The Peril of Immoderate Piety and the Timing of Death
David says, 'My feet have slipped; a little while my steps were poured out,' because I sought peace among those who work iniquity, seeing sinners (Ps 69:2).
Do not become too righteous, and do not philosophize excessively, lest you be struck with amazement (Eccl 7:16). Do not be impiously excessive and do not become harsh, so that you do not die at an inopportune time (Eccl 7:17). It is good that you hold fast to this, and indeed do not withdraw your hand from this, for he who fears God will emerge from all things (Eccl 7:18). Do not let an impious thought be lodged in your heart, lest your soul, having been impious, die in ignorance. The Sodomites and the Gomorrites died at their inopportune time (Gen 19). And if this time is a time of uprightness, those dying in this time and being separated from the life that is to come—'I am the life' (John 14:6)—do not die at an inopportune time.
It is good that you hold fast to not being too righteous, and indeed do not withdraw your heart from impiety, for fearing God, he will emerge from every evil. Guard the mouth of a king (Prov 21:1). Now 'mouth' refers to the word or the commandment. For I know that it will be good for those who fear Godt they may fear from his face (Eccl 8:12); and it will not be good for the impious, and he who does not fear from the face of God will not prolong his days in the shadow (Eccl 8:13). Now 'good' refers to the knowledge, the knowledge of God. It is vanity which has been made upon the earth (Eccl 1:2), that if they are righteous, it comes to them as a work of the impious, and if they are impious, it comes to them as a work of the righteous; I said that even this is vanity. It is vanity, he says, which happens upon the earth, that they are righteous and as...
Greek
∆αυίδ, ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες, παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου· ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν.» 63 7, 16 μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά, μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς. 7, 17 μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου. 7, 18 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε ἐν τούτῳ, καί γε ἀπὸ τούτου μὴ μιάνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου, ὅτι ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἐξελεύσεται τὰ πάντα Μὴ ἐγχρονιζέτω, φησίν, ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου λογισμὸς ἀσεβής, μήποτε ἀσεβήσασα ἡ ψυχή σου ἀποθάνῃ ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ. Ἐν οὐ καιρῷ αὐτῶν ἀπέθανον οἱ Σοδομῖται καὶ οἱ Γομορρῖται. Καὶ εἰ ὁ χρόνος οὗτος καιρός ἐστι κατορθώσεως, οἱ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες καὶ χωριζόμενοι τῆς ζωῆς τῆς εἰπούσης· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή», οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ ἀποθνῄσκουσιν. 64 Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε τοῦ μὴ δίκαιον 10 εἶναι πολύ, καί γε ἀπὸ ἀσεβείας μὴ μιάνῃς τὴν καρδίαν σου, ὅτι φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ πάσης ἐξελεύσῃ κακίας. 65 8, 2.1 στόμα βασιλέως φύλαξον Στόμα νῦν λέγει τὸν λόγον ἢ τὴν ἐντολήν. 66 8, 12.3–5 ὅτι καί γε γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι ἔσται ἀγαθὸν τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸν θεόν, ὅπως φοβῶνται ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· 8, 13 καὶ ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἔσται τῷ ἀσεβεῖ, καὶ οὐ μακρυνεῖ ἡμέρας ἐν σκιᾷ ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν φοβούμενος ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ Νῦν ἀγαθὸν τὴν γνῶσιν λέγει τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. 67 8, 14 ἔστιν ματαιότης ἣ πεποίηται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι εἰσὶν δίκαιοι ὅτι φθάνει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὡς ποίημα τῶν ἀσεβῶν, καὶ εἰσὶν ἀσεβεῖς ὅτι φθάνει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὡς ποίημα τῶν δικαίων· εἶπα ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότησ Ἔστι ματαιότης, φησίν, ἥτις γίνεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι εἰσὶ δίκαιοι καὶ ὡς
About this text
Evagrius's notes on Ecclesiastes: vanity, toil, and where lasting meaning hides.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 40 (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.