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with a desire for the possession of more. Then sleeplessness, from this the cares, and the anxieties; as much as wealth increases, so much it brings of life's anxiety. A judge is expected, and the covetous man looks around lest he be dragged into courts, lest an orphan make public his tear before a court. He deliberates at night, which of the bitter advocates he will present, in order that he may hire false witnesses, how he will besiege the one in desolation, and will oppress him, and in court having stolen the truth, he will destroy both, both deceiving the judge, and defrauding the child. These cares consume the soul of the covetous man. A dog barks? And the rich man thinks it is a thief. The sound of a mouse, and the rich man's heart leaps. He holds all things in suspicion. He sees his growing sons as if they were plotters, because their age hastens the succession. For the land of a rich man, it says, was fruitful, and he reasoned with himself: What shall I do? I will pull down my barns, and build greater ones. Why then was the land fruitful for a man who was going to do nothing good from the abundance? in order that the long-suffering of God might be more manifest, His goodness extending even to such people. For He sends rain on the just and on the unjust, and makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good. But such goodness gathers a greater punishment for those who do evil. He nourished with rains the land tilled by the hands of the covetous. He gave the sun to warm the seeds, and to multiply the fruits through abundance. And such were the things from God: suitability of the land, temperate conditions of the air, abundance of seeds, the cooperation of oxen, and the other things by which agriculture is naturally prosperous. But what were the things from the man? The bitterness of character, the misanthropy, the unwillingness to share, these he showed in return to his benefactor. He was not mindful of our common nature. He did not consider it necessary to distribute the surplus to the needy. He had no regard for the commandment: Do not withhold good from the needy; and, let not mercy and truth forsake you; and, Break your bread for the hungry. And all the prophets, and all the teachers crying out were not heard, but the barns were bursting, being cramped by the multitude of what was stored. But the stingy heart was not filled. For always adding the new to the old, and increasing his abundance with yearly additions, he fell into this impassable perplexity. Not allowing the old things to make way because of his greed, and not being sufficient to receive the new things because of their multitude. For this reason his plans were ineffectual, and his cares were without resource. What shall I do? who would not pity the one truly besieged? wretched in his abundance, pitiable for his 95.1496 present goods, more pitiable for those he expects. Does the earth not bring him revenues? It produces groans for him. Does he not gather an abundance of fruits? Cares, and sorrows, and a terrible helplessness. He laments like those who are poor. Or does not the one who is distressed by poverty also utter this cry? What shall I do? From where food? From where clothing? These things the rich man also utters. His heart is in pain, being devoured by care. For that which gladdens others, this wastes away the covetous man. For he does not rejoice when all his storerooms are filled, but wealth flowing around him and overflowing from the treasuries stings his soul, lest by peeping out it might become an occasion of some good for the needy. And the passion of his soul seems to me to be like that of gluttons, who would rather burst from their greed than give of the leftovers to the needy. Understand, O man, the one who has given; remember yourself, who you are; what you are managing; from whom you have received it; why you were chosen before many. You have become a servant of a good God, a steward for your fellow servants. Do not suppose all things have been prepared for your belly. Deliberate as if the things in your hands belong to another. For a short time it gladdens you, then having flowed away it will be gone, but you will be required to give an account for them with exactness. But you all things together

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ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς τοῦ πλείονος κτήσεως. Εἶτα ἀγρυπνίαι, ἐντεῦθεν αἱ μέριμναι, καὶ αἱ φροντίδες· ὅσον αὔξει ὁ πλοῦτος, τοσοῦτον φέρει τοῦ βίου τὸ μεριμνητικόν. ∆ικαστὴς προσδοκᾶται, καὶ ὁ πλεονέκτης περισκοπεῖ μὴ εἰς δικαστήρια κατασυρῇ, μὴ ὀρφανὸς τὸ δάκρυον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ δικαστηρίου δημοσιεύσῃ. Βουλεύεται ἐν νυκτὶ, τίνας τῶν πικρῶν συνηγόρων παραστήσει, ἵνα ψευδεῖς μαρτυρίας ἐκμισθώσηται, πῶς ἐκπολιορκήσει τὸν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, καταδυναστεύσει δὲ τούτου, καὶ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν κλέψας, ἀμφοτέρους δὲ ἀναλώσει, καὶ τὸν δικαστὴν παρακρουσάμενος, καὶ τὸ νήπιον πλεονεκτήσας. Αὗται αἱ μέριμναι δαπανῶσι τοῦ πλεονέκτου τὴν ψυχήν. Κύων ὑλακτεῖ; καὶ ὁ πλούσιος νομίζει κλέπτην εἶναι. Μυὸς ψόφος, καὶ τοῦ πλουσίου ἡ καρδία πηδᾷ. Πάντα δι' ὑποψίας ἔχει. Υἱοὺς αὐξανομένους ὥσπερ ἐπιβούλους ὁρᾷ, ὅτι ἡ ἡλικία αὐτῶν τὴν διαδοχὴν κατεπείγει. Ἀνθρώπου γὰρ, φησὶ, πλουσίου ηὐφόρησεν ἡ χώρα, καὶ διελογίζετο καθ' ἑαυτόν· Τί ποιήσω; Καθελῶ μου τὰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ μείζονας οἰκοδομήσω. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν ηὐφόρησεν ἡ χώρα ἀνθρώπου μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τῆς εὐφορίας ποιήσειν μέλλοντος; ἵνα μᾶλλον ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμία διαφανῇ, καὶ μέχρι τῶν τοιούτων ἐκτεινομένης αὐτοῦ τῆς χρηστότητος. Βρέχει γὰρ ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς. Ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη ἀγαθότης μείζονα συνάγει τοῖς πονηρευομένοις τὴν κόλασιν. Ἤνεγκε τοῖς ὄμβροις ἐπὶ τῶν πλεονεκτικῶν χειρῶν γεωργουμένην γῆν. Ἔδωκε τὸν ἥλιον ἐκθάλπειν τὰ σπέρματα, καὶ πολυπλασιάζειν τοὺς καρποὺς διὰ τῆς εὐφορίας. Καὶ τὰ μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοιαῦτα· γῆς ἐπιτηδειότης, ἀέρων εὔκρατοι καταστάσεις, σπερμάτων ἀφθονία, βοῶν συνεργίαι, τἆλλα οἷς γεωργία πέφυκεν εὐθηνεῖσθαι. Τὰ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οἷα; τὸ πικρὸν τοῦ ἤθους ἡ μισανθρωπία, τὸ δυσμετάδοτον, ταῦτα τῷ εὐεργέτῃ ἀντεπεδείκνυτο. Οὐκ ἐμνήσθη τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως. Οὐχ ἡγήσατο χρῆναι τὸ περιττεῦον τοῖς ἐνδεέσι καταμερίσαι. Οὐκ ἔσχε τινὰ λόγον τῆς ἐντολῆς· Μὴ ἀπόσχῃ εὐποιεῖν ἐνδεῆ· καὶ, ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστεις μὴ ἐκλειπέτωσάν σε· καὶ ∆ιάθρυπτε πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου. Καὶ πάντες προφῆται, καὶ πάντες διδάσκαλοι ἐκβοῶντες οὐκ εἰσηκούοντο, ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν ἀποθῆκαι διεῤῥήγνυντο τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀποκειμένων στενοχωρούμεναι. Ἡ φειδωλὸς δὲ καρδία οὐκ ἐνεπίμπλατο. Ἀεὶ γὰρ τὰ νέα τοῖς παλαιοῖς προστιθεὶς, καὶ ταῖς κατ' ἔτος προσθήκαις τὴν εὐπορίαν προσαύξων, εἰς τὴν ἀδιεξόδευτον ταύτην ἀμηχανίαν ἐνέπεσεν. Ὑποχωρεῖν μὲν τοῖς παλαιοῖς διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν μὴ συγχωρῶν, ὑποδέχεσθαι δὲ τὰ νέα διὰ τὸ πλῆθος μὴ ἐξαρκῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀνήνυτα μὲν αὐτῶν τὰ βουλεύματα, ἄποροι δὲ αἱ φροντίδες. Τί ποιήσω; τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐλεήσειε τὸν ὄντως πολιορκούμενον; δείλαιος τῆς εὐφορίας, ἐλεεινὸς τῶν 95.1496 παρόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἐλεεινότερος τῶν προσδοκωμένων. Μὴ γὰρ προσόδους αὐτῷ φέρει ἡ γῆ; στεναγμοὺς αὐτῷ φύει. Μὴ γὰρ καρπῶν εὐφορίαν συνάγει; φροντίδας, καὶ λύπας, καὶ ἀμηχανίαν δεινήν. Ὅμοια τοῖς πενομένοις ὀδύρεται. Ἢ οὐχὶ ταύτην ἀφίησι τὴν φωνὴν καὶ ὁ διὰ πενίαν στενοχωρούμενος; Τί ποιήσω; πόθεν τροφαί; πόθεν ἐνδύματα; Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ πλούσιος φθέγγεται. Ὀδυνᾶται τὴν καρδίαν ὑπὸ τῆς μερίμνης διεσθιόμενος. Ὃ γὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους εὐφραίνει, τοῦτο τήκει τὸν πλεονέκτην. Οὐ γὰρ χαίρει πάντων αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένων τῶν ἔνδον, ἀλλὰ νύσσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ περιῤῥέων ὁ πλοῦτος, καὶ τῶν ταμιείων ὑπερχεόμενος, μήπου καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἔξωθεν παρακύψας ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἀφορμὴ τοῖς ἐνδεέσι γένηται. Καί μοι δοκεῖ τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ τῶν γαστριμάργων προσεοικέναι, οἳ διαῤῥαγῆναι μᾶλλον ὑπὸ λαιμαργίας αἱροῦνται, ἢ τῶν λειψάνων μεταδοῦναι τοῖς ἐνδεέσι. Σύνες, ἄνθρωπε, τοῦ δεδωκότος· μνήσθητι σεαυτοῦ τίς εἶ· τί οἰκονομεῖς· παρὰ τίνος ἔλαβες· διὰ τί τῶν πολλῶν προεκρίθης. Ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονας ὑπηρέτης, οἰκονόμος τῶν ὁμοδούλων. Μὴ πάντα οἴου τῇ γαστρὶ τῇ σῇ παρεσκευάσθαι. Ὥσπερ ἀλλοτρίων βουλεύου τῶν ἐν χερσί. Μικρὸν εὐφραίνει σε χρόνον, εἶτα διαῤῥυέντα οἰχήσεται, τὸν δὲ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς λόγον ἀπαιτηθήσῃ μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Σὺ δὲ πάντα ὁμοῦ