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Therefore, of the ways that are well, truth is the beginning, the cause. But concerning the forbidden ways, from which one must guard oneself, from which it is fitting to turn away, reason is the beginning, as has already been said. 2 I have set a guard to my mouth. He remembers how he said, "not to sin in tongue"; "I have set a guard to my mouth". For since "by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned," it is necessary to place a guard on the mouth, so that I may say some things, but not others, that we may speak what is beneficial, and be silent on what is harmful; for one cannot at the same time utter the words that justify and those that condemn. Something of this sort is said enigmatically in the Proverbs: "Death and life are in the hand of the tongue." And "hand of the tongue" is speech, the activity of the tongue. The one who speaks things that are beneficial and lead to the kingdom has life in his tongue. But the one who speaks contrary and forbidden things, has death in his speech, which is called "tongue." And in another scripture he says: "For your words make a balance and a weight." One must speak with measure, one must have a balance and place the words on each scale. And if the right words weigh down the scale, it is fitting to choose and declare them, but to turn away from the worthless ones. Again it is said: "The lips of the wise are bound by perception." When one speaks with perception, the lips are bound; he does not open them for every word, but for that which is beneficial. "I will open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise." The one whose lips are bound by perception, having perceived that what he is about to say is beneficial, has opened them. 273 But when the things uttered are harmful, he closes and binds his lips with perception, he binds his speech. 2-3 When the sinner stood up against me, I was made dumb and was humbled, and kept silence from good things. Often the sinner, appearing, provokes and summons one to the things he loves. If, therefore, he should ever rise up, it is up to us whether he rises up; for if we do not give him a place, he cannot rise up. And to rise up is thus to fight hand to hand. One must be silent, for he often provokes; for this reason the serpent, rising up against Eve, provoked her speech and harmed her. But she should have been silent and, having perceived her own weakness or her previous sin, not spoken anything to him, but kept silence from good things. But "to keep silence from good things" does not mean "not to speak good things," but to have a silence conceived from good things. For example, having taken up the virtue of a temperate person, I knew that I should not answer out of the good, that is, out of temperance. I was silent toward that which appeared hand to hand and was provoking me to sin. If, then, that young man had answered nothing from a right mind to the harlot, he would not have been "led astray by her much fair speech" nor "caught with the snares of his own lips." I was silent, therefore, when good things came upon me, persuading me not to answer him. He does not say, "I was silent, so that I might not speak good things," but "so that I might not speak provocative things." But this silence came to me from an understanding of the good things that forbid such conversation. "There is one who keeps silent and is found wise." He who is silent in this way is found wise. And it is indeed wise to know to whom one must speak and to whom not, and when to bring forth words and when not. "There is," therefore, "one who keeps silent and is found wise, and there is one who keeps silent because he has no answer." And this one has a certain quiet prudence; for knowing that he has no answer, he keeps still. "And there is one who keeps silent, knowing the time." This one is perfect. 3 And my pain was renewed. Then the pain is renewed when the sinner rises up. He has come to a recollection of what he did, for which things he must grieve. And the pain received, as it were, a renewal. For a dedication is to dwell in a house for the first time. A renewal, therefore, is to bring that which has already withered and is quiet to a state of flourishing. "My pain," therefore, "was renewed." having said that: "I have kept my ways, that I might not sin with my tongue

