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he beseeches the lawless to endure, but not to rule, and to have authority as a provision for injustice. 5, 2. "Your people, O Lord, they have humbled; and your inheritance they have afflicted. The widow and orphan they have killed, and the proselyte they have murdered." Every form of injustice, O Master, is dared by them. They swagger in their power, and use unjust words; their deeds are more grievous than their words. Those deprived of their spouses, and those lamenting the loss of their fathers are set before them as ready prey. Those who have come from the nations, and desired to live according to your laws, endure unjust slaughter from them; For he called these proselytes. 7 "And they said: Man will not see, nor will the God of Jacob understand." This is the height of impiety. For these things, he says, they dare, not believing that you watch over, nor provide for human affairs; and "the God of Jacob" is not added simply, but to increase the accusation. For having learned of the great providence concerning the people of God, through the prophets, through the priests, in war, in peace, they do not fear the God of all as one who watches over them. From here he offers them counsel and exhortation, [and not only to those who were then so afflicted, but also to those who prevail up to the present time and throughout all of life.] 8. "Understand now, you fools among the people; and you foolish ones, be wise at last." At long last, therefore, O foolish ones, be willing to understand, and to learn the nature of things; [that the condition of the present life is like a spider's web.] 80.1633 9. "He who planted the ear, does he not hear? Or he who formed the eye, does he not perceive," He presented the teaching very syllogistically. For, he says, he who formed the eye from clay, and bestowed upon it the power of sight, and likewise created the ears, and granted the sense of hearing, does he not himself see, nor hear, but is the creator of these things deprived of the power which he has granted to others? 10. "He who instructs nations, shall he not rebuke?" The nations, he says, which neither received the law, nor enjoyed prophetic teaching, he subjects to discipline, and will he not rebuke your lawlessness? "He who teaches man knowledge." And indeed he himself created the nature of men to be rational, and through the things seen in creation, and those that happen each day, he works greater knowledge. 11. "The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain." But for not only does he see and hear; but he also knows our thoughts, which suppose falsely concerning his providence; thus having applied the fitting cure to them, he offers to the wronged sufficient comfort; and making it more persuasive, he makes his arguments. 12. "Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord; and you will teach him out of your law." For many are accustomed to call wretched those who embrace piety [and endure injustice; but I call them enviable and blessed, being trained by discipline,] and reaping the benefit of the divine law. 13. "To give him rest from evil days." For he who receives a little discipline in the present life will have a gentler future judgment; for he called the eternal punishment an evil day. "Until a pit is dug for the sinner." For those who embrace lawlessness will be handed over to perpetual punishment. For just as it is impossible for one who has fallen into a deep pit to climb out, with no one helping; so it is impossible to escape the eternal punishment, unless divine loving-kindness wills this. 14. "For the Lord will not cast off his people; and his inheritance he will not forsake." [He called inheritance not only Israel, but also the people from the nations; and especially this one. For concerning that one the blessed Moses said: "And Jacob became the Lord's portion, his people; Israel the measure of his inheritance." But concerning the new people, whom the God from God acquired for himself by his voluntary death, the divine one names co-heirs 80.1636

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ὑπομεῖναι τοὺς παρανό μους ἱκετεύει, ἀλλὰ μὴ δυναστεύειν, καὶ τὴν ἐξου σίαν ἐφόδιον ἔχειν εἰς ἀδικίαν. εʹ, ʹ. "Τὸν λαόν σου, Κύριε, ἐταπείνωσαν· καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν σου ἐκάκωσαν. Χήραν καὶ ὀρφανὸν ἀπέκτειναν, καὶ προσήλυτον ἐφόνευσαν." Πᾶν εἶ δος ἀδικίας, ∆έσποτα, παρ' αὐτῶν τολμᾶται. Ἐπὶ τῇ δυναστείᾳ βρενθύονται, ἀδίκοις δὲ κέχρηνται λόγοις· τὰ πράγματα τῶν λόγων ἐστὶ χαλεπώτερα. Αἱ τῶν ὁμοζύγων ἐστερημέναι, καὶ οἱ πατέρων ἐρημίαν ὀλοφυρόμενοι πρόκεινται τούτοις, ὡς ἕτοιμον θήρα μα. Οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν προσεληλυθότες, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς σοὺς νόμους ποθήσαντες πολιτεύεσθαι, τὴν ἄδικον παρ' αὐτῶν σφαγὴν ὑπομένουσι· Προσηλύτους γὰρ τούτους ὠνόμασε. ζʹ "Καὶ εἶπαν· Οὐκ ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ συν ήσει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰακώβ." Αὕτη τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐπί τασις. Ταῦτα γὰρ, φησὶ, τολμῶσιν, οὐχ ἡγούμενοί σε ἐφορᾷν, οὐδὲ προμηθεῖσθαι τῶν ἀνθρωπείων πραγμάτων· οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ πρόσκειται τὸ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ, ἀλλ' εἰς αὔξησιν τῆς κατηγορίας. Πολλὴν γὰρ περὶ τὸν λαὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταμαθόντες πρόνοιαν, τὴν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἱερέων, τὴν ἐν πολέμῳ, τὴν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, οὐ δειμαίνουσιν ὡς ἐφορῶντα τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. Ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοῖς εἰσφέρει συμβου λὴν καὶ παραίνεσιν, [οὐ μόνον δὲ τὸ τηνικαῦτα τοῖς τοιαῦτα νενοσηκόσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν καὶ παντὸς τοῦ βίου κρατοῦσιν.] ηʹ. "Σύνετε δὴ, ἄφρονες ἐν τῷ λαῷ, καὶ μωροὶ, ποτὲ φρονήσατε." Ὀψέ γ' οὖν ποτε, ὦ ἀνόητοι, συνιδεῖν ἐθελήσατε, καὶ μαθεῖν τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν φύσιν· [ὅτι ἀράχνῃ ἔοικεν ἡ τοῦ παρόντος βίου κατάστασις.] 80.1633 θʹ. "Ὁ φυτεύσας τὸ οὖς, οὐχὶ ἀκούει; ἢ ὁ πλάσας τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, οὐχὶ κατανοεῖ," Σφόδρα συλλογιστι κῶς τὴν διδασκαλίαν προσήνεγκεν. Ὁ ἐκ πηλοῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν διαπλάσας, καὶ τὴν ὀπτι κὴν ἐνέργειαν αὐτῷ δωρησάμενος, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὡσ αύτως δημιουργήσας, καὶ τὴν ἀκουστικὴν αἴσθησιν χαρισάμενος, αὐτὸς οὐχ ὁρᾷ, οὐδὲ ἀκούει, ἀλλὰ ὁ τούτων δημιουργὸς ἐστέρηται τῆς ἐνεργείας ἣν τοῖς ἄλλοις κεχάρισται; ιʹ. "Ὁ παιδεύων ἔθνη οὐχὶ ἐλέγξει;" Τὰ ἔθνη, φησὶν, ἃ μήτε νόμον ἐδέξαντο, μήτε προφητικῆς ἀπολαύει διδασκαλίας, ὑποβάλλει παιδείαις, καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν οὐκ ἐλέγξει παρανομίαν; "Ὁ διδάσκων ἄνθρωπον γνῶσιν." Καὶ μὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύ σιν αὐτὸς ἐδημιούργησε λογικὴν, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θεωρουμένων, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην γιγνομένων ἡμέραν, πλείονα τὴν γνῶσιν ἐργάζεται. ιαʹ. "Κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν ἀν θρώπων, ὅτι εἰσὶ μάταιοι." Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ μόνον ὁρᾷ καὶ ἀκούει· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἐπίσταται λο γισμοὺς, τοὺς ψευδῆ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας το πάζοντας· οὕτως ἐκείνοις τὴν προσφυῆ ποιησάμε νος θεραπείαν, προσφέρει τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀποχρῶ σαν ψυχαγωγίαν· πιθανωτέραν δὲ αὐτὴν ἐργαζόμενος ποιεῖται τοὺς λόγους. ιβʹ. "Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἂν παιδεύσῃς, Κύριε· καὶ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου διδάξεις αὐτόν." Πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἀθλίους εἰώθασιν ἀποκαλεῖν τοὺς τὴν εὐσέ βειαν ἀσπαζομένους [καὶ ἀδικίαν ὑφισταμένους· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτοὺς ζηλωτοὺς καὶ μακαρίους ἀποκαλῶ, παίδευσιν γυμναζομένους,] καὶ τοὺς θείου νόμου καρπουμένους τὴν ὠφέλειαν. ιγʹ. "Τοῦ πραΰναι αὐτὸν ἀφ' ἡμερῶν πονη ρῶν." Ὁ γὰρ μικρὰν παιδείαν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον δεχόμενος, πραότερον ἕξει τὸ μέλλον κριτήριον· ἡμέραν γὰρ πονηρὰν, τὴν αἰώνιον ἐκάλεσε κόλα σιν. "Ἕως οὗ ὀρυγῇ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ βόθρος." Οἱ γὰρ τὴν παρανομίαν ἀσπαζόμενοι τῇ διηνεκεῖ τιμω ρίᾳ παραδοθήσονται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν εἰς βαθὺ ἐμπεσόντα βόθρον ἀναβῆναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων, μηδενὸς ἐπαμύνοντος· οὕτω διαφυγεῖν τὴν αἰώνιον ἀδύνατον κόλασιν, μὴ τῆς θείας τοῦτο βουλομένης φιλανθρω πίας. ιδʹ. "Ὅτι οὐκ ἀπώσεται Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ· καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὑτοῦ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει." [Κληρονομίαν οὐ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὠνόμασε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαόν· καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ τον. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνου ὁ μακάριος ἔφη Μωϋ σῆς· "Καὶ ἐγενήθη μερὶς Κυρίου λαὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰακὼβ, σχοίνισμα κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ Ἰσραήλ." Περὶ δὲ τοῦ νέου λαοῦ, ὃν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεὸς τῷ ἑκου σίῳ θανάτῳ περιεποιήσατο, συγκληρονόμους ὀνο 80.1636 μάζει ὁ θεῖος