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of water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord." 20. "For the sinners shall perish; but the enemies of the Lord, at the very time they are glorified and exalted, failing like smoke they have vanished." The change of the conjunction has created a difference of persons; and it suggests that the sinners are to be understood as one group, and the enemies of the Lord as another. But Aquila and Symmachus, having put the conjunction "and" instead of "but," showed them to be the same, sinners and enemies of the Lord. But it says that men hated by God on account of their own transgressions, having flourished for a short time, and seeming to be illustrious and conspicuous, were dispersed like smoke. 21. "The sinner borrows, and will not pay back; but the righteous has compassion, and gives." Such was Saul, always being benefited by the most divine David, but not enduring to repay his benefactor with good things. But the blessed David, imitating his own Master, who makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, continued to do good. Such were the Jews, receiving all kinds of healing from the holy apostles, and demonstrating their murderous disposition; but nevertheless the divine apostles generously distributed the divine gifts to them. 22. "For they that bless him shall inherit the earth, but they that curse him shall be utterly destroyed." This the God of all promised to the patriarch Abraham, "I will bless them that bless you, and I will curse them that curse you." 23, 24. "By the Lord the steps of a man are directed, and He will delight greatly in his way. When he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds his hand." For on this account He blesses him who blesses the righteous man, and repays him who curses with the same; since He Himself directs the ways of the righteous. For it is impossible for anyone to walk blamelessly the path of virtue without His grace. He works together, however, with those who have this aim; and it is necessary for human readiness and divine providence to concur at the same time for the acquisition of virtue. For thus, even if he who makes this journey should ever slip, he will obtain divine assistance. Thus the blessed David, having stumbled and being in danger of being brought down to the ground, was set upright by divine grace. 80.1133 25, 26. "I have been young, and now am old, and I have not seen a righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. The righteous shows mercy and lends all the day long, and his seed shall be for a blessing." Both being young, and having come to old age, I have not known of seeing a righteous man become destitute of divine providence. For the righteous judge takes all care not only of them, but also of those who spring from them. Thus, though Israel transgressed in these things, He took forethought for them on account of their ancestral virtue. Thus, though Solomon had acted impiously, He bore with him on account of his father's love for God. And the phrase, "The righteous shows mercy and lends all the day long," indicates the various kinds of benefactions of the righteous man: those through money, those through deeds, those through words and counsels. And in doing these things, he shows mercy to those who receive them, but he lends to their God; "For he who has mercy on the poor," it says, "lends to God," so that mercy is the same as a loan. 27. "Turn away from evil, and do good, and dwell for ever and ever." Therefore, all men, knowing these things, and having learned the rewards of virtue and of vice, flee the forms of vice, and travel the opposite road, that you may enjoy the eternal good things. 28, 29. "For the Lord loves judgment, and will not forsake His saints; for they shall be preserved for ever; but the lawless shall be driven out, and the seed of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed. But the righteous shall inherit the earth, and shall dwell for ever and ever upon it." The Lord of all, using right and just judgment, will make retributions appropriate to their practices; and He will deem the lovers of righteousness worthy of all care, but those who choose the opposite He will pull up by the roots. Thus having shown the fruits of both,

