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a murderous intention; because You are of your father the devil, and you do the works of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning. Therefore, the seed of Moab are the apostates of the Church; but the seed of Ariel are those breathing murder against their brothers and through their pernicious words working death into their souls. After these things he says, that The remnant of Adama (which means virgin earth, from which the body of Adam came) I will send as reptiles on the earth, that is, the remnant of men, those who mind earthly things, have for this reason been born from their own wickedness as reptiles and venomous creatures. Reptiles, indeed, for having cast off the height upon which they happened to stand according to their first creation; but venomous, because of the corruption of their associates. The word says that it sends these out. Therefore after the former Moabites, concerning whom better things were said, if anyone is left on the earth and is like the serpent, concerning which it was said, "You will eat dust all your days," this one is sent out like the reptiles. He eats dust who sows to the flesh, and from the flesh reaps corruption.

16.t CHAPTER 16.

16.302 Is the mountain of the daughter of Zion a desolate rock? For you will be like a fledgling taken from a bird that has flown away; you will be, O daughter of Moab. Then, Arnon, take more counsel. Make a shelter of mourning for her always. In noonday darkness they will flee; they were astonished. Do not be led away; the fugitives of Moab will dwell with you. They will be a shelter to you from the face of the pursuer, for your alliance has been removed, and the ruler who tramples from the earth has perished. And a throne will be set up with mercy, and he will sit upon it with truth in the tent of David, judging and seeking judgment, and hastening righteousness. The word is still to Moab. Is the mountain of the daughter of Zion a desolate rock? It convicts her of the contempt with which she despised Zion, supposing the mountain to be a desolate rock, as having neither remarkable size, nor being able to receive the good things from agriculture, so as neither to feed its inhabitants, nor those who graze there. For she who supposed these things about the mountain and scorned it, being puffed up with arrogance, and having exalted herself with insolence and pride, will be like a fledgling left behind by the bird that keeps it warm, when, frightened, it flies up from the nest, leaving the nursling desolate. For the one goes away fleeing, but the other is easily captured by anyone who wishes. For an eagle, or any other of the large birds, which by nature rise high above the earth, is beyond the harm of those who attempt it; but you will be like a fledgling, needing another's help for food, having just emerged from the egg, not yet clothed in deep plumage on your body, but still needing shelter from another to be kept warm at night and not be scorched during the day. Therefore, when your mother is put to flight, you will be taken from the nest, being weak for defense and unable to flee. And the one who casts you down from the nest will be the same one who drove away your sheltering mother. It is clear, therefore, that the souls nourished by the wicked and unstable spirit (when they encounter someone who nobly drives them away through good works and by the invocation of the name of Christ), being made desolate with a good desolation, are more easily taken for the upbringing in Christ, which leads to perfection. You will be, daughter of Moab, when the weakness concerning you is exposed, what is left. What will you be, daughter of Moab? What you were, this will be made manifest. For you have forgotten your own low birth, that you were born of a father from a stolen marriage

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φονῶσαν προαίρεσιν· ὅτι Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε. Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς. Σπέρ μα μὲν οὖν Μωὰβ, οἱ ἀποστάται τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· σπέρμα δὲ Ἀριὴλ, οἱ κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν φόνον πνέοντες καὶ διὰ τῶν ὀλεθρίων λόγων τὸν θάνατον ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν ἐμ ποιοῦντες. Μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν, ὅτι Τὸ κατάλοιπον Ἀδαμὰ (ὅπερ σημαίνει γῆν παρθενικὴν, ἀφ' ἧς ἐγένετο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἀδάμ) ἀποστελῶ ὡς ἑρπετὰ τὴν γῆν, τουτέστι τὸ κατά λοιπον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τῶν τὰ γήϊνα φρονούντων, διὰ τοῦτο γεγεννῆσθαι ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κακίας ἑρπετὰ καὶ ἰοβόλα. Ἑρ πετὰ μὲν, τῷ ἀποβαλεῖν τὸ ὕψος, ἐφ' οὗ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην κατασκευὴν βεβηκότες ἐτύγχανον· ἰοβόλα δὲ, διὰ τὸ φθαρ τικὸν τῶν συνόντων. Τούτους ἐξαποστέλλειν ὁ λόγος φησί. Μετὰ οὖν τοὺς προτέρους Μωαβίτας, περὶ ὧν τὰ κρείττονα εἴρηται, εἴ τις ἐν τῇ γῇ καταλείπεται καὶ ὁμοιοῦται τῷ ὄφει, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται, ὅτι Γῆν φαγῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας σου, οὗτος ἐξαποστέλλεται ὡς τὰ ἑρπετά. Γῆν δὲ ἐσθίει ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα, καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίζων φθοράν.

16.t ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ιςʹ.

16.302 Μὴ πέτρα ἔρημός ἐστι τὸ ὄρος θυγατρὸς Σιών; Ἔσῃ γὰρ ὡς πετεινοῦ ἀνιπταμένου νεοσσὸς ἀφῃρημένος· ἔσῃ, θύγατερ Μωάβ. Ἔπειτα δὲ, Ἀρνῶν, πλείονα βουλεύου. Ποιεῖτε σκέπην πένθους αὐτῇ διὰ παντός. Ἐν μεσημβρινῇ σκοτίᾳ φεύξονται· ἐξέστησαν. Μὴ ἀχθῇς· παροικήσουσί σοι οἱ φυγάδες Μωάβ. Ἔσονται σκέπη ὑμῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου διώκοντος, ὅτι ἤρθη ἡ συμμαχία σου, καὶ ὁ ἄρχων ἀπώλετο, ὁ καταπατῶν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. Καὶ διορθωθήσεται μετὰ ἐλέους θρόνος, καὶ καθιεῖται μετ' αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν σκηνῇ ∆αβὶδ, κρίνων καὶ ἐκζητῶν κρίμα, καὶ σπεύδων δικαιοσύνην. Ἔτι πρὸς τὴν Μωὰβ ὁ λόγος ἐστί. Μὴ πέτρα ἔρημός ἐστι τὸ ὄρος θυγατρὸς Σιών; Ἐλέγχει αὐτῆς τὴν κατα φρόνησιν, ἣν κατεφρόνει τῆς Σιὼν, πέτραν ὑπολαμβάνουσα εἶναι ἔρημον τὸ ὄρος, ὡς οὔτε μέγεθος ἔχον ἀξιόλογον, οὔτε τὰ ἐκ γεωργίας καλὰ δυνάμενον ὑποδέξασθαι, ὡς μήτε τοὺς οἰκοῦντας τρέφειν, μήτε τοὺς νεμομένους αὐτό. Ἡ γὰρ ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ ὄρους ὑπολαβοῦσα καὶ ἐξευτελίσασα αὐτὸ, ὑπερφυσηθεῖσα δὲ τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ, καὶ ἑαυτὴν μετεω ρίσασα τῷ φρυάγματι καὶ τῷ τύφῳ, ἔσῃ ὁμοία νεοσσῷ ἐγ καταλελειμμένῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ θάλποντος αὐτὸν πετεινοῦ, ἐπει δὰν ἀναπτῇ τῆς καλιᾶς πτοηθὲν, καὶ ἔρημον καταλεῖπον τὸ ἐκτρεφόμενον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ οἴχεται φεῦγον, τὸ δὲ εὐάλωτόν ἐστι τῷ βουλομένῳ. Ἀετὸς μὲν γὰρ, ἢ εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν με γάλων πτηνῶν, τῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ ὑψοῦσθαι ἀπὸ γῆς πεφυκότων, ἔξω ἐστὶ τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἐπιχειρούντων βλάβης· σὺ δὲ ἔσῃ ὡς νεοσσὸς, ἀλλοτρίας βοηθείας εἰς τροφὴν ἐπιδεόμενος, ἄρτι μὲν τοῦ ὠοῦ προκύψας, οὐδὲ βαθεῖ τῷ πτερῷ κατημ φιεσμένος τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἔτι τῆς ἑτέρωθεν δεόμενος σκέπης πρὸς τὸ ἐν νυκτὶ συνθάλπεσθαι καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν μὴ κατα φρύγεσθαι. Τῆς οὖν μητρὸς φυγαδευθείσης, ἀναιρεθήσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς καλιᾶς, ἀδρανὴς μὲν ὢν πρὸς ἄμυναν, ἀδύνατος δὲ πρὸς φυγήν. Ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ ἔσται ὁ καὶ σὲ τῆς καλιᾶς κα θαιρῶν, καὶ τὴν σκεπάζουσαν μητέρα ἀποδιώξας. ∆ῆλον οὖν, ὅτι αἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ ἀστάτου πνεύματος ἐκτρεφόμεναι ψυχαὶ (ἐπειδὰν ἐπιτύχωσί τινος γενναίως δι' ἔρ γων ἀγαθῶν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐπικλήσεως τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποδιώκοντος αὐτὰς) ἐρημωθεῖσαι τὴν καλὴν ἐρή μωσιν, εὐληπτότεραί εἰσι πρὸς τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀνατροφὴν, τὴν ἄγουσαν εἰς τελείωσιν. Ἔσῃ, θύγατερ Μωὰβ, ἐλεγχθείσης τῆς περὶ σὲ ἀσθενείας, τὸ καταλειπόμενον. Τί ἔσῃ, θύγατερ Μωάβ; Ὅπερ ἦς, τοῦτο φανερωθήσεται. Ἐπελάθου γὰρτῆς δυσγενείας ἑαυτῆς, ὅτι πατρὸς ἐγένου ἀπὸ γάμων κλο πιμαίων