The Scorn of Pride and the Safety of Humility
The scorpion. Why do you lift up your neck for that which in a little while will be rotting? A great man helped by God has been abandoned, and the weakness of nature has been recognized. You have nothing that you have not received from God; why then do you plant yourself in another's property as if it were your own? Why do you adorn the grace of God as if it were your own possession? Recognize the Giver, and do not lift yourself up too much; you are a creature of God, do not deny the Creator; helped by God, do not deny the Benefactor. You ascended to the height of a position, but He guided you there; you established virtue, but He worked it. Acknowledge the one who exalted you, so that you may remain firm in that height; recognize the one who is of the same kind, because He is of the same essence. Do not deny the kinship through arrogance.
Chapter 19. That person is humble, and proportionate; but the same Creator fashioned both. Do not despise the humble; for he has been established more securely for you; he walks upon the earth, and does not fall quickly; but the lofty one, if he falls, will be shattered. A proud tree is one without roots, and it will not withstand the blow of a wind. A walled city, a blind intellect, and the one dwelling in it will be safe. A wind-blown grain is tossed about, and the blow of a wind lifts up the proud; a cracked vessel will be destroyed, and the memory of the proud is blotted out. The word of the humble is a polishing of the soul, but the word of the proud is filled with arrogance. The prayer of the humble bends God down, but the petition of the proud provokes God. Humility is the roof of a house, and it keeps the one ascending safe. When you ascend to the height of virtues, then you have great need of security. For he who falls from the ground is quickly raised, but he who falls from on high risks death. A precious stone is fitted to a golden setting, and a man's humility is beautified by many virtues.
Greek
σκώληξ. Τί τὸν αὐχένα ἐπαίρεις τὸν μετ' ὀλίγον σηπόμενον; Μέγα ἄνθρωπος βοηθούμενος παρὰ Θεοῦ· ἐγκατελείφθη, καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπέγνω τῆς φύσεως. Οὐδὲν ἔχεις, ὃ μὴ παρὰ Θεοῦ ἔλαβες· τί οὖν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ ἐναμβλύνῃ ὡς σῷ; τί τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς ἰδίῳ κτήματι ἐγκαλλωπίζῃ; Ἐπίγνωθι τὸν δεδωκότα, καὶ μὴ ἐπαίρου πολύ· κτίσμα Θεοῦ εἶ, μὴ ἀθέτει τὸν Κτίσαντα· βοηθῇ παρὰ Θεοῦ, μὴ ἀρνοῦ τὸν εὐεργέτην. Εἰς ὕψος ἀνέβης πολιτείας, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὡδήγησε· κατώρθωσας ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ἐνήργησεν. Ὁμολόγει τὸν ὑψώσαντα, ἵνα μείνῃς ἐν τῷ ὕψει βέβαιος· ἐπίγνωθι τὸν ὁμόφυλον, ὅτι τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστιν οὐσίας. Μὴ δι' ἀλαζονείας ἀρνοῦ τὴν συγγένειαν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΘʹ. Ταπεινὸς ἐκεῖνος, καὶ σύμμετρος· ἀλλ' ὁ αὐτὸς δημιουργὸς ἔπλασε τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους. Μὴ καταφρονήσῃς ταπεινοῦ· ἕστηκε γάρ σου ἀσφαλέστερος· ἐπὶ γῆς βαδίζει, καὶ οὐ πίπτει ταχέως· ὁ δὲ ὑψηλὸς, ἐὰν πέσῃ, συντριβήσεται. Ὑπερήφανος μοναχὸς δένδρον ἄῤῥιζον, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐνέγκῃ προσβολὴν ἀνέμου. Πόλις τετειχισμένη, ἄτυφον φρόνημα, καὶ ὁ ἐνοικῶν αὐτῇ ἄσυλος ἔσται. Μετεωρίζει κάρφος αὖρα ἀνέμου, καὶ ὑπερήφανον ἐπαίρει ἀπονοίας προσβολή· πομφόλυξ ῥαγεῖσα ἀφανισθήσεται, καὶ μνήμη ὑπερηφάνου ὄλλυται. Λόγος ταπεινοῦ μάλαγμα ψυχῆς, ὁ δὲ τοῦ ὑπερηφάνου ἀλαζονείας πεπλήρωται Προσευχὴ ταπεινοῦ ἐπικάμπτει Θεὸν, παροξύνει δὲ τὸν Θεὸν δέησις ὑπερηφάνου. Στέφανος δώματός ἐστιν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη καὶ τὸν ἀνελθόντα τηρεῖ ἀσφαλῶς. Ὅταν ἀνέλθῃς εἰς τὸ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὕψος, τότε πολλή σοι χρεία τῆς ἀσφαλείας. Ὁ γὰρ πεσὼν ἀπ' ἐδάφους, ταχέως ἐγείρεται, ὁ δὲ πεσὼν ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ, εἰς θάνατον κινδυνεύει. Λίθος τίμιος ἐμπρέπει σιαλώματι χρυσίου, καὶ πολλαῖς ἀρεταῖς φαιδρύνεται ταπείνωσις ἀνδρός. 7
About this text
The original eight evil thoughts that became the seven deadly sins, and how each one attacks.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.