Ἡ διδαχή — α’

Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσί, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ μεταξὺ τῶν δύο ὁδῶν. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ὁδὸς τῆς ζωῆς ἐστιν αὕτη· πρῶτον ἀγαπήσεις τὸν θεὸν τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, δεύτερον τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃς μὴ γίνεσθαί σοι, καὶ σὺ ἄλλῳ μὴ ποίει. Τούτων δὲ τῶν λόγων ἡ διδαχή ἐστιν αὕτη· εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμῖν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, νηστεύετε δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς· ποία γὰρ χάρις, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς; οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐχ ἕξετε ἐχθρόν. ἀπέχου τῶν σαρκικῶν καὶ σωματικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν· ἐάν τίς σοι δῷ ῥάπισμα εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἔσῃ τέλειος· ἐὰν ἀγγαρεύσῃ σέ τις μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ’ αὐτοῦ δύο· ἐὰν ἄρῃ τις τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου, δὸς αὐτῷ καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα· ἐὰν λάβῃ τις ἀπὸ σοῦ τὸ σόν, μὴ ἀπαίτει· οὐδὲ γὰρ δύνασαι. παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου καὶ μὴ ἀπαίτει· πᾶσι γὰρ θέλει δίδοσθαι ὁ πατὴρ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων χαρισμάτων. μακάριος ὁ διδοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν· ἀθῷος γάρ ἐστιν. οὐαὶ τῷ λαμβάνοντι· εἰ μὲν γὰρ χρείαν ἔχων λαμβάνει τις, ἀθῷος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχων δώσει δίκην, ἱνατί ἔλαβε καὶ εἰς τί· ἐν συνοχῇ δὲ γενόμενος ἐξετασθήσεται περὶ ὧν ἔπραξε, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ἐκεῖθεν, μέχρις οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην. ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τούτου δὲ εἴρηται· Ἱδρωσάτω ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, μέχρις ἂν γνῷς, τίνι δῷς.

Hodoi dyo eisi, mia tēs zōēs kai mia tou thanatou, diaphora de pollē metaxy tōn dyo hodōn. HĒ men oun hodos tēs zōēs estin hautē; prōton agapēseis ton theon ton poiēsanta se, deuteron ton plēsion sou hōs seauton; panta de hosa ean thelēsēs mē ginesthai soi, kai sy allō mē poiei. Toutōn de tōn logōn hē didachē estin hautē; eulogeite tous katarōmenous hymin kai proseuchesthe hyper tōn echthrōn hymōn, nēsteuete de hyper tōn diōkontōn hymas; poia gar charis, ean agapate tous agapōntas hymas? ouchi kai ta ethnē to auto poiousin? hymeis de agapate tous misountas hymas, kai ouch hexete echthron. apechou tōn sarkikōn kai sōmatikōn epithymiōn; ean tis soi dō rhapisma eis tēn dexian siagona, strepson autō kai tēn allēn, kai esē teleios; ean angareusē se tis milion hen, hypage met’ autou dyo; ean arē tis to himation sou, dos autō kai ton chitōna; ean labē tis apo sou to son, mē apaitei; oude gar dynasai. panti tō aitounti se didou kai mē apaitei; pasi gar thelei didosthai ho patēr ek tōn idiōn charismatōn. makarios ho didous kata tēn entolēn; athōos gar estin. ouai tō lambanonti; ei men gar chreian echōn lambanei tis, athōos estai; ho de mē chreian echōn dōsei dikēn, hinati elabe kai eis ti; en synochē de genomenos exetasthēsetai peri hōn epraxe, kai ouk exeleusetai ekeithen, mechris hou apodō ton eschaton kodrantēn. alla kai peri toutou de eirētai; Hidrōsatō hē eleēmosynē sou eis tas cheiras sou, mechris an gnōs, tini dōs.

There are two paths (roads), one of life and one of death; and there is a great difference between these two paths. The path of life is as follows: Firstly, you shall love (the) God who has made you and, secondly, love your neighbour as you love yourself; do, also, not do to others what you do not wish to happen to yourself. Of these things I wrote, the teaching is this: Bless (speak well of) those who curse you, pray for your enemies and fast for those who prosecute (hunt, follow) you. Of what nature is the delight that comes when you love those you love you? Do the gentiles not do the same? Love those who hate you and you shall not have an enemy. Keep at bay your fleshly and bodily desires. If someone should slap your right cheek, offer him your other one too and let it end thus. If someone forces you to walk a mile (Roman mile ≈ 1.5 km), walk two with him. If someone takes your cloak, give him even your tunic. If someone takes from you what is yours, do not ask for it to be returned to you; you would not be able to. Whatever people ask you to give them, give, and do not ask for it to be returned. For the Father wishes for things to be given to everyone of their own free gifts. He who gives according to the law is happy, for he is guiltless. Woe to him who receives, for if he who receives is in need of receiving things, he is guiltless. He who receives without needing to should be judged and asked why he took what he took. He should be held (in confinement, i. e. imprisoned) and questioned about the things he has done and he shall not be let go until he has paid back what he took in full. About this has also been said the following: “Let your alms perspire into your hands until you know to whom you might give.”