For he understood that because of his offending God, he had somehow been given over to scourges, and he reckoned the reproaches, mockings, and laughter from some people to be a portion of the affliction. For where there is a turning away of God and abandonment, even if it be a moderate one against someone, there will certainly be many and bitter things accustomed to cause grief. For the Lord told him to curse David. {Κυρίλλου.} He remembers this in the 38th psalm; he says, You have made me the reproach of the foolish. And Ahithophel said to Absalom, etc. {Κυρίλλου.} Absalom wanted to pursue his fleeing father; and Ahithophel rashly advised that this should be done. But Hushai, persuasively dissuading him from facing his father's ferocity, advised not to simply rush straight into this, but rather to prepare a sufficient force and gather a multitude of soldiers, because the blessed David was powerful and experienced in war and among the most warlike of men. And the woman took and spread the covering, etc. {Κυρίλλου.} Therefore, even if at times good things happen through men, let us not give thanks to them rather, 69.688 but to God who through them bestowed pleasant things. And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed. {Κυρίλλου.} The opinion of Hushai prevailed; but Ahithophel, being greatly grieved at this, ended his life with a noose, passing a just sentence upon himself. And he wept, and thus he said, etc. {Κυρίλλου.} Absalom made war against the blessed David, and the youth unexpectedly took up the weapons of hostility against his own father; but he was captured and perished. Nevertheless, the father did not rejoice over him who had suffered death, but mourned him as a son.

BOOK 3.

And King David was old, advanced in days. {Κυρίλλου.}

Having endured intolerable struggles, but having become greater than his enemies, and having become invincible to those who plotted against him. For he has prevailed not only over foreigners, nor did he turn back the phalanxes of bloodthirsty barbarians, but also over those who rose up against him from time to time and those who allied themselves with those who rose up against him. And you will give to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people in righteousness. {Κυρίλλου.} For it is necessary for those who wish to serve God to be wise and knowledgeable of what is expedient, and to be watchful in mind in their dealings, and to be willing to escape the tempest of the present life. For just as ships, when they have rudders, are borne straight towards their goal, and escape the assaults of the waves, even if the sea at times rages against them; but when they do not have rudders, they are easily tossed here and there, and are made drunk with wanderings, and striking against stones and rocks are dashed to pieces; so also the soul of man, when it is governed by a good mind, will easily escape the tempest-tossing Satan; and thus it renders ineffective even the wicked deeds of those who plot against it. But a heart that does not have wisdom suffers a harsh shipwreck.

And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, etc. {Κυρίλλου.} And it was pleasing, he says, in the sight of the Lord that Solomon asked this thing; he was praised not moderately, and was deemed worthy of the gift. For the Master of all, being generous in His gifts, granted it to him; for God readily grants to those who ask well. For wisdom and understanding are a truly excellent gift from God; with such splendid gifts is made bright even the nature of the angels itself, and the blessed multitude of the spirits above and in the heavens. For what other possession of the soul could there be besides this? Is it gold and silver? But this is nothing to us, because it is both temporary and perishable and

Ἐνενόει γὰρ ὅτι διά τοι τοῦ προσκεκροῦσθαι Θεῷ, δέδοταί πως εἰς μάστιγας, καὶ μοῖραν εἶναι κατελογίζετο τῆς πληγῆς, τοὺς παρά τινων ὀνειδισμοὺς τωθασμούς τε καὶ γέλωτας. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἀποστροφὴ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐγκατάλειψις, κἂν γοῦν ἡ μετρία γένοιτο κατά τινος, ἐκεῖ που πάντως ἔσται καταλυπεῖν εἰωθότα πολλὰ καὶ πικρά. Ὅτι Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν ∆αβίδ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τούτου μέμνηται ἐν τῷ ληʹ ψαλμῷ· φησὶν, Ὄνειδος ἄφρονι ἔδωκάς με. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀχιτόφελ πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὁ μὲν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ φεύγοντα τὸν πατέρα διώκειν ἤθελε· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ τοῦτο πράττεσθαι, νεανικῶς συνεβούλευεν Ἀχιτόφελ. Ὁ δέ γε Χουσὶ πιθανῶς αὐτὸν ἀφιστὰς τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀγριότητος ἐπιδεῖν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εὐθυδρομῆσαι πρὸς τοῦτο, προετοιμάσασθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ἀρκοῦσαν χεῖρα, καὶ στρατιωτῶν ὄχλον συνενεγκεῖν, διὰ τὸ εἶναι δυνατὸν καὶ ἐμπειροπόλεμον καὶ τῶν ὅτι μάλιστα μαχιμωτάτων τὸν μακάριον ∆αβίδ. Καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ διεπέτασε τὸ ἐπικάλυμμα, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Οὐκοῦν κἂν δι' ἀνθρώπων ἔσθ' ὅτε συμβαίνῃ τινὰ χρηστὰ, μὴ ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον 69.688 εὐχαριστῶμεν, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ τῷ δι' αὐτῶν τὰ θυμήρη χαρισαμένῳ. Καὶ Ἀχιτόφελ εἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ. {Κυρίλλου.} Κεκράτηκε μὲν ἡ τοῦ Χουσὶ γνώμη· λυπηθεὶς δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο λίαν ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ, βρόχῳ κατέλυσε τὸν βίον, αὐτὸς καθ' ἑαυτοῦ δικαίαν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκών. Καὶ ἔκλαυσε, καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Πεπολέμηκε μὲν τῷ μακαρίῳ ∆αβὶδ ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ ἀδοκήτως τὰ τῆς δυσμενείας ὅπλα κεκίνηκε κατὰ τοῦ φύσαντος ὁ νεανίας· ἑάλω δὲ καὶ ἀπόλωλε. Πλὴν οὐκ ἐπεγάννυτο παθόντι τὸν θάνατον ὁ πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἐθρήνησεν ὡς υἱόν.

ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Γʹ.

Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ∆αβὶδ πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμέραις. {Κυρίλλου.}

Ἀφορήτους μὲν ἀγῶνας διενεγκὼν, κατευμεγεθήσας δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἀχείρωτος γεγονὼς τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ. Κεκράτηκε γὰρ οὐκ ἀλλοφύλων μόνον, οὐδὲ τὰς τῶν αἱμοβόρων βαρβάρων ἐτρέψατο φάλαγγας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τοὺς κατὰ καιρὸν ἀνταίροντας καὶ τοὺς τοῖς ἀνταίρουσιν αὐτῷ συνασπίζοντας. Καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. {Κυρίλλου.} Χρὴ γὰρ εἶναι σοφοὺς καὶ τῶν συμφερόντων ἐπιστήμονας, τοὺς ἐθέλοντας δουλεύειν Θεῷ, καὶ νῷ διεγηγερμένους πρὸς τοὺς χρωμένους, καὶ διαδιδράσκειν ἐθέλοντας τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὸν κλύδωνα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ πλοῖα πηδαλίων μὲν ὄντων αὐτοῖς, κατ' εὐθὺ φέρεται τοῦ σκοποῦ, καὶ τὰς τῶν κυμάτων διαφεύγει προσβολὰς, κἂν ἀγριαίνῃ ποτὲ κατ' αὐτῶν ἡ θάλασσα· πηδαλίων δὲ οὐκ ὄντων, τῇδε κἀκεῖσε διαῤῥίπτεται ῥᾳδίως, καὶ καταμεθύει ταῖς πλάναις, καὶ λίθοις καὶ πέτραις προσβάλλοντα συνθραύεται· οὕτω καὶ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ, ἀγαθαῖς μὲν φρεσὶ διοικουμένη, διαφεύξεται ῥᾳδίως τὸν χειμάζοντα Σατανᾶν· ἀπράκτους δὲ οὕτως ἀποφαίνει καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων αὐτῇ κακουργίας. Καρδία δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσα σοφίαν, χαλεπὸν ὑπομένει τὸ ναυάγιον.

Καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ ἤρεσε, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ὅτι ᾐτήσατο Σολομὼν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· ἐπῃνέθη μὲν οὐ μετρίως, ἠξιώθη δὲ τοῦ χαρίσματος. Κατένευσε γὰρ αὐτῷ πλουσιόδωρος ὢν ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆εσπότης· ἐπινεύει γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς προθύμως τοῖς αἰτοῦσι καλῶς. ∆ῶρον γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἐξαίρετον παρὰ Θεοῦ σοφία τέ ἐστι καὶ σύνεσις· τοῖς οὕτω λαμπροῖς ξενίοις καταφαιδρύνεται καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ φύσις, καὶ τῶν ἄνω καὶ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πνευμάτων ἡ μακαρία πληθύς. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο κτῆμα ψυχῆς ἕτερον παρὰ τοῦτο; Ἆρα χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅτι καὶ πρόσκαιρά ἐστι καὶ παραλυόμενα καὶ