Letter 210

To the same person. That you may learn that the bad man is bad only to himself, while the good man is good to others as well, I will furnish you a proverbial testimony: "For, my child," it says, "if you become bad, you alone will draw up the evils; but if you are wise, you will be wise for yourself, and for your neighbor." [a paraphrase of Proverbs 9:12 in the Septuagint]

Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ὁ μὲν κακὸς μόνῳ ἑαυτῷ κακὸς, ὁ δὲ ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἑτέροις ἀγαθὸς, μαρτυρίαν σοι παροι- μιώδη παρέξω· «Τέκνον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐὰν κακὸς Ἀ γένη ,μόνος ἀντλήσεις τὰ κακά· ἐὰν δὲ σοφὸς, ἔσῃ σεαυτῷ, καὶ τῷ πλησίῳ.