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being puffed up with wealth, I considered, Is the possession of righteousness then without profit? "And I washed my hands in innocency." Therefore I have gained, he says, by being far from those who live together in wickedness; for, "I washed my hands in innocency," is instead of, I kept myself innocent, and have not had fellowship with the evil. 14. "And I have been scourged all the day long, and my chastisement was in the mornings." Having been concerned for righteousness, and having fled the fellowship of wickedness, I am both tormented and insulted every day. 15. "If I said; I will declare thus, behold you have broken faith with the generation of your sons." Leaving aside other thoughts, he says, I considered this within myself; Has God then dissolved the covenants toward us? For "you have broken faith" is instead of, or have you transgressed the established covenants? But they call themselves sons, as God named them this; "Israel is my firstborn son." And, "I have begotten and exalted sons." 16, 17. "And I took it to know this; it is a trouble in my sight. Until I go into the sanctuary of God; and understand their end." But leaving those thoughts, he says, I considered that God has allotted me to toils and hardships, exacting penalties for sins committed; yet I will return, and I will see his sanctified temple, and I will behold the evil end of these men. Then he is taught this beforehand through divine grace. 80.1449 18-20. "But for their crafty dealings you have appointed evils for them; you cast them down when they were lifted up. How are they brought to desolation? They have suddenly failed; they are consumed for their iniquity. As the dream of one who awakens." All these things happened to the Babylonians at the time of Cyrus; for he enslaved and subjugated them, but to the Jews he granted their return. And he rightly compared their prosperity to a dream; for the stage of this present life differs in no way from a dream. And this is easy to see from the Babylonians themselves. For those who shortly before were boasting, and puffed up, as having mastered the whole world, suddenly cast off their power, and fell into the most extreme slavery. "O Lord, in your city you will despise their image." The image has a temporary bloom. Therefore he compares the dynasty of the Babylonians to an image, having sufficed for a short time; but this, he says, you will despise, exacting penalties for the impiety against your city. 21. "For my heart was inflamed." These things, he says, I considered, being set on fire by their lawlessness; for he took up the opening, "For I was envious of the lawless," and what he there called envy, he here calls an inflammation of the heart. "And my reins were changed." Reins, as I have often said, he calls thoughts. Having pious thoughts, he says, I was almost turned aside on account of their arrogance. 22. "And I was despised, and did not know." Symmachus has said this more clearly: But I was ignorant, and did not know. I suffered this passion out of ignorance, not knowing your judgments. "I became like a beast before you. [23] And I am always with you." But I will no longer suffer this, nor will I endure to seek or meddle with the things that are ordered by your wisdom; but like a beast, I will follow your commands. For thus I will not be separated from your providence. For just as the beast follows the one who leads it, not 80.1452 meddling with where it may be led, so being governed by your grace, I too will follow, not being meddlesome of your providence. "You have held my right hand. [24] And you have guided me with your counsel, and received me with glory." From here he speaks of the things concerning the return, that just as a gentle father, finding a wandering child, taking him by the right hand, brings him back to the house; so you have brought me back to the fatherland, having freed me from slavery, and having granted me an easy passage through the nations, you have made me renowned and glorious. 25. "For what have I in heaven, and what have I desired from you upon the earth?" But Aquila, more clearly: Who is for me in heaven? and with

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πλούτῳ βρενθυομένους, ἐνεθυμούμην, Μὴ ἀκερδὴς ἄρα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡ κτῆσις; "Καὶ ἐνιψάμην ἐν ἀθώοις τὰς χεῖράς μου." Τοιγαροῦν ἐκέρδανα, φησὶ, πόῤῥω τῶν πονηρίᾳ συζώντων γενόμενος· τὸ γὰρ, "Ἐνιψάμην ἐν ἀθώοις," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀθῶον ἐμαυτὸν ἐφύλαξα, καὶ οὐ κεκοινώνηκα τοῖς κακοῖς. ιδʹ. "Καὶ ἐγενόμην μεμαστιγωμένος ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ ὁ ἔλεγχός μου εἰς τὰς πρωΐας." Ἐπι μεληθεὶς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τῆς κακίας τὴν κοινωνίαν φυγὼν, καὶ αἰκίζομαι, καὶ παροινοῦμαι καθ' ἑκά στην ἡμέραν. ιεʹ. "Εἰ ἔλεγον· ∆ιηγήσομαι οὕτως, ἰδοὺ τῇ γενεᾷ τῶν υἱῶν σου ἠσυνθέτηκας." Τοὺς ἄλλους, φησὶ, καταλιπὼν λογισμοὺς, τοῦτο παρ' ἐμαυτῷ ἐνεθυμού μην· Μὴ ἄρα τὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς συνθήκας διέλυσεν ὁ Θεός; τὸ γὰρ ἠσυνθέτηκας, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἢ παρέβης τὰς συγκειμένας συνθήκας; Υἱοὺς δὲ καλοῦσιν ἑαυτοὺς, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ὀνομάσαντος· "Υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ." Καὶ, "Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα." ιʹ, ιζʹ. "Καὶ ὑπέλαβον τοῦ γνῶναι· τοῦτο κόπος ἐστὶν ἐνώπιόν μου. Ἕως οὗ εἰσέλθω εἰς τὸ ἁγια στήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ συνῶ εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα αὐτῶν." Ἀλλ' ἐκείνους, φησὶ, καταλιπὼν τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἐσκόπουν, ὅτι κόποις με καὶ ταλαιπω ρίαις συνεκλήρωσεν ὁ Θεὸς, δίκας τῶν πεπλημμελημέ νων εἰσπραττόμενος· ἐπανήξω δὲ ὅμως, καὶ τὸν ἡγιασμένον αὐτοῦ νεὼν ὄψομαι, καὶ τὸ κακὸν τού των θεωρήσω τέλος. Εἶτα διὰ τῆς θείας τοῦτο προδιδάσκεται χάριτος. 80.1449 ιηʹ-κʹ. "Πλὴν διὰ τὰς δολιότητας αὐτῶν ἔθου αὐτοῖς κακά· κατέβαλες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ἐπαρθῆναι. Πῶς ἐγένοντο εἰς ἐρήμωσιν; ἐξάπινα ἐξέλιπον· ἀπώλοντο διὰ τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτῶν. Ὡσεὶ ἐνύπνιον ἐξεγειρομένων." Ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τοῦ Κύρου Βαβυλωνίοις συνέβη· ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ ἐξανδραπο δίσας κατεδουλώσατο, Ἰουδαίοις δὲ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐδωρήσατο. Εἰκότως δὲ αὐτῶν ὀνείρῳ τὴν εὐημερίαν ἀπείκασεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐνυπνίου διενήνοχεν ἡ τοῦ παρόντος βίου σκηνή. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ αὐ τῶν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ῥᾴδιον κατιδεῖν. Οἱ γὰρ πρὸ βραχέος ἀλαζονευόμενοι, καὶ βρενθυόμενοι, ὡς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης κεκρατηκότες, τὴν μὲν δυνα στείαν ἐξαίφνης ἀπέβαλον, εἰς ἐσχάτην δὲ δουλείαν μετέπεσον. "Κύριε, ἐν τῇ πόλει σου τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτῶν ἐξουδενώσεις." Ἡ εἰκὼν πρόσκαιρον ἔχει τὸ ἄνθος. Εἰκόνι τοίνυν ἀπεικάζει τῶν Βαβυλω νίων τὴν δυναστείαν, εἰς ὀλίγον ἀρκέσασαν χρό νον· ταύτην δὲ, φησὶ, σὺ ἐξουδενώσεις, τῆς εἰς τὴν σὴν πόλιν δυσσεβείας εἰσπραττόμενος δίκας. καʹ. "Ὅτι ἐξεκαύθη ἡ καρδία μου." Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἐλογιζόμην, ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων παρανομίας πυρποληθείς· ἀνέλαβε γὰρ τὸ προοίμιον, Ὅτι ἐζή λωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις, καὶ ὅπερ ἐκεῖ ζῆλον ἐκά λεσε, τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα καρδίας ἔκκαυσιν. "Καὶ οἱ νεφροί μου ἠλλοιώθησαν." Νεφροὺς, ὡς πολλάκις ἔφην, τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὀνομάζει. Εὐσεβεῖς, φησὶν, ἔχων τοὺς λογισμοὺς, μικροῦ δεῖν ἐξετράπην διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀλαζονείαν. κβʹ. "Κἀγὼ ἐξουδενωμένος, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων." Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκεν· Ἤμην δὲ ἀνεπιστήμων, καὶ μὴ εἰδώς. Τοῦτο τὸ πάθος ἔπαθον ἐξ ἀγνοίας, οὐκ εἰδώς σου τὰ κρίματα. "Κτηνώδης ἐγενήθην παρὰ σοί. [κγʹ] Κἀγὼ διὰ παντὸς μετὰ σοῦ." Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔτι τοῦτο πείσο μαι, οὐδὲ ζητῆσαί τι ἢ περιεργάσασθαι τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς σοφίας οἰκονομουμένων ἀνέξομαι· ἀλλὰ κτήνει παραπλησίως, τοῖς σοῖς ἕψομαι νεύμασιν. Οὕτω γὰρ τῆς σῆς προνοίας οὐ χωρισθήσομαι. Καθ άπερ γὰρ τὸ κτῆνος ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ ἄγοντι, μὴ πε 80.1452 ριεργαζόμενον ᾗπερ ἂν ἄγηται, οὕτως ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς κυβερνώμενος χάριτος, ἀκολουθήσω κἀγὼ, μὴ πολυπραγμονῶν σου τὴν πρόνοιαν. "Ἐκράτησας τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς μου. [κδʹ] Καὶ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ σου ὡδήγησάς με, καὶ μετὰ δόξης προσελάβου με." Ἐντεῦθεν τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον λέγει, ὅτι καθάπερ πατὴρ ἤπιος παῖδα πεπλανη μένον εὑρὼν, τῆς τούτου λαβόμενος δεξιᾶς, εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπανάγει· οὕτω με εἰς τὴν πατρῴαν ἐπαν ήγαγες γῆν, τῆς μὲν δουλείας ἐλευθερώσας, ῥᾳδίαν δέ μοι τὴν διὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν διάβασιν χαρισάμενος, εὐ κλεᾶ τε καὶ ἔνδοξον ἀπέφηνας. κεʹ. "Τί γάρ μοι ὑπάρχει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ παρὰ σοῦ τί ἠθέλησα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;" Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, σαφέστερον· Τίς μοι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ; καὶ μετὰ