No emblarás
The Commandment Against Theft
God forbids theft and encourages reliance on His providence through prayer rather than illicit gain.
God has given humankind a commandment not to steal, because if someone keeps what he steals and does not return it, he cannot be saved, and he must be condemned to be tormented by the demons for as long as God will remain in heaven.✦ Dear son, do not steal, for the One who created you does not want it, and from Him you cannot escape; and if you need something, do not steal it, but ask God for it—He can give it to you just as He gives it to the one you'd steal it from.1
The Deception of Vainglory and Reputation
Theft extends beyond material goods to the stealing of God's glory and the irreparable damage done to one's reputation.
Son, don't be a lover of vainglory, for such people steal from God the goods and graces they've received, which they attribute to themselves. If it's wrong, my son, to steal money, clothing, or other material things that a person can eventually pay back, then it's far worse to steal someone's time or reputation—things that can never be made right or restored.
The Consequences and Character of Theft
Theft brings both earthly punishment and spiritual shame, obscuring the mercy of God.
For stealing, gallows are built where thieves are hanged; for robbery, thieves have their noses and ears cut off and are flogged through the town; and for stealing, men are tortured so they'll return what was stolen. Son, theft is taking what God has given; it makes a person ashamed before others, and it causes them to undervalue the great freedom and mercy of our Lord God Jesus Christ.
Choosing Integrity Over Ill-Gotten Gain
It is better to live in humble poverty and obedience to God than to be a wealthy thief, even if it requires begging.
Know, son, that God commands you not to steal, so that you'll put your hope in him and ask him, and give to your neighbor, so that God multiplies the gift for you. It's better and more valuable, my son, to be a poor man who fears God than a rich and proud thief; and it's better to say no than to steal and give.✦2 Rather than be disobedient, a thief, or displeasing to God and others, it's better to go begging from door to door for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Read the original Latin
Manament ha Deus fet a hom que no fassa ladronici, car si hom posseeix so que embla e no ho ret, no pot esser salvat e cové esser jutjat a esser turmentat per los demonis aytant durablement com Deus estará al cel.
Amable fill, no fasses ladronici, car no ho vol cell quit ha creat, del qual no pots escapar: e si has mester alguna cosa, no la embles, mas demana la a Deu qui a tu la pot donar, en axí com la dona en aquell a qui tu la vols emblar.
No sies, fill, amador de vana gloria, car aquells fan ladronici a Deu dels bens e de les gracies que han reebudes, les quals atriboexen a ells meteys.
Si mala cosa es, fill, emblar diners o draps o altres coses semblants a aqüestes, les quals pot hom retre, adoncs molt pus mala cosa es emblar temps e fama e les altres coses semblants a aqüestes, les quals hom no pot satisfer ne retre.
Per emblar, son fetes les forques en que hom penja los homens ladres, e per fer ladronici tol hom als ladres lo nas e les oreyes e los assota hom per la vila; e per emblar turmenta hom los homens, per que reten les coses emblades.
Ladrunici es, fill, tolre so que Deus ha donat; e ladrunici fa hom estar vergonyós denant les gents, e ladrunici fa a hom menys prear la gran libertat e misericordia de nostro Senyor Deu Jhesu Christ.
Sapies, fill, que Deus te mana que tu no fasses ladrunici, per so que ages esperansa en ell e que li demans, e que dons a ton proysme, per so que Deus te multiplich lo do.
Mellor cosa es e més val, fill, pobre temorós que ladre rich e ergullós, e mellor cosa es dir de no, que emblar e donar.
Anans que tu sies desobedient ne ladre ne desagradable a Deu e a les gents, ¡anans anasses querre per les portes, per amor de nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ!
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩Medieval Catalan «cell quit ha creat» is read as «aquell qui t'ha creat» (“the One who created you”); orthography is archaic but the sense is clear from context.
- 2 ↩«dir de no» is rendered as plain refusal («say no»): in context of the theft commandment, the likely force is that refusing is better than stealing in order to give (e.g. alms from stolen goods). «temorós» is taken as God-fearing fear, not mere timidity.
Doctrine for Children — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit