1 Clement 35

1How blessed and marvelous are the gifts of God, beloved:

2life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in boldness, faith in confidence, self-control in holiness; and all these things fall under our understanding.

3What then are the things prepared for those who patiently endure? The Creator and Father of the ages, the all-holy one himself, knows their measure and their beauty.

4Therefore let us strive to be found among the number of those who wait for him, so that we may share in the promised gifts.

5But how will this be, beloved? If our mind is firmly fixed on God in faithfulness, if we seek the things pleasing and acceptable to him, if we do the things that are fitting for his blameless will and follow the way of truth, having cast away from ourselves all unrighteousness and wickedness, greed, strife, malice and deceit, whisperings and slanders, hatred of God, pride and arrogance, vainglory and inhospitality.

6For those who practice these things are hateful to God; and not only those who practice them, but also those who approve of them.

7For the Scripture says, “But to the wicked God says, Why do you recount my statutes, and take up my covenant on your lips?

8Yet you hated discipline, and cast my words behind you. If you saw a thief, you ran with him, and you placed your share with adulterers. Your mouth overflowed with evil, and your tongue was weaving deceit. Sitting, you were slandering your brother, and against your mother's son you were laying a stumbling block.

9These things you did, and I kept silent; you supposed, lawless one, that I would be like you.

10I will rebuke you and set it before your face.

11Understand these things, then, you who forget God, lest he seize you like a lion, and there be no one to rescue.

12A sacrifice of praise will glorify me, and there is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God.”