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to will something good. Since, therefore, he also decreed desolation for Judea because of the lawlessness of its inhabitants; and he brought upon Adam after the sin the punishment of the earth's curse. "For thorns, he said, and thistles[, it will bring forth for you;] the prophetic word has shown the casting away of painful things through good pleasure, [and the renewal of all nature.] 80.1548 "You have turned back the captivity of Jacob. [3] You have forgiven the iniquities of your people, you have covered all their sins." You loosed the painful bonds of slavery, and bestowed freedom on the captives, having willed to overlook their transgressions; but that the whole nature of men was also captive, and received freedom from our Savior God, he himself is a witness, crying out through Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me, he has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind." For having read this prophecy in the Synagogue, the Master said to the Jews: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. 4. You have restrained all your anger; you have turned from your fierce wrath." You have ended the indignation against us, and have shown your good will. 5 "Restore us, O God of our salvation; and turn your anger away from us." Both these and those seem to have received the good news of freedom, but not yet to have obtained it; for which reason indeed they implore to obtain this loving-kindness completely. 6. "Will you be angry with us forever, or will you prolong your anger from generation to generation?" It is fitting also for those who have been delivered from calamities to use these words, and not to be confident in the remission of sins, but to be afraid and to propitiate the judge. These, therefore, supplicate that the same anger not be prolonged so as to last for another generation, but be quickly loosed. 7 "O God, you, turning back, will give us life, and your people will rejoice in you." We know your loving-kindness, O Master, and we are confident that you will provide both the return and life; and we, having enjoyed these things, will offer the hymn to you with gladness. 8. "Show us, O Lord, your mercy; and grant us your salvation." When Cyrus, king of the Persians, had reigned and given the authority for the return according to the prophecy of Isaiah, they hasten to reach the land that bore them. For this reason, indeed, they supplicate God to provide them a swift salvation through loving-kindness. Most swiftly, he says, O Master, show us your goodness, that we may obtain salvation, and the 80.1549 deliverance from here. Thus the Prophet, having offered the supplication as if from them, receives God's answer, and says: 9. "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me; for he will speak peace to his people; and to his holy ones; and to those who turn their heart to him." He has heard, he says, the supplication, the loving Master, and has brought forth the decree of peace, and has granted it to those who have used repentance, and who have trained their reasoning to incline toward God. For the turning of the heart to God is deliverance from stumbling, and the beginning of righteousness. [And this has been said from the person of the blessed apostles, and also of those believing in the Savior through them. And he says: I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me, for he will speak peace to his people, which he bestowed through the apostles on the nurslings of grace. For he says this through the following words: and to his holy ones and to those who turn their heart to him. And when did he bestow it? When he who is everywhere and inseparable from the Father was taken up from the Mount of Olives, from whence he had also descended. "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." For this is the beginning of righteousness.] With these things the following also agree. 10. "Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him; that glory may dwell in our land." For salvation draws near to those who fear God, and those enjoy it who the

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ἀγαθόν τι θελῆσαι. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν καὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίας διὰ τὴν τῶν οἰκητόρων παρανο μίαν ἐρημίαν κατεψηφίσατο· καὶ τῷ Ἀδὰμ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τιμωρίαν ἐπήγαγε τῆς γῆς ἀράν. "Ἀκάνθας γὰρ, ἔφη, καὶ τριβόλουσ[, ἀνατελεῖ σοι·] τὴν τῶν λυπηρῶν ἀποβολὴν διὰ τῆς εὐδο κίας ὁ προφητικὸς παρεδήλωσε λόγος, [καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἁπάσης τὴν ἀνανέωσιν.] 80.1548 "Ἀπέστρεψας τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Ἰακώβ. [γʹ] Ἀφῆκας τὰς ἀνομίας τῷ λαῷ σου, ἐκάλυψας πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν." Ἔλυσας τὰ λυπηρὰ τῆς δουλείας δεσμὰ, καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐδωρήσω τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις, τὰ πεπλημμελημένα παριδεῖν ἐθε λήσας· ὅτι δὲ καὶ πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις αἰχμάλωτος ἦν, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐδέξατο, μάρτυς αὐτὸς διὰ Ἡσαΐου βοῶν· "Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, οὗ ἕνεκεν ἔχρισέ με, εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέ με, ἰάσα σθαι τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν, κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν, καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν." Ταύ την γὰρ ἐν τῇ Συναγωγῇ τὴν προφητείαν ἀναγνοὺς ὁ ∆εσπότης ἔφη πρὸς Ἰουδαίους· "Σήμερον ἡ γρα φὴ αὕτη ἐπληρώθη ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν. δʹ. Κατέπαυσας πᾶσαν τὴν ὀργήν σου· ἀπ έστρεψας ἀπὸ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ σου." Ἔλυσας τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἀγανάκτησιν, καὶ τὴν εὐμένειαν ἔδειξας. εʹ "Ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς, ὁ Θεὸς, τῶν σωτηρίων ἡμῶν· καὶ ἀπόστρεψον τὸν θυμόν σου ἀφ' ἡμῶν." Ἐοίκασι καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι τὰ μὲν εὐαγγέλια τῆς ἐλευθερίας δεδέχθαι, μηδέπω δὲ ταύτης τετυχηκέναι· οὗ δὴ χάριν ἀντιβολοῦσι τελείως τυχεῖν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. ʹ. "Μὴ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ὀργισθῇς ἡμῖν, ἢ δια τενεῖς τὴν ὀργήν σου ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν." Πρέ πει καὶ τοῖς ἀπαλλαγεῖσι τῶν συμφορῶν τούτοις κεχρῆσθαι τοῖς ῥήμασι, καὶ μὴ θαῤῥεῖν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφέσει, ἀλλὰ δεδιέναι καὶ τὸν κριτὴν ἐκμειλίσσεσθαι. Ἱκετεύουσι τοίνυν καὶ οὗτοι, μὴ ἐπιταθῆναι τὴν αὐτὴν ὀργὴν ὥστε εἰς ἑτέραν γενεὰν διαρκέσαι, ἀλλὰ λυθῆναι ταχέως. ζʹ "Ὁ Θεὸς, σὺ ἐπιστρέψας ζωώσεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὁ λαός σου εὐφρανθήσεται ἐπὶ σοί." Ἴσμεν σου, ∆έσποτα, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, καὶ πεποίθαμεν, ὅτι σὺ καὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον παρέξεις, καὶ τὴν ζωήν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τούτων ἀπολαύσαντες, μετ' εὐφροσύνης σοι τὸν ὕμ νον προσοίσομεν. ηʹ. "∆εῖξον ἡμῖν, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου· καὶ τὸ σωτή ριόν σου δῴης ἡμῖν." Κύρου τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλεύ σαντος κατὰ τὴν Ἡσαΐου προφητείαν δεδωκότος τῆς ἐπανόδου τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἐπείγονται τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν καταλαβεῖν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύουσι, τα χεῖαν αὐτοῖς διὰ φιλανθρωπίας παρασχεῖν σωτηρίαν. Τάχιστα, φησὶν δὲ, ὦ ∆έσποτα, τὴν σὴν ἡμῖν ἀγα θότητα δεῖξον, καὶ τύχωμεν τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ τῆς 80.1549 ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγῆς. Οὕτω τὴν ἱκετείαν ὁ Προ φήτης ὡς ἐξ ἐκείνων προσενεγκὼν, δέχεται τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, καὶ φησί· θʹ. "Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεός· ὅτι λαλήσει εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὑτοῦ· καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέ φοντας καρδίαν ἐπ' αὐτόν." Ἤκουσε, φησὶ, τῆς ἱκετείας ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης, καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκε, καὶ δεδώρηται ταύτην τοῖς μεταμελείᾳ χρησαμένοις, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν νεύειν τὸν λογισμὸν ἐκπαιδεύσασιν. Ἡ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τῆς καρδίας ἐπιστροφὴ, τοῦ πταίειν ἀπαλλαγὴ, καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀρχή. [Εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ἐκ προσ ώπου τοῦτο μὲν τῶν μακαρίων ἀποστόλων, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τῶν πιστευόντων δι' αὐτῶν τῷ Σωτῆρι. Καὶ φησίν· Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι λαλήσει εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ἣν διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐχαρίσατο τοῖς τροφίμοις τῆς χάριτος. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς· καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας τὴν καρδίαν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Καὶ πότε ταύτην ἐδωρήσατο; Ὅτε ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν ἐλαιῶν ὁ ἁπανταχοῦ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀχώριστος ἀνελαμβάνετο, ὅθεν καὶ καταβάς. "Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν." Αὕτη γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡ ἀρχή.] Τούτοις καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα συμφωνεῖ. ιʹ. "Πλὴν ἐγγὺς τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν τὸ σω τήριον αὐτοῦ· τοῦ κατασκηνῶσαι δόξαν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἡμῶν." Πελάζει γὰρ τοῖς τὸν Θεὸν φοβουμένοις ἡ σωτηρία, καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαύουσιν οἱ τοὺς