Epistole horo, kratiste Diognete, huperespoudakota se ten theosebeian ton Christianon mathein kai panu saphos kai epimelos punthanomenon peri auton, tini te theo pepoithotes kai pos threskeuontes auton ton te kosmon huperorosi pantes kai thanatou kataphronousi kai oute tous nomizomenous hupo ton Hellenon theous logizontai oute ten Ioudaion deisidaimonian phulassousi, kai tina ten philostorgian echousi pros allelous, kai ti de pote kainon touto genos e epitedeuma eiselthen eis ton bion nun kai ou proteron; apodechomai ge tes prothumias se tautes kai para tou theou, tou kai to legein kai to akouein hemin choregountos, aitoumai dothenai emoi men eipein houtos, hos malista an akousanta se beltio genesthai, soi te houtos akousai, hos me lupethenai ton eiponta.

II

1. Age de, katharas seauton apo panton ton prokatechonton sou ten dianoian logismon kai ten apatosan se sunetheian aposkeuasamenos kai genomenos hosper ex arches kainos anthropos, hos an kai logon kainou, kathaper kai autos homologesas, akroates esomeonos; ide me monon tous ophthalmois, alla kai te phronesei, tinos hupostaseos e tinos eidous unchanousin, ohus ereite kai nomizete theous.2. ouch ho men tis lithos estin, homoios to patroumeno, ho d' esti chalkos, ou kreisson ton eis ten chresin hemin kechalkeumenon skeuon, ho de xulon, ede kai sesepos, ho de arguros, chrezon anthropou tou phulaxantos, hina me klape, ho de sideros, hupo iou diephtharmenos, ho de ostrakon, ouden tou kateskeuasmenou pros ten atimotaten huperesian euprepesteron? 3. ou phthartes hules tauta panta? ouch hupo siderou kai puros kechalkeumena? ouch ho men auton lithoxoos, ho de chalkeus, ho men auton lithoxoos, ho de chalkeus, ho de argurokopos, ho de kerameus eplasen? ou prin e tais technais touton eis ten morphen touton ektupothenai, en hekaston auton hekasto, eti kai nun, metamemorphomenon? ou ta nun ek tes autes hules onta skeue genoit' an, ei tuchoi ton auton techniton, homoia genesthai tois loipois? ou kopha panta? ou tuphla? ouk apsucha? ouk anaistheta? ouk akineta? ou panta sepomena? ou panta phtheiromena? 5. tauta theous kaleite? toutois douleuete? toutois proskuneite, teleon d' autois exomoiousthe.6. dia touto miseite Christianous, hoti toutous ouch hegountai theous? 7. humeis gar ainein nomizontes kai oiomenoi, ou polu pleon auton kataphroneite? ou polu mallon autous chleuazete kai hubrizete, tous men lithinous kai ostrakinous sebontes aphulaktous, tous de argureous kai chrusous enkleiontes tais nuxi kai tais hemerais phulakas paratimais prospherein, ei men aisthanontai, kolazete mallon autous; ei de anaisthetousin, elenchontes haimati kai knisais autous threskeuete.9. tauth' humon tis hupomeinato, tauta anaschestho tis heauto genesthai. alla anthropos men oude heis tautes tes kolaseos hekon anexetai, aisthesin gar echei kai logismon; ho de lithos anechetai, anaisthetei gar. ouk oun ten aisthesin autou elenchete? 10. peri men oun tou me dedoulosthai Christianous toioutois theois polla men an kai alla eipein echoimi; ei de tini me dokoie kan tauta hikana, perisson hegoumai kai to pleio legein.

III

1. Hexes de peri tou me kata ta auta Ioudaiois theosebein autous oimai se malista pothein akousai.2. Ioudaioi toinun, ei men apechontai tautes tes proeiremenes latreias, kalos theon hena tsn panton sebein kai despoten axiousi phronein; ei de tois proeiremenois homoiotropos ten threskeian rosagousin auto tauten, diamartanousin.3. ha gar tois anaisthetois kai kophois prospherontes hoi Hellenes aphrosunes deigma parechousi, tauth' houtoi kathaper prosdeomeno to theo logizomenoi parechein morian eikos mallon hegoint' an, ou theosebeian.4. ho gar poiesas ton ouranon kai ten gen kai panta ta en autois kai pasin hemin choregon, hon prosdeometha, oudenos an autos prosdeoito touton hon tois oiomenois didonai parechei autos.5. hoi de ge thusias auto di' haimatos kai knises kai tautais tais timais auton gerairein, ouden moi dokousi diapherein ton eis ta kopha ten auten endeiknumenon philotimian; ton men me dunamenois tes times metalambanein, ton de dokounton parechein to medenos prosdeomeno.

IV

1. Alla men to ge peri tas broseis auton psophodees kai ten peri ta sabbata deisidaimonian kai ten tes peritomes alazoneian kai ten tes nesteias kai noumenias eironeian, katagelasta kai oudenos axia logou, ou nomizo se chrezein par' emou mathein.2. to te gar ton hupo tou theou ktisthenta paradechesthai, ha d' hos achresta kai perissa paraiteisthai theou hos koluontos en te ton sabbaton hemera kalon ti poiein, pos ouk asebes? 4. to de kai ten meiosin tes sarkos marturion ekloges alazoneuesthai hos dia touto exairetos egapemenous hupo theou, pos ou chleues axion? 5. to de paredreuontas autous astrois kai selene ten parateresin ton menon kai ton hemeron poieisthai kai tas oikonomias theou kai tas ton kairon allagas katadiairein pros tas auton hormas, has men eis heortas, has de eis penthe; tis an theosebeias kai ouk aphrosunes polu pleon hegesaito deigma? 6. tes men oun koines eikaiotetos kai apates kai tes Ioudaion polupragmosunes kai alazoneias hos orthos apechontai Christianoi, arkountos se nomizo memathekenai; to de tes idias auton theosebeias musterion me prosdokeses dunasthai para anthropou mathein.

V

1. Christianoi gar oute ge oute phone oute ethesi diakekrimenoi ton loipon eisin anthropon.2. oute gar pou poleis idias katoikousi oute dialekto tini parellagmene chrontai oute bion parasemon akousin.3. ou men epinoia tini kai phrontidi polupragmonon anthropon mathema tout' autois estin heuremenon, oude domatos anthropinou proestasin, hosper enioi.4. katoikountes de poleis hellenidas te kai barbarous, hos hekastos eklerothe, kai tois enchoriois ethesin akolouthountes en te estheti kai diaite kai to loipo bio thaumasten kai homologoumenos paradoxon endeiknuntai ten katastasin tes heauton politeias.5. patridas oikousin idias, all' hos oikousin idias, all' hos paroikoi; metechousi panton hos politai, kai panth' hupomenousin hos xenoi; pasa xene patris estin auton, kai pasa patris xene.6. gamousin hos pantes, teknogonousin; all' ou rhiptousi ta gennomena.7. trapezan koinen paratithentai, all' ou koiten.8. en sarki tunchanousin, all' ou kata sarka zosin.9. epi ges diatribousin, all' en ourano politeuontai.10. peithontai tois horismenois nomois, kai tois idiois biois nikosi tous nomous.11. agaposi pantas, kai hupo panton diokontai.12. agnoountai, kai tatakrinontai; thanatountai, kai zoopoiountai.13. ptocheuousi, kai ploutizousi pollous; panton husterountai, kai en pasi perisseuousin.14. atimountai, kai en tais atimiais doxazontai. blasphemountai, kai dkiaiountai.15. loidorountai, kai eulogousin; hubrizontai, kai timosin.16. agathopoiountes hos kakoi kolazontai; kolazomenoi chairousin hos zoopoioumenoi.17. hupo Ioudaion hos allophuloi polemountai kai hupo Hellenon diokontai; kai ten aitian tes echthras eipein hoi misountes ouk echousin.

