Chapter 16
| 1 Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί, ἀφορμὴν λαβόντες οὐ μικρὰν εἰς τὸ μετανοῆσαι, καιρὸν ἔχοντες ἐπιστρέψωμεν ἐπὶ τὸν καλέσαντα ἡμᾶς θεόν, ἕως ἔτι ἔχομεν τὸν παραδεχόμενον ἡμᾶς. | Therefore, brothers, after receiving no minor opportunity for repentance, while having the time, we should return to God who called us, while we still have the one who receives us. |
| 2 ἐὰν γὰρ ταῖς ἡδυπαθείαις ταύταις ἀποταξώμεθα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν νικήσωμεν ἐν τῷ μὴ ποιεῖν τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῆς τὰς πονηράς, μεταληψόμεθα τοῦ ἐλέους Ἰησοῦ. | For if we renounce these pleasures and conquer our soul by refusing to fulfill its evil desires, we will share in the mercy of Jesus. |
| 3 γινώσκετε δέ, ὅτι ἔρχεται ἤδη ἡ ἡμέρα τῆς κρίσεως ὡς κλίβανος καιόμενος, καὶ τακήσονταί τινες τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ὡς μόλιβος ἐπὶ πυρὶ τηκόμενος· καὶ τότε φανήσεται τὰ κρύφια καὶ φανερὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων. |
But you know that the day of judgment is already coming as a burning furnace,
and some things of the heavens will melt, and the whole earth will be like lead melting in the fire, and then the secret and exposed works of men will be revealed. |
| 4 καλὸν οὖν ἐλεημοσύνη ὡς μετάνοια ἁμαρτίας· κρείσσων νηστεία προσευχῆς, ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ ἀμφοτέρων· ἀγάπη δὲ καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, προσευχὴ δὲ ἐκ καλῆς συνειδήσεως ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται. μακάριος πᾶς ὁ εὑρεθεὶς ἐν τούτοις πλήρης· ἐλεημοσύνη γὰρ κούφισμα ἁμαρτίας γίνεται. |
Charitable donation therefore is a good thing, just as repentance from sin.
Fasting is better than prayer, but charitable donation is better than both. And love covers a multitude of sins, but prayer out of a good conscience delivers from death. Blessed is everyone who is found full of these. For charitable donation becomes the alleviation of sin. |