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ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Κυρίου." κʹ. "Ὅτι οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπολοῦνται· οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἅμα τῷ δοξασθῆναι αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑψωθῆναι, ἐκλείποντες ὡσεὶ καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον." Ἡ τοῦ συνδέσμου ἐναλλαγὴ διαφορὰν προσώπων εἰργάσατο· καὶ ἄλλους μὲν ὑποβάλλει νοεῖν τοὺς ἁμαρ τωλοὺς, ἄλλους δὲ ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἀκύλας δὲ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ δὲ τὸν καὶ σύνδεσμον τεθεικότες, τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἔδειξαν ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐχθρούς. Λέγει δὲ ὅτι οἱ θεομισεῖς διὰ τὰς οἰκείας παρανομίας ἄνθρωποι, ὀλίγον ἀνθήσαν τες χρόνον, καὶ δόξαντες εἶναι περιφανεῖς καὶ περί βλεπτοι, δίκην καπνοῦ διελύθησαν. καʹ. "∆ανείζεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀποτίσει· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος οἰκτείρει, καὶ δίδωσιν." Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ Σαοὺλ, ἀεὶ μὲν εὐεργετούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θειοτάτου ∆αβὶδ, ἀμείψασθαι δὲ ἀγαθοῖς τὸν εὐεργέτην οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ, τὸν οἰκεῖον ∆εσπότην μιμούμενος, ἀνατέλλοντα τὸν ἥλιον αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, εὐεργετῶν διετέλει. Τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, τὰς παντοδαπὰς θεραπείας παρὰ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων δεχόμενοι, καὶ τὴν μιαιφόνον ἐπιδεικνύμενοι γνώμην· ἀλλ' ὅμως οἱ θεῖοι ἀπόστολοι τὰς θείας αὐτοῖς δωρεὰς φιλοτίμως διένεμον. κβʹ. "Ὅτι οἱ εὐλογοῦντες αὐτὸν κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, οἱ δὲ καταρώμενοι αὐτὸν ἐξολοθρευθήσονται." Τοῦτο τῷ πατριάρχῃ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐπηγγείλατο, "Εὐλογήσω τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε, καὶ τοὺς καταρωμένους σε καταράσομαι." κγʹ, κδʹ. "Παρὰ Κυρίου τὰ διαβήματα ἀνθρώπου κατευθύνεται, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ θελήσει σφόδρα. Ὅτ' ἂν πέσῃ οὐ καταῤῥαχθήσεται, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτῷ." Τούτου γάρ τοι χάριν εὐλογεῖ μὲν τὸν εὐλογοῦντα τὸν δίκαιον, τὸν δὲ καταρώμενον τοῖς ἴσοις ἀμείβεται· ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς κατευθύνει τὰς τῶν δικαίων ὁδούς. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ δίχα τῆς αὐτοῦ χάριτος ἀμέμπτως ὁδεῦσαί τινα τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδόν. Συνεργεῖ μέντοι τοῖς τοῦ τον ἔχουσι τὸν σκοπόν· καὶ χρεία κατὰ ταὐτὸν συνδραμεῖν εἰς τὴν κτῆσιν τῆς ἀρετῆς προθυμίαν ἀνθρωπίνην, καὶ θείαν προμήθειαν. Οὕτω γὰρ κἂν ὀλισθήσῃ ποτὲ ὁ τήνδε τὴν πορείαν ποιούμενος, τῆς θείας ἀντιλήψεως τεύξεται. Οὕτως ὁ μακάριος προσπταίσας ∆αβὶδ, καὶ κατενεχθῆναι κινδυνεύσας εἰς γῆν, ὑπὸ τῆς θείας χάριτος ἀνωρθώθη. 80.1133 κεʹ, κʹ. "Νεώτερος ἐγενόμην, καὶ γὰρ ἐγήρασα, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον δίκαιον ἐγκαταλελειμμένον, οὐδὲ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ζητοῦν ἄρτους. Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεεῖ καὶ δανείζει ὁ δίκαιος, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ εἰς εὐλογίαν ἔσται." Καὶ νέος ὢν, καὶ εἰς γῆρας ἐλθὼν, οὐκ οἶδα θεασάμενος δίκαιον τῆς θείας ἔρημον προνοίας γενόμενον. Ὁ γάρ τοι δίκαιος κριτὴς οὐ μόνον αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐξ αὐτῶν φυομένων πᾶσαν ποιεῖται κηδεμονίαν. Οὕτω τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα παρανομοῦντος, διὰ τὴν προ γονικὴν ἀρετὴν προὐνοήθη. Οὕτω τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἠσεβηκότος ἠνέσχετο διὰ τὴν πατρῴαν φιλοθεΐαν. Τὸ δὲ, "Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεεῖ καὶ δανείζει ὁ δίκαιος," τὰς παντοδαπὰς τοῦ δικαίου εὐεργεσίας δηλοῖ, τὰς διὰ χρημάτων, τὰς διὰ πραγμάτων, τὰς διὰ λόγων καὶ συμβουλῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ποιῶν, ἐλεεῖ μὲν τοὺς ἀπολαύοντας, δανείζει δὲ τῷ τούτων Θεῷ· "Ὁ γὰρ ἐλεῶν, φησὶ, πτωχὸν, δανείζει Θεῷ," ὡς τὸ αὐτὸ ἔλεον εἶναι καὶ δάνεισμα. κζʹ. "Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθὸν, καὶ κατασκήνου εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος." Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδότες ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ μεμαθηκότες τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς κακίας τὰ ἐπίχειρα, φεύγετε μὲν τῆς κακίας τὰ εἴδη, ὁδεύσατε δὲ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδὸν, ἵνα τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσητε. κηʹ, κθʹ. "Ὅτι Κύριος ἀγαπᾷ κρίσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει τοὺς ὁσίους αὑτοῦ, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα φυλαχθήσονται· ἄνομοι δὲ ἐκδιωχθήσον ται, καὶ σπέρμα ἀσεβῶν ἐξολοθρευθήσεται. ∆ίκαιοι δὲ κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος ἐπ' αὐτῆς." Ὀρθῇ καὶ δικαίᾳ κρίσει χρώμενος τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος προσφυεῖς τοῖς ἐπι τηδεύμασι τὰς ἀντιδόσεις ποιήσεται· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐραστὰς πάσης ἀξιώσει κηδεμο νίας, τοὺς δὲ τἀναντία προαιρουμένους ἀνασπάσει προῤῥίζους. Οὕτω τοὺς ἑκατέρων δείξας καρποὺς,