On Truth
XXVI. On Truth
1. O God, Who reveals the truth of Your power
as openly as You do that of Your love and wisdom,
reveal my <own> will to be true in <its> love!
2. God loves to reveal the truth
of His infinity and eternity
as much as He does that of His wisdom and love.
3. Truth renders a man courteous,
trustworthy, free and well educated,
and makes him courageous more than does anything else.
4. Whoever fails to love God by reason of truth
is as wrong and as sinful
as if he harbours ill will towards Him.
5. God so greatly loves His truth
that He is as inclined towards the revealed truth
as He is, on account of love, towards the beloved.
6. Whoever knows the truth yet does not wish to utter it
is on the very verge of telling a lie,
since no good can come of it.
7. It is better to be truthful when loving
than <to be so> when embellishing the words of a sermon,
or when buying and selling.
8. Man is rich in goodness and in spirit
when he speaks the truth,
but a beggar when he lies.
9. One can find the truth
in a generous man, but not in a miser,
because <the former> delights in giving.
10. To die in the truth is better
than to live amid lies
or to feel any pleasure.