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you butted with your horns, and thrust out the weak." Therefore also their shepherds are accused by him, Thus says the Lord, saying: "O shepherds of Israel, do the shepherds feed themselves? Do not the shepherds feed the sheep? Behold, you eat the milk. And you clothe yourselves with the wool." And you slaughter the fatling; and you do not feed my sheep. Since, therefore, the sheep were in disorder, and the shepherds were ravaging them, he threatens the shepherds with removal, saying: "And I will turn you away from shepherding my sheep." And he adds: "Behold, I myself will seek out my sheep." ......................... 2344 .......... prophet. From great glory and in the might of strength nothing has escaped you. For it is said elsewhere: "The drops of rain are numbered by him." κλαʹ. 9For do not say, Jacob, and why have you spoken, Israel? My way is hidden from God, and my God has taken away my judgment, and has departed, and now have you not known? If you have not heard, the eternal God, the God who has prepared the ends of the earth, will not hunger, nor will he grow weary, nor is there any searching of his understanding9, etc. Symmachus: Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel? And the rest agree. But after the theology that was delivered, he rebukes those from the former people who do not think that God oversees their own actions. You think, he says, that by being hidden you are not subject to the judgment of God, although you just now heard it said to God, In the might of strength nothing has escaped you. But if you neither knew nor heard before, learn now; that is, if you say you do not know, unless you should hear; agreeing with your pretense, I will speak. That is, you will say that you did not know. Therefore, if you have not heard, know that the eternal God holds together not only heaven, but also the whole earth. And how will you be able to escape his notice? And instead of, he will not grow weary, he was not exhausted, say the others. In addition to not being weak, nor having anything human, he also has incomprehensible knowledge, through which his providence passes even to particular things, sometimes making the poor to be in good condition, but punishing the luxury of those in wealth with grief and worldly cares. And he also inflicts on those in their prime the weakness that comes from illnesses; but on the contrary, those who have endured for God in testimonies or persecutions, being weak in the present life, are deemed worthy of so great a change, as to fly up freely towards heaven. For the eagle is high-flying, and looks straight at the rays of the sun, and puts off its natural old age according to the saying: "Your youth will be renewed like the eagle's." "For endurance produces character; and character, hope; and hope does not put to shame." Therefore they will also change their strength, having changed their mortal life, and having passed over into an angelic life. For through the eagles, he likens them to the heavenly powers, which he has compared to winged creatures. For this reason, then, the fins of those in the waters are also clean. Thus, then, even in the present life there is a partial judgment, and a universal one in the future, even if you have not thought this, Israel. Therefore I address these things to you, but to the other nations things that are suitable. CHAP. 41. αζʹ. 9Be renewed to me, O islands. For the rulers shall change their strength. Let them draw near, and let them speak together, then let them declare judgment. Who has raised up righteousness from the east, called 2345 her to follow his feet, and she proceeds? He will give them up before nations, and will make kings stand aside. And he will make their swords as dust, and their bows as driven stubble, and he will pursue them9, etc. Be renewed to me, O islands, instead of which Symmachus says, Serve me, O islands, but Aquila and Theodotion, Be silent before me. For he commanded them to be silent, that they might become hearers of divine discourse and saving preaching, calling the Churches from the nations islands, which the salty evil of life surrounds, and the waves of those who rise up against them. But they are safe, as though treading upon a rock, which is Christ. Therefore they are not shaken. And having said above that those who wait for the Lord will change their strength, here he says, Let the rulers, that is, the nations, change their strength, according to Symmachus (commanding this to the islands and nations which is for those who wait for the Lord), that they might change their strength from worse to better

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ἐκερατίζετε, καὶ τὸ ἠσθενηκὸς ἐξεθλίβετε." ∆ιὸ καὶ οἱ ποιμένες αὐτῶν διαβάλλονται παρ' αὐτῷ, Τὰ δὲ λέγει Κύριος, λέγοντι· "Ὦ ποιμένες Ἰσραὴλ,μὴ βόσκουσιν οἱ ποιμένες ἑαυτούς; οὐ τὰ πρόβατα βόσκουσιν οἱ ποιμένες; Ἰδοὺ τὸ γάλα κατεσθίετε. Καὶ τὰ ἔρια περιβάλλεσθε." Καὶ τὸ παχὺ σφάζετε· καὶ τὰ πρόβατά μου οὐ βόσκετε. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἠτάκτει τὰ πρόβατα, οἱ δὲ ποιμένες ἐλυμαίνοντο αὐτὰ, τοῖς ποιμέσι μετάστασιν ἀπειλεῖ, λέγων· "Καὶ ἀποστρέψω ὑμᾶς τοῦ μὴ ποιμαίνειν τὰ πρόβατά μου." Καὶ ἐπιλέγει· "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἐκζητήσω τὰ πρόβατά μου." ......................... 2344 .......... προφήτης. Ἀπὸ πολλῆς δόξης καὶ ἐν κράτει ἰσχύος οὐδέν σε ἔλαθεν. Εἴρηται γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ· "Ἀριθμηταί εἰσιν αὐτῷ σταγόνες ὑετοῦ." κλαʹ. 9Μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς, Ἰακὼβ, καὶ τί ἐλάλησας, Ἰσραήλ; ἀπεκρύβη ἡ ὁδός μου ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου τὴν κρίσιν ἀφεῖλε, καὶ ἀπέστη, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἔγνως; Εἰ μὴ ἤκουσας, Θεὸς αἰώνιος, Θεὸς ὁ κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς, οὐ πεινάσει, οὐδὲ κοπιάσει, οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐξέρευσις τῆς φρονήσεως αὐτοῦ9, κ.τ.λ. Ὁ Σύμμαχος· ∆ιὰ τί λέγεις, Ἰακὼβ, καὶ λαλεῖς, Ἰσραήλ; καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ συμφώνως. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν θεολογίαν, ἐπιτιμᾷ τοῖς μὴ νομίζουσι τὰς ἑαυτῶν πράξεις ἐφορᾷν τὸν Θεὸν, ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ. Νομίζεις, φησὶ, λανθάνων μὴ ὑποκεῖσθαι κρίσει Θεοῦ, καίτοι ἀρτίως ἤκουες πρὸς Θεὸν εἰρημένον, Ἐν κράτει ἰσχύος οὐδέν σε ἔλαθεν. Πλὴν εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον μήτε ἔγνως, μήτε ἤκουσας, μάθε νῦν· ἤγουν, εἰ δὲ φὴς μὴ γινώσκειν, εἰ μὴ ἀκούσειας· τῇ σῇ προσποιήσει συντρέχων ἐρῶ. Ἤγουν, ἐρεῖς ὡς οὐκ ἔγνως. Οὐκοῦν, εἰ μὴ ἤκουσας, ἴσθι ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, οὐ μόνον οὐρανὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν συνέχει τὴν γῆν. Καὶ πῶς δυνήσῃ τοῦτον λαθεῖν; Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, οὐ κοπιάσει, οὐκ ἐξελύθη, φασὶν οἱ λοιποί. Πρὸς τῷ δὲ μὴ ἀσθενεῖν, μηδέ τι ἔχειν ἀνθρώπινον καὶ ἀκατάληπτον ἔχει τὴν γνῶσιν, δι' ἧς μέχρι καὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἡ τούτου διέρχεται πρόνοια, εὐεκτεῖν μὲν ἔσθ' ὅτε ποιοῦσα τοὺς πένητας, τὴν δὲ τρυφὴν τῶν ἐν πλούτῳ κολάζουσα λύπῃ καὶ φροντίσι βιωτικαῖς. Ἐπιβάλλει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἀκμῇ τὴν ἐξ ἀῤῥωστημάτων ἀσθένειαν· ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων οἱ Θεὸν ἐν μαρτυρίαις ἢ διωγμοῖς ὑπομείναντες, κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀσθενοῦντες ζωὴν, τοσαύτης ἀξιοῦνται μεταβολῆς, ὡς ἐλευθέρους προσαναπτῆναι πρὸς οὐρανόν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐστὶ, καὶ ἀντωπεῖ ταῖς τοῦ ἡλίου μαρμαρυγαῖς, γῆράς τε τὸ φυσικὸν ἀποδύεται κατὰ τό· "Ἀνακαινισθήσεται ὡς ἀετοῦ ἡ νεότης σου." "Κατεργάζεται γὰρ ἡ μὲν ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν· ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει." ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀλλάξουσι τὸν θνητὸν βίον μεταβαλόντες, καὶ εἰς ἀγγελικὴν μεταστάντες ζωήν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀετῶν, ταῖς οὐρανίοις αὐτοὺς ἀπεικάζει δυνάμεσιν, ἃς πτερωτοῖς ἀφωμοίωσεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἄρα καὶ τῶν ἐν ὕδασι καθαρὰ τὰ πτερύγια. Οὕτως ἄρα κἀν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ μερικὴ κρίσις ἐστὶ, καὶ καθολικὴ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι, κἂν μὴ τοῦτο σὺ νενόμικας, Ἰσραήλ. ∆ιὸ σοὶ μὲν ταῦτα, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι κατάλληλα προσφωνῶ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΑʹ. αζʹ. 9Ἐγκαινίζεσθε πρός με, νῆσοι. Οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες ἀλλάξουσιν ἰσχύν. Ἐγγισάτωσαν, καὶ λαλησάτωσαν ἅμα, τότε κρίσιν ἀναγγειλάτωσαν. Τίς ἐξήγειρεν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν δικαιοσύνην, ἐκάλε 2345 σεν αὐτὴν κατὰ πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ πορεύεται; ∆ώσει ἐναντίον ἐθνῶν, καὶ βασιλεῖς ἐκστήσει. Καὶ δώσει εἰς γῆν τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν, καὶ ὡς φρύγανα ἐξωσμένα τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν, καὶ διώξεται αὐτοὺσ9, κ.τ.λ. Ἐγκαινίζεσθε πρός με, νῆσοι, ἀνθ' οὗ Σύμμαχος μὲν, ∆ουλεύσατε, φησὶν, ἐπ' ἐμοῦ, νῆσοι, Ἀκύλας δὲ καὶ Θεοδοτίων, Κωφεύσατε πρός με. Σιγᾷν γὰρ αὐταῖς ἐκέλευσεν, ὡς ἂν ἐπήκοοι γένοιντο θείας ὁμιλίας καὶ σωτηρίου κηρύγματος, νήσους λέγων τὰς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας ᾗ ἁλμυρὰ τοῦ βίου περιέχει κακία, καὶ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων τὰ κύματα. Ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ἀσφαλεῖς, ὡς ἐπὶ πέτραν βαίνουσαι, τὸν Χριστόν. ∆ιὸ οὐ σαλεύονται. Ἄνω δὲ τοὺς ὑπομένοντας Κύριον τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀλλάξειν εἰπὼν, ἐνταῦθα λέγει, Ἄρχοντες, ἤγουν ἔθνη, ἀλλαξάτωσαν ἰσχὺν, κατὰ Σύμμαχον (ὅπερ τοῖς ὑπομένουσι Κύριον τοῦτο νήσοις ἐπιτάττων καὶ ἔθνεσιν), ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον τὴν ἀπὸ χείρονος ἰσχὺν