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is not with me; for being disposed according to irrational things, I will be able neither to perceive brightly nor to think strongly. The right reason, according to which he is rational, can be both the strength of the one who says these things and the light of his eyes. This, then, has abandoned him, and no longer seems to be with him, his heart being troubled, which is called strength according to the teaching of the practical life, and the light of the eyes according to its illuminating with the clarity of things seen. And those whom I had, he says, as friends and neighbors while living for pleasure, these I had as enemies who resisted me hostilely when I was inclined to turn from evil and to do good. And these who were formerly very near me in relationship and disposition, have set up a trophy of enemies from afar. And it must be said thus: whenever someone falls into tribulations, he is abandoned by all who were formerly near, and friends and neighbors, so that sometimes they even accuse the one who was long desired. You would find images of these things in Job. And those who chose to seek my soul harmfully and contentiously also wished to overpower me by force, thinking to subdue me with compelling words as if they were demonstrative; but the things said before these in the seeking of the evils to which they were hastening to subject me appeared to me as vanity. for I heard them not as a demonstration but as a vain and deceitful sophistry. And uttering vanity through the things with which they devise sophisms all the day long, that is, throughout life, they meditate on deceit, neither bringing proofs to the matters then but also judging to seize sophistically. 380 Ps 37,14.15 The one who has judged to keep "You shall not receive a vain report" has become deaf to deceitful and deceptive words, not wishing to have perception of them by hearing; and much more, like a mute person, he would not wish to answer such words or to refute them; for it is said in other places that it is the mark of a fool to refute extremely simple-minded words. I became, therefore, he says, toward such men as one not hearing and not having refutations in my mouth; for there is often danger in hearing slanderous words and in conversing about problems subject to punishment. Therefore, it is blessed to be deaf to such things and to be thought not able to refute them. 381 Ps 37,16 Since, having despised all other things, I have hoped in you alone, O Lord, my God, You will hearken, to whom praying I said, beginning with "Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger." For often the pernicious demons who were with me when I sinned reproach me, bringing to the fore my past deeds, trying through this to hinder my repentance and to produce despair of salvation. I, at least, have become deaf and not hearing toward the such thoughts they suggest, not wishing to refute them, so that by being occupied with this I might not slacken the intense zeal for repentance. Since therefore I hope, O Lord, I am confident I will be heard. For being able to defend myself, I withhold the defense, knowing "Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath," and "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 382 Ps 37,18 I am ready and prepared for the scourges that come from sense-perception. Indeed, my pain, by which I suffer for my past deeds, is before me wounding and scourging me. And it can also be thus: since my pain exists, as I suffer for the evils I have done, even if it be necessary to be outside of sins through scourges, I am ready for them, that is, I am eager to be struck for the sake of conversion. Ps 37,18b Clearly the sympathy for us, for the sake of which he has always the remembrance of his own passion; "For from what he has suffered," says Paul, "he himself being tempted is able to help those who are tempted." 383 Ps 37,19 As according to the law the one who has a sin for which it is necessary to offer a sacrifice was concerned about the things offered for it, so it is to be anxious

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οὐκ εστιν μετ' ἐμοῦ· διατεθεὶς γὰρ κατὰ τὰ αλογα οὐδ' ἐννοεῖσθαι φωτεινῶς η ἰσχυρῶς διανοεῖσθαι δυνήσομαι. ∆ύναται καὶ ἰσχὺς ειναι τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος καὶ φῶς ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ὁ ὀρθὸς λόγος καθ' ον ἐστιν λογικός. ουτος ουν ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκέτι ειναι μετ' αὐτοῦ δοκεῖ, ταραχθείσης αὐτοῦ τῆς καρδίας ἰσχύος ὀνομαζομένης κατὰ τὴν τῶν πρακτικῶν ὑφήγησιν, φῶς δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν κατὰ τὸ φωτίζειν τῇ σαφηνείᾳ τῶν ὁρώντων. Καὶ ους δὲ ειχον, φησίν, φίλους καὶ πλησίον φιληδόνως ζῶν, τούτους πολεμικῶς ἀνθισταμένους καὶ πολεμίους εσχον ῥέψας ἐπὶ τὸ ἐκκλῖναι ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι. ουτοι δὲ καὶ Εγγιστά μου πρότερον οντες σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει ἀπὸ μακρόθεν πολεμίων τρόπαιον εστησαν. ̔Ρητέον δὲ καὶ ουτως· οτ' αν τις περιστάσεσι περιπέσῃ, ἐγκαταλείπεται ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν πρότερον ἐγγιζόντων καὶ φίλων καὶ πλησίον οντων, ὡς εσθ' οτε καὶ κατηγορεῖν τὸν πάλαι ποθούμενον. τούτων εἰκόνας ευροις ἐν τῷ ̓Ιώβ. Καὶ οἱ βλαπτικῶς δὲ καὶ φιλονείκως ἐκζητεῖν τὴν ψυχήν μου προελόμενοι καὶ βίᾳ περιβαλεῖν με ἠθέλησαν, ἀναγκαστικοῖς λόγοις ὡς δῆθεν ἀποδεικτικοῖς ὑπαγαγεῖν με νομίζοντες· ἀλλὰ τὰ πρὸ τούτων λεγόμενα ἐπὶ ἐκζητήσει τῶν κακῶν οις ὑποβάλλειν με εσπευδον ωφθησάν μοι ματαιότης. ηκουον γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἀποδείξεως ἀλλ' ὡς ματαίας καὶ ἀπατηλῆς σοφιστείας. ματαιότητα δὲ δι' ων σοφίζονται φθεγγόμενοι δι' ολης ἡμέρας, τουτέστι διὰ βίου, δολιότητα μελετῶσιν ουτε ἀποδείξεις τότε τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπιφέροντες ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφιστικῶς συναρπάζειν κρίναντες. 380 Ps 37,14.15 ̔Ο κρίνας φυλάττειν τὸ Οὐ παραδέξῃ ἀκοὴν ματαίαν πρὸς τοὺς δολίους καὶ ἀπατηλοὺς λόγους κεκώφωται οὐδ' αισθησιν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐξ ἀκοῆς εχειν βουλόμενος· πολλῷ δὲ πλέον ἀλάλου δίκην οὐδ' ἀποκρίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους λόγους η ἐλέγχειν αὐτοὺς βουληθείη· ειρηται γὰρ ἐν αλλοις ἠλιθίου ειναι τὸ ἐξελέγχειν τοὺς λίαν εὐήθεις λόγους. ̓Εγενόμην ουν, φησίν, πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ἀνθρώπους ὡς οὐκ ἀκούων οὐδ' εχων ἐν στόματί μου ἐλεγμούς· κίνδυνον γὰρ εχει πολλάκις τὸ δυσφήμων λόγων ἀκούειν καὶ τὸ διαλέγεσθαι περὶ προβλημάτων ὑποκειμένων κολάσει. διὸ μακάριον κεκωφῶσθαι πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ νομίζεσθαι μὴ οιόν τε ειναι αὐτὰ ἐλέγχειν. 381 Ps 37,16 ̓Επεὶ πάντων τῶν αλλων καταφρονήσας ηλπισα ἐπὶ μόνῳ σοί, ω κύριε, τυγχάνων μου καὶ θεὸς Σὺ εἰσακούσῃ, ῳ εὐξάμενος ειπον ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με. πολλάκις γὰρ οἱ συνόντες μοι, οτε ἡμάρτανον, ἀλητήριοι δαίμονες ὀνειδίζουσι τὰ προπεπραγμένα εἰς μέσον φέροντες, ὡς διὰ τούτου ἐμποδίσαι τὴν μετάνοιάν μου πειρώμενοι καὶ ἀπόγνωσιν σωτηρίας ἐμποιῆσαι. ἐγὼ γοῦν πρὸς ους ὑποβάλλουσι τοιούτους λογισμοὺς κωφὸς καὶ οὐκ ἀκούων γεγένημαι οὐδ' ἐλέγξαι αὐτοὺς βουλόμενος, οπως μὴ περὶ τοῦτο καταγινόμενος ἐκλύσω τὴν σύντονον περὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν προθυμίαν. ἐπεὶ ουν ἐλπίζων, ω κύριε, θαρρῶ εἰσακουσθήσεσθαι. ἐμαυτῷ γὰρ ἀμῦναι δυνάμενος ἐπέχω τὴν αμυναν, γινώσκων τὸ Μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοί, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ, καὶ τὸ ̓Εμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος. 382 Ps 37,18 Ετοιμος καὶ εὐτρεπὴς πρὸς τὰς ἐξ αἰσθήσεως μάστιγάς εἰμι. ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ ἡ ἀλγεδών μου, καθ' ην ἀλγῶ ἐπὶ τοῖς προπεπραγμένοις, ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστιν τιτρώσκουσα καὶ μαστίζουσά με. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ ουτως· ἐπεὶ ἡ ἀλγηδών μού ἐστιν, ἀλγοῦντός μου ἐφ' οις εδρασα κακοῖς καν διὰ μαστίγων δέοι ἐκτὸς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων γενέσθαι, ετοιμός εἰμι πρὸς ταύτας, τουτέστι προθύμως εχω περὶ ἐπιστροφῆς τυφθῆναι. Ps 37,18b ̔Η πρὸς ἡμᾶς δηλονότι συμπάθεια ης ενεκα τοῦ οἰκείου πάθους εχει διὰ παντὸς τὴν ἀνάμνησιν· ̓Αφ' ων γὰρ πέπονθεν, ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, αὐτὸς πειρασθεὶς δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι. 383 Ps 37,19 ̔Ως κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὁ ἁμαρτίαν εχων ὑπὲρ ης δεῖ θυσίαν προσαγαγεῖν ἐφρόντιζεν τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς προσφερομένων, ουτως ἐστὶ μεριμνᾶν