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it had been written, and every voice had been proclaimed distinctly, one letter inserted was sufficient to change the whole meaning. I know many who fast, who pray, who groan, who display every form of piety that costs nothing, but who do not give one obol to the afflicted. What benefit to them is the rest of their virtue? For the kingdom of heaven does not accept them. Sell your possessions, and give to the poor, so that you may have provision for eternal enjoyment. Do you go away grieving? But if you hear, “Give money to luxurious women, give to stone-cutters, carpenters, mosaic-workers, painters,” you rejoice as if acquiring something more valuable than money. Do you not see these walls, crumbled by time, whose remains stand up like reefs throughout the whole city? How many poor were there in the city when these were being raised, who, because of the zeal for these things, were overlooked by the rich of that time? Where, then, is the splendid construction of these works? And where is the one who was admired for the magnificence of these things? Have not these things been thrown into confusion and vanished, 95.1492 like the things artfully made by children in the sand for play? And he lies in Hades, regretting his zeal for vain things? Have a great soul. For walls, both small and great, fulfill the same need. When I go into the house of a man of vulgar taste and see it brightened with all kinds of flowers, I know that he possesses nothing more precious than what is seen; but while he beautifies inanimate things, he keeps his soul unadorned. What greater need, tell me, do silver couches and silver tables, ivory beds and ivory chairs, provide, that because of these things your wealth does not cross over to the poor, even though ten thousand stand at your door uttering every piteous cry, but you deny the gift, saying it is impossible to provide for those who ask; and while you deny it with your tongue, you are refuted by your hand; for your silent hand proclaims your falsehood, flashing with the bezel of your ring. How many debts can one of your rings release! how many falling houses can it set right! one of your chests of clothes can clothe a whole shivering populace; but you endure sending the poor man away empty-handed, not fearing the just retribution of the judge. You did not show mercy? You will not be shown mercy. You did not open your house? You will be sent away from the kingdom. You did not give bread to the hungry? You will not receive eternal life. But you say you are poor? And I agree. For poor is the one who is in need of many things. And the insatiability of desire makes you needy of many things. To your ten talents, you are eager to add another ten. When it becomes twenty, you seek as many more. And what is added always, for you, does not stop the impulse, but ignites the appetite. For just as for drunkards the addition of wine becomes an occasion for drinking, so also the newly rich, having acquired many things, desire more. Do you take pride in wealth, and are you haughty about your ancestors? And do you exult in your fatherland, and in the beauty of your body, and in the honors from all? Pay heed to yourself, that you are mortal; that you are earth, and to earth you shall return. Look around at those before you who were esteemed in similar circumstances. Where are those who were clothed with political powers? Where are the invincible orators? Where are those who arranged the public festivals? The magnificent horse-breeders, the generals, the tyrants? Is not everything dust? Is not everything a fable? Are not the memorials of their lives in a few bones? Stoop down to the tombs, if you can distinguish who is the servant and who is the master; where the poor man is, and who the rich. Distinguish if you have any power to, the prisoner from the king, the strong from the weak, the comely from the unsightly. Therefore, remembering your nature, you will never be puffed up. What can restrain the greedy man? He is more grievous than fire, consuming all things in succession. He took 95.1493 the things of his neighbor; another neighbor appeared, and he appropriated that man's things. He does not pay attention to what is behind, but is grieved by what remains. He does not pay attention to the enjoyment of the things gathered, but wastes himself on the

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ἐγέγραπτο, καὶ πᾶσα φωνὴ διαῤῥήδην κεκήρυκτο, ἓν γράμμα παρεντεθὲν ἱκανὸν ἦν πᾶσαν μεταποιῆσαι τὴν γνώμην. Οἶδα πολλοὺς νηστεύοντας, προσευχομένους, στενάζοντας, πᾶσαν τὴν ἀδάπανον εὐλάβειαν ἐπιδεικνυμένους, ὀβολὸν δὲ ἕνα μὴ προϊεμένους τοῖς θλιβομένοις. Τί ὄφελος τούτοις τῆς λοιπῆς ἀρετῆς; οὐ γὰρ παραδέχεται αὐτοὺς ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, ἵνα ἔχῃς ἐφόδιον πρὸς αἰωνίαν ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἀπέρχῃ λυπούμενος; Ἐὰν δὲ ἀκούσῃς, ∆ὸς χρήματα γυναιξὶ χλιδώσαις, δὸς λιθοξόοις, τέκτοσι, ψηφοθέταις, ζωγράφοις, χαίρεις ὡς δή τι χρημάτων τιμιώτερον κατακτώμενος. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς τοίχους τούτους, τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ χρόνου καταῤῥυέντας, ὧν τὰ λείψανα ὥσπερ σκόπελοί τινες διὰ τῆς πόλεως πάσης ἀνέχουσι; Πόσοι ἦσαν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν πένητες τούτων ἐγειρομένων, οἳ διὰ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα σπουδὴν, ὑπὸ τῶν τότε πλουσίων παρεωρῶντο; Ποῦ τοίνυν ἡ λαμπρὰ τῶν ἔργων κατασκευή; ποῦ δὲ ὁ ἐπὶ τούτων μεγαλουργίᾳ ζηλούμενος; Οὐ τὰ μὲν συγκέχυται καὶ ἠφάνισται. 95.1492 ὥσπερ αἱ κατὰ παιδιὰν ἐν ταῖς ψάμμοις ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων φιλοτεχνούμεναι; Ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ κεῖται, ἐπὶ τῇ σπουδῇ τῶν ματαίων μεταμελόμενος; Μεγάλην ἔχε τὴν ψυχήν. Τοῖχοι δὲ, καὶ μικροὶ, καὶ μεγάλοι τὴν αὐτὴν χρείαν πληροῦσιν. Ὅταν παρέλθω εἰς οἰκίαν ἀνδρὸς ἀπειροκάλου, καὶ ἴδω αὐτὴν παντοίοις γεγανωμένην ἄνθεσιν, οἶδα ὅτι οὗτος οὐδὲν τῶν ὁρωμένων τιμιώτερον κέκτηται· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἄψυχα καλλωπίζει, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀκόσμητον ἔχει. Ποίαν, εἰπέ μοι, χρείαν περισσοτέραν παρέχουσιν ἀργυραῖ κλίναι, καὶ τράπεζαι ἀργυραῖ, ἐλεφάντιναι στιβάδες, καὶ ἐλεφάντινοι δίφροι, ὥστε τὸν πλοῦτον διὰ ταῦτα μὴ διαβαίνειν πρὸς τοὺς πτωχοὺς, καίτοι μυρίοι ἐφεστήκασι τῇ θύρᾳ ἅπασαν ἀφιέντες ἐλεεινὴν φωνὴν, σὺ δὲ ἀρνῇ τὴν δόσιν, ἀδύνατον εἶναι λέγων ἐπαρκεῖν τοῖς αἰτοῦσι· καὶ τῇ μὲν γλώσσῃ ἐξόμνυσαι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς χειρὸς διελέγχῃ· σιωπῶσα γὰρ ἡ χείρ σου τὴν ψευδολογίαν σου κηρύσσει, περιαστραπτομένη ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ δακτυλίου σφενδόνης. Πόσους δύναται εἷς σου δακτύλιος χρεῶν ἀπολῦσαι! πόσους οἴκους καταπίπτοντας ὀρθῶσαι! μία σου κιβωτὸς ἱματίων δύναται δῆμον ὅλον ῥιγοῦντα περιβαλεῖν· ἀλλ' ὑπομένεις ἄπρακτον ἀποπέμψαι τὸν πένητα, οὐ φοβούμενος τὸ δίκαιον τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως τοῦ κριτοῦ. Οὐκ ἠλέησας; οὐκ ἐλεηθήσῃ. Οὐκ ἤνοιξας τὴν οἰκίαν; ἀποπεμφθήσῃ τῆς βασιλείας. Οὐκ ἔδωκας ἄρτον τῷ πεινῶντι; οὐ λήψῃ τὴν αἰωνίαν ζωήν. Ἀλλὰ πένητα λέγεις σαυτόν; κἀγὼ συντίθημι. Πένης γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πολλῶν ἐνδεής. Πολλῶν δὲ ὑμᾶς ἐνδεεῖς ποιεῖ τὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἀκόρεστον. Τοῖς δέκα ταλάντοις, δέκα ἕτερα προστιθέναι σπουδάζεις. Ἐπειδὰν εἴκοσι γένηται, ἄλλα τοσαῦτα ζητεῖς. Καὶ ἀεί σοι τὸ προστιθέμενον, οὐχὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἵστησιν, ἀλλὰ ἀναφλέγει τὴν ὄρεξιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς μεθύουσιν ἀφορμὴ τοῦ πίνειν ἡ προσθήκη τοῦ οἴνου γίνεται, οὕτω καὶ οἱ νεόπλουτοι, πολλὰ κτησάμενοι, πλειόνων ἐπιθυμοῦσιν. Πλούτῳ κομᾷς, καὶ ἐπὶ προγόνοις μέγα φρονεῖς; καὶ ἐπαγάλλῃ πατρίδι, καὶ κάλλει σώματος, καὶ ταῖς παρὰ πάντων τιμαῖς; Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, ὅτι θνητὸς εἶ· ὅτι γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ. Περίβλεψαι τοὺς πρὸ σοῦ ἐν ταῖς ὁμοίαις ἐξετασθέντας. Ποῦ οἱ τὰς πολιτικὰς δυνάμεις περιβεβλημένοι; Ποῦ οἱ δυσμαχώτατοι ῥήτορες; ποῦ οἱ τὰς πανηγύρεις διατιθέντες; οἱ λαμπροὶ ἱπποτρόφοι, οἱ στρατηγοὶ, οἱ τύραννοι; Οὐ πάντα κόνις; οὐ πάντα μῦθος; οὐκ ἐν ὀλίγοις ὀστέοις τὰ μνημόσυνα τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν; Ἔγκυψον τοῖς τάφοις, εἰ δυνήσῃ διακρῖναι, τίς ὁ οἰκέτης, καὶ τίς ὁ δεσπότης· ποῦ ὁ πτωχὸς, καὶ τίς ὁ πλούσιος. ∆ιάκρινον εἴ τίς σοι δύναμις τὸν δέσμιον ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, τὸν ἰσχυρὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀσθενοῦς, τὸν εὐπρεπῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ δυσειδοῦς. Μεμνημένος οὖν τῆς φύσεως οὐκ ἐπαρθήσῃ ποτέ. Τὸν πλεονέκτην τί δύναται ἐπισχεῖν; πυρός ἐστι χαλεπώτερος, πάντα διὰ συνεχείας νεμόμενος Ἔλαβε 95.1493 τὰ τοῦ πλησίον· ἄλλος ἀνεφάνη γείτων, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου ἐξιδιοποιήσατο. Οὐ τοῖς κατόπιν προσέχει, ἀλλὰ λυπεῖ τὰ λειπόμενα. Οὐ τῇ ἀπολαύσει τῶν συναχθέντων προσέχει, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκδαπανᾷ τῇ