top 1 Clement ch 17

Chapter 17

The examples of Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Job, and Moses

1 Μιμηταὶ γενώμεθα κἀκείνων, οἵτινες ἐν δέρμασιν αἰγείοις καὶ μηλωταῖς περιεπάτησαν κηρύσσοντες τὴν ἔλευσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· λέγομεν δὲ Ἠλίαν καὶ Ἐλισαιέ, ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἰεζεκιήλ, τοὺς προφήτας· πρὸς τούτοις καὶ τοὺς μεμαρτυρημένους. Let's also be imitators of those who went about in goatskins and sheepskins preaching about the coming of Christ. We mean the prophets Elijah and Elisha and likewise Ezekiel, the prophets, and as well the other famous men of the past.
2 ἐμαρτυρήθη μεγάλως Ἀβραὰμ καί φίλος προσηγορεύθη τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ λέγει ἀτενίζων εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ ταπεινοφρονῶν· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός. Abraham was greatly famous and was called "the friend of God" (Jas. 2:23). He looked intently at the glory of God and said in humility, "I am only dust and ashes" (Gen. 18:27).
3 ἔτι δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἰὼβ οὕτως γέγραπται· Ἰὼβ δὲ ἦν δίκαιος καὶ ἄμεμπτος, ἀληθινός, θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. Furthermore, concerning Job, it is written thus: "And Job was righteous and blameless, a truthful man who feared God and avoided all evil" (Job 1:1).
4 ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖ λέγων· Οὐδεὶς καθαρὸς ἀπὸ ῥύπου, οὐδ᾿ ἂν μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. Yet he accuses himself saying, "No one is clean from filth, not even if his life lasted for only one day" (Job 14:4-5).
5 Μωϋσῆς Πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ἐκλήθη, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπηρεσίας αὐτοῦ ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς Αἴγυπτον διὰ τῶν μαστίγων καὶ τῶν αἰκισμάτων αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος δοξασθεὶς μεγάλως οὐκ ἐμεγαλορημόνησεν, ἀλλ᾿ εἶπεν ἐκ τῆς βάτου χρηματισμοῦ αὐτῷ διδομένου· Τίς εἰμι ἐγώ, ὅτι με πέμπεις; Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος. Moses was called "faithful in all his house" (Num. 12:7). Through his ministry God judged Egypt with their plagues and torments. Although he was greatly exalted, he didn't boast. Instead, when an oracle was given to him at the bush, he said, "Who am I, that you send me? I have a feeble voice and a slow tongue" (Ex. 3:11; 4:10).
6 καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ἀτμὶς ἀπὸ κύθρας. And again he says, "I am only the steam from a pot" (unknown source).