21.
For daily bread cannot be wanting to the righteous man, since it is written, "The Lord will not slay the soul of the righteous by hunger;" 1 and again "I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread." 2 And the Lord moreover promises and says, "Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?' For after all these things do the nations seek. And your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." 3 To those who seek God's kingdom and righteousness, He promises that all things shall be added. 4 For since all things are God's, nothing will be wanting to him who possesses God, if God Himself be not wanting to him. Thus a meal was divinely provided for Daniel: when he was shut up by the king's command in the den of lions, and in the midst of wild beasts who were hungry, and yet spared him, the man of God was fed. Thus Elijah in his flight was nourished both by ravens ministering to him in his solitude, and by birds bringing him food in his persecution. And--oh detestable cruelty of the malice of man!--the wild beasts spare, the birds feed, while men lay snares, and rage!
