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they were dwelling in Judea, they would have been ignorant of these things. Therefore, he wishes them to get the experience of both the truth of the prophets and of his power with their own eyes; so that if they are well-disposed, they might be led by the hand to the truth through these things; but if they persist in their impiety, they may have no defense on the terrible day of judgment. For this reason he scattered them everywhere in the world, so that we too might gain something from this, that is, seeing those prophecies spoken about their dispersion, those about the capture of Jerusalem, which Daniel also mentioned, the abomination of desolation, and Malachi said, “Because even among you the gates will be shut,” and David and Isaiah and many other prophets foretold concerning these things, so that seeing those who had been ungrateful towards the Master punished in this way, having fallen from their ancestral freedom and all their own ordinances and paternal traditions, we may learn of his power which foretold and accomplished them, and that the enemies may see his strength through our good things; and we may learn of his ineffable love for humanity and power through their punishments, and that we may continue glorifying him through everything, so that we may attain the eternal and ineffable good things, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, be honor and power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Ἰουδαίᾳ ἐκάθηντο, ταῦτα ἂν ἠγνόησαν. Λοιπὸν βούλεται αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς τῶν προφητῶν ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως αὐταῖς ὄψεσι τὴν πεῖραν λαβεῖν· ἵνα ἐὰν μὲν εὐγνωμονῶσι, διὰ τούτων χειραγωγηθῶσι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἂν δὲ ἐπιμένωσι τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ, μηδεμίαν ἔχωσιν ἀπολογίαν ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ τῆς κρίσεως ἡμέρᾳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τούτου κερδάνωμέν τι, τουτέστιν ἐκείνας τὰς προῤῥήσεις ὁρῶντες τὰς περὶ τῆς διασπορᾶς αὐτῶν εἰρημένας, τὰς περὶ τῆς ἁλώσεως τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, ἃς καὶ ὁ ∆ανιὴλ τοῦ βδελύγματος τῆς ἐρημώσεως μνησθεὶς, καὶ ὁ Μαλαχίας εἰπὼν, Ὅτι καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν συγκλεισθήσονται πύλαι, καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας καὶ ἕτεροι πολλοὶ προφῆται περὶ τούτων προανεφώνησαν, ἵνα ὁρῶντες τοὺς περὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἀγνώμονας γεγενημένους οὕτω κολαζομένους, ἐκπεπτωκότας τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῆς πατρικῆς καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἁπάντων θεσμῶν τε καὶ πατρικῶν παραδόσεων, μάθωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν προειποῦσαν αὐτὰ καὶ ἐργασαμένην, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐχθροὶ διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀγαθῶν ἴδωσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν· ἡμεῖς δὲ διὰ τῶν εἰς ἐκείνους τιμωριῶν μάθωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄφατον φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ δύναμιν, καὶ διὰ παντὸς δοξάζοντες αὐτὸν διατελῶμεν, ὅπως καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων καὶ ἀποῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι τιμὴ καὶ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.