top 1 Clement ch 39

Chapter 39

The foolishness of boasting

1 Ἄφρονες καὶ ἀσύνετοι καὶ μωροὶ καὶ ἀπαίδευτοι χλευάζουσιν ἡμᾶς καὶ μυκτηρίζουσιν, ἑαυτοὺς βουλόμενοι ἐπαίρεσθαι ταῖς διανοίαις αὐτῶν. Senseless, stupid, foolish and ignorant men sneer and ridicule us, wishing that they be exalted in their own imaginations.
2 τί γὰρ δύναται θνητός; ἢ τίς ἰσχὺς γηγενοῦς; What is a mortal person able to do? Or what strength does a child of earth have?
3 γέγραπται γάρ· Οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ αὔραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον· For it is written, "There was no form before my eyes, I heard only a breath and a voice.
4 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; For what? Shall a mortal person be clean in the presence of the Lord? Or will a person be blameless for his deeds? Seeing that He distrust His servants and finds fault in His angels.
5 οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ· ἔα δέ, οἱ κατοικοῦντες οἰκίας πηλίνας, ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἐσμέν· ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἔτι εἰσίν· παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῆσαι ἀπώλοντο. But heaven isn't clean in His sight, let alone those who live in houses of clay, even the same clay of which we are made. He struck them like a moth, and from morning to evening they exist no more. Because they couldn't help themselves, they perished.
6 ἐνεφύσησεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σοφίαν. He breathed on them and they died because they had no wisdom.
7 ἐπικάλεσαι δέ, εἴ τίς σοι ὑπακούσεται, ἢ εἴ τινα ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ὄψῃ· καὶ γὰρ ἄφρονα ἀναιρεῖ ὀργή, πεπλανημένον δὲ θανατοῖ ζῆλος. But call now. Perhaps someone will obey you, or you will see one of the holy angels. For wrath kills the foolish man and envy slays the one who has gone astray.y.
8 ἐγὼ δὲ ἑώρακα ἄφρονας ῥίζας βάλλοντας, ἀλλ᾿ εὐθέως ἐβρώθη αὐτῶν ἡ δίαιτα. I saw fools putting down roots, but their house was suddenly destroyed.
9 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. Their sons are far from safety. They are mocked in the gate of their inferiors, and there will be none to deliver them. The things they prepared will be eaten by the righteous, but they won't be delivered from troubles.