The Holy Scripture
Chapter XXXIX
Senseless and stupid and foolish and ignorant men jeer and mock at us, desiring that they themselves should be exalted in their imaginations.
Ἅφρονες καὶ ἀσύνετοι καὶ μωροὶ καὶ ἀπαίδευτοι χλευάζουσιν ἡμᾶς καὶ μυκτηρίζουσιν, ἑαυτοὺς βουλόμενοι ἐπαίρεσθαι ταῖς διανοίαις αὐτῶν.
For what power hath a mortal? or what strength hath a child of earth?
τί γὰρ δύναται θνητός; ἢ τίς ἰσχὺς γηγενοῦς;
For it is written; There was no form before mine eyes; only I heard a breath and a voice.
γέγραπται γάρ: Οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου, ἀλλ̓ ἢ αὔραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον:
What then? Shall a mortal be clean in the sight of the Lord; or shall a man be unblamable for his works? seeing that He is distrustful against His servants and noteth some perversity against His angels.
Τί γάρ; μὴ καθαρὸς ἔσται βροτὸς ἔναντι κυρίου; ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἄμεμπτος ἀνήρ, εἰ κατὰ παίδων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει, κατὰ δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησεν;
Nay, the heaven is not clean in His sight. Away then, ye that dwell in houses of clay, whereof, even of the same clay, we ourselves are made. He smote them like a moth, and from morn to even they are no more. Because they could not succor themselves, they perished.
οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ: ἔα δέ, οἱ κατοικοῦντες οἰκίας πηλίνας, ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἐσμεν: ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον, καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἔτι εἰσίν: παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῆσαι ἀπώλοντο.
He breathed on them and they died, because they had no wisdom.
ἐνεφύσησεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σοφίαν.
But call thou, if perchance one shall obey thee, or if thou shalt see one of the holy angels. For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth him that has gone astray.
ἐπικάλεσαι δέ, εἴ τίς σοι ὑπακούσεται, ἤ εἴ τινα ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ὄψῃ: καὶ γὰρ ἄφρονα ἀναιρεῖ ὀργή. πεπλανημένον δὲ θανατοῖ ζῆλος.
And I have seen fools throwing out roots, but forthwith their habitation was eaten up.
ἐγὼ δὲ ἑώρακα ἄφρονας ῥίζας βάλλοντας, ἀλλ̓ εὐθέως ἐβρώθη αὐτῶν ἡ δίαιτα.
Far be their sons from safety. May they be mocked at the gates of inferiors, and there shall be none to deliver them. For the things which are prepared for them, the righteous shall eat; but they themselves shall not be delivered from evils.
πόρρω γένοιντο οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ σωτηρίας: κολαβρισθείησαν ἐπὶ θύραις ἡσσόνων, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος: ἃ γὰρ ἐκείνοις ἡτοίμασται, δίκαιοι ἔδονται, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐκ κακῶν οὐκ ἐξαίρετοι ἔσονται.