107

having been disciplined, they will be greatly benefited; because God tested them, and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace He proved them, and as a whole burnt offering He accepted them, and in the time of their visitation they will shine forth. The righteous live for evermore, and in the Lord is their reward, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore they will receive the kingdom of glory, and the diadem of beauty from the hand of the Lord; because with His right hand He will cover them, and with His arm He will shield them. If a righteous man should happen to die, he will be at rest. Grace and mercy are with his elect, and visitation with his holy ones. The sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable. The good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things. The rod of a righteous man is better than the honor of an evil man. Considering the possession of virtue as the only wealth, intimacy with God as the only nobility, self-control and freedom from slavery to human passions as the only worth and power; being burdened by the extension of the life of this material existence, but hastening like those who suffer at sea to reach the harbor of the resurrection. Just as the fragrance of spices fills the surrounding air with its own good scent; so the presence of a good man benefits his neighbors. TITLE 17. -Concerning the double-tongued. An evil condemnation is upon the double-tongued. Every sinner who is envious and double-tongued will have dishonor. Curse the whisperer and the double-tongued; for he has destroyed many who were at peace. A double tongue has shaken many, and driven them from nation to nation, and it has pulled down strong cities, and overthrown the houses of great men. A double tongue has cast out courageous women and deprived them of their labors. He who pays attention to it will not find rest, nor will he dwell in quietness. TITLE 18. -Concerning incorruptible judges, and those having clean hands, and who exercise judgment and righteousness. You shall not kill the innocent and righteous, and you shall not acquit the wicked. You shall not mistreat any widow or orphan. You shall not follow a multitude to pervert judgment. You shall take no bribe. For bribes blind the eyes of those who see, and pervert righteous words. 95.1388 You shall not be partial to a poor man in his cause. You shall not pervert the judgment of a poor man in his cause. You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor shall you honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. There shall be one judgment for the sojourner and for the native. You shall not take a ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death; you shall surely put him to death. You shall justly pursue justice. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall judge the small and the great alike; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. You shall not pervert the judgment of the sojourner, and of the orphan, and of the widow, and you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Cursed is he who takes a bribe and strikes a soul of innocent blood; and all the people shall say, "So be it." Cursed is everyone who perverts the judgment of the sojourner, and of the orphan, and of the widow; and all the people shall say, "So be it." Sit, and let there be no injustice, and come together with the righteous one. He who is clean of hands would take courage; he will laugh at the unjust and the lawless. I will not be ashamed of man, but neither will I be abashed by a mortal. For I do not know how to show partiality. If not, then moths will also eat me. He did not take bribes against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever. Blessed are they who keep judgment, and do righteousness at all times. Open your mouth, and judge all things justly. He who hates taking bribes is saved. A pure man is a precious possession. To show partiality in judgment is not good. Let him who boasts boast in this, in understanding and knowing the Lord, and in doing judgment and righteousness in the midst of the earth. Samuel said to all Israel: "Testify against me before the Lord: whose calf have I taken, or donkey, or have I oppressed you?" Testify against me. And they said to Samuel: "You have not wronged us, nor have you taken anything from our hand." The Lord said to Solomon:

107

δευθέντες, μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται· ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐπείρασεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ. Ὡς χρυσὸν ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ ἐδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα θυσίας προσεδέξατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀναλάμψουσι. ∆ίκαιοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζῶσι, καὶ ἐν Κυρίῳ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ φροντὶς αὐτῶν παρὰ Ὑψίστου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λήψονται τὸ βασίλειον τῆς εὐπρεπείας, καὶ τὸ διάδημα τῆς καλλονῆς ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου· ὅτι τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ σκεπάσει αὐτοὺς, καὶ τῷ βραχίονι ὑπερασπιεῖ αὐτῶν. ∆ίκαιος ἐὰν φθάσῃ τελευτῆσαι, ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται. Χάρις καὶ ἔλεος ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ. Θυσία ἀνδρὸς δικαίου δεκτή. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας ἐκβάλλει τὰ ἀγαθά. Ῥάβδος δικαίου κρείσσων ἢ τιμὴ κακοῦ Ἕνα πλοῦτον νομίζοντα τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κτῆσιν, μίαν εὐγένειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οἰκειότητα, μίαν ἀξίαν καὶ δυναστείαν τὸ κρατεῖν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἀδούλωτον εἶναι τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις παθήμασιν· ἀχθόμενον μὲν τῇ παρατάσει τῆς τοῦ ὑλικοῦ βίου ζωῆς, σπεύδοντα δὲ καθάπερ οἱ διὰ πελάγους κακοπαθοῦντες πρὸς λιμένα καταντῆσαι τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Ὥσπερ τὰ εὐώδη τῶν ἀρωμάτων τῆς ἰδίας εὐπνοίας τὸν παρακείμενον ἀέρα πλήρη ποιεῖ· οὕτως ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ παρουσία τοὺς πέλας ὀνίνησιν. ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΖʹ. -Περὶ διγλώσσου. Κατάγνωσις πονηρὰ ἐπὶ διγλώσσου. Πᾶς ἁμαρτωλὸς φθονερὸς καὶ δίγλωσσος ἀτιμίαν ἕξει. Ψίθυρον καὶ δίγλωσσον καταράσασθε· πολλοὺς γὰρ εἰρηνεύοντας ἀπώλεσε. Γλῶσσα διττὴ πολλοὺς ἐσάλευσε, καὶ διέστειλεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος, καὶ πόλεις ὀχυρᾶς καθεῖλεν, καὶ οἰκίας μεγιστάνων κατέστρεψε. Γλῶσσα διττὴ γυναῖκας ἀνδρείας ἐξέβαλε καὶ ἐστέρησεν αὐτὰς τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν. Ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ, οὐ μὴ εὕρῃ ἀνάπαυσιν, οὐδὲ κατασκηνώσει μετὰ ἡσυχίας. ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΗʹ. -Περὶ δικαστῶν ἀδεκάστων, καὶ καθαρὰς ἐχόντων τὰς χεῖρας. καὶ κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ποιούντων. Ἀθῶον καὶ δίκαιον οὐκ ἀποκτενεῖς, καὶ οὐκ ἀθωώσεις τὸν ἀσεβῆ. Πᾶσαν χήραν καὶ ὀρφανὸν οὐ κακώσετε. Οὐ προσθήσεις μετὰ πλήθους ἐκκλῖναι κρίσιν. ∆ῶρα οὐ λήψῃ. Τὰ γὰρ δῶρα ἐκτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς βλεπόντων, καὶ λυμαίνεται ῥήματα δίκαια. 95.1388 Πένητα οὐκ ἐλεήσεις ἐν κρίσει. Οὐ διαστρέψεις κρῖμα πένητος ἐν κρίσει αὐτοῦ. Οὐ ποιήσετε ἄδικον ἐν κρίσει. Οὐ λήψῃ πρόσωπον πτωχοῦ, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ θαυμάσῃς πρόσωπον δυνάστου. Ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κρινεῖς τὸν πλησίον σου. ∆ικαίωσις μία ἔσται τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ ἐγχωρίῳ. Οὐ λήψεσθε λύτρα περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς παρὰ τοῦ φονεύσαντος, τοῦ ἐνόχου ὄντος ἀναιρεθῆναι· θανάτῳ θανατώσετε αὐτόν. ∆ικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώξεις. Οὐκ ἐπιγνώσῃ πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει· κατὰ τὸν μικρὸν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν μέγαν κρινεῖς· οὐ μὴ ὑποστείλῃ πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἡ κρίσις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν. Οὐκ ἐκκλινεῖς κρίσιν προσηλύτου, καὶ ὀρφανοῦ, καὶ χήρας, καὶ οὐκ ἐνεχυριάσεις ἱμάτιον χήρας. Ἐπικατάρατος, ὃς ἐὰν λάβῃ δῶρα, καὶ πατάξῃ ψυχὴν αἵματος ἀθώου· καὶ ἐρεῖ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, Γένοιτο. Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃ κρίσιν προσηλύτου, καὶ ὀρφανοῦ, καὶ χήρας· καὶ ἐρεῖ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, Γένοιτο. Καθίσατε, καὶ μὴ εἴη ἄδικον, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε. Καθαρὸς χερσὶν ἀναλάβοι θάρσος· ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνόμων καταγελάσει. Ἄνθρωπον οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ, ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ βροτὸν οὐ μὴ ἐντραπῶ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, καὶ ἐμὲ σῆτες ἔδονται. ∆ῶρα ἐπ' ἀθώοις οὐκ ἔλαβεν. Ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα, οὐ σαλευθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Μακάριοι οἱ φυλάσσοντες κρίσιν, καὶ ποιοῦντες δικαιοσύνην ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ. Ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα, καὶ κρίνε πάντα δικαίως. Ὁ μισῶν δώρων λήψεις, σώζεται. Κτῆμα τίμιον ἀνὴρ καθαρός. Αἰδεῖσθαι πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει, οὐ καλόν. Ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν τῷ συνιεῖν καὶ γινώσκειν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ποιεῖν κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς. Εἶπε Σαμουὴλ πρὸς πάντα Ἰσραήλ· Ἀποκρίθητε κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου· μόσχον τίνος εἴληφα, ἢ ὄνον, ἢ καταδυναστεύσας ὑμᾶς. Ἀποκρίθητε κατ' ἐμοῦ. Καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Σαμουήλ· Οὐκ ἠδίκησας ἡμᾶς, οὐδὲ εἴληφας ἐκ χειρὸς ἡμῶν οὐδέν. Εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Σολομών·