top 1 Clement ch 56

Chapter 56

God brings discipline and mercy

1 Καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐντύχωμεν περὶ τῶν ἔν τινι παραπτώματι ὑπαρχόντων, ὅπως δοθῇ αὐτοῖς ἐπιείκεια καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνη εἰς τὸ εἶξαι αὐτοὺς μὴ ἡμῖν ἀλλὰ τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ· οὕτως γὰρ ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἔγκαρπος καὶ τελεία ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους μετ᾿ οἰκτιρμῶν μνεία. Therefore, let's also intercede for those who are in some transgression so that leniency and humility may be given to them so that they might yield not to us, but to the will of God. For thus their compassionate remembrance will be fruitful and perfect before God and the saints.
2 ἀναλάβωμεν παιδείαν, ἐφ᾿ ᾗ οὐδεὶς ἀγανακτεῖν, ἀγαπητοί. ἡ νουθέτησις, ἣν ποιούμεθα εἰς ἀλλήλους, καλή ἐστιν καὶ ὑπεράγαν ὠφέλιμος· κολλᾷ γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ. Let's accept correction, which no one should resent, dear friends. The reproof which we give to each other is good and very useful, for it unites us to the will of God.
3 οὕτως γάρ φησιν ὁ ἅγιος λόγος· Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέν με ὁ κύριος, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ οὐ παρέδωκέν με· For thus says the holy word: "With disciplines, the Lord disciplined me, and He didn't deliver me to death.
4 ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and punishes every son whom He receives" (Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6).
5 Παιδεύσει με γάρ, φησίν, δίκαιος ἐν ἐλέει καὶ ἐλέγξει με, ἔλαιον δὲ ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. "For the righteous," it says, "will discipline me in mercy and correct me, but let not the oil of sinners anoint my head" (Ps. 141:5).
6 καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἤλεγξεν ὁ κύριος· νουθέτημα δὲ παντοκράτορος μὴ ἀπαναίνου· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ, καὶ πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησιν· And again it says, "Blessed is the man whom the Lord reproved. Don't reject the admonition of the Almighty. For He causes pain, but He restores again.
7 ἔπαισεν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἰάσαντο. He has wounded, but His hands have healed.
8 ἑξάκις ἐξ ἀναγκῶν ἐξελεῖταί σε, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ οὐχ ἅψεταί σου κακόν. Six times will He rescue you from troubles and at the seventh time, no evil will touch you.
9 ἐν λιμῷ ῥύσεταί σε ἐκ θανάτου, ἐν πολέμῳ δὲ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου λύσει σε· In famine, He will deliver you from death; in war, He will release you from the hand of iron.
10 καὶ ἀπὸ μάστιγος γλώσσης σε κρύψει, καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσῃ κακῶν ἐπερχομένων. From the lash of the tongue, He will hide you and you won't be afraid when evils approach.
11 ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνόμων καταγελάσῃ, ἀπὸ δὲ θηρίων ἀγρίων οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇς· You will laugh at the unrighteous and lawless. You won't be afraid of the wild beasts,
12 θῆρες γὰρ ἄγριοι εἰρηνεύσουσίν σοι. for wild beasts will be at peace with you.
13 εἶτα γνώσῃ, ὅτι είρηνεύσει σου ὁ οἶκος, ἡ δὲ δίαιτα τῆς σκηνῆς σου οὐ μὴ ἁμάρτῃ. Then you will know that your house will be at peace, and your dwelling tent won't fail.
14 γνώσῃ δέ, ὅτι πολὺ τὸ σπέρμα σου, τὰ δὲ τέκνα σου ὥσπερ τὸ παμβότανον τοῦ ἀγροῦ. And you will know that your descendants will be many, your children will be as plenteous as the vegetation of the field.
15 ἐλεύσῃ δὲ ἐν τάφῳ ὥσπερ σῖτος ὥριμος κατὰ καιρὸν θεριζόμενος, ἢ ὥσπερ θημωνιὰ ἅλωνος καθ᾿ ὥραν συγκομισθεῖσα. And you will come to your grave as ripe grain is reaped in due season, or as the heap of the threshing floor gathered together at the right time" (Job 5:17-26).
16 βλέπετε, ἀγαπητοί, πόσος ὑπερασπισμός ἐστιν τοῖς παιδευομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου· πατὴρ γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ὢν παιδεύει εἰς τὸ ἐλεηθῆναι ἡμᾶς διὰ τῆς ὁσίας παιδείας αὐτοῦ. You see, dear friends, there is great protection for those who are disciplined by the Master. For being a kind father He disciplines us so that we might obtain mercy through his pious discipline.