Екклезиастик (Книга Премудрости Иисуса, сына Сирахова), Глава 10, стих 8. Толкования стиха

Если в государстве не соблюдают справедливости; если богатые и знатные высокомерны, а народ в угнетении: то пресекается взаимное доверие между государем и подданными, между высшими и низшими сословиями; единодушие изчезает, любовь и покорность к существующим законам хладеет, и место их заступает склонность к возмущениям. Если решительные люди захотят воспользоваться обстоятельствами: то им легко вооружить недовольный народ и затеять междоусобную войну, во время которой соседственные народы легко могут завоевать и покорить истерзанную междоусобием землю. Так от несправедливости, высокомерии и корыстолюбия переходит владычество от одного народа к другому. Так гордый губит цветущее государство!

Указав па то, что от мудрости правителя зависит благоденствие народа, ввереннаго ему Господом, и указав на ничтожество человека, созданнаго из праха,—премудрый сильно возстает против гордости и говорит, что Господь за гордость низвергает самых сильных владык (22. 23. 10, 2 —21). И потому почтенны бывают не властители, не богачи, а боящиеся Господа (22—27). Тоже бывает и в жизни: умному рабу служат свободные, трудящийся не нуждается, бедный почитается за ум, а богатый за богатство; но лишившись его, лишается и почтения (28—34). Поэтому о человеке нужно судить не по внешнему виду, а по его делам, и опять, судить не по отзывам других, а по собственному усмотрению (11,1—9)

LET US NOT BE GREEDY. SALVIAN THE PRESBYTER: People must aspire to wealth, procure it, hold in trust, increase it—only they should do so having in mind those we previously indicated. Otherwise, when one makes bad use of the assets he has, which are a gift from God, disastrous, irreparable damage occurs. As sacred Scripture says, “There is nothing more wicked than a miser.” Wealth kept from one’s Lord does the worst and most deadly kind of damage. This is an incontrovertible truth! What is worse or more horrible than for anyone to change the asset we enjoy in the world into disasters for the future? What is worse than the fact that death and damnation are pursued with these very things that have been given to us by the Lord for the purpose of obtaining a true eternally happy life from them? But we must also contemplate the fact that if wealth held in trust is a source of trouble for people, piling up more wealth without stopping to see what it is doing constitutes an even more serious calamity. Who among the rich, in fact, is equipped with the kind of temperament that can limit himself to conserve and not to increase his assets? Our present time is indeed wretched and deplorable in which people reduce themselves to this. Scripture asserts that it is a serious crime to even keep money. Today, people believe it is a virtue not only to keep but also to add to their wealth. Once again, therefore, we ask: How can someone think he or she is undamaged by guilt, if even at the moment of death, having no thought for salvation, people do not donate the assets they possess, since they have already committed a crime in keeping them until the moment they depart this life? How will these people not be guilty who, by a predilection toward vanity that is completely sacrilegious, leave their wealth to just anyone, especially since those who have not deprived themselves of at least a portion of their possessions for the worship of God will be found guilty in this life? The same Lord is our master in this matter as well. Through the apostle he says, “And now to you who are rich: weep over the disaster that will come on you! Your wealth is corrupted, and your gold and silver are consumed by rust; their rust will be raised in testimony against you and will devour your flesh like fire. You have accumulated treasures for the last days!” AGAINST AVARICE 1.7.31-33.