VI

1. Haplos d' eipein, hoper estin somati psuche, tout' eisin en kosmo Christianoi.2. espartai kata panton ton tou somatos melon he psuche, kai Christianoi kata tas tou kosmou poleis.3. oikei men en to en to somati psuche, ouk esti de ek tou somatos; kai Christianoi en kosmo oikousin, ouk eisi de ek tou kosmou.4. aoratos he psuche en orato phroureitai to kosmo, aoratos de auton he theosebeia menei.5. misei ten psuchen he sarx kai polemei meden adikoumene, dioti tais hedonais koluetai; misei kai Christianous ho kosmos meden adikoumenos, hoti tais hedonais antitassontai.6. he psuche ten misousan agapa sarka kai ta mele; kai Christianoi tous misountas agaposin.7. enkekleistai men he psuche to somati, sunechei de aute to soma; kai Christianoi katechontai men hos en phroura to kosmo, autoi de sunechousi ton kosmon.8. athanatos he psuche en thneto skenomati katoikei; kai Christianoi paroikousin en phthartois, ten en ouranois aphtharsian prosdechomenoi.9. kakourgoumene sitiois kai potois he psuche beltioutai; kai Christianoi kolazomenoi kath' hemeran pleonazousi mallon.10. eis toauten autous taxin etheto ho theos, hen ou themiton autois paraitesasthai.

VII

1. Ou gar epigeion, hos ephen, heurema tout' autous paredothe, oude thneten epinoian phulassein houtos axiousin epimelos, oude anthropinon oikonomian musterion pepisteuntai.2. all' autos alethos ho pantokrator kai pantoktistes kai aoratos theos, autos ap' ouranon ten aletheian kai ton logon ton hagion kai aperinoeton anthropois enidruse kai enkatesterixe tais kardiais auton; ou, kathaper an tis eikaseien, anthropois hupereten tina pempsas he angelon e archonta e tina ton dieponton ta epigeia e tina ton pepisteumenon tas en ouranois dioikeseis, all' auton ton techniten kai demiourgon ton holon, ho tous ouranous ektisen, ho ten thalassan idiois enekleisen, hou ta musteria pistos panta phulassei ta stoicheia, par' hou ta metra ton tes hemeras dromon ho helios eilephe phulassein, ho peitharchei ta astra to tes selenes akolouthounta dromo; ho panta diatetaktai kai dioristai kai hupotetaktai, ouranoi kai ta en ouranois, ge kai ta en te thalassa kai ta en te thalasse, pur, aer, abussos, ta en hupsesi, ta en bathesi, ta en to metaxu; touton pros autous apesteilen.3. ara ge, hos sozon epempsen, hos peithon, ou biazomenos; bia gar ou prosesti to hos agapon, ou krinon.6. pempsei gar auton krinonta; kai tis autou ten parousian hupousian hupostesetai? . . .7. . . . paraballomenous theriois, hina arnesontai ton kurion, kai me nikomenous? 8. ouch horas, hoso pleiones kolazontai, tosouto pleonazontas allous? 9. tauta anthropou ou dokei ta erga; tauta dunamis esti theou tauta tes parousias autou deigmata.

VIII

1. Tis gar holos anthropon epistato, ti pot' esti theos prin auton elthein? 2. e tous kenous kai lerodeis ekeinon logous apodeche ton axiopiston philosophon, hon hoi men tines pur ephasan einai ton theon (ou mellousi choresein autoi, touto kalousi theon), hoi de hudor, hoi d' allo ti ton stoicheion ton ektismenon hupo theou? 3. kaitoi ge, ei tis touton ton logon apodektos esti, duanit' an kai ton loipon ktismaton hen hen hekaston homoios aprophainesthai theo.4. alla tauta men terateia kai plane ton goeton estin; 5. anthropon de oudeis oute eiden oute egnorisen, autos de heauton epedeixen.6. epedeixe de dia pisteos, he mone theon idein sunkechoretai.7. ho gar despotes kai demiourgos ton holon theos, ho poiesas ta panta kai kata taxin diakrinas, ou monon philanthrpos egeneto, alla kai makrothumos.8. all' houtos hen men aei toioutos kai esti, chrestos kai agathos kai aorgetos kai alethes, kai monos agathos estin; 9. ennoesas de megalen kai aphraston ennoian oun kateichen en musterio kai dieterei ten sophen autou boulen, amelein hemon ka aphrontistein edokei; 11. epei de apekalupse dia tou agapetou paidos kai ephanerose ta ex arches hetoimasmena, panth' hama pareschen hemin kai metaschein ton euergesion autou kai idein kai noesai, ha tis an popote prosedokesen hemon?

