On Steadfastness
LXXXIX. On Steadfastness
1. O God, Who art so steadfast in loving
that nobody can deflect You
from anything You wish to do!
2. You are steadfast in greatness of goodness,
by virtue of the bonifier, bonifying and the bonified,
and likewise <by virtue> of your great truth.
3. Since God loves judging by virtue of justice,
He affixes judgement so firmly to His love
that nothing, apart from mercy, can compel Him <to do anything>.
4. God is so steadfast in <His> forgiveness
that nothing is capable of deflecting Him therefrom,
unless it causes Him to despair.
5. He who loves and fears God
is so steadfast in virtue
that he lacks no good.
6. Whoever knows how to strengthen his will
with patience and charity
has no fear of any man born.
7. He properly strengthens his will
who invests it in worthy hope
and does God’s bidding.
8. Steadfastness of power
by reason of truth and faithfulness
is worth more than an empire or a kingdom.
9. Man is steadfast for the sake of a worthy (lit. “good”) end,
more so than for the sake of gold or of his relatives,
on whose account he errs night and day.
10. Whoever remains steadfast against iniquity
is bound by all the virtues,
and neither utters falsehoods nor maintains an angry heart.