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is brought on by wrath. Wherefore learn this decree from me: that I myself am both the creator of light and the bestower of peace, and likewise also of darkness and of things considered grievous; which things are considered evil by the many, of which I might be called the maker, bringing by a just judgment what is appropriate to the deserving. Therefore, I am one God, and there is no other besides me who does all these things, even if they seem to be contrary, though they are not contrary in nature. Since even the things considered evils brought on by me could contribute greatly to the benefit and salvation of those who are disciplined by them. Having proclaimed these things as good news, as it were, and having prophesied the return of the people from the enemy's land which occurred in the time of Cyrus, the word again cries out to the heavenly powers, saying: Let the heaven rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness. For just as there was a time "when I commanded the clouds not to rain" on the vineyard "a downpour," so now at the opportune time I command "my clouds," being rational, not to sprinkle perceptible water, but righteousness itself from on high upon those who inhabit the earth. And let the earth, which long ago became desolate because of the sins of the people, being renewed, bring forth fruits of godliness, working mercy and righteousness; and by 'earth' I mean those who will inhabit the earth. And all these things will be, he says, since I, the Lord who created you, have commanded these things to come to pass; for just as "from that which is not" I brought you into being and led you into light who previously did not exist, so by my creative power I will also bring all the aforementioned things to completion, renewing you and, as it were, creating you from the beginning. Through all these things, the prophetic word happens to be making exhortations to the people for the turning away from the polytheistic error, and at the same time providing knowledge of future things to those who read it. And it is likely that from the present scripture Cyrus took courage and became more eager to do the things that had been declared, having learned what God had said beforehand concerning him; for with such a book being preserved among the Jews in Babylon, it was not at all surprising that the prophecy was also revealed to King Cyrus, once he was moved by God's prompting to show them acts of kindness. And Josephus bears witness to this account in his *Histories*, writing in this manner, word for word: King Cyrus says: "Since the most high God has appointed me king of the inhabited world, I am persuaded that this is he whom the nation of the Israelites worships. For he foretold my name through the prophets, and that I would build the temple in Jerusalem in the land of Judea." And Cyrus knew these things by reading the book which Isaiah had left behind of his own prophecy two hundred and ten years before. And these things are said in the eleventh book of the *Antiquities*. 2.28 Instead of: 'What better thing have I fashioned' and the following things spoken obscurely by the Seventy, Symmachus has given a clearer meaning, speaking thus: Woe to him who contradicts the one who formed him, a potsherd with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who formed it, 'What are you doing?' and to your work, 'They have no hands'? And according to Aquila, it is said in this way: Ah, one who judges with his maker, a piece of pottery with the craftsmen of the earth! Shall the clay say to its maker, 'What will you do?' and concerning your work of which, 'He has no hands'? And according to Theodotion, it is as follows: Woe to him who is judged with the one who forms him, plowing those who plow the earth! Shall the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' and your work, 'You have no hands'? And it seems to me that through these things the word rebukes those who, after so many benefactions which he listed concerning the return from captivity and concerning the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, do not run to God nor confess him to be the only God over all, who disciplines, whenever he wishes, his own people, but takes them up again

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τῆς ὀργῆς ἐπάγεται. διόπερ δόγμα παρ' ἐμοῦ τοῦτο μάνθανε· ὡς ἄρα ἐγὼ αὐτὸς καὶ φωτός εἰμι δημιουργὸς καὶ εἰρήνης χορηγός, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ σκότους καὶ τῶν νομιζομένων λυπηρῶν· ἅπερ κακὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶναι νενόμισται, ὧν ποιητὴς ἂν λεχθείην κρίσει δικαίᾳ τὰ κατάλληλα τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐπάγων. εἷς τοίνυν ἐγὼ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν ἐμοῦ ἕτερος ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα πάντα, κἂν ἐναντία εἶναι δοκῇ, οὐκ ὄντα τῇ φύσει εἶναι ἐναντία. ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα ὑπ' ἐμοῦ ἐπάγεσθαι κακὰ τὰ μέγιστα συμβάλοιτ' ἂν πρὸς ὠφέλειαν καὶ σωτηρίαν τῶν δι' αὐτῶν σωφρονιζομένων. Ταῦθ' ὥσπερ εὐαγγελισάμενος ὁ λόγος καὶ προθεσπίσας τὴν ἐπάνοδον τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πολεμίας τὴν κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Κύρου γενομένην αὖθις ταῖς οὐρανίαις δυνάμεσιν ἐπιφωνεῖ λέγων· εὐφρανθήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἄνωθεν, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν καιρός ποτε, «ὅτε ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐνετειλάμην τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι» εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα «ὑετόν», οὕτω νῦν κατὰ καιρὸν «ταῖς ἐμαῖς νεφέλαις» λογικαῖς οὔσαις προστάσσω μὴ αἰσθητὸν ὕδωρ, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν δικαιοσύνην ἄνωθεν ἐξ ὕψους ἐπιρραίνειν τοῖς τὴν γῆν οἰκοῦσι. καὶ ἡ γῆ δὲ ἡ πάλαι διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ γενομένη ἔρημος ἀνανεωθεῖσα βλαστησάτω καρποὺς θεοσεβείας ἔλεος καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐργαζομένη, γῆν δὲ καλῶ τοὺς οἰκήσοντας τὴν γῆν. καὶ ταῦτ' ἔσται φησὶν πάντα, ἐπείπερ ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ κτίσας σε ταῦτα γενέσθαι παρεκελευσάμην· ὡς γὰρ «ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος» ὑπέστησά σε καὶ παρήγαγον εἰς φῶς μὴ πρότερον ὄντα, οὕτω τῇ δυνάμει τῇ ποιητικῇ καὶ τὰ προλεχθέντα πάντα ἐπὶ πέρας ἄξω ἀνανεῶν σε καὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς κτίζων σε. διὰ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων ὁ προφητικὸς τυγχάνει λόγος προτρεπτικὰς ποιῶν τῷ λαῷ παρακλήσεις εἰς ἀποστροφὴν τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν τῶν μελλόντων πρόγνωσιν εἰδέναι παρέχων τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. εἰκὸς δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρούσης γραφῆς θάρσος ἀναλαβεῖν τὸν Κῦρον καὶ προθυμότερον γενέσθαι εἰς τὸ πρᾶξαι τὰ διηγορευμένα μεμαθηκότα, οἷα περὶ αὐτοῦ προλαβὼν ὁ θεὸς εἴρηκεν· τοιαύτης γὰρ βίβλου σῳζομένης παρὰ τοῖς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι Ἰουδαίοις οὐδὲν ἦν θαυμαστὸν τὸ καὶ ἐκφῆναι τὴν προφητείαν τῷ βασιλεῖ Κύρῳ ἅπαξ ὁρμήσαντι ἐξ ὑποβολῆς θεοῦ τὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐνδείξασθαι εὐεργεσίας. μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἐν ταῖς Ἱστορίαις ὁ Ἰώσηπος τοῦτον γράφων κατὰ λέξιν τὸν τρόπον· Κῦρος ὁ βασιλεὺς λέγει· «ἐπεί με ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγιστος τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπέδειξε βασιλέα, πείθομαι τοῦτον εἶναι ὃν τὸ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἔθνος προσκυνεῖ. καὶ γὰρ τοὐμὸν προεῖπεν ὄνομα διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, καὶ ὅτι τὸν ναὸν οἰκοδομήσω τὸν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ χώρᾳ». ταῦτα δὲ ἔγνω Κῦρος ἀναγινώσκων τὸ βιβλίον, ὃ τῆς αὐτοῦ προφητείας ὁ Ἠσαΐας καταλέλοιπε πρὸ ἐτῶν διακοσίων δέκα. ταῦτα δὲ εἴρηται ἐν τῷ ἑνδεκάτῳ τῆς Ἀρχαιολογίας τόμῳ. 2.28 Ἀντὶ τοῦ· Ποῖον βέλτιον κατεσκεύασα καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ἀσαφῶς εἰρημένων παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα, σαφεστέραν διάνοιαν ἐξέδωκεν ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως εἰπών· Οὐαὶ ὁ ἀντιλέγων τῷ πλάσαντι αὐτὸν καὶ ὄστρακον σὺν ὀστράκοις τῆς γῆς· μὴ ἐρεῖ πηλὸς τῷ πλάσαντι αὐτόν Τί ποιεῖς; καὶ τῷ ἔργῳ σου Οὔκ εἰσι χεῖρες αὐτῶν; κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν εἴρηται τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον· Ὠὶ δικαζόμενος σὺν πλάσσοντι αὐτόν, κεράμιον σὺν τέκτοσι χθονός· μήτι ἐρεῖ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ πλάσσοντι αὐτόν Τί ποιήσεις; καὶ κατ' ἔργου σου οὗ Οὔκ εἰσι χεῖρες αὐτῷ; κατὰ δὲ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα οὕτως ἔχει· Οὐαὶ ὁ κρινόμενος μετὰ τοῦ πλάσσοντος αὐτόν, ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριῶντας τὴν γῆν· μὴ ἐρεῖ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ Τί ποιεῖς; καὶ τὸ ἔργον σου Οὐκ ἔχεις χεῖρας; καί μοι δοκεῖ διὰ τούτων ὁ λόγος ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς μετὰ τὰς τοσαύτας εὐεργεσίας, ἃς κατέλεξε περὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀνοικοδομήσεως τοῦ ἐν τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ναοῦ, μὴ προστρέχουσι τῷ θεῷ μηδ' ὁμολογοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἶναι μόνον τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸν παιδεύοντα μέν, ὅτε καὶ βούλεται, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν, ἀναλαμβάνοντα δὲ αὐτὸν πάλιν