The Book of Steps

...in the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah He persuaded the prophet saying: "If Moses and Samuel should stand before Me in this time, I will not hear them." Also in their generations, these righteous men [were] powerful men who at all times were heard when they prayed; and at times they were not heard. Moses, the great prophet of all Israel, by whose acceptable prayer the people were delivered from wrath many times: and his prayer sufficed for all of Israel. And at another time, his prayer did not suffice for himself. For he went out in sorrow and begged that he might pass over and see the land of promise. And the Lord said to him: "It is enough for you; do not add again to speak this word before Me. For I will not hear you, because you embittered the word of my mouth and did not sanctify Me over the waters of contention." This is a wondrous matter, concerning which the righteous were not justified! When the righteous are not heard, they are delivered to correction before the judgment, so that in the day of retribution they are not delivered. Thus Moses was corrected because of the murmuring, and he was not heard, and He did not bring him into the land of promise.

I say to you, my brothers in the faith of truth, that from the creation and forever they are able...

...the most good [God] gave faith to the prophet Jeremiah, saying: "If Samuel and Moses should stand before Me at that time, I will not hear them¹."

7. But even those righteous ones in their generations, and most powerful men, each in his time, were sometimes heard while they were praying, and sometimes were not heard. Moses, the great prophet of all Israel, by whose most acceptable prayer the people were often liberated from wrath, when the intercession of one man sufficed for all of Israel, at another time he prayed, but his prayer did not suffice for himself. For he supplicated groaning and pleaded that, passing over, he might see the land of promise; but the Lord answered him: "It is enough; do not again multiply this speech before me; for I will not hear you, because you exacerbated the word of my mouth, nor did you sanctify me at the waters of contention²." O wonderful mysteries, that the just are not heard! For when they are not heard, they are punished before the judgment, so that in the day of vengeance they may not be corrected. Thus Moses was punished on account of the murmuring; his prayer was not heard, and he did not enter the land of promise.

8. With true confidence, brothers, I assert that just and upright men [are] continually, from the beginning...