When you have read and carefully listened to these things, you shall know what God bestows on such as rightly love Him, being made [as ye are] a paradise of delight, presenting[1521] in yourselves a tree bearing all kinds of produce and flourishing well, being adorned with various fruits. For in this place[1522] the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys—it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life,[1523] and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the serpent, stripped naked.[1524] For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life,[1525] declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the serpent, as not[1526] loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge[1527] inwardly received. Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather[1528] in those things which are desired by God, which the serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted,[1529] but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the apostles are filled with understanding, and the passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Footnote 1463: Literally, “trusting in what God, etc., they look down.” Footnote 1464: Or, “life.” Footnote 1465: Some read, “that you by hearing may be edified.” Footnote 1466: Or, “purified.” Footnote 1467: Literally, “which is deceiving.” Footnote 1468: Literally, “of what substance, or of what form.” Footnote 1469: Some make this and the following clauses affirmative instead of interrogative. Footnote 1470: The text is here corrupt. Several attempts at emendation have been made, but without any marked success. Footnote 1471: Some read, “Who of you would tolerate these things?” etc. Footnote 1472: The text is here uncertain, and the sense obscure. The meaning seems to be, that by sprinkling their gods with blood, etc., they tended to prove that these were not possessed of sense. Footnote 1473: The text is here very doubtful. We have followed that adopted by most critics.