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prepared? Was it not the multitude of cattle? And what separated Lot from Abraham? Was it not the great number of livestock, which stirred up continuous strife for the shepherds, until it completely tore them apart from one another? Profit makes every path lawless. Perhaps you have not paid attention to the one who fittingly prophesied, and said: Do not hasten to be rich, lest you quickly become poor. For people who have practiced extreme love of money and stinginess, Providence is accustomed to provide many occasions for loss. The beauty of wealth is not in purses, but in the assistance of those in need. Nothing at all is pursued by you, not a splendid life, not right reason, not protection of the afflicted, nor the things that follow, except for loving, and making it a prayer, and collecting the copper coins
TITLE 10. -Concerning works and deeds; and that whatever things one does, so many things he also endures; and how according to our works the reward is also made like them by our God.
If anyone gives a blemish to his neighbor, as he has done to him, so shall it be done to him in return; fracture for fracture; eye for eye; tooth for tooth. Just as he gives a blemish to a man, so shall it be given to him. They ran after Adoni-bezek, and caught him, and cut off the tips of his hands and of his feet. And Adoni-bezek said: Seventy kings with the tips of their feet and their hands cut off, were gathering what was under my table. As I have done, therefore, so has God repaid me. Those who sow absurd things will reap pains for themselves. May what he has done be rendered to him. Empty things will result for the empty. The recompense of his lips shall be given to him. They shall eat the fruits of their own way, and they shall be filled with their own impiety. For examination will destroy the impious. The one who devises good things seeks grace; but evil will overtake the one who seeks it out. He who sows worthless things will reap evils; and he will accomplish the vanity of his works. Give her of the fruit of her hands. In the manner you have done, so shall it be to you. Your recompense shall be returned upon your own head. Let them eat the offspring of their works. Woe to the lawless one; evil according to the works of his hands shall be given to him. I the Lord search hearts, and test kidneys, to give to each according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his pursuits. As she has done, do to her. According to their ways I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will avenge them, and they shall know that I am the Lord. By the things through which one sins, by these he is punished. Those who have kept holiness will be made holy. Do no evil, and evil will not overtake you. Stand away from the unjust, and turn away from sin. Good things were created for the good from the beginning; so also for sinners, evil things. He will judge a man according to his works, and each will find according to his works. 95.1524 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who sets a trap will be caught in it. He who does evil things will be rolled into them, and he will not know from where it comes to him. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, they will give into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Whatever good each one does, this he will receive from the Lord, whether he is a slave or a free man. Good is the hope of mercy. For the power of God, and from him is mercy; for you will repay each according to his works. With the measure, he says, you measure, it will be measured to you. Have you afflicted your brother? Expect the same. Have you seized the things of the inferior? Have you struck the poor with your fist? Have you shamed them with insults?
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παρεσκεύασεν; οὐ πλῆθος κτηνῶν; Τί δὲ καὶ τὸν Λὼτ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐχώρισεν; οὐχ ὁ τῶν βοσκημάτων πολὺς ἀριθμὸς, συνεχεῖς τοῖς ποιμέσι κινήσας τὰς ἔριδας, ἕως αὐτοὺς τέλεον ἀπέῤῥηξεν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων; Πᾶσαν ἀθέμιτον ὁδὸν ποιεῖ τὸ κέρδος. Ἴσως οὐκ ἐπέστησας τῷ προσφυῶς χρησμοδοτοῦντι, καὶ λέγοντι· Μὴ σπεῦδε πλουτεῖν, μὴ ταχὺ πένης γένῃ. Τοῖς τὴν ἄκραν φιλοχρηματίαν καὶ φειδωλίαν ἐξησκηκόσιν ἀνθρώποις, πολλὰς πρὸς ζημίαν ἀφορμὰς ἡ Πρόνοια περιποιεῖν εἴωθεν. Πλούτου τὸ κάλλος οὐκ ἐν βαλαντίοις, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τῶν χρῃζόντων ἐπικουρίᾳ. Οὐδὲν πάμπαν σπουδάζεται παρὰ σοῦ, οὐ βίος λαμπρὸς, οὐ λόγος ὀρθὸς, οὐ προστασία τῶν θλιβομένων, οὐ τὰ ἑξῆς, πλὴν τοῦ φιλεῖν, καὶ δι' εὐχῆς ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ συλλέγειν τὰ ὁλοκωνίτιδα
ΤΙΤΛ. Ιʹ. -Περὶ ἔργων καὶ πράξεων· καὶ ὅτι ὁποῖά τις δρᾷ, τοσαῦτα καὶ ὑφίσταται· καὶ ὡς κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν καὶ ὁ μισθὸς ἐξομοιοῦται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.
