top 1 Clement ch 15

Chapter 15

The necessity of true humility

1 Τοίνυν κολληθῶμεν τοῖς μετ᾿ εὐσεβείας εἰρηνεύουσιν, καὶ μὴ τοῖς μεθ᾿ ὑποκρίσεως βουλομένοις εἰρήνην Therefore, let’s unite with those who devoutly practice peace, and not with those who pretend to desire peace.
2 λέγει γάρ που· Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἄπεστιν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ. For it says somewhere, "This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Isa. 29:13).
3 καὶ πάλιν· Τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν εὐλογοῦσιν, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν κατηρῶντο. And again, "They bless with their mouth, but they curse with their heart" (Ps. 62:4).
4 καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτόν, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ. And again it says, "They loved Him with their mouth; but with their tongue, they lied to Him. Their heart wasn't right with Him, nor were they faithful to His covenant" (Ps. 78:36-37).
5 διὰ τοῦτο ἄλαλα γενηθήτω τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομίαν. καὶ πάλιν· Ἐξολεθρεύσαι κύριος πάντα τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια, γλῶσσαν μεγαλορήμονα, τοὺς εἰπόντας· Τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν, τὰ χείλη ἡμῶν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἐστιν· τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν; For this reason, "Let the deceitful lips that speak iniquity against the righteous be made speechless" (Ps. 31:18). And again, “May the Lord utterly destroy all the deceitful lips, the boasting tongue, and those who say, 'Let's magnify our tongue. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?'
6 ἀπὸ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πενήτων νῦν ἀναστήσομαι, λέγει κύριος· θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ, ‘Because of the misery of the beggar and because of the groaning of the poor, I will now arise,’ says the Lord. 'I will put him in safety.
7 παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ. I will deal boldly with him'" (Ps. 12:3-5).