IX

1. Pant' oun ede par' heauto sun to paidi oukonomekos, mechri men tou prosthen chronou eiasen hemas, hos eboulometha, ataktois phorais pheresthai, hedonais kai epithumiais apagomenous. ou pantos ephedomenos tois hamartemasin hemon, all' anechomenos, oude to tote tes adikias kairo suneudokon, alla ton nun tes dikaiosunes demiourgon, hina en to tote chrono elenchthentes ek ton idion eron anaxioi zoes nun hupo tes tou theou chrestotetos axiothomen, kai to kath' heautous phanerosantes adunaton eiselthein eis ten basileian tou theou te dunamei tou theou dunatoi genethomen.2. epei de pepleroto men he hemetera adidia kai teleios pephaneroto, hoti ho misthos autes kolasis kai thanatos prosedokato, elthe de ho kairos, hon theos pretheto loipon phanerosai ten heautou chrestoteta kai dunamin (o tes huperballouses philanthropias kai agapes tou theou), ouk emisesen hemas oude aposato oude emnesikakesen, alla emakrothumesen, enescheto, eleon autos tas hemeteras hamartias anedexato, autos ton idion huion apedoto lutron huper hemon, ton hagion huper anomon, to akakon huper ton kakon, ton dikaion huper ton adikon, ton aphtharton huper ton thneton.3. ti gar allo tas hamartias hemon edunethe kalupsai e ekeinou dikaiosune? 4. en tini dikaiothenai dunaton tous anomous hemas kai asebeis e en mono to huio tou theou? 5. o tes glukeias antallages, o tes anexichniastou demiourgias, o ton aprosdoketon euergesion; hina anomia men pollon en dikaio heni krube, dikaiosune de henos pollous anomous dikaiosune.6. elenxas oun en men to prosthen chrono to adunaton tes hemeteras phuseos eis to tuchein zoes, nun de ton sotera deixas dunaton sozein kai ta adunata, ex amphoteron eboulethe pisteuein hemas te chrestoteti autou, auton hegeisthai trophea, patera, didaskalon, sumboulon, iatron, noun, phos, timen, doxan, ischun, zoen, peri enduseos kai trophes me merimnan.

X

1. Tauten kai su ten pistin ean pothuses, kai labes proton men epinosin patros . . . .2. ho gar theos tous anthropous egapese, di' ohus epoiese ton kosmon, hois hupetaxe panta ta en te ge, hois logon edoken, hois noun, hois monois ano pros auton horan epetrepsen, ohus ek tes idias eikonos eplase, pros ohus apesteile ton huion autou ton monogene, hois ten en ourano basileian epengeilato, kai dosei tois agapesasin auton.3. epignous de tinos oiei plerothesesthai charas? e pos agapeseis ton houtos proagapesanta se? 4. agapesas de mimetes ese autou tes chrestotetos. kai me thaumases, ei dunatai thelontos autou.5. ou gar to katadunasteuein ton plesion oude to pleon echein boulesthai ton asthenesteron oude to ploutein kai biazesthai tous hupodeesterous eudaimonein estin, oude en toutois dunatai tis mimesasthai theon, alla tauta ektos tes ekeinou megaleiotetos.6. all' hostis to tou plesion anadechetai baros, hos en ho kreisson estin heteron ton elattoumenon euergetein ethelei, hos ha para tou theou labon echei, tauta tois epideomenois choregon theos ginetai ton lambanonton, houtos mimetes esti theou.7. tote thease tunchanon epi tes ges, hoti theos en ouranois politeuetai, tote musteria theou lalein arxe, tote tous kolazomenous epi to me thelein arnesasthai theon kai agapeseis kai thaumaseis; tote tes apates tou kosmou kai tes planes katagnose, hotan to alethos en ourano zen epignos, hotan tou dokountos enthade thanatou kataphroneses, hotan ton ontos thanaton phobethes, hos phulassetai tois katakrithesomenois eis to pur to aionion, ho tous paradothentas auto mechri telous kolasei.8. tote tous hupomenontas huper dikaiosunes thaumaseis to pur to proskairon kai makariseis, hotan ekeino to pur epignos.

XI

1. Ou xena homilo oude paralogos zeto, alla apostolon genomenos mathetes ginomai didaskalos ethnon; ta paradothenta axios hupereto ginomenois aletheias mathetais.2. tis gar orthos didachtheis kai logo prosphiles genetheis ouk epizetei saphos mathein ta dia logou deichthenta phaneros mathetais, hois ephanerosen ho logos phaneis, parresia lalon, upo apiston me nooumenos, mathetais de diegoumenos, ohi pistoi logisthentes hup' autou egnosan patros musteria? 3. hou charin apesteile logon, hina kosmo phane, hos hupo laou atimastheis, dia apostolon keruchtheis, hupo ethnon episteuthe.4. houtos ho ap' arches, ho kainos phaneis kai palaios heuretheis kai pantote neos en hagion kardiais gennomenos.5. houtos ho aei, ho semeron huios logistheis, di' hou ploutizetai he ekklesia kai charis haploumene en hagiois plethunetai, parechousa noun, phanerousa musteria, diangelousa kairous, chairousa epi pistois, epizetousi doroumene, hois horia pisteos ou thrauetai oude horia pateron parorizetai.6. eita phobos nomou adetai, kai propheton charis ginosketai, kai euangelion pistis hidrutai, kai apostolon paradosis phulassetai, kai ekklesias charis skirta.7. hen charin me lupon epignose, ha logos homilei di' hon bouletai, hote thelei.8. hosa gar thelemati tou keleuontos logou ekinethemen exeipein meta ponou, ex agapes ton apokaluphthenton hemin ginometha humin koinonoi.

XII

1. Hois entuchontes kai akousantes meta spoudes eisesthe, hosa parechei ho theos tois agaposin orthos, hoi genomenoi paradeisos truphes, pankarpon xulon euthaloun anateilantes en heautois, poikilois karpois kekosmemenoi.2. en gar touto to chorio xulon gnoseos kai xulon zoes pephuteutai; all' ou to tes gnoseos anairei, all' he parakoe anairei.3. oude gar asema ta gegrammena, hos theos ap' arches xulon gnoseos kai xulon zoes en meso paradeisou ephuteuse, dia gnoseos zoen epidieknus; he me katharos chresamenoi hoi ap' arches plane tou opheos gegumnontai.4. oude gar zoe aneu gnoseos oude gnosis asphales aneu zoes alethous; dio plesion hekateron pephuteutai.5. hen dunamin enidon ho apostolos ten te aneu aletheias prostagmatos eis zoen askoumenen gnosin memphomenos legei; He gnosis phusioi, he de agape oikodomei.6. ho gar nomizon eidenai ti aneu gnoseos alethous kai marturoumenes hupo tes zoes ouk egno, hupo tou opheos planatai, me agapesas to zen. ho de meta phobou epignous kai zoen epizeton ep' elpidi phuteuei, karpon prosdokon.7. eto soi kardia gnosis, zoe de logos alethes, choroumenos.8. hou xulon pheron kai karpon hairon trugeseis aei ta para theo pothoumena, hon ophis ouch haptetai oude plane sunchrotizetai; 9. kai soterion deiknutai, kai apostoloi sunetizontai, kai to kuriou pascha proerchetai, kai kairoi sunagontai kai meta kosmou harmozontai, kai didason hagious ho logos euphainetai, di' hou pater doxazetai; ho he doxa eis tous aionas. amen.