(2) And in the saying, "Even foxes have holes,"70 the Lord calls foxes men whose only occupation is to dig up and store gold; These are the adulterous generation, the true sons of the earth. 3 In the same sense he said of Herod: 'Go and say to this fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish.'71 (4) On the contrary, those who are different from other birds in heaven, who are truly pure and always ready to direct their flight to the knowledge of the heavenly Logos, he calls the birds of heaven.72

5 Innumerable cares arise not only from wealth, not only from fame and marriage, but also from poverty, if one does not know how to endure it. In the parable of the seed that fell into four different soils, the thorns and stony places refer to the anxieties and cares that choke the seed and prevent it from germinating, developing, and bearing fruit.73 (32:1) It is necessary, therefore, to learn how to endure various adversities, so that a life imbued with wise decency and determined by knowledge may be for us the means to attain eternal life. (2) "I saw," says the Scriptures, "a wicked man exalted and exalted like the cedars of Lebanon, and I passed by, and behold, he was not there; he sought him, and found no place for him. Keep integrity and seek righteousness, which is what remains of a man who lives in the world.'74 (3) Such is a man whose faith is sincere and whose soul is always at peace.

(4) "Some people honour [God] with their lips, but in their hearts they are far removed from the Lord".75 "with their lips they bless, but with their hearts they curse"76; (5) "They loved him in their mouths, and in their tongues they lied to him; but their hearts [were] not open to him, and entrusted to his covenant.'77 (33:1) "Let all lying lips be dumb, and all the tongues of eloquence, those who said: (2) 'Let us glorify our tongue, our lips remain with us, what is the Lord to us?' (3) For the suffering of the poor, and the groaning of the poor, I will now arise, saith the Lord, I will prepare myself for salvation, and I will speak of it without hesitation."78 For Christ came to the humble-minded, and not to those who rose up against His flock. (4) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal,"79 says the Lord, wishing to shame partly those who are devoted to riches, and partly those who give themselves up to vanity and care; and finally, perhaps, those who love their bodies excessively. (5) And indeed, carnal and lustful desires, illnesses, evil thoughts, penetrating into the innermost corners of our hearts, undermine and destroy the whole person. (6) Our true treasure is where, through knowledge, we attain that which is akin to our soul, for righteousness has that inclination to communion which causes it to renounce the "old life"80 and restore to it that which it has acquired; she herself ascends to God, imploring Him for mercy. (7) These are truly the storehouses that do not fade,81 the common money on the way to eternal life; this is the treasure that "does not fail in heaven,"82 for "having mercy, I will have mercy on him whom I have mercy,"83 says the Lord. (34:1) These last words also apply to those who wish to beg for the sake of righteousness, for they have heard the commandment that "the broad and broad way leads to destruction, and many are those who follow it."84 (2) Nothing else but debauchery, womanizing, the longing for glory, power, and other such passions is spoken of by the Lord. "Fool," he says, "for this night they will take your soul from you; And what you have prepared, to whom will it be?" 85 (3) And further, literally, according to the commandment: "Beware therefore of all covetousness, for the life of any man is not in the abundance of his possessions."86 (4) "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what ransom will a man give in exchange for his soul?" 87 (5) "Therefore I say: Do not be anxious for your soul what you will eat, nor for your body what you will wear. For the soul is greater than food, and the body is more than clothing."88 (6) Again: "Your Father knows that you have need of all these things. Seek first the kingdom of heaven and righteousness, for this is great, and that is small," that which pertains to the means of life "shall be added unto you."89 (35:1) Is it not to the Gnostic life that the Lord here clearly calls us? Does he not thereby persuade us to remain faithful to the truth both in word and in deed? Christ, the divine Educator of our soul, appreciates the rich man not for abundant gifts, but for good intentions. (2) Therefore Zacchaeus, and according to others, Matthew, the chief of the publicans, when he heard that the Lord was about to enter his house, said: "Behold, I will give half of my possessions to alms. Lord, if I have offended anyone in any way, I will return fourfold." Wherefore the Saviour also said of him: 'The Son of man, when he came today, hath found that which is lost.'90 (3) On another occasion, when he saw a rich man who had put into the treasury a gift corresponding to his riches, and a widow who had put two mites into it, he said that the widow had given the most, because the one had given out of abundance, and the other out of scarcity.91

(36:1) And since everything is directed by the Lord to the education of our souls, he says: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."92 (2) Who are these meek? Those who tame the dangerous storms that rise in the soul, such as anger, lust, and other passions that accompany them. He does not praise that meekness which has arisen out of necessity, but that which is founded by our own will and good will. (3) In fact, the Lord "has many rewards and abodes,"93 according to the variety of situations in life. (4) "Whoever receives a prophet," says the Lord, "in the name of a prophet, will receive the reward of a prophet; and whoever receives the righteous in the name of the righteous will receive the reward of the righteous"94; "But whoever receives one of these little disciples will not lose his reward."95 (5) On another occasion the Lord designates the various degrees of virtue by an unequal number of hours, measuring the merits of each one and the greatness of the rewards that await him. He promised an equal reward to everyone who worked in the vineyard (referring to salvation, which is symbolized here by denarii). The Savior establishes an equal right to remuneration for all workers; and the difference between those who are called is through the different number of hours worked.96 (37:1) Being partakers of the ineffable economy and the divine gift, chosen by their labors, they fully deserve the promised reward. (2) "Those of whom it is decided that they have lived a particularly holy life," says Plato, "will be freed and delivered from imprisonment in earthly prisons, will be exalted to the abode of the highest purity." 3 The same thing, but still more plainly, he expresses in the following words. "Among these people, those who have been sufficiently purified by philosophy, in all subsequent times live completely incorporeal," being clothed some in air-like bodies, while others in fiery bodies. 4 To this he adds: "And they come to dwellings still more beautiful, the beauty of which is not easy to depict, nor do we have time for it."97 (5) Therefore it is rightly said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted;"(6) for those who grieve for their past bad lives, and repent of their sins, immediately come to this call. Therefore, it can be said that they will be "called," that is, this calling will be their consolation. (7) There are two kinds of penitents: one, and these are the majority, repent for fear of the punishment they have deserved; others – and their number is very small – out of a feeling of inner shame, which is awakened in their souls by the voice of conscience. One can come to repentance in any of these ways, because there is no place that would hide from Divine mercy.

(38:1) The Lord also says: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."98 Mercy is not, as some of the philosophers have thought, sorrow at the news of any misfortune, but rather, as the prophets say, something good. (2) "I desire mercy," says the Lord, "and not sacrifice."99 He calls merciful not only those who are engaged in works of mercy, but also those who would like to be merciful, but do not have the means to do so, that is, those who are predisposed to charity. (3) In fact, we often wish to show mercy to someone, either by pecuniary allowance or by bodily labour; I would like, for example, to help the poor, to care for the sick, to visit the unfortunate; but we cannot carry out our pious intentions, because either poverty, or sickness, or old age, which is the same disease, hinders it. Desire impels us, but some obstacle makes it difficult to fulfill it. 4 In this case, however, our will is given the same honour as our action; The former differs from the latter only in that it has a real possibility of being realized.

(39:1) Since there are two paths to the perfection of salvation, works and knowledge, the Lord said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."100 (2) If you think carefully, gnosis itself is the purification of the leading part of the soul; And this purification, of course, is something good. (3) Among good works, some are good in themselves, and others because of their participation in what is a good work. That is why we call good deeds good. Without things in between, which belong to the category of material things, for example, without health, life, and other aids that are essential or only auxiliary, neither good nor evil can truly be realized. (4) The Lord, therefore, desires that we should approach the knowledge of God with a heart pure from carnal desires, with a mind wholly occupied with holy thoughts, so that in the leading part of our soul there should be nothing alien or hindering the action of his grace. (40:1) When, therefore, a Gnostic person immerses himself in contemplation and enters into pure communion with God alone, he attains a state of supersensible divinity, becoming more and more identified with God, and is no longer occupied with science, no longer possesses revealed knowledge, gnosis, but himself becomes science and gnosis.

(2) Blessed are the peacemakers,101 therefore, who soften and tame the law, which is at enmity with the dispositions of our minds,102 as well as with the inclination to anger, the lures of lust, and all other passions that perplex the mind. He who spends his life in the midst of good works and in accordance with true reason will be restored to the rights of sonship, which is the most important. 3 Complete peace is considered to be that which in the midst of all earthly vicissitudes preserves an unalterable firmness of spirit, confesses that Providence is forever holy, always wondrous, reveals things divine and human as they are, and even in disasters that apparently disturb the order of nature, reveals the beautiful harmony of creation. (4) Peacemakers also calm those who are overwhelmed by sin and suffer its attacks, restore them to the faith, and restore peace to their souls.

(41:1) And yet the focus of all virtues is the Lord, who teaches us the Gnostic disdain for death for the love of God. (2) "Blessed," he says, "are they that are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for they shall be called the sons of God,"103 or, as some are inclined to read this passage,104 "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for they shall be perfect," and (3) "Blessed are they that are persecuted for my sake, for they shall find a place where they shall not be persecuted." And again: 'Blessed are you when men hate you, when they are excommunicated, when they carry out your name as dishonorable for the Son of Man.'105 (4) However, we must not abhor our persecutors, remain steadfast in the midst of suffering, and hate not those who cause us grief. Nor should we be upset that the test came to us earlier than we expected. Let us be firmly convinced that every court is a good reason to act as a witness.

VII

(42:1) Consider the liar and traitor who has deserted to the army of the devil. What kind of evil has he plunged into? (2) He deceives the Lord, nay, he is deceived in his hope by losing faith in the Lord. Not believing, he does not fulfill what he commanded. (3) What then? In denying the Lord, does he not also deny himself? For whoever denies his master his right to power thereby deprives himself of the possibility of receiving protection from him. Whoever denies the Saviour denies life itself, which "is light".106 4 Nor does he count among his own those of little faith, unfaithful, and deceitful, who on occasion hide behind his name, but almost deny their faith. Only the faithful he calls servants and friends. (5) Therefore he who loves himself loves the Lord also, and acknowledges salvation in order to save his soul. (43:1) By giving your life for your neighbor out of love for him, you thereby acknowledge the Savior as your neighbor (for God the Savior is equal to the one whom he saves). In doing so, you choose death for life's sake, suffering for yourself rather than for him. Is it not for this reason that he is called a brother? (2) In suffering for the love of God, a man suffers for his own salvation; and on the other hand, accepting death for the sake of salvation, he suffers for the love of the Lord. Being alive in his sufferings, he suffers and wants to endure all this in order to live from these sufferings. (3) "Why do you say to me, 'Lord, Lord,' as it is written, and do not as I command you?" 107 Those who believe only in words, but who are far from God in their hearts, are other people, who hope for another and have consciously sold themselves to another. (4) Those who keep the commandments, which are prescribed by the Saviour, "bear witness" in all their works, by obeying his commands, and constantly turning to the name of the Lord, bearing witness by their deeds of what they are commanded, thereby showing that they are the ones who have crucified the flesh, together with all its lusts and passions. (5) "If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit." "He who sows in his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows in the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit."108

(44:1) To these wretched people the testimony of Christ in their blood is the most horrible death, for they do not know that this gate of death is the surest and most authentic beginning of life. They will not appreciate the honor of posthumous glory, which covers those who have lived holy, nor the threat of punishment for those who have spent their lives unrighteously and uncleanly. My words are not only confirmed by the Scriptures (in any place they say so); they do not even want to listen to their own teachings. 2 Theano, a pupil of Pythagoras, writes: "Life seems to be a banquet of evildoers, who, having gone mad to their heart's content, die. If the soul were not immortal, death would seem like a lucky find (e(/rmaion o( qa/natoj)!" 109 (3) Plato says in the Phaedo: "If death were the end of all things, [it would be a happy find for evildoers]," and so on.110 (45, 1) It must not be thought, as Telephus does in Aeschylus, that "the road to Hades is simple."111 There are many paths and many sins that lead there. (2) All these erring and unfaithful are justly ridiculed by Aristophanes in the comedy: "Go," he says, "all of you men who live disorderly, born like leaves, weak, waxy, crowds of shadows, vanishing, flying away, and ephemeral."112 (3) According to Epicharmus, they are "a race of men like puffed up skins."113 (4) The Saviour tells us: "The spirit wills, but the flesh is weak,"114 because "the bodily mind is hostile to God, – as the Apostle explains, – for he does not obey the law of God and cannot obey it. Being in the body, they cannot please God." 5 And he further adds, so that no one like Marcion may be able to conclude that creation is evil: "But if Christ be in you, the body is dead to sin, but the spirit is alive to righteousness." (6) Indeed, "if you live according to the flesh, you will die. For I think that the present temporal sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in you. For if you suffer with him, you will also be glorified with him." (46, 1) "We know that to those who love God and are called by His will, all things work together for good. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. And those whom he predestined, he also called; and whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified."115 Do you not see what is said here about martyrdom for the sake of love? (2) But if you seek martyrdom for the sake of the benefits it brings, hear: "We are saved in hope. But hope, when it sees, is not hope. For if anyone sees, then what can he hope for? But when we hope for what we do not see, then we wait with patience."116 (3) "If you suffer for righteousness," says Peter, "then you are blessed; and do not be afraid of their fear, and do not be troubled. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; Be always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give an account of your hope, with meekness and fear. Have a good conscience, so that those who reproach your good life in Christ may be put to shame by those who reproach your good life in Christ. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for good deeds than for evil ones."117

(47:1) But if anyone tries to ensnare you with a wicked sophistry, saying, "How is it possible for the weak flesh to resist all the energies and spirits of the Powers?"2 You will answer them that, trusting in the Almighty Lord, we are fighting against the powers of darkness and against death itself. (3) "As soon as you call, there I am," a helper who protects us. (4) "Do not shun the fiery temptation that is sent to you to test you, as an adventure that is strange to you," says Peter, "but as you participate in Christ's sufferings, rejoice, and at the manifestation of his glory you will rejoice and triumph. If you are cursed for the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the spirit of the glory of God rests upon you."118 (5) "As it is written: For your sake we are slain, as sheep given up to the slaughter. But we overcome all this by the power of Him who loved us."119

(48, 1) Everything you want to know,