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you commanded to be. "And all your works, he says, are true, and your ways are right. (28.) And all your judgments are true, and you have executed true judgments in all that you have brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, Jerusalem, because in truth and judgment you brought all these things upon us for our sins." All that has been said has the same meaning; but he has said these things in different ways, praising the just judgment of God, and giving no place to ingratitude. For this reason, having mentioned Jerusalem, and called it holy, and named it the city of those chosen fathers, he immediately added the cause of the punishment: "All these things," he says, "you have brought upon us for our sins. (29.) For we have sinned and transgressed by departing from you." For not in vain, he says, did you hand over the city which you had consecrated to the enemies, and allow us to be taken captive by the spear, but "because we have sinned, and transgressed by departing from you." The phrase "from you" has great emphasis, meaning, from the Maker and Creator, the good Master, the nourisher and guardian, the one who delivered from the slavery of the Egyptians, the one who cut the sea, the one who led through the abyss, the one who deluged the dry rock 81.1328 by the travail of blows, the one who provided all other unwritten good things. We sinned, therefore, by departing from you; "And we have sinned in all things." For we have not transgressed this or that, but all your commandments. 30. "And we have not listened to the commandments of your law, nor have we kept them, nor have we done as you commanded us, that it might be well with us." And here again he showed the excess of his piety and wisdom. For the observance of the laws, he says, and the commandments, provided nothing to you, the lawgiver, but for us it procured an abundance of good things; for this reason, therefore, you had also laid down those laws, providing us with opportunities for salvation. Since, therefore, he says, we transgressed, 31. "All that you have brought upon us, and all that you have done to us, you have done in true judgment." For the punishment is worthy of the sin. Then, showing this, he adds: 32. "And you have delivered us into the hands of lawless, most hateful, apostate men, and to a king unjust and most wicked above all the earth you have delivered us." For since we did not serve you, our king, but despised your goodness, you rightly compelled us to serve a most cruel, and most harsh king who in no way knows justice, who also has subjects who are in accord with the king's wickedness. But nevertheless, being in such evils, we are deprived of all boldness, and are prevented by shame from offering prayer to you; for this is what he means when he says: 33. "And now we cannot open our mouth; we have become a shame and a reproach to your servants, and to those who worship you." The multitude of our transgression, he says, stops our mouth; but nevertheless, having become reproached, and ridiculed, and a great joy to our enemies, we, who are called your servants, beseech you, for the sake of the name of your dominion that is upon us, to show your strength to our adversaries, and not to alienate us completely from your providence. 34. "For do not deliver us up completely, he says, for your name's sake, and do not break your covenant, and do not disperse your mercy from us." We dare to say these things, he says, having many pledges of your goodness: first, the very name of your dominion; then the immeasurable mercy by which you govern all things; in addition to these, the covenants with our fathers; for you promised them to make their race conspicuous and glorious. Then he also mentions the names of the fathers, calling upon the good Master to mercy through the memory of the righteous. 81.1329 35, 36. "For the sake of Abraham, he says, who was loved by you, and for the sake of Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, to whom you spoke, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the seashore." These things, he says, you promised to them, Master, whom you loved

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γενέσθαι προσέταξας. "Καὶ πάντα σου, φησὶ, τὰ ἔργα ἀληθινὰ, καὶ εὐθεῖαι αἱ ὁδοί σου. (κηʹ.) Καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ κρίσεις σου ἀληθιναὶ, καὶ κρίματα ἀληθείας ἐποίησας, κατὰ πάντα ἃ ἐπήγαγες ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν τὴν τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅτι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ κρίσει ἐπήγαγες ταῦτα πάντα ἐφ' ἡμᾶς διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν." Τὴν αὐτὴν μὲν διάνοιαν ἅπαντα ἔχει τὰ εἰρημένα· διαφόρως δὲ αὐτὰ εἴρηκε, τὴν δικαίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσιν ὑμνῶν, καὶ χώραν οὐδεμίαν τῇ ἀχαριστίᾳ διδούς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ μνημονεύσας, καὶ ἁγίαν αὐτὴν ὀνομάσας, καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἐκείνων τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν πόλιν προσαγορεύσας, εὐθὺς τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας αἰτίαν ἐπήγαγε· "Ταῦτα πάντα, φησὶν, ἐπήγαγες ἐφ' ἡμᾶς διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. (κθʹ.) Ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν καὶ ἠνομήσαμεν ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ." Οὐ γὰρ μάτην, φησὶ, καὶ ἣν ἀφιέρωσας παρέδωκας πόλιν τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ ἡμᾶς εἴασας δορυαλώτους γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' "ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν, καὶ ἠνομήσαμεν ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ." Πολλὴν δὲ ἔμφασιν ἔχει τὸ ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τοῦ Ποιητοῦ καὶ ∆ημιουργοῦ, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ∆ε σπότου, τοῦ τροφέως, καὶ φύλακος, τοῦ τῆς Αἰγυ πτίων δουλείας ἀπαλλάξαντος, τοῦ θάλατταν τεμόντος, τοῦ δι' ἀβύσσου ποδηγήσαντος, τοῦ πέτραν ξηρὰν 81.1328 ὠδῖσι πληγῶν κατακλύσαντος, τοῦ τ' ἄλλα πάντα ἀνάγραπτα ἀγαθὰ χορηγήσαντος. Ἡμάρτομεν τοίνυν ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ· "Καὶ ἐξημάρτομεν ἐν πᾶσιν." Οὐ γὰρ τόδε, ἢ τόδε παρέβημεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα σου τὸ προστάγματα. λʹ. "Καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ νόμου σου οὐκ ἠκού σαμεν, οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξαμεν αὐτὰς, οὐδὲ ἐποιήσαμεν, καθὼς ἐνετείλω ἡμῖν, ἵνα εὖ ἡμῖν γένηται." Κἀν ταῦθα πάλιν τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ σοφίας ἔδειξεν ὑπερβολήν. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν νόμων, φησὶ, καὶ τῶν ἐντο λῶν φυλακὴ, σοὶ μὲν τῷ νομοθέτῃ παρεῖχεν οὐδὲν, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἀφθονίαν προεξένει· τούτου τοίνυν χάριν καὶ τοὺς νόμους ἐτεθείκεις ἐκείνους, ἀφορμὰς ἡμῖν χορηγῶν σωτηρίας. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, φησὶ, παρ έβημεν, λαʹ. "Πάντα ὅσα ἡμῖν ἐπήγαγες, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησας ἡμῖν, ἐν ἀληθινῇ κρίσει ἐποίησας." Ἀξία γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ τιμωρία. Εἶτα ταύτην δεικνὺς ἐπάγει· λβʹ. "Καὶ παρέδωκας ἡμᾶς εἰς χεῖρας ἀνόμων, ἐχθίστων, ἀποστατῶν, καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀδίκῳ καὶ πονη ροτάτῳ παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν παρέδωκας ἡμᾶς." Ἐπειδὴ γάρ σε τὸν ἡμέτερον οὐκ ἐθεραπεύσαμεν βασιλέα, ἀλλὰ τῆς σῆς κατεφρονήσαμεν ἀγαθότητος, εἰκότως ἡμᾶς ὠμοτάτῳ, καὶ ἀπηνεστάτῳ, καὶ οὐ δαμῶς εἰδότι τὸ δίκαιον δουλεύειν ἠνάγκασας βα σιλεῖ, ἔχοντι καὶ τοὺς ὑπηκόους τῇ βασιλικῇ πονηρίᾳ συμβαίνοντας. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντες κακοῖς πάσης ἐστερήμεθα παῤῥησίας, καὶ προσφέ ρειν σοι δέησιν ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης κωλυόμεθα· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει λέγων· λγʹ. "Καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα, αἰσχύνη καὶ ὄνειδος ἐγενήθημεν τοῖς δούλοις σου, καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις σε." Ἐμφράττει, φησὶν, ἡμῶν τὸ στόμα τῆς παρανομίας τὸ πλῆθος· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπονεί διστοι, καὶ καταγέλαστοι, καὶ λίαν ἐπίχαρτοι τοῖς πολεμίοις γενόμενοι ἡμεῖς, οἱ δοῦλοί σου προσ αγορευόμενοι, ἱκετεύομέν σε, διὰ τὸ ἐπικείμενον ἡμῖν τῆς σῆς δεσποτείας ὄνομα δεῖξαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις τὴν σὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ μὴ παντελῶς ἡμᾶς τῆς σῆς προ μηθείας ἀλλοτριῶσαι. λδʹ. "Μὴ παραδῷς γὰρ ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, εἰς τέλος διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ τὴν διαθήκην σου μὴ ἀπο στήσῃς, καὶ μὴ διασκεδάσῃς τὸ ἔλεός σου ἀφ' ἡμῶν." Τολμῶμεν δὲ, φησὶ, ταῦτα λέγειν, πολλὰ ἐνέχυρα τῆς σῆς ἀγαθότητος ἔχοντες· πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸ τῆς σῆς ∆εσποτείας τὸ ὄνομα· ἔπειτα τὸν ἀμέ τρητον ἔλεον, ᾧ κεχρημένος ἰθύνεις τὰ σύμπαντα· πρὸς τούτοις, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν συν θήκας· ὑπέσχου γὰρ ἐκείνοις περίβλεπτόν τε καὶ ἔνδοξον τὸ ἐκείνων γένος ποιήσειν. Εἶτα καὶ τῶν ὀνο μάτων τῶν πατέρων μέμνηται, τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν δι καίων τὸν ἀγαθὸν ∆εσπότην εἰς ἔλεον ἐκκαλούμε νος. 81.1329 λεʹ, λ ϛʹ. "∆ιὰ Ἀβραὰμ, φησὶ, τὸν ἠγαπημένον ὑπὸ σοῦ, καὶ διὰ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν δοῦλόν σου, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν ἅγιόν σου, οἷς ἐλάλησας αὐτοῖς λέγων· Πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης." Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἐκείνοις ὑπέσχου, ∆έσποτα, οὓς ἠγά