Екклезиастик (Книга Премудрости Иисуса, сына Сирахова), Глава 7, стих 14. Толкования стиха

Худо, если молодой человек в обществе почетных старцев хочет управлять разговором. Напротив он должен скромным молчанием оказывать уважение к возрасту, богатому опытностию (см. ниже гл. 32, 3. 7). Если ты просишь чего нибудь у почтеннаго лица: то ожидай с благоговением его ответа, и не повторяй десять раз свою просьбу, как бы сомневаясь в его уме или доброте. Опытный старец сначала хладнокровно обдумает, может ли он исполнить твое прошение.

AVOIDING SIN. GREGORY THE GREAT: It is written, “The dog returns to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” For the dog, when he vomits, certainly throws up the food that weighed on his stomach. But when he returns to his vomit, he is again loaded with what he had been relieved from. And those who mourn their transgressions certainly throw up by confession the wickedness that wickedly sated them and that oppressed the innermost parts of their soul. And yet, in going back to it again after confession, they take it in again. But the sow, by wallowing in the mire when washed, is made more filthy. And one who mourns past transgressions yet does not leave them behind subjects himself to the penalty of an even worse sin, since he both despises the very pardon that he might have won by his weeping and as it were rolls himself in the mire, because in withholding purity of life from his weeping he makes even his very tears filthy before the eyes of God. Thus again it is written, “Do not repeat a word in your prayer.” For to repeat a word in prayer, after wailing about it, is to commit what again requires wailing. And so it is said through Isaiah, “Wash and be clean.” For whoever does not maintain an innocent life after his tears of repentance have been shed is neglecting the cleanliness he received after washing. They are indeed washed but are in no way clean when they are the ones who do not stop crying about the things they have committed but then go on to commit again the very things they were crying about. This is why a certain wise man said, “He that is cleansed from the touch of a dead body and touches it again—what good did his washing do?” For indeed he is cleansed from the touch of a dead body who is cleansed from sin by weeping. But the one who, after his tears, repeats his sin touches a dead body after his cleansing. PASTORAL RULE 3.30.

Власть имеет свои неудобства, и потому премудрый советует не искать ея, грехов не повторять, над ближним не смеяться, к толпе грешников не приставать (4—17). В обращении с друзьями, женою, рабами, даже с домашним скотом быть добрым и снисходительным (18—25); заботиться о воспитании детей, о хорошей жизни с женою, исполнять требования закона по отношению в священникам, быть милостивым к бедным, не забывать и мертвецов, не удаляться от несчастных,—и вообще помнить о своем конце: вот правила счастливой и без-грешной жизни (26—39).