You shall not die. O Lord, in your strength the king will rejoice, and the rest. You will add days to the days of the king, and the rest. O God, give your judgment to the king, and your, and the rest. The honor of a king loves judgment. As a rush of water, so is the heart of the king in the hand of God. An abomination to a king is one who does evil things. For with righteousness is the throne of rule prepared. Righteous lips are acceptable to a king, and he loves right words. An oracle is on the lips of a king, and in judgment his mouth shall not err. In a great nation is the glory of a king, but in the want of people is the destruction of rulers. When a righteous king sits on a throne, no evil thing withstands his eyes. Mercy and truth are a guard to a king, and they will surround his throne in righteousness. Kill the ungodly from the presence of the king, and 95.1289 his throne will be established in righteousness. - The glory of a king is to honor a command. A righteous king raises up a country. A sword, the tongue of a king, and not of flesh. Let no lie be spoken from the tongue of a king. When a king judges the poor in truth, his throne will be established for a testimony. The wrath of a king is an angel of death, but a wise man will appease it. The threat of a king is like the roaring of a lion. For as dew upon the grass, so is his favor. Guard the king's command. Behold, a righteous king shall reign, and rulers shall rule with judgment. The poor people will bless you, and the cities of wronged men will bless you. You have become a helper to every humble city, and a shelter to those who are discouraged through want, deliver them from evil men; a shelter for the thirsty, and the spirit of wronged men will bless you. Behold, a day is coming, says the Lord, and I will raise up to David a righteous branch; and a king shall reign, and shall understand, and shall execute judgment and justice on the earth. In his days, the people shall also be saved, and shall dwell in confidence. A prudent king is the stability of the people. He will take his zeal as a full suit of armor, he will put on a breastplate of righteousness, and will put on a helmet of unfeigned judgment; he will take holiness as an invincible shield. Do not act clever before a king. A wise judge will instruct his people, and the government of an intelligent man will be well-ordered. O kings, reverence the purple. For the word will also give laws to lawgivers. Know what has been entrusted to you, and what is the great mystery concerning you. The whole world is under your hand, controlled by a small diadem and a short piece of cloth. The things above are God's alone, but the things below are yours also. Become gods to those under you, that I may say something even bolder. The heart of a king is in the hand of God, it has been both said, and believed. Here let your power be, but not in gold and in phalanxes. You who are concerned with palaces and thrones, do not be exceedingly lifted up by your authorities, nor think immortal thoughts about things that are not immortal. Show your power to act, not to act badly, But to do some good, if you wish to be a god; This belongs to a man who knows his kinship. But a turtledove, and a scorpion, also kill most easily.

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ΤΙΤΛ. Θʹ. -Περὶ βασιλέως χρηστοῦ καὶ μισοπονήρου.

Αὐξηθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ, ἔδεται ἔθνη ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ πάχη αὐτῶν ἐκμυελιεῖ, καὶ ταῖ· βολίσιν αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔθνη κερατιεῖ. Κέρατα μονοκέρωτος τὰ κέρατα αὐτοῦ· ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔθνη κερατιεῖ. Ψεύσονταί σε οἱ ἐχθροί σου, καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ τραχήλου αὐτῶν ἐπιβήσῃ. Ἔσωσεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐπορεύθη, καὶ ἦν ∆αβὶδ ποιῶν κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην. Εἶπε ∆αβίδ· Ἄφες αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι, ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· Εἴ πως εἴδοι Κύριος ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει μοι ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας ταύτης. Καὶ Σεμεεὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· Μὴ λογιζέσθω ὁ κύριος ἀνομίαν, καὶ μὴ μνησθῇς ὅσα ἠδίκησεν ὁ παῖς σου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐξεπορεύετο ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅτι ἔγνων ὁ δοῦλός σου, ὅτι ἥμαρτον. Καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· Οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς. Κύριε, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου εὐφρανθήσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Ἡμέραν ἐφ' ἡμέρας τοῦ βασιλέως προσθήσῃ, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ κρῖμά σου τῷ βασιλεῖ δὸς, καὶ τὴν, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Τιμὴ βασιλέως κρίσιν ἀγαπᾷ. Ὥσπερ ὁρμὴ ὕδατος, οὕτως καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ. Βδέλυγμα βασιλεῖ, ὁ ποιῶν κακά. Μετὰ γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἑτοιμάζεται θρόνος ἀρχῆς. ∆εκτὰ βασιλεῖ χείλη δίκαια, λόγους δὲ ὀρθοὺς ἀγαπᾷ. Μαντεῖον ἐν χείλεσι βασιλέως, ἐν δὲ κρίσει οὐ μὴ πλανηθῇ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Ἐν πολλῷ ἔθνει δόξα βασιλέως, ἐν δὲ ἐκλείψει λαοῦ συντριβὴ δυναστῶν. Ὅταν βασιλεὺς δίκαιος καθίσῃ ἐπὶ θρόνου, οὐκ ἐναντιοῦται ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν πονηρόν. Ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ἀλήθεια φυλακὴ βασιλεῖ, καὶ περικυκλώσουσιν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. Κτεῖνε ἀσεβεῖς ἀπὸ προσώπου βασιλέως, καὶ 95.1289 κατορθώσῃ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. - ∆όξα βασιλέως τιμᾷν πρόσταγμα. Βασιλεὺς δίκαιος ἀνίστησι χώραν. Μάχαιρα, γλῶσσα βασιλέως, καὶ οὐ σαρκίνη. Μηδὲν ψεῦδος ἀπὸ γλώσσης βασιλέως λεγέσθω. Βασιλέως ἐν ἀληθείᾳ κρίνοντος πτωχοὺς, ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ εἰς μαρτύριον κατασταθήσεται. Θυμὸς βασιλέως ἄγγελος θανάτου, ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἐξιλάσει αὐτόν. Βασιλέως ἀπειλὴ ὁμοία βρυγμῷ λέοντος. Ὡς γὰρ δρόσος ἐπὶ χόρτον, οὕτως τὸ ἱλαρὸν αὐτοῦ. Στόμα βασιλέως φύλαξον. Ἰδοὺ βασιλεὺς δίκαιος βασιλεύσει, καὶ ἄρχοντες μετὰ κρίσεως ἄρξουσιν. Εὐλογήσει σε ὁ λαὸς ὁ πτωχὸς, καὶ πόλεις ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων εὐλογήσουσί σε. Ἐγένου πάσῃ πόλει ταπεινῇ βοηθὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἀθυμήσασι δι' ἐνδείας σκέπη, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν ῥῦσαι αὐτούς· σκέπη διψώντων, καὶ πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων εὐλογήσουσί σε. Ἰδοὺ ἡμέρα ἔρχεται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀναστήσω τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἀνατολὴν δικαίαν· καὶ βασιλεύσει βασιλεὺς, καὶ συνήσει, καὶ ποιήσει κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ, καὶ σωθήσεται λαὸς, καὶ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς. Βασιλεὺς φρόνιμος εὐστάθεια δήμου. Λήψεται πανοπλίαν τὸν ζῆλον αὐτοῦ, ἐνδύσεται θώρακα δικαιοσύνης, καὶ περιθήσεται κόρυθα κρίσιν ἀνυπόκριτον· λήψεται ἀσπίδα ἀκαταμάχητον ὁσιότητα. Παρὰ βασιλεῖ μὴ σοφίζου. Κριτὴς σοφὸς παιδεύσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡγεμονία συνετοῦ τεταγμένη ἔσται. Οἱ βασιλεῖς, αἰδεῖσθε τὴν ἁλουργίδα. Νομοθετήσει γὰρ καὶ νομοθέταις ὁ λόγος. Γινώσκετε τὸ πιστευθὲν ὑμῖν, καὶ τί τὸ μέγα περὶ ὑμᾶς μυστήριον. Κόσμος ὅλος ὑπὸ χεῖρα τὴν ὑμετέραν, διαδήματι μικρῷ καὶ βραχεῖ ῥακίῳ κρατούμενος. Τὰ μὲν ἄνω μόνον Θεοῦ, τὰ δὲ κάτω, καὶ ὑμῶν. Θεοὶ γίνεσθε τοῖς ὑφ' ὑμᾶς, ἵνα εἴπω τι καὶ τολμηρότερον. Καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ, καὶ εἴρηται, καὶ πεπίστευται. Ἐνταῦθα ἔστω τὸ κράτος ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῷ χρυσῷ καὶ ταῖς φάλαγξιν. Οἱ περὶ τὰ βασίλεια καὶ τοὺς θρόνους, μὴ σφόδρα ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐπαίρεσθε, μηδὲ ἀθάνατα διανοεῖσθε περὶ τῶν οὐκ ἀθανάτων. Τὸ δραστικὸν δείκνυε, μὴ τὸ δρᾷν κακῶς, Τὸ δὲ εὖ τι ποιεῖν, εἰ θέλεις εἶναι θεός· Τὸ δέ ἐστιν ἀνδρὸς εἰδότος τὸ συγγενές. Κτείνει δὲ ῥᾷστα, καὶ τρυγὼν, καὶ σκορπίος.