Injustice and Aid

Περὶ ἀδικουμένων· ὅτι χρὴ βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς.  Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις μέγας γενόμενος ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ἐξῆλθε πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ· κατανοήσας δὲ τὸν πόνον αὐτῶν, ὁρᾷ ἄνθρωπον Αἰγύπτιον τύπτοντα τινὰ Ἑβραῖον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῶν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Περιβλέψας δὲ ὧδε καὶ ὧδε, οὐχ ὁρᾷ οὐδένα· καὶ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, ἔκρυψεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ, ὁρᾷ δύο ἄνδρας διαπληκτιζομένους, καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀδικοῦντι·  Διὰ τί τύπτεις τὸν πλησίον;  Ὁ δὲ εἶπε Τίς σε κατέστησε ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς; Ἢ ἀνελεῖν με θέλεις, ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες χθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον; ἐφοβήθη δὲ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰ οὕτως ἐμφανὲς γέγονε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο;   Διέσωσα πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου. Συνέτριψα μυλὰς ἀδίκων, ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα.  Ῥῦσαι ἀπαγομένους εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ἐκπριοῦ κτεινομένους, μὴ φείσῃ. Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπης, Οὐκ οἶδα τοῦτον, γίνωσκε ὅτι Κύριος καρδίας πάντων γινώσκει, ὃς ἀποδίδωσιν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.  Ἐξέλεσθε διηρπαγμένον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος αὐτόν.  Ἀδικίαν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἀφέλεσθε· ἐξάρατε καταδυναστείαν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ μου, λέγει Κύριος.  Ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος αὐτόν.   Πᾶς ὁ πλέων ἐγγύς ἐστι τοῦ ναυαγίου, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳ σφοδρότερον πλέει· καὶ πᾶς ὁ σῶμα περικείμενος, ἐγγύς ἐστι τῶν τοῦ σώματος κακῶν, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳπερ ἂν ὀρθῶς βαδίζει, καὶ μὴ βλέπει τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ κειμένους. Ἕως πλεῖς ἐξ οὐρίας, τῷ ναυαγοῦντι δὸς χεῖρα· ἕως εὐεκτεῖς, καὶ πλουτεῖς, τῷ κακοπαθοῦντι βοήθησον. Μὴ ἀναμείνῃς ἐπὶ σεαυτοῦ μαθεῖν, ὅσον κακόν ἐστιν ἀπανθρωπία, καὶ οἷον ἀγαθὸν σπλάγχνα τοῖς χρῄζουσιν ἀνοιγόμενα.  Χρηστοὺς εἶναι χρὴ τοῖς προεμπεσοῦσι, καὶ τῷ ἐλέῳ κτᾶσθαι τὸν ἔλεον.  Ἐν ταῖς ἀλλοτρίαις συμφοραῖς τὰ οἰκεῖα εὖ τίθεσθαι χρὴ, καὶ δανείζειν Θεῷ τὸν ἔλεον ἐλέους χρῄζοντας, καὶ μὴ καταφρονεῖν ἀνθρώπων ἄνθρωποι ὄντες. Μὴ γελάσῃς πτῶμα τοῦ πέλας·διάβαινε δὲ ἀσφαλῶς, ὅση σοι δύναμις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίδου χεῖρα χαμαὶ κειμένῳ. Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Τὰ Ιἐρα Παραλληλα, Στοικειον Α' , Τιτλ  ΙΖʹ Source:Migne PG 95 1192c-1193b

Concerning those treated unjustly, that one must help them. In those days, when Moses was full grown, he went out to his brothers, the sons of Israel, and looking on their toil, he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew, one of his brothers, one of the sons of Israel. And looking about here and there and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the earth. And going out a second day, he saw two Jews fighting and he said to him who did injury, 'Why do you strike your neighbour?' And he said, 'Who set you up as prince and judge over us? Do you wish to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? And Moses was afraid and said, 'Report of this has become so well known?' 1 I shall free the poor man from the hand of the powerful. I shall crush the teeth of the unrighteous, from the midst of their teeth I shall deliver the prey. 2   Deliver those being lead to death, and free those who are about to be slain, do not refrain. For if you say, 'I do not know him,' know that the Lord knows the hearts of all, and He returns to each one according to his deeds 3 Seize him who is being dragged away from the hand of the unrighteous man. 4   Remove unrighteousness and wretchedness, and take oppression from my people, says the Lord. 5 Free him who suffers injustice from the hand of the unjust. 6 Whoever sails is near shipwreck and more so he who sails hard, and similarly someone who clothes the body is near to the bodies of the wicked, and more so he who goes to it with zeal, and does not notice those who lay before him. While you sail with a fair wind, give your hand to him who is shipwrecked. While your are healthy and rich, give your wealth to the afflicted. Do not expect to learn from yourself how much evil there is in inhumanity, and how much good in the opening of the heart to the needy. 7 Be benevolent to those those who have fallen into calamities, with mercy match mercy. 7 In the calamities of others we should consider what we have, and be merciful to match Gods mercy; we should not despise men when we ourselves are men. 8   Do not laugh at the fall of another man. But as far as you are able go aid him, and give your hand to him who is laying on the ground. 8 Saint John of Damascus, Sacred Parallels, Part 1, Chap 17 1 Exod 2.11 2 Job 29, 2,17 3 Prov 24.11 4 Jer 22.3 5 Ezek 45.9 6 Eccl 4.9 7 Greg Naz Or 15 8 Greg Naz Or 20