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14. Let sensation and conscience come together with uttered speech, so that the divine Word who has spoken of being found in the midst of these, may not be put to shame through the rashness or lack of measure of things said or done.

15. (1405) Not he who by deeds does not wrong his soul, has thereby also kept it undefiled by words. Nor he who guards these, has thereby also not defiled his thoughts. For he who sins, does so in a threefold manner.

16. You will not be able to behold the face of virtue, while still looking with pleasure on that of wickedness. But the second will appear hateful then, when you desire a taste of the first, and estrange your sight from such a form.

17. Through thoughts, not actions, the demons primarily war against the soul. For actions in and of themselves are necessary things. And of actions, hearing and sight are the cause; but of thoughts, habit and the demons.

18. Threefold is the sinful part of the soul, being found in deeds and words and thoughts. But the good of sinlessness is the way out. For one must keep the five senses and the uttered word without stumbling. In which he who does not stumble, he says, is a perfect man, able to bridle also the members of the body.

19. The irrational part of the soul is divided sixfold; into the five senses, and into the uttered word, which, being impassible, is yet indivisibly co-divided with that which suffers; but being found passible, it takes on the impression of its wickedness.

20. The body cannot be purified without fasting and vigil; nor the soul without mercy and truth; nor the mind without contemplation and communion with God. For these pairings are most notable in these things.

21. The soul, revolving through the aforementioned virtues, makes its fortress unassailable by temptations; which is patience. For in your patience possess ye your souls, says the Word. But if things were otherwise, like some unwalled city, it is wont to be shaken by the bolts of cowardice, even by sounds from afar.

22. Not all who are prudent in things according to reason are so also in things according to thought; but as many as are so in things according to thought, these will also be found so outwardly in things according to sensation. For even if sensation holds all as tributaries, yet they do not render to it similar tributes. For out of simplicity the majority, in matters pertaining to it, do not know how to honor it, as it deceives.

23. Prudence, being indivisible by nature, is cut into different sections. For to one is given a greater, and to another a lesser, part of it; until practical virtue, having grown, and having the cornerstone virtues running with it, will fulfill the good possible for each. (1408) For the majority, in proportion to the lack in their active life, have also inherited their measure of prudence.

24. In things according to nature, few will be found prudent; but in things contrary to nature, many. For having emptied out all their natural prudence through fear concerning these things, they have little prudence there; but the most in superfluous things, and those not praiseworthy by nature.

25. Of reasonable silence, right timing and measure are table-companions; and of this the banquet becomes truth; according to which the father of lies, coming upon a departing soul, finds nothing of what is sought.

26. A truly merciful man is not he who willingly gives from his surplus, but he who yields his necessities to those who seize them.

27. Some by material wealth acquire immaterial wealth by the laws of almsgiving; while others by immaterial wealth acquire the material, having come into a perception of the inexhaustible.

28. To be rich in good things is dear to everyone; but it is grievous for one who has become divinely rich, not to be permitted to rejoice in it for a very long time.

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ιδ΄. Αἴσθησις καί συνείδησις, λόγῳ τῷ κατά προφοράν συνερχέσθω, ὅπως ὁ εἰρηκώς θεῖος λόγος, ἐν μέσῳ τούτων εὑρίσκεσθαι, μή καταισχύνηται, διά τῆς προπετείας ἤ ἀμετρίας τῶν λεγομένων ἤ πραττομένων.

ιε΄. (1405) Οὐχ᾿ ὁ τοῖς ἔργοις μή ἀδικῶν τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ, οὗτος καί τοῖς λόγοις ἀμίαντον συνετήρησεν. Οὐ δέ ὁ τούτους φυλάττων, ἤδη καί λογισμούς οὐκ ἐμόλυνεν. Ὁ γάρ ἁμαρτάνων, τριττῶς τοῦτο πράττει.

ιστ΄. Οὐ δυνήσῃ τό πρόσωπον τῆς ἀρετῆς κατιδεῖν, ἡδέως ἔτι τό τῆςκακίας κατανοῶν. Μισητόν δέ τότε φανεῖται τό δεύτερον, ὅτε τοῦ πρώτου ἐπιθυμήσεις τήν γεῦσιν, καί τοσαύτης τήν ὄψιν ἀποξενώσεις μορφῆς.

ιζ΄. ∆ιά τῶν λογισμῶν, οὐ τῶν πραγμάτων προηγουμένως πολεμοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες τήν ψυχήν. Αὐτά γάρ καθ᾿ αὐτά, ἀναγκαῖα τά πράγματα. Καί τῶν μέν πραγμάτων, ἡ ἀκοή αἰτία καί ὅρασις· τῶν δέ λογισμῶν, ἡ συνήθεια καί οἱ δαίμονες.

ιη΄. Τριττόν μέν, τό ἁμαρτητικόν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐν ἔργοις καί λόγοις καί λογισμοῖς εὑρισκόμενον. Ἐξοδικόν δέ, τό ἀναμαρτησίας καλόν. Ἀπταίστους γάρ τάς πέντε αἰσθήσεις καί τόν προφορικόν συντηρεῖν δεῖ λόγον. Ἐν οἷς ὁ μή πταίων, ἀνήρ φησι τέλειος, δυνατός χαλιναγωγῆσαι καί τά μέλη τοῦ σώματος.

ιθ΄. Ἐξαχῶς τό ἄλογον μέρος διαιρεῖται τῆς ψυχῆς· εἴς τε τάς πέντε αἰσθήσεις, καί εἰς τόν κατά προφοράν λόγον, ὅς συνδιαιρεῖται μέν ἀδιαιρέτως τῷ πάσχοντι, ἀπαθής ὤν· ἀναμάττεται δέ τήν αὐτοῦ κακίαν παθητικός εὑρισκόμενος.

κ΄. Οὐ δύναται οὔτε σῶμα καθαρθῆναι νηστείας καί ἀγρυπνίας χωρίς· οὔτε ἐλέους καί ἀληθείας ψυχή· ἀλλ᾿ οὔτε νοῦς ἄνευ θεωρίας καί ὁμιλίας Θεοῦ. Αὗται γάρ αἱ συζυγίαι, ἐν τούτοις ἐπισημόταται.

κα΄. Κυκλοφορουμένη ταῖς εἰρημέναις ἀρεταῖς ἡ ψυχή, ἀπερικτύπητον τό ταύτης ἐκ πειρασμῶν καθίστησι φρούριον· ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονή· Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν γάρ κτήσασθε τάς ψυχάς ὑμῶν, ὁ Λόγος φησίν. Εἰ δέ ἑτέρως ἐχόμενα εἴη, οἷά τις πόλις ἀτείχιστος, καί ὑπό τῶν πόῤῥωθεν ψόφων, δειλίας μοχλοῖς κατασείεσθε εἴωθεν.

κβ΄. Οὐχ ὅσοι εἰς τά κατά λόγον εἰσί φρόνιμοι, οὗτοι καί εἰς τά κατ᾿ ἔννοιαν· ὅσοι δέ εἰς τά κατ᾿ ἔννοιαν, οὗτοι καί εἰς τά κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν ἔξωθεν εὑρεθήσονται. Εἰ γάρ καί πάντας ὑποφόρους ἔχει ἡ αἴσθησις, ἀλλ᾿ οὐχ ὁμοίους αὐτῇ τούς φόρους ἀποδιδόασιν. Ἐξ ἀφελότητος γάρ οἱ πλείους εἰς τά κατ᾿ αὐτήν τιμᾷν αὐτήν ὡς αὐτή ἀπατεῖ οὐκ ἐπίστανται.

κγ΄. Τῇ φύσει ἄτμητος οὖσα ἡ φρόνησις, τέμνεται εἰς διαφόρους τομάς. ᾯ μέν γάρ δίδοται πλέον, ᾧ δέ ἔλαττον μέρος αὐτῆς· ἕως αὐξηθεῖσα ἡ πρακτική ἀρετή, συνδρόμους τε αὐτῇ τάς γωνικάς (ἔχουσα) ἀρετάς, τό ἐνδεχόμενον ἑκάστῃ ἀποπληρώσει καλόν. (1408) Οἱ πλείους γάρ κατά τήν ἔλλειψιν τῆς ἐμπράκτου ζωῆς, καί τό φρονεῖν ἐκληρώσαντο.

κδ΄. Εἰς μέν τά κατά φύσιν, ὀλίγοι φρόνιμοι εὑρεθήσονται· εἰς δέ τά παρά φύσιν, πολλοί. ∆έει γάρ τῷ περί αὐτά ὅλην αὐτῶν τήνφυσικήν φρόνησιν ἐκκενώσαντες, ἔχουσιν ἐκεῖ μέν τό φρονεῖν ὀλίγον· τό πλεῖστον δέ ἐν τοῖς περιττοῖς, καί οὐ τῇ φύσει ἐπαινετοῖς.

κε΄. Τῆς εὐλόγου σιωπῆς, ὁ καιρός καί τό μέτρον συνεστιάτορες· πανδαισία δέ τούτου γίνεται ἡ ἀλήθεια· καθ᾿ ἥν ὁ τοῦ ψεύδους πατήρ ἐπί ψυχήν ἀποδημοῦσαν ἐρχόμενος, εὑρίσκει ἐπιζητουμένων οὐδέν.

κστ΄. Ἐλεήμων ἀληθής, οὐχ ὁ παρέχων ἑκουσίως τά περιττά, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ συγχωρῶν τά ἀναγκαῖα τοῖς ἀφαρπάζουσιν.

κζ΄. Οἱ μέν τῷ ἔνυλῳ πλούτῳ κτῶνται τόν ἄϋλον ἐλεημοσύνης θεσμοῖς· οἱ δέ ἀΰλῳ ἀποκτῶνται τόν ἔνυλον, ἐν αἰσθήσει τοῦ ἀνεκλείπτου γενόμενοι.

κη΄. Φίλον μέν παντί, τό πλουτεῖν ἐν καλοῖς· λυπηρόν δέ, τῷ θείως πλουτήσαντι μέν, μή ἐπί πλεῖστον συγχωρηθῆναι δέ ἐνευφρανθῆναι αὐτῷ.