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they will worship the God of all. And he exhorts them to praise God with gladness, and to think great things against the neighboring nations. For this he says: "Cry aloud over the chief of the nations." And by this declare the divine assistance. And he also speaks of the time of the return. 8. For I will gather them, he says, at the feast of Phasek from the end of the earth. And Phasek is interpreted as Pascha in the Greek tongue. And signifying their multitude: "Among them," he says, "the lame and the blind, the pregnant and she who is in labor, a great assembly in one accord." For in populous cities it is possible to find all such things. And he also recalls the weeping of the captivity; and foretells the gladness of the return, and the consolations along the journey. "For with consolation," he says, "I will lead them back, lodging them by channels of waters, in a straight way, and they shall no longer go astray in it." And showing the reason for his care, he added: "Because I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." He calls Ephraim not the son of Joseph, but the ten tribes; and among them were Reuben the firstborn, and Simeon the second. 81.661 And the ten tribes were called Ephraim, because the royal palace was built in the lot of Ephraim. And just as now we are all called Romans from the city of the Romans; so at that time the ten tribes were named from Ephraim. And he commands these things to be proclaimed among the nations, and the return of the people to be announced to all; and the proclamation was not through words, but all heard, as the deeds cried out more loudly. And he also promises fruitfulness of the earth, and fertility of livestock, and gladness of soul. And this: 14. I will make drunk the soul of the priests, the sons of Levi, which means, I will fill them with all kinds of good things; for this is what follows also signifies. "And my people will be filled with my good things, says the Lord." 15. Thus said the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and weeping, and wailing; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted for her children, because they are not. And Ramah was of the tribe of Benjamin; and the tomb of Rachel is at the hippodrome of Chabratha, on the way to Ephratha. And the prophecy received its fulfillment under Herod the first; for he killed the infants, hoping to also kill the newborn Savior. But the prophet placed these things in the midst of the promise of good things; teaching that the truly good thing, and the chief point of salvation, is the birth according to the flesh of our Lord and Savior, on account of which the infants endured that unjust slaughter. 16. Thus says the Lord: Let your voice cease from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for your works, says the Lord, and their sons will return to their own mountains. And teaching for what works he promises a reward, he points out to him the repentance in Babylon. 18. Hearing I heard Ephraim mourning. And he also teaches what words he used: "You have disciplined me, Lord, and I was not disciplined; like an untaught calf." This the prophet also said in the preceding parts: "You scourged them, and they did not feel pain; you consumed them, and they were not willing to receive discipline." And Hosea the prophet says: "Ephraim is a heifer taught to love strife." He contradicts, he says, and does not accept the yoke of the law. And again: 81.664 "Ephraim became as a gadfly-stung heifer." And he also sets down what he said in supplication: "Turn me, Lord, and I will turn; for you are the Lord my God." For if you are not willing, I shall not be freed from slavery. 19. For after my captivity I repented, and after I knew, I smote upon my thigh, and I groaned for the days of my shame. After the experience of evils, he came to an awareness of sin. This the blessed David also said: "Before I was humbled, I transgressed; therefore I kept your word." And again: "It is good for me that you have humbled me,

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ὅλων Θεὸν προσ κυνήσουσι. Παρακελεύεται δὲ αὐτοῖς, τὸν μὲν Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν μετ' εὐφροσύνης, κατὰ δὲ τῶν γειτονευόν των ἐθνῶν μέγα φρονεῖν. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει· "Χρεμε τίσατε ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν." Καὶ δηλώσατε διὰ τού του τὴν θείαν ἐπικουρίαν. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐπανόδου καιρόν. ηʹ. Συνάξω γὰρ αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ἐν ἑορτῇ Φασὲκ ἀπ' ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. Τὸ δὲ Φασὲκ τὸ Πάσχα ἑρμηνεύεται τῇ Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ. Καὶ τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν σημαίνων· "Ἐν αὐτοῖς, φησὶ, χωλὸς καὶ τυφλὸς, ἔγκυος καὶ τίκτουσα, ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐκκλησία μεγάλη." Ἐν γὰρ ταῖς πολυανθρώποις πόλεσι πάντα ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα. Ἀναμιμνήσκει δὲ καὶ τοῦ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας κλαυθμοῦ· καὶ προλέγει τῆς ἐπανόδου τὴν θυμηδίαν, καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν ὁδοι πορίαν ψυχαγωγίας. "Ἐν παρακλήσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνάξω αὐτοὺς, αὐλίζων ἐπὶ διορυγὰς ὑδάτων, ἐν ὁδῷ εὐθείᾳ, καὶ οὐ μὴ πλανηθῶσιν ἔτι ἐν αὐτῇ." Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς κηδεμονίας δεικνὺς ἐπήγαγεν· "Ὅτι ἐγενόμην τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ Ἐφραῒμπρωτότοκός μού ἐστιν." Ἐφραῒμ οὐ τὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ καλεῖ υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τὰς δέκα φυλάς· ἐν αὐταῖς δὲ ἦν Ῥουβὴν ὁ πρωτότοκος, καὶ Συμεὼν ὁ δεύτερος. 81.661 Ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ Ἐφραῒμ αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ, ἐπειδὴ τὰ βασίλεια ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ ᾠκοδόμητο. Καὶ καθάπερ νῦν ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πόλεως Ῥωμαῖοι πάντες ὀνομαζόμεθα· οὕτως ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ προσ ηγορεύοντο τηνικαῦτα αἱ δέκα φυλαί. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι κηρυχθῆναι κελεύει, καὶ μηνυθῆναι πᾶσι τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἐπάνοδον· ἐγένετο δὲ οὐ διὰ λόγων τὸ κήρυγμα, ἀλλ' ἤκουον πάντες, γεγωνότερον τῶν πραγμάτων βοώντων. Ὑπισχνεῖται δὲ καὶ γῆς εὐ καρπίαν, καὶ κτηνῶν πολυγονίαν, καὶ ψυχῆς εὐ φροσύνην. Τὸ δέ· ιδʹ. Μεθύσω τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν ἱερέων, τῶν υἱῶν Λευΐ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἀγαθῶν ἐμπλήσω παντοδαπῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα. "Καὶ ὁ λαός μου τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐμπλησθήσεται, φησὶ Κύριος." ιεʹ. Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· Φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμᾷ ἠκού σθη, θρῆνος, καὶ κλαυθμὸς, καὶ ὀδυρμός· Ῥαχὴλ ἀποκλαιομένη ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὑ τῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελε παρακληθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὑτῆς, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν. Καὶ ἡ Ῥαμὰ τῆς Βενια μίτιδος ἦν φυλῆς· καὶ τῆς Ῥαχὴλ ὁ τάφος ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρόμῳ ἐστὶ Χαφραθὰ, τοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ἐφραθά. Καὶ τέλος μὲν ἔλαβεν ἡ προφητεία ἐπὶ Ἡρώδου τοῦ πρώτου· οὗτος γὰρ ἀνεῖλε τὰ βρέφη, συναναιρήσειν ἐλπίζων τὸν γεννηθέντα Σωτῆρα. Τέθεικε δὲ ταῦτα ὁ προφήτης μεταξὺ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπαγγελίας· διδάσκων, ὅτι τὸ ἀληθῶς ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τὸ τῆς σωτη ρίας κεφάλαιον, τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἡ κατὰ σάρκα γέννησις, δι' ἣν ὑπέμεινε τὰ βρέφη τὴν ἄδικον ἐκείνην σφαγήν. ιϛʹ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· ∆ιαλειπέτω ἡ φωνή σου ἀπὸ κλαυθμοῦ, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἀπὸ δακρύων· ὅτι ἔστι μισθὸς τοῖς σοῖς ἔργοις, φησὶ Κύριος, καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ ὄρη αὑτῶν. Καὶ διδάσκων ποίων ἔργων ὑπι σχνεῖται μισθὸν, ὑποδείκνυσιν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐν Βαβυ λῶνι μετάνοιαν. ιηʹ. Ἀκούων ἤκουσα Ἐφραῒμ ὀδυρομένου. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ τίσιν ἐκέχρητο λόγοις· "Ἐπαίδευσάς με, Κύριε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαιδεύθην· ὥσπερ μόσχος οὐκ ἐδιδάχθην." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηκεν· "Ἐμαστίγωσας αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσαν· συνετέλεσας αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν δέξασθαι παι δείαν." Καὶ Ὡσηὲ δὲ ὁ προφήτης φησίν· "Ἐφραῒμ δάμαλις δεδιδαγμένη ἀγαπᾷν νεῖκος." Ἀντιλέγει, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ δέχεται τὸν τοῦ νόμου ζυγόν. Καὶ πάλιν· 81.664 "Ἐγένετο Ἐφραῒμ, ὡς παροιστρῶσα δάμαλις." Τίθησι δὲ καὶ ἅπερ ποτνιώμενος ἔλεγεν· "Ἐπίστρεψόν με, Κύριε, καὶ ἐπιστρέψω· ὅτι σὺ Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου εἶ." Σοῦ γὰρ μὴ θέλοντος, οὐκ ἀπαλλαγή σομαι τῆς δουλείας. ιθʹ. Ὅτι ὕστερον αἰχμαλωσίας μου μετε νόησα, καὶ ὕστερον τοῦ γνῶναι ἐκρότησα ἐπὶ μηρὸν, καὶ ἐστέναξα ἐφ' ἡμέραις αἰσχύνης μου. Μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν τῶν κακῶν, εἰς αἴσθησιν ἦλθε τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ εἶπε· "Πρὸ τοῦ με ταπεινωθῆναι, ἐγὼ ἐπλημμέ λησα· διὰ τοῦτο τὸ λόγιόν σου ἐφύλαξα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἀγαθόν μοι, ὅτι ἐταπείνωσάς με,