1 Clement 16

1For the Messiah belongs to the humble-minded, not to those who exalt themselves over his flock.

2The scepter of the majesty of God, the Lord Jesus Messiah, did not come in the pomp of arrogance or pride, though being able, but in humility, just as the Holy Spirit spoke concerning him. For it says: “Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? We announced him before him, like a child, like a root in thirsty ground. He has no form nor glory, and we saw him, and he had neither form nor beauty, but his appearance was dishonored, lacking beyond the appearance of men; a man being in affliction and toil and knowing how to bear weakness, because his face is turned away; he was dishonored and not esteemed.”

4This one bears our sins and suffers on our behalf, and we considered him to be in pain and under a blow and in affliction.

5But he was wounded because of our sins and was afflicted because of our lawless deeds. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his bruise we were healed.

6We all went astray like sheep; each man went astray in his own way.

7And the Lord gave him over for our sins, and he, because of being afflicted, does not open his mouth. Like a sheep he was led to slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is voiceless, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away.

8Who will describe his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. Because of the lawless deeds of my people he came to death.

10And I will give the wicked in place of his burial, and the rich in place of his death; because he committed no lawlessness, nor was deceit found in his mouth. And the Lord wills to cleanse him from the affliction.

11If you give for sin, your soul will see long-lived offspring.

12And the Lord wills to remove the anguish of his soul, to show him light and to form him with understanding, to justify the righteous one who serves many well; and he himself will bear their sins.

13Because of this he will inherit many, and he will divide the spoils of the strong, because his soul was given over to death, and he was counted among the lawless;

14And he bore the sins of many, and was given over because of their sins.

15And again he himself says, “But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.

16All who saw me mocked me; they spoke with their lips, they shook their heads: ‘He hoped in the Lord; let him rescue him; let him save him, because he delights in him.’

17See, beloved men, what is the pattern given to us. For if the Lord so humbled himself, what should we do, we who through him have come under the yoke of his grace?