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have we announced a message? as if it were saying more clearly: who then is eager to accept the evils that are announced; but it more commonly calls evils the circumstances and the things considered grievous, namely the labors and the tribulations for the sake of piety. Who then is it, to whom we announce these things? For let this one hear, that not only evils, tribulations and labors and the things considered grievous do we announce to him, but in addition to these also a good message concerning the prizes to be awarded to those who have competed well. Hear, you who have been weaned from the breast; for the word is to you, the apostles, and we announce these things concerning you. For "when you were infants" as if nourished with milk at the breast, nothing of this sort was laid upon you on account of the immaturity of your spiritual age; and such you were when you were being nursed "under a tutor," the "law" of Moses, with the first introductions of the pious word; but now when "having advanced in age" you have been released from the tutor, and have come to the perfect teacher, having been weaned from the milk of the law and drawn away as from a mother from the Judaic and corporeal worship. As partaking of more perfect food, the saving and evangelical, prepare yourselves for tribulations; for it is necessary for those who strive for piety to expect tribulation, and not just this one, but a second upon the first. And these things are said to the apostolic choir and to all who are being discipled in the saving gospel. But one must not boast over tribulations nor despair of one's own salvation as if having always been born in tribulation. For as soon as the tribulation has ceased, the prizes for it will follow you, being shown to be victors and to be bound "with the crown of hope, which was woven of glory." Therefore it brings hope upon hope, not after a long interval of tribulation; for there will be a short time in between. Therefore it says: yet a little, yet a little; "for tribulation produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope; and hope does not put to shame." And the things of tribulation will be to you through the contempt of lips and through another tongue; for those who afflict you, despising and mocking, reviling and blaspheming, will continue using a different tongue, which must be scorned on account of the hope that will succeed you in a little while. These things, then, have been proclaimed as an address to the apostles and disciples and evangelists of our savior, but what follows the word prophetically teaches the people of the Jews, that having learned these very things about tribulation and the hope upon tribulation, the disciples of Christ will speak, persuading them, that in this consists the rest stored up with God, I mean in being afflicted and enduring all things for the sake of piety. And this which is considered rest and this breaking becomes "for the benefit" of the one who thirsts and hungers "for piety." And they will speak these things to this people, but the word points out the unbelievers from the circumcision, who will not be willing to hear. Therefore, he says, the oracle of the lord will be for them in another way tribulation upon tribulation; for not having wished to be afflicted for Christ's sake, nor to walk "the narrow and afflicted way," but having gone off on the "broad" and "spacious" one, they will fall backward and be broken and be endangered and be captured; for all these things will befall them for not having been willing to accept the aforesaid oracle of the lord, having become causes of their own falling and breaking. And since they brought such things upon themselves by not believing the aforesaid word, he commands them what follows, saying: Therefore hear the word of the Lord, afflicted men and rulers of this people in Jerusalem, or according to Symmachus: mocking men, who have authority over this people who are in Jerusalem; for there being also other mockers

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ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἀγγελίαν; ὡσεὶ σαφέστερον ἔλεγε· τίς ἄρα πρόθυμος παραδέξασθαι τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα κακά· κακὰ δὲ ὀνομάζει κοινότερον τὰς περιστάσεις καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα λυπηρά, τοὺς πόνους δηλαδὴ καὶ τὰς θλίψεις τὰς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας. τίς οὖν ἄρα ἐστίν, ᾧ ταῦτα προσαγγέλλομεν; ἀκουέτω γὰρ οὗτος, ὡς οὐ μόνον κακά, θλίψεις καὶ πόνους καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα λυπηρὰ τούτῳ καταγγέλλομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ἀγαθὴν ἀπαγγελίαν τὴν περὶ τῶν ἀποδοθησομένων ἐπάθλων τοῖς εὖ διηγωνισμένοις. ἀκούσατε ὑμεῖς, οἱ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ· πρὸς ὑμᾶς γὰρ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος καὶ ταῦτα περὶ ὑμῶν ἀπαγγέλλομεν. «ὅτε» μὲν γὰρ «ἦτε νήπιοι» ὡς ἂν ὑπὸ μαζῶν τρεφόμενοι γάλακτι, οὐδὲν ἦν ὑμῖν ἐπικείμενον τοιοῦτο διὰ τὸ ἀτελὲς τῆς νοητῆς ὑμῶν ἡλικίας· τοιοῦτοι δὲ ἐτυγχάνετε, ὅθ' «ὑπὸ παιδαγωγὸν» τὸν Μωσέως «νόμον» ἦτε γαλουχούμενοι ταῖς πρώταις εἰσαγωγαῖς τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς λόγου· νῦν δ' ὅτε «προκόψαντες τῇ ἡλικίᾳ» τοῦ μὲν παιδαγωγοῦ ἀπηλλάγητε, τῷ δὲ τελείῳ διδασκάλῳ προσεληλύθατε, ἀπογαλακτισθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ νομικοῦ γάλακτος καὶ ἀποσπασθέντες ὡς ἀπὸ μητρὸς τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς καὶ σωματικῆς λατρείας. Ὡς ἂν τελειοτέρας τροφῆς τῆς σωτηρίου καὶ εὐαγγελικῆς μεταλαμβάνοντες παρασκευάζεσθε εἰς θλίψεις· ἀνάγκη γὰρ τοὺς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιζομένους θλῖψιν προσδοκᾶν καὶ οὐ μίαν ταύτην, ἀλλὰ δὲ δευτέραν ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ. λέγεται δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν χορὸν τὸν ἀποστολικὸν καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς τῷ σωτηρίῳ εὐαγγελίῳ μαθητευομένους. οὐ δεῖ δὲ ἐπαυδᾶν ἐπὶ ταῖς θλίψεσιν οὔτε ἀπογινώσκειν ἑαυτῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν ὡς ἂν ἐν θλίψει πάντοτε γεγεννημένους. ὅσον γὰρ οὔπω παυσαμένης τῆς θλίψεως τὰ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ διαδέξεται ὑμᾶς βραβεῖα, νικητὰς ἀποφανθέντας καὶ «τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ἐλπίδος τῷ πλακέντι τῆς δόξης» ἀναδησομένους. διόπερ ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐπάγει, οὐ μετὰ μακρὸν διάστημα τῆς θλίψεως· βραχὺ γάρ τι ἔσται μεταξύ. διό φησιν· ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν· «ἡ γὰρ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει». ἔσται δὲ ὑμῖν τὰ τῆς θλίψεως διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων καὶ διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας· φαυλίζοντες γὰρ ὑμᾶς οἱ θλίβοντες καὶ χλευάζοντες λοιδοροῦντες καὶ βλασφημοῦντες διατελέσουσιν ἀλλοιοτέρᾳ γλώσσῃ χρώμενοι, ἧς δεῖ καταφρονεῖν διὰ τὴν ἔτι μικρὸν διαδεξομένην ὑμᾶς ἐλπίδα. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν προσφωνητικῶς πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ μαθητὰς καὶ εὐαγγελιστὰς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναπεφώνηται, τὰ δ' ἑξῆς προφητικῶς ὁ λόγος τὸν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν διδάσκει, ὅτι ταῦτα αὐτὰ τὰ περὶ τῆς θλίψεως καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ θλίψει ἐλπίδος μεμαθηκότες οἱ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ λαλήσουσι πείθοντες αὐτούς, ὡς ἐν τούτῳ οὔσης τῆς τεταμιευμένης παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἀναπαύσεως, λέγω δὲ ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαι καὶ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας πάντα ὑπομένειν. Καὶ τὸ νομιζόμενον τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα τῷ διψῶντι καὶ πεινῶντι «τὴν θεοσέβειαν πρὸς ὠφελείας» γίγνεται. καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα λαλήσουσι τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, δείκνυσι δὲ ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς ἀπίστους, οἱ δὲ οὐ θελήσουσιν ἀκούειν. διόπερ ἔσται φησὶν αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον κυρίου ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλῖψιν· οὐ γὰρ βουληθέντες διὰ Χριστὸν θλίβεσθαι, οὐδὲ «τὴν στενὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τὴν τεθλιμμένην» ὁδεῦσαι, τὴν «πλατεῖαν» δὲ καὶ «εὐρύχωρον» ἀπελθόντες, πεσοῦνται εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ κινδυνεύσουσι καὶ ἁλώσονται· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα διαδέξεται αὐτοὺς μὴ βουληθέντας τὸ προλεχθὲν λόγιον τοῦ κυρίου παραδέξασθαι, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ πτώσεως καὶ συντριβῆς γενομένοις αἰτίοις. Καὶ ἐπειδήπερ τοιαῦτα ἑαυτοῖς προεξένησαν μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῷ προλεχθέντι λόγῳ, διαστέλλεται αὐτοῖς τὰ ἑξῆς λέγων· διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου, ἄνδρες τεθλιμμένοι καὶ ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ἄνδρες χλευασταί, οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου οἱ ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ· ὄντων γὰρ καὶ ἄλλων χλευαστῶν