Voluntary Poverty (To the Deaconess Magna) 65–67
Greek text: PG 79.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 65
65PG 79
ὥς δὲ πάλιν νεοσύνταχτοι ἔτι, καὶ τοῖς λιμέσιν ἐνορμιξόμενοι, τῇς τελειότητος τὴν ἑαυτῶ παρ᾽ ὑμῖν οἴδασι τάξιν, οἱ μὲν γαστριμαργίαν, οἱ δὲ κενοδοξίαν, ὑπερηφανίαν δὲ οἱ ὑπερέχοντες ἐχτρεπόμενο εἰς ὀλέθρια πάθη ἐγκράτειαν δὲ, καὶ τὸ μὴ πρὸς δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁρᾶν, καὶ τὸ ἄτυφον ἀσκεῖν σπουδαίως; Ὅτ: πλησμονὴ γαστροὺς, ἀρδείαν εἰσάγει τῶν ὑπογαστρίων, πικροῖς ὥσπερ ὀχετοῖ; τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ κόρου φερομένοις ποτιζομένων ῥείθροις, χνισμοὺς ἔκ τούτων ποιούντων τραχεῖς, καὶ τὸν τῇς σωφροσύνης ἀγῶνα, τοῖς γαργαλισμοῖς παρεχόντων ἐπίπονον κενοδοξίαν πάλιν εἰδότες φαντασίαν ἀνόνητον, εἰχότως φεύγουσι πονεῖν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πείθουσαν καὶ ἀχρειοῦσαν τοὺς πόνους, ἐπεὶ μὴ Θεῷ δεικνύναι τούτοὺς βούλεται τῷ τῶν κρυπτῶν ἔργων ἐμτανῶς ὁρέοὐτι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν, ἀνθρώποις δὲ δημοσιεύειν τὰ γινύμενα θέλουσαν, τοῖς ἐπαίνους παρέχειν, εἰς μισθοῦ λόγον, ἱχανοὶς πλέον οὐδὲν, καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου καὶ πολλῆς τιμῆς. Ὃ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ θαυμασθῆνα παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀναδεξάμενος ὄντινα οὖν κάματον, οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπὶ σχηνῖς παραδοξοποιῶν διαφέρει, μισθῷ τῷ παρὰ τῶν τερπομένων ἀρκούμενος, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄλλον αἰτεῖν οὐκέτι εὔλογος ὅτι μὴ τὸν παρὰ τούτου λαθεῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἀλλὰ τὸν παρ᾽ ἐκείνων προέθετο. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἄλογον πάθος δικαίως βδελύττονται τίνα γάρ τις ἔχει κατά πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν πρόφασιν εὔλογον, ὅτι κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἐπαίρεται, καὶ κατὰ τούτου μέγα φρονεῖ; Κατώρθωταί τι πλέον αὑτῷ τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐν τοῖς καλοῖς περιουσίαν ἄγειν πολλὴν αὐτὸς πάντως ἐσπούδασε καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς λήψεται αὐτὸς τοὺς μισθούς τις ἕτερος, καὶ περὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ῥάθυμος διάκειται αὐτὸς ζημιοῦται, καὶ οὐχ ἐλαττοῖ τοὺς ἐχείνου μισθούς. καὶ προκόπτοντες …
hōs de palin neosyntachtoi eti, kai tois limesin enormixomenoi, tę̄s teleiotētos tēn heautō par᾽ hymin oidasi taxin, hoi men gastrimargian, hoi de kenodoxian, hyperēphanian de hoi hyperechontes echtrepomeno eis olethria pathē enkrateian de, kai to mē pros doxan tōn anthrōpōn horan, kai to atyphon askein spoudaiōs? Hot: plēsmonē gastrous, ardeian eisagei tōn hypogastriōn, pikrois hōsper ochetoi? tois ek tou korou pheromenois potizomenōn rheithrois, chnismous ek toutōn poiountōn tracheis, kai ton tę̄s sōphrosynēs agōna, tois gargalismois parechontōn epiponon kenodoxian palin eidotes phantasian anonēton, eichotōs pheugousi ponein hyper aretēs peithousan kai achreiousan tous ponous, epei mē Theǭ deiknynai toutous bouletai tǭ tōn kryptōn ergōn emtanōs horeouti tēn antidosin, anthrōpois de dēmosieuein ta ginymena thelousan, tois epainous parechein, eis misthou logon, hichanois pleon ouden, kai tēs aiōniou kai pollēs timēs. Ho gar pros to thaumasthēna para tōn anthrōpōn anadexamenos ontina oun kamaton, ouden tōn epi schēnis paradoxopoiōn diapherei, misthǭ tǭ para tōn terpomenōn arkoumenos, kai para tou Theou allon aitein ouketi eulogos hoti mē ton para toutou lathein ex archēs, alla ton par᾽ ekeinōn proetheto. ᾿Alla kai to tēs hyperēphanias alogon pathos dikaiōs bdelyttontai tina gar tis echei kata pros aponoian prophasin eulogon, hoti kata tou plēsion epairetai, kai kata toutou mega phronei? Katōrthōtai ti pleon hautǭ tōn allōn, kai tōn loipōn en tois kalois periousian agein pollēn autos pantōs espoudase kai tēs spoudēs lēpsetai autos tous misthous tis heteros, kai peri tēn aretēn rhathymos diakeitai autos zēmioutai, kai ouch elattoi tous echeinou misthous. kai prokoptontes …
And again, those still newly enrolled, anchoring in the harbors of perfection, know their own rank among you: some turning away from gluttony, others from vainglory, and those who excel from pride, as from deadly passions, and earnestly practising self-control, not looking to human glory, and freedom from conceit. For fullness of the belly brings a flooding of the parts below the belly, which are watered as by bitter channels with the streams that come from satiety; these produce rough itchings and make the contest of chastity laborious by their ticklings. They know vainglory, again, to be a useless imagination, and rightly flee it, since it persuades them to labor for virtue and then makes the labors useless: it does not wish to show them to God, who openly gives the reward for hidden works, but wants to publish what is done to people and to offer their praise as a wage, sufficient for nothing more, and to cost them the eternal and great honor. For whoever undertakes any toil whatever in order to be admired by people differs in nothing from the wonder-workers on the stage: he is content with the wage he gets from those who enjoy the show, and it is no longer reasonable for him to ask another from God, since from the beginning he chose to receive not God's wage but theirs. They also rightly abhor the irrational passion of pride. For what reasonable pretext for such madness does anyone have, that he is lifted up against his neighbor and thinks highly of himself in comparison with him? Has he achieved something more than others, and has he surely striven to have a great abundance of good things beyond the rest? Then he himself will receive the wages of his zeal. Is someone else lazy about virtue? He himself suffers the loss, and does not lessen the other's wages. And those who make progress …
Matt 6:4 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The newer members of the community fight gluttony, vainglory and pride: gluttony fuels lust, vainglory forfeits God's reward, and pride is groundless since each receives his own wage.
- Allusion: Matt 6:4, 6 (the Father who sees in secret will reward). “Flooding” translates a damaged word. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed; the last sentence breaks off.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's facing Latin column (and stray letters); removed): ΠῈ Α Ὠ α Βυά ἀ πόνο ἴῃ εἴ δι ἢ α π ρον Ἂἐοι ρου ὃν πε, υοηοῦο τὺ δ Οὐ ο οἱ ἢ ΠῚ δυο δἰ Υ δῖ απ σον Γρ πὸ δι Θχογόθιο, τῇ ἢ βου δα οι εἶ, ἴῃ ο Πα πα, βὲ η η Ποῦ ἢ Ὁ οἴσμἢ. ἐγ σα ἢ νοι τα δύ, πα δ βι ὁ δα οἴαῖο ἱπιραία ρον γο αἱ ἐκ δι σαί, ΟΣ αἴ οἱ οὐ ἰδ ποι ΠΟ Π οἱ ἰΠοτἢ, πὸ Ὁ δῖ ὐ: συλ οι αυ γγῸ δι Δ ο ΓΟ γυθαἷν ποῖ νη πα δῖα Οροῦυ οὐ ΓΟ γα πο νύγο θυ ΠῚ ι πι δι ο ἴον που ΠΟ Ο Δαν ἢ ἢ υ αἰ ον ἢ ἴῃ δι οὐ σομίοιυ πότοι δ, γγούθη οἱ ἃ Γ ναὶ, ἂν ἐμ πο δάμη, ἔκ βορά Π ἀρ δῦ οἱ ο δ Π ΠῚ δ γδὲ πη δι πὶ, τ ὀχίο οἱ τη ρη ἢ Ῥδίγον Π Ια ἃ ρ᾽ὰ εἰ ίαι οορίδη Οἱ ΘοπίθηἋ δι ἢ δ Δ πὴ ἢ ΠῚ π εἰ οἷνο υἱγίυ ο ἢ τοῦ μάθοι ἢ ο πος υ τη ον οὐδ πη υἱἢς → ….
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Paup. vol. 65 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/65). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/65
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 66
66PG 79
Τί οὖν ὁ σοδαρὰς φυσᾶται, καὶ βρενθύεται, ὡς ὑπὲρ ἄλλων ἀθλῶν, κοινὸς σωτὴρ τοῦ γένους διακείμενος; Οὐχ εἰδὼς ἔλαττον βλάπτειν ἀμέλειαν βλάπτειν πέφυκεν οἴησις, καὶ πρὸς ὁ λειπόμενον τῆς προκοπῆς ἐμποδίζουσα τῇ προθυμίᾳ ὡς ἡνυσμένου τοῦ προκειμένου, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ διαπτύειν τοὺς ἀναπεπτωχότας, μεγά ἑαυτῷ προξενοῦσα τὴν κόλασιν. Τὸ δὲ ταπεινὸν ἐν ἐμῖν οὐχ ἔξδωχε χώραν, οὐ φθόνῳ, οὐ τύφῳ ποτὲ τὴν τῶν μελῶν χοινοπραγία μιμουμένοις καλῶς, καὶ τὴν ἐκάστου δόξαν οἰκειουμένοις ὡς ἑνὸς σώματος οὔτε γὰρ ὁ τέλειος κατὰ τοῦ ἕτι προσχόπτονος ὡς ὑπερέχων ἐ ἐπαίρεται, καὶ αὑτὸς γέγενῇ σθαι τοιοῦτος εἰδὼς ἡνίκα προέκοπτε, καὶ αὑτὸν Ἥξειν μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ μέτοον τῇς τελειόκῆτος πεπεισμένον, οὐδΥὲ τῷ τελείῳ ὁ τέως κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀξίαν τούτου ἀπολειπόμενον … ὅτι τοιοῦτος γεγένηται καὶ ἄλλος ἁπλῶς Ἄλλου καὶ οὐ τῷ κόμπῳ βουλόμενο; τοῦ φρονῖμᾶτος, καὶ πολλὴν τάχα ἄν τις ὁρῶν πρὸς τὰ πρόσπουδὴν ἔχοντας ὑμᾶς εὕροι, τίς μᾶλλον ἔσται, κατὰ τὴ Ἦθος:, τινὸς μετριώτερος, ὡς ἔστιν εὖ ρεῖν ἐν ἄλλοις, ἔκαστον ἐκάστου θέλυντα προτιμότερον, διὰ τὴν τῷ βίῳ ς-λοδοξίαν. Ὑμεῖς ὃΣ ὡς ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστὸν, οὗτος ἐν αὑτῷ πολιτεύεσθε, τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλου: ὑπακοὴν ἐξ ἐχείνου μαθόντες, ὅς εὐπήχοος μέχρι θανάτου γέξτο.: τῷ Πατρὶ, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ, τὸ μέτρον τῇς ὑταχοῆὴς ἕως τοῦδε τοῦ κινδύνου νομοθετῶν, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας μετὰ πάσης σπουδῆς ἀρετὰς, Ὦ ἐπειδὴ ταύτας αὑτὸς ποιῶν, καὶ διδάσκων, διδάσκαλος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποι: γεγένηται, τὸ δυνατὺν ὧν ἔργῳ τῷ πρώτως αὐτὰ ποιεῖν δεικνὺς τοῖς μανθάνουσι. Πολλὴν γοῦν ἔχετε, ὑπερβάλλουσαν τὴν ἐν ἀλλήλοις διάθεσιν, μαθόντε; εἰρηκέναι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις αὑτὸ τὸ σύμόολον τῶν αὖ: τοῦ μαθητῶν, ἐν οἷς φησιν Ἐν τούτῳ γνώτοντα: πάντες ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἔστε ἐὰν ἀγάπην τε ἐν ἀλλήλοις, Εἰρηνεύετε γνησίως πρὸς ἅπαντα;. Εἰρύνὴν τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν. ᾿Αγαπᾶτε τοὺ; μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐπηρεαζόντων. Διὸ …
Ti oun ho sodaras physatai, kai brenthyetai, hōs hyper allōn athlōn, koinos sōtēr tou genous diakeimenos? Ouch eidōs elatton blaptein ameleian blaptein pephyken oiēsis, kai pros ho leipomenon tēs prokopēs empodizousa tę̄ prothymią hōs hēnysmenou tou prokeimenou, kai ek tou diaptyein tous anapeptōchotas, mega heautǭ proxenousa tēn kolasin. To de tapeinon en emin ouch exdōche chōran, ou phthonǭ, ou typhǭ pote tēn tōn melōn choinopragia mimoumenois kalōs, kai tēn ekastou doxan oikeioumenois hōs henos sōmatos oute gar ho teleios kata tou heti proschoptonos hōs hyperechōn e epairetai, kai hautos gegenę̄ sthai toioutos eidōs hēnika proekopte, kai hauton Hēxein met᾽ ou poly pros to auto metoon tę̄s teleiokētos pepeismenon, oudYe tǭ teleiǭ ho teōs kata tēn tēs aretēs axian toutou apoleipomenon … hoti toioutos gegenētai kai allos haplōs Allou kai ou tǭ kompǭ boulomeno? tou phronimatos, kai pollēn tacha an tis horōn pros ta prospoudēn echontas hymas heuroi, tis mallon estai, kata tē Ēthos:, tinos metriōteros, hōs estin eu rein en allois, ekaston ekastou thelynta protimoteron, dia tēn tǭ biǭ s-lodoxian. Hymeis hoS hōs emathete ton Christon, houtos en hautǭ politeuesthe, tēn pros allēlou: hypakoēn ex echeinou mathontes, hos eupēchoos mechri thanatou gexto.: tǭ Patri, thanatou de staurou, to metron tę̄s hytachoēēs heōs toude tou kindynou nomothetōn, kai tas allas meta pasēs spoudēs aretas, Ō epeidē tautas hautos poiōn, kai didaskōn, didaskalos pasin anthrōpoi: gegenētai, to dynatyn hōn ergǭ tǭ prōtōs auta poiein deiknys tois manthanousi. Pollēn goun echete, hyperballousan tēn en allēlois diathesin, mathonte? eirēkenai tois apostolois hauto to symoolon tōn au: tou mathētōn, en hois phēsin En toutǭ gnōtonta: pantes hoti emoi mathētai este ean agapēn te en allēlois, Eirēneuete gnēsiōs pros hapanta?. Eirynēn tēn emēn aphiēmi hymin. ᾿Agapate tou? misountas hymas, kai proseuchesthe hyper tōn diōkontōn hymas kai epēreazontōn. Dio …
Why, then, is the haughty one puffed up and swaggering, as though he contended for others and were the common savior of the race? He does not know that conceit is apt to do no less harm than neglect: it hinders eagerness for what is still lacking in progress, as though the task set before it were accomplished, and by despising those who have fallen it procures great punishment for itself. But humility among you has given no room to envy or pride, since you imitate well the common working of the members and make the glory of each your own, as of one body. For neither is the perfect one lifted up against the one still making progress, as his superior, since he knows that he too was such when he was making progress, and is persuaded that the other will soon come to the same measure of perfection; nor does the one who for the present falls short of him in the worth of virtue [envy] the perfect one … that such a one has come to be so, and that one simply differs from another, and not wishing [to excel] by boastfulness of mind. And perhaps one who saw your great zeal for [this] would find [the only contest among you to be] who shall be more modest in character than another, whereas among others one can find each wanting to be preferred to the other because of love of glory in this life. But you, as you have learned Christ, so live in him, having learned obedience to one another from him who became obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross, setting the measure of obedience as far as that danger; and [you practise] the other virtues with all zeal, since he, by doing and teaching them himself, has become the teacher of all people, showing learners that they are possible by doing them first. You have, then, a great and surpassing affection for one another, having learned that he gave the apostles the very badge of his disciples, where he says, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Be at peace sincerely with all. “My peace I leave with you.” “Love those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and mistreat you.” Therefore …
1 Cor 12:26 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 2:8 (allusion, high confidence) · John 13:35 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:28 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Pride is as harmful as neglect; in Magna's community humility rules, the advanced and the beginners do not envy one another, and all imitate Christ's obedience and love.
- Allusions and quotations: 1 Cor 12:12–26; Eph 4:20; Phil 2:8; Acts 1:1 (doing and teaching); John 13:35; Rom 12:18; John 14:27; Matt 5:44 and Luke 6:27–28. A long passage of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column has been removed in the middle of the chapter, with Greek words lost (marked …), and the end of the chapter (with a Latin doxology from the facing column) is also debris, removed; the last Greek sentence breaks off.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's facing Latin column (and stray letters); removed): ἃ. ὶ ς ἐδοογίγοῖ, δοδὸ Ὁ οὐ πὴ ἢ ἱσιογαῖ σοι, βοίοδὲ Πη αι ἡ θυ Δ π δι ἐοὸ οοηῃοίίογυμε, ἃς Π νου. ο σοησοῦ Π ΠΟ ΩΣ Γι ΠῚ πη Δ ρ υδλοὶ Π δύδυς ση ΠῚ, ἃς Γρῖς τ, ἀπῇ οἱ πη δἰ υίᾳιια δῦ ἰ ῖ Ῥοβὲ ΠῸ πη πὶ ρον Π η Α Ροιίδοιο ἰηνίἀοι, ρ ΟΥ Π σπο Π αὶ ἴῃ ἰη ο οἱ μ δίθα ο ἴῃ νἱνοηἋὶ οἱ ἷς του α: Βα οὐ, δἱ νὴ ἰδ οἱ θη ᾿αρίηἴα οἱ ΓΙ χροηθογοῖ, πὐὰ ἰδ δι ἀ τὸ Τορογῖιοῖ, δι ΔΙ ἴῃ πον θ ν οοηίαμπα Δ δ γα δεῖ δι οὐ οὐ ρ πὶ. Υ Ο ν εἰ ι δὶς οι τη Π Ὸ ἰηίαῦ νο αι. υἱ Δ δΔυίοιη ᾽, Ιοψὸ Οὐδ ὑ ι οἱ σα οἵη θεῖα Υἱνἰαι πὶ, ρ οί, οἱ ῖ, πη θυ ΠΟ ἢ Ρίοσς ν Π ἰοιὴ υἱὸ ὁ Ἰ ὁ ἢ ἰμίλαν δι ἰηνίοθιη, φυὶρρα πο π ι δυσί πὴ σπου απ ἀσπὴ ε ἴῃ ἰιὺς ἸΠ ὶ δὲ Ἰοὺ → … ; ἢ υ θα δ πὶ ὃ; βοῦν αῖο θα ἀλισῖια αυἱ γ οἱ οἱ πη υν αἰοίυπέ ν δι ἐὼν θυ Ποὺ οἱ Πἐὲ αι πὶ ε ἃ πι υἱὰ τ δὴν οἱ Π πλ οὐτὰς δ, οἵ Δ Ἰ Π θυ πι Δ Ρ πὶ ἀστίοι ἃ ΟΓεἰιἰς ἃ ἢ ΘΕ οἱ σαὶ ἐμ υγίδην οἱ υ απ πη ροία δ οἴλῃ δι οἴου ΝΟ δε σοὶ ἤθη φυ αυὺΣ ἐπίθαια οι αυἱ ἰΔ Υἱ μ Π Π π π οἱ Δ ι θη δρίαι απ γο β ὰ οι μου δεῖ οἰ ὲ ΠΡ. Ρ, απ αἰ σοι δ; για, οἵ τη ρᾶΕἰ οἱ ἢ οἱ ὁ, ι ὴ Θ οἱ υἱ οἴϊεἰάνναν ὁχογάία, γ αι οὐ νου βου τ Το ἴθ ΟἸεῖδῖο δόδα Βομμῖπο Βοβίιο, σἰογία διαοιία. ΑἸ θη. ς Ὁ → ….
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Paup. vol. 66 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/66). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/66
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate-66) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 67
67PG 79
Δὺτὸς γὰρ ἐνετείλατο λέγων τοῦτο, γυμνάζων ἐν ταῖς θλίνεσιν ὑμᾶς ὡς ἀθλητὰς πρὸς καρτερίαν. Ἡχούσατε εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ, Μάθετε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἶμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ ν καὶ ἔργῳ τὴν μέμησιν ἐπεδείξατε, ῥαπιζόμενοι τὴν δεξιὰν σ: αγόν:, στρέφετε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα ρούμενο παραχωξφεῖτε καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον, ὕβριν, καὶ ζτμίαν φέροντες μᾶλλον ἣ προχείρως ὁρμῶντες πρὸς ἅ, ναν. δὲ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ὑμῖν τὸ τι ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἀπεῖπε, στρατιώταις καὶ ἀθληταῖς τὴν ἀγωγὴν τοῦ βίου ταύτην πρέπειν εἰδώ;. ᾿Αργὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδεὶς τῶν Κυριακῶν παρέδραμε μακαρισμὸς, ἐν χερσὶ ὃὲ πάντες ἀεὶ ταῖς μετὰ τῶν συνεζευγμένων ἁμοιδῶν, γεγένησθε τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ πραεῖς, καὶ εἶρῃην ποιοὶ, καὶ ἐλεήμονες, καὶ καθαροὶ τῇ καρξία, ἐμ ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἧς καὶ ἐεὴ; ἀξιωθῆναι προσεύχεσθε, ζηλωτὰς τῶν ὑμετέμε ἔγῶν γεγενημένους ὧν ἔστι γέρας ἢ πᾶσι με τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐπηγγελμένη τῆς βασιλείας ἀπόλαυσις ἰν Χρισιῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τῶν αἰῶνας. ᾿Αμήν.
Dytos gar eneteilato legōn touto, gymnazōn en tais thlinesin hymas hōs athlētas pros karterian. Hēchousate eipontos autou, Mathete ap᾽ emou, hoti praos eimi kai tapeinos tę̄ n kai ergǭ tēn memēsin epedeixate, rhapizomenoi tēn dexian s: agon:, strephete kai tēn allēn, kai ton chitōna roumeno parachōxpheite kai to himation, hybrin, kai ztmian pherontes mallon hē procheirōs hormōntes pros ha, nan. de pleon tōn allōn hymin to ti hōn ho Kyrios apeipe, stratiōtais kai athlētais tēn agōgēn tou biou tautēn prepein eidō?. ᾿Argos hymas oudeis tōn Kyriakōn paredrame makarismos, en chersi hoe pantes aei tais meta tōn synezeugmenōn hamoidōn, gegenēsthe tǭ pneumati, kai praeis, kai eirę̄ēn poioi, kai eleēmones, kai katharoi tę̄ karxia, em hymōn estin hē basileia tōn ouranōn, hēs kai eeē? axiōthēnai proseuchesthe, zēlōtas tōn hymeteme egōn gegenēmenous hōn esti geras ē pasi me tois axiois epēngelmenē tēs basileias apolausis in Chrisiǭ Iēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn, hǭ hē doxa eis tōn aiōnas. ᾿Amēn.
For he himself commanded this, training you in afflictions, like athletes, for endurance. You heard him say, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,” and you have shown the imitation in deed: struck on the right cheek, you turn the other also; and when your tunic is taken, you yield your cloak too, bearing insult and loss rather than rushing readily to [retaliation]. And you know better than others the things the Lord forbade, knowing that this way of life befits soldiers and athletes. None of the Lord's beatitudes has passed you by unused; you have always had them all in hand, with the rewards joined to them. You have become [poor] in spirit, meek, peacemakers, merciful and pure in heart; within you is the kingdom of heaven, which you also pray to be counted worthy of, having become emulators of your … , whose prize is the enjoyment of the kingdom promised to all who are worthy, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Matt 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:39–40 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:3–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 17:21 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Magna's community has imitated Christ's gentleness, turning the other cheek and living out all the beatitudes, and so has the kingdom of heaven within it.
- Quotations and allusions: Matt 11:29; Matt 5:39–40; Matt 5:3–9; Luke 17:21. After the doxology the scan has OCR of Migne's facing Latin column and the opening sentence of the next work in Migne's volume, On the Superiority of Monks (“Those who live in quiet in the desert differ from those settled in cities …”); these have been removed. A word near the end (perhaps “predecessors” or “fathers”) is damaged (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's facing Latin column (and stray letters); removed): Ερὶείοι Ἐπο ιν ἀἴοη Μαπμιαίο; Ῥαοίοι χι οπππῖα, δία οπιπῖπο βάοὶ, αὐ ὁ νι, ὁ Κμ, ὅδ. ΧΙ, τ ν, ὅἊυὐ. ἡ ν, χι, ν, τες ΠΡ ςς-. ςςς----ςςς-ςςὈΕ ν ΑΥ Διαφέρουσι τῶν ἐν πόλεσιν φκισμέγων οἱ ἐγ ἐρήμοις ἡσυχάζοντες, κἂν ποιοῖς τῶν ἀπείρων τὸ ἐγαγτίον δοκῇ. → .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Paup. vol. 67 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/67). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-voluntaria-paupertate/67
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.