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as because He oversees and by divine reason discerns the affairs of men, assigning to each a divided life; as to those who are hungry because of a lack of food He often gives strength and natural bodily vigor, but for those who are not hungry, but are surrounded by wealth, there are cares and sorrows, which punish their luxury. According to the same principle, indeed, He makes the young and the youths, whom it befits to act like men, weak, encompassing them with certain sufferings and diseases, and He has caused countless others who are vigorous in their youth to be extinguished from life more quickly. But neither did He extend life to a deep old age for those driven to the extremes of poverty, so that they could not even procure their daily food, and again, He suddenly caused others who boasted in wealth and glory to vanish from among men. Conversely to these, those who endure for God in times of persecution, being weak and pitiable in the present life, were deemed worthy of a divine change, so as not only to obtain rest and freedom, but also to grow wings like eagles, so as to fly up and be exalted and travel through the air and finally to make their journey to the heavens. For such is the nature of eagles, being heaven-soaring, and alone able to bear the rays of the sun's light; very similarly to these, then, are also those who have endured for God and because of fear of Him have been afflicted during their mortal life, becoming homeless and hearthless and hopeless, as far as men are concerned, in times of persecution. After, at any rate, the surpassing afflictions, being deemed worthy of God's visitation, they passed their life in peace, having grown wings like eagles and been lifted up on high. And if it has also happened that those who have struggled and conquered for piety's sake have been perfected by martyrdom, much more would the promise that says befit them: but they that wait for God shall renew their strength; having, at any rate, changed their mortal life and passed over into an angelic life and having set out on the heavenly journey, they shall grow wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be hungry, or they shall not faint, according to the other interpreters. If, therefore, He will provide such rewards to those who wait for Him, but to His opponents He gives their recompense in part during the present life, but most fully at the time of judgment, how do you who are called “Jacob” and “Israel,” who have been instructed in the divine oracles, dare to say among yourselves that “your way is hidden from God” “and your judgment is taken away” “and has departed.” You then, O Jacob, think such things, but the Savior of all, not considering the salvation of men of secondary importance, has spoken fitting things to you, and addresses appropriate things to the other nations, summoning all to hasten to the knowledge of Him. Wherefore he says: Be renewed to me, you islands, for the rulers shall renew their strength. Instead of which Symmachus says: serve before me, you islands, and let the nations renew their strength, but according to Aquila and Theodotion it is said, be silent before me. He exhorts the islands, then, to be deaf and to be silent, so that they might become hearers of the divine discourse, and of the saving proclamation. And he continually calls the churches from all the nations "islands" because they are surrounded as if by the sea, by the salt-bitter wickedness of this life. Then, having said above: “but they that wait for God shall renew their strength,” here he says: for the rulers shall renew their strength, or according to Symmachus: and let the nations renew their strength; For what He promised above “to those who wait for” Him, this very thing He commands the islands and the nations, saying: and let the nations renew their strength, so that they might change their way of life and make the change from worse things to better things. Then next: let them draw near, he says, and let them speak together, and it is clear that he means the nations should draw near to me, he says, to God, and speak my words together and in the same way, being in my church, that is. and whom it is fitting

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ὡς διὰ τὸ ἐφορᾶν αὐτὸν καὶ λόγῳ θείῳ διακρίνειν τὰ κατὰ ἀνθρώπους πράγματα, ἰδιάζειν ἑκάστῳ μεμερισμένον τὸν βίον· ὡς τοῖς μὲν δι' ἔνδειαν τροφῆς πεινῶσιν ἰσχὺν παρέχειν πολλάκις καὶ ῥώμην σώματος φυσικήν, τοῖς δὲ μὴ πεινῶσι, πλούτῳ δὲ περιρρεομένοις φροντίδας ὑπάρχειν καὶ λύπας, τὰς τὴν τρυφὴν αὐτῶν κολαζούσας. Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ λόγον νέους μὲν καὶ νεανίσκους, οὓς εἰς τὸ ἀνδρίζεσθαι προσήκει, ἀσθενεῖς ἀπεργάζεται, πάθεσί τισι καὶ νοσήμασι περιβάλλων, μυρίους δὲ νεότητι σφριγῶντας θᾶττον ἀποσβῆναι παρεσκεύασε τοῦ βίου. ἀλλ' οὐδ' εἰς βαθὺ γῆρας παρέτεινε καίπερ εἰς ἔσχατα πενίας ἐληλακότας ὡς μηδὲ τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς εὐπορεῖν καὶ αὖ πάλιν ἑτέρους πλούτῳ καὶ δόξῃ μεγαλαυχωμένους ἀθρόως ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνισεν. ἀνάπαλιν δὲ τούτοις οἱ ἐν διωγμῶν καιροῖς τὸν θεὸν ὑπομένοντες ἀσθενεῖς ὄντες καὶ οἰκτροὶ κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν μεταβολῆς θείας ἠξιώθησαν ὡς μὴ μόνον ἀνέσεως καὶ ἐλευθερίας τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκην ἀετῶν πτεροφυῆσαι, ὥστε ἀναπτῆναι καὶ ὑψωθῆναι καὶ μετεωροπορῆσαι καὶ τέλος τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς πορείαν στείλασθαι. τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ ἀετῶν φύσις οὐρανοπετὴς οὖσα, μόνη τε ἂν τῷ πεῖν οἷά τε φωτὸς ἡλίου· μαρμαρυγαῖς τούτοις οὖν παραπλησίως καὶ οἱ τὸν θεὸν ὑπομείναντες καὶ διὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ φόβον κατὰ τὸν θνητὸν βίον κακωθέντες ἄοικοί τε καὶ ἀνέστιοι καὶ ἀνελπίδες ὅσον ἐπ' ἀνθρώποις ἐν καιροῖς διωγμῶν γενόμενοι. μετὰ γοῦν τὰς ὑπερβαλλούσας θλίψεις ἐπισκοπῆς θεοῦ καταξιωθέντες ἐν εἰρήνῃ διετέλεσαν τὸν βίον ἀετῶν δίκην πτεροφυήσαντες καὶ εἰς ὕψος ἀρθέντες. εἰ δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίῳ τελειωθῆναι συμβέβηκε τοὺς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἠγωνισμένους καὶ νενικηκότας, πολὺ μᾶλλον τούτοις ἁρμόσειεν ἡ φήσασα ἐπαγγελία· οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν θεὸν ἀλλάξουσιν ἰσχύν· μεταβαλόντες γοῦν τὸν θνητὸν βίον καὶ εἰς ἀγγελικὴν ζωὴν μεταστάντες στειλάμενοί τε τὴν οὐράνιον πορείαν πτεροφυήσουσιν ὡς ἀετοί, δραμοῦνται καὶ οὐ κοπιάσουσι, βαδιοῦνται καὶ οὐ πεινάσουσιν, ἢ οὐκ ἐκλυθήσονται κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς. εἰ τοίνυν τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτὸν τοιαύτας ἀμοιβὰς παρέξει, τοῖς δ' ἐναντίοις τὰ ἐπίχειρα ἐκ μέρους μὲν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀποδίδωσι, πληρέστατα δὲ κατὰ τὸν τῆς κρίσεως καιρόν, πῶς ὑμεῖς οἱ καλούμενοι «Ἰακὼβ» καὶ «Ἰσραήλ», οἱ τοῖς θείοις μεμαθητευμένοι λογίοις, τολμᾶτε παρ' ἑαυτοῖς λέγειν, ὡς ἄρα «ἀπεκρύβη ἡ ὁδός σου ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ» «καὶ ἡ κρίσις σου ἀφῃρέθη» «καὶ ἀπέστη». Σὺ μὲν οὖν, ὦ Ἰακώβ, τοιαῦτα διανοῇ, ὁ δέ γε τῶν ὅλων σωτὴρ οὐκ ἐν δευτέρῳ τιθέμενος τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν σοὶ μὲν τὰ πρέποντα διείλεκται, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ κατάλληλα προσφωνεῖ σπεύδειν ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν τοὺς πάντας προκαλούμενος. διό φησι· Ἐγκαινίζεσθε πρός με, νῆσοι, οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες ἀλλάξουσιν ἰσχύν. ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Σύμμαχος· δουλεύσατέ φησιν ἐπ' ἐμοῦ, νῆσοι, καὶ ἔθνη ἀλλαξάτωσαν ἰσχύν, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν καὶ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα κωφεύσατε πρός με εἴρηται. παρακελεύεται δῆτα ταῖς νήσοις κωφεύειν καὶ σιγᾶν, ὡς ἂν ἐπήκοοι γένοιντο θεϊκῆς ὁμιλίας, σωτηρίου τε κηρύγματος. νήσους δὲ ὀνομάζει συνεχῶς τὰς ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας διὰ τὸ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ θαλάττης περιρρέεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἁλμυρᾶς τοῦ βίου κακίας. εἶτ' ἀνωτέρω εἰπών· «οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν θεὸν ἀλλάξουσιν ἰσχύν», ἐνταῦθά φησιν· οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες ἀλλάξουσιν ἰσχύν, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· καὶ ἔθνη ἀλλαξάτωσαν ἰσχύν· ὃ γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο ἀνωτέρω «τοῖς» αὐτὸν «ὑπομένουσι», τοῦτο αὐτὸ ταῖς νήσοις καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι προστάττει λέγων· καὶ ἔθνη ἀλλαξάτωσαν ἰσχύν, ὡς ἂν μεταβάλοιεν τὸν ἑαυτῶν τρόπον καὶ ἀλλαγὴν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα ποιήσοιντο. εἶθ' ἑξῆς· ἐγγισάτωσάν φησι καὶ λαλησάτωσαν ἅμα, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὰ ἔθνη πρὸς μέ φησι, τὸν θεὸν ἐγγισάτωσαν καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ ῥήματα λαλησάτωσαν ὁμοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ γενόμενα ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ δηλαδὴ ἐκκλησίᾳ. καὶ τίνα προσήκει