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he will enjoy what is supplied; but those who consider perpetual communion with him a delight will especially obtain these things. 5, 2. "Reveal thy way unto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." To God, he says, dedicate both yourself and your actions, and await the turning of the scale from him; for he, like a judge, will bring forth a just verdict, and will proclaim you, and will make you brilliant, so that it is clear to all, like the light of midday. 7. "Be subject to the Lord, and supplicate him." Knowing these things, therefore, obey God who governs, and continue asking for good things from him. "Do not be jealous of him who prospers in his way, of the man who practices iniquity." And if you see someone choosing wicked things, and not missing his mark, but being carried along with the current, do not be displeased, nor be indignant, as if no one were directing creation. For what follows makes this clear: 8, 9. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: do not be jealous so as to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off." Do not look at their prosperity, but await the end, and you will see their destruction. "But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. [10, 11.] For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and you shall seek his place, and shall not find it. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." For 80.1129 know well, that those who have attached themselves to the divine hope, and choose a gentle life, will continue in quietness and peace, having as a lasting delight the purity of their conscience. But those who trust in temporary prosperity will receive a swift change, and will be given over to complete oblivion. 12, 13. "The sinner will watch the righteous man, and will gnash his teeth at him. But the Lord will laugh at him, because he foresees that his day will come." And through these things he offers comfort to the souls of those who are wronged. For he shows the lawless man, raging and mad against those who embrace the quiet life; and the just judge laughing at the attempt, since indeed he foresees their swift end. 14, 15. "The sinners have drawn a sword, they have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay the upright in heart. Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bows be broken." These things also have the same meaning as those said before. For it teaches that the sinner uses all sorts of devices against those who have done no wrong, but he will be ensnared in his own traps. For he called the various plots both a sword and a bow. These things are like what was said in the seventh psalm: "He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made." 10. "A little that the righteous has is better than the great wealth of sinners." Better, he says, is self-sufficiency with righteousness, than lawless wealth and unjust abundance. Then, showing the fruit of both, he says: 17. "For the arms of sinners shall be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous." He tropically called their power "arms"; since it is through these that men are accustomed to work. And the phrase, "supports the righteous," is very aptly placed; for being pushed by demons and men, but being supported by divine grace, they stand, and overcome the approaching difficulties. 18, 19. "The Lord knows the ways of the blameless, and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in an evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." Those who choose a blameless life enjoy all providence. For even if they fall into misfortunes, they are shown to be superior to them; and when there is a common lack, from God 80.1132 they will receive self-sufficiency, and in addition to these things they will enjoy eternal goods. But I think that the famine hinted at here is the one long ago threatened to the Jews: "I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for

