teasing

¹⁸Just as he is guilty who let loose the arrows and the lances unto death, ¹⁹so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”

²⁹Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen.

⁴nor any indecent, or foolish, or abusive talk, for this is without purpose; but instead, give thanks.

⁴Let each of you not consider anything to be your own, but rather to belong to others.

²³Then he went up from there into Bethel. And as he was ascending along the way, little boys departed from the city. And they were mocking him, saying: “Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!” ²⁴And when he had looked back, he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out from the forest, and they wounded forty-two boys among them.

¹¹A foolish one offers everything on his mind. A wise one reserves and defers until later.

¹³Who is wise and well-taught among you? Let him show, by means of good conversation, his work in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you hold a bitter zeal, and if there is contention in your hearts, then do not boast and do not be liars against the truth. ¹⁵For this is not wisdom, descending from above, but rather it is earthly, beastly, and diabolical. ¹⁶For wherever envy and contention is, there too is inconstancy and every depraved work. ¹⁷But within the wisdom that is from above, certainly, chastity is first, and next peacefulness, meekness, openness, consenting to what is good, a plenitude of mercy and good fruits, not judging, without falseness. ¹⁸And so the fruit of justice is sown in peace by those who make peace.

⁶And so the tongue is like a fire, comprising all iniquity. The tongue, stationed in the midst of our body, can defile the entire body and inflame the wheel of our nativity, setting a fire from Hell.

⁸Concerning the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is chaste, whatever is just, whatever is holy, whatever is worthy to be loved, whatever is of good repute, if there is any virtue, if there is any praiseworthy discipline: meditate on these.

²⁰Have you seen a man rushing to speak? Foolishness has more hope than his correction.

¹⁵But if your brother has sinned against you, go and correct him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have regained your brother.

¹⁶You shall not speak false testimony against your neighbor.

²²But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell.

⁴Charity is patient, is kind. Charity does not envy, does not act wrongly, is not inflated. ⁵Charity is not ambitious, does not seek for itself, is not provoked to anger, devises no evil.

¹⁷Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother shall die a death.

¹And so I beg you, first of all, to make supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings for all men, ²for kings, and for all who are in high places, so that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all piety and chastity. ³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to arrive at an acknowledgment of the truth. ⁵For there is one God, and one mediator of God and of men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a redemption for all, as a testimony in its proper time.

¹³Whoever walks dishonestly reveals secrets. But whoever is of a faithful soul conceals what is confided by a friend.

¹⁸If a man produces a disobedient and reckless son, who will not listen to the orders of his father or mother, and, having been corrected, shows contempt for obedience: ¹⁹they shall take him and lead him to the elders of the city and to the gate of judgment. ²⁰And they shall say to them: ‘This our son is reckless and disobedient. He shows contempt when listening to our admonitions. He occupies himself with carousing, and self-indulgence, and feasting.’ ²¹Then the people of the city shall stone him to death. And he shall die, so that you may take away the evil from your midst. And so may all of Israel, upon hearing it, be very afraid.

³²The lips of the just consider what is acceptable. And the mouth of the impious considers perversities.