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I may become a reproach. [Those offer this supplication concerning those who enslaved them, but these concerning the wicked demons.] 2. "In your righteousness deliver me, and rescue me." I beseech you to judge between the Babylonians and me, and to cast the vote justly against them; for in this way I too will be freed from their slavery. 80.1420 "Incline your ear to me, and save me. [3] Be for me a protecting God, and a strong place to save me; for you are my stronghold and my refuge." I have you as a champion, and a strong wall, and a safe fortress; therefore, receive my supplication with favor. [As we have said above, these things are said by both of the others, and of those that follow until the present, and of all of life, turning away from evil, and cleaving to the good; for this is what he wishes to say through the following words.] 4. "My God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner, from the hand of the lawless and unjust one." I beseech you, Master, to free me from the power of those who live in wickedness and impiety. 5. "For you are my endurance, Lord, Lord, my hope from my youth." [The first people] He calls youth the time of the great Moses, when they also enjoyed freedom, after having served the Egyptians for a very long time. From that time, he says, I have had my hopes in you, and I await your help. [But the new people call youth the new creation which it has obtained through the regeneration of the font.] 6. "On you have I been cast from the womb; from my mother's belly you are my protector." He calls the exodus from Egypt birth and generation. And the God of all teaches this also through the most divine Ezekiel. For rebuking the impiety of Jerusalem, after having said, "Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite," he added, "On the day you were born, your navel was not cut, and you were not salted with salt, and you were not washed with water for salvation." For since the navel is like a root of the infant, for through it it grows and is nourished; but Israel, even after the exodus from Egypt, had the innate impiety of the Egyptians, he rightly said, "Your navel was not cut;" because, he says, you draw your nourishment from your mother's womb, and you persist in your former practices. Therefore, the company of the more pious, supplicating God, says: That from above, and from the beginning, I have had my hope in you; "In you is my praise continually." I continue praising and glorifying you, and through your providence I became conspicuous. 7. "I have become as a monster to many." But 80.1421 after that fame, I received a great change, so that my circumstances were considered by many as a monster and a sign. "And you are my strong helper." But nevertheless I await your help. 8. "Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing of your glory, all the day long of your magnificence." Therefore, changing the misfortune that besets me, move my tongue to hymnody, so that I may always offer you the hymn. For Symmachus has rendered "all the day long" as "every day." 9. "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me." I beseech to enjoy now as well the providence which I received in youth; and I beg not to be stripped of your care in old age itself. For since he called the exodus from Egypt youth, he called the time of captivity old age, as a very long time had passed in between. 10, 11. "For my enemies have spoken against me, and those who watch for my soul have conspired together, saying: God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver." All, he says, the hostile ones trample on my misfortunes, and surround me with all kinds of evils, seeing me destitute of your care, and supposing me to be completely neglected, and no longer to be about to obtain your providence. For which reason I implore: 12. "My God, do not be far from me; my God, attend to my help." Grant me your swift assistance; and not me far from your

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ἐπονείδιστος γένωμαι. [Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν περὶ τῶν ἀνδραποδισάντων αὐτοὺς, οὗτοι δὲ περὶ τῶν πονη ρῶν δαιμόνων ταύτην τὴν ἱκετείαν προσφέρουσιν.] βʹ. "Ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ῥῦσαί με, καὶ ἐξελοῦ με." Κρῖναί σε παρακαλῶ Βαβυλωνίοις κἀμοὶ, καὶ δικαίως κατ' ἐκείνων τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκεῖν· οὕτω γὰρ κἀγὼ τῆς ἐκείνων δουλείας ἀπαλλαγήσο μαι. 80.1420 "Κλῖνον πρός με τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ σῶσόν με. [γʹ] Γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν, καὶ εἰς τόπον ὀχυ ρὸν τοῦ σῶσαί με· ὅτι στερέωμά μου καὶ κατα φυγή μου εἶ σύ." Σὲ πρόμαχον ἔχω, καὶ περίβολον ὀχυρὸν, καὶ ἔρυμα ἀσφαλές· εὐμενῶς μου τοίνυν δέξαι τὴν ἱκετείαν. [Καθάπερ δὲ ἀνωτέρω εἰρή καμεν, ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἄλλων εἴρηται ταῦτα, καὶ τῶν ἐφεξῆς μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος καὶ παντὸς τοῦ βίου ἐκκλινόντων ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς κολλωμέ νων· τοῦτο γὰρ θέλει εἰπεῖν διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς.] δʹ. "Ὁ Θεός μου, ῥῦσαί με ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἐκ χειρὸς παρανομοῦντος καὶ ἀδικοῦντος." Ἱκετεύω σε, ∆έσποτα, τῆς τῶν πονηρίᾳ καὶ δυσσεβείᾳ συζών των ἐλευθερῶσαί με δυναστείας. εʹ. "Ὅτι σὺ ἡ ὑπομονή μου, Κύριε, Κύριε, ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἐκ νεότητός μου." [Ὁ μὲν πρῶτος λαὸς] Νεότητα καλεῖ τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσέως χρόνον, ὅτε καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀπήλαυσαν, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον Αἰγυπτίοις δεδουλευκότες χρόνον. Ἐξ ἐκεί νου, φησὶν, εἰς σὲ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔσχον, καὶ τὴν σὴν προσμένω βοήθειαν. [Ὁ δὲ νέος λαὸς νεότητα λέγει ἧς τετύχηκε νεουργίας διὰ τῆς τοῦ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας.] ʹ. "Ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπεστηρίχθην ἀπὸ γαστρός· ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου σὺ εἶ μου σκεπαστής." Γέννη σιν καὶ τόκον καλεῖ τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἔξοδον. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ θειοτάτου Ἰεζεκιὴλ διδάσκει. ∆ιελέγχων γὰρ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἀσέβειαν, εἶτα εἰρηκώς· "Ὁ πατήρ σου Ἀμοῤῥαῖος, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Χετταία," ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἧ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης, ὁ ὀμφαλός σου οὐ περιετμήθη, καὶ ἁλὶ οὐχ ἡλίσθης, καὶ ὕδατι οὐκ ἐλούσω εἰς σωτηρίαν." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ὀμφαλὸς οἷόν τις ῥίζα βρέφους ἐστί· δι' ἐκείνου γὰρ αὔξεται καὶ τρέφεται· ὁ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἔξοδον, ἔμφυτον ἔσχε τὴν Αἰγυπτίων ἀσέβειαν, εἰκότως ἔφη· "Ὁ ὀμφαλός σου οὐ περιετμήθη·" ὅτι, φησὶν, ἐκ τῆς μητρῴας νηδύος τὴν τροφὴν ἕλκεις, καὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἐπι μένεις ἐπιτηδεύμασιν. Ἡ τῶν εὐσεβεστέρων τοίνυν συμμορία τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύουσα λέγει· Ὅτι ἄνωθεν, καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τὴν σὴν ἔσχον ἐλπίδα· "Ἐν σοὶ ἡ ὕμνησίς μου διαπαντός." Σὲ ὑμνῶν καὶ δοξάζων διατελῶ, καὶ διὰ τῆς σῆς προνοίας ἐγενόμην περί βλεπτος. ζʹ. "Ὡσεὶ τέρας ἐγενήθην τοῖς πολλοῖς." Ἀλλὰ 80.1421 μετ' ἐκείνην τὴν περιφάνειαν, πολλὴν ἐδεξάμην τὴν μεταβολήν· ὡς τέρας τι καὶ σημεῖον τοῖς πολ λοῖς νομισθῆναι τὰ κατ' ἐμέ. "Καὶ σὺ βοηθός μου κραταιός." Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐγὼ τὴν σὴν προσμένω βοήθειαν. ηʹ. "Πληρωθήτω τὸ στόμα μου αἰνέσεως· ὅπως ὑμνήσω τὴν δόξαν σου, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν μεγα λοπρέπειάν σου." Μεταβαλὼν τοίνυν τὴν ἐπικει μένην μοι δυσκληρίαν, κίνησον εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τὴν γλῶτταν· ὅπως ἂν ἀεί σοι τὸν ὕμνον προσφέροιμι. Τὸ γὰρ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε. θʹ. "Μὴ ἀποῤῥίψῃς με εἰς καιρὸν γήρως· ἐν τῷ ἐκλείπειν τὴν ἰσχύν μου, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με." Ἧς ἐν νεότητι προνοίας ἀπέλαβον, ἀπολαῦσαι καὶ νῦν ἱκετεύω· καὶ μὴ γυμνωθῆναι τῆς σῆς κηδε μονίας ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ γήρᾳ παρακαλῶ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ νεότητα τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου προσηγόρευσεν ἔξοδον, γῆρας ἐκάλεσε τὸν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καιρόν· ὡς πλείστου χρόνου διαδραμόντος ἐν μέσῳ. ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Ὅτι εἶπον οἱ ἐχθροί μου ἐμοὶ, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, λέγοντες· Ὁ Θεὸς ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτόν· κατα διώξατε καὶ καταλάβετε αὐτὸν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ῥυόμενος." Ἅπαντες, φησὶν, οἱ δυσμενεῖς ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἐπεμβαίνουσι συμφοραῖς, καὶ παντοδαποῖς κακοῖς περιβάλλουσιν, ἔρημόν με τῆς σῆς κηδεμονίας ὁρῶντες, καὶ τοπάζοντές με παντελῶς παρεωρᾶσθαι, καὶ μηκέτι τῆς σῆς με τεύξεσθαι προμηθείας. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ἀντιβολῶ· ιβʹ. "Ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ μακρύνῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· ὁ Θεός μου, εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου πρόσχες." Ταχεῖάν μοι τὴν σὴν παράσχου ῥοπήν· καὶ μή με πόῤῥω τῆς