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Because you asked this thing of me, and you did not ask for yourself many days, nor wealth, nor the lives of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment; behold, I have given you a prudent and wise heart. Like 95.1389 you there has not been before you, and after you there will not be. King Solomon said to the women: You say that your son is the living one, and this woman's son is the dead one? And the king said: Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said: Divide the living child in two, and give half of it to this one, and half of it to that one. And the woman whose son was the living one answered and said to the king, because her womb was stirred: By no means, my lord, give her the child, and do not put it to death. And the other said: Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide it. And the king answered: Give the child to the mother who said, Give it to her, and do not put it to death, for she is its mother. Judge a righteous judgment. Do not oppress the widow, and the orphan, and the sojourner, and the poor. Thus says the Lord: Keep judgment, and do righteousness. Blessed is the one who does these things, and holds fast to them and keeps his hands from doing unjust things. Seek judgment, rescue the wronged, judge the orphan, and justify the widow, and come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Zion was filled with judgment and righteousness; there is wisdom and piety towards God; these are the treasures of righteousness. The poor people will bless you, and the cities of wronged men will bless you. For you became a helper to every lowly city, and a shelter to those who are discouraged because of want; rescue them from wicked men. A shelter for the thirsty and a spirit for wronged men, they will bless you. Thus says the Lord: Judge in the morning, and direct, and deliver the one who has been plundered from the hand of the one who wrongs him; lest my wrath be kindled like fire, and it will be burned, and there will be no one to save. Do not oppress the sojourner, and the orphan, and the widow, and do not act impiously, and do not shed innocent blood. Take away injustice and misery, do judgment and righteousness; take away oppression from my people, says the Lord. You shall not kill the innocent and the righteous. There is no partiality with the truth. Love righteousness, you who judge the earth. He will take his zeal as a full suit of armor; he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and he will put on a helmet of unhypocritical judgment. He will take holiness as an invincible shield. Do not show favor to the face of a ruler. Until death 95.1392 strive for the truth, and the Lord God will fight for you. Do not place blame on the innocent. Do not show favor against your own soul. Do not rise up from the presence of an insolent man. Rescue the wronged from the hand of the wrongdoer, and do not be faint-hearted when you judge. Before you examine, do not find fault. Understand first, and then rebuke. Without judgment do nothing. Have they made you a leader? Do not be puffed up. Be among them as one of them. Do you wish not to fear authority? Do good, and you will have praise from it. He who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. Everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God. If you desire glory, and wish to appear superior to the many, and to be well-regarded in worldly matters, be righteous, temperate, prudent, courageous, patient in the struggles for piety. For in this way you will save yourself, and for greater goods you will have greater renown. The proof of a righteous disposition is correctness in judging. -To understand true righteousness truly requires a great intellect and a most perfect mind. For it is impossible for one not previously instructed concerning the just to be able to discern disputes correctly. For he who knows true righteousness, and has been taught through it to render to each his own, this one is able to direct judgment. Just as the archer aims the arrow at the target, so the judge aims at the just, neither showing partiality, nor acting according to inclination, but delivering straight and unperverted judgments. And two

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Ἀνθ' ὧν ᾐτήσω παρ' ἐμοῦ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, καὶ οὐκ ᾐτήσω ἑαυτῷ ἡμέρας πολλὰς, οὐδὲ πλοῦτον, οὐδὲ ψυχὰς ἐχθρῶν σου, ἀλλ' ᾐτήσω ἑαυτῷ σύνεσιν τοῦ εἰσακούειν κρῖμα· ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σοι καρδίαν φρονίμην καὶ σοφήν. Ὡς 95.1389 σὺ οὐ γέγονεν ἔμπροσθέν σου, καὶ μετὰ σὲ οὐκ ἔσται. Εἶπε ταῖς γυναιξὶν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σολομών· Σὺ λέγεις ὅτι ὁ υἱός σου ὁ ζῶν, καὶ ταύτης ὁ υἱὸς ὁ τεθνηκώς; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· Λάβετέ μοι μάχαιραν. Καὶ προσήνεγκαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως μάχαιραν. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ∆ιέλετε τὸ παιδίον τὸ ζῶν εἰς δύο, καὶ δότε τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ, καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ ἐκείνῃ. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ ἧς ἦν ὁ υἱὸς ὁ ζῶν, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὅτι ἐταράχθη ἡ μήτρα αὐτῆς· Μηδαμῶς, κύριε, δὸς αὐτῇ τὸ παιδίον, καὶ θανάτῳ μὴ θανατώσητε αὐτό. Καὶ αὕτη εἶπε· Μήτε ἐμὸν, μήτε αὐτῆς ἔστω· διέλετε αὐτό. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεύς· ∆ότε τὸ παιδίον τῇ μητρὶ τῇ εἰπούσῃ, ∆ότε αὐτῇ τοῦτο, καὶ θανάτῳ μὴ θανατώσητε αὐτὸ, ὅτι αὕτη ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ. Κρῖμα δίκαιον κρίνετε. Χήραν, καὶ ὀρφανὸν, καὶ προσήλυτον, καὶ πένητα μὴ καταδυναστεύετε. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Φυλάξασθε κρίσιν, ποιεῖτε καὶ δικαιοσύνην. Μακάριος ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα, καὶ ἀντεχόμενος αὐτῶν καὶ διατηρῶν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ μὴ ποιεῖν ἄδικα. Ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, ῥύσασθε ἀδικούμενον, κρίνατε ὀρφανὸν, καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν, καὶ δεῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος. Ἐνεπλήσθη Σιὼν κρίσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης· ἐκεῖ σοφία καὶ εὐσέβεια πρὸς Θεόν· οὗτοί εἰσι θησαυροὶ δικαιοσύνης. Εὐλογήσει σε ὁ λαὸς ὁ πτωχὸς, καὶ πόλεις ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων εὐλογήσουσί σε. Ἐγένου γὰρ πάσῃ πόλει ταπεινῇ βοηθὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἀθυμήσασι δι' ἔνδειαν σκέπη· ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν ῥῦσαι αὐτούς. Σκέπη διψώντων καὶ πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων, εὐλογήσουσί σε. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Κρίνατε πρωΐ, καὶ εὐθύνατε, καὶ ἐξέλεσθε διηρπασμένον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος αὐτόν· ὅπως μὴ ἀναφθῇ ὡς πῦρ ἡ ὀργή μου, καὶ καυθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ σώζων. Προσήλυτον, καὶ ὀρφανὸν, καὶ χήραν μὴ καταδυναστεύετε, καὶ μὴ ἀσεβεῖτε, καὶ αἷμα ἀθῶον μὴ ἐκχέετε. Ἀδικίαν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἀφέλεσθε, κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ποιεῖτε· ἐξέλετε καταδυναστείαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ μου, λέγει Κύριος. Ἀθῶον καὶ δίκαιον οὐκ ἀποκτενεῖς. Οὐκ ἔστι παρὰ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ προσωποληψία. Ἀγαπήσατε δικαιοσύνην οἱ κρίνοντες τὴν γῆν. Λήψεται πανοπλίαν τὸν ζῆλον αὐτοῦ· ἐνδύσεται θώρακα δικαιοσύνην, καὶ περιθήσεται κόρυθα κρίσιν ἀνυπόκριτον. Λήψεται ἀσπίδα ἀκαταμάχητον ὁσιότητα. Μὴ λάβης πρόσωπον δυνάστου. Ἕως θανάτου 95.1392 ἀγώνισαι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Ἐν ἀθώοις μὴ δὸς μῶμον. Μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς σου. Μὴ ἐξαναστῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑβριστοῦ. Ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος, καὶ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε. Πρὶν ἢ ἐξετάσῃς, μὴ μέμψῃ. Νόησον πρῶτον, καὶ τότε ἐπιτίμα. Ἄνευ κρίσεως μὴ ποιήσῃς μηδέν. Ἡγούμενόν σε κατέστησαν; μὴ ἐπαίρου. Γίνου ἐν αὐτοῖς ὡς εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν. Θέλεις μὴ φοβεῖσθαι ἐξουσίαν; Ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς. Ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, δίκαιός ἐστι, καθὼς καὶ ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστι. Πᾶς ὁ μὴ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ δόξης ἐπιθυμεῖς, καὶ βούλει τῶν πολλῶν ὑπερφαίνεσθαι, καὶ εὐδόκιμος ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς πράγμασι γίνεσθαι, ἔσο δίκαιος, σώφρων, φρόνιμος, ἀνδρεῖος, ὑπομονητικὸς ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶσιν. Οὕτω γὰρ σεαυτὸν σώσεις, καὶ ἐπὶ μείζοσιν ἀγαθοῖς μείζονα ἕξεις τὴν περιφάνειαν. Ἔλεγχος τῆς τοῦ δικαίου διαθέσεως ἡ περὶ τὸ κρίνειν ὀρθότης. -Τὸ νοῆσαι τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην μεγάλης ὄντως διανοίας, καὶ φρενὸς τελειοτάτης δεῖται. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ μὴ προπαιδευθέντα περὶ τοῦ δικαίου δύνασθαι τὰς ἀμφισβητήσεις ὀρθῶς διακρίνειν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰδὼς τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς διδαχθεὶς τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀπονεῖμαι ἑκάστῳ, οὗτος δύναται κατευθῦναι κρῖμα. Ὥσπερ ὁ τοξότης πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν ἐπευθύνει τὸ βέλος, οὕτως ὁ κριτὴς τοῦ δικαίου καταστοχάζεται, οὔτε πρόσωπα λαμβάνων, οὔτε ποιῶν κατὰ πρόσκλισιν, ἀλλ' εὐθείας καὶ ἀδιαστρόφους ἐκφέρων τὰς κρίσεις. Καὶ δύο