X. (printed 'X 1.' with §1)
This was said hypothetically — even if nothing else attends us praying — that we gain the best, conceiving and achieving the 'how' of prayer. But clearly one who so prays shall be heard even while speaking, beholding by the Hearer's activity 'Behold, I am here,' having shed before praying all displeasure toward providence. For this is declared by: If you remove from yourself bond and finger-pointing and murmuring word — of one well-pleased with what happens, free from every bond, not voting against God who ordains what he wills for our training, nor murmuring in the hidden reasonings without audible voice to men — which murmuring, like wicked servants who blame masters' orders, murmur those who dare not with voice and whole soul curse providence for what happens, yet wish to escape the Lord of all in what displeases them. And I think this is also the Job passage: In all these things that happened Job sinned not with his lips before God. On the earlier-recorded temptation: In all these things that happened Job sinned not before God. Which, commanding it must not happen, the word in Deuteronomy says: Take heed lest there be a hidden word in your heart, lawlessness, saying: The seventh year draws near — and what follows.
One who so prays, so greatly profited beforehand, becomes fitter to be mingled with the Spirit filling the whole world of the Lord and with him who filled all earth and heaven, saying through the prophet thus: Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. Still, through the aforesaid purity and prayer, with the Word of God standing amid those encircling(?) him, nothing lacking to prayer, he shall partake — with him who is mediated by him(?) co-praying to the Father. For High Priest of our offerings and Paraclete to the Father is the Son of God, praying for those who pray and co-advocating with advocates — who would not pray for his own who do not pray more constantly through him, nor be Paraclete before God for those disobeying the teachings to pray always and not faint. For he spoke, it says, a parable to the effect that they must always pray and not faint: There was a judge in a certain city — and what follows. And before these: And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him — and a little later: I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will rise and give him whatever he needs. Who of those believing Jesus' unlying mouth would not be urged to pray untiringly, when he says: Ask, and it shall be given you — for everyone who asks receives? Since the good Father gives the living bread to us who ask him for it (not the stone the Adversary wants to become food for Jesus and his disciples), to those who received the spirit of adoption from the Father; and the Father gives the good gift, raining(?) it from heaven, to those who ask him.
Greek (GCS)
§1. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς καθ᾽ ὑπόθεσιν εἴρηται, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον ἡμῖν ἐπακολουθήσει εὐχομένοις, ὅτι τὰ κάλλιστα κερδαίνομεν, τὸ καθὸ δεῖ εὔχεσθαι νενοηκότες καὶ κατορθοῦντες· σαφὲς δὲ ὅτι ὁ οὕτως εὐχόμενος ἔτι λαλῶν ἀκούσεται, τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦ ἐπακούοντος ἐνορῶν, τὸ ἰδοὺ πάρειμι, πᾶσαν τὴν πρὸς τὴν πρόνοιαν δυσαρέστησιν, πρὶν εὔξασθαι, ἀποβεβληκώς. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι δηλούμενον διὰ τοῦ· ἐὰν ἀφέλῃς ἀπὸ σοῦ σύνδεσμον καὶ χειροτονίαν(?) καὶ ῥῆμα γογγυσμοῦ, τοῦ εὐαρεστουμένου τοῖς γινομένοις ἐλευθέρου ἀπὸ παντὸς δεσμοῦ γεγενημένου καὶ μὴ ἀντιχειροτονοῦντος τῷ θεῷ, ἃ βούλεται πρὸς γυμνάσιον ἡμῶν διατασσομένῳ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ κατὰ τὸ κρυπτὸν τῶν λογισμῶν γογγύζοντος χωρὶς ἀχουστῆς ἀνθρώποις φωνῆς· ὅντινα γογγυσμὸν δίκην πονηρῶν οἰκετῶν, οὐκ ἐν φανεροῖς(?) τὰς προστάξεις τῶν δεσποτῶν αἰτιωμένων(?) [rough], γογγύζουσιν οἱ μὴ τολμῶντες μὲν φωνῇ καὶ ὅλῃ ψυχῇ κακολογεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι τὴν πρόνοιαν οἷον δὲ βουλόμενοι καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων κύριον ἐφ᾽ οἷς δυσαρεστοῦνται λαθεῖν. καὶ οἶμαι τοῦτ᾽ εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰώβ· ἐν τούτοις πᾶσι τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπὶ τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἀναγεγραμμένου· ἐν τούτοις πᾶσι τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. ὃ δὴ προστάσσων μὴ δεῖν γίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ ὁ λόγος φησί· πρόσεχε μή ποτε γένηται ῥῆμα κρυπτὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, ἀνόμημα, λέγων· ἐγγίζει τὸ ἔτος τὸ ἕβδομον — καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. §2. τοίνυν οὕτως εὐχόμενος τοσαῦτα προωφεληθεὶς ἐπιτηδειότερος γίνεται ἀνακραθῆναι τῷ πεπληρωκότι τὴν πᾶσαν οἰκουμένην τοῦ κυρίου πνεύματι καὶ τῷ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν πεπληρωκότι, διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντι οὕτως· οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει κύριος. ἔτι δὲ διὰ τε τῆς προειρημένης καθαρεύσεως(?) καὶ τῆς εὐχῆς τοῦ μέσου(?) καὶ τῶν [περιεσκόντων(?) garbled] αὐτὸν ἑστηκότος λόγου θεοῦ, οὐδενὸς ἀπολειπομένου τῆς εὐχῆς, μεθέξει, συνευχομένου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα τῷ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ μεσιτευομένῳ(?) [obscure]. ἀρχιερεὺς γὰρ τῶν προσφορῶν ἡμῶν καὶ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα παράκλητός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, εὐχόμενος ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐχομένων καὶ συμπαρακαλῶν τοῖς παρακαλοῦσιν, οὐχ ἂν ὑπὲρ οἰκείων εὐξόμενος τῶν μὴ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ συνεχέστερον εὐχομένων οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὡς ὑπὲρ ἤδη ἰδίων παράκλητος ἐσόμενος πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τῶν μὴ πειθομένων ταῖς εἰς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν διδασκαλίαις. ἔλεγε γάρ, φησί, παραβολὴν πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν· κριτής τις ἦν ἔν τινι πόλει — καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἕξει φίλον, καὶ πορεύσεται πρὸς αὐτὸν μεσονύκτιον καὶ εἴπῃ αὐτῷ· φίλε, χρῆσόν μοι τρεῖς ἄρτους, ἐπειδὴ φίλος παρεγένετο ἐξ ὁδοῦ πρός με, καὶ οὐκ ἔχω ὃ παραθήσω αὐτῷ — καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγα· λέγω ὑμῖν, εἰ καὶ οὐ δώσει αὐτῷ ἀναστὰς διὰ τὸ εἶναι φίλον αὐτοῦ, διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ ἐγερθεὶς δώσει αὐτῷ ὅσων χρήζει. τίς δὲ μὴ προτραπῇ τῶν τῷ ἀψευδεῖ στόματι πιστευόντων Ἰησοῦ ἀόκνως εὔχεσθαι, λέγοντος· αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει; ἐπεὶ ὁ χρηστὸς πατὴρ τὸν ζῶντα ἄρτον αἰτούντων ἡμῶν αὐτὸν (οὐχ ὃν βούλεται λίθον τροφὴν γενέσθαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀντικείμενος) δίδωσι τοῖς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς υἱοθεσίας εἰληφόσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρός· καὶ δίδωσιν ὁ πατὴρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν δόμα ὕων(?) ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν.