§4Numquam denique, fratres dilectissimi, admonitio diuina cessauit et tacuit quominus in scripturis sanctis tam ueteribus quam nouis semper et ubique ad misericordiae opera Dei populus prouocaretur et canente adque exhortante Spiritu sancto quisque ad spem regni caelestis instruitur facere eleemosynas iuberetur.
Finally, dearest brothers, the divine admonition never ceased and was never silent so as to prevent God's people from being provoked, always and everywhere, to works of mercy in the holy scriptures, both old and new, and, as the Holy Spirit sang and exhorted, everyone who is instructed toward the hope of the heavenly kingdom from being commanded to do alms.
mandat et praecipit Esaiae Deus: exclama, inquit, in fortitudine et noli parcere.
God mandates and commands Isaiah: "Cry out," He says, "in strength and do not spare.
sicut tuba exalta uocem tuam, adnuntia plebi meae peccata ipsorum et domui Iacob facinora eorum. et cum peccata eis sua exprobrari praecepisset cumque eorum facinora pleno indignationis inpetu protulisset dixissetque eos nec si orationibus et precibus et ieiuniis uterentur, satisfacere pro delictis posse, nec si in cilicio et cinere uoluerentur, iram Dei posse lenire, in nouissima tamen parte demonstrans solis eleemosynis Deum posse placari addidit dicens: frange esurienti panem tuum et egenos sine tecto induc in domum tuam.
Like a trumpet exalt your voice, announce to my people their sins and to the house of Jacob their crimes." And when He had commanded that their sins be reproached to them, and when He had brought forward their crimes with a full force of indignation, and had said that they could not satisfy for their transgressions even if they used prayers and supplications and fasts, nor could they soothe the wrath of God even if they rolled themselves in sackcloth and ashes, yet in the latest part, demonstrating that God can be appeased by alms alone, He added, saying: "Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the needy without shelter into your house.
si uideris nudum, uesti et domesticos seminis tui non despicies.
If you see the naked, clothe him, and you shall not despise the household of your own seed.
tunc erumpet temporaneum lumen tuum et uestimenta tua cito orientur, et praeibit ante te iustitia et claritas Dei circumdabit te.
Then your light shall break forth in season, and your garments shall quickly rise up, and justice shall go before you, and the glory of God shall surround you.
tunc exclamabis, et Deus exaudiet te.
Then you shall cry out, and God shall hear you.
dum adhuc loqueris, dicet: ecce adsum. §5Remedia propitiando Deo ipsius Dei uerbis data sunt, quid deberent facere peccantes magisteria diuina docuerunt, operationibus iustis Deo satisfieri, misericordiae meritis peccata purgari.
While you are still speaking, He shall say: Behold, here I am." Remedies for appeasing God were given by the words of God Himself; divine instructions taught what sinners ought to do, that satisfaction is made to God by righteous works, and that sins are purged by the merits of mercy.
et aput Salomonem legimus: conclude eleemosynam in corde pauperis, et haec pro te exorabit ab omni malo. et iterum: qui obturat aures ne audiat inbecillum, et ipse inuocabit Deum et non erit qui exaudiat eum. neque enim mereri Dei misericordiam poterit qui misericors ipse non fuerit aut inpetrabit de diuina pietate aliquid in precibus qui ad precem pauperis non fuerit humanus.
And we read in Solomon: "Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and this shall entreat for you from all evil." And again: "He who stops his ears lest he should hear the weak, he also shall call upon God and there shall be no one to hear him." For neither shall he be able to deserve God's mercy who has not himself been merciful, nor shall he obtain anything from divine piety in his prayers who has not been humane toward the prayer of the poor.
quod item in psalmis Spiritus sanctus declarat et probat dicens: b e atus qui intellegit super egenum et pauperem.
Which also the Holy Spirit declares and proves in the Psalms, saying: "Blessed is he who understands concerning the needy and the poor.
in die malo liberabit eum Dominus. quorum praeceptorum memor Daniel cum rex Nabuchodonosor aduerso somnio territus aestuaret, auertendis malis a diuina ope inpetranda remedium dedit dicens: propterea, rex, consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime et iniustitias tuas miserationibus pauperum, et erit Deus patiens peccatis tuis. cui rex non obtemperans aduersa quae uiderat et infesta perpessus est: quae euadere et uitare potuisset, si peccata sua eleemosynis redemisset.
In the evil day the Lord shall deliver him." Mindful of which precepts, Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar was agitated, terrified by an adverse dream, gave a remedy for averting evils by obtaining help from divine power, saying: "Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and redeem your sins by alms, and your injustices by mercies to the poor, and God will be patient toward your sins." Whom the king not obeying, suffered the adverse and hostile things which he had seen; which he might have escaped and avoided, if he had redeemed his sins with alms.
Raphael quoque angelus paria testatur et ut eleemosyna libenter ac largiter fiat hortatur dicens: bona est oratio cum ieiunio et eleemosyna, quia eleemosyna a morte liberat et ipsa purgat peccata. ostendit orationes nostras ac ieiunia minus posse, nisi eleemosynis adiuuentur, deprecationes solas parum ad inpetrandum ualere, ni factorum et operum accessione satientur.
Angel Raphael also testifies to the same things and exhorts that alms be made willingly and bountifully, saying: "Good is prayer with fasting and alms, because alms delivers from death and itself purges sins." He shows that our prayers and fasts have less power unless they are aided by alms, and that supplications alone avail little to obtain, unless they are satisfied by the addition of deeds and works.
reuelat angelus et manifestat et firmat eleemosynis petitiones nostras efficaces fieri, eleemosynis uitam de periculis redimi, eleemosynis a morte animas liberari.
The angel reveals and manifests and confirms that by alms our petitions become effective, by alms life is redeemed from dangers, by alms souls are delivered from death.