The error that comes with birth
He, then, did not make clear how error goes with becoming, nor did he set out whatever he meant, so that we might understand it by comparing his views with ours. But the prophets, hinting at some wise teaching about the things of becoming, say that a sacrifice “for sin” is offered even for those just born, as not pure from sin (Leviticus 12:6–8). They also say: “In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). And they declare as well that “sinners were estranged from the womb,” and they also say, in a surprising way, “they went astray from the belly, they spoke lies” (Psalm 58:3).
So thoroughly do the wise men among us disparage the whole nature of things perceived by the senses that in one place bodies are called vanity, in the words “For the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope” (Romans 8:20), and in another they are called the vanity “of vanities,” as the Preacher said: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). And who has so disparaged the life of the human soul here as he who said, “Nevertheless, all things are vanity, every man living” (Psalm 39:5)? For he had no doubt about the difference between the soul’s life here and its life outside the things of this world, nor did he say, “Who knows whether to live is to die, and to die is to live?” (Euripides, quoted in Plato, Gorgias 492e). Rather, he is bold to speak the truth in the words “our soul was brought low to the dust” (Psalm 44:25) and “you brought me down into the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15).
In keeping with this it has been said, “Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24), and also, “who will transform the body of our lowliness” (Philippians 3:21). He too is a prophet who said, “You brought us low in a place of affliction” (Psalm 44:19), calling the region about the earth a “place of affliction,” the place to which Adam, that is, man, came when he was cast out of paradise because of wickedness (Genesis 3:23–24). And as for him who says, “Now we see through a mirror and in a riddle, but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12), and further, “While we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6), and therefore “we are well pleased to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8), see how great were the things he had contemplated about the different life of souls.
Greek
Ὁ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἐσαφήνισε, πῶς μετὰ γενέσεώς ἐστι πλάνη, οὐδὲ παρέστησεν ὅ τι περ ἐβούλετο, ἵνα κατανοήσωμεν συγκρίνοντες τὰ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἡμετέροις· οἱ δὲ προφῆται, αἰνιττόμενοι ὅ τι περὶ τῶν γενέσεως πραγμάτων σοφὸν, θυσίαν „περὶ ἁμαρτίας“ λέγουσιν ἀναφέρεσθαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄρτι γεγενημένων ὡς οὐ καθαρῶν ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. φασὶ δὲ καὶ τό· „ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήφθην, καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέ με ἡ μήτηρ μου.“ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποφαίνονται ὅτι „ἀπηλλοτριώθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ μήτρας,“ παραδόξως λέγοντες καὶ τό· „ἐπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς, ἐλάλησαν ψευδῆ.“ οὕτω δὲ πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν διαβάλλουσιν οἱ καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς σοφοὶ φύσιν, ὥστε πῇ μὲν ματαιότητα εἰρῆσθαι τὰ σώματα ἐν τῷ „τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη οὐχ ἑκοῦσα ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι,“ πῇ δὲ ματαιότητα „ματαιοτήτων“ (ὧν) εἶπεν ὁ ἐκκλησιαστής· „ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.“ τίς δ᾿ οὕτω διαβέβληκε τὴν ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀνθρώπου ψυχῆς ζωὴν, ὡς ὁ εἰπών· „πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης. πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν;“ οὐ γὰρ ἐδίστασε περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τοῦ ζῆν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἔξω τῶν ἐνθάδε, οὐδ᾿ ἔλεγε μέν· τίς οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μέν ἐστι κατθανεῖν, τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν; θαῤῥεῖ δὲ λέγειν τὰ ἀληθῆ ἐν τῷ „ἐταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν“ καὶ „εἰς χοῦν θανάτου κατήγαγές με“· καθὸ καὶ τὸ „τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου;“ λέλεκται καὶ τὸ „ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν.“ προφήτης δέ ἐστι καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν τό· „ἐταπείνωσας ἡμᾶς ἐν τόπῳ κακώσεως.“ „κακώσεως“ τόπον λέγων τὸν περίγειον τόπον, ἐφ ὃν ἐκβληθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ παραδείσου διὰ τὴν κακίαν ἐλήλυθεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος. καὶ ὁ λέγων δὲ ὅτι „βλέπομεν ἄρτι δι᾿ ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον.“ ἔτι δὲ καὶ τό· „ἐνδημοῦντες ἐν τῷ σώματι ἐκδημοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου,“ διὸ „εὐδοκοῦμεν ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον,“ ὅρα πηλίκα περὶ τῆς διαφόρου ζωῆς τῶν ψυχῶν τεθεωρήκει.