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I am yours, and rivers will not overwhelm you. For thus he says you also crossed the Red Sea and the river Jordan. And if you pass through fire, you shall not be burned, a flame shall not burn you, 3because I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who saves you. And witnesses are the noble martyrs Ananias, Azarias, Misael, who through hope in God overcame the flame. I made a ransom of Egypt and Ethiopia and Syene for you. Syene both the Hebrew and the Other Interpreters have rendered as "Saba;" and this too is an Ethiopian nation. But the word signifies the conversion of the nations; for he says, 'since you resist and are unwilling to believe, I will prepare for myself another people from various nations.' 4Because you became honored in my sight, you were glorified, and I have loved you. He explains the benefits which they enjoyed: he says, 'having been loved by me and chosen, you became distinguished and renowned.' And I will give many men for you, and rulers for your head. He means the Babylonians whom he delivered to Cyrus. 5Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, and I will gather you from the west. These things reached their fulfillment after the overthrow of the Babylonians; for Cyrus ordered them to return to Judea. Then, when these returned from the east, those who had fled during the time of the war and had occupied the west returned, as was likely, having learned of the peace of Judea. Truly, however, <and> properly the word reveals those who through the holy apostles were called from the whole inhabited world and have obtained salvation; for in every city they offered the divine teachings to the Jews first. 6I will say to the north, 'Bring,' and to the south, 'Do not hinder.' From the regions he called the kings; for Babylon is to the north of Jerusalem, and Egypt lies to the south. And to these, he says, 'I will command them to bring back my people and not to oppose them.' Bring my sons from a land far off, and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7all who are called by my name; for in my glory I prepared him and I formed him and I made him. 8I brought out a blind people, and their eyes are likewise blind, and having deaf ears. And he showed his own providence and rebuked their unbelief: For I, he says, deemed them worthy of all care, but they continued being blind and deaf; for they neither saw the miracles nor heeded the divine oracles. 9All the nations were gathered together, and rulers will be gathered from them. These then are blind and deaf, but all the nations have recognized their own God and one church was established from all, and from these very nations are also the rulers of the church. And we see the fulfillment of this prophecy; for Syrians lead Syrians, and <Cilicians> Cilicians, and Romans Romans, and barbarians barbarians. And he calls the priests rulers. Who will declare these things among them? Or who will make the things from the beginning heard by you? But you neither remember the things that have already happened, nor do you wish to learn beforehand the things that will be. Let them bring forth their witnesses and be justified, and let them hear and say what is true. He calls the prophets witnesses; for through them he both foretold things to them and testified. And the first of these is the blessed Moses, for to him he first said: "Go down, testify to this people." And he, <while> testifying, foretold both their alienation and the conversion of the nations. |153 b| 10Be my witnesses, and I am a witness, says the Lord God, and the servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. If you wish, he says, to have me as a witness of your verdict, testify first to my truth; for when this is done, not only I will testify but also my chosen servant; and he calls so neither Moses nor any other of the prophets but the master Christ. And he calls him so not as God but as man; for he is named 'chosen' as man. But this of the witnesses the

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σοῦ εἰμι, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσί σε. Οὕτως γάρ φησι καὶ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν διέβης Θάλασσαν καὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην ποταμόν. Καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε, 3ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεός σου ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραὴλ ὁ σῴζων σε. Καὶ μάρτυρες οἱ γενναῖοι μάρτυρες Ἀνανίας Ἀζαρίας Μισαὴλ διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν θεὸν ἐλπίδα περιγενόμενοι τῆς φλογός. Ἐποίησα ἄλλαγμα Αἴγυπτον καὶ Αἰθιοπίαν καὶ Συήνην ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Τὴν Συήνην καὶ ὁ Ἑβραῖος καὶ οἱ Λοιποὶ Ἑρμηνευταὶ «Σαβὰ» τεθείκασιν· ἔθνος δὲ καὶ τοῦτο Αἰθιοπικόν. Προσημαίνει δὲ ὁ λόγος τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπι στροφήν· ὑμῶν γάρ φησιν ἀντιτεινόντων καὶ πιστεύειν οὐ βουλομένων ἕτερον ἐξ ἐθνῶν διαφόρων ἐμαυτῷ κατασκευάσω λαόν. 4Ἀφ' οὗ ἔντιμος ἐγένου ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ, ἐδοξάσθης κἀγώ σε ἠγάπησα. Τὰς εὐεργεσίας ὧν ἀπήλαυσαν ἐξηγεῖται· ἀγαπηθείς φησιν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐκλεχθεὶς ἐπίσημος ἐγένου καὶ πολυθρύλητος. Καὶ δώσω ἀνθρώπους ὑπὲρ σοῦ πολλοὺς καὶ ἄρχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς σου. Τοὺς Βαβυλωνίους λέγει οὓς τῷ Κύρῳ παρέδωκεν. 5Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἄξω τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν συνάξω σε. Ταῦτα μετὰ τὴν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων κατάλυςιν τὸ πέρας ἐδέξατο· ὁ γὰρ Κῦρος αὐτοῖς ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἐκέλευσεν. Τότε τούτων ἐπανελθόντων ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω οἱ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πολέμου καιρὸν πεφευγότες καὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν κατειληφότες ἐπανῆλθον ὡς εἰκὸς τὴν τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰρήνην μεμαθηκότες. Ἀληθῶς μέντοι <καὶ> κυρίως ὁ λόγος δηλοῖ τοὺς διὰ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων ἐκ πάσης κληθέντας τῆς οἰκουμένης καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τετυχηκότας· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει πρώτοις Ἰουδαίοις προσέφερον τὰ θεῖα παιδεύματα. 6Ἐρῶ τῷ βορρᾷ· Ἄγε, καὶ τῷ λιβί· Μὴ κώλυε. Ἀπὸτῶν κλιμάτων τοὺς βασιλέας ἐκάλεσεν· βορειοτέρα μὲν γὰρ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡ Βαβυλών, πρὸς λίβα δὲ κεῖται ἡ Αἴγυπτος. Καὶ τούτοις φησὶν ἐπαναγαγεῖν κελεύσω τὸν ἐμὸν λαὸν καὶ τούτοις μὴ ἀντιπράττειν. Ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπ' ἄκρου τῆς γῆς, 7πάντας ὅσοι ἐπικέκληνται τῷ ὀνόματί μου· ἐν γὰρ τῇ δόξῃ μου κατεσκεύασα αὐτὸν καὶ ἔπλασα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτόν. 8Ἐξήγαγον λαὸν τυφλόν, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν ὡσαύτως εἰσὶ τυφλοί, καὶ κωφὰ τὰ ὦτα ἔχοντες. Καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἔδειξε πρόνοιαν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων ἤλεγξεν ἀπιστίαν· Ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ φησι πάσης αὐτοὺς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσα, αὐτοὶ δὲ τυφλώττοντες καὶ κωφεύοντες διετέλεσαν· οὔτε γὰρ τὰ θαύματα ἑώρων οὔτε τῶν θείων λογίων ἐπήκουον. 9Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη συνήχθησαν ἅμα, καὶ συναχθήσονται ἄρχοντες ἐξ αὐτῶν. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν τυφλώττουσι καὶ κ ωφεύουσι , πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔθνη τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐπέγνω θεὸν καὶ μία ἐκ πάντων ἐκκλησία συνέστη, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν τούτων εἰσὶ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας οἱ ἄρχοντες. Ὁρῶμεν δὲ καὶ τῆσδε τῆς προφητείας τὸ πέρας· Σύ ρων μὲν γὰρ προστατεύουσι Σύροι, Κιλίκων δὲ <Κίλικες> καὶ Ῥωμαίων Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ βάρβαροι βαρ βάρων . Ἄρχονταςδὲ τοὺς ἱερέας καλεῖ. Τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ταῦτα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἢ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τίς ἀκουστὰ ποιήσει ὑμῖν; Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων ἀναμιμνῄσκεσθε οὐδὲ τὰ ἐσόμενα βούλεσθε πρ ομαθεῖν . Ἀγαγέτωσαν τοὺς μάρτυρας αὐτῶν καὶ δικαιωθήτωσαν καὶ ἀκουσάτωσαν καὶ εἰπάτωσαν ἀληθῆ. Μάρτυρας καλεῖ τοὺς προφήτας· διὰ τούτων γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ προὔλεγε καὶ διεμαρτύρετο. Πρῶτος δὲ τούτων ὁ μακάριος Μωυσῆς, τούτῳ γὰρ ἔφη πρώτῳ· «Καταβὰς διαμάρτυραι τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ.» Ἐκεῖνος <δὲ> διαμαρτυρόμενος καὶ τὴν τούτων ἀλλοτρίωσιν καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προηγόρευσε τὴν μεταβολήν . |153 b| 10Γένεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες, καὶ ἐγὼ μάρτυς, λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ ὁ παῖς ὃν ἐξελεξάμην, ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ πιστεύσητέ μοι καὶ συνῆτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. Εἰ βούλεσθέ φησιν ἔχειν με τῆς ὑμετέρας ψήφου μάρτυρα, μαρτυρήσατε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μου πρότεροι· τούτου γὰρ γιγνομένου οὐκ ἐγὼ μαρτυρήσω μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου παῖς· καλεῖ δὲ οὕτως οὔτε Μωυσέα οὔτε ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν προφητῶν ἀλλὰ τὸν δεσπότην Χριστόν. Καλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν οὕτως οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἀλλ' ὡς ἄνθρωπον· ἐκλεκτὸς γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὀνομάζεται. Ταύτην δὲ τῶν μαρτύρων τὴν