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pursuing what is right and seeking the Lord. Leaving aside here those who have disbelieved, he addresses his words to those who have believed; for these he names lovers both of God and of righteousness. But he encourages them, as they are few, and urges them to look to their forefathers, and he reminds them of Abraham and Sarah and of the many myriads that have sprung from them. He has done this also in the divine gospels; "Do not be afraid," it says, "little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." So also here. Look to the solid rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. He calls the old age of Abraham a solid rock, and Sarah not a pit but a hole of a pit because it was waterless; "for it had ceased," it says, "to be with Sarah after the manner of women." Thus also the divine apostle said: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations," against hope because of old age and the nature of Sarah—for she was barren—but in hope of the divine promise. And again: "He did not consider his own body, already dead, being about a hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb; but he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was str<e>ngthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to perform." Thus also here the prophetic word, having said: Look to the solid rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug, has made the meaning clearer through what follows: 2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you in pain, for he was one and I called him, and blessed him, and loved him, and multiplied him. Nothing became an obstacle to my power; not that the one called was alone, not his advanced age, not the natural weakness of Sarah; but the race was increased as I wished. Therefore, do not you either disbelieve; for though you are few in number, I will make you beyond number. For he added this: 3And now I will comfort you, Zion, and I will comfort all her waste places <and I will make all her waste places> like the paradise of delight, and those toward the west like the paradise of the Lord. Not the inhabited but the waste places, not those toward the east but those lying toward the west. But the eyewitnesses of the city know that the temple of the Jews lay to the east of the city, but the cross and the resurrection to the west. And these very places were formerly outside the walls; and the divine apostle is a witness, saying: "Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth therefore to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach." He foretells, therefore: Whatever places of the city were desolate and lying toward the west, these will be similar to the paradise of God; for these truly have the tree of life. They will find in her gladness and joy, thanksgiving and a voice of praise. And these things we see being fulfilled on this very day; for instead of the smoke and the fat of sacrifice and the worship according to the law |165 a|, which the Lord of all did not even long ago find pleasing, night and day Zion sends up hymns to the God of all; for it has been filled with those who sing hymns. 4Listen to me, listen to me, my people, and you kings, give ear to me, for a law will go forth from me, and my judgment as a light to the nations. And these things he prophesies to the new people and reveals the multitude of the kings; for he speaks to many and not to one. And the mention of the new law also makes this clear, which he promises to give not to the Jews but to the nations, sending down to them as it were a ray of the sun and dispelling the darkness of ignorance. 5My righteousness draws near quickly, and my salvation will go forth as a light, and in my arm the nations will hope; the islands will wait for me and in my arm they will hope. He calls the power an arm; for this is the greatest proof of the divine power, to prevail over the world through the cross and dishonor and death, that fishermen and tax collectors

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διώκοντες τὸ δίκαιον καὶ ζητοῦντες τὸν κύριον. Τοὺς ἀπιστήσαντας ἐνταῦθα καταλιπὼν τοῖς πεπιστευκόσι προσφέρει τοὺς λόγους· τούτους γὰρ καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐραστὰς ὀνομάζει. Ψυχαγωγεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς ὡς ὀλίγους ὄντας καὶ ἀποβλέπειν εἰς τοὺς προγό νους παρα κελ εύεται καὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῆς Σάρρας ἀναμιμνῄσκει καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἐξ ἐκείνων βλα στου σῶν μυριάδων. Τοῦτο δὲ κἀν τοῖς θείοις εὐαγγελίοις πεποίηκεν· «Μὴ φοβοῦ» γάρ φησι «τὸ μικρὸν ποίμνιον, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν δοῦναι ὑμῖν βασιλείαν.» Οὕτω κἀνταῦθα. Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὴν στερεὰν πέτραν ἐξ ἧς ἐλατομήθητε καὶ εἰς τὸν βόθυνον τοῦ λάκκου ἐξ οὗ ὠρύχθητε. Στερεὰν πέτραν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὸ γῆρας ὀνομάζει, τὴν δὲ Σάρραν οὐ λάκκον ἀλλὰ βόθυνον λάκκου διὰ τὸ ἄνυδρον· «Ἐξέ λιπε» γάρ φησι «Σάρρᾳ γίνεσθαι τὰ γυναικεῖα.» Οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἔφη· «Ὃς παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν», παρ' ἐλπίδα μὲν διὰ τὸ γῆρας καὶ τὴν φύσιν τῆς Σ άρρας -στερίφη γὰρ ἦν-, ἐπ' ἐλπίδι δὲ τῆς θείας ἐπαγγελίας. Καὶ πάλιν· «Οὐ κατενόησε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα νενεκρω μένον ἑκατονταετής που ὑπάρχων καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας· εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν<ε>δυναμώθη τῇ πίστει δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ὃ ἐπαγγέλλεται δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι.» Οὕτω κἀνταῦθα εἰρηκὼς ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος· Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὴν στερεὰν πέτραν ἐξ ἦς ἐλατομήθητε καὶ εἰς τὸν βόθυνον τοῦ λάκκου ἐξ οὗ ὠρύχθητε, σαφέστερον τὸν λόγον διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων πεποίηκεν· 2Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ Σάρραν τὴν ὠδίνουσαν ὑμᾶς, ὅτι εἷς ἦν καὶ ἐκάλεσα αὐτὸν καὶ ηὐλόγησα αὐτὸν καὶ ἠγάπησα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπλή θυνα αὐτόν. Οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν τῇ ἐμῇ δ υνάμει ἐγένετο· οὐ τὸ μόνον εἶναι τὸν κληθέντα, οὐ τὸ ἐπικείμενον γῆρας, οὐχ ἡ φυσικὴ τ ῆς Σάρρας ἀσθέν εια· ἀλλ' ηὐξήθη τὸ γένος ὡς ἠβουλήθην. Μηδὲ ὑμεῖς τοίνυν ἀπιστήσητε· εὐαρ ιθμή τους γὰρ ὑμᾶς ὄντας ἀριθμοῦ κρείττους ἐργά σομαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· 3Καὶ σὲ νῦν παρακαλέσω Σιὼν καὶ παρακαλέσω πάντα τὰ ἔρημα αὐτῆς <καὶ θήσω πάντα τὰ ἔρημα αὐτῆς> ὡς τὸν παράδεισον τρυφῆς καὶ τὰ πρὸς δυσμαῖς αὐτῆς ὡς τὸν παράδεισον κυρίου. Οὐ τὰ οἰκού μενα ἀλλὰ τὰ ἔρημα, οὐδὲ τὰ πρὸς ἕω ἀλλὰ τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέρ αν κείμενα. Ἴσασι δὲ οἱ αὐτόπται τῆς πόλεως ὡς ὁ μὲν Ἰουδαίων νεὼς πρὸς ἕω ἔκειτο τῆς πόλεως, ὁ δὲ σταυρὸς καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις πρὸς ἑσπέραν. Καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλαι ἔξω τῶν περιβόλων ὄντα ἐτύγχανεν· καὶ μάρτυς ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος λέγων· «∆ιὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν. Ἐξερχώμεθα τοίνυν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ φέροντες.» Προλέγ ει τοίνυν· Ὅσαπερ ἦν τῆς πόλεως ἔρημα καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν διακείμενα, ταῦτα τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ παρ αδείσῳ προσόμοια ἔσται· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἔχει τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς. Εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα εὑρήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ, ἐξομο λόγησιν καὶ φωνὴν αἰνέσεως. Καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶμεν κα τὰ ταύτην τὴν ἡμέραν πληρούμενα· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ καπνοῦ καὶ τῆς κνίσης καὶ τῆς κατὰ νόμον |165 a| λατρείας, ἣν οὐδὲ πάλαι καταθύμιον ἔσχε τῶν ὄλων ὁ κύριος, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ὕμνους ἡ Σιὼν ἀναπέμπει τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ· τῶν γὰρ ὑμνούντων πεπλήρωται. 4Ἀκούσατέ μου ἀκούσατέ μου λαός μου, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς πρός με ἐνωτίζεσθε, ὅτι νόμος παρ' ἐμοῦ ἐξελεύσεται καὶ ἡ κρίσις μου εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα τῷ νέῳ προθεσπίζει λαῷ καὶ δηλοῖ τῶν βασιλέων τὸ πλῆθος· πρὸς πολλοὺς γὰρ ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς ἕνα διαλέγεται. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦ καινοῦ νόμου ἡ μνήμη, ὃν οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπαγγέλ λεται δώσειν καθάπερ ἡλιακὴν αὐτοῖς καταπέμπων ἀκτῖνα καὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας ἀφανίζων τὸ σκό τος . 5Ἐγγίζει ταχὺ ἡ δικαιοσύνη μου, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ὡς φῶς τὸ σωτήριόν μου, καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί μου ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν· ἐμὲ νῆσοι ὑπομε νοῦσι καὶ εἰς τὸν βραχίονά μου ἐλπιοῦσιν. Βραχίονα τὴν δύναμιν καλεῖ· μεγίστη γὰρ ἀπόδειξις αὕτη τῆς θείας δυνάμεως τὸ διὰ σταυροῦ καὶ ἀτιμίας καὶ θανάτου τῆς οἰκουμένης κρατῆσαι, τὸ ἁλιέας καὶ τελώνας