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that such great providence comes about not according to the worthiness of those who receive it, but according to the goodness of the one who acts, and at the same time wishing to suppress their pride, he spoke thus, all but saying this: These achievements are of Your mercy, of Your glory, of Your goodness. Wherefore he also added: According to your name, O God, so also is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your praise, he says, accomplishes achievements so great and wonderful, so lofty and glorious. For you did not show your care according to the measure of those who were benefited, nor according to their worth, but according to your own greatness. Praise, therefore, that is, the acclamation from the works, made the achievements renowned. For it was happening in Palestine, but on account of its magnitude and importance it reached the very ends of the inhabited world, and those who were far away learned everything. Indeed, what happened in Egypt, the harlot of Jericho knew more accurately than those who were present. Again, what happened in Palestine, even those inhabiting the land of the Persians proclaimed; what happened in Persia itself, again, those at the ends of the earth knew. For this very reason the king sent letters throughout the entire inhabited world, proclaiming what happened in the furnace. For this reason, after saying, And your praise to the ends of the earth, he added: Your right hand is full of righteousness. What he is constantly accustomed to do, to ascend from what happens to men to the qualities inherent in his nature, this he also does in the present case; not that we should think of them as coming into being and passing away, far from it; but since human speech and tongue are weak, it is necessary to add some God-befitting conception to the word. He says these are the qualities inherent in the nature of God, those consubstantial with him. And what are these? Your right hand, he says, is full of righteousness. For he shows that what was happening was not a matter of the worthiness of those who were benefited, but of his own substance, since his very substance rejoices in righteousness, is gladdened by loving-kindness. This is his work, this is his custom, and for this reason they enjoyed such great beneficence. For just as it is for fire to heat, and for the sun to give light, so indeed it is for him to do good, yet not so, but even much more. Wherefore he also spoke thus, Your right hand is full of righteousness, indicating what is abundant, what is consubstantial with him. Let mount Zion be glad, and let the daughters of Judaea rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord. Another says, Because of your judgments. 55.221 Go round about Zion, and encompass her. Another, and go around. Tell of it in her towers. Another, Count her towers. Another, Praise. Set your hearts on her power. Another, On her rampart. Another, Her abundance. And divide her citadels. Another, Measure her palaces. That you may tell it to another generation. Another, To a later generation. For this is our God for ever and ever. He will shepherd us for ever. Why ever does he command these things, to go around the city, to count the towers, to pay attention to the buildings, to consider its beauty, to count its ramparts and walls, to measure its houses and palaces? It does not need our interpretation; the word itself makes itself clear. For having said these things, he immediately added the reason. What reason is this? That you may tell it, he says, to another generation. And what he says is this: Be filled with pleasure, rejoice, leap for joy. But not simply, nor as it happens, but learn her strength with precision. For since it had become a ruin, since it was torn up by the roots, and its very ground was almost destroyed, and they despaired of its change for the better, so as to say, Our bones have become dry, we are cut off, we are undone, and they did not expect to receive it back; but they did receive it back, and not such as they had lost it,

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ὅτι ἡ τοσαύτη πρόνοια οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τῶν ἀπολαβόντων, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ ποιοῦντος γίνεται, καὶ ἅμα θέλων τὸν τῦφον αὐτῶν καταστεῖλαι, οὕτως εἶπε, μονονουχὶ τοῦτο λέγων· Σοῦ τοῦ ἐλέους ἐστὶ ταῦτα τὰ κατορθώματα, τῆς δόξης τῆς σῆς, τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης τῆς σῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Κατὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὁ Θεὸς, οὕτω καὶ ἡ αἴνεσίς σου ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. Ἡ αἴνεσίς σου, φησὶ, κατορθώματα οὕτω μεγάλα ποιεῖ καὶ θαυμαστὰ, οὕτως ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἔνδοξα. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῶν εὐεργετουμένων τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἐπεδείκνυσο, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος τὸ σόν. Ἡ αἴνεσις τοίνυν, τουτέστιν, ἡ εὐφημία ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων, τὰ κατορθώματα ἐποίησεν ἐξάκουστα. Ἐγίνετο μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ Παλαιστίνῃ, διὰ δὲ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸν ὄγκον αὐτὰς τῆς οἰκουμένης κατελάμβανε τὰς ἐσχατιὰς, καὶ οἱ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντες πάντα ἐμάνθανον. Τά γ' οὖν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γενόμενα, ἡ Ἰεριχουντία πόρνη τῶν παρόντων ἀκριβέστερον ᾔδει. Πάλιν τὰ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ συμβάντα καὶ οἱ τὴν τῶν Περσῶν χώραν οἰκοῦντες ἀνεκήρυττον· τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ Περσίδι πάλιν οἱ πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς ὄντες ἐγίνωσκον. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διὰ γραμμάτων ἔπεμπε πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἀνακηρύττων τὰ ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος εἰπὼν, Καὶ ἡ αἴνεσίς σου ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς, ἐπήγαγε· ∆ικαιοσύνης πλήρης ἡ δεξιά σου. Ὅπερ μὲν ἔθος αὐτῷ ποιεῖν συνεχῶς, ἀπὸ τῶν εἰς ἀνθρώπους γινομένων ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὰ προσόντα αὐτοῦ τῇ φύσει, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ποιεῖ· οὐχ ἵνα ἐπιγινόμενα καὶ ἀπογινόμενα νοήσωμεν, μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀσθενεῖ ὁ λόγος καὶ ἡ γλῶττα ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη, δεῖ θεοπρεπῆ τινα ἔννοιαν προστιθέναι τῷ λόγῳ. Τὰ προσόντα οὖν τῇ φύσει τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα λέγει, τὰ συνουσιωμένα αὐτῷ. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι; ∆ικαιοσύνης πλήρης, φησὶν, ἡ δεξιά σου. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ, ὅτι οὐ τῆς ἀξίας ἦν τῶν εὐεργετουμένων τὰ γινόμενα, ἀλλὰ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὴ αὐτοῦ ἡ οὐσία δικαιοσύνῃ χαίρει, φιλανθρωπίᾳ εὐφραίνεται. Τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο ἔθος αὐτῷ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοσαύτης ἀπήλαυον εὐεργεσίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ πυρὸς τὸ θερμαίνειν, καὶ ἡλίου τὸ φωτίζειν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ εὐεργετεῖν, οὐχ οὕτω δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως εἶπε, ∆ικαιοσύνης πλήρης ἡ δεξιά σου, τὸ δαψιλὲς, τὸ συνουσιωμένον αὐτῷ δηλῶν. Εὐφρανθήτω ὄρος Σιὼν, καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν αἱ θυγατέρες τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἕνεκεν τῶν κριμάτων σου, Κύριε. Ἄλλος φησὶ, ∆ιὰ κρίσεις σου. 55.221 Κυκλώσατε Σιὼν, καὶ περιλάβετε αὐτήν. Ἄλλος, καὶ περιέλθετε. ∆ιηγήσασθε ἐν τοῖς πύργοις αὐτῆς. Ἕτερος, Ἀριθμήσατε τοὺς πύργους αὐτῆς. Ἄλλος,Ἐπαινέσατε. Θέσθε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς. Ἕτερος, Εἰς τὸν περίβολον. Ἕτερος, Τὴν εὐπορίαν. Καὶ καταδιέλεσθε τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς. Ἕτερος, ∆ιαμετρήσατε τὰ βασίλεια αὐτῆς. Ὅπως ἂν διηγήσησθε εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν. Ἄλλος, Γενεᾷ μεταγενεστέρᾳ. Ὅτι οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Αὐτὸς ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Τί δήποτε ταῦτα παρακελεύεται, περιιέναι τὴν πόλιν, ἀριθμεῖν τοὺς πύργους, προσέχειν ταῖς οἰκοδομαῖς, τὴν εὐπρέπειαν αὐτῆς ἀναλογίζεσθαι, τοὺς περιβόλους αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τείχη ψηφίζειν, τὰς οἰκίας καὶ τὰ βασίλεια μετρεῖν, οὐ χρεία τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν ἑρμηνείας· αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ λόγος σαφηνίζει. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ταῦτα, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν εὐθέως προσέθηκε. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Ὅπως ἂν διηγήσησθε, φησὶν, εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐμπλήσθητε ἡδονῆς, χάρητε, σκιρτήσατε. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἁπλῶς, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας καταμάθετε αὐτῆς τὴν ἰσχύν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐρείπιον γέγονεν, ἐπειδὴ πρόῤῥιζος ἀνεσπάσθη, καὶ τὸ ἔδαφος αὐτῆς σχεδὸν ἀπώλετο, καὶ ἀπέγνωσαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον αὐτῆς μεταβολὴν, ὡς λέγειν, Ξηρὰ γέγονε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν, διαπεφωνήκαμεν, παρανηλώμεθα, καὶ οὐ προσεδόκων αὐτὴν ἀπολήψεσθαι· ἀπέλαβον δὲ αὐτὴν, καὶ οὐ τοιαύτην, οἵαν ἀπέβαλον,