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of his impiety, and the people under him to the aforesaid kings, so that they killed "twelve myriads of men" of them, and led away as captives no fewer than "twenty myriads." When such a rout occurred in the first encounter, not long after, the aforementioned kings, I mean of Damascus and of Samaria, again armed themselves against Ahaz, intending to take Jerusalem by siege and to kill Ahaz, and to establish another king in his place, the one called "the son of Tabeel." These things did not escape the notice of Ahaz nor of the people under him, who were called the house of David; for so were called those from the family of David and all the rulers and the ruled from his succession. When, therefore, they learned that the aforementioned were about to attack them again, their soul was moved, that is, it was troubled, or according to Symmachus, it was shaken, or according to Aquila, it was tossed. And not only of the royal family, but also of the whole people, no small disturbance seized their soul, from the memory of former evils, which they had experienced not long before, and he compared their soul, being shaken and agitated by the report, to the trees of the forest being swayed by a very strong wind. But the good Lord, taking pity on them, shows his love for mankind and sends his prophet, advising Ahaz to keep himself fearless and untroubled; for he would obtain God as his helper, at least now, if not before, since also the first time, when He had delivered them to their enemies on account of their outrageous impieties, they had suffered the things mentioned before. And indeed, He commands the prophet to meet Ahaz in a certain place that seemed opportune to him, having commanded him to take with him his remaining son, so that both he, the prophet, and his son, from all the people whose soul seems to have been left, might approach the king and say the things commanded. For it was necessary that the son of the prophet also, not being corrupted with the multitude but remaining in his father's teaching, should be a disciple from that time to his father, by being present with him as he boldly approached and did the things commanded, and having met Ahaz, to say what God commands: "Take heed to be quiet," and according to Aquila: "take heed and be quiet," and according to Theodotion: "pay attention and be quiet." "Trusting," he says, "in the word of God, be fearless and do not be afraid, nor let your soul be faint on account of the two pieces of wood, which have no light at all, but are like a firebrand that is only extinguished and smoking; for such are the two kings of whom you stand in fear and agony." For even though my chastening power, which the scriptures are accustomed to call wrath, came upon you before as a refutation of your supposed gods, in whom you trusted, but who, being nothing, were refuted, when the enemies took you captive. Nevertheless, since my wrath is not lasting, as I am a good God, who both chastised you the first time for your benefit; so now again I will heal all your disease, if, turning from your former error, you learn to be truly pious. These two kings, then, the one of Syria and the one of Samaria—Aram is now Syria, and Samaria is the city now called Sebaste—although they have made great threats, having planned the aforementioned counsel, yet they will not act according to their plan; for I myself, the Lord Sabaoth, being the Lord of the divine powers and of the angelic hosts in heaven, will not permit their counsel to be brought to completion, having judged it right to save you, so that you might have the clearest perception of my beneficent and saving power. For it is enough for Syria to have Damascus as its head, and for Rezin to be its king, and for Samaria, Ephraim. For so was the multitude of the nine and a half tribes of Israel called, on account of the one from Ephraim who reigned over them. It is sufficient, therefore, for them also to have Samaria and to be its leader

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δυσσεβείας αὐτοῦ, τόν τε ὑπ' αὐτῷ λαὸν τοῖς εἰρημένοις βασιλεῦσιν, ὡς ἀνελεῖν μὲν αὐτῶν «δέκα καὶ δύο μυριάδας ἀνδρῶν», αἰχμαλώτους δὲ ἀπαγαγεῖν οὐκ ἐλάττους «εἴκοσι μυριάδων». τοιαύτης δὴ τροπῆς κατὰ τὴν πρώτην συμβολὴν γενομένης, οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ αὖθις οἱ προλεχθέντες βασιλεῖς, ὁ τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ λέγω καὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας, ὁπλίζονται κατὰ τοῦ Ἄχαζ προθέμενοι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ πολιορκίᾳ ἑλεῖν καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἄχαζ ἀνελεῖν, ἕτερον δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ καταστῆσαι βασιλέα, τὸν λεγόμενον «υἱὸν Ταβεήλ». Οὐκ ἔλαθεν ταῦτα τὸν Ἄχαζ οὐδὲ τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῷ λαὸν οἶκον ∆αυὶδ ὀνομαζόμενον· οὕτω δὲ ἐκαλοῦντο οἱ ἀπὸ γένους ∆αυὶδ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐκ διαδοχῆς αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι. ὡς οὖν ἔμαθον μέλλειν αὐτοῖς αὖθις ἐπιτίθεσθαι τοὺς δηλωθέντας, ἐξέστη αὐτῶν ἡ ψυχή, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐθορυβήθη, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον ἐκλονήθη, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἐσαλεύθη. οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ γένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς τάραχος οὐ μικρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν κατέσχηκεν μνήμῃ προτέρων κακῶν, ὧν οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ ἔτυχον πεπειραμένοι, ἣν δὲ αὐτῶν ἀπεικάσαι τὴν ψυχὴν κλονουμένην καὶ σειομένην ἐκ τῆς ἀκοῆς ξύλοις δρυμοῦ ὑπὸ σφοδροτάτῳ πνεύματι δονουμένοις, ἀλλ' ὁ ἀγαθὸς κύριος οἶκτον λαβὼν αὐτῶν φιλανθρωπεύεται καὶ ἀποστέλλει τὸν αὐτοῦ προφήτην παραινῶν τῷ Ἄχαζ ἄφοβον καὶ ἀτάραχον ἑαυτὸν φυλάττειν· βοηθοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τεύξεται τοῦ θεοῦ νῦν γοῦν εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ πρῶτον αὐτοῦ παραδόντος τοῖς πολεμίοις αὐτοὺς διὰ τὰς ἐκτόπους αὐτῶν δυσσεβείας τὰ προλεχθέντα πεπονθότες εἶεν. καὶ δὴ προστάττει τῷ προφήτῃ κατά τινα τόπον τὸν αὐτῷ φανέντα εὔκαιρον συντυχεῖν τῷ Ἄχαζ, παραλαβεῖν δ' ἅμα αὐτῷ κελεύσας τὸν περιλειφθέντα αὐτῷ υἱόν, ὡς ἂν ἄμφω αὐτός τε ὁ προφήτης καὶ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς ἐξ ἅπαντος τοῦ λαοῦ, ᾧ τὴν ψυχὴν ἔοικεν περιλελεῖφθαι, προσέλθοιεν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὰ κελευόμενα εἴποιεν. Ἔδει γὰρ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ προφήτου μὴ συνδιαφθαρέντα τῷ πλήθει ἐναπομείναντα δὲ τῇ πατρικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ μαθητεύεσθαι ἐξ ἐκείνου τῷ πατρί, διὰ τοῦ παρεῖναι αὐτῷ θαρσαλέως προσιόντι καὶ πράττοντι τὰ κεκελευσμένα, φάναι δὲ τῷ Ἄχαζ συναντήσαντα, ἃ προστάττει ὁ θεός· Φύλαξαι τοῦ ἡσυχάσαι, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· φύλαξαι καὶ ἡσύχασαι, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα· πρόσεχε καὶ ἡσύχασον. θαρσῶν φησι τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄτρομος ἔσο καὶ μὴ φοβοῦ, μηδὲ ἡ ψυχή σου ἀσθενείτω ἀπὸ τῶν δύο ξύλων, τῶν οὐδαμῶς μὲν φῶς ἐχόντων, δαλῷ δὲ μόνον ἐσβεσμένῳ καὶ καπνιζομένῳ ἐοικότων· τοιοῦτοι γάρ τινές εἰσιν οἱ δύο βασιλεῖς, ὧν ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἀγωνίᾳ καθέστηκας. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἡ παιδευτική μου δύναμις, ἣν ὀργὴν εἴωθεν ἀποκαλεῖν τὰ λόγια, μετῆλθεν ὑμᾶς τὸ πρότερον εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν νομιζομένων ὑμῖν θεῶν, οἷς ἐθαρσεῖτε μὲν αὐτοί, οἳ δὲ τὸ μηθὲν ὄντες ἀπηλέγχοντο, ὁπηνίκα ὑποχειρίους ὑμᾶς εἷλον οἱ πολέμιοι. ὅμως ἐπεὶ μή ἐστιν ἡ ἐμὴ ὀργὴ παράμονος ὡς ἀγαθὸς θεὸς αὐτὸς καὶ τὸ πρῶτον παίσας ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι· καὶ νῦν αὖθις πᾶν τὸ νοσῆσαν ὑμῶν ἰάσομαι, εἰ ἐπιστραφέντες τῆς προτέρας πλάνης μάθετε ἀληθῶς εὐσεβεῖν. Οἱ γοῦν δύο βασιλεῖς οὗτοι, ὁ τε τῆς Συρίας καὶ ὁ τῆς Σαμαρείας, Ἀρὰμ δὲ ἡ νῦν Συρία, Σαμάρεια δὲ ἡ νῦν καλουμένη πόλις Σεβαστή, εἰ καὶ μεγάλα ἠπείλησαν τὴν προλεχθεῖσαν βουλευσάμενοι βουλήν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ γνώμην πράξουσιν· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος σαβαώθ, ὡς ἂν κύριος ὢν τῶν δυνάμεων τῶν θειῶν καὶ τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν ἀγγελικῶν στρατιῶν, οὐκ ἐπιτρέψω τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πέρας ἀχθῆναι, κρίνας σῶσαι ὑμᾶς ὡς ἂν σχοίητε τῆς ἐμῆς εὐεργετικῆς καὶ σωτηρίου δυνάμεως ἐναργεστάτην αἴσθησιν· ἀπαρκεῖ γὰρ τῇ μὲν Συρίᾳ κεφαλὴν ἔχειν τὴν ∆αμασκὸν καὶ ταύτης εἶναι τὸν Ῥαασσὼν βασιλέα, τῇ δὲ Σαμαρείᾳ τὸν Ἐφραίμ. οὕτω δὲ ἐκαλεῖτο τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐννέα ἥμισυ φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τὸν ἐξ Ἐφραὶμ αὐτῶν βασιλεύσαντα· ἀρκετὸν οὖν καὶ τούτοις ἔχειν τὴν Σαμάρειαν καὶ ταύτης ἡγεῖσθαι