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prevailing among the many, and how they are anxious to enter in clean garments, and how they wash their hands; but how to present a pure soul to God, they take no account. And I say these things, not 58.516 forbidding the washing of hands, nor of the mouth; but wishing you to wash in the way that is fitting, not with water only, but instead of water, with virtues. For filth of the mouth is slander, blasphemy, reviling, angry words, foul language, laughter, coarse jesting. If, then, you are conscious of uttering none of these things, nor of being defiled with this filth, approach with confidence; but if you have received these stains ten thousand times, why do you labor in vain, washing your tongue with water, while carrying about in it a deadly and harmful filth? 5. For tell me, if you had dung and mire in your hands, would you have dared to pray? In no way. And yet this is no harm; but that is destruction. How then are you scrupulous in things indifferent, but careless in things forbidden? What then? must one not pray? he says. One must, but not while being defiled, nor having such mire. What then, if I am overtaken? he says. Cleanse yourself. How and in what way? Weep, groan, give alms, apologize to the one you have insulted, reconcile yourself through these things, wipe your tongue clean, so that you do not provoke God even more. For if someone, having filled his hands with dung, thus clasped your feet in supplication, not only would you not have listened, but you would have kicked him with your foot; how then do you dare to approach God in this way? For the tongue is the hand of those who pray, and through it we grasp the knees of God. Therefore, do not defile it, lest He also say to you: Even if you make many prayers, I will not listen. For in the hand of the tongue are life and death; and, By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Therefore, guard your tongue more than the pupil of your eye. The tongue is a royal horse. If, then, you put a bridle on it, and teach it to walk rhythmically, the king will rest upon it and be seated; but if you let it go unbridled to rush about and leap, it becomes a vehicle for the devil and for demons. But you, having been with your own wife, do not dare to pray, and yet this is not even a fault; but having come from reviling and insult, which also brings about Gehenna, before you have properly cleansed yourself, you raise your hands? And how do you not shudder? tell me. Have you not heard Paul saying that, Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled? And if, rising from the undefiled bed, you do not dare to approach in prayer, how, coming from the devil's bed, do you call upon that dreadful and terrible name? For the devil's bed is to be washed in insults and revilings. And just like some wicked adulterer, anger comes together with us with much pleasure, sowing deadly seeds in us, and causing us to bring forth diabolical enmity, and working all things contrary to marriage. For marriage makes the two become one flesh; but anger divides those who are united into many parts, and it tears and cuts the soul itself. Therefore, so that you may approach God with boldness, do not receive anger when it comes upon you and wishes to be with you; but drive it away like a rabid dog. For so Paul also commanded. For, he says, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing. Do not then 58.517 shame the tongue; since how will it pray on your behalf, when it has lost its own boldness? but adorn it with gentleness, with humility; make it worthy of the God who is invoked; fill it with blessings, with much mercy. For it is possible to show mercy even through words. For a word is better than a gift; and, Answer the poor man peacefully with meekness. And for all the rest of the time, adorn it with the narration of the divine laws. For let all your narration be in the law of the Most High. Having thus adorned ourselves, let us approach the King, and let us fall on our knees, not with the body only, but also with the mind. Let us consider to whom we are approaching, and for what things, and what we wish to accomplish. To God

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κρατοῦν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς, καὶ ὅπως μὲν ἐν καθαροῖς εἰσέλθοιεν ἱματίοις σπουδάζοντας, καὶ ὅπως τὰς χεῖρας νίψαιντο· ὅπως δὲ ψυχὴν καθαρὰν παραστήσαιεν τῷ Θεῷ, οὐδένα ποιουμένους λόγον. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐ 58.516 κωλύων ὥστε χεῖρας νίπτειν, οὐδὲ στόμα· ἀλλὰ βουλόμενος οὕτω νίπτειν, ὡς προσήκει, οὐχ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ταῖς ἀρεταῖς. Ῥύπος γὰρ στόματος, κακηγορία, βλασφημία, λοιδορία, ὀργίλα ῥήματα, αἰσχρολογία, γέλως, εὐτραπελία. Εἰ τοίνυν σύνοιδας σαυτῷ μηδὲν τούτων φθεγγομένῳ, μηδὲ ῥυπῶντι τὸν ῥύπον τοῦτον, πρόσελθε θαῤῥῶν· εἰ δὲ μυριάκις ταύτας ἐδέξω τὰς κηλῖδας, τί ματαιοπονεῖς, ὕδατι μὲν περικλύζων τὴν γλῶτταν, τὸν δὲ ὀλέθριον καὶ βλαβερὸν περιφέρων ἐν αὐτῇ ῥύπον; εʹ. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ κόπρον ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εἶχες καὶ βόρβορον, ἆρα ἂν ἐτόλμησας εὔξασθαι; Οὐδαμῶς. Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο οὐδεμία βλάβη· ἐκεῖνο δὲ ὄλεθρος. Πῶς οὖν ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἀδιαφόροις εὐλαβὴς, ἐν δὲ τοῖς κεκωλυμένοις ῥᾴθυμος; Τί οὖν; οὐ δεῖ προσεύχεσθαι; φησί. ∆εῖ μὲν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ῥυπῶντα, οὐδὲ τοιοῦτον ἔχοντα βόρβορον. Τί οὖν, ἐὰν προληφθῶ; φησί. Κάθαρον σαυτόν. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Κλαῦσον, στέναξον, δὸς ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀπολόγησαι τῷ ὑβρισμένῳ, κατάλλαξον σαυτῷ διὰ τούτων, ἀπόσμηξον τὴν γλῶτταν, ἵνα μὴ μειζόνως παροξύνῃς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις κόπρου τὰς χεῖρας πληρώσας, οὕτω σου κατέσχε τοὺς πόδας ἱκετεύων, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ποδὶ ἐλάκτισας· πῶς οὖν σὺ τολμᾷς οὕτω Θεῷ προσιέναι; Καὶ γὰρ χείρ ἐστιν ἡ γλῶττα τῶν εὐχομένων, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς κατέχομεν τὰ γόνατα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μὴ τοίνυν μολύνῃς αὐτὴν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ πρὸς σὲ εἴπῃ· Ἐὰν πληθύνητε τὴν δέησιν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι. Καὶ γὰρ Ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος· καὶ, Ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων σου κατακριθήσῃ. Μᾶλλον τοίνυν τῆς κόρης φύλαττε τὴν γλῶτταν. Ἵππος ἐστὶ βασιλικὸς ἡ γλῶσσα. Ἂν μὲν οὖν ἐπιθῇς αὐτῇ χαλινὸν, καὶ διδάξῃς βαδίζειν εὔρυθμα, ἐπαναπαύσεται αὐτῇ καὶ ἐπικαθιεῖται ὁ βασιλεύς· ἂν δὲ ἀχαλίνωτον ἀφῇς φέρεσθαι καὶ σκιρτᾷν, τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ὄχημα γίνεται. Σὺ δὲ ἀπὸ μὲν συνουσίας ὢν τῆς σαυτοῦ γυναικὸς, οὐ τολμᾷς εὔξασθαι, καίτοιγε οὐδὲ ἔγκλημα τοῦτο· ἀπὸ δὲ λοιδορίας ὢν καὶ ὕβρεως, ὃ καὶ γέενναν προξενεῖ, πρὶν ἢ καθᾶραι σαυτὸν καλῶς, ἀνατείνεις τὰς χεῖρας; καὶ πῶς οὐ φρίττεις; εἰπέ μοι. Οὐκ ἤκουσας Παύλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Τίμιος ὁ γάμος, καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος; Εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀμιάντου κοίτης ἀνιστάμενος οὐ τολμᾷς εὐχῇ προσελθεῖν, ἀπὸ τῆς κοίτης ὢν τῆς διαβολικῆς πῶς καλεῖς τὸ φρικτὸν ὄνομα ἐκεῖνο καὶ φοβερόν; Καὶ γὰρ κοίτη διαβολικὴ, τὸ ἐν ὕβρεσι πλύνεσθαι καὶ λοιδορίαις. Καὶ καθάπερ πονηρός τις μοιχὸς, ὁ θυμὸς μετὰ πολλῆς ἡμῖν συγγίνεται τῆς ἡδονῆς, τὰ ὀλέθρια προϊέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν σπέρματα, καὶ τὴν διαβολικὴν ποιῶν ἀποτίκτειν ἔχθραν, καὶ ἀπεναντίας τῷ γάμῳ πάντα ἐργαζόμενος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ γάμος τοὺς δύο ποιεῖ σάρκα γενέσθαι μίαν· ὁ δὲ θυμὸς τοὺς ἡνωμένους εἰς πολλὰ διαιρεῖ μέρη, καὶ αὐτὴν κατασχίζει καὶ κατατέμνει τὴν ψυχήν. Ἵν' οὖν μετὰ παῤῥησίας τῷ Θεῷ προσίῃς, μὴ δέξῃ τὸν θυμὸν ἐπεισιόντα σοι, καὶ συγγενέσθαι βουλόμενον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ κύνα λυττῶντα ἀπέλασον. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσεν. Ἐπαίροντας γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁσίους χεῖρας, χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμῶν. Μὴ δὴ καται 58.517 σχύνῃς τὴν γλῶτταν· ἐπεὶ πῶς ὑπὲρ σοῦ δεηθήσεται, ὅταν τὴν οἰκείαν παῤῥησίαν ἀπολέσῃ; ἀλλὰ κόσμησον αὐτὴν ἐπιεικείᾳ, ταπεινοφροσύνῃ· ποίησον ἀξίαν τοῦ παρακαλουμένου Θεοῦ· εὐλογίας αὐτὴν ἔμπλησον, ἐλεημοσύνης πολλῆς. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ διὰ ῥημάτων ἐλεημοσύνην ποιεῖν. Κρεῖττον γὰρ λόγος, ἢ δόσις· καὶ, Ἀποκρίθητι τῷ πτωχῷ ἐν πραΰτητι εἰρηνικά. Καὶ τὸν ἄλλον δὲ ἅπαντα χρόνον τῇ διηγήσει τῶν θείων καλλώπιζε νόμων. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ διήγησίς σου ἔστω ἐν νόμῳ Ὑψίστου. Οὕτως ἑαυτοὺς κοσμήσαντες προσερχώμεθα τῷ Βασιλεῖ, καὶ πίπτωμεν ἐπὶ γόνατα, μὴ τῷ σώματι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ. Ἐννοήσωμεν τίνι πρόσιμεν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τίνων, καὶ τί βουλόμενοι ἀνύσαι. Θεῷ