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οὖν καὶ τῶν εὖ ἐχο̣υσῶν ὁδῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια ἀρχή ἐστιν, αἰτία. ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων ὁδῶν, ἀφ' ὧν δεῖ φυλάττεσθαι, ἀφ' ὧν ἐκκλίνειν προσήκει, λόγος ἀρχή ἐστιν, ὡς ἤδη εἴρηται. 2 ἐθέμην τῷ στόματί μου φυλακήν. μνημονεύει, πῶς εἶπεν "μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν γλώςσῃ"· "ἐθέμην ἐν τῷ στόματί μου φυλακήν". ἐπεὶ γὰρ "ἐκ τῶν λόγων τις ἑαυτοῦ δικαιοῦται καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ κατακρίνεται", δεῖ τῷ στόματι περιθεῖναι φυλακήν, ἵν' οὕτω τὰ μὲν εἴπω, τὰ δὲ μή, τὰ ὠφέλιμα λέγωμεν, τὰ βλάπτοντα σιωπῶμεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἅμα τις δύναται τοὺς λόγους προφέρειν τοὺς δικαιοῦντας καὶ καταδικάζοντας. τοιοῦτόν τι μετ' αἰνιγμοῦ ἐν ταῖς παροιμίαις εἴρηται· "θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης". "χεὶρ" δὲ "γλώσσης" ὁ λόγος ἐστίν, ἐνέργεια γλώσσης. ὁ λαλῶν τὰ ὠφε̣λοῦντα καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσάγοντα ζωὴν ἔχει ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ. ὁ δὲ τὰ ἐναντία καὶ ἀπηγορευμένα, θάν̣ατο̣ν ἔχει ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ἑαυτοῦ "γλῶσσαν" ὀνομαζομένῳ. καὶ ἐν ἄλλῃ γραφῇ λέγει ὅτι· "τοῖς λόγοις σου ποίησον ζυγὸν καὶ σταθμόν". ἐσταθμισμένως δεῖ λέγειν, ζυγὸν δεῖ ἔχειν καὶ βάλλειν ἐφ' ἑκάστης τρυτάνης τοὺς λόγους̣. καὶ ἐὰν καταταλαντεύωσιν οἱ ὀρθοὶ λόγοι, ἐκείνους αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ ἀπαγγέλλειν προσήκει, τοὺς δὲ φαύλους ἀποστρέφεσθαι. πάλιν λέγεται· "χείλη σοφῶν δέδεται αἰσθήσει". ὅταν ᾐσθημένως λέγῃ τις, δέδεται τὰ χείλη, οὐ παντὶ λόγῳ αὐτὰ ἀνοίγει, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὠφελ̣οῦν̣τι. "τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξω καὶ τὸ στόμα μου ἀναγγελεῖ τὴν αἴ νεσίν σου". ὁ δεδεμένα τὰ χείλη ἔχων αἰσθήσει αἰσ̣θηθεὶς ὅτι ὠφελοῦντά ἐστιν ἃ με´̣λ̣λει λέγειν, ἤνοιξεν αὐτά. 273 ὅταν δὲ βλάπτωσιν τὰ προφερόμενα, κλείει καὶ δεσμεῖ τὰ χείλη τῇ αἰσθήσει, δεσμεῖ τὸν λόγον. 2-3 ἐν τῷ συνστῆναι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐναντίον μου ἐκωφώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην καὶ ἐσίγησα ἐξ ἀγαθῶν. πολλάκις ἐπιφαινόμενος ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐρεθίζει καὶ ἐκκαλεῖται εἰς τὰ φίλα αὐτῷ. ἄν ποτε οὖν συνστῇ, παρ' ἡμᾶς δὲ γίνεται αὐτὸν τὸ συνστῆναι· εἰ μὴ γὰρ δῶμεν αὐτῷ τόπον, οὐ δύναται συνστῆναι. τὸ συνστῆναι δὲ οὕτως συνστάδην πολεμῆσ̣αι. δεῖ σιωπῆσαι· ἐρεθίζει γὰρ πολλάκις· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ συνστὰς ὁ ὄφις κατέναντι τῆς Εὕας ἠρέθιζεν αὐτῆς τὸν λόγον καὶ ἔβλαψεν αὐτήν. ἔδει δὲ σιωπῆσαι καὶ αἴσθησιν λαβόντα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀσθενείας ἢ τῆς προλαβούσης ἁμαρτίας μὴ λαλῆσαί τι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ σιγῆσαι ἐξ ἀγαθῶν. τὸ δὲ "σιγᾶν ἐξ ἀγαθῶν" οὐ τοῦτο λέγει "μὴ λέγειν τὰ ἀγαθά", ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν ἀγαθῶν σιωπὴν ἔχειν νενοημένην. οἷον ἀρετὴν ἀναλαβὼν σώφρονος ἔγνων ὅτι οὐ δεῖ α᾿̣ποκριθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, τουτέστιν τῆς σωφροσύνης. ἐσιώπησα πρὸς τὴν συνστάδην φανεῖσαν καὶ ἐρεθίζουσαν εἰς ἁμαρτίαν. εἰ τοίνυν ὁ νεανίας ἐκεῖνος μηδὲν ἦν ἀποκρινόμενος ἀπὸ νοήσεως ὀρθῆς πρὸς τὴν πόρνην, οὐκ "ἀπεπλανᾶτο πολλῇ ὁμιλίᾳ" οὐδὲ "ἡλίσκετο βρόχοις τῶν χειλέων ἑαυτοῦ". ἐσίγησα οὖν ἐπελθόντων μοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν πειθόντων με μὴ ἀποκρίνασθαι ἐκείνῳ. οὐ λέγ̣ε̣ι· "ε᾿̣σίγησα, ἵνα μὴ λαλῶ τὰ ἀγαθά", ἀλλ' "ἵνα μὴ λαλῶ τὰ ἐρεθίζοντα". γέγονέν μοι δὲ αὕτη ἡ σιωπὴ ἐκ νοη´̣σεως τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν κωλυόντων τὴν τοιαύτην ὁμιλίαν. "ἔστιν σιωπῶν εὑρισκόμενος σοφός". ὁ οὕτω σιωπῶν εὑρίςκεται σοφός. καὶ σοφόν γέ ἐστιν τὸ γνῶναι τίνι λαλῆσαι δεῖ καὶ τίνι μὴ καὶ πότε προενεγκεῖν λόγους καὶ πότε μή. "ἔστιν" οὖν "σιωπῶν εὑρισκόμενος σοφός, καὶ ἔστιν σιωπῶν, οὐ γὰρ ἔχει ἀπόκρισιν". καὶ οὗτος ἔχει ἠρέμα τινὰ φρόνησιν· γνοὺς γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει ἀπόκρισιν, ἡσυχάζει. "καὶ ἔστιν σιωπῶν εἰδὼς καιρόν". οὗτος τέλειός ἐστιν. 3 καὶ τὸ ἄλγημά μου ἀνεκαινίσθη. τότε τὸ ἄλγημα ἀνακαινίζεται συνστάντος τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. ἐν ἀναπολήσει γέγονεν ὧν ἔπραξεν, ἐφ' οἷς ἀλγεῖν δεῖ. καὶ ὥςπερ ἀνακαινισμὸν ἔλαβεν τὸ ἄλγημα. ἐνκαινισμὸς δέ ἐστιν τὸ οἰκῆσαι ἐν οἴκῳ πρώτως. ἀνακαινισμὸς οὖν ἐστιν τὸ ἤδη μαρανθὲν καὶ ἡσυχάζον ἀγαγεῖν εἰς τὸ ἀνθεῖν. "τὸ ἄλγημά μου" οὖν "ἀνεκαινίσθη". εἰρηκὼς ὅτι· "ἐφύλαξα τὰς ὁδούς μου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν γλώσσῃ