Chapter 7

1For he that thrustcth forth an innocent person, is worse than a murderer, and perceiveth not the mercy of God, for he reniembereth not the love of his neighbour.'| And he who doeth thus shall not find salvation,? for he hath slipped away, and fallen into grievous sin, because he hath not admonished, nor converted those who have committed many sins, but hath scattered the flock of God,® and also fought against Him. For God is righteous, and righteous is His judgment, wherewith He judgeth all, righteous men and sinners; (He is) merciful to those who turn unto Him in righteousness and mercy and meekness, as David the beloved of God (saith).‘ The bishop, then, ought to judge upright and follow after God * and do His will, fortod ident righteously those* that turn to Him. Rememberest thou not David, when he sinned and Nathan said unto him, Why hast thou done thus? And he said, I have sinned and I repent. And when he confessed his iniquity, he was saved from death. And Nathan said unto him, “Be of good cheer and doubt not; thou shalt not die."”7 Jonah the prophet, also, not wishing to preach to the men of Nineveh, was plunged in the sea, and a whale swallowed him up, but afterwards he came forth from the whale’s belly, and was saved from death. And Hezekiah, also—when he became proud, ® judgment came upon him. And Hezekiah humbled himself, and forsook his pride, and wept before God, and had mercy on him. Hear, ye bishops, the profit that is in this matter; for it is written in the Fourth Book of Kings: ‘And Manassceh his son reigned in his stead. Twelve years old was Manasseh when he began to reign, fifty and five years reigned he ® in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Hephzibah; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.”?° Moreover it is written in the Second Book of Chronicles, saying, “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all the uncleanness of the nations whom the Lord rooted out from before the children of Israel. And he turned and built in the high place the altar which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he set up pillars for the Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built an altar in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said,!! Let my name be 7? in Jerusalem for ever. And he built altars for all the stars of heaven in'the two courts of the house of the Lord; and he himself made his own sons to pass through ' the fire in the land of Benomnimén,"* and used signs, and [made himself like an ass '5], and practised magic, and sct up diviners and soothsayers, wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to sin against Him. And he set the graven and molten images which he made in the house of the Lord; (of which the Lord had said) to David and Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I set my name for ever; and I will not again move the foot of Israel t from the landt?** which I gave io their fathers. Howbeit let them observe all that I have commanded them in all my law and mine ordinances and my judgments by the hand of Moses. And Manasseh made Judah to sin, and them that dwelt in Jerusalem, by doing evil above'’ all the nations whom the Lord removcd before the face of the children of Israel. And the Lord spake against Manasseh and against his people, and they hearkened not unto him. And the Lord sent against them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, and they took Manasseh in bonds, and bound him in chains, and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he sought the face of the Lord his God, and he humbled himself '* greatly before the face of the God of his fathers.’’'® And Manasseh the son of Hezekiah the King prayed, and said thus: “O Lord, Ruler of all the world, the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all their righteous race, who hast made heaven and earth with all that in them is; *! who didst rebuke 7? the sea with the word of thy commandment; who didst shut up the depths, and seal them in terrible majesty, and that by thy glorious name; before the face of whose might everything trembleth and shaketh, for the greatness of thy glory is without end. Terrible is the plague of thy wrath against sinners. The mercy of thy commandment hath no number, nor measure, for thou alone are the Lord most high, merciful, slow of anger, and bountiful in comPassion, and gentle towards the sins of the sons of men. And now, O my Lord, the God of the righteous—for it is not for a righteous man that thou hast appointed repentance, not for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who sinned not against thee—turn thee unto the repentance of mea sinner, for I have sinned beyond the number of the sand of the sea; and my sins are many. And I am not worthy to look up, and behold the height of heaven, because of the multitude of mine iniquities. I have toiled in chains of iron, that I might get me respite of my sins, and by this also I have had no respite, for I have provoked thee to anger, and done evil in thy sight, observing vanities and multiplying things that profited me not. And now I bow the knecs of my heart, entreating thy mercy. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned; and I confess my sin. I make supplication and entreat of thee; have compassion on me, O Lord, have compassion on me, and deliver me not over unto my sin. Reserve not evil against me for ever; and take not vengeance upon me in the depths of the earth. For thou, O Lord, art the God of those that repent; and thy goodness shall be manifest upon me, since while I was not worthy, thou didst save me in the multitude of thy compassion. I will glorify thee at all times and all the days of my life; for all the host of heaven glorify thee, and thine is the glory for ever. Amen.” And when the Lord saw that Manasseh repented of the evil ‘of his doings which he had done in his ignorance, the Lord pardoned him and heard his prayer and accepted the voice of his petition. And forthwith a flame of fire encircled him, and the bonds of his chains of iron were loosed. Then the Lord saved Manasseh from all his affliction, “and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that the Lord was his God,” and he served the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul, all the days of his life; and he was reckoned with the righteous. Then he thrust forth from the house of the Lord the strange gods that were made by the hands of men, ‘and he raised high (the wall),?° and appointed captains of the host in every place over the walls of Judah. And all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, he utterly destroyed ?* from out the city; and he erected the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed on the altar,?> and offered praise. And Manassch spake unto Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. And Manasseh slept with his fathers in peace; and Amon” his son reigned in his stead. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manassch his father had done, and provoked the Lord his God to anger.” 37 Behold then, ye have heard, our children, how he served idols, and sacrificed to them, and in his lawlessness slew many. And the Lord God afflicted him for a while, but when he repented, He forgave his sins, and restored him to his kingdom. For God receiveth the repentance of them that turn unto Him, and restoreth them again 7® to their former honour. For there is no sin greater than idolatry, since it is rebellion against God, yet men are saved from it by true repentance. But whosoever transgresseth and committeth sin, and saith in his heart,2* What will God do unto me?—he is a rebel against God. For he doth not first try himself, but walketh in his own way, and doeth the desire of his soul, and saith, This is good. Whoso doeth thus, and repenteth not, shall not have forgiveness.*° Thus, then, did Amon, the scn of Manassch. For the Holy Scripture saith, “ Amon conceived rebellion in his heart, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done; and he multiplied proud words,*! and said, My father sinned much in his youth, and when he was old, he turned and repented. I also will do in like manner and will walk in mine own way, and will follow the desire of my soul, and when I am old, I will turn theréfrom,*? and repent before the Lord. Then Amon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and wrought exceeding much evil,®® as ** those before him had done. Then the Lord chastised him, and destroyed him from off the good land, and his servants [aid (hands) ** upon him, and slew him in (his) house. “And the people of the land slew those who had laid (hands) on King Amon. And he reigned two years.” 5¢ Understand then, ye people, and think not to do evil as Amon did, lest ye be destroyed. In like manner, the bishop ought to’’ feed and convert the people ** and admonish them,®® and heal them of their sickness and receive their repentance, so far as he is able. But if he be lacking in mercy, and receive not the repentance of sinners who turn to him,*" he is despised and dishonoured, and shall be condemned before the Lord his God. But if he receive the repentance of those that turn to him,*! he shall find compassion and mercy with the Lord God, who sent His only-begotten Son into the world; and He was pleased to be born of a woman, and was made man for our sakes. And He endured suffering on the Cross, and was wounded,*? and died. He ** is God the Word, the Angel of His great and terrible counsel; He took our sicknesses and bare our suflerings, and by His wounds our wounds have been healed. .In_ like manner, let us, too, paticntly endure suffering and affliction, and receive the repentance of them that have sinned. See then the mercy of the Lord towards Matthew, who was a publican—when he turned unto Him, He made him an evangelist ; and towards Peter, who denied Him thrice through fear—when he repented and wept bitterly, He received his repentance, and made him the shepherd of His sheep; and towards Paul, our brother, though he was formerly a persecutor, who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, yet when he turned unto Him, He made him an apostle. And to the woman who was a sinner, who gave alms ‘** unto many, He said, ‘Thy sin hath been forgiven thee.” ‘* And the other woman also, the adulteress whom the priests set before Him to prove Him,‘* He saved, and said unto her, ‘‘Go thy way, from henceforth sin no more.” 4” It is right for you, ye bishops, to set your trust and hope in God, our Lord and our Saviour,** Jesus Christ the Saviour of your souls. Draw nigh unto Him in meekness and in mercy, aS peacemakers without strife and anger: convert the sinful, and lift up the fallen; and render not evil for evil. Morcover be ye not railers, nor passionate, nor blasphemers, nor boastful, nor accepters of persons, nor drinkers of much wine, nor drunkards, nor singers,‘® nor dancers, nor thieves,*®® nor murderers, nor takers of bribes. Neither seek. ye honour and riches from strange gods, but keep far from them, for ye have been called to this work, that ye should serve God. : Thus let the life of the bishop be. (Let) his raiment and his food (be) in moderation and purity, as much as is sufficient for him, that he transgress not in any other way or matter.