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His mouth is full of cursing, and of bitterness, and of deceit. Under his tongue is trouble and sorrow. Another, Uselessness. He sits in ambush with the rich in secret places, to kill the innocent. Another, Lying in wait by the courts. His eyes look upon the poor. He lies in wait in a secret place as a lion in his den. Another, As in his enclosure. He lies in wait to seize the poor, to seize the poor when he draws him in. Another, In his drawing in. In his snare he will humble him. Another, In the dragnet. He will stoop and fall when he has gained dominion over the poor. Another, But the crushed one shall be bowed down, when he falls with his mighty ones upon the weak. Have you seen him become a beast? For the Prophet, describing him as a beast, speaks thus about him, parading his deceits, his ambushes, his plots. What could be more wretched than this, what poorer, when he needs the money of the poor? Shall we then, tell me, call this man rich? Then also the thief, and the housebreaker. Away with it, he says. For what if he does not dig through courtrooms? for what if he does not come by night, but with deceit extinguishes the light of the judge? For what if he does not come upon them while they are sleeping 55.138, but while all are awake? For this one is more reckless. Since the laws punish more those robbers who steal by day. Have you seen poverty? Have you seen cruelty? Poverty, because he desires the things of the poor; cruelty, because he is not moved by misfortune, but crushes this poverty which he ought to pity and correct. But yet he does not do these things unpunished; but when he prevails, when he seems to have overcome, when he thinks himself invincible, then he will perish; so that both God's resourcefulness may be shown, and the endurance of the poor, and this man's incorrigibility, and the forbearance of God's long-suffering. For this reason justice does not follow at his heels, as God calls him to repentance through long-suffering; but when he gains nothing from long-suffering, then He admonishes him by punishment. For these who have been wronged have been harmed in no way; but they have even become better and more illustrious from the affliction; and God showed His own long-suffering, enduring and forbearing, and with the long-suffering also His strength, and His resourcefulness; for when he is at his most powerful, then He overcomes him; but this one, remaining incorrigible, pays the ultimate penalty. And this is no small lesson for those who prosper. 11. Therefore, when you prevail over your enemies, and everything is carried along for you by a fair wind, do not be confident living in wickedness, but then rather be afraid. For the things of wickedness increase, the things of defense are taken away from you, the things of pardon are cut off from you who remain wicked. For he said in his heart: God has forgotten; He has turned away His face, so as not to see to the end. See to what a pit of destruction he descends, what doctrines he collects, which through shamelessness he does not dare to utter, but turns them over in his mind, fighting against the truth, and overshadowing things clearer than the sun because of the blindness of his own mind. Arise, O Lord my God, let Your hand be lifted up. Do not forget the poor. Another, Lift up Your hand. For what reason has the ungodly provoked God? For he said in his heart: He will not require it. You see, for you observe trouble and anger, to deliver him into Your hands. Another, You have seen that you will look upon trouble and provocation, to give it into your hand. Another, So that they may be given into your hands. The lawless one says these things, the plunderer, the covetous, as one who will not pay a penalty; but the Prophet, refuting his doctrines, fulfills the discourse concerning long-suffering. For that one says: He has turned away His face, so as not to see to the end; but he, on the contrary: And

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ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει, καὶ πικρίας, καὶ δόλου. Ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ κόπος καὶ πόνος. Ἄλλος, Ἀνωφελές. Ἐγκάθηται ἐνέδρα μετὰ πλουσίων ἐν ἀποκρύφοις, τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι ἀθῶον. Ἄλλος, Ἐνεδρεύων παρὰ τὰς αὐλάς. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν πένητα ἀποβλέπουσιν. Ἐνεδρεύει ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ ὡς λέων ἐν τῇ μάνδρᾳ αὐτοῦ. Ἄλλος, Ὡς ἐν τῷ περιφράγματι αὐτοῦ. Ἐνεδρεύει τοῦ ἁρπάσαι πτωχὸν, ἁρπάσαι πτωχὸν ἐν τῷ ἑλκύσαι αὐτόν. Ἄλλος, Ἐν ἑλκυσμῷ αὐτοῦ. Ἐν τῇ παγίδι αὐτοῦ ταπεινώσει αὐτόν. Ἄλλος, Ἐν τῇ σαγήνῃ. Κύψει καὶ πεσεῖται ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν κατακυριεῦσαι τῶν πενήτων. Ἄλλος, Ὁ δὲ θλασθεὶς καμφθήσεται, ἐπιπεσόντος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν. Εἶδες καὶ θηρίον αὐτὸν γενόμενον; Καθάπερ γὰρ θηρίον ὑπογράφων ὁ Προφήτης, οὕτω περὶ αὐτοῦ διαλέγεται, τοὺς δόλους, τὰς ἐνέδρας, τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἐκπομπεύων. Τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον, τί δὲ πενέστερον, ὅταν τῶν τοῦ πένητος δέηται χρημάτων; Τοῦτον οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, πλούσιον φήσομεν; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸν κλέπτην, καὶ τὸν τοιχωρύχον. Ἄπαγε, φησί. Τί γὰρ εἰ καὶ μὴ διορύττει δικαστήρια; τί γὰρ εἰ καὶ μὴ νυκτὸς ἔπεισιν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ δόλου κατασβεννὺς τὸ φῶς τοῦ δικάζοντος; Τί γὰρ εἰ μὴ καθευδόντων 55.138 ἐπέρχεται, ἀλλ' ἐγρηγορότων ἁπάντων; Οὗτος γὰρ ἰταμώτερος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν λῃστῶν τοὺς μεθ' ἡμέραν κλέπτοντας μᾶλλον κολάζουσιν οἱ νόμοι. Εἶδες πενίαν; εἶδες ὠμότητα; Πενίαν, ὅτι τῶν τοῦ πένητος ἐπιθυμεῖ· ὠμότητα, ὅτι οὐδὲ τῇ συμφορᾷ ἐπικλᾶται, ἀλλ' ἢν ἐλεεῖν δεῖ καὶ διορθοῦσθαι πενίαν, ταύτην ἐπιτρίβει. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀτιμώρητα ταῦτα ἐργάζεται· ἀλλ' ὅταν κρατήσῃ, ὅταν δόξῃ περιγενέσθαι, ὅταν ἀχείρωτος εἶναι νομίσῃ, τότε ἀπολεῖται· ἵνα καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εὐμήχανον φαίνηται, καὶ τῶν πενήτων ἡ ὑπομονὴ, καὶ τούτου τὸ ἀδιόρθωτον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίας ἡ ἀνεξικακία. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ παρὰ πόδας ἡ δίκη ἕπεται, τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς μακροθυμίας καλοῦντος αὐτὸν εἰς μετάνοιαν· ἀλλ' ὅταν μηδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς μακροθυμίας κερδάνῃ, τότε αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τιμωρίας νουθετεῖ. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ ἀδικηθέντες, οὐδὲν ἐβλάβησαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ βελτίους ἐγένοντο καὶ λαμπρότεροι ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τὴν μακροθυμίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπεδείξατο, ἀνασχόμενος καὶ ἀνεξικακήσας, μετὰ δὲ τῆς μακροθυμίας καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τὸ εὔπορον· ὅτι ὅταν ἑαυτοῦ ᾖ δυνατώτερος, τότε αὐτοῦ περιγίνεται· οὗτος δὲ ἀδιόρθωτος μείνας, τὴν ἐσχάτην δίδωσι δίκην. Οὐ μικρὸς δὲ οὗτος σωφρονισμὸς τοῖς εὐημεροῦσι. ιαʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν, ὅταν κρατήσῃς τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ πάντα σοι ἐξ οὐρίας φέρηται, θάῤῥει ζῶν ἐν πονηρίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τότε μᾶλλον δέδιθι. Καὶ γὰρ αὔξεται τὰ τῆς πονηρίας, ἀναιρεῖταί σοι τὰ τῆς ἀπολογίας, ἐκκόπτεταί σοι τὰ τῆς συγγνώμης μένοντι πονηρῷ. Εἶπε γὰρ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Ἐπιλέλησται ὁ Θεός· ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν εἰς τέλος. Ἴδε πρὸς ὅσον βάραθρον ἀπωλείας κάτεισιν, οἷα δόγματα συνάγει, ἃ διὰ τὸ ἀναίσχυντον ἐξενεγκεῖν μὲν οὐ τολμᾷ, παρ' ἑαυτῷ δὲ στρέφει, πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μαχόμενος, καὶ τὰ ἡλίου φανερώτερα συσκιάζων διὰ τὴν πήρωσιν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διανοίας. Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ὑψωθήτω ἡ χείρ σου. Μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τῶν πενήτων. Ἄλλος, Ἔπαρον τὴν χεῖρά σου. Ἕνεκεν τίνος παρώργισεν ὁ ἀσεβὴς τὸν Θεόν; εἶπε γὰρ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἐκζητήσει. Βλέπεις, ὅτι σὺ πόνον καὶ θυμὸν κατανοεῖς, τοῦ παραδοῦναι αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖράς σου. Ἄλλος, Εἶδες ὅτι σὺ πόνον καὶ παροργισμὸν ἐπιβλέψεις, τοῦ δοῦναι ἐν χειρί σου. Ἄλλος, Ἵνα δοθῶσιν εἰς χεῖράς σου. Ὁ μὲν παράνομος ταῦτά φησιν, ὁ ἁρπάζων, ὁ πλεονεκτῶν, ὡς μὴ διδοὺς δίκην· ὁ δὲ Προφήτης ἀναιρῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ δόγματα, τὸν περὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ἀναπληροῖ λόγον. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γάρ φησιν· Ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν εἰς τέλος· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπεναντίας· Καὶ