Letter 1086: Flatterers are not friends — they are parasites who feed on your vanity and disappear when your power fades.
On the verse: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?" It seems to be a common passion — not only to be blind about one's own faults while seeing sharply the stumbles of one's neighbors, but also to fashion excuses for oneself even where none exist, while sitting as bitter and merciless judges of the failings of others. But those truly freed from self-love, who believe that justice must prevail, bring the same verdict against themselves when they sin as they would bring against their neighbors; indeed, they punish themselves more through repentance, knowing the destruction that awaits the undisciplined. For Christ, casting us into this exacting scrutiny, trains us toward the more excellent way. He does not forbid judging altogether — for how would evils be corrected? — but he forbids judging unjustly, and he drives home the point that one who will judge others must first be free of similar faults. For the person subject to the same charge loses all authority when presuming to censure others. Therefore let us first cast out the beam from our own eye, and then we shall see clearly to remove the speck from our brother's.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Εἰς τό" « Τί δὲ βλέπεις τὸ κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ δολὸν οὐ κατανοεῖς; » Κοινὸν μὲν πάθος εἶναι δοχεῖ, οὐ μόνον τὸ τυ- φλώττειν μὲν περὶ τὰ ἴδια, ὀξέως δ᾽ ὁρᾷν τὰ τῶν πέλας πταίσματα, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τὸ ἑαυτοῖς μὲν χαὶ τὰς οὐχ οὔσας () ἀπολογίας πορίζεσθαι, τὸ δ᾽ ἀλλοτρίων () πιχροὶ χαὶ ἀπαραίτητοι χαθῆῇσθαι διχασταέ. Οἱ δὲ τῷ ὄντι φιλαυτίας ἀπηλλαγμένοι, καὶ τὸ δίχαιον οἰόμενοι δεῖν χρατεῖν, τὴν αὐτὴν φέρουσι χαθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρ- τάνοντες ψῆφον, ἧνπερ ἂν καὶ χατὰ τῶν πέλας ἐνέγ- χοῖεν " χαὶ μᾶλλον ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῆς μετανοίας χολά- ζουσι, τὸν ἀκόλαστον ὄλεθρον εἰδότες (). Εἰς ταύτην ἰρ508 ρεὲγ ροήῇοηιίαιν ἀμγί8. δεἰπιδἀναγία!, οὐπ Ὁ γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὴν ἀχριδῇ βάσανον ἐμδάλλων ὁ Χριστὸς, βαίδηί, οἱ 4ιυἱ ρορε ἤθη Θπιοπάσίυγ, Οχἰ τυ ἱπ- Ροῃίογα. [ἢ ἰιος ἰφί Ὁ δοοιγδίθηι ὀχδιηθη ἰπηπ ΐ- (6η8 ΠΟ Οἰ γί ϑίυβ, αἀἰχὶίϊ : ε (γἸαϊὰ νἱ ἀ658 [ὁειυσϑι ἴῃ Θεὸ ἔγαιγῖβ (αἱ; ἰγαῦθθιη δυΐϊθπι, αὐδ5 ἰὼ οοὐ]ο ἔφη" « Τί βλέπεις τὸ χάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σηυ" τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ δοχὸν οὗ χατανοεῖς ; » Οὐ γὰρ προσήχει τῶν ἄλλων εἶναι τι- χρὸν διχαστὴν τὸν τὰ οἰχεῖα παρορῶντα. 6δί, που δηΐηδάγεογι » Νοαυ8 δηΐη οοηγβηΐί, υἱ Δϊογυιη δοοῦθι8 δἰῖ ᾿υάδσ, ᾳυΐ ργοργίδ (ογγδῖ8) π6- εἰἰϊαὶι. [,υυὉ. ΥἹ, ]. ΥΔΒΙ͂Ζ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ. () ἴηι ἐχεῖνοι οἱ μόνοι ἰάαπι οοι]. ἰπδογῖῖ μοι, οἱ γοῦ8. ροϑὶ (ογιΐο,, ἰπιν παραδόξων οἱ λοχευμάτων ἱμῆηάϊ!ι τῶν. ῬΟΒ591Ν- () . Ῥατγὶβ., ἀχούσας. Εοιτ. [πὶ Ῥτοὸ τὸ δ᾽ ἀλλοτρίων οοἰ. αὶ. ἰἐμῖϊ τῶν δ᾽ ἀλ- λοτρίων. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. “) Ῥιὸ τὸν ἀχολ. ὅλ. ἰάδπι γι τὸ ἀχόλαστον ὀλέθριον οἱ νεΓ5. ρθῃυ!