The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

and the Lord delivered him up for our sins, and he openeth not his mouth because of his affliction. As a sheep he was brought to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before its shearer, so he openeth not his mouth. In humiliation his judgment was taken away.

Who shall declare

For the iniquities of my people is he come to death.

And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he wrought no iniquity, nor was guile found in his mouth. And the Lord’s will is to purify him from stripes.

If ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed.

And the Lord’s will is to take of the toil of his soul, to show him light and to form him with understanding, to justify a righteous man who serveth many well. And he himself shall bear their sins.

For this reason shall he inherit many, and he shall share the spoils of the strong; because his soul was delivered to death, and he was reckoned among the transgressors.

And he bore the sins of many, and for their sins was he delivered up.

And again he says himself, But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they who saw me mocked me, they spoke with their .lips, they shook their heads; He hoped on the Lord, let him deliver him, let him save him, for he hath pleasure in him.

You see. Beloved, what is the example which is given to us; for if the Lord was thus humble-minded, what shall we do, who through him have come under the yoke of his grace?

Let us also be imitators of those who went[*](Humility in the Old Testament) about in the skins of goats and sheep, heralding the coming of Christ; we mean Elijah and Elisha, and moreover Ezekiel, the prophets, and in addition to them the famous men of old.

Great fame was given to Abraham, and he was called the Friend of God,[*](Abraham) and he, fixing his gaze in humility on the Glory of God, says But I am dust and ashes.

Moreover it is also written thus concerning Job:—Now Job[*](Job) was righteous and blameless, true, a worshipper of God, and kept himself from all evil.

But he accuses himself, saying, No man is clean from defilement, not even if his life be but for a single day.

Moses was called Faithful with all his[*](Noah) house, and through his ministry God judged Egypt with their scourges and tormen ts; but he, though he was given great glory, did not use great words, but, when an oracle was given to him from the bush, said:—Who am I that thou sendest me? Nay, I am a man of feeble speech, and a slow tongue.

And again he says, But I am as smoke from a pot.