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to one loving him with all his soul and with all his heart and strength; For eye has not seen, and so on; but to the one who fears the Lord is given a spouse, about whom it says, A good wife, a good portion; and, Who can find a virtuous woman? For such a one is more precious than costly stones; so a wicked spouse would be a wrath from God. Your sons like young olive plants. So also sons from God are given to the one who fears the Lord, not like the many sons, but those who are like young olive plants surrounding and crowning his table; but if someone says that those who do not fear the Lord often have an abundance of sons and the prosperity of a wife, we shall say that the present blessing does not simply promise a wife and children, but this whole thing itself, a wife likened to a vine, and children to young olive plants; but such are not the things of the impious.

24.24 PSALM 128.

The righteous Lord cut the necks of sinners. For all the evil ones who have persecuted

will be miserably destroyed. -The righteous Lord cuts the neck, which they do not subject to the good yoke; and he does this with a good intention, so that having cast off their vigor and strength for evil things, they may be subjected to the Lord, to whom all things are naked and laid bare. But instead of, he cut the necks of sinners, Aquila has, he cut the snares of the impious; and Symmachus, he cut the snares of the lawless; and the fifth edition has rendered, the collars of the lawless; the word signifying those things prepared by the impious for the plotting against the righteous; and through these things the word also proclaims the final ends, and the destruction of those who from time to time attempt to make war against the Church of God and his people.

PSALM 129.

Concerning the people of Christ it is not possible to say, This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me. For not like the first people, but he cried from the depths, as one indeed partaking of the Spirit, which, according to Paul, searches all things, even the depths of God; and in praise, the deep is also in common usage; such as also, O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. And to Ezekiel he says; I will not send you to a people of deep lip and heavy tongue. But the people deep in thought, who also sang the song before this, from their breasts with unutterable groanings interceding cries out to God, but not with lips; just as Moses did not, to whom it was said, though he was silent, Why do you cry to me? And now the prayer is of one asking what is needed, and of one readily offering himself to those who ask; and testifying especially also through the preceding song, he said; Often have they fought against me, and indeed they could not prevail against me; who will also say; For your name's sake I have waited for you, Lord; and attentive ears is said, as the one power of God is both of hearing and of seeing; and cry he says not of the tone of the voice, but the disposition of the mind. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities. But since not all in the Church are able to say; Often have they fought against me, and indeed they could not prevail against me, concerning the weaker he sends up the present voice, also those not bearing the persecutions; unless perhaps the same one says these things concerning his own iniquities before the calling. With him is plenteous redemption. For his precious blood he gave as a ransom for us, becoming the Lamb of God;

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ἀγαπῶντι αὐτὸν ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως· Ὀφθαλμὸς γὰρ οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· τῷ δὲ φοβουμένῳ τὸν Κύριον δίδοται σύζυγος, περὶ ἧς φησι τὸ, Γυνὴ ἀγαθὴ, μερὶς ἀγαθή· καὶ, Γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει; τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστι λίθων πολυτελῶν ἡ τοιαύτη· οὕτως ἡ πονηρὰ σύζυγος εἴη ἂν ὀργὴ ἐκ Θεοῦ. Οἱ υἱοί σου ὡς νεόφυτα ἐλαίων. Οὕτω καὶ υἱοὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ δίδονται τῷ φοβουμένῳ τὸν Κύριον, οὐχ ὅμοιοι τοῖς πολλοῖς υἱοῖς, ἀλλὰ οἱ ὡς νεόφυτα ἐλαιῶν κυκλοῦντα καὶ στεφανοῦντα τὴν τράπεζαν αὐτοῦ· εἰ δέ τις μὴ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριόν φησι, πολλάκις ἐν περιουσίᾳ υἱῶν ὑπάρχειν καὶ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ γυναικὸς, ἀλλ' ἐροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ παρὼν μακαρισμὸς οὐχ ἁπλῶς γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα ἐπαγγέλλεται, ἀλλ' ὅλον αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἀμπέλῳ μὲν ἀπεικασμένην γυναῖκα, νεοφύτοις δὲ ἐλαιῶν τέκνα· οὐ τοιαῦτα δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν.

24.24 ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΡΚΗʹ.

Κύριος δίκαιος συνέκοψεν αὐχένας ἁμαρτωλῶν. Πάντες γὰρ οἱ διώξαντες

κακοὶ κακῶς ἀπολοῦνται. -Συγκόπτει τὸν αὐχένα, ὃν οὐχ ὑποβάλλουσι τῷ χρηστῷ ζυγῷ, ὁ δίκαιος Κύριος· χρηστῇ δὲ προθέσει τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὅπως ἀποβαλόντες τὴν πρὸς τὰ φαῦλα εὐτονίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν, ὑποταγῶσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, ᾧ πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα ἐστίν. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, συνέκοψεν αὐχένας ἁμαρτωλῶν, Ἀκύλας κατέκοψεν βρόχους ἀσεβῶν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, κατέκοψεν βρόχους παρανόμων· ἡ δὲ πέμπτη ἔκδοσις, κλοιοὺς ἀνόμων, ἐκδεδώκασιν· δηλοῦντος τοῦ λόγου, τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν εἰς ἐπιβουλὴν τοῦ δικαίου κατεσκευασμένους· θεσπίζει δὲ καὶ διὰ τούτων ὁ λόγος τὰ ἔσχατα τέλη, καὶ τὸν ὄλεθρον τῶν κατὰ καιροὺς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ πολεμεῖν ἐπιχειρούντων.

ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΡΚΘʹ.

Περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ, Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσί με

τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόῤῥω ἀφέστηκεν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ὁ πρῶτος λαὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ βαθέων ἐκέκραξεν, ἅτε δὴ μετέχων τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὃ, κατὰ Παῦλον, πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐν ἐπαίνῳ δὲ τὸ βαθὺ κἀν τῇ συνηθείᾳ· ὁποῖον καὶ τὸ, Ὦ βάθος πλούτου σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ. Καὶ πρὸς Ἰεζεκιὴλ δέ φησιν· Οὐ πρὸς λαὸν βαθύχειλον καὶ βαρύγλωσσον ἐγὼ ἐξαποστελῶ σε. Ἀλλ' ὁ βαθὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ λαὸς, ὁ καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν τὴν πρὸ ταύτης εἰπὼν, ἐκ τῶν στέρνων αὐτῶν στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ὑπερεντυγχάνων βοᾷ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' οὐ χείλεσιν· ὥσπερ οὐδὲ Μωϋσῆς, πρὸς ὃν ἐῤῥέθη, καίτοι σιγῶντα, τὸ, Τί βοᾷς πρὸς μέ; Ἡ δὲ νῦν εὐχὴ τοῦ αἰτοῦντος ἃ δεῖ, καὶ τοῖς αἰτουμένοις ἑαυτὸν ἑτοίμως παρέχοντος· μαρτυρῶν δὲ μάλιστα καὶ διὰ τῆς προλαβούσης εἶπεν ᾠδῆς· Πλεονάκις ἐπολέμησάν με, καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησάν μοι· οἳ καὶ λέξουσιν· Ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ὑπέμεινά σε, Κύριε· ὦτα δὲ προσέχοντα λέλεκται, ὡς τῆς μιᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως οὔσης ἀκουστικῆς καὶ ὁρατικῆς· κραυγὴν δὲ οὐ τόνον λέγει φωνῆς, ἀλλὰ γνώμης διάθεσιν. Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐ πάντες δύνανται λέγειν· Πλεονάκις ἐπολέμησάν με, καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησάν μοι, περὶ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων τὴν παροῦσαν ἀναπέμπει φωνὴν, καὶ μὴ φερόντων τοὺς διωγμούς· εἰ μὴ ἄρα ὁ αὐτὸς περὶ τῶν πρὸ τῆς κλήσεως ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ ταῦτά φησιν. Πολλὴ παρ' αὐτῷ λύτρωσις. Τὸ γὰρ τίμιον αὐτοῦ αἷμα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν δέδωκε λύτρον, γενόμενος Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ·