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89. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “Keep thyself aloof from every man who is contentious in speech.”

90. An old man said, “In all [thy] trials blame no man except thyself, and say, These have happened me for my sins.”

91. An old man said, “In the sluggard and the useless man God hath no pleasure.”

92. A brother asked Abbâ Timothy, saying, “I wish to guard my soul from things that will hurt it”; and the old man said unto him, “How can we guard our soul when the door[s] of our tongue and belly are open?”

93. They used to say that a certain man asked Abbâ Sisoes about Abbâ Pambô, saying, “Tell us about his life and conduct”; the old man made answer to him, saying, “Abbâ Pambô is great in his works.”

94. Abbâ Joseph related that Abbâ Poemen said, “The meaning of the words which are written in the Gospel, ‘Whosoever hath a garment, let him sell it, and buy a sword’ (St. Luke 22:36), is, ‘Let him that hath a life of ease relinquish it, and lay hold upon [a life of] toil.’ ”

95. They used to say that [on one occasion] when certain of the old men were sitting with Abbâ Poemen and were discussing some of the fathers, and were [asking each other] if they remembered Abbâ Sisoes, Abbâ Poemen said, “Quit talking about Abbâ Sisoes, for he hath surpassed the measure (or limit) of all histories.”

96. On one occasion a father came to Abbâ Theodore of Perâmê, and said unto him, “Behold, O father, such and such a brother hath gone back to the world”; and the old man said, “Dost thou wonder thereat? Marvel not at this, but thou mayest marvel when thou hearest that a man hath been able to flee completely from the world.”

97. An old man related of Moses that when he slew the Egyptian he looked on this side and on that, and saw no man, and explained the meaning of the passage as being that Moses did not see his thoughts. And when he saw himself, and that he was doing no evil thing, and that that which he was about to do was for God’s sake, he then slew the Egyptian.

98. An old man also said concerning the verse of the Psalms wherein it is written, “I will place his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers” (Psalm 89:25), that it was spoken concerning our Redeemer, Whose left hand is on the sea, that is to say the world, and Whose right hand is in the rivers, that is to say, the Apostles, who water the whole world with faith.

99. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, “What shall I do? For I am troubled about the works of my hands: I love