Ἐάν τις δῷ μῶμον τῷ πλησίον, ὡς ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ, ὡσαύτως ἀντιποιηθήσεται αὐτῷ· σύντριμμα ἀντὶ συντρίμματος· ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ· ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος. Καθότι ἂν δῷ μῶμον ἀνθρώπῳ, οὕτω δοθήσεται αὐτῷ. Κατέδραμον ὀπίσω Ἀδωνιβεζὲκ, καὶ κατέλαβον αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπέκοψαν τὰ ἄκρα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀδωνιβεζέκ· Ἑβδομήκοντα βασιλεῖς τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν ἀποκεκομμένοι, ἦσαν συλλέγοντες τὰ ὑποκάτω τῆς τραπέζης μου. Καθὼς οὖν ἐποίησα, οὕτως ἀνταπέδωκέν μοι ὁ Θεός. Οἱ σπείροντες τὰ ἄτοπα, ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς. Ἀποδοθείη αὐτῷ ἃ ἔπραξεν. Κενὰ κενοῖς ἀποβήσεται. Ἀνταπόδομα χειλέων αὐτοῦ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ. Ἔδονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὁδοῦ τοὺς καρποὺς, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀσεβείας πλησθήσονται. Ἐξετασμὸς γὰρ ἀσεβεῖς ὀλεῖ. Τεκταινόμενος ἀγαθὰ, ζητεῖ χάριν· ἐκζητοῦντα δὲ κακὰ καταλήψεται αὐτόν. Ὁ σπείρων φαῦλα, θερίσει κακά· ματαιότητα δὲ ἔργων αὐτοῦ συντελέσει. ∆ότε αὐτῇ ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς. Ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησας, οὕτως ἔσται σοι. Τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου ἀνταποδοθήσεται εἰς κεφαλήν σου. Τὰ γεννήματα τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν φάγωνται. Οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνόμῳ· πονηρὰ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ. Ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐτάζων καρδίας, καὶ δοκιμάζων νεφροὺς, τοῦ δοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτοῦ. Καθὼς ἐποίησε, ποιήσατε αὐτῇ. Κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν ποιήσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ τοῖς κρίμασιν αὐτῶν ἐκδικήσω αὐτοὺς, καὶ γνώσονται ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος. ∆ι' ὧν τις ἁμαρτάνει, διὰ τούτων κολάζεται. Οἱ φυλάξαντες ὁσιότητα, ὁσιωθήσονται. Μὴ ποίει κακὰ, καὶ οὐ μή σε καταλάβῃ κακά. Ἀπόστηθι ἀπὸ ἀδίκου, καὶ ἔκκλινε ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. Ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἐκτίσθη ἀπ' ἀρχῆς· οὕτω τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς κακά. Ἄνδρα κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ κρινεῖ, καὶ ἕκαστος κατὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ εὐρήσει. 95.1524 Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον, ἐμπεσεῖται, καὶ ὁ ἱστῶν παγίδα, ἐν αὐτῇ ἁλώσεται. Ὁ ποιῶν πονηρὰ, εἰς αὐτὰ ἐγκυλισθήσεται, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐπιγνῷ πόθεν ἤκει αὐτῷ. Μὴ κρίνετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε· μὴ καταδικάζετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταδικασθῆτε. Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε. ∆ίδοτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν. Μέτρον καλὸν, πεπιεσμένον, καὶ σεσαλευμένον, καὶ ὑπερεκχυνόμενον δώσουσιν εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὑμῶν. Ὧ γὰρ μέτρῳ μετρῆτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Μὴ πλανᾶσθε· Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. Ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει. Ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ, ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν· ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Ἕκαστος ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ἀγαθὸν, τοῦτο κομιεῖται παρὰ Κυρίου, εἴτε δοῦλος, εἴτε ἐλεύθερος. Ἀγαθὸν ἐλπὶς τοῦ ἐλέους. Τὸ γὰρ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔλεος· ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Ὧ μέτρῳ, φησὶ, μετρῆτε, μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Ἔθλιψας τὸν ἀδελφόν; ἐκδέχου τὸ ἶσον. Ἥρπασας τὰ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων; κατεκονδύλισας πένητας; κατῄσχυνας ἐν λοιδορίαις;