Yet so if thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and keep his precepts and ceremonies, which are written in this law: and return to the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.11 This commandment, that I command thee this day is not above thee, nor far off from thee:12 Nor is it in heaven, that thou shouldst say: Which of us can go up to heaven to bring it unto us, and we may hear and fulfill it in work?13 Nor is it beyond the sea: that thou mayst excuse thyself, and say: Which of us can cross the sea, and bring it unto us: that we may hear, and do that which is commanded?14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayst do it.
"Anyone who tries to act high-handedly annoys God," says Scripture. For bombast is a spiritual vice. Scripture tells us to repent from it as from the other vices by turning from disharmony and by linking ourselves to a change for the better through the three instruments of mouth, heart and hands.
But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Lord; for the time of thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.17 Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind; look upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.30 But I am poor and sorrowful: thy salvation, O God, hath set me up.31 I will praise the name of God with a canticle: and I will magnify him with praise.33 Let the poor see and rejoice: seek ye God, and your soul shall live.34 For the Lord hath heard the poor: and hath not despised his prisoners.36 For God will save Sion, and the cities of Juda shall be built up. And they shall dwell there, and acquire it by inheritance.37 And the seed of his servants shall possess it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Brothers, the Lord of the universe has need of nothing; he requires nothing of anyone, except that confession be made to him. For David, the chosen one, says, "I will confess to the Lord, and it shall please him more than a young bullock with horns and hoofs. Let the poor see it and be glad." And again he says, "Sacrifice to God a sacrifice of praise, and render to the All-High your vows; and call on me in the day of affliction, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." "For a contrite spirit is a sacrifice to God."
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:16 For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.17 And he is before all, and by him all things consist.18 And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy:19 Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell;20 And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.
Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night sinks to sleep, and the day arises; the day [again] departs, and the night comes on. Let us behold the fruits [of the earth], how the sowing of grain takes place. The sower [Luke 8:5] goes forth, and casts it into the ground, and the seed being thus scattered, though dry and naked when it fell upon the earth, is gradually dissolved. Then out of its dissolution the mighty power of the providence of the Lord raises it up again, and from one seed many arise and bring forth fruit.
And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?26 But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou?27 He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself.†28 And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.29 But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour?30 And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead.†31 And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by.32 In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.33 But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion.†34 And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.†35 And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee.36 Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers?37 But he said: He that shewed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner.†
From these words it is undoubtingly gathered, that the life which is preached according to God the Creator of the world, and the Scriptures given by Him, is life everlasting. For the Lord Himself bears testimony to the passage from Deuteronomy, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; (Deut. 6:5.) and from Leviticus, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Lev. 19:18.) But these things were spoken against the followers of Valentinus, Basil, and Marcion. For what else did he wish us to do in seeking eternal life, but what is contained in the Law and the Prophets?
Or the two pence seem to me to be the knowledge of the sacrament, in what manner the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, which is given as a reward by the Angel to the Church that she may take more diligent care of the man entrusted to her whom in the shortness of the time He Himself had also cured. And it is promised that whatever she should spend on the cure of the half dead man, should be restored to her again, And whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)