Letter 791

To the same person. How gracious is the much-experienced Sirach [Jesus son of Sirach, author of Ecclesiasticus], when he composes and writes profitable words! For "he who loves his own son," he says, "will continually supply him with stripes" [Sirach 30:1]. And we, assuredly, through genuine faith are sons of the Most High God; and we are chastened, but we are not put to death; and we are cast down, but we are not destroyed [cf. 2 Corinthians 6:9; 4:9]. For the bush, though once it burned, was not burned up [Exodus 3:2].

Ὡς εὔχαρις ὁ πολύπειρος Σιρὰχ, συντάσσων καὶ γράφων ὠφέλιμα ῥήματα· Ὁ ἀγαπῶν γὰρ, φησί, τὸν ἴδιον υἱὸν, ἐνδελεχῶς τούτῳ μάστιγας χορηγήσει. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντως διὰ γνησίας πίστεως ὑπάρχομεν υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ὑψίστου, καὶ παιδευόμεθα μὲν, οὐ θανα- τούμεθα δέ· καὶ καταβαλλόμεθα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπολλύ- μεθα. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ βάτος ποτὲ φλεγομένη ἐφλέχθη.