Letter 124

To Aurelianus. Through Jeremiah the Lord has said: "Return to me, and I will not be wroth with you forever." [Cf. Jeremiah; the scriptural "you" here is plural.] You have indeed done deeds worthy of eternal wrath, but since I am merciful, I measure my benevolence not by your wickedness, but by my own great goodness. "Yet even if I am good and benevolent," he says, "still do not forget the things which you wickedly devised and did; for know that you have committed impiety against the Lord your God, and entreat him, mourning, throughout your whole life."

Διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου ὁ Κύριος εἴρηκεν· «Ἐπιστράφητε πρός με, καὶ οὐ μηνιῶ ὑμῖν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» Ἄξια μὲν τῆς αἰωνίου ὀργῆς εἰργάσασθε πράγματα, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ ἐλεήμων ὑπάρχω, οὐ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ κακίᾳ μετρῶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐμῇ πολλῇ ἀγαθότητι. Πλὴν εἰ κἀγὼ, φησίν, ἀγαθὸς, καὶ φιλάνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ σὺ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου ὧν κακῶς δι- ενοήθης τε καὶ ἔπραξας· γνῶθι γὰρ ὅτι εἰς Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἠσέβησας, καὶ δεήθητι πενθῶν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου.