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it follows that they, having turned from evil, should do good. Praying for this very thing to befall his various assailants, he says concerning them: May they be ashamed, knowing what evils they are in; may they be abashed, recalling what they have done; for they sought to lead my soul into the same wickedness as theirs, or to kill me, since I do not run with them into the apostasy in which they are apart from God. He implores this very thing for their benefit, saying: "Let them be turned back," no longer desiring to hasten toward evil, "and let them be put to shame," for the evil things they did, wishing harmful things to befall me. The one who repents is turned back, running again to the good which he had left, with the will to be ashamed, although before repentance he said boastfully against the one persecuted, "Aha, aha," that is, "We will prevail over you as you flee from us." It must be noted, "Those who wish me evil"; they have power only so far as to wish to do evil and to harm; what evils they wish to bring upon me they are not able to, unless God should deliver me up. 727a Ps 69,3a He does not curse those who plot against his possessions or concerning the † but those who plot against his soul. The plot against the soul is alienation from God. And this would come from passions and demons and an impassioned disposition and the malevolent men who cooperate with these. 728a Ps 69,5 Believing that he will surely find the one who helped him, concerning all those who are in a similar state when various trials are present, he says in praise: "Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad, O Lord." For even if seeking the Lord happens with toil and sweat, yet when he appears with great goodness to those who long to see, divine exultation and gladness succeed the toil in seeking. And having obtained this grace, they will always say in deed and word but also with a faithful disposition, "Let the Lord be magnified," always praying to receive the magnitude of his thought. And thus do they sing praise who have had experience of the salvation from him, so that they love it, being named salvation, or they love "your salvation"; and this is Christ, who is the cause of eternal salvation for them; this salvation all flesh shall see. 729a Ps 69,5b And they will suffer the things that have been said, but those of my portion, that is, those who hope for salvation from you and do not trust in multitude and power, may they be filled with gladness from you, so that they may magnify you. 730a Ps 69,6a Looking to the greatness of the riches of the goodness of God, through the preceding words he calls himself poor and needy; and beginning his discourse as if nothing contributed to him, not wealth, not kingship, not the help of the whole nation, nor the righteousness acquired for him by ascetic practice, he seeks help from God alone. 731a Ps 69,6b "Do not," he says, "leave me to be warred against for long periods of time, lest I suffer great harm; but extend your help, so that being protected by it as by a shield of favor, I may not be struck by them."

732a Ps 70,1b.2a He who has his hope in God has an end that is not put to shame,

speaking boldly for all eternity concerning the expectation he held, while everyone who has confidence in something else is put to shame, when he fails of his hope. For "he who trusts in riches," it says, "will fall"; and, "Do not hope," it says, "in princes, in sons of men in whom there is no salvation"; and, "Cursed is he who has hope in man." Therefore one must be eager to have the Lord as hope; for "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope." For this hope is living; wherefore it is written, "Born again to a living hope." Therefore it is said by the one who has it, "Let me not be put to shame forever; and in your righteousness deliver me and rescue me." God delivers in righteousness those who hasten to be free from unrighteous acts, as in wisdom he receives those who long to take it up. But if

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επεται ἐκκλίναντας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι. τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὑπαρχθῆναι τοῖς ἐπικειμένοις διαφόροις εὐχόμενός φησι περὶ αὐτῶν Αἰσχυνθείησαν γνόντες οι κακῶν εἰσιν, ἐντραπείησαν ἀναπολήσαντες α επραξαν· τὴν γὰρ ψυχήν μου εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς κακίαν ἀγαγεῖν ἐζήτησαν, η ἀποκτεῖναί με, ἐπεὶ μὴ συντρέχω αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἀποστασίαν καθ' ην ἐκτὸς θεοῦ εἰσιν. Τοῦτο αὐτὸ συμφέρον αὐτοῖς προσλιπαρεῖ λέγων ̓Αποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μηκέτι ἐπὶ τὸ κακὸν ἐπείγεσθαι ποθοῦντες, καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν, ἐφ' οις εδρασαν κακῶς βουλόμενοι ὑπαρχθῆναί μοι τὰ βλάπτοντα. ̓Αποστρέφεται εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ὁ μετανοῶν, πάλιν δρομῶν ἐφ' ο καταλέλοιπεν ἀγαθὸν μετὰ τοῦ αἰσχύνεσθαι θέλειν, καίτοι πρὸ τῆς μετανοίας ἀλαζονικῶς κατὰ τοῦ διωκομένου λέγων Ευγε ευγε, τουτέστιν Κρατήσομέν σου φεύγοντος ἀφ' ἡμῶν. ̓Επιστατέον τὸ Οἱ βουλόμενοί μοι κακά· μέχρι τοῦ βουληθῆναι κακῶσαι καὶ βλάψαι εχουσι δύναμιν· α ἐπαγαγεῖν βούλονται κακὰ οὐχ οιοί τε οντες, εἰ μὴ θεὸς παραδῷ. 727a Ps 69,3a Οὐ κατεύχεται τῶν εἰς χρήματα ἐπιβουλευόντων η περὶ τῆς † ἀλλὰ τῶν εἰς ψυχὴν ἐπιβουλευόντων. ἡ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιβουλὴ ἡ ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐστιν ἀλλοτρίωσις. ειη δ' αν αυτη ἐκ παθῶν καὶ δαιμόνων καὶ ἐμπαθοῦς διαθέσεως καὶ τῶν τούτοις συνεργούντων κακοήθων ἀνθρώπων. 728a Ps 69,5 Πιστεύσας οτι πάντως εὑρήσει τὸν βοηθήσαντα αὐτῷ περὶ πάντων τῶν ὡσαύτως διακειμένων οτε περιστάσεις διάφοροι πάρεισιν, φησὶν ὑμνῶν ̓Αγαλλιάσονται καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται οἱ ζητοῦντές σε, κύριε. καν γὰρ σὺν πόνῳ καὶ ἱδρῶτι τὸ ζητεῖν τὸν κύριον γίνηται, ἀλλ' ουν αὐτοῦ ἐπιφαινομένου ἀγαθότητι πολλῇ οις ποθοῦσιν ἰδεῖν ἀγαλλίασις θεία καὶ εὐφροσύνη διαδέχεται τὸν ἐν τῷ ζητεῖν πόνον. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς χάριτος τυχόντες διαπαντὸς εργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ διαθέσει πιστῇ ἐροῦσι Μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ κύριος, ἀεὶ μέγεθος νοήσεως αὐτοῦ εὐχόμενοι δέχεσθαι. ̔Υμνοῦσι δὲ ουτως οἱ πεῖραν λαβόντες τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας ὡς ἀγαπᾶν αὐτὴν σωτήριον ὀνομαζομένην, η ἀγαπῶσι τὸ σωτήριον· τοῦτο δ' ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ αιτιος αὐτοῖς αἰωνίου σωτηρίας ων· τοῦτο τὸ σωτήριον οψεται πᾶσα σάρξ. 729a Ps 69,5b Καὶ τὰ μὲν εἰρημένα ἐκεῖνοι πείσονται, οἱ δὲ τῆς ἐμῆς μερίδος ητοι οἱ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρίαν ἐλπίζοντες καὶ οὐχὶ πλήθει καὶ δυνάμει θαρροῦντες θυμηδίας τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐμπλησθεῖεν, ινα σε μεγαλύνωσιν. 730a Ps 69,6a Πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος ἀφορῶν τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος τοῦ θεοῦ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει· καὶ ἀρχόμενος δὲ τοῦ λόγου ὡς μηδενὸς αὐτῷ αὐτῷ συμβαλλομένου, μὴ πλούτου μὴ βασιλείας μὴ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς εθνους βοηθείας μηδὲ τῆς ἐξ ἀσκήσεως πορισθείσης αὐτῷ δικαιοσύνης, τὴν παρὰ μόνου τοῦ θεοῦ βοήθειαν ἐκζητεῖ. 731a Ps 69,6b Μὴ εἰς μακρούς, φησίν, χρόνους πολεμούμενόν με καταλείψῃς, ινα μὴ μεγάλην ἀπενέγκωμαι βλάβην· ἀλλὰ βοήθειαν ορεξον, ινα ταύτῃ σκεπόμενος ὡς οπλῳ εὐδοκίας μὴ βληθῶ ὑπ' αὐτῶν.

732a Ps 70,1b.2a ̔Ο εχων τὴν ἐπὶ θεὸν ἐλπίδα ἀκαταίσχυντον εχει τέλος,

μέχρι τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος παρρησιαζόμενος ἐφ' ῃ εσχεν προσδοκίᾳ, παντὸς τοῦ ἐπὶ ετερόν τι τὴν πεποίθησιν εχοντος καταισχυνομένου, οταν διαμάρτῃ τῆς ἐλπίδος. ̔Ο πεποιθὼς γάρ φησιν ἐπὶ πλούτῳ, ουτος πεσεῖται· καὶ Μὴ ἐλπίζετε, φησίν, ἐπ' αρχοντας, ἐπὶ υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων οις οὐκ εστι σωτηρία· καὶ ̓Επικατάρατος ος τὴν ἐλπίδα εχει ἐπ' ανθρωπον. οθεν σπουδαστέον τὸν κύριον εχειν ἐλπίδα· Εὐλογημένος γὰρ ὁ ανθρωπος ος πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ εσται κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ. ζῶσα γὰρ αυτη ἡ ἐλπίς· διὸ γέγραπται ̓Αναγεγεννημένοι εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν. οθεν ειρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ εχοντος αὐτὴν Οὐ καταισχυνθείην εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· καὶ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ῥῦσαί με καὶ ἐξελοῦ με. ̔Ρύεται ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ θεὸς τοὺς σπεύδοντας ειναι ἐκτὸς ἀδικημάτων, ὡς ἐν σοφίᾳ τοὺς ποθοῦντας ἀναλαμβάνειν αὐτήν. εἰ δὲ