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is, and He is worthy of no blame for what He has done; but we, having lived together with impiety and wickedness, have brought the punishment upon ourselves. Thus having made the accusation of transgression, he then supplicates and asks for loving-kindness. 15, 10. "And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made for yourself a name, as it is this day, we have sinned, we have committed iniquity; O Lord, in all your righteousness, let your anger be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain." He calls to mind the former good deeds, by the gratitude 81.1465 of the memory drawing mercy upon himself, and says: It is easy for you, Master, to grant freedom to us; for already with countless wonders, and having used punishments against the Egyptians, you freed your people from that bitter slavery, so that the fame of the wonders that had occurred ran to all men, and your power became manifest to all. And since we have sinned, and have shown ourselves unworthy of your loving-kindness, we beseech that your city be deemed worthy of your forbearance, and that mountain which you made holy by your epiphany. And persisting in the supplication for the city, "Because in our sins," he says, "and in our iniquities, and those of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach among all those around us." For on account of our transgressions, and the sins of our fathers, we have become a cause of rejoicing to our neighbors, and the much-storied and renowned city has endured desolation. 17. "And now hear, O Lord our God, the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your desolate sanctuary." Receive, he says, the supplication of your servant, Master, and look upon the desolation of the place sanctified by you, and fill it again with your grace. And since the people were unworthy to obtain these things, he added very appropriately: "For your own sake, O Lord." Do, he says, what is fitting for yourself, Master, and do not reckon our transgressions, but the ever-flowing springs of your loving-kindness. And persisting in prayer: 18. "Incline," he says, "O my God, your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our destruction, and that of your city." And still further appropriating the city to Him, he said: "upon which your name has been called." And, "Incline your ear, and open your eyes," means, do not turn away from my supplication, but with favor hear my prayer. For he himself knows that the Divine is incorporeal, but otherwise being a man, he does not know how to converse with God. But since each of men sees through the eyes, and hears through the ears, he has applied these also to the incorporeal God, thus naming the energies. To these he adds: "For we do not present our supplications before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on account of your great mercy, O Lord." For not trusting in our righteousness, he says, do we ask for your loving-kindness, but trusting in your mercy we dare to make the supplication. 19. "Hear, then, O Lord; be merciful, O Lord; attend, O Lord; do not delay for your own sake, O my God 81.1468." And it is worthy to marvel at the order of what has been said. For he beseeches God, first to hear the prayer, and not to push away the supplication; then having heard, to become merciful, and having become merciful, to attend favorably, and having shown his own favor, to perform and fulfill the supplication. To these he added: Do not delay, instead of, Do not postpone the supplication to another time, but immediately deem us worthy of the epiphany. And the end of the prayer is also worthy of the humility of Daniel. "For your own sake," he says, "O my God." For not even I, he says, am worthy to receive this grace; but "Because your name has been called upon your city, and upon your people." Having asked thus, and with such great zeal having offered the supplication on behalf of his kinsmen, and having entreated God not to delay, he immediately enjoys the divine response. 20.
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ἐστι, καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς μέμψεως ἐφ' οἷς ἐποίησεν ἄξιος· ἡμεῖς δὲ δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ πονηρίᾳ συζήσαντες τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπεσπασάμεθα. Οὕτω τῆς παρανομίας τὴν κατηγορίαν ποιησάμενος, ἱκετεύει λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν αἰτεῖ. ιεʹ, ιʹ. "Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὃς ἐξήγα γες τὸν λαόν σου ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν χειρὶ κρα ταιᾷ, καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῷ ὄνομα, ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, ἡμάρτομεν, ἠνομήσαμεν· Κύριε, ἐν πάσῃ ἐλεημο σύνῃ σου ἀποστραφήτω δὴ ὁ θυμός σου ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεώς σου Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὄρους ἁγίου σου." Ἀναμιμνήσκει τῶν προτέρων εὐεργεσιῶν, τῇ εὐγνωμοσύνῃ 81.1465 τῆς μνήμης τὸν ἔλεον ἐπισπώμενος, καί φησι· Ῥᾴδιόν σοι, ∆έσποτα, τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῖν χαρί σασθαι· καὶ γὰρ ἤδη θαυματουργίαις μυρίαις, καὶ τιμωρίαις κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χρησάμενος, τῆς πικρᾶς δουλείας ἐκείνης τὸν σὸν λαὸν ἠλευθέρωσας, ὡς εἰς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους τῶν γεγενημένων θαυμά των τὴν φήμην δραμεῖν, καὶ τὴν σὴν δύναμιν ἅπασι γενέσθαι δήλην. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς ἡμάρτομεν, καὶ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἀναξίους ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀπεφήναμεν, τὴν σὴν πόλιν ἱκετεύομεν τῆς σῆς ἀξιωθῆναι φειδοῦς, καὶ τὸ ὄρος ἐκεῖνο, ὃ διὰ τῆς σῆς ἐπιφανείας ἅγιον ἀπέφηνας. Καὶ ἐπιμένων τῇ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ἱκετείᾳ, "Ὅτι ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, φησὶ, καὶ ταῖς ἀδικίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ τῶν πα τέρων ἡμῶν, Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ὁ λαός σου εἰς ὀνει δισμὸν ἐγένοντο ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς περικύκλῳ ἡμῶν." ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὰς ἡμετέρας παρανομίας, καὶ ἁμαρτίας τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς τε τοῖς ὁμόροις ἐπίχαρτοι γεγενήμεθα, καὶ ἡ πολυθρύλλητος καὶ ἀοίδιμος πόλις τὴν ἐρημίαν ὑπέμεινεν. ιζʹ. "Καὶ νῦν εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, τῆς προσευχῆς τοῦ δούλου σου, καὶ τῶν δεήσεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπίφανον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ ἁγίασμά σου τὸ ἔρημον." ∆έξαι, φησὶ, τοῦ δούλου σου τὴν δέησιν, ∆έσποτα, καὶ βλέπε τὴν ἐρήμωσιν τοῦ ἁγιασθέντος ὑπὸ σοῦ τόπου, καὶ τῆς σῆς αὐτὸν αὖθις πλήρωσον χάριτος. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀνάξιος ἦν ὁ λαὸς τούτων τυχεῖν, σφόδρα ἁρμοδίως ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἕνεκέν σου, Κύριε." Τὰ σαυτῷ, φησὶ, πρέποντα ποίησον, ∆έσποτα, καὶ μὴ τὰς ἡμετέρας λογίσῃ παρανομίας, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀεν νάους τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας πηγάς. Καὶ ἐπιμένων τῇ προσευχῇ· ιηʹ. "Κλῖνον, φησὶν, ὁ Θεός μου, τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἄκουσον· ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἴδε τὸν ἀφανισμὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ τῆς πόλεώς σου." Καὶ ἔτι πλεῖον προσοικειῶν αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν ἔφη· "Ἐφ' ἧ ἐπικέκληταί σου τὸ ὄνομα ἐν αὐτῇ." Τὸ δὲ, "Κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἀποστραφῇς μου τὴν δέησιν, ἀλλὰ μετ' εὐμενείας ἄκουσόν μου τῆς προσευχῆς. Οἶδε γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς τὸ Θεῖον ἀσώματον, ἑτέρως δὲ ἄνθρω πος ὢν οὐκ οἶδε διαλεχθῆναι Θεῷ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕκαστος διὰ μὲν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὁρᾷ, διὰ δὲ τῶν ὤτων ἀκούει, τέθεικε ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου Θεοῦ, τὰς ἐνεργείας οὕτω καλῶν. Τούτοις ἐπάγει· "Ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ταῖς δικαιοσύναις ἡμῶν ἡμεῖς ῥίπτομεν τὸν οἰκτιρμὸν ἡμῶν ἐνώπιόν σου, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου τοὺς πολλοὺς, Κύριε." Οὐ γὰρ ταῖς δικαιοσύναις ἡμῶν, φησὶν, θαῤῥοῦντες τὴν σὴν αἰτοῦμεν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ σῷ πε ποιθότες ἐλέῳ τολμῶμεν τὴν δέησιν. ιθʹ. "Εἰσάκουσον οὖν, Κύριε, ἱλάσθητι, Κύριε, πρόσχες, Κύριε· μὴ χρονίσῃς ἕνεκέν σου, ὁ Θεός 81.1468 μου." Ἄξιον δὲ θαυμάσαι τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν τάξιν. Ἱκετεύει γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν, πρῶτον μὲν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς προσευχῆς, καὶ μὴ ἀπώσασθαι τὴν ἱκετηρίαν· εἶτα ἀκούσαντα ἵλεων γενέσθαι, ἵλεων δὲ γενόμενον προσέχειν εὐμενῶς, δείξαντα δὲ τὴν οἰκείαν εὐμέ νειαν ποιῆσαι καὶ πληρῶσαι τὴν ἱκετείαν. Τούτοις ἐπήγαγε· Μὴ χρονίσῃς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἀναβάλῃ τὴν δέησιν εἰς ἕτερον χρόνον, ἀλλ' αὐτίκα τῆς ἐπι φανείας ἡμᾶς ἀξίωσον. Καὶ τῆς εὐχῆς δὲ τὸ τέλος τῆς τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἄξιον. "Ἕνεκέν σου, φησὶν, ὁ Θεός μου." Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἄξιος τοῦ ταύτην λαβεῖν τὴν χάριν· ἀλλ' "Ὅτι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπικέκληται ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν σου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου." Οὕτως αἰτήσας, καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης προθυμίας τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ἱκετηρίαν προσ ενεγκὼν, καὶ ἀντιβολήσας μὴ χρονίσαι τὸν Θεὸν, παραυτίκα τῆς θείας ἀποκρίσεως ἀπολαύει. κʹ.