§1## Πέτρος Ἰακώβῳ, τῷ κυριῳ καὶ ἐπισκόπῳ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας, ὑπὸ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων πατρὸς, διὰ Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάντοτε.
Peter to James, the lord and bishop of the holy church, from the Father of all, through Jesus Christ, in peace always.
Ειδως σε, ἀδελφέ μου, εἰς τὸ κοινῇ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν συμφέρον σπεύδοντα προθύμως ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι, τῶν ἐμῶν κηρυγμάτων ἃς ἔπεμψά σοι βίβλους μηδενὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μεταδοῦναι μήτε ὁμοφύλῳ πρὸ πείρας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐάν τις δοκιμασθεὶς ἄξιος εὑρεθῇ, τότε αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν ἀγωγὴν παραδοῦναι, καθ᾽ ἣν καὶ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ὁ Μωϋσῆς παρέδωκε τοῖς τὴν καθέδραν αὐτοῦ παρειληφόσιν.
Knowing you, my brother, to be eagerly striving for our common benefit, I request and beg you not to communicate the books of my preachings which I sent to you to anyone of the Gentiles, nor to a fellow countryman before trial, but if someone, having been tested, is found worthy, then to hand them over to him according to the instruction, just as Moses handed over to the seventy who had received his chair.
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ἀσφαλείας μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο φαίνεται.
For this reason, the fruit of safety is visible even until now.
τὸν γὰρ αὐτὸν οἱ πανταχῆ ὁμόεθνοι τῆς μοναρχίας καὶ πολιτείας φυλάσσεσι κανόνα, κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἄλλως φρονεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν πολλὰ νευεσῶν γραφῶν ἐξοδευθῆναι δυνηθέντες.
For the fellow countrymen everywhere keep the same rule of monarchy and polity, having been in no way able to be led astray to think otherwise by the scriptures that incline in many directions.
κατὰ γὰρ τὸν παραδοθέντα αὐτοῖς κανόνα τὰ τῶν γραφῶν ἀσύμφωνα πειρῶνται μεταῤῥυθμίζειν, εἰ δή τις τυχὸν μὴ εἰδὼς τὰς παραδόσεις ναρκᾷ πρὸς τὰς τῶν προφητῶν πολυσήμες φωνάς· οὗ ἕνεκεν οὐδενὶ διδάσκειν ἐπιτρέπεσιν, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον μάθοι, πῶς δεῖ ταῖς γραφαῖς χρῆσθαι· διὰ τοῦτο παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς εἷς Θεὸς, εἷς νόμος, μία ἐλπίς.
For according to the rule handed down to them, they attempt to harmonize the inconsistencies of the scriptures, if perchance someone, not knowing the traditions, hesitates before the multi-signifying voices of the prophets; on which account they do not permit anyone to teach, unless he should first learn how one must use the scriptures; for this reason, among them there is one God, one law, one hope.
§2Ἵνα τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν γένηται τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα, ἡμων ἀδελφοῖς τὰς βίβλους μου τῶν κηρυγμάτων δὸς μετὰ τοῦ ὁμοίου τῆς ἀγωγῆς μυστηρίου, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀναδέξασθαι μέρος ἐφοδιάζωσιν· ἐπεὶ ἐὰν μὴ οὕτως γένηται, εἰς πολλὰς γνώμας ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡμῶν διαιρεθήσεται λόγος.
In order that the same thing may happen among us as with the seventy, give the books of my preachings to our brothers along with the similar mystery of the instruction, so that they may equip those who wish to undertake the part of teaching; since if it does not happen in this way, our word of truth will be divided into many opinions.
τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ὡς προφήτης ὥν ἐπίσταμαι· ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη αὐτοῦ τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁρῶν.
I do not know this as being a prophet, but because I already see the beginning of the evil itself.
τινὲς γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν τὸ δἰ ἐμοῦ νόμιμον ἀπεδοκίμασαν κήρυγμα, τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἀνθρώπου ἄνομόν τινα καὶ φλυαρώδη προσηκάμενοι διδασκαλίαν.
For some of those from the Gentiles have rejected my lawful preaching, accepting a certain lawless and trifling doctrine of the hostile man.
καὶ ταῦτα ἔτι μου περιόντος ἐπεχειρησάν τινες, ποικίλαις τισὶν ἑρμηνείαις τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους μετασχηματίζειν, εἰς τὴν τοῦ νόμου κατάλυσιν· ὡς καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ οὕτω μὲν φρονοῦντος, μὴ ἐκ παῤῥησίας δὲ κηρύσσοντος· ὅπερ ἀπείῃ.
And these things some have attempted while I am still alive, to transform my words by certain diverse interpretations, for the destruction of the law; as if I myself also thought in this way, but did not preach it with boldness—which far be it!
τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτο ἀντιπράσσειν ἐστὶ τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμῳ τῷ διὰ Μωϋσέως ῥηθέντι καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν μαρτυρηθέντι περὶ τῆς ἀϊδίου αὐτοῦ διαμονῆς.
For such a thing is to act against the law of God which was spoken through Moses and witnessed by our Lord concerning its eternal duration.
ἐπεὶ οὕτως εἶπεν· ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται ἰῶτα ἕν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου. Τοῦτο δὲ εἴρηκεν, ἵνα τὰ πάντα γίνηται.
For He spoke thus: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one iota or one tittle shall by no means pass away from the law.' And He said this so that all things might come to pass.
οἱ δὲ οὐκ οἶδα πῶς τὸν ἐμὸν νοῦν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, οὕς ἤκουσαν ἐξ ἐμοῦ λόγους ἐμοῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος αὐτοὺς φρονιμώτερον ἐπχειροῦσιν ἑρμηνεύειν, λέγοντες τοῖς ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν κατηχουμένοις, τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, ὅ ἐγὼ οὐδὲ ἐνεθυμήθην.
But they, I know not how, professing my mind, attempt to interpret the words which they heard from me more wisely than myself who spoke them, saying to those catechized by them that this is my opinion, which I did not even conceive.
εἰ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἔτι περιόντος τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν καταψεύδεσθαι, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον μετ᾽ ἐμὲ ποιεῖν οἱ μετ᾽ ἐμὲ τολμήσουσιν;
But if while I am still alive they dare to lie in this way, how much more will those after me dare to do so after I am gone?
§3Ἵνα οὖν μὴ τοιοῦτόν τι γένηται, τούτου ἕνεκα ἠξίωσα καὶ ἐδεήθην, τῶν ἐμῶν κηρυγμάτων ἃς ἔπεμψά σοι βίβλους μηδενὶ μεταδοῦναι, μήτε ὁμοφύλῳ μήτε ἀλλοφύλῳ, πρὸ πείρας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐάν τις δοκιμασθεὶς ἄξιος εὑρεθῇ, τότε αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν Μωϋσέως ἀγωγὴν παραδοῦναι, καθ᾽ ἥν τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα παρέδωκε τοῖς τὴν καθέδραν αὐτοῦ παρειληφόσιν· ἵνα οὕτως τὰς πίστεις φυλάξωσιν καὶ πανταχῆ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας κανόνα παραδῶσιν, ἑρμηνεύοντες τὰ πάντα πρὸς τὴν παράδοσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ αὐτοὶ ὑπ᾽ ἀμαθείας κατασπώμενοι, ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν στοχασμῶν εἰς πλάνην ἑλκόμενοι, ἄλλους εἰς τὸν ὅμοιον τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐνέγκωσιν βόθυνον.
Therefore, in order that no such thing may happen, for this reason I requested and begged not to communicate the books of my preachings which I sent to you to anyone, whether fellow countryman or foreigner, before trial, but if someone, having been tested, is found worthy, then to hand them over to him according to the instruction of Moses, just as he handed over to the seventy who had received his chair; so that in this way they may guard the faith and everywhere hand down the rule of truth, interpreting all things according to our tradition, and not being dragged down themselves by ignorance, nor drawn into error by the conjectures of their soul, lest they bring others into the similar pit of destruction.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐμοὶ δόξαντα καλῶς ἐσήμανά σοι, τὸ δέ σοι δοκοῦν, κύριέ μου, πρεπόντως ἐπιτέλει.
And the things that seemed good to me I have clearly indicated to you, but do you, my lord, perform what seems fitting to you.
ἔῤῥωσο.
Farewell.