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χορηγουμένων ἀπολαύ σεται· διαφερόντως δὲ τεύξονται τούτων οἱ τρυφὴν ἡγούμενοι τὴν διηνεκῆ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμιλίαν. εʹ, ʹ. "Ἀποκάλυψον πρὸς Κύριον τὴν ὁδόν σου, καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει. Καὶ ἐξοίσει ὡς φῶς τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, καὶ τὸ κρῖμα σου, ὡς μεσημ βρίαν." Τῷ Θεῷ, φησὶ, καὶ σαυτὸν, καὶ τὰς σὰς πράξεις ἀνάθου, καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ πρόσμενε ῥοπήν· αὐτὸς γὰρ οἷα δικαστὴς ἐξοίσει δικαίαν τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ ἀνακηρύξει σε, καὶ λαμπρὸν ἀπεργάσεται, ὡς εἶναι δῆλον ἅπασι, καθὼς τῆς μεσημβρίας τὸ φῶς. ζʹ. "Ὑποτάγηθι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἱκέτευσον αὐτόν." Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδὼς, πείθου τῷ Θεῷ κυ βερνῶντι, καὶ αἰτῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀγαθὰ διατέλει. Μὴ παραζήλου ἐν τῷ κατευοδουμένῳ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὑ τοῦ· ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ποιοῦντι παρανομίαν." Κἄν τινα ἴδῃς πονηρὰ προαιρούμενον, καὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ μὴ διαμαρτάνοντα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ῥοῦν φερόμενον, μὴ δυσχέραινε, μηδὲ δυσφόρει, ὡς μηδενὸς τὴν κτίσιν ἰθύνοντος. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα· ηʹ, θʹ. "Παῦσαι ἀπὸ ὀργῆς, καὶ ἐγκατάλιπε θυμόν· μὴ παραζήλου ὥστε πονηρεύεσθαι. Ὅτι οἱ πονη ρευόμενοι ἐξολοθρευθήσονται." Μὴ ἴδῃς αὐτῶν τὴν εὐημερίαν, ἀλλὰ πρόσμεινον τὸ τέλος, καὶ ὄψει τὸν ὄλεθρον. "Οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν Κύριον, αὐτοὶ κληρονομή σουσι γῆν. [ιʹ, ιαʹ.] Καὶ ἔτι ὀλίγον, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξῃ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ ζητήσεις τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὕρῃς. Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, καὶ κατατρυφήσουσιν ἐπὶ πλήθει εἰρήνης." Εὖ γὰρ 80.1129 ἴσθι, ὅτι οἱ μὲν τῆς θείας ἐλπίδος σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀν αρτήσαντες, καὶ τὸν ἐπιεικῆ προαιρούμενοι βίον, ἐν ἀπραγμοσύνῃ καὶ εἰρήνῃ διατελέσουσι, τρυφὴν ἔχοντες μόνιμον τοῦ συνειδότος τὴν καθαρότητα. Οἱ δὲ τῇ προσκαίρῳ εὐημερίᾳ θαῤῥοῦντες ταχεῖαν δέξονται τὴν μεταβολὴν, καὶ λήθῃ παραδοθήσονται παντελεῖ. ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "Παρατηρήσεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δί καιον, καὶ βρύξει ἐπ' αὐτὸν τοὺς ὀδόντας αὑτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἐκγελάσεται αὐτὸν, ὅτι προβλέπει, ὅτι ἥξει ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ." Καὶ διὰ τούτων παρα ψυχὴν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις προσφέρει. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ τὸν μὲν παράνομον, λυττῶντα καὶ μεμηνότα κατὰ τῶν τὸν ἀπράγμονα βίον ἀσπαζομένων· τὸν δὲ δίκαιον κριτὴν καταγελῶντα τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως· ἅτε δὴ τὴν ταχεῖαν αὐτῶν τελευτὴν προορῶντα. ιδʹ, ιεʹ. "Ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, ἐν έτειναν τόξον αὑτῶν, τοῦ καταβαλεῖν πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα, τοῦ σφάξαι τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἡ ῥομ φαία αὐτῶν εἰσέλθοι εἰς τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν συντριβείη." Τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει τοῖς προ ειρημένοις καὶ ταῦτα διάνοιαν. ∆ιδάσκει γὰρ ὡς παντοδαπαῖς μὲν ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς κατὰ τῶν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων κέχρηται μηχαναῖς, ταῖς δὲ οἰκείαις περιπαρήσεται πάγαις. Καὶ ῥομφαίαν γὰρ καὶ τόξον κέκληκε τὰς διαφόρους ἐπιβουλάς. Ἔοικε ταῦτα τοῖς ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ εἰρημένοις ψαλμῷ· "Λάκκον ὤρυξε καὶ ἀνέσκαψεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς βόθρον ὃν εἰργάσατο." ιʹ. "Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ, ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν." Ἄμεινον, φησὶ, μετὰ δικαιοσύ νης αὐτάρκεια, παρανόμου πλούτου καὶ περιουσίας ἀδίκου. Εἶτα δεικνὺς τὴν ἀμφοτέρων ἐπικαρπίαν, φησίν· ιζʹ. "Ὅτι βραχίονες ἁμαρτωλῶν συντριβήσονται, ὑποστηρίζει δὲ τοὺς δικαίους ὁ Κύριος." Βραχίονας τροπικῶς τὴν δύναμιν ἀπεκάλεσεν· ἐπειδὴ διὰ τούτων ἐργάζεσθαι πεφύκασιν ἄνθρωποι. Προσφυῶς δὲ ἄγαν τὸ, ὑποστηρίζει τοὺς δικαίους, τέθει κεν· ὑπὸ δαιμόνων γὰρ καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὠθούμε νοι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς θείας ἐρειδόμενοι χάριτος, ἵσταν ται, καὶ τῶν ἐπιόντων περιγίνονται δυσχε ρῶν. ιηʹ, ιθ. "Γινώσκει Κύριος τὰς ὁδοὺς τῶν ἀμώμων, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνα ἔσται. Οὐ κατ αισχυνθήσονται ἐν καιρῷ πονηρῷ, καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις λιμοῦ χορτασθήσονται." Πάσης ἀπολαύουσι προ νοίας οἱ ἄμεμπτον βίον αἱρούμενοι. Κἂν γὰρ συμ φοραῖς περιπέσωσι, κρείττους ἀποφαίνονται τού των· καὶ κοινῆς γενομένης ἐνδείας, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ 80.1132 δέξονται τὴν αὐτάρκειαν, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τῶν αἰωνίων ἀπολαύσουσιν ἀγαθῶν. Λιμὸν δὲ ἡγοῦμαι ἐνταῦθα παραδηλοῦσθαι τὸν πάλαι Ἰουδαίοις ἀπειληθέντα· "Ἐπάξω λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτου, οὐδὲ δίψαν