Love justice, you that are the judges of the earth. Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek him in simplicity of heart.2 For he is found by them that tempt him not: and he sheweth himself to them that have faith in him.3 For perverse thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise:4 For wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins.5 For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding, and he shall not abide when iniquity cometh in.6 For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit the evil speaker from his lips: for God is witness of his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.7 For the spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world: and that, which containeth all things, hath knowledge of the voice.
The soul whose life is in God will find its pleasure in none of those things that are deceptively presented as something good. If that soul allows its heart to be defiled by one passion, at the same time it breaks the covenant of its spiritual marriage. And, as it says in Scripture, "Wisdom cannot enter the soul that does evil." It may, in a word, be truly said that the good spouse cannot come to live with a soul that is irascible or full of malice or that harbors any other similar defect.
Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:2 Thou hast know my sitting down, and my rising up.3 Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.4 And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.5 Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.6 Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it.7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face?8 If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.9 If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:10 Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me.
Since, therefore, all things are seen and heard, let us fear him and abandon the abominable lusts that spawn evil works, in order that we may be shielded by his mercy from the coming judgments. For where can any of us escape from his mighty hand? For the Scripture says somewhere, "Where shall I go, and where shall I be hidden from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I depart to the ends of the earth, there is your right hand; if I take my bed in the depths, there is your Spirit." Where, then, can one go, or where can one flee from him who embraces the universe?
And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come: but woe to him through whom they come.†2 It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.3 Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.4 And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.5 And the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.6 And the Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou transplanted into the sea: and it would obey you.
After the parable of the rich man who is tormented in punishment, Christ added a commandment to give forgiveness to those who turn themselves from their trespasses, lest any one through despair should not be reclaimed from his fault; and hence it is said, Take heed to yourselves.
That there might neither be hard-wrung pardon, nor a too easy forgiveness, neither a harsh upbraiding, to dishearten, nor an overlooking of faults, to invite to sin; therefore it is said in another place, Tell him his fault between him and thee alone. (Mat. 18:15.) For better is a friendly correction, than a quarrelsome accusation. The one strikes shame into a man, the other moves his indignation. He who is admonished will more likely be saved, because he fears to be destroyed. For it is well that he who is corrected should believe you to be rather his friend than his enemy. For we more readily give ear to counsel than yield to injury. Fear is a weak preserver of consistency, but shame is an excellent master of duty. For he who fears is restrained, not amended. But He has well said, If he trespass against thee. For it is not the same thing to sin against God and to sin against man.
Or this number is used because God rested on the seventh day from His works. After the seventh day of the world everlasting rest is promised us, that as the evil works of that world shall then cease, so also may the sharpness of punishment be abated.
Or this is said because faith keeps out the unclean spirit, especially since the nature of the tree falls in with this meaning. For the fruit of the mulberry is at first white in the blossom, and being formed from thence grows red, and blackens as it gets ripe. The devil also having by transgression fallen from the white flower of the angelic nature and the bright beams of his power, grows terrible in the black odour of sin.
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.)