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of the beloved and elect child,” I mean of my Christ, concerning whom very many things have been said before, I will establish the words and also of his angels, I mean of the apostles and disciples and evangelists, I will cause the counsel to be verified. I, therefore, who am about to do these things, from this point on foretell and promise that I will cause Jerusalem to be renewed after the first destruction which will be by the Babylonians, so that the cities of Judea may be inhabited and the desolate places in them may again be established “as from the beginning.” But I will also make desolate the multitude of wickedness, called an abyss, and I will dry up the rivers of the multitude of cities, so that Babylon may no longer stand, nor her rivers, which have been very powerful in their multitude, endure. And I will do all these things using as a servant a man of the Persian race, who is the first to reign. And if it is necessary to prophesy his name by name, Cyrus is the name given by oracle, whom I will set forth as a servant of my words, having gifted him with pious understanding, so that he may do all things that are pleasing to me and command that Jerusalem be built and the temple in it be founded, or according to Symmachus: who says to Cyrus, "My shepherd, and he will fulfill all my will," and says to Jerusalem, "Let it be built," and "The temple will be founded." For when I have acted and willed these things, Cyrus the king of the Persians will accomplish them by deeds, for which reason I have also called him anointed, as having been brought forth by me to the kingdom. For among the Hebrews, all the kings who are brought forth by God were called anointed. And having found the aforementioned “man” to be a good servant “of my counsel,” from this point on I promise to hold his right hand so that he may not be turned aside nor be overcome by anyone stronger. And I subject to him very many things that are ruled among the other nations; and through him I will break the strength of every dynasty among the other nations. And having made all things smooth and level before his feet, I will deliver to him the gates of cities and whole cities themselves as subject to him, so that no city may oppose him. Let Cyrus himself, having been deemed worthy of the foreknowledge of these things, also hear the things said to him. Know then, O you, that I will go before you and level mountains and shatter bronze gates and the du..... and things insoluble to others as if locked with iron bars, and the treasures stored within them, hidden and unseen by former kings, I will lay open to you, so that you may know by the deeds themselves who I am, I who so many years before engraved your name in my prophetic writings as if on eternal pillars. And I am the God of Israel, whom it is fitting that you also not ignore, O Cyrus; for I will grant you all the things foretold not for any other reason, but for the sake of my “people,” whom I “chose for myself out of all the nations” because of the honor toward their fathers. Indeed, having already called you by name and proclaimed you anointed, I have accepted you as my own, even though you have not known me, but are devoted to “other gods,” whom you have received from your fathers, and not knowing that there is no other besides me. But even if you did not know this before, now at least learn, from the things I will accomplish, through which all who inhabit the entire world will know that there is no other god besides me. For they will learn this from the deeds themselves; for when it was necessary to bring grievous things upon my people for their conversion and discipline, I gave them over to their enemies as if delivering them to darkness and wrath on account of their sins. But when it is fitting to receive them back, having at last converted and been helped, it would be consequent for a light of peace and of all good things to rise upon them; for from me both the light is supplied and all things of peace, but by my judgment also the

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παιδὸς τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ καὶ ἐκλεκτοῦ», λέγω δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μου, περὶ οὗ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν πλεῖστα ὅσα εἴρηται, συστήσω τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων δὲ αὐτοῦ, λέγω δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ μαθητῶν καὶ εὐαγγελιστῶν, τὴν βουλὴν ἐπαληθεῦσαι ποιήσω. ἐγὼ δὲ τοίνυν ὁ ταῦτα μέλλων ποιεῖν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη προλέγω καὶ ἐπαγγέλλομαι, ὅτι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ μετὰ τὴν πρώτην καθαίρεσιν τὴν ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων γενησομένην ἀνακαινισθῆναι ποιήσω, ὡς καὶ τὰς τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεις κατοικηθῆναι καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς ἔρημα πάλιν «ὡς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς» συστῆναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πολυπλήθειαν τῆς κακίας ἄβυσσον ὀνομαζομένην ἔρημον καταστήσω καὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς τῆς πολυπληθείας τῶν πόλεων ἀποξηρανῶ, ὡς μηκέτι τὴν Βαβυλῶνα συστῆναι μήτε τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῆς τοὺς πολλὰ δεδυνημένους ἐν πλήθει ὑποστῆναι. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ποιήσω διακόνῳ χρησάμενος ἀνδρὶ τοῦ Περσῶν γένους βασιλεύοντι πρώτῳ. εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ ἐπ' ὀνόματος προφητεῦσαι τούτου τὴν προσηγορίαν, Κῦρος ὄνομα θεσπιζομένῳ, ὃν προστήσομαι τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ὑπηρέτην φρόνησιν αὐτῷ δωρησάμενος εὐσεβῆ, ὡς πάντα τὰ καταθύμιά μοι ποιῆσαι καὶ προστάξαι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομηθῆναι καὶ τὸν νεὼν τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ θεμελιωθῆναι, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ὁ λέγων Κύρῳ Ποιμήν μου καί Πᾶν τὸ θέλημά μου πληρώσει, καὶ λέγων τῇ Ἰερουσαλήμ Οἰκοδομηθήτω, καὶ ὁ ναὸς θεμελιωθήσεται. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐμοῦ πράξαντος καὶ βουληθέντος ἔργοις ἐπιτελέσει Κῦρος ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεύς, διὸ καὶ χριστὸν αὐτὸν ὠνόμασα ὡς ὑπ' ἐμοῦ προαχθέντα εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν. χριστοὶ γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις πάντες οἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προαγόμενοι βασιλεῖς ἐχρημάτιζον. ἀγαθὸν δὲ ὑπηρέτην «τῆς ἐμῆς βουλῆς» εὑρὼν τὸν δηλωθέντα «ἄνδρα»· ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἐπαγγέλλομαι κρατήσειν αὐτοῦ τῆς δεξιᾶς πρὸς τὸ μὴ παρατρέπεσθαι μηδὲ νικᾶσθαι ὑπό τινος κρείττονος. ὑποτάσσω δὲ αὐτῷ πλεῖστα ὅσα ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι βασιλεύονται· δι' αὐτοῦ δὲ τὴν ἰσχὺν διαρρήξω πάσης τῆς ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι δυναστείας. πάντα δὲ λεῖα καὶ ὁμαλὰ καταστήσας πρὸ τῶν αὐτοῦ ποδῶν, θύρας πόλεων καὶ αὐτὰς ὅλας τὰς πόλεις ὑποχειρίους αὐτῷ παραδώσω ὡς μηδεμίαν ἐναντίαν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι. Ἀκουσάτω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κῦρος τῆς τούτων προγνώσεως κατηξιωμένος τὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν λεγόμενα. ἴσθι τοίνυν, ὦ οὗτος, ὡς ἐγὼ ἔμπροσθέν σου πορεύσομαι καὶ ὄρη ὁμαλιῶ καὶ θύρας χαλκᾶς συντρίψω καὶ τὰ δυ ..... καὶ ἑτέροις ἄλυτα ὡς ἂν μοχλοῖς σιδηροῖς ἀποκεκλεισμένα, τούς τε εἴσω τούτων τεταμιευμένους θησαυροὺς ἀφανεῖς καὶ ἀοράτους τοῖς προτέροις βασιλεῦσι γενομένους ἀναπετάσω σοι, ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς ἔργοις γνῷς, ὅστις ποτέ εἰμι ὁ πρὸ τοσούτων ἐτῶν τὴν σὴν προσηγορίαν ταῖς προφητικαῖς γραφαῖς μου ὥσπερ ἐν στήλαις αἰωνίοις ἐγχαράξας. εἰμὶ δὲ ὁ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ, ὃν προσήκει καὶ σὲ μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, ὦ Κῦρε· πάντα γὰρ τὰ προλεχθέντα χαριοῦμαί σοι οὐ διά τι ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐμοῦ «λαοῦ», ὃν ἐμαυτῷ «ἐξελεξάμην ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν» διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν τιμήν. ἤδη γοῦν ἐπ' ὀνόματός σε καλέσας καὶ χριστὸν ἀναγορεύσας προσεδεξάμην σε ὡς ἐμαυτοῦ οἰκεῖον καίπερ μὴ ἐγνωκότα με, ἀλλ' «ἑτέροις θεοῖς», οὓς ἐκ πατέρων παρείληφας, προσανακείμενον καὶ μὴ εἰδότα, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερος πλὴν ἐμοῦ. πλὴν ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πρότερον μὴ τοῦτ' ἠπίστασο, νῦν γοῦν μάθε, ἀφ' ὧν διαπράξομαι, δι' ὧν πάντες οἱ τὴν σύμπασαν οἰκουμένην οἰκοῦντες γνώσονται, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν ἐμοῦ θεὸς ἕτερος. ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ τοῦτο μαθήσονται τῶν ἔργων· ὅτε γὰρ λυπηρὰ μὲν ἐχρῆν ἐπαγαγεῖν τῷ ἐμῷ λαῷ ἐπὶ ἐπιστροφῇ καὶ παιδείᾳ, τοῖς πολεμίοις αὐτὸν ἐξέδωκα ὥσπερ σκότῳ καὶ ὀργῇ παραδοὺς αὐτὸν τῶν ἀσεβημάτων αὐτοῦ χάριν. ὅτε δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπιστρέψαντα καὶ ὠφελημένον προσήκει ἀναλαβεῖν, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη φῶς εἰρήνης καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνατελεῖν ἐπ' αὐτόν· ἐξ ἐμοῦ γὰρ καὶ τὸ φῶς χορηγεῖται καὶ τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης πάντα, κρίσει δὲ τῇ ἐμῇ καὶ τὰ