*? For he that serveth is worthy of his meat, even the tithes and first fruits which men bring to the Church, as is commanded by our 5 Lord. The bishop may give what they need to the poor, and the needy, and the widows, and the orphans, and to the destitute, and to the Strangers, and to them °* that have nothing. But if the bishop exercise no care for them, God will require it of him on their behalf, for (the bishop) hath authority to appoint for every man, as is meet. And ye also that are set in authority in the Church, if ye have need, take from its store, but if ye are not impoverished, it is not right that ye should take therefrom. And if ye act thus, ye shall be saved before God. But if the bishops take for themselves alone, and be insatiable in eating, and lay up store for themselves, and give not to the destitute, God will require this of them, and they shall be clothed with shame and dishonour. Wherefore it is said, “Ye have drunk the milk, and clothed you with the wool, and have slain the bulls; ye have not lifted up that which was fallen, nor helped that which was lost.” ® “ Will ye live alone upon the earth? ’’** Therefore hath He commanded you in the law, saying, “Love your neighbour, as yourselves.” §@ And moreover it is said, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox when thou treadest out thy corn.” *7 And seek ye not to take aught but that which is according to your service and your toil, as is right. For the threshing-floor is the Holy Church of God. And do ye also eat therein, as the Levites, who served in the tabernacle of the testimony, which is a type of the Holy Church. It is meet, then, that the priests eat the offerings with their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, from the offering that has been 5° It would be nerhaps better *? P omits: and over all. to follow the reading of P: to ** P adds: of the doctrine the V.ord a vow which they ** P recompense and honour have vowed. and favour. S should ye also save the people, even as Christ saved you. Think not that the burden is light which presbyters and ”* bishops bear. As they have borne a heavy burden, so they shall receive the first-fruits, and give”? thereof to the destitute.”> For One will call you to account, with whom none can” dispute or contend. It is right, then, that they who serve the Holy Church should have their needs supplied, and receive the offerings as priests, and Levites, and 7* ministers; even as it is written in the Book of Numbers concerning the priests: “And the Lord said unto Aaron, Behold, I have given unto you to keep the first-fruits which they offer unto me7’* of all that is sanctified by the children of Israel; to thee I have given it; feven all the first-fruits of corn that are in all their land and all that they offer unto the Lord; to thee have I given it all] 7 until thine old age,’* and after thee to thy children as an ordinance for ever. And this shall be yours of that which is sanctified unto the holy place, of the sacrifices, both of every oblation, and of all their sacrifices, and of their trespass-offerings, and of all their sin-offerings ; whatsoever they bring unto me of all their holy things, to thee shall it be and to thy children. In the most holy place eat of it; let every male eat of it, thou and thy sons; for it is holy unto thee. And let this be yours of their first gifts, and of all that the children of Israel offer; to thee have I given it, and to thy sons and thy daughters with thee as an ordinance for ever. Let everyone that is clean in thy house eat of it. And all7* the first-fruits of oil, and all the first-fruits of wine and wheat, even their first-fruits, and all that they offer unto the Lord, to thee I have given it. All the first-fruits of corn that are in all their land, and all that they offer unto the Lord, to thee have I given it all.2° Let him that is clean in thy house eat of it. All that they dedicate among the children of Israel is thine, and everything that openeth the womb of his mother *! of all flesh, everything that they bring unto the Lord from man even unto beast is thine. And those that are redeemed with a ransom—the first born of men, and the first born of beasts that are unclean, ye shall redeem. And for a ransom for each one that is a month old, the price shall be fifty shekels according to the the first born of cows and the first born of sheep and the first born of goats, thou shalt not redeem, for they are holy; and thou shalt pour out their blood at the altar, and their fat thou shalt make a sacrifice unto the Lord for a sweet savour. And its flesh shall be for thee; even as the breast which they offer, and as the right shoulder, it shall be thine.** Every offering which is holy, even all that the children of Israel separate unto the Lord, I have given it ** to thy sons and thy daughters with thee as an ordinance for ever; and it is a perpetual decree for ever before the Lord unto thee *° and unto thy seed after thee.” **