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to leave the straight path; and it is fitting to note, that a chorus of the more pious recounts all these things. For God sent with them those who were also made glorious by piety, like certain tutors and trainers, anointing and illuminating, and guiding everyone into piety. Such was Daniel, such was Ezekiel, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael. It was fitting for these and such as these to say the things that are set forth; for from their person the grace of the Spirit wrote these things. 10. "For you have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried by fire." For you allowed us, he says, to suffer these things, wishing to show to all the unadulterated nature of our piety. [These same things are also said from the person of the prize-winning martyrs, of those who have suffered or are suffering for Christ at various times.] 11, 12. "You brought us into the snare, you laid afflictions on our back. You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, and you brought us out to a place of refreshment." Such was the furnace, in which a whistling wind refreshed the athletes. A snare, the lions' den, and an unguarded snare; but nevertheless through divine grace the Prophet escaped it. It was indeed likely for them to be beaten and tormented, as captives 80.1369 and slaves, by their enslavers. Therefore they also said this, "You laid affliction on our back; you have caused men to ride over our heads." We were made slaves instead of free men. But nevertheless, having been delivered from all these things, and having obtained our return, we will offer to you the sacrifices prescribed by law. For he added this also. 13, 14. I will enter into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows. Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken in my affliction." Whatever I promised, he says, while in pain and praying, I will gratefully pay. 15. "I will offer to you fat burnt offerings with the incense of rams, I will offer to you oxen with goats." Whatever must be offered to you, I will sacrifice eagerly. He called the well-fed and fat "marrowed". For so the law also commanded to offer unblemished and perfect things; and the prophet Malachi also curses those who have such things, but offer blemished ones. This was also for Cain the beginning of those evils; and we too are taught to honor the Divine with the most precious of what we have. 10. "Come, hear, and I will declare to you, all you who fear God, what he has done for my soul." Not in vain, he says, do I promise to offer these gifts; but having enjoyed great gifts from him, which I also think you worthy to learn, you who hold the Divine in reverence. Thus also he said in the twenty-first psalm; "I will pay my vows before those who fear him." And through these things we are taught to have these as partners, and to relate divine things especially to them. "For do not give, he says, what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine." And, "My mysteries are for me and for mine. 17. "I cried to him with my mouth, and I exalted him with my tongue." But Symmachus [translates it] thus, I called upon him with my mouth, and immediately my tongue was exalted. For as soon as I offered the supplication, I received my request, and being filled with gladness, I moved my tongue to a hymn of thanksgiving. 18. "If I had regarded iniquity in my heart, let the Lord not hear me." But Symmachus, thus; If I had foreseen iniquity in my heart, may 80.1372 the Lord not hear. If, he says, while beseeching to be freed from slavery, and to obtain my return, I had imagined I would commit some iniquity after the return, may I not obtain divine favor; but that I am not lying, the facts bear witness. 19. "Therefore God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my supplication." For seeing that I was pure from such reasonings, he generously deemed me worthy of his own gifts; thus the chorus of the pious, having related these things, concludes its words with a hymn. 20. "Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from

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καταλιπεῖν τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδόν· ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ προσήκει, ὡς ταῦτα ἅπαντα τῶν εὐσεβεστέρων χορὸς διεξέρχεται. Συναπέστειλε γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τοὺς εὐσεβείᾳ λαμπρυνομένους, οἷόν τινας παιδονόμους καὶ παιδοτρίβας, ἀλείφοντας καὶ φωτίζοντας, καὶ ποδηγοῦντας ἅπαντας εἰς εὐσέ βειαν. Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ, τοιοῦτος ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ, Ἀνανίας, Ἀζαρίας, καὶ Μισαήλ. Τούτοις δὲ καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἥρμοττε τὰ προκείμενα λέγειν· ἐκ προσώπου γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτὰ συν έγραψε χάρις. ιʹ. "Ὅτι ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός· ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον" Ταῦτα γὰρ, φησὶ, παθεῖν ἡμᾶς συνεχώρησας· δεῖξαι πᾶσι τὸ τῆς εὐ σεβείας ἡμῶν ἀκίβδηλον βουλόμενος. [Τάδ' αὐτὰ εἴρηται καὶ ἐκ προσώπου τῶν ἀθλοφόρων, τῶν κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πεπονθότων ἢ καὶ πα σχόντων.] ιαʹ, ιβʹ. "Εἰσήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν παγίδα, ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν. Ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώ πους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν· διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν." Τοι αύτη ἦν ἡ κάμινος, ἐν ᾗ πνεῦμα διασυρίζον ἐψυ χαγώγει τοὺς ἀθλητάς. Παγὶς, ὁ τῶν λεόντων λάκ κος, καὶ παγὶς ἀφύλακτος· ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος ταύτην ὁ Προφήτης διέφυγεν. Εἰκὸς δὴ ἦν, αὐτοὺς καὶ τύπτεσθαι καὶ αἰκίζεσθαι, ὡς αἰχ 80.1369 μαλώτους καὶ δούλους, παρὰ τῶν ἀνδραποδισάν των. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο εἰρήκασιν, "Ἔθου θλῖψιν ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν· ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους, ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν." ∆οῦλοι ἀντ' ἐλευθέρων κατέστη μεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τούτων ἁπάντων ἀπαλλαγέντες, καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου τετυχηκότες, τὰς νενομοθετημένας σοι θυσίας προσοίσομεν. Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν. ιγʹ, ιδʹ. Εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου ἐν ὁλοκαυ τώμασιν· ἀποδώσω σοι τὰς εὐχάς μου. Ἃς διέστειλε τὰ χείλη μου, καὶ ἐλάλησε τὸ στόμα μου ἐν τῇ θλί ψει μου." Ὅσα, φησὶν, ὑπεσχόμην ὀδυνώμενος καὶ προσευχόμενος, εὐγνωμόνως ἐκτίσω. ιεʹ. "Ὁλοκαυτώματα μεμυαλωμένα ἀνοίσω σοι μετὰ θυμιάματος, καὶ κριῶν, ἀνοίσω σοι βόας μετὰ χιμάρων." Ὁπόσα σοι χρὴ προσφέρειν, ἱερεύσω προθύμως. Μεμυαλωμένα κέκληκε τὰ εὐτραφῆ καὶ πίονα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ νόμος προσ φέρειν ἐκέλευσεν ἄμωμά τε καὶ ἄρτια· ἐπαρᾶται δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης Μαλαχίας τοῖς τοιαῦτα μὲν ἔχουσιν, ἀνάπηρα δὲ προσφέρουσιν. Αὕτη καὶ τῷ Κάϊν ἐγέ νετο τῶν κακῶν ἐκείνων ἀρχή· διδασκόμεθα δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῖς τιμιωτέροις ὧν ἔχομεν τὸ Θεῖον γε ραίρειν. ιʹ. "∆εῦτε, ἀκούσατε, καὶ διηγήσομαι ὑμῖν, πάντες οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Θεὸν, ὅσα ἐποίησε τῇ ψυχῇ μου." Οὐ μάτην, φησὶ, ταῦτα προσφέρειν ὑπισχνοῦ μαι τὰ δῶρα· ἀλλὰ μεγάλων παρ' αὐτοῦ δωρεῶν ἀπολαύσας, ἃς καὶ ὑμᾶς μαθεῖν ἀξιῶ, τοὺς τὸ Θεῖον ἔχοντας σέβας. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰκοστῷ καὶ πρώτῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Τὰς εὐχάς μου ἀποδώσω ἐνώπιον τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν." ∆ιὰ τούτων δὲ παιδευόμεθα τούτους κοινωνοὺς ἔχειν, καὶ τούτοις διαφερόντως διηγεῖσθαι τὰ θεῖα. "Μὴ δῶτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσί· μηδὲ ῥίψητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων." Καὶ, "Τὰ μυστήριά μου ἐμοὶ, καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς. ιζʹ. "Πρὸς αὐτὸν τῷ στόματί μου ἐκέκραξα, καὶ ὕψωσα ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως, Αὐτὸν τῷ στόματί μου ἐπεκαλεσά μην, καὶ ὑψώθη παραχρῆμα ἡ γλῶσσά μου. Εὐθὺς γὰρ προσενεγκὼν τὴν δέησιν, ἐδεξάμην τὴν αἴτησιν, καὶ εὐφροσύνης πλησθεὶς, εἰς χαριστήριον ὕμνον τὴν γλῶσσαν ἐκίνησα. ιηʹ. "Ἀδικίαν εἰ ἐθεώρουν ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, μὴ εἰσακουσάτω μου Κύριος." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, οὕτως· Ἀδικίαν εἰ προεῖδον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, μὴ 80.1372 εἰσακούσῃ Κύριος. Εἰ παρακαλῶν, φησὶ, τῆς δουλείας ἀπαλλαγῆναι, καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου τυχεῖν, ἀδικίαν τινὰ δράσειν μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐφαντάσθην, τῆς θείας εὐμενείας μὴ τύχοιμι· ὅτι δὲ οὐ ψεύδομαι, τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρεῖ. ιθʹ. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ εἰσήκουσέ μου ὁ Θεός· προσέσχε τῇ φωνῇ τῆς δεήσεώς μου." Καθα ρεύοντα γάρ με τοιούτων λογισμῶν θεασάμενος, φιλοτίμως τῶν οἰκείων ἠξίωσε δωρεῶν· οὕτω ταῦτα διηγησάμενος τῶν εὐσεβῶν ὁ χορὸς, εἰς ὕμνον συμ περαίνει τοὺς λόγους. κʹ. "Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἀπέστησε τὴν προσευχήν μου, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἀπ'