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they will pay an eternal penalty; and just as the seed of the righteous was said to be for a blessing, so the seed of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed. But the righteous shall inherit the land promised to the meek, and they shall dwell in it forever and ever. The word purposely promises these things many times, confirming the promises through repetition, wishing us to dwell on the same words and to study them, as if chewing spiritual food, for the promotion of our soul's good digestion. The mouth of the righteous will meditate on wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not be tripped up. The sinner watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him. But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor will he condemn him when he is judged. Persisting in the exhortation of the word, it urges us to become emulators of the righteous man, enumerating his wealth. For in addition to what has been said, these things also belong to him: God has granted a great gift to him, being a man, the knowledge of true wisdom. For wisdom is the knowledge of things divine and human, and that by which all things were made; for 'in wisdom He made all things'. And this is the Word who was in the beginning with God, God the Word, through whom all things were made. Therefore, God sent down its utterances and words and teachings to men, so that the righteous man might not be idle, nor inactive and destitute of good things; but might have at the same time a mouth for the meditation of heavenly wisdom; partaking of which as if of heavenly food, he first strengthens his own soul, and then also provides for others. Wherefore it is said: The mouth of the righteous will meditate on wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. And knowing that the law of God is spiritual, and delighting in the law of God according to the inner man, in his very heart he has received the contemplation of the law and the depth of the mysteries in it; and because of this practice his steps shall not be tripped up; since it was also said through the things above that his steps are directed by the Lord. And if ever a sinner, being jealous of his progress, should plot against his life, this one will be called foolish for attempting impossible things. For his great protector will not abandon him into his hands, nor will he condemn him when he is judged. But Symmachus has, 'Nor will he condemn him being judged.' 23.337 I have seen the ungodly highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon. Thus he says that in the present he has come to know the end of the ungodly through experience: For I have not heard by report things that happened long ago from others speaking; but I myself have seen, he says, blasphemous and godless men who were admired by all, lifted up and exulting, and thinking they would live forever. But as I was still reasoning with myself how these men, although ungodly, had obtained so many things, wishing to look at them a second time, I lifted up my eyes; and they were nowhere, but had suddenly disappeared, Then, wishing to find a trace and remnant of them, I was not even able to find the place where they seemed to have stood. Therefore, since such is their end, you who are being discipled, flee this way of the ungodly, and wash from yourself all evil, and love the straight way. For a remnant and a good hope remains for the one who pursues peace and friendship with God, and for this reason has become a man of peace. But according to Symmachus, he says, 'Keep simplicity, and behold what is right, for there is a future for the man of peace.' A PSALM OF DAVID. 37.

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δίκην δώσουσιν αἰώνιον· καὶ ὥσπερ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ σπέρμα εἰς εὐλογίαν ἔσεσθαι ἐλέγετο, οὕτως τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὸ σπέρμα ἐξολοθρευθήσεται. Οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην τοῖς πραέσι κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος. Ἐπίτηδες δὲ ταῦτα πολλάκις ἐπαγγέλλεται ὁ λόγος, βεβαιῶν διὰ τῆς ἐπαναλήψεως τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, ἡμᾶς τε βουλόμενος ἐνδιατρίβειν τοῖς αὐτοῖς λόγοις καὶ καταμελετᾷν αὐτοὺς, ὡσανεὶ τροφὴν λογικὴν μασωμένους, εἰς ἀνάδοσιν τῆς κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν εὐπεψίας. Στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλήσει κρίσιν. Ὁ νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ ὑποσκελισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ. Κατανοεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον, καὶ ζητεῖ τοῦ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃ αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ καταδικάσηται αὐτὸν ὅταν κρίνηται αὐτῷ. Ἐπιμένων τῇ τοῦ λόγου προτροπῇ, ζηλωτὰς ἡμᾶς γίνεσθαι τοῦ δικαίου παρορμᾷ, τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ καταριθμούμενος. Πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα αὐτῷ πρόσεστι· κεχάρισται αὐτῷ μέγα δῶρον ὁ Θεὸς ἀνθρώπῳ ὄντι, τῆς ἀληθοῦς σοφίας τὴν γνῶσιν. Σοφία μὲν γάρ ἐστι θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπείων ἐπιστήμη, καὶ δι' ἧς πάντα γέγονε· πάντα γὰρ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησε. Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Θεὸς Λόγος, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. Ταύτης οὖν φωνὰς καὶ λόγους καὶ μαθήματα ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἀνθρώπους κατεβάλετο, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀργὸς εἴη ὁ δίκαιος, μηδὲ ἄπρακτος καὶ ἔρημος ἀγαθῶν· ἔχοι δὲ ἅμα στόμα τῆς οὐρανίου σοφίας τὴν μελέτην· ἧς μεταλαμβάνων ὥσπερ οὐρανίου τροφῆς, τὴν ψυχὴν πρῶτος αὐτὸς δυναμοῦται, εἶτα καὶ ἑτέροις χορηγεῖ. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· Στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλήσει κρίσιν. Εἰδὼς δὲ, ὅτι ὁ νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ πνευματικός ἐστι, συνήδεται δὲ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ τὴν θεωρίαν τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὸ βάθος τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μυστηρίων ὑποδέδεκται· διὰ δὲ ταύτην τὴν ἄσκησιν οὐχ ὑποσκελισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ· ἐπειδὴ παρὰ Κυρίου τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ κατευθύνεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀνωτέρω ἐλέλεκτο. Εἰ δὲ καί ποτε ἁμαρτωλὸς διαφθονούμενος τῇ αὐτοῦ προκοπῇ ἐπιβουλεύσειεν αὐτῷ εἰς θάνατον, ἄφρων οὗτος λεχθήσεται ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειρῶν. Ὁ γὰρ μέγας αὐτοῦ προστάτης οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃ αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ καταδικάσῃ αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι αὐτῷ. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Οὐδὲ καταδικάσει κρινόμενον. 23.337 Εἶδον τὸν ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον, καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου. Οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος διὰ πείρας ἐληλυθέναι τοῦ τέλους τῶν ἀσεβῶν φησιν· Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πάλαι ποτὲ γενόμενα ἑτέρων λεγόντων ἀκήκοα· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς εἶδον, φησὶ, βλασφήμους ἄνδρας καὶ ἀθέους θαυμαζομένους μὲν ὑπὸ πάντων, ἐπαιρομένους δὲ καὶ γαυριῶντας, οἰομένους τε διαιωνίζειν ἐν τῷ βίῳ. Ἀλλ' ὡς ἔτι παρ' ἐμαυτῷ διελογιζόμην πῶς οἵδε, καίπερ ἀσεβεῖς ὄντες, τοσούτων τετυχήκασι, δεύτερον αὐτοὺς θεάσασθαι βουληθεὶς, ἐπῇρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς· οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἦσαν οὐδαμοῦ, ἀφανεῖς δ' ἀθρόως ὑπῆρχον, Εἶτα δὲ ἴχνος αὐτῶν καὶ ὑπόλειμμα βουληθεὶς καταλαβεῖν, οὐδὲ τὸν τόπον ἐν ᾧ ἑστάναι ἐδόκουν εὑρεῖν δεδύνημαι. ∆ιόπερ ἐπειδὴ τοιοῦτο τὸ τούτων τέλος, φεῦγε σὺ ὁ μαθητευόμενος τοῦτον τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὸν τρόπον, καὶ ἀπόνιψον μὲν ἑαυτοῦ πᾶσαν κακίαν, ἀγάπησον δὲ τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδόν. Μένει γὰρ ἐγκατάλειμμα καὶ ἐλπὶς ἀγαθὴ, τῷ τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τὴν φιλίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν μεταδιώξαντι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰρηνικῷ ἀνθρώπῳ γενομένῳ. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, Φύλασσε, φησὶν, ἁπλότητα, καὶ ὅρα εὐθὺ, ὅτι ἔστι μέλλοντα ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ. ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ ΛΖʹ.