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groans and lamentations, and the very act of being wronged, which things draw down alliance from the heavens. This is the weapon that digs up houses, this has razed foundations, this has destroyed cities, this has drowned whole nations; I speak of the groans of wronged men. God reveres their gratitude, when suffering evil they utter no wicked word, but only groan, and bewail their own misfortunes. And what is, I will set him in safety, I will speak boldly in it? With boldness, he says, I will stand by them openly and clearly, so that all may learn. And when does he not save openly? There are times when it is not openly, but secretly; for he does not need the glory that comes from men. But now, since it was likely that their enemies would attack them, leap upon them, reproach them, as having no God as a helper, so that they too might be corrected, and become better, having learned by experience the alliance of the Master, I will work their salvation openly, he says. The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles: silver tried in the fire, proven for the earth. And what is the connection of this to what has been said? Much and continuous. For do not think, he says, that these things were spoken simply, nor that the threat is superfluous; his words are pure, free from falsehood. For just as silver tried in the fire has nothing foreign or counterfeit, so also the words of God, whatever he says, must certainly come to pass. Wherefore he says: Silver tried in the fire, proven for the earth. Another, Tried in the fire, going forth into the earth. But the Hebrew, instead of, Going forth into the earth, said Ba'alil la'aretz, that is, that which is melted, that which flows in the earth. Purified sevenfold. 4. Do you see how he shows what is without falsehood, what is truthful, by the image of the material? for just as that which is melted, which is tried in the fire, which has suffered this many times, is foreign to other matter, purified with precision; so is the decree of God. You, Lord, will keep us, and will preserve us from this generation, and forever. Another, You will keep them. Another, You will keep them, and you will preserve us from this generation, and forever. Another, With the eternal generation. Round about the ungodly walk 55.148 about. Another, They will walk. Another, They will walk about in the circle of the ungodly. According to your height you have greatly cared for the sons of men. Another, When the humble among the sons of men are exalted. Another, According to the height made cheap to the sons of men. But the Hebrew says, Kherem zulluth, le-bene Adam. You, Lord, will keep us, and will preserve us. See him constantly, or rather, continually taking refuge in God, and seeking alliance from thence; for the help is all-powerful, interrupted by no time. We need nothing human, he says; for you are the one who keeps continually. What is, The ungodly walk on every side? According to the Seventy it should be said thus, that even if the ungodly surround us, we will suffer nothing; for you both keep us, and lift us up, and make us glorious. But according to the other interpreter this should be said; The ungodly will be cast out, when you exalt the humble sons of men; that is, when you glorify us who are considered contemptible, the humbled, you will drive them away and ward them off. And what is, According to your height? Instead of, You made them like you, as it is possible for a man to be like; For, Let us make man in our image, he says, and after our likeness. For what he is in heaven, this we are on earth; and just as no one is above him above, so no one on earth is like this living being in virtue. Be, he says, like your Father who is in heaven. And he has also shared his name with us; I said, You are gods, he says, and all sons of the Most High. And again; I have made you a god to Pharaoh. And he made him to be a creator and

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στεναγμοὺς καὶ τοὺς θρήνους, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἅπερ τὴν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπισπᾶται συμμαχίαν. Τοῦτο τὸ ὅπλον οἰκίας ἀνορύττει, τοῦτο θεμελίους κατέσκαψε, τοῦτο πόλεις ἀνεῖλε, τοῦτο ὁλόκληρα ἔθνη κατεπόντισε· στεναγμοὺς ἀδικουμένων ἀνθρώπων λέγω. Αἰδεῖται τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην αὐτῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν κακῶς πάσχοντες μηδὲν πονηρὸν ἐκφέρωσι ῥῆμα, στενάζωσι δὲ μόνον, καὶ ἀποδύρωνται τὰ οἰκεῖα κακά. Τί δέ ἐστι, Θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ, παῤῥησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ; Μετὰ παῤῥησίας, φησὶν, αὐτῶν προστήσομαι φανερῶς καὶ δήλως, ὥστε πάντας μαθεῖν. Καὶ πότε οὐ φανερῶς σώζει; Ἔστιν ὅτε οὐ φανερῶς, ἀλλὰ λάθρα· οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖται τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δόξης. Νυνὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς αὐτῶν ἐπεμβαίνειν, ἐνάλλεσθαι, ὀνειδίζειν αὐτοῖς, ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσι Θεὸν βοηθὸν, ὥστε κἀκείνους σωφρονισθῆναι, καὶ γενέσθαι βελτίους, τῇ πείρᾳ μαθόντας τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν συμμαχίαν, Φανερῶς ποιήσομαι τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν σωτηρίαν, φησί. Τὰ λόγια Κυρίου, λόγια ἁγνά· ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον, δοκίμιον τῇ γῇ. Καὶ ποία αὕτη ἀκολουθία πρὸς τὰ εἰρημένα; Πολλὴ καὶ συνεχής. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἁπλῶς εἰρῆσθαι, μηδὲ ἀπειλὴν εἶναι περιττήν· καθαρὰ αὐτοῦ ἐστι τὰ ῥήματα, ἀπηλλαγμένα ψεύδους. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἄργυρος ὁ πεπυρωμένος οὐδὲν ἀλλότριον ἔχει καὶ νόθον, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ῥήματα, ἅπερ ἂν εἴπῃ, πάντως ἐκβῆναι δεῖ. ∆ιό φησιν· Ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον, δοκίμιον τῇ γῇ. Ἄλλος, Πεπυρωμένον, χωροῦν τῇ γῇ. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος ἀντὶ τοῦ, Χωροῦν τῇ γῇ, Βααλὶλ λάαρες εἶπε, τουτέστι, τὸ χωνευόμενον, τὸ ῥέον ἐν τῇ γῇ. Κεκαθαρισμένον ἑπταπλασίως. δʹ. Εἶδες πῶς δείκνυσι τὸ ἀψευδὲς, τὸ ἀληθεῦον, τῇ εἰκόνι τῆς ὕλης; ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ χωνευθὲν, τὸ πυρωθὲν, τὸ πολλάκις τοῦτο παθὸν, ἀλλότριόν ἐστιν ἀλλοτρίας ὕλης, ἐκκεκαθαρμένον μετὰ ἀκριβείας· οὕτως ἡ ἀπόφασις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σὺ, Κύριε, φυλάξεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ διατηρήσεις ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἄλλος, Φυλάξεις αὐτούς. Ἄλλος, Φυλάξεις αὐτὰ, καὶ διατηρήσεις ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἄλλος, Ἅμα τῇ γενεᾷ τῇ αἰωνίᾳ. Κύκλῳ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς περι 55.148 πατοῦσιν. Ἄλλος, Περιπατήσουσιν. Ἄλλος, Κύκλῳ ἀσεβῶν ἐμπεριπατήσουσι. Κατὰ τὸ ὕψος σου ἐπολυώρησας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἄλλος, Ὅταν ὑψωθῶσιν οἱ εὐτελεῖς τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἕτερος, Κατὰ τὸ ὕψος εὐωνισμένοι τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Χὰρμ ζολλῶ, φησὶ, λεβνὴ Ἀδάμ. Σὺ, Κύριε, φυλάξεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ διατηρήσεις ἡμᾶς. Ὅρα συνεχῶς, μᾶλλον δὲ διηνεκῶς ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν καταφεύγοντα, κἀκεῖθεν ζητοῦντα τὴν συμμαχίαν· καὶ γὰρ παναλκὴς ἡ βοήθεια, οὐδενὶ διακοπτομένη χρόνῳ. Οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων δεόμεθα, φησί· σὺ γὰρ ὁ φυλάττων εἶ διηνεκῶς. Τί ἐστι, Κύκλῳ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς περιπατοῦσι; Κατὰ μὲν τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα οὕτω λεκτέον, ὅτι Κἂν κυκλώσωσιν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, οὐδὲν πεισόμεθα· καὶ γὰρ φυλάττεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ μετεωρίζεις, καὶ ἐνδόξους ποιεῖς. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν ἕτερον ἑρμηνευτὴν τοῦτο ῥητέον· Οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἐξωσθήσονται, ὅταν τοὺς εὐτελεῖς τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑψώσῃς· τουτέστιν, ὅταν ἡμᾶς τοὺς νομιζομένους εἶναι εὐκαταφρονήτους, τοὺς τεταπεινωμένους δοξάσῃς, ἀποστήσεις αὐτοὺς καὶ διακρούσῃ. Τί δέ ἐστι, Κατὰ τὸ ὕψος σου; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὁμοίουςσου ἐποίησας, ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν εἶναι ὅμοιον· Ποιήσωμεν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα, φησὶν, ἡμετέραν, καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστιν αὐτὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ, τοῦτο ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ ὥσπερ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῦ ἀνώτερος ἄνω, οὕτως οὐδεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ ζώου τούτου κατὰ ἀρετὴν ὅμοιος. Γίνεσθε, φησὶν, ὅμοιοι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος δὲ ἡμῖν μετέδωκεν· Ἐγὼ εἶπα, Θεοί ἐστε, φησὶ, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες. Καὶ πάλιν· Τέθεικά σε θεὸν Φαραώ. Καὶ δημιουργὸν εἶναι ἐποίησε καὶ