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Then he teaches how the creator has given the thickets and the groves in the mountains to men, so as to supply food for the fire and from there to provide for the needs of the body, but they, taking a holm-oak or an oak or a pine, which the God of all planted and nourished by the provision of rain, so that men might abundantly enjoy bodily goods, from these create gods. And teaching the excess of their folly he added: 15And having taken from it and burned it, he was warmed; and having burned it they baked loaves on them, but the rest they worked and made gods and they worship them. He made it a graven image and falls down to it, 16of which he burned half of it in the fire, and on half of it having roasted meat he ate and was filled, and having been warmed he said: It is pleasant for me, because I was warmed and saw fire. 17But the rest of it he made into a graven god and falls down to it and prays to it, saying: Deliver me, for you are my god. If it is a god, he says, let the whole wood be a god. Why then do you burn the leftover parts of the wood and through fire provide food, now baking loaves, now boiling and roasting meat, and at the same time both eating and being warmed and enjoying light? Are not the things offered to the fire related to the thing being worshipped? How then do you despise the one part and worship the other? For this reason he fittingly added: 18They have not known how to understand, because they have been darkened from seeing with their eyes and from understanding with their heart. Through these things he has revealed the darkness of their soul; for this, lying upon them, did not permit them to recognize the nature of things that are made. And for a greater refutation of their strangeness he says the same things again and adds the last thing: 20Know that their heart is ash, and they are deceived, and no one is able to deliver his own soul. For folly has seized them, and having corrupted their reason they serve unreason. For this reason I will give my spirit upon your seed, so that they may be freed from error; for it is not otherwise possible for them to learn the truth. See, will you not say that a lie is in my right hand? The Others connect this with the preceding; «Because no one is able to deliver his own soul nor will he say: Is there not a lie in my right hand?» But concerning those who have been deceived he said that they do not perceive the lie which they hold. And according to the Seventy, this, taken from the person of God, is to be understood thus: Are my things, he says, such as those of the whetstone? Did a man make me? Am I an idol? Was I made from stones or woods or gold or silver? 21Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you as my servant, you are mine; and you, Israel, do not forget me. See the difference between the one who is and the idols, see their weakness and my power, learn my manifold benefactions, do not forget the good things you have enjoyed. 22For behold, I have blotted out your iniquities like a cloud and your sins like a thick darkness. Return to me, and I will redeem you. He forgave them their transgressions, when he delivered them from the Babylonian servitude; but properly and truly after the incarnation he blotted out the iniquities of those who believed in him and scattered the thick darkness of sins |155 b| and granted eternal life. But let us keep the unquenchable memory of his benefactions and, repaying the benefactor with a pure life, await the enjoyment of the expected goods, which may it be for us to obtain by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the all-holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. 14 VOLUME 14 23Rejoice, O heavens, and let the earth be glad, because God has had mercy on Israel; sound the trumpet, O foundations of the earth, cry out, O mountains, with gladness, you hills and all the trees in them, because God has redeemed Jacob <and> Israel shall be glorified. Again the prophetic word used personification and just as, when he was accusing Israel, he called heaven and earth to witness, so again the good things

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Εἶτα διδάσκει ὡς τοὺς δρυμοὺς καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἄλση δέδωκεν ὁ δημιουργὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὥστε χορηγεῖν τῷ πυρὶ τροφὴν καὶ τὰς χρείας ἐντεῦθεν πορίζειν τῷ σώματι, οἱ δὲ λαβόντες πρῖνον ἢ δρῦν ἢ πίτυν ἅπ ερ ἐφύτευσε μὲν ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς τῇ δὲ τοῦ ὑετοῦ χορηγίᾳ διέθρεψεν ἵν' ἀφθόνως οἱ ἄνθρωποι τῶν σωματικῶν ἀπολαύσωσιν ἀγαθῶν, θεοὺς ἐντεῦθεν δημιουρ γοῦσιν. Καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀνοίας διδάσκων ὑπερβολὴν ἐπήγαγεν· 15Καὶ λαβὼν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καύσας ἐθερμάνθη· καὶ καύσαντες ἔπεψαν ἄρτους ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν εἰργάσαντο καὶ ἐποίησαν θεοὺς καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτοῖς. Ἐποίησεν αὐτὸ γλυπτὸν καὶ προσπίπτει αὐτό, 16οὗ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ κατέ καυσεν ἐν πυρί, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμίσους κρέα ὀπτήσας ἔφαγε καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη καὶ θερμανθεὶς εἶπεν· Ἡδύ μοι, ὅτι ἐθερμάνθην καὶ εἶδον πῦρ. 17Τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ ἐποίησεν εἰς γλυπτὸν θεὸν καὶ προσπίπτει αὐτὸ καὶ προσεύχεται αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἐξελοῦ με, ὅτι θεός μου εἶ σύ. Εἰ θεός φησίν ἐστιν, ὅλον ἔστω τὸ ξύλον θεός. Τί δήποτε τὰ περιττ ὰ τοῦ ξύλου κατακαίεις καὶ διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς πορίζεις τροφήν, νῦν μὲν ἄρτους πέπτων νῦν δὲ κρέ α ἕψων καὶ ὀπτῶν καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἐσθίων τε καὶ θαλπόμενος καὶ φωτὸς ἀπολαύων; Οὐ συγγενῆ τῷ πρ οσ κυνουμένῳ τὰ τῷ πυρὶ προσφερόμενα; Πῶς οὖν τὸ μὲν καταφρονεῖς τὸ δὲ προσκυνεῖς; ∆ιὰ τοῦ το εἰκότως ἐπήγαγεν· 18Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τοῦ φρονῆσαι, ὅτι ἠμαυρώθησαν τοῦ βλέπειν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦ νοῆσαι τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν. Τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκε σκότος· τοῦ το γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενον οὐκ εἴα ἐπιγνῶναι τῶν γιγνομένων τὴν φύσιν. Εἰς μείζονα δὲ τῆς παρα δο ξίας αὐτῶν ἔλεγχον πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ λέγει καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ἐπάγει· 20Γνῶθι ὅτι σποδὸς ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν καὶ πλανῶνται καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐξελέ σθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἐκράτησε γὰρ αὐτ οὺς ἡ ἄνοια, καὶ τὸ λογικὸν διαφθείραντες τῇ ἀλογίᾳ δουλεύουσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δώσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ ὶ τὸ σπ έρμα σου, ἵνα ἐκ τῆς πλάνης ἐλευθερωθῶσιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλως αὐτοὺς οἷόν τε κατ αμαθεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἴδετε, οὐκ ἐρεῖτε ὅτι ψεῦδος ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ μου; Τοῦτο οἱ Λοιποὶ τοῖς ἄνω σ υνάπτουσιν · «Ὅτι οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐξελέσθαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν οὐδὲ ἐρεῖ· Μὴ ψεῦδος ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ μου;» Περὶ δὲ τῶν πεπλανημένων εἶπεν ὅτι οὐ συνορῶσιν ὃ κατέχουσι ψεῦδος. Καὶ κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ προ σώπου τοῦ θεοῦ λαμβανόμενον οὕτω νοητέον· Μὴ τοιαῦτά φησίν ἐστι τὰ ἐμὰ οἷα τ ὰ τῆς θηγ άνης; Μὴ ἄνθρωπός με κατεσκεύασε; Μὴ εἴδωλον; Μὴ ἐκ λίθων ἢ ξύλων ἢ χρυσοῦ ἢ ἀργύρου κατεσκεύασμαι; 21Μνήσθητι ταῦτα Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι παῖς μου εἶ σύ, ἔπλασά σε παῖδά μου, ἐμὸς εἶ σύ· καὶ σὺ Ἰσραὴλ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου μου. Βλέπε τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ ὄντος καὶ τῶν εἰδώλων , βλέπε τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν δύναμιν, τὰς παντοδαπάς μου εὐεργεσί ας κατάμαθε, μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ὧν ἀπέλαυσας ἀγαθῶν. 22Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπήλειψα ὡς νεφέλην τὰς ἀνομίας σου καὶ ὡς γνόφον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου. Ἐπιστράφηθι ἐπ' ἐμέ, καὶ λυτρώσομαί σε. Συνεχώρησε μὲν αὐτοῖς τὰ πλημμελήματα, ἡνίκα τῆς Βαβυλωνίων δουλείας ἀπήλλαξεν· κυρίως δὲ καὶ ἀληθῶς μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων τὰς ἀνομίας ἀπήλειψε καὶ τὸν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων |155 b| ἐςκέδασε γνόφον καὶ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν ἐχορήγησεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἄσβεστον δι α φυλάξωμεν μνήμην καὶ βίῳ καθαρῷ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀμειβόμενοι προσμεί νωμεν τῶν ἐλ πιζ ομένων ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, ὧν ἡμᾶς τυχεῖν γένοιτο χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν [̓Ιησο ῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ δόξα σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 14 ΤΟΜΟΣ Ι∆ʹ 23Εὐφράνθητε οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ, ὅτι ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ· σαλπίσατε θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, βοήσατε τὰ ὄρη εὐφροσύνην, οἱ βουνοὶ καὶ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἐλυτρώσατο ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἰακὼβ <καὶ> Ἰσραὴλ δοξασθήσεται. Προσωποποιίᾳ πάλιν ὁ προφητικὸς ἐχρήσατο λόγος καὶ ὥσπερ, ἡνίκα κατηγόρει τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν εἰς μαρτυρίαν ἐκάλεσεν, οὕτως πά λιν τὰ ἀγαθὰ