Justi autem in perpetuum vivent
et apud dominum est merces eorum.
The just shall live forever, and their reward is with the Lord.

THE just [righteous] shall live for ever and their reward is with God (Wis. 5:18). Look carefully at what this means: on the surface it may seem trivial and commonplace, but in fact it merits attention and is very significant.

Die gerehten suln leben êwiclîche, und ir lôn ist bi gote^'. Nû merket disen sin gar eben; aleine er grop lûte und gemeine, se') ist er doch gar merklich und gar guot.

“The just shall live.” Who are the just? One text reads, “He is just who gives to each what what is due to them”. (cf. Prov. 21:26; Ps. 37:21; Ex. 33:20) [Thus the just] give to God His due, to the saints and angels what is due to them and to his fellow human being what is due to him.

^`Die gerehten suln leben^'. Welhez sint die gerehten? ^l Ein geschrift sprichet: » der ist gereht, der einem ieglîchen gibet, daz sin ist« ². Die gote gebent, daz sin ist, und den heiligen und den engeln, daz ir ist, und dem ebenmenschen, daz sin ist ³.

“TO GOD be [all] honor!” (cf.1Tim.1:17; Rev.7:12) Who are they who honor God? Those who, having gone out of themselves, do not seek their own in anything, whatever it may be, great or small; who seek nothing above or below, beside or with themselves; not mindful of possessions, honors, comfort, or pleasure; nor inwardness, holiness, reward, or even the kingdom of heaven.

Gotes ist diu êre ¹. Wer sint, die got êrent? Die ir selbes alzemâle sint ûzgegangen und des irre alzemâle niht ensuochent an keinen dingen, swaz ez joch si, noch grôz noch klein, die niht ensehent under sich noch über sich noch neben sich noch an sich, die niht enmeinent noch guot noch êre noch gemach noch lust noch nuz noch innicheit noch heilicheit noch lôn noch himelrîche

These, who have left behind everything that is [in any sense] “theirs” ‒

und dis alles sint ûzgegangen, alles des irre,

these are the people who honor God, who truly honor Him and render Him what is His due.

dirre liute hât got êre, und die êrent got eigenlîche und gebent im, daz sin ist ².

WE ought to give joy to the saints and angels (cf. Ps 132:9; Rev. 18:20). So, then, wonder of wonders! Can a person in this life give joy to those who are in eternal life? Yes, truly! Every saint rejoices and takes such inexpressible delight in every good deed, every good will or intention, that no mouth can express nor can any heart imagine  their joy at this (Is 64:4-5; 1Cor. 2:9).

Man sol geben den engeln und den heiligen vröude. Eyâ, wunder über alliu wunder! Mac ein mensche in disem lebene vröude geben den, die in dem êwigen lebene sint? Jâ wærlîche! ein ieglich heilige hât sô grôzen lust und sô unsprechelîche vröude, von einem ieglîchen guoten werke, von einem guoten willen oder einer begerunge hânt sie sô grôze vröude, daz ez kein munt ûzsprechen kan, noch kein herze kan ez erdenken, wie grôze vröude sie dâ von hânt ¹.

Not only the saints and angels, but God Himself takes such delight in this as though it affected His own blessedness, as though His [very] being depended on it together with His contentment and well-being. Remember then, that even if we serve God for no other reason than for the exceeding joy of those in eternal life and of God Himself, yet we ought to do so eagerly and with all our zeal.

Niht aleine die heiligen noch die engel, mêr: got selber hât sô grôzen lust dar abe, rehte als ob ez sin sælicheit si, und sîn Wesen swebet dar an und sîn genüegede und sin wollust ^2. Eyâ, nû merket! Enwellen wir gote niht dienen umbe kein ander sache wan umbe die grôzen vröude, die sie dar an hânt, die in dem êwigen lebene sint, und got selber, wir mähten ez gerne tuon und mit allem vlîze.

And to those in purgatory (as well as to those who are alive) we should offer assistance and amelioration [of their pains].

Man sol ouch den geben, die in dem vegeviure sint, hilfe und bezzerunge und < . . . > den, die noch lebent ³.

This sort of person [who gives to each what is proper] is “just” in one sense, but in another sense the just are those who accept everything equally from God, whatever it may be: great or small, good or bad; all equally, no more nor less, but each thing like the other. If one thing is of more importance to you than another then you are “unjust”. You should depart completely from your own will.

Dirre mensche ist gereht in einer wise, und in einem andern sinne sô sint die gereht, die alliu dine glich enpfâhent von gote, swaz ez Joch si, ez si grôz oder klein, liep oder leit, und al glich, noch minner noch mêr, einz als daz ander. Wigest dû daz ein iht mêr dan daz ander, sô ist im unreht ². Dû soit dînes eigenen willen alzemâle ûzgân.

I was thinking just now that if God does not will what I want, then I must will as He [wills]. Some people want only to have their own will in all things: that is bad and leads to error. Other people are a little better: they truly want what God wills and want nothing that is against his will; should they become ill they would truly wish for it to be God’s will that they return to health. Thus these people would prefer that God’s will accord with their wishes, rather than that they should want only what He wills.  We accept this, but it is “unjust”. The just have no will at all: whatever God wills is all equivalent to them, however great the hardship.

Ich gedâhte niuwelîche umbe ein dine : enwölte got niht als ich, sô wölte ich doch als er. Sumlîche liute wellent irn eigenen willen hân an allen dingen; daz ist boese, dar in vellet gebreste. Die andern sint ein wênic bezzer, die wellent wol, waz got wil, wider sînen willen enwellent sie niht; wæren sie siech, sô wölten sie wol, daz ez gotes wille wære, daz sie gesunt wæren. Alsô wölten die liute, daz got nâch irm willen wölte, lieber dan daz sie nâch sinem willen wölten. Man muoz ez vertragen, im ist aber unreht. Die gerehten en­hânt zemâle keinen willen; waz got wil, daz ist in allez glich, swie grôz daz ungemach si ³.

St Augustine says, Where the soul loves there she [truly]is; more so, even, that where she gives life. This phrase sounds simple, even commonplace; but few understand what it means, and it is nonetheless true. Whoever understands the significance of justice and the just will understand everything I say.

Sant Augustînus sprichet : »dâ diu sêle minnet, dâ ist si eigenlîcher, dan dâ si leben gibet« 1. Daz wort lûtet grop und gemeine, und verstât doch wênic ieman, wie im sî, und ist doch war. Swer underscheit verstât von gerehticheit und von gerehtem, der verstât allez, daz ich sage.

So why do you live? In order to live - yet you still do not know why you live. So desirable is life in itself that we desire it for its own sake. [Even] those in hell in eternal pain have no wish to lose their life, whether fiends or [human] souls, for their life is so noble that it flows without any intermediary into their souls from God. And because it flows from God without any intermediary, this is why they wish to live. What is life? God’s essence is my life. If my life is God’s essence then God’s being is my being and God’s is-ness is my is-ness, neither less nor more.

Mêr: war umbe lebest dû? Umbe leben, und enweist dennoch niht, war umbe dû lebest. Sô begirlich ist daz leben in im selber, daz man ez umbe sich selber begert. Die ³ in der helle sint in êwiger pîne, die enwölten niht ir leben ver­liesen, noch vîende noch sêlen, wan ir leben ist sô edel, daz ez sunder allez mitel vliuzet von gote in die sêle. Dar umbe wan ez von gote alsô vliuzet sunder mitel, dar umbe wellent sie leben ¹. Waz ist leben? Gotes wesen ist min leben. Ist min leben gotes wesen, sô muoz daz gotes sin min sin und gotes isticheit min isticheit, noch minner noch mêr².

[THERE are] those who live eternally “with God,” right next to Him, not below or above [Him]. They engage in all their works with God and God with them. St John says, the Word was with God (Jn.1:1). It was exactly equal and near to Him, neither beneath nor above but equal. When God made human beings he made woman from the man’s side so that she might be his equal. He made her not from the head or feet: that is, neither [inferior as ] woman nor [superior to] man, but [man’s] equal. In the same way the just soul should be equal to God and near to Him, neither beneath nor above God.

Sie Iebent êwiclîche `bî gote' <sup>3</sup>, rehte glich bî gote, noch unden noch oben. Sie würkent alliu iriu werk bî gote und got bi in. Sant Johannes sprichet: <sup>`</sup>daz wort was bî gote'. Ez was alzemâle glich und was bi neben, noch undenân noch obenân, sunder glich Dô got den menschen machete, del' machete er die vrouwen von des mannes sîten, dar umbe daz si im glich wære. Er machete sie niht von dem houbte noch von den viiezen, daz si im wære weder vrouwe noch man, sunder daz si glich wære ¹. Alsô sol diu gerehte sêle glich bi gote sin und bi neben gote, rehte glich, noch unden noch oben.

Everything the Father can attain he gives equally to this soul, provided she is no more equal to herself than to any other, nor closer to herself than to any other. Her own honor, her needs, and her possessions she neither desires nor considers more significant than any stranger’s. What pertains to another, whether good or evil, is neither foreign nor distant to her.  All love of the world is based on love of self: if you leave that behind, you leave the whole world behind.

Swaz der vater geleisten mac, daz gibet er dirre sêle glich, Jâ ob si glich stât ir selber niht mêr dan einem andern, und si sol ir selber niht næher sin dan einem andern. Jr eigen are, ir nuz und swaz ir ist, des ensol si niht mêr begern noch ahten dan eines vremden. Swaz iemannes ist, daz sol ir weder sin vremde noch verre, ez si boese oder guot². Alliu minne dirre werlt ist gebûwen ûf eigenminne. Hætest dû die gelâzen, sô hætest dû al die went gelâzen ^I.

From the innermost stream I stream forth as the Holy Spirit, where there is one life, one being and one work. Everything God does is one; therefore he brings me forth as His son without any distinction. My physical father is not really my father except in one small fragment of his nature: I am different from him; he may be dead and I alive.

 In dem innersten quelle dâ quille ich ûz in dem heiligen geiste, dâ ist éin leben und éin wesen und éin werk. Allez, waz got würket, daz ist ein; dar umbe gebirt er mich sinen sun âne allen underscheit ¹. Min lîplîcher vater ist niht eigenlîche min vater sunder an einem kleinen stückelîn sîner natûre, und ich bin gescheiden von im; er mac tôt sin und ich leben².

We will be wholly transformed in[to?] God and changed (2 Cor.3:). Note this analogy: just as in the sacrament bread is changed into the body of Our Lord; however much bread there may be there is only one body. In the same way if all the breads were changed into my finger there would be no more than the one finger. But note: if my finger were changed back into the breads, there would be as many of the one as of the other; for whatever is changed into another becomes one with it. Thus am I changed into Him into him and he effects his being in me without dissimilarity: by the living God it is true that there is no distinction.

`Wir werden alzemâle transformieret in got und verwandelt.' Merke ein glîchnisse. Ze glîcher wise, als an dem sacramente verwandelt wirt brôt in unsers herren lîchamen, swie vil der brôte wære, sô wirt doch éin lichame. Ze glîcher wise, wæren alliu diu brôt verwandelt in mînen vinger, sô wære doch niht mêr dan éin vinger. Mêr: würde min vinger verwandelt in daz brôt, sô wære diz als vil als jenez wære. Waz in daz ander verwandelt wirt, daz wirt ein mit im. Alsô wirde ich gewandelt in in, daz er würket mich sin wesen ein unglîch; bi dem lebenden got sô ist daz war, daz kein underscheit enist ¹.

I recently pondered whether I wish to ask or accept anything from God. I must reflect carefully on this; for by accepting from God I would make myself like a servant, and He like a Lord in regard to giving. That is not how it will be for us in eternal life.

 Ich gedâhte niuweliche, ob ich von gote iht nemen wölte oder begern. Ich wil mich harte wol beraten, wan dâ ich von gote wære nemende, dâ wære ich under gote als ein kneht und er als ein herre an dem gebenne. Alsô ensuln wir niht sin in dem êwigen lebene².

When the carpenter stops working the house ceases to become. If the axe lies motionless becoming ceases. God and I are one in this acting: he works and I become. Fire changes into itself what is cast into it, which then becomes fire's  nature. The wood does not convert fire into itself, rather the fire converts wood into itself. Thus we shall be changed into God so that we shall know him as he is (1Jn.3:2).  St Paul says, So shall we know Him, just as I know Him and He knows me (1Co.13: 12 ),, neither more nor less but completely equally. The just shall live for ever and their reward is with God (Wis. 5:18) - therefore equally.

 Sô der zimmerman niht enwiirket, sô enwirt ouch daz hûs niht. Dâ diu Barte liget, dâ liget ouch daz gewerden. Got und ich wir sint ein in disem gewürke; er wiirket, und ich gewirde ². Daz viur verwandelt in sich, swat im zuogevüeget wirt und wirt sin natûre. Daz holz daz verwandelt daz viur in sich niht, mêr: daz viur verwandelt daz holz in sich ^I. Alsô werden wir in got verwandelt, daz wir in bekennen suln, als er ist. Sant Paulus sprichet : alsô suln wir bekennende sîn, rehte ich in als er mich ², noch minner noch mêr, glich blôz. ^`Die gerehten suln leben êwiclîche, und ir lôn ist bi gote^' alsô glich.

That we may love justice for its own sake and God without [asking] why, may God help us. Amen.

Daz wir die gerehticheit minnen durch sich selben und got âne warumbe, des helfe uns got. Amen.