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with good, but he was not provoked by evil," that is, he did not abominate evil. Thus, having promised them good things, he again humbles their pride, saying: 32. It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, says the Lord Adonai; let it be known to you, O house of Israel. You, he says, are not worthy of the promised good things, but I do what is fitting for my nature. Then, at once exhorting and shaming: "Be ashamed and be confounded for your ways, O house of Israel." Do not bear your various punishments insensibly, he says, nor without feeling; but at long last, taking to mind the wickedness of your practices, blush for what you have dared to do. 33, 34. Thus says the Lord Adonai: In whatever day I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause the cities to be inhabited, and the desolate places shall be built. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it was desolate in the sight of all who passed by. When, he says, I grant you remission of sins, 81.1188 and declare you clean by forgiveness, then I will also provide buildings for the cities and cultivation for the land, and instead of the former desolation, which all who passed by saw, I will prepare it to be inhabited. 35. And they shall say: This land that was desolate has become like the paradise of delight, and the cities that were desolate and wasted and ruined are now fortified and inhabited. For just as, he says, everyone formerly spoke of your desolation, so now you will be much talked about, and you will be a wonder to all, with your desolate land being compared to the paradise of delight, and your uninhabited and ruined cities being fortified with strong walls. 30. And the nations that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord have built the ruined places, and have planted that which was desolate: I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. And the neighboring nations will learn that I provide both the former sad things and the present joyous things, and the certainty of what has been said comes from the trustworthiness of the one who spoke. "I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it." For being the Master, and able to act, I will bring to completion what I have said. 37 Thus says the Lord Adonai: Yet for this I will be sought by the house of Israel, to do it for them. Symmachus said "I will be found" for "I will be sought." To the former good deeds, he says, I will add this one also, and I will deem them worthy of being recalled. "And I will multiply them, as holy sheep." For since I have set them apart like sheep under my care, I will impart to them a shepherd's diligence. 38. As the sheep of Jerusalem in her feasts, so shall the desolate cities be full of sheep and men, and they shall know that I am the Lord. For just as, he says, before the siege that took place, Jerusalem was filled with sheep in their greatest festivals, so will I fill all their cities, with men and sheep and other good things, and through these events they will learn that I am Lord and God, who kills and makes alive, who strikes and who heals. Knowing, therefore, both the goodness and the power of our Master, let us love on account of the one, and let us take fear on account of the other, so that both loving and fearing, we may become keepers of his commandments, and may obtain the promised good things, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom be glory to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen. 81.1189

TOME 15. CHAPTER 37. 1. And the hand of the Lord came upon me. Again, by "hand" the divine energy

he calls. "And he brought me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the plain;"

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ἀγαθῇ, κακίᾳ δὲ οὐ προσώχθισε," τουτέστι, τὴν κακίαν οὐκ ἐβδελύξατο. Οὕτως ὑποσχόμενος αὐτοῖς τὰ ἀγαθὰ, πάλιν αὐτῶν τὸ φρόνημα ταπεινοῖ, λέγων· λβʹ. Οὐ δι' ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ποιῶ, οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· γνωστὸν ἔστω ὑμῖν, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ. Οὐχ ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, ἄξιοι τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τῇ ἐμῇ φύσει πρέποντα ποιῶ. Εἶτα παραινετικῶς ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐντρεπτικῶς· "Αἰσχύνθητε, καὶ ἐντράπητε ἐκ τῶν ὁδῶν ὑμῶν, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ." Μὴ ἀναλγήτως, φησὶ, μηδὲ ἀναισθήτως φέρετε τὰς παντοδαπὰς ὑμῶν τιμωρίας· ἀλλ' ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε εἰς νοῦν λαβόντες τῶν ὑμετέρων ἐπιτηδευμάτων τὴν πονηρίαν, ἐπὶ τοῖς τετολμημένοις ἐρυθριάσατε. λγʹ, λδʹ. Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ καθαρίσω ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ κατοικιῶ τὰς πόλεις, καὶ οἰ κοδομηθήσονται αἱ ἔρημοι. Καὶ ἡ γῆ ἠφανισμένη ἐργασθήσεται, ἀνθ' ὧν ὅτι ἠφανισμένη ἐγένετο κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς παντὸς διοδεύοντος. Ὅταν, φησὶν, ἄφεσιν ὑμῖν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων χαρίσωμαι, 81.1188 καὶ καθαροὺς ὑμᾶς ἀποφήνω τῇ συγχωρήσει, τηνι καῦτα καὶ ταῖς πόλεσι τὰς οἰκοδομὰς, καὶ τῇ γῇ τὰς φυτουργίας παρέξομαι, καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς προτέρας ἐρη μίας, ἣν ἅπαντες ἑώρων οἱ παριόντες, οἰκεῖσθαι παρασκευάσω. λεʹ. Καὶ ἐροῦσιν· Ἡ γῆ ἐκείνη ἠφανισμένη ἐγένετο ὡς παράδεισος τρυφῆς, καὶ αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἔρημοι, καὶ ἠφανισμέναι, καὶ κατεσκαμμέναι, ἐν τείχεσιν ὠχυρωμέναι ἐκάθισαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἅπαντες πάλαι τὴν σὴν ἐρημίαν ἐν τοῖς στό μασι περιέφερον, οὕτω νῦν ἔσῃ πολυθρύλλητος, καὶ θαῦμα παρέξεις πᾶσι, τῆς μὲν ἐρήμου σου γῆς τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς τρυφῆς εἰκαζομένης, τῶν δὲ ἀοικήτων πόλεων καὶ ἀναστάτων γεγενημένων ὀχυροῖς περιβό λοις τειχιζομένων. λʹ. Καὶ γνώσονται τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα ἂν κατα λειφθῇ κύκλῳ ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ᾠκοδό μησα τὰς κατηρημωμένας, καὶ κατεφύτευσα τὰς ἠφανισμένας· ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐλάλησα, καὶ ποιή σω. Μαθήσεται δὲ τὰ ἐκ γειτόνων ἔθνη, ὅτι ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ πρότερον, καὶ νῦν τὰ θυμήρη παρ έχω, καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων τὸ βέβαιον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ εἰρη κότος ἀξιοπιστίας. "Ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐλάλησα, καὶ ποιήσω." ∆εσπότης γὰρ ὢν, καὶ ποιῆσαι δυνάμενος, οἷς εἶπον ἐπιθήσω τὸ πέρας. λζʹ Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Ἔτι τοῦτο ζητηθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐ τοῖς. Τὸ ζητηθήσομαι ὁ Σύμμαχος εὑρεθήσομαι ἔφη. Πρὸς ταῖς προτέραις, φησὶν, εὐεργεσίαις, καὶ ταύτην προσθήσω, καὶ τῆς ἀνακλήσεως αὐτοὺς ἀξιώσω. "Καὶ πληθυνῶ αὐτοὺς, ὡς πρόβατα ἅγια." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὺς δίκην προβάτων ὑπὸ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφώρισα κηδεμονίαν, ποιμενικῆς αὐτοῖς ἐπιμελείας μεταδώσω. ληʹ. Ὡς πρόβατα Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς αὐτῆς, οὕτως ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἔρημοι πλή ρεις προβάτων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ γνώσονται, ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος. Καθάπερ γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸ τῆς γεγε νημένης πολιορκίας ἐπληροῦτο προβάτων ἡ Ἱερου σαλὴμ ἐν ταῖς μεγίσταις αὐτῶν πανηγύρεσιν, οὕτω πάσας αὐτῶν πληρώσω τὰς πόλεις, καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ προβάτων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν μαθήσονται τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριός εἰμι καὶ Θεὸς, ἀποκτείνων καὶ ζωοποιῶν, πατάσσων καὶ ἰώμενος. Εἰδότες τοίνυν τοῦ ἡμετέρου ∆εσπότου καὶ τὴν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ἀγαπήσωμεν δι' ἐκείνην, φόβον δὲ λάβωμεν διὰ ταύτην ἵνα καὶ ἀγαπῶντες, καὶ δεδιότες, φύλακες αὐτοῦ γενώμεθα τῶν ἐντολῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τύχωμεν ἀγα θῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶ νας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 81.1189

ΤΟΜΟΣ ΙΕʹ. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΛΖʹ. αʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπ' ἐμὲ χεὶρ Κυρίου. Πάλιν χεῖρα τὴν θείαν ἐνέργειαν

ἀποκαλεῖ. "Καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με ἐν πνεύματι Κυρίου, καὶ ἔθηκέ με ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πεδίου·"