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because of the negligence concerning the flock, so that the lambs were tried with the shepherds by the wrath of God, the visitation coming even to them, the fat lambs being punished and afflicted, so that they too withered away with the sheep gathered with them. 3.257 Indeed, harm has come to the flock because of the leaders of the flock who fell into godlessness, concerning whom God Himself says: "The shepherds were impious toward me, and went after what is unprofitable," paying attention to soothsayers and diviners and those proclaiming false dreams, so that the sheep were also harmed, suffering destruction. So it was said most reprovingly by the one who cares for all: "My people have become lost sheep, their shepherds have driven them away," so that the lambs themselves were also afflicted, no longer having the benefit from rich pasture. 3.258 But even if they were so disposed by their own doing, nevertheless by the goodness of the good shepherd, "the lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world," concerning whom is the prophecy: "As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent," whom the Baptist, being more than a prophet, pointed to and said: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And when the sin of the world was taken away, the sheep who received the benefit no longer have withering or related affliction, nor the lambs whom he visited who says: "And my wrath was kindled against the shepherds." 3.259 And we must hasten to be under the good leader of the flock, the one who makes those shepherded by him to lie down in a place of green pasture, so that going in and going out, internally and externally applying ourselves to the divine words, we may experience a blessed and eternal life. 3.260 Zach. X, 3-5: And the Lord God the almighty will visit his flock the house of Judah, and he will make them as his goodly horse in war. And from him he looked, and from him he appointed, and from him the bow in wrath; from him shall come forth every oppressor at once. And they shall be as warriors treading the mire in the streets in war, and they shall set themselves in array, because the Lord is with them. 3.261 He who, after being angry, beneficially heals those who have fallen under his indignation, being the Lord God almighty, will visit his flock, which is the house of Judah, that is, of the one who confesses; for Judah is interpreted as "confessing." And he visits his own flock, being the Lord God almighty; concerning whom it is also said in Micah: "And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock in strength," being a savior. That the Only-begotten Son of God is the Lord God almighty has been demonstrated in what has gone before. For since the Trinity is consubstantial, the one who is begotten being consubstantial with the one who begot him, from the Lord God almighty, the Savior is Lord God almighty. For how is "he who was in the beginning with God" not Lord God? And just as "all things were made through him," so also are they ruled and reigned over, so as to be in this respect almighty. 3.262 This one, therefore, who is proclaimed as God, came to find and save the race of men, which was a sheep gone astray from the hundred of rational beings, like a most excellent shepherd "laid down his life" for the sheep he came to save, so that henceforth he visits his own flock, which is the house of Judah, concerning which it is said: "Judah, your brothers shall praise you." And since a swift change from progress comes to those who receive his benefits, he will arrange those who fill up his flock, like one goodly horse, "all being perfected with one mind and one judgment," so as to become from a shepherd a most excellent charioteer, savingly driven. 3.263 And this good thing came to be when those who had a longing for his coming sent an embassy, saying: "Mount upon the horses, and your riding is salvation." 3.264

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διὰ τὴν περὶ τὴν ἀγέλην ῥᾳθυμίαν, ὡς πειραθῆναι μετὰ τῶν ποιμένων θυμοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ἀμνούς, γινομένης καὶ μέχρις αὐτῶν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, ἐπιτιμωμένων καὶ κακουμένων τῶν πιότητα ἐχόντων ἀμνῶν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς ξηρανθῆναι μετὰ τῶν συναγελαζομένων προβάτων. 3.257 Ὑπῆρκται δὴ βλάβη τῇ ποίμνῃ παρ' αἰτίαν τῶν εἰς ἀθεότητα πεσόντων ἀγελαρχῶν, περὶ ὧν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτός φησιν· «Οἱ ποιμένες ἠσέβουν εἰς ἐμέ, καὶ ὀπίσω ἀνωφελοῦς ἐπορεύοντο», ἀποφθεγγομένοις καὶ μάντεσιν καὶ ψευδῆ ἐνύπνια ἐπαγγελλομένοις προσέχοντες, ὡς καὶ τὰ πρόβατα βλαβῆναι ἀπώλειαν ὑφιστάμενα. Ἐλέχθη γοῦν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάντων κηδομένου ἐλεγκτικώτατα· «Πρόβατα ἀπολωλότα ἐγενήθη ὁ λαός μου, οἱ ποιμένες αὐτῶν ἐξῶσαν αὐτούς», ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀμνοὺς κακωθῆναι, τὴν ἐκ νομῆς πίονος ὠφέλειαν οὐκέτι ἔχοντας. 3.258 Πλὴν εἰ καὶ οὕτως παρ' ἑαυτοὺς διετέθησαν, ἀλλ' οὖν ἀγαθότητι τοῦ καλοῦ ποιμένος, ἐτύθη ὑπὲρ τοῦ «ἆραι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμνός», περὶ οὗ ἡ προφητεία· «Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείραντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος», ὅνπερ δακτυλοδεικτῶν ὁ Βαπτιστὴς περισσότερον ἔχων προφήτου ἔφη· «Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου.» Ἀρθείσης δὲ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ἁμαρτίας, οὐκέτι ξηρασίαν ἢ συγγενῆ κάκωσιν ἔχει τὰ εὐεργετηθέντα πρόβατα, οὐδ' οἱ ἀμνοὶ οὓς ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ φάσκων· «Καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμένας παρωξύνθη ὁ θυμός μου.» 3.259 Σπουδαστέον δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἀγελάρχην γενέσθαι, τὸν εἰς τόπον χλόης κατασκηνοῦντα τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ ποιμαινομένους, ἵνα εἰσερχόμενοι καὶ ἐξερχόμενοι, εἰσωτερικῶς καὶ ἐξωτερικῶς τοῖς θείοις ἐπιβάλλοντες λόγοις, μακαρίας καὶ αἰωνίου πειραθῶμεν ζωῆς. 3.260 Zach. X, 3-5: Καὶ ἐπισκέψεται Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα, καὶ τάξει αὐτοὺς ὡς ἵππον εὐπρεπῆ αὐτοῦ ἐν πολέμῳ. Καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔταξεν, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ τόξον ἐν θυμῷ· ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται πᾶς ὁ ἐξελαύνων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἔσονται ὡς μαχηταὶ πατοῦντες πηλὸν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ παρατάξονται, διότι Κύριος μετ' αὐτῶν. 3.261 Ὁ μετὰ τὸ ὀργισθῆναι συμφερόντως ἰώμενος τοὺς ὑποπεσόντας τῇ ἀγανακτήσει, Κύριος Θεὸς παντοκράτωρ ὑπάρχων, ἐπισκέψεται τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ, τυγχάνον οἶκον τοῦ Ἰούδα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τοῦ ἐξομολογουμένου· ἐξομολογούμενος γὰρ ὁ Ἰούδας ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἐπισκέπτεται δὲ τὴν ἀγέλην ἑαυτοῦ Κύριος Θεὸς παντοκράτωρ ὑπάρχων· περὶ οὗ καὶ ἐν τῷ Μιχαίᾳ εἴρηται· «Καὶ στήσεται καὶ ὄψεται καὶ ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ Κύριος», ὢν σωτήρ. Ὅτι δὲ Κύριος Θεὸς παντοκράτωρ ὁ Μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱός ἐστιν, ἐν τοῖς πρότερον ἀποδέδεικται. Ὁμοουσίου γὰρ ὑπαρχούσης τῆς Τριάδος, ὁμοούσιος ὁ γεννηθεὶς τῷ γεννήσαντι ὑπάρχων, ἐκ Κυρίου Θεοῦ παντοκράτορος Κύριος Θεὸς παντοκράτωρ ἐστὶν ὁ Σωτήρ. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ Κύριος Θεὸς «ὁ ὢν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν»; Καὶ ὥσπερ «δι' αὐτοῦ γέγονε τὰ πάντα», οὕτω καὶ κρατεῖται καὶ βασιλεύεται, ὡς εἶναι κατὰ τοῦτο παντοκράτωρ. 3.262 Οὗτος τοιγαροῦν ὁ θεολογούμε̣νος ἐπιδημήσας ἐπὶ τῷ εὑρεῖν καὶ σῶσαι τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, ὂν ἀποσφαλὲν πρόβατον ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν λογικῶν ἑκατοντάδος, οἷα νομεὺς ἄριστος «τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἔθηκεν» ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐλήλυθεν σῶσαι προβάτων, ὡς λοιπὸν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι αὐτὸν τὸ ποίμνιον ἑαυτοῦ, ὄντα τοῦ Ἰούδα οἶκον, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «Ἰούδα, σὲ αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου.» Καὶ ἐπεὶ ταχεῖα ἐκ προκοπῆς μεταβολὴ γίνεται τοῖς εὐεργετουμένοις, τάξει τοὺς συμπληροῦντας τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ, οἷα εὐπρεπῆ ἵππον ἕνα, «κατηρτισμένων ἁπάντων ἑνὶ νῷ καὶ γνώμῃ μιᾷ», ὡς ἐκ ποιμένος ἡνίοχον ἄριστον γενέσθαι σωτηριωδῶς ἱππαζόμενον. 3.263 Ὑπῆρκται δὲ τοῦτο τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀναπεμψάντων πρεσβείαν τῶν πόθον τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ ἐχόντων, φασκόντων· «Ἐπίβηθι ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους, καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία.» 3.264