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I am pierced by the blasphemies against you, as having been the cause of these. But Symmachus has said, "it devoured me, it consumed me." 11, 12. "And I covered my soul with fasting, and it became a reproach to me. And I made sackcloth my garment, and I became a byword to them." For these things I am grieved, and with fasting I waste away my body. But even this became for them a pretext for laughter. I wear myself out, and with the covering of sackcloth I am clothed in the guise of mourning. And the lawless took this as an occasion for mockery." 13. "Against me did they that sit in the gates speak, and against me did they that drink wine sing." And in assemblies, he says, and in symposia, they gossip about and mock my troubles. For of old they used the spaces by the gates for their councils. 14. "But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord." But Symmachus thus: But my prayer is to you, O Lord. While these things, he says, are happening, I turn my eye to you, and I await help from you. "A time of good pleasure, O God." But Symmachus thus, A time of reconciliation, O God. Sufficient, he says, is the punishment brought upon me. It is time for it to be lifted, and for your loving-kindness to appear. For he calls the good will of God "good pleasure." 80.1405 "In the multitude of your mercy hear me; in the truth of your salvation." Do not measure the punishment by my transgressions, but by the immeasurable mercy of your loving-kindness. But use your true and just decree against those who do so many evil things to me. Then again he recounts the calamities figuratively, trying to stir up mercy by the narrative. 15. "Save me from the mire, that I may not sink in." I am like those who fall into a muddy pit and endure death; wherefore I ask for salvation from you. "Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and from the deep waters." And I ask to be delivered both from my enemies and from the evils brought on by them. For he called the punishments brought on by them "depths of waters." 10. "Let not the tempest of water overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up." Let me not become, he says, submerged by the multitude and the magnitude of the evils. "Neither let the pit shut its mouth upon me." Do not forbid, he says, O Master, my salvation; nor close the door of loving-kindness to me. For those who fall into a pit, while its mouth is open, have some small hope of deliverance from there; but if this is also blocked up, they despair of salvation. 17. "Hear me, O Lord; for your mercy is good; according to the multitude of your compassions look upon me." For your loving-kindness, not for my worthiness, bring about deliverance from the evils I have recounted. See me, then, overwhelmed by evils, and release me from the calamities. For even your appearance alone is sufficient to scatter the cloud of sorrows. 18. "Turn not away your face from your servant." For this is the custom of those who are angry to do, shaking off the supplications of those who have sinned. "For I am in distress, hear me speedily." Because of the excess of pain, grant me swift comfort. 19. "Draw near to my soul, and redeem it." For you are sufficient even by sight alone to dissolve what is gloomy. "Deliver me because of my enemies." My transgressions indeed surpass pardon; but my enemies are impious, and serve wickedness. On account of the reproaches from them, then, grant me a share, O Master, of your loving-kindness. For this he also made clear through what follows. 20, 21. "For you know my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor. Before 80.1408 you are all they that afflict me" Nothing of what happens has escaped you, but you see all things; both their reproaches and my shame; for I am cast down and grieved at once, being reproached by them. "My soul has expected reproach and misery; and I waited for one to grieve with me, and there was none; and for comforters, and I found none. For being struck from all sides by so many pains, and expecting other more grievous things, I have no comfort. But those who grieve me overcome in number; but he who comforts, and by sharing the grief

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ταῖς κατὰ σοῦ βλασ φημίαις κεντοῦμαι, ὡς τούτων γενόμενος πρόξενος. Τὸ μέν τοι κατέφαγέ με, κατηνάλωσέ με, εἴρηκεν ὁ Σύμμαχος. ιαʹ, ιβʹ. "Καὶ συνεκάλυψα ἐν νηστείᾳ τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐγενήθη εἰς ὀνειδισμοὺς ἐμοί. Καὶ ἐθέμην τὸ ἔνδυμά μου σάκκον, καὶ ἐγενόμην αὐτοῖς εἰς παραβολήν." Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀνιῶμαι, καὶ νη στείᾳ κατατήκω τὸ σῶμα. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο πρόφα σις ἐκείνοις ἐγένετο γέλωτος. Τρύχω δὲ ἐμαυτὸν, καὶ τῇ τοῦ σάκκου περιβολῇ τὸ πένθιμον περικείμε νος σχῆμα. Καὶ τοῦτο μέν τοι κωμῳδίας ἔλαβον ἀφορμὴν οἱ παράνομοι." ιγʹ. "Κατ' ἐμοῦ ἠδολέσχουν οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν πύ λαις, καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ἔψαλλον οἱ πίνοντες οἶνον." Καὶ ἐν συλλόγοις, φησὶ, καὶ ἐν συμποσίοις, τὰ ἐμὰ θρυλλοῦσι καὶ κωμῳδοῦσι κακά. Πάλαι γὰρ παρὰ τὰς πύλας τοῖς συνεδρίοις ἐχρῶντο. ιδʹ. "Ἐγὼ δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ μου πρὸς σὲ, Κύ ριε." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ἐμοῦ δὲ ἡ προσευχή σοι, Κύριε. Τούτων, φησὶ, γινομένων, ἐγὼ πρὸς σὲ τείνω τὸ ὄμμα, καὶ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ προσμένω βοήθειαν. "Καιρὸς εὐδοκίας, ὁ Θεός." Ὁ δὲ Σύμ μαχος οὕτως, Καιρὸς διαλλαγῆς ὁ Θεός. Ἱκανὴ, φησὶ, ἡ ἐπενεχθεῖσά μοι τιμωρία. Καιρὸς ταύτην λυθῆναι, καὶ τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἀναφανῆναι. Εὐδοκίαν γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ κα 80.1405 λεῖ. "Ἐν τῷ πλήθει τοῦ ἐλέους σου ἐπάκουσόν μου· ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τῆς σωτηρίας σου." Μὴ τοῖς ἐμοῖς πλημ μελήμασι μετρήσῃς τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀμε τρήτῳ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐλέῳ. Χρῆσαι δὲ τῇ ἀληθῇ καὶ δικαίᾳ σου ψήφῳ κατὰ τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ τοσαῦτα δρώντων κακά. Εἶτα τροπικῶς πάλιν ἀπαριθμεῖται τὰς συμφορὰς, ἀνακινεῖν πειρώμενος τῇ διηγήσει τὸν ἔλεον. ιεʹ. "Σῶσόν με ἀπὸ πηλοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπαγῶ." Ἔοικα τοῖς εἰς βόθρον τελματώδη πίπτουσι, καὶ θά νατον ὑπομένουσι· διὸ παρὰ σοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν αἰτῶ. "Ῥυσθείην ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με, καὶ ἐκ τῶν βαθέων τῶν ὑδάτων." Αἰτῶ δὲ ἀπαλλαγῆναι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τούτων ἐναγομένων κακῶν. Βάθος γὰρ ὑδάτων τὰς ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἐπαγο μένας ἐκάλεσε τιμωρίας. ιʹ. "Μή με καταποντισάτω καταιγὶς ὕδατος, μηδὲ καταπιέτω με βυθός." Μὴ γένωμαι, φησὶ, τῷ πλήθει καὶ τῷ μεγέθει τῶν κακῶν ὑποβρύχιος. "Μηδὲ συσχέτω ἐπ' ἐμὲ φρέαρ τὸ στόμα αὑτοῦ." Μὴ ἀπ αγορεύσῃς, φησὶ, ∆έσποτα, τὴν ἐμὴν σωτηρίαν· μηδὲ κλείσῃς μοι τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὴν θύραν. Οἱ γὰρ εἰς φρέαρ ἐμπίπτοντες, ἀνεῳγότος μὲν ἔχουσι τοῦ στόματός τινα μικρὰν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἀπαλ λαγῆς· ἐμφραγέντος δὲ καὶ τούτου, τὴν σωτηρίαν ἀπαγορεύουσιν. ιζʹ. "Εἰσάκουσόν μου, Κύριε· ὅτι χρηστὸν τὸ ἔλεός σου· κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐπί βλεψον ἐπ' ἐμέ." ∆ιὰ τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν, ὧν ἀφηγησάμην κακῶν τὴν ἀπαλ λαγὴν ἐπάγαγε. Βλέπε με τοίνυν περικλυζόμε νον τοῖς κακοῖς, καὶ λῦσον τὰς συμφοράς. Ἀρκεῖ γάρ σου καὶ μόνον ἡ ἐπιφάνεια, σκεδάσαι τὸ νέφος τῶν λυπηρῶν. ιηʹ. "Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδός σου." Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔθος τοῖς ὀργιζομένοις ποιεῖν, ἀποσειομένοις τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων τὰς ἱκε τείας. "Ὅτι θλίβομαι, ταχὺ ἐπάκουσόν μου." ∆ιὰ τὴν τῆς ὀδύνης ὑπερβολὴν ταχεῖαν μοι παρά σχου παραψυχήν. ιθʹ. "Πρόσχες τῇ ψυχῇ μου, καὶ λύτρωσαι αὐ τήν." Ἀρκεῖς γὰρ καὶ μόνῃ τῇ θέᾳ διαλῦσαι τὰ σκυθρωπά. "Ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου ῥῦσαί με." Ὑπερβαίνει μὲν συγγνώμην τὰ ἐμὰ πλημμελήματα· ἀλλὰ δυσσεβεῖς οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ πονηρίᾳ δουλεύον τες. ∆ιὰ γοῦν τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων ὀνείδη, τῆς σῆς μοι μετάδος, ∆έσποτα, φιλανθρωπίας. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων ἐδήλωσε. κʹ, καʹ. "Σὺ γὰρ γινώσκεις τὸν ὀνειδισμόν μου, καὶ τὴν αἰσχύνην μου, καὶ τὴν ἐντροπήν μου. Ἐναν 80.1408 τίον σου πάντες οἱ θλίβοντές με" Οὐδέν σε λέληθε τῶν γινομένων, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὁρᾷς· καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων ὀνείδη, καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν αἰσχύνην· καταδύομαι γὰρ καὶ ἀνιῶμαι ἅμα παρ' ἐκείνων ὀνειδιζόμενος. "Ὀνει δισμὸν προσεδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ ταλαιπω ρίαν· καὶ ὑπέμεινα συλλυπούμενον, καὶ οὐχ ὑπῆρξε· καὶ παρακαλοῦντας, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον. Τοσαύταις γὰρ πανταχόθεν ὀδύναις βαλλόμενος, καὶ ἕτερα δὲ προσ μένων ἀνιαρώτερα, οὐδεμίαν ἔχω παραψυχήν. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἀνιῶντες νικῶσι τὸν ἀριθμόν· ὁ δὲ ψυχαγω γῶν, καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς λύπης