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1.50 (ν΄) Just as faith is the substance of things hoped for, so for the soul, is prudence; and for virtue, humility. And it is a marvel how things that are complete in themselves are rendered incomplete without their accidents.

1.51 (να΄) The Lord will guard your going in, he says, and your coming out; namely, of foods and of words, with self-control. For he who with self-control manages the going in and coming out of foods and words, escapes the desire that comes from the eyes; and as for the anger that comes from despair, the combatant, taking care of these things above all, must strive in every way to calm it. For in these things, the practical part is strengthened, and the contemplative part is made firm.

1.52 (νβ΄) But some take great care about the entry of foods; but are neglectful concerning the exit of words. Such men do not know how to remove anger from the heart, and desire from the flesh, according to Ecclesiastes; by which things the pure heart is wont to be created by the renewing Spirit.

1.53 (νγ΄) The not-superfluous in foods, concerns the lesser quality of luxury; the irreproachable in words, will be found in a quantity better than silence.

(15∆_338> 1.54 (νδ΄) Scorch your kidneys by abstinence from foods, and test your heart by continence of words, and you will have for the service of good things, both the concupiscible and the irascible parts.

1.55 (νε΄) The pleasure of the lower belly fails in ascetics when the body has declined; but that of the throat still remains, for one who has not managed to punish it justly. Therefore one must strive, through the cause, to wipe away the reproach of the effect, so that you might not be found a stranger there to the virtue of self-control, and be put to shame.

1.56 (νστ΄) It is necessary for the ascetic to know, when and with what foods he must nourish his body as an enemy; and when to encourage it as a friend and again to comfort it as one who is weak; lest he unawares give the things of the weak to the friend, and set the things of the friend before the enemy; and having scandalized both, he will find them warring against him in the time of trial.

1.57 (μζ΄) When he who is being nourished makes the nourishment of luxury more preferable, then the grace of tears coming upon him begins to comfort him and to make him forget all other sweetness, as these things have already been swallowed up by an incomparable sweetness.

1.58 (νη΄) For him who is broadened, tears were restrained; but they gushed forth for him who loved the narrow way.

1.59 (νθ΄) Neither the sinner nor the righteous is without sorrow; but the one, because he has not entirely abandoned evil; and the other, because he has not yet attained the truly good.

1.60 (ξ΄) Of the virtues in our power according to our ability, are prayer and silence; but of those not in our power, but for the most part of the body's constitution, (15∆_340> are fasting and vigil. Therefore, whichever is more attainable for the combatant, this he must pursue.

1.61 (ξα΄) The house of prayer is patience; for it is contained 1416 in it; and its substance, humility; for it is nourished by it.

1.62 (ξβ΄) Not enduring words, you will not be honored with praises; and looking at the pain before the pleasure, you will escape its grievousness.

1.63 (ξγ΄) Do not be bound by the small, and you will not be a slave to the greater; for the greater evil is not naturally formed before the small.

1.64 (ξδ΄) Looking toward the greater things, you will be fearsome to the lesser; but you will be seen as contemptible by these, having given up on those.

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1.50 (ν΄) Ὥσπερ ἡ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις πέφυκεν, οὕτω ψυχῆς μέν, ἡ φρόνησις· ἀρετῆς δέ, ἡ ταπείνωσις. Καί θαῦμα, πῶς τά αὐτοτελῆ, τῶν συμβεβηκότων δίχα ἀτελῆ καθεστήκασι.

1.51 (να΄) Κύριος φυλάξοι τήν εἴσοδόν σου, φησί, καί τήν ἔξοδόν σου· τήν τῶν βρωμάτων δηλονότι καί τῶν ῥημάτων, τῇ ἐγκρατείᾳ. Ἐγκρατῶς γάρ ὁ ἔχων περί τήν τῶν βρωμάτων καί ῥημάτων εἴσοδόν τε καί ἔξοδον, ἐπιθυμίαν μέν τήν ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν ἀποδιδράσκει· θυμόν δέ τήν ἐξ ἀπονοίας καταπραΰναι, ὧν δεῖ καί πρό πάντων ποιεῖσθαι τήν ἐπιμέλειαν τόν ἀγωνιζόμενον, παντί τρόπῳ σπουδαστέον. Ἐν τούτοις γάρ, τό μέν πρακτικόν ἔῤῥωται· τό δέ θεωρητικόν, ἐστερέωται.

1.52 (νβ΄) Τινές δέ περί τήν εἴσοδον τῶν βρωμάτων, πολλήν ποιοῦνται τήν ἐπιμέλειαν· περί δέ ἔξοδον τῶν ῥημάτων, ἀμελῶς διατίθενται. Οἱ τοιοῦτοι οὐκ ἐπίστανται πράγειν θυμόν μέν ἀπό καρδίας, ἐπιθυμίαν δέ ἀπό σαρκός, κατά τήν Ἐκκλησιαστήν· δι᾿ ὧν ἡ καθαρά καρδία κτίζεσθαι εἴωθε παρά τοῦ καινουργοῦντος Πνεύματος.

1.53 (νγ΄) Τό μέν τῶν βρωμάτων ἀπέριττον, περί τήν ἥττω τρυφῆς ποιότητα· τό δέ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀνέγκλητον, περί τήν κρείττω τῆς σιωπῆς ποσότητα εὑρεθήσεται.

(15∆_338> 1.54 (νδ΄) Πύρωσον τούς νεφρούς σου ἀσιτίᾳ βρωμάτων, καί ἔτασον τήν καρδίαν σου ἐγκρατείᾳ ῥημάτων, καί ἕξεις πρός ὑπηρεσίαν καλῶν, τό, ἐπιθυμητικόν τε καί θυμικόν.

1.55 (νε΄) Ἡ μέν τῶν ὑπογαστρίων ἡδονή καταπίπτει ἐν ἀσκουμένοις, τοῦ σώματος παρακμάσαντος· ἔτι δέ παραμένει τοῦ φάρυγγος, τῷ μή φθάσαντι ταύτην ἐνδίκως κολάσαι. Σπουδάσαι οὖν χρή διά τῆς αἰτίου, τοῦ αἰτιατοῦ τόν ὀνειδισμόν ἀποτρίψασθαι, ὡς ἄν μή ξένος ἐκεῖσε τῆς κατά τήν ἐγκράτειαν ἀρετῆς εὑρεθείς, αἰσχυνθῇς.

1.56 (νστ΄) Ἀναγκαῖον εἰδέναι τόν ἀσκητήν, πότε καί τίσι βρώμασι δεῖ ὡς ἐχθρόν τρέφειν τό σῶμα αὐτοῦ· πότε δέ ὡς φίλον παρακαλεῖν καί πάλιν παραμυθεῖσθαι ὡς ἀσθενῆ· ἵνα μή λάθῃ τά μέν τοῦ ἀσθενοῦς, τῷ φίλῳ· τά δέ τοῦ φίλου παρατιθείς τῷ ἐχθρῷ· καί ἑκατέρους ὡς σκανδαλίσας, καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ εὑρήσει πολεμοῦντας αὐτόν.

1.57 (μζ΄) Ὅταν τῆς τρυφῆς τήν τροφήν ὁ τρεφόμενος προτιμοτέραν ποιήσηται, τότε ἡ τῶν δακρύων ἐπιδημήσασα χάρις αὐτῷ, παρακαλεῖν ἄρχεται καί ἄλλης πάσης ἡδύτητος ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι, ὡς ἤδη τούτων καταποθείσης ἀσυγκρίτῳ ἡδύτητι.

1.58 (νη΄) Τῷ μέν πλατυνομένῳ συνεστάλη τά δάκρυα· ἐξεβλύθη δέ ταῦτα, τῷ τήν στενήν ὁδόν ἀγαπήσαντι.

1.59 (νθ΄) Οὐκ ἔστιν λύπης ἐκτός, οὔτε ἁμαρτωλός, οὔτε δίκαιος· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μέν, ὅτι μή πάντη ἀπέλιπεν τό κακόν· ὁ δέ, ὅτι οὔπω κατέλαβε τό ὄντως καλόν.

1.60 (ξ΄) Τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν μέν κατά δύναμιν ἀρεταί, εὐχή καί σιωπή· τῶν οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν δέ, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς τά πολλά τῆς τοῦ σώματος κατασκευῆς, (15∆_340> νηστεία καί ἀγρυπνία εἰσίν. Ὅπερ οὖν τῷ ἀγωνιστῇ εὐληπτότερον, τοῦτο μετέρχεσθαι χρή.

1.61 (ξα΄) Οἶκος μέν εὐχῆς, ἡ ὑπομονή· περικρατεῖται 1416 γάρ ἐν αὐτῆ· χρῆμα δέ, ἡ ταπείνωσις· τρέφεται γάρ δι᾿ αὐτῆς.

1.62 (ξβ΄) Λόγους μή καρτερῶν, ἐπαίνοις οὐ τιμηθήσῃ· πρό δέ τῆς ἡδονῆς τήν ὀδύνην ἀποσκοπῶν, ἐκφεύξῃ ταύτης τό λυπηρόν.

1.63 (ξγ΄) Μή δεσμευθῇς τῷ μικρῷ, καί οὐ δουλεύσεις τῷ μείζονι· οὐ γάρ πέφυκε τό μεῖζον κακόν πρό τοῦ μικροῦ διαπλάττεσθαι.

1.64 (ξδ΄) Ἀφορῶν πρός, τά μείζω, φοβερός ἔσῃ τοῖς ἥττωσιν· εὐκαταφρόνητος δέ τούτοις ὀφθείσῃ, πρός ἐκεῖνα ἀπειρηκώς.