Translation of the text in English:

O Hisham! Indeed, Christ (peace be upon him) said to the disciples: O evil servants (of God)[1] Just as the height of a palm tree frightens you and bethink yourself of its thorns and hardness of climbing it, but you forget the sweetness and benefits of its fruit; in the same way, you think about of the hardness of work for the Hereafter, and long time to reach it, but you forget the blessings, the light, and the fruit that will be obtained in it.

O evil servants! Clean and flour the wheat and grind it well to taste it and enjoy eating it, in the same way, purify and perfect the faith to find its sweetness and enjoy its end.

Truly, I say unto you, if you find a lamp shining in the darkness of the night with tar oil, you will use the light thereof, and its stench will not turn you away from it; in the same way, it is worthwhile to take wisdom from whoever you find, and his reluctance to know it should not prevent you from learning it.

O servants of the material world! Truly, I say unto you, you will not reach unto the honor of the hereafter, unless you leave what you love. So do not wait for tomorrow to repent; because until tomorrow, day and night are passing and the divine destiny is coming and going in these mornings and evenings.

Truly, I say unto you, indeed, he who does not owe money to the people is more comfortable and less sad than he who owes money to the people, although he pays off his debt well. Likewise, one who has not committed a sin is more comfortable and less sad than one who has committed a sin, although he sincerely repents and returns. Indeed, small sins are the snare of the Satan; he displays them small for you and insignificant in your eyes, in order they to be gathered and surround you.

Truly, I say unto you, there are indeed two kinds of people regarding the wisdom: One is those who strengthen wisdom with their words, and acknowledge it with their deeds, and the other is those who strengthen it with their words, but corrupt it with their deeds. Therefore, how is the distance between the two! So, blessed are the scholars with action and woe to the scholars without action who are only talkative.

O evil servants! Make the mosques of your Lord a prison for your bodies and foreheads and make your hearts the abode of piety, and do not make them the abode of lusts. Truly, the most restless of you in times of disaster, is one of you who is most lover the material world, and your most patient in times of calamity is one of you who is most pious in the world.

O evil servants! Do not be like the abductor bird, the deceiver fox, the cunning wolf and the predatory lion, to do the same with people as they do with their victim: i.e. to abduct a group, to play tricks on a group and betray a group.

Truly, I say unto you, adorned bodies are not useful while their inside are corrupted. Likewise, your bodies, which are pleasing to you, will not be useful while your hearts are corrupted. It does not benefit you to clean your appearance but your hearts are filthy. Do not be like a sieve that outpours soft flour and retains bran. Likewise, you take wisdom out of your mouth and impurities remain in your chests.

O servants of the material world! Truly, your parable is like a lamp that illuminates people and burns itself.

O children of Israel! Fill the session of Ulema (scholars) so that even if you have to sit compressed on your knees, for God revives the dead hearts by the light of wisdom, even as He revives the dead earth by rain.

Original Arabic Text:

یَا هِشَامُ! إِنَّ الْمَسِیحَ (علیه السلام) قَالَ لِلْحَوَارِیِّینَ: یَا عَبِیدَ السَّوْءِ! ([1]) یَهُولُکُمْ طُولُ النَّخْلَةِ وَ تَذْکُرُونَ شَوْکَهَا وَ مَئُونَةَ مَرَاقِیهَا وَ تَنْسَوْنَ طِیبَ ثَمَرِهَا وَ مَرَافِقَهَا، کَذَلِکَ تَذْکُرُونَ مَئُونَةَ عَمَلِ الْآخِرَهِ فَیَطُولُ عَلَیْکُمْ أَمَدُهُ وَ تَنْسَوْنَ مَا تُفْضُونَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ نَعِیمِهَا وَ نَوْرِهَا وَ ثَمَرِهَا.

یَا عَبِیدَ السَّوْءِ! نَقُّوا الْقَمْحَ وَ طَیِّبُوهُ وَ أَدِقُّوا طَحْنَهُ تَجِدُوا طَعْمَهُ وَ یَهْنِئْکُمْ أَکْلُهُ، کَذَلِکَ فَأَخْلِصُوا الْإِیمَانَ وَ أَکْمِلُوهُ تَجِدُوا حَلَاوَتَهُ وَ یَنْفَعْکُمْ غِبُّهُ‏.

بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَکُمْ لَوْ وَجَدْتُمْ سِرَاجاً یَتَوَقَّدُ بِالْقَطِرَانِ‏ فِی لَیْلَهٍ مُظْلِمَهٍ لَاسْتَضَأْتُمْ بِهِ وَ لَمْ یَمْنَعْکُمْ مِنْهُ رِیحُ نَتْنِهِ، کَذَلِکَ یَنْبَغِی لَکُمْ أَنْ تَأْخُذُوا الْحِکْمَهَ مِمَّنْ وَجَدْتُمُوهَا مَعَهُ وَ لَا یَمْنَعْکُمْ مِنْهُ سُوءُ رَغْبَتِهِ فِیهَا.

یَا عَبِیدَ الدُّنْیَا! بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَکُمْ لَا تُدْرِکُونَ شَرَفَ الْآخِرَهِ إِلَّا بِتَرْکِ مَا تُحِبُّونَ، فَلَا تُنْظِرُوا بِالتَّوْبَهِ غَداً فَإِنَّ دُونَ غَدٍ یَوْماً وَ لَیْلَهً وَ قَضَاءَ اللَّهِ فِیهِمَا یَغْدُو وَ یَرُوحُ.

بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَکُمْ إِنَّ مَنْ لَیْسَ عَلَیْهِ دَیْنٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَرْوَحُ وَ أَقَلُّ هَمّاً مِمَّنْ عَلَیْهِ الدَّیْنُ وَ إِنْ أَحْسَنَ الْقَضَاءَ، وَ کَذَلِکَ مَنْ لَمْ یَعْمَلِ الْخَطِیئَهَ أَرْوَحُ هَمّاً مِمَّنْ عَمِلَ الْخَطِیئَهَ وَ إِنْ أَخْلَصَ التَّوْبَهَ وَ أَنَابَ، وَ إِنَّ صِغَارَ الذُّنُوبِ وَ مُحَقَّرَاتِهَا مِنْ مَکَایِدِ إِبْلِیسَ، یُحَقِّرُهَا لَکُمْ وَ یُصَغِّرُهَا فِی أَعْیُنِکُمْ فَتَجْتَمِعُ وَ تَکْثُرُ فَتُحِیطُ بِکُمْ.

بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَکُمْ إِنَّ النَّاسَ فِی الْحِکْمَهِ رَجُلَانِ: فَرَجُلٌ أَتْقَنَهَا بِقَوْلِهِ وَ صَدَّقَهَا بِفِعْلِهِ، وَ رَجُلٌ أَتْقَنَهَا بِقَوْلِهِ وَ ضَیَّعَهَا بِسُوءِ فِعْلِهِ
فَشَتَّانَ بَیْنَهُمَا، فَطُوبَى لِلْعُلَمَاءِ بِالْفِعْلِ وَ وَیْلٌ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ بِالْقَوْلِ.

یَا عَبِیدَ السَّوْءِ! اتَّخِذُوا مَسَاجِدَ رَبِّکُمْ سُجُوناً لِأَجْسَادِکُمْ وَ جِبَاهِکُمْ وَ اجْعَلُوا قُلُوبَکُمْ بُیُوتاً لِلتَّقْوَى وَ لَا تَجْعَلُوا قُلُوبَکُمْ مَأْوًى لِلشَّهَوَاتِ إِنَّ أَجْزَعَکُمْ عِنْدَ الْبَلَاءِ لَأَشَدُّکُمْ حُبّاً لِلدُّنْیَا وَ إِنَّ أَصْبَرَکُمْ عَلَى الْبَلَاءِ لَأَزْهَدُکُمْ فِی الدُّنْیَا.

یَا عَبِیدَ السَّوْءِ! لَا تَکُونُوا شَبِیهاً بِالْحِدَاءِ الْخَاطِفَهِ وَ لَا بِالثَّعَالِبِ الْخَادِعَهِ وَ لَا بِالذِّئَابِ الْغَادِرَهِ وَ لَا بِالْأُسُدِ الْعَاتِیَهِ کَمَا تَفْعَلُ بِالْفَرَائِسِ، کَذَلِکَ تَفْعَلُونَ بِالنَّاسِ فَرِیقاً تَخْطَفُونَ وَ فَرِیقاً تَخْدَعُونَ وَ فَرِیقاً تَغْدِرُونَ بِهِمْ‏.

بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَکُمْ لَا یُغْنِی عَنِ الْجَسَدِ أَنْ یَکُونَ ظَاهِرُهُ صَحِیحاً وَ بَاطِنُهُ فَاسِداً، کَذَلِکَ لَا تُغْنِی أَجْسَادُکُمُ الَّتِی قَدْ أَعْجَبَتْکُمْ وَ قَدْ فَسَدَتْ قُلُوبُکُمْ وَ مَا یُغْنِی عَنْکُمْ أَنْ تُنَقُّوا جُلُودَکُمْ وَ قُلُوبُکُمْ دَنِسَهٌ، لَا تَکُونُوا کَالْمُنْخُلِ‏ یُخْرِجُ مِنْهُ الدَّقِیقَ الطَّیِّبَ وَ یُمْسِکُ النُّخَالَهَ، کَذَلِکَ أَنْتُمْ تُخْرِجُونَ الْحِکْمَهَ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِکُمْ وَ یَبْقَى الْغِلُّ فِی صُدُورِکُمْ.

یَا عَبِیدَ الدُّنْیَا! إِنَّمَا مَثَلُکُمْ مَثَلُ السِّرَاجِ یُضِی‏ءُ لِلنَّاسِ وَ یُحْرِقُ نَفْسَهُ.

یَا بَنِی إِسْرَائِیلَ! زَاحِمُوا الْعُلَمَاءَ فِی مَجَالِسِهِمْ وَ لَوْ جُثُوّاً عَلَى الرُّکَبِ‏، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ یُحْیِی الْقُلُوبَ الْمَیْتَهَ بِنُورِ الْحِکْمَهِ کَمَا یُحْیِی الْأَرْضَ الْمَیْتَهَ بِوَابِلِ الْمَطَرِ.

[1]- هذا التعبیر لعله کان لحضور غیر الحواریین بین الحاضزین، بدلیل خطابه فی آخر الموعظه لبنی اسرائیل.

[1]- Using such a word may be because of presence of some other people besides the Apostles in the audience. Because he addressed to Bani Israel in the end of his speech.