top 1 Clement ch 50

Chapter 50

Let us seek God's love

1 Ὁρᾶτε, ἀγαπητοί, πῶς μέγα καὶ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη, καὶ τῆς τελειότητος αὐτῆς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξήγησις. You see, dear friends, how great and wonderful love is. And its perfection is without description.
2 τίς ἱκανὸς ἐν αὐτῇ εὑρεθῆναι, εἰ μὴ οὓς ἂν καταξιώσῃ ὁ θεός; δεώμεθα οὖν καὶ αἰτώμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἐν ἀγάπῃ εὑρεθῶμεν δίχα προσκλίσεως ἀνθρωπίνης, ἄμωμοι. Who is worthy to be found in it, except those to whom God considers worthy? Therefore, let's pray and ask for His mercy so that we may be found blameless in love, standing apart from the bias of men.
3 αἱ γενεαὶ πᾶσαι ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ ἕως τῆσδε τῆς ἡμέρας παρῆλθον, ἀλλ᾿ οἱ ἐν ἀγάπῃ τελειωθέντες κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ χάριν ἔχουσιν χῶρον εὐσεβῶν, οἱ[1] φανερωθήσονται ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. All the generations from Adam to this day have passed away, but those who by God's grace were perfected in love have a place among the godly; and they will be revealed when the Kingdom of God visits us.
4 γέγραπται γάρ· Εἰσέλθετε εἰς τὰ ταμεῖα μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἕως οὗ παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ καὶ ὁ θυμός μου, καὶ μνησθήσομαι ἡμέρας ἀγαθῆς, καὶ ἀναστήσω ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν θηκῶν ὑμῶν. For it is written, "Enter into the inner room for a little while until My anger and my wrath will pass away, and I will remember a good day, and will raise you from your tombs" (Isa. 26:20; Ezek. 37:12).
5 μακάριοί ἐσμεν, ἀγαπητοί, εἰ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐποιοῦμεν ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ ἀγάπης, εἰς τὸ ἀφεθῆναι ἡμῖν δι᾿ ἀγάπης τὰς ἁμαρτίας. We are blessed, dear friends, if we perform the commands of God in harmony of love, so that our sins be forgiven us through love.
6 γέγραπται γάρ· Μακάριοι, ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἀμαρτίαι· μακάριος ἀνήρ, οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος· For it is written, "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will impute no sin, nor is there deceit in his mouth" (Ps. 32:1-2).
7 οὗτος ὁ μακαρισμὸς ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλελεγμένους ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. This declaration of blessedness was pronounced upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

[1] Alt. text: οἵ⇧