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having sent forth, he promised life; 385 For thus, he says, says the Lord, the God of David your father. Again he reminds him of his forefather, showing the kinship of their characters. Then he says that he has heard the prayer and seen the tears and received the supplication; and he promises fifteen years of life and pure peace and continuous providence. And he gives him a sign of the promises, which was to be manifest to all people; 8 For behold, I, he says, will turn back the shadow of the steps which the sun has gone down, the ten steps of the house of Ahaz your father, I will turn the sun back ten steps. This God both said and did. Symmachus, however, has rendered this thus: "Behold, I cause the shadow of the steps, which the sun went down on the sundial of Ahaz, to return backward ten steps." The account, therefore, indicates that some kind of time-telling device had been constructed by Ahaz around the steps and that the miracle of the sun was given on them. Then the blessed Hezekiah, having enjoyed salvation, repays the God of all with hymns and says: 10 I said: In the height of my days I will go. When I was exalted and became conspicuous, then I receive the end of life. To these things is similar what was said by the blessed David: "But I said in my prosperity: I shall not |146 b| be moved forever." In the gates of Hades I will leave the remaining years. Having received the sentence of death from God, he says, I despaired of salvation. 11 I said: I shall no longer see the salvation of God on the earth of the living. No longer, he says, will I see in this life the miracles worked by God for the salvation of men. I shall no longer see a man among the inhabitants. I have failed from my kindred, I have left the remainder 12 of my life. I became an alien to the living, a stranger to my kinsmen. It has departed and gone away from me like one who takes down a tent he has pitched; my spirit was with me. He calls the body a tent, and the soul its inhabitant, whose departure makes the body resemble a tent being taken down. Then he also introduces another parable: It became as a weaver's web when she is near to cutting it. I was like, he says, not only a tent being taken down but also a fabric still on the loom, but not long before being cut off. In addition to this, he teaches the severity of the illness: For I was delivered up, he says, 13 until morning as to a lion; thus he has broken all my bones. For from day until night I was delivered up. But since, against all hope, I have enjoyed salvation, I will imitate the chattering of the swallow and the dove, weaving hymns to you, the giver of life. 14 For my eyes failed from looking up to the height of heaven, to the Lord, who delivered me and took away from me 15 the pain of my soul. For having abandoned every human contrivance, I lifted my eyes to you who dwell in heaven; and you, having pitied me, delivered me from the impending pain. 16 O Lord, for concerning it was it announced to you. For concerning this, he says, I also brought my supplication to you. And you have raised up my breath, and being comforted I lived. For you brought it back when it was about to be extinguished. 17 Behold, my bitterness has turned to peace. My grief, he says, has been changed into gladness. For you have delivered my soul, that it might not perish, and you have cast all my sins behind me. 18 For those in Hades will not praise you, nor will the dead bless you, nor will those who go down into the pit hope for your truth; 19 The living will bless you, as I also do. When he was sick, he showed his own piety to God, and having obtained salvation, he hymns the philanthropy of God, as having been delivered from death because of it. For you have cast away my iniquities, he says, and have given me again an occasion for the possession of righteousness; for to those still living it is easy to do this; for the dead are outside of this commerce. This the blessed David also said: "There is no one in death who remembers you; and in Hades who will confess to you?" For from this day I will beget children who will declare your righteousness, 20 O Lord of my salvation; and I will not

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ἐξαποστείλας ὑπέσχετο τὴν ζωήν· 385Τάδε γάρ φησι λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ∆αυὶδ τοῦ πατρός σου. Πάλιν αὐτὸν τοῦ προπάτορος ἀναμιμνῄσκει δεικνὺς τὴν τῶν τρόπων συγγένειαν. Εἶτα καὶ τῆς προ σευχῆς ἀκηκοέναι φησὶ καὶ τὰ δάκρυα τεθεᾶσθαι καὶ δεδέχθαι τὴν δέησιν· καὶ πέντε καὶ δέκα ἐτῶν ζωὴν ἐπαγγέλλεται καὶ εἰρήνην ἀκραιφνῆ καὶ διηνεκῆ πρόνοιαν. ∆ίδωσι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ σημεῖον τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν , ὃ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἔμελλε κατάδηλον ἔσεσθαι· 8Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐγώ φησι στρέψω τὴν σκιὰν τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν οὓς κατέβη ὁ ἥλιος, τοὺς δέκα ἀναβαθμοὺς τοῦ οἴκου Ἄχαζ τοῦ πατρός σου, ἀποστρέψω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω τὸν ἥλιον τοὺς δέκα ἀναβαθμούς. Τοῦτο καὶ εἴρηκε καὶ πεποίηκεν ὁ θεός. Ὁ μέντοι Σύμμ αχος ταῦτα οὕτω τέθεικεν· «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ παλινδρομῶ τὴν σκιὰν τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν ὧν κατέβη ἐν τῷ ὡρολογίῳ Ἄχαζ τὸν ἥλιον ὀπισθίως δέκα ἀναβάσεις.» ∆ηλοῖ τοίνυν ὁ λόγος μηχάνημά τι ὡροσκο ποῦν περὶ τοὺς βαθμοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἄχαζ κατεσκευάσθαι καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις δοθῆναι τοῦ ἡλίου τὸ θαῦ μα. Εἶτα σωτηρίας ἀπολαύσας ὁ μακάριος Ἐζεκίας ὕμνοις ἀμείβεται τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν καί φησιν· 10Ἐγὼ εἶπα· Ἐν τῷ ὕψει τῶν ἡμερῶν μου πορεύσομαι. Ὅτε ὑψώθην καὶ περίβλεπτος ἐγενόμην, τότε δέχομαι τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας. Τούτοις ἔοικε τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αυὶδ εἰρημένον· «Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ μου· Οὐ μὴ |146 b| σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» Ἐν πύλαις ᾅδου καταλείψω τὰ ἔτη τὰ ἐπίλοιπα. Τὴν τοῦ θανάτου φησὶ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ δεξάμενος ψῆφον ἀπέγνων τῆς σωτηρίας. 11Εἶπον· Οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ ἴδω τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς ζώντων. Οὐκέτι φησὶν ὄψομαι κατὰ τόνδε τὸν βίον τὰς ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ γιγνομένας θαυματουργίας. Οὐ μὴ ἴδω ἄνθρωπον ἔτι μετὰ κατοικούντων. Ἐξέλιπον ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας μου, κατέλιπον τὸ λοιπὸν 12τῆς ζωῆς μου. Ἀλλότριος ἐγενόμην τῶν ζώντων, ξένος τῶν συγγενῶν μου. Ἐξῆλθε καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὥσπερ ὁ καταλύων σκηνὴν πήξας τὸ πνεῦμά μου παρ' ἐμοί. Σκηνὴν καλεῖ τὸ σῶμα, ἔνοικον δὲ τὴν ψυχήν, ἧς ἀναχωρούσης ἔοικε τὸ σῶμα καταλυομένῃ σκηνῇ. Εἶτα καὶ ἑτέραν εἰσάγει παραβολήν· Ἐγένετο ὡς ἱστὸς ἐρίθου ἐγγιζούσης ἐκτεμεῖν. Ἐῴκειν φησὶν οὐ μόνον σκηνῇ καταλυομένῃ ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑφάσματι ἐν ἱστῷ μὲν ὄντι, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ θεριζομένῳ. Πρὸς τούτοις διδάσκει τῆς νόσου τὴν χαλεπότητα· Παρεδόθην γάρ φησιν 13ἕως πρωὶ ὡς λέοντι· οὕτω συνέτριψε πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς νυκτὸς παρεδόθη<ν>. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρ' ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπήλαυσα, χελιδόνος καὶ περιστερᾶς τὴν ἀδολεσχίαν μιμήσομαι ὕμνους ὑφαίνων σοὶ τῷ χορηγῷ τῆς ζωῆς. 14Ἐξέλιπον γάρ μου οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν εἰς τὸ ὕψος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πρὸς τὸν κύριον, ὃς ἐξείλετό με καὶ ἀφείλετό μου 15τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς ψυχῆς. Πᾶσαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην καταλιπὼν μηχανὴν πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· σὺ δέ με οἰκτείρας τῆς ἐπικειμένης ὀδύνης ἀπήλλαξας. 16Κύριε περὶ αὐτῆς γὰρ ἀνηγγέλη σοί. Περὶ τούτου γάρ φησι καὶ τὴν ἱκετείαν προσήνεγκά σοι. Καὶ ἐξήγειράς μου τὴν πνοήν, καὶ παρακληθεὶς ἔζησα. Ἐπανήγαγες γὰρ ταύτην μέλλουσαν κατασβέννυσθαι. 17Ἰδοὺ εἰς εἰρήνην ἡ πικρία μου. Μετε βλήθη φησὶν εἰς θυμηδίαν ἡ λύπη. Εἵλου γάρ μου τὴν ψυχήν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπόληται, καὶ ἀπέρριψας ὀπίσω μου πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου. 18Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἐν ᾅδου αἰνέσουσί σε, οὐδὲ οἱ ἀποθανόντες εὐλογήςουσί σε, οὐδὲ ἐλπιοῦσιν οἱ ἐγκαταβαίνοντες εἰς λάκκον τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου· 19οἱ ζῶντες εὐλογήσουσί σε ὃν τρόπον κἀγώ. Ἡνίκα ἠσθένει, τὴν οἰκείαν εὐσέβειαν ὑπέδειξε τῷ θεῷ, καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τυχὼν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ὑμνεῖ ὡς τοῦ θανάτου διὰ ταύτην ἀπαλλαγείς. Ἀπέρριψας γάρ μού φησι τὰς ἀνομίας καὶ ἔδωκάς μοι πάλιν πρόφασιν εἰς κτῆσιν δικαιοσύνης· τοῖς γὰρ ἔτι ζῶσι τοῦτο ποιεῖν ῥᾴδιον· οἱ γὰρ τεθνεῶτες ἔξω τῆς ἐμπορίας γεγένηνται. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆αυίδ· «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου· ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι;» Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς σήμερον παιδία ποιήσω ἃ ἀναγγελεῖ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, 20κύριε τῆς σωτηρίας μου· καὶ οὐ