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the various entrances of the dwellings there, which he wishes to be opened not to Jews nor even to Israel nor simply to random people, but only to those who keep righteousness and truth and peace. Therefore he adds: Open the gates, let a people enter that keeps truth, taking hold of truth and keeping peace. And desiring these gates, a certain man, a lover of God, said: "Open to me the gates of righteousness; having entered into them, I will give thanks to the Lord." And he says it is worthy to open the gates to the aforementioned, since they hoped in you, Lord God, who, having humbled, brought down those dwelling in high places; you will cast down fortified cities and bring them down to the ground. And these things would be similar to what was said before in this: "because you have made cities a heap, fortified cities for their foundations to fall." And so now presenting "the just judgment of God," he repeats the same thought, glorifying him and saying: O great and eternal God, who, having humbled, brought down those dwelling in high places, but those you cast down from the height, having humbled them, and destroyed their cities, making an end of their mortal life or making their godless and impious polities to vanish, but your meek men, whom you blessed, saying: "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." These, who were formerly humble, now at the time of your just judgment you have exalted, causing them to trample on the heads of the formerly arrogant. Then the way of the pious became straight; for with no one any longer being in the way, their way has become unhindered and unimpeded and straight; and the cause of these things is "the just judgment of God." Therefore he adds: For the way of the Lord is judgment. 1.87 The prophet, having gone through what sort of end will take the impious, and what sort of hopes await the just, and what the kingdom of Christ will be like, and how "the gates" of the city of God in the heavens "will be opened" only for the worthy, and what sort of "song they will sing" who have enjoyed the promises, in accordance with these things sends up the present words to God from the person of himself and those like him, saying: we have hoped in your name and in the remembrance, which our soul desires; for as if present at the fulfillment of the words and as if beholding the very events with the enlightened eyes of the soul, he looks up to God and praises the provider of so many good things, sending up a prayer and saying the present words. For the things treasured up with you are worthy of hope, and these things I say to you, the desire of my soul; for you, Lord, are my desire and the divine love of my soul. Therefore my soul has desired you, for this very memory of your name transports our soul and arouses it to your longing. Therefore we are not able to sleep during the night hours, but even during these, being watchful in spirit, we hold you, our desire, in mind. Thus, therefore, "even the nights happen to be for us as enlightened days"; since your commandments and your words were given to us who still pass our time on earth, both by night and by day, instead of light. Having proclaimed these things to God with exceeding disposition, the prophet passes on to us, exhorting us to walk the same way as he. Therefore he says: Learn righteousness, you who dwell upon the earth. But instead of: for the impious one has ceased, Aquila and Theodotion have translated it "an impious one was shown mercy," while Symmachus: "an impious one was granted a gift." And the word exhorts those formerly found in impieties to hasten to repentance; since the judgment of God awaits all men. For this reason, all men, learn righteousness, being confident that God, being a lover of mankind, will have mercy even on those previously caught in impieties who have repented. But if someone should not be persuaded by the proclamation nor learn righteousness nor work truth, he will be taken from the living

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διαφόρους τῶν αὐτόθι μονῶν εἰσόδους, ἃς ἀνοιγῆναι βούλεται οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ οὐδὲ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἁπλῶς, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς φυλάττουσι δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀλήθειαν καὶ εἰρήνην. διὸ ἐπιλέγει· ἀνοίξατε πύλας, εἰσελθέτω λαὸς φυλάσσων ἀλήθειαν, ἀντιλαμβανόμενος ἀληθείας καὶ φυλάσσων εἰρήνην. τούτων δὲ τῶν πυλῶν ἐφιέμενος θεοφιλής τις ἀνὴρ ἔλεγεν· «ἀνοίξατέ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης· εἰσελθὼν ἐν αὐταῖς ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ κυρίῳ». ἄξιον δέ φησιν ἀνοῖξαι τὰς πύλας τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν, ἐπειδήπερ ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν, κύριε ὁ θεός, ὃς ταπεινώσας κατήγαγες τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν ὑψηλοῖς· πόλεις ὀχυρὰς καταβαλεῖς καὶ κατάξεις ἕως ἐδάφους. ὅμοια δ' ἂν εἴη ταῦτα τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένοις ἐν τῷ· «ὅτι ἔθηκας πόλεις εἰς χῶμα, πόλεις ὀχυρὰς τοῦ πεσεῖν αὐτῶν τὰ θεμέλια». καὶ νῦν οὖν «τὴν δικαιοκρισίαν τοῦ θεοῦ» παριστὰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπαναλαμβάνει διάνοιαν δοξάζων αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων· ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας ὁ αἰώνιος, ὃς ταπεινώσας κατήγαγες τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ὕψους κατέβαλες ταπεινώσας καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν καθεῖλες συντέλειαν τοῦ θνητοῦ βίου ποιούμενος ἢ τὰς ἀθέους αὐτῶν καὶ ἀσεβεῖς πολιτείας ἀφανεῖς ποιήσας, τοὺς δὲ σοὺς πράους ἄνδρας, οὓς ἐμακάριζες φήσας· «μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν». τούτους ταπεινοὺς ὄντας πρότερον νῦν κατὰ τὸν τῆς δικαιοκρισίας σου καιρὸν ἀνύψωσας καταπατεῖν αὐτοὺς ποιήσας τὰς τῶν πάλαι ὑπερηφάνων κεφαλάς. εἶτ' εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἐγενήθη· μηκέτι γὰρ μηδενὸς ὄντος ἐμποδὼν ἀκώλυτος καὶ ἀπαραπόδιστος καὶ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῖς γέγονε· τούτοις δ' αἴτιον «ἡ δικαιοκρισία τοῦ θεοῦ». διὸ ἐπιλέγει· ἡ γὰρ ὁδὸς τοῦ κυρίου κρίσις. 1.87 ∆ιελθὼν ὁ προφήτης, ὁποῖον τέλος τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς διαλήψεται, καὶ τοὺς δικαίους, ὁποῖαι περιμένουσιν ἐλπίδες, ὁποία τε ἔσται ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ὡς μόνοις τοῖς ἀξίοις αἱ «πύλαι» τῆς ἐν οὐρανοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ πόλεως «ἀνοιχθήσονται», ὁποῖόν τε «ᾄσονται ᾆσμα» οἱ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἀπολαύσαντες, ἀκολούθως τούτοις τὰς προκειμένας ἀναπέμπει πρὸς τὸν θεὸν φωνὰς ἐκ προσώπου ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτῷ παραπλησίων φάσκων· ἠλπίσαμεν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ μνείᾳ, ᾗ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν· ὡς γὰρ παρὼν τοῖς ἀποτελέσμασι τῶν λόγων καὶ ὡς αὐτὰ θεωρῶν τὰ πράγματα ψυχῆς πεφωτισμένοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἄνω πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀποβλέπει καὶ τὸν τοσούτων χορηγὸν ἀγαθῶν ἀνυμνεῖ εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπων καὶ λέγων τὰ προκείμενα. ἄξια γὰρ τῆς ἐλπίδος τὰ παρὰ σοὶ τεθησαυρισμένα καὶ ταῦτα λέγω πρὸς σέ, τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ψυχῆς μου· σὺ γὰρ εἶ κύριε ἡ ἐμὴ ἐπιθυμία καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἔρως τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς. διὸ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπεθύμησέ σε καὶ αὕτη γὰρ ἡ μνήμη τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐξίστησιν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ διεγείρει ἐπὶ τὸν σὸν πόθον. διὸ οὔτε καθεύδειν οἷοί τ' ἐσμὲν τοὺς τῆς νυκτὸς καιρούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους ἐγρηγορότες τῷ πνεύματι, σὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἡμῶν κατὰ νοῦν ἔχομεν. οὕτως οὖν «καὶ αἱ νύκτες ἡμῖν ὡς ἡμέραι πεφωτισμέναι» τυγχάνουσιν· ἐπειδήπερ τὰ προστάγματά σου καὶ οἱ λόγοι σου ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔτι τὰς διατριβὰς ποιουμένοις καὶ διὰ νυκτὸς καὶ δι' ἡμέρας ἀντὶ φωτὸς ἐδόθησαν. ταῦθ' ὑπερβαλλούσῃ διαθέσει πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀναφωνήσας ὁ προφήτης μεταβαίνει ἐφ' ἡμᾶς παραινῶν τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ βαδίζειν ὁδόν. διό φησι· δικαιοσύνην μάθετε, οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· πέπαυται γὰρ ὁ ἀσεβής, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων ἠλεήθη ἀσεβὴς ἡρμήνευσαν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· ἐδωρήθη ἀσεβής. προτρέπει δὲ ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἐν ἀσεβείαις ἐξετασθέντας πρότερον σπεύδειν ἐπὶ μετάνοιαν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ θεοῦ κρίσις πάντας ἀνθρώπους περιμένει. τούτου χάριν πάντες ἄνθρωποι δικαιοσύνην μάθετε θαρροῦντες, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς προληφθέντας ἐν ἀσεβείαις μετανοήσαντας φιλάνθρωπος ὢν ὁ θεὸς ἐλεήσει. εἰ δὲ μὴ πεισθείη τις τῷ κηρύγματι μηδὲ μάθοι δικαιοσύνην μηδὲ ἐργάσοιτο ἀλήθειαν, ἀρθήσεται ἐκ ζώντων