2-3:3
Ὅπως δὲ μή τις εἴπη· Πάντες οὖν ἑαυτους φονεύσαντες πορεύεσθε ἤδη παρὰ τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἡμῖν πράγματα μὴ παρέχετε, ἐρῶ δι ἣν αἰτίαν τοῦτο οὐ πράττομεν καὶ δι ἣν ἐξεταζόμενοι ἀφόβως ὁμολογοῦμεν. Οὐκ εἰκῇ τὸν κόσμον πεποιηκέναι τὸν θεὸν δεδιδάγμεθα, ἀλλ ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον γένος· χαίρειν τε τοῖς τὰ προσόντα αὐτῷ μιμουμένοις φροέφημεν ἀπαρέσκεσθαι δὲ τοῖς τὰ φαῦλα ἀσπαζομένοις ἢ λόγῳ ἢ ἔργῳ. Εἰ οὖν πάντες ἑαυτοὺς φονεύσομεν, τοῦ μὴ γεννηθῆναί τινα καὶ μαθητευθῆναι εἰς τὰ θεῖα διδάγματα ἢ καὶ μὴ εἶναι τὸ ἀνθρώπειον γένος, ὅσον ἐφ ἡμῖν, αἰτιοι ἐσόμεθα, ἐναντίον τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ βουλῇ καὶ αὐτοὶ ποιοῦντες, ἐὰν τοῦτο πράξωμεν. Ἐξεταζόμενοι δὲ οὐκ ἀρνοίμεθα διὰ τὸ συνεπίστασθαι ἑαυτοῖς μηδὲν φαῦλον, ἀσεβὲς δὲ ἡγούμενοι μὴ κατὰ πάντα ἀληθεύειν, ὃ καὶ φίλον τῷ θεῷ γινώσκομεν, ὑμᾶς δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀδίκου προλήψεως ἀπαλλάξαι νῦν σπεύδοντες
但恐怕有人要說：「那麼你們都去自殺，如此就立刻往神那裡去，也別給我們添麻煩。」我要說明我們為何不這樣行，以及我們受審時為何毫無懼怕地承認。我們受教知道，神造世界並非徒然，乃是為著人類的緣故;我們先前也說過，凡效法祂所具之美德的人，祂便喜悅，但凡無論在言語或行為上擁抱卑劣之事的人，祂便不喜悅。所以我們若都自殺，就我們這方面而言，便成了無人得以出生、得以受教於神聖教訓的緣由，甚至成了人類滅絕的緣由，這樣行我們自己便是違背神的旨意了。但我們受審時並不否認，因我們自知並無任何卑劣之事，又認為凡事不說真話乃是不虔的——我們知道說真話也是神所喜悅的——並且我們如今也切願將你們從不義的成見中解救出來。
But lest someone should say, "Then go all of you and kill yourselves, and so go now to God, and give us no trouble," I will tell the reason for which we do not do this, and the reason for which, when examined, we confess without fear. We have been taught that God did not make the world in vain, but for the sake of the human race; and we have said before that he takes pleasure in those who imitate the qualities that belong to him, but is displeased with those who embrace what is base, either in word or in deed. If, then, we should all kill ourselves, we would be the cause, so far as it lies with us, that no one should be born and instructed in the divine teachings, or even that the human race should cease to exist, and we ourselves would be acting contrary to the will of God if we did this. But when we are examined, we do not deny, because we are conscious to ourselves of nothing base, and we consider it impious not to speak the truth in all things, which we know to be pleasing also to God, and because we are now eager also to deliver you from your unjust prejudice.