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of the good things that had been provided, and the ungrateful disposition of those who received them. "Pay attention, my people, to my law." I exhort you to listen carefully to what is being said; for I offer you the present exhortation as a kind of law. "Incline your ear to the words of my mouth." Listen eagerly to the things spoken by me. 2. "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter problems from the beginning." For since he was making an accusation against the fathers for the benefit of the children, he called such a narrative a parable, as being enigmatic and offering a hidden benefit. And he added that he also offers ancient problems. And teaching from where he learned these things, he added: 3. "As many things as we have heard and known them." Then he indicated their teachers. "And our fathers have declared them to us. [4.] It was not hidden from their children to another generation, declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders that he has done." From above, he says, and from the beginning, the eyewitnesses of the wonders taught these things to their own children, and they in turn passed this teaching on to their descendants 80.1485. This, he says, they did, obeying the divine law. For he added this: 5. "And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and set a law in Israel." He calls the tent pitched in the desert a testimony, as having the tablets of the testimony. For the law, as we have already said, he also calls commandments, and testimonies, and judgments, and justifications; and this has been said to us more clearly in the 18th psalm. "As many things as he commanded our fathers, to make them known to their sons." This, he says, he commanded through that legislation, so that the fathers might pass on the narrative of the wonders to their descendants, as a kind of inheritance. 6. "That another generation might know, the children who will be born and shall arise, and shall declare them to their children." For so they, having learned these things from their fathers, in turn offered the same teaching to their own children, and the memory of these things was kept unforgotten; and what is the fruit of the teaching? 7. "That they might place their hope in God; and not forget his works, and seek out his commandments." For learning the power of God, and how it is easy for him to do all good things, they will acquire a firm hope in him; and they will follow the laws set by him. 8. "That they might not become like their fathers, a crooked and provoking generation." For learning the ungrateful disposition of their fathers, and how by the transgression of the law they often moved God to wrath, they will guard against imitating them. "A generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God." For they did not acquire a firm faith in God, not being willing to walk the straight path, but having a disposition opposed to the divine ordinances. 9. "The sons of Ephraim, bending and shooting with bows, turned back in the day of battle." He especially accuses the tribe of Ephraim, as having made much of the worship of idols; for the history of the Judges teaches us this, and the third book of Kings. For they themselves set up the calves; and they caused the nine tribes to fall away from the worship according to the law; and so they became agents of the apostasy. The grace of the Spirit, foreseeing this especially, accuses them of the sin that had not yet occurred; offering them fitting counsel; knowing indeed that they would not accept the exhortation, but nevertheless offering the appropriate benefit. And having taught of their strength, and their skill in archery 80.1488, it also rebukes their cowardice. For they turned back in the day of battle; for though they prided themselves greatly on their military experience, when war appeared, they turned to flight. 10. "They did not keep the covenant of God, and were not willing to walk in his law." He well showed the willfulness of their disposition. For they were not willing, he says, to live according to the law, nor to embrace the lawful

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παρασχεθέντων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τῶν ταῦτα δεξαμένων τὴν ἀχάριστον γνώμην. "Προσέχετε, λαός μου, τὸν νόμον μου." Ἐπιμελῶς ὑμᾶς ἀκοῦσαι τῶν λεγομένων παρεγγυῶ· οἷον γάρ τινα νόμον ὑμῖν τὴν προκειμένην προσφέρω παραίνεσιν. "Κλίνατε τὸ οὖς ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου." Προθύμως τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ λεγο μένων ἀκούσατε. βʹ. "Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου· φθέγ ξομαι προβλήματα ἀπ' ἀρχῆς." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν τῶν πατέρων ἐποιεῖτο κατηγορίαν εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῶν παίδων, παραβολὴν ἐκάλεσε τὴν τοιαύτην δι ήγησιν, αἰνιγματώδη οὖσαν, καὶ κεκρυμμένην τὴν ὠφέλειαν προσφέρουσαν. Προστέθεικε δὲ, ὅτι καὶ ἀρχαῖα προσφέρει προβλήματα. Καὶ διδάσκων πόθεν ταῦτα μεμάθηκεν, ἐπήγαγεν· γʹ. "Ὅσα ἠκούσαμεν καὶ ἔγνωμεν αὐτά." Εἶτα τοὺς τούτων διδασκάλους ὑπέδειξε. "Καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν. [δʹ.] Οὐκ ἐκρύβη ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν, ἀπαγγέλλοντες τὰς αἰνέσεις τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ τὰς δυναστείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ ἃ ἐποί ησε." Ἄνωθεν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἱ τῶν θαυμά των αὐτόπται τοὺς οἰκείους ταῦτα ἐδίδαξαν παῖδας, κἀκεῖνοι πάλιν τοῖς ἐκγόνοις τήνδε τὴν διδασκαλίαν 80.1485 παρέπεμψαν. Τοῦτο δὲ, φησὶν, ἐποίουν τῷ θείῳ πειθόμενοι νόμῳ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγε· εʹ. "Καὶ ἀνέστησε μαρτύριον ἐν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ νό μον ἔθετο ἐν Ἰσραήλ." Μαρτύριον καλεῖ τὴν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ παγεῖσαν σκηνὴν, ὡς ἔχουσαν τὰς πλάκας τοῦ μαρτυρίου. Τὸν γὰρ νόμον, ὡς ἤδη προειρήκαμεν, καὶ ἐντολὰς καλεῖ, καὶ μαρτύρια, καὶ κρίματα, καὶ δικαιώματα· καὶ τοῦτο σαφέστερον ἡμῖν εἴρηται ἐν τῷ ιηʹ ψαλμῷ. "Ὅσα ἐνετείλατο τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν, τοῦ γνωρίσαι αὐτὰ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν." Τοῦτο, φησὶ, διὰ τῆς νομοθεσίας ἐκείνης παρεκελεύσατο, ὥστε καθάπερ τινὰ κλῆρον, τὴν τῶν θαυμάτων δι ήγησιν παραπέμψαι τοὺς πατέρας εἰς τοὺς ἐκ γόνους. ʹ. "Ὅπως ἂν γνῷ γενεὰ ἑτέρα, υἱοὶ οἱ τεχθησό μενοι καὶ ἀναστήσονται, καὶ ἀπαγγελοῦσιν αὐτὰ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὑτῶν." Οὕτω γὰρ οὗτοι παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ταῦτα μεμαθηκότες, πάλιν τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν τὴν αὐτὴν διδασκαλίαν προσέφερον, καὶ ἄληστος ἡ τούτων διεφυλάττετο μνήμη· καὶ τίς ὁ τῆς διδασκαλίας καρπός; ζʹ. "Ἵνα θῶνται ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα αὑτῶν· καὶ μὴ ἐπιλάθωνται τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἐν τολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐκζητήσωσι." Μανθάνοντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ ὅπως αὐτῷ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιεῖν ἅπαντα ῥᾴδιον, βεβαίαν κτήσονται τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδα· καὶ τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τεθεῖσιν ἀκολουθήσουσι νόμοις. ηʹ. "Ἵνα μὴ γένωνται ὡς οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν, γενεὰ σκολιὰ καὶ παραπικραίνουσα." Μανθάνοντες γὰρ τῶν πατέρων τὴν ἀχάριστον γνώμην, καὶ ὅπως τῇ παραβάσει τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν πολλάκις ἐκίνησαν εἰς ὀργὴν, τὴν ἐκείνων φυλάξονται μίμησιν. "Γενεὰ ἥτις οὐ κατεύθυνε τὴν καρδίαν αὑτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστώθη μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς." Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ βεβαίαν τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν οὐκ ἐκτήσαντο πίστιν, τὴν εὐθεῖαν οὐκ ἐθελήσαντες πορείαν ὁδεῦσαι, ἀλλὰ γνώμην ἐσχηκότες τοῖς θείοις ἐναντιουμένην θε σμοῖς. θʹ. "Υἱοὶ Ἐφραῒμ ἐντείνοντες καὶ βάλλοντες τόξοις, ἐστράφησαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου." Τῆς τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ φυλῆς διαφερόντως κατηγορεῖ, ὡς περὶ πολ λοῦ ποιησαμένης τῶν εἰδώλων τὴν θεραπείαν· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ τῶν Κριτῶν ἡμᾶς ἱστορία διδάσκει, καὶ ἡ τρίτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἔστησαν τὰς δα μάλεις· καὶ τῆς κατὰ νόμον λατρείας ἀπέστησαν τὰς ἐννέα φυλάς· καὶ οὕτω τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἐγένοντο πρόξενοι. Τοῦτο μάλιστα προορῶσα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις, τῆς μηδέπω γεγενημένης ἁμαρτίας κατ ηγορεῖ· τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν αὐτοῖς προσφέρουσα συμ βουλήν· εἰδυῖα μὲν, ὡς οὐ δέξονται τὴν παραίνεσιν, τὴν προσήκουσαν δὲ ὅμως ὠφέλειαν προσφέρουσα. ∆ιδάξασα δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν ῥώμην, καὶ τὴν τοξικὴν ἐπι 80.1488 στήμην, ἐλέγχει καὶ τὴν δειλίαν. Ἐστράφησαν γὰρ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου· μεγάλα γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ πολεμικῇ ἐμπειρίᾳ φρονοῦντες, πολέμου φανέντος ἐτρέποντο εἰς φυγήν. ιʹ. "Οὐκ ἐφύλαξαν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν πορεύεσθαι." Καλῶς ἐνέφηνε τὸ τῆς γνώμης αὐθαίρετον. Οὐκ ἐβου λήθησαν γὰρ, φησὶ, κατὰ νόμον βιῶναι, οὐδὲ τὴν ἔν νομον ἀσπάσασθαι