ξ. ΕΡ. ΡΓῸ τῶν ἄλλων πανεῖ τῶν πέλας. ἰΡ. κα΄. --- ΙΣΙΔΏΡᾺ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Εἰς τὸ εἰρημένον περὶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ" ε Μεταγνοίας τόπον οὐχ εὗρε, καίπερ μετὰ δαχρύων ἐκζης- τήσας αὐτήν. » Αὐτὸς μὲν θαυμάζειν ἔφης, ὅπως () ὁ Παῦλος «ἣν μετάνοιαν, ἣν χαὶ αὐτὸς ἐχήρυττε, καὶ ὃ Θεὸς ἐστεφάνου, μηδὲν δεδυνῆσθαι ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ διισχυ- ρίσατο, λέγων“ ς Μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐχ εὗρε, χαΐπερ μετὰ δαχρύων ἐχζητήσας αὐτῆν. » Ἔγωγε θαυμάζω, πῶς τοῦτό σε διέλαθεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς τὴν με- τάνοιαν ἀτιμάσαντος τοῦ χριτοῦ, τοῦτο ἔφη, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τὸν μισθὸν, τουτέστι, τὴν εὐλογίαν, τὴν τῇ ἀρετῇ μᾶλλον ἣ τῇ πρεσδυγενείᾳ χρεωστουμένην, τῷ δια- πωλήσαντι αὐτὴν μὴ δεδωχότος. Οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον ἧν, ἔχεῖνον, ἵνα χαὶ δαίημεν τῇ πρεσδυγενείᾳ τὸ γέρας χρεωστεῖσθαι, τὸ χτῇῆμα ὅπερ ἐπώλησεν ἀναχομίσα- σθαι (ὅ) εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀποσπασθὲν ἦν, ἔδει ἀποδοθῆ- ναι" εἰ δὲ πραθὲν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν νομὴν τοῦ ἀγοράσαν-- τος Ἦν (), οὐ δίκαιον τὸ ἀποσπασθῆναι. Κλαύσαντος γοῦν πιχρῶς οὐ μόνον αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ γεννήτορος, τὸ δίχαιον ἴσχυσεν. Ὅτι δὲ οὕτως ἔχει, ἄχους τῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρημένων " ε Μή τις πόρνος, ἢ βόδηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδοτο τὰ πρωτο- τόκια αὐτοῦ. ἴἾσθε γὰρ, ὅτι χαὶ μετέπειτα θέλων χιληρονομῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν, ἀπεδοχιμάσθη. » Ὃρᾷς, ἵνα παρῶ τέως τὸ πεπράσθαι τὰ πρεσδεῖα, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀρετὴν ἦν ἀσχήσας, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς πέπραχε πρεσδείοις ἐπερειδόμενος, τὴν εὐλογίαν, τὴν τῇ ἀρετῇ, ὡς ἔφην, χρεωστουμένην, χληρονομῆσαι ἢδούλετο" ὅπερ ἀδύ- ψατον ἦν" εἰ γὰρ χαὶ μετὰ τῆς τοῦ τεχόντος εὐνοίας ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒΟΌΜ [,Ὲ8..1Υ. - ΕΡΙΩ͂Τ, ΧΧΥῚ. ΧΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΙΒΙΌΟΒΟ ΡΒΕΒΒΥ͂ΤΕΒΟ. 1π ἰώ φμοά ἕεακ αἰεί 6εῖ, « Ῥωπὶ!επίϊα ἰοέπνε ποη ἱπυεηΐ!, φιαπιυὶε ἰαοτυμὶς φμαεἰυετῖ! ἐατῃ .» Μίγαγὶ τὰ φιΐάοια ἀΐοε , ρδεῖο Ῥαυ]υβ Ραπἰιοηείαπι, αυᾶπὶ ἰΔηιδη οἱ ἷρβο ργαι οαραὶ εἰ Ὀδι8. ἐοτοπᾶρδῖ, εἰμ ἴῃ θαυ ροίει ΔΙΠρηιατὶϊ, οὐτὰ δἷϊ : ε« Ροιϊοηείς Ἰοσυπι ποὴ ἰηναδηῖὶ, ϑιην οὐπὶ ΔΟΥΥποΪ8 ο8π φυδγογεῖ. » Αἱ πιΐγογ, πιοάο ἴος ἰ6 [ὑφεῦῖ!. Νοη ἐπὶπὶ ἢθ0 ϑ6ηβι οἶχί!, φυδϑὶ ραηϊοπιΐαπι ὁοπιυπιεί᾽ δἤδοίββει [υἀθχ ; 56ι ἰά6ο, φαΐδ ρτοην απ), μος 6δὶ Ὀοηϑάϊοιοπ6π , ατΩώ ψίγιοι! ροιυ5 4υάπὶ ρεϊπιοφοηΐίυγα ἀευθευϑδίυν, οἷ 4υΐ μαπο νοπάϊάογαὶ, πο τοι άϊάοτῖι. Νοαιθ δπὶπὶ 1ιος ᾿υδίυπν οἱ ΄υσπι (εἰσδεῖ, υν πιαχίπια σοηοθάδ- Β , ἰά ργῳταΐυπι ργϊπιοροηίιυγος ἀερογὶ. αὐυΐθηι ΡῈ υἷι ἐγορίυπι οἱ [υἱδ8εί, ἴυπὶ τού ϊ ορονγίυΐδεεί. Αἱ φυΐδ νεπάϊϊαπι, ͵2πὶ 'ῃ ροϑδαδβίοιια δπιρίοΥ5 εγαϑὶ, ἢυΐα ἰὰ οτὶρὶ ἃ υδιἰεἴα [υἱβ8οὶ Δ]1Θυ αν. ( » ἰσπιοσηαυο ἰρίτυΡ δπᾶγο ποη βοίδιη ρθε () βεὲ οἱ ρδῖον εἷυβ ((. θερεὶ, ἰδηιθὴ ᾿υβι ἃ ρΓθΥἃ- Ηἶι. δε δηιθπὶ ἀϊ
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