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silver; indeed even now the lovers of wealth seek the Foolish one. Therefore it is not right to be wary of these things that have such a nature; for they can neither help nor harm. Thus having shown the idols to be ridiculous, the prophet weaves a hymn to the God of all. "Where is one like you, Lord? You are great, and great is your name in power." 7. Who will not fear you, king of the nations? Here he put down the pride of the Jews. For he did not say: The Lord's portion is his people Jacob; but he named the God of all the king of all the nations, foretelling the future knowledge of God for the nations. "For among all the wise of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, where is one like you, Lord?" Then again he brings the gods of the nations into the midst, and shows that they have their substance from craft and matter. And he returns again to the hymn of God. 10. But the Lord is the true God, a God of the living, and an eternal king. The idols, he says, do not live; but God is both the giver of life, and the God of the living, and an eternal king. "From his wrath the earth will be shaken, and the nations will not endure his indignation." Thus also says the blessed David: "He who looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble." Then he commands to say to those who are called gods: 11. The gods, who did not make the heaven and the earth, let them perish from the earth, and from under this heaven. For it is proper to God to create, not to be created by another. If 81.568 therefore the Son is created, he is not God; but if he is the creator of all things and the maker, he is truly God; for concerning him the prophet also says the things that follow: 12. The Lord who made the earth by his strength, he himself established the inhabited world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heaven. These things are proper to God; not to be constructed by another. 13. For he supplies rain, and brings about the peals of thunder, and brings up clouds from the end of the earth. For he raises the water of the sea as he wishes, and through this he forms the clouds. "He made lightnings for rain." For these are signs of the rain. "And he brought winds out of his treasures." His treasures are his will. "For he himself spoke, and it came to be; he himself commanded, and they were created;" and, "Whatever the Lord willed, he did, in heaven, and on earth." The true God, therefore, is the creator of all these things. But most of the people have fallen into unreason, and some create gods, while others worship the things made by these. And he also foretells the cessation of the error; for having said that: 15. They are vain, works of mockery, that is, the idols, he added: In the time of their visitation they will perish. For the apostolic preaching completely obliterated the memory of these; and we see the fulfillment of the prophecy. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like this; for he who formed all things, he is his inheritance, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name. You, he says, were not taught this error; for from the beginning I chose you, and I deemed you especially worthy of my care. 17. He gathered your substance from without, dwelling among the chosen. Calling the patriarch from the land of the Chaldeans he brought him to Palestine, and his race, being enslaved in Egypt, he led out freed; this therefore the prophetic word also declared: "He gathered your substance from without, dwelling among the chosen;" that is, having chosen you from the other nations he gave you the chosen land. 18. For thus says the Lord: Behold, I trip up the inhabitants of this land in affliction, and I will afflict them, that they may be reproved. 81.569 If they were running well, they were guided. But since the course is harmful, they are darkened, so that running to destruction they might cease. 19. Woe was found upon your ruin; painful is your wound. He calls sin a ruin; and woe, the punishment.

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ἄργυρος· ἀμέλει καὶ νῦν οἱ φιλό πλουτοι τὸν Ἄφρον ἐπιζητοῦσι. Ταῦτα τοίνυν τοιαύ την ἔχοντα τὴν φύσιν οὐ δίκαιον εὐλαβεῖσθαι· ὠφε λεῖν γὰρ ἢ βλάπτειν οὐ δύνανται. Οὕτω καταγέλα στα δείξας ὁ προφήτης τὰ εἴδωλα, ὕμνον ὑφαίνει τῷ τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ. "Πόθεν ὅμοιός σοι, Κύριε; Μέγας εἶ σὺ, καὶ μέγα τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν δυνάμει." ζʹ. Τίς οὐ φοβηθήσεταί σε, βασιλεῦ τῶν ἐθνῶν; Κατέλυσεν ἐνταῦθα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸ φρόνημα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε· Μερὶς Κυρίου λαὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰακώβ· ἀλλὰ βασιλέα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ὠνόμασε τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, τὴν ἐσομένην τοῖς ἔθνεσι θεογνωσίαν προ λέγων. "Ὅτι ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς σοφοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις αὐτῶν, πόθεν ὅμοιός σοι, Κύριε;" Εἶτα πάλιν εἰς μέσον φέρει τῶν ἐθνῶν τοὺς θεοὺς, καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τέχνης καὶ ὕλης τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχοντας. Καὶ ἐπανέρχεται πάλιν εἰς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὕμνον. ιʹ. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀληθινὸς Θεός ἐστι, Θεὸς ζών των, καὶ βασιλεὺς αἰώνιος. Τὰ εἴδωλα, φησὶν, οὐ ζῇ· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς καὶ ζωῆς χορηγὸς, καὶ ζώντων Θεὸς, καὶ αἰώνιος βασιλεύς. "Ἀπὸ παροξυσμοῦ αὐτοῦ σει σθήσεται ἡ γῆ, καὶ οὐχ ὑποίσουσιν ἔθνη ἐμβρίμη σιν αὐτοῦ." Οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος λέγει ∆αβίδ· "Ὁ ἐπιβλέπων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὴν τρέμειν." Εἶτα κελεύει τοῖς καλουμένοις εἰπεῖν θεοῖς· ιαʹ. Θεοὶ, οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀπολέσθωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὑπο κάτωθεν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τούτου. Θεοῦ γὰρ ἴδιον, τὸ δημιουργεῖν, οὐ τὸ ὑπ' ἄλλου δημιουργεῖσθαι. Εἰ 81.568 τοίνυν κτιστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ Θεός· εἰ δὲ δημιουργός ἐστι τῶν ὅλων καὶ ποιητὴς, ὄντως ἐστὶ Θεός· περὶ αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα ὁ προφήτης λέγει· ιβʹ. Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὑ τοῦ, αὐτὸς ἀνώρθωσε τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ φρονήσει αὑτοῦ ἐξέτεινε τὸν οὐρανόν. Ταῦτα Θεοῦ ἴδιον· οὐ τὸ ὑπ' ἄλλου κατασκευάζεσθαι. ιγʹ. Χορηγῶν γὰρ ὑετὸν, καὶ τῶν βροντῶν τοὺς κτύπους ἀποτελεῖ, καὶ ἀνάγων νεφέλας ἐξ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. Μετεωρίζει γὰρ ὡς βούλεται τὸ θαλάττιον ὕδωρ, καὶ διὰ τούτου τὰ νέφη συνίστησιν. "Ἀστραπὰς εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησε." Τοῦ ὑετοῦ γὰρ αὗται σημαντικαί. "Καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ." Θησαυροὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ. "Αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπε, καὶ ἐγένετο· αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθη σαν·" καὶ, "Πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησεν, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ." Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς τούτων ἁπάντων ἐστὶ δημιουργός. Οἱ δὲ πλεῖ στοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς ἀλογίαν ἐξέπεσαν, καὶ οἱ μὲν δημιουργοῦσι θεοὺς, οἱ δὲ προσκυνοῦσι τοῖς ὑπὸ τού των γιγνομένοις. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τῆς πλάνης τὴν παῦλαν· εἰρηκὼς γὰρ, ὅτι· ιεʹ. Μάταιά ἐστιν ἔργα ἐμπεπαιγμένα, τουτ έστι τὰ εἴδωλα, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὑτῶν ἀπολοῦνται. Τὸ γὰρ ἀποστολικὸν κήρυγμα τὴν τούτων ἠφάνισε μνήμην παντελῶς· καὶ ὁρῶμεν τῆς προφητείας τὸ τέλος. ιϛʹ. Οὐκ ἔστι τοιαύτη ἡ μερὶς Ἰακώβ· ὅτι ὁ πλάσας τὰ πάντα, αὐτὸς κληρονομία αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ῥάβδος κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ. Κύ ριος τῶν δυνάμεων ὄνομα αὐτῷ. Σὺ, φησὶν, οὐ ταύτην ἐδιδάχθης τὴν πλάνην· ἄνωθεν γάρ σε ἐξ ελεξάμην, καὶ διαφερόντως σε τῆς ἐμῆς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσα. ιζʹ. Συνήγαγεν ἔξωθεν τὴν ὑπόστασίν σου, κατοικοῦσαν ἐν ἐκλεκτοῖς. Τὸν πατριάρχην ἐκ γῆς Χαλδαίων καλέσας εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην μετ ήγαγε, καὶ τὸ τούτου γένος εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον δου λεῦον ἐλευθερωθὲν ἐξήγαγε· τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ὁ προ φητικὸς ἐδήλωσε λόγος· "Συνήγαγεν ἔξωθεν τὴν ὑπόστασίν σου, κατοικοῦσαν ἐν ἐκλεκτοῖς·" τουτ έστιν, ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἐκλεξάμενός σε τὴν ἐκ λεκτὴν γῆν ἐδωρήσατό σοι. ιηʹ. Ὅτι τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ σκελίζω τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην τὴν ἐν θλί ψει, καὶ ἐκθλίψω αὐτοὺς, ὅπως ἐλεγχθῶσιν. 81.569 Εἰ καλῶς ἔτρεχον, κατευθύνοντο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ βλα βερὸς ὁ δρόμος, ἐπισκοτίζονται, ἵνα ἐπ' ὀλεθρίᾳ τρέχοντες παύσωνται. ιθʹ. Εὑρέθη οὐαὶ ἐπὶ συντρίμματί σου· ἀλγηρὰ ἡ πληγή σου. Σύντριμμα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καλεῖ· οὐαὶ δὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν.