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the time of captivity, he offers also his supplication. With these the words of the spiritual song also agree: "For it is time to have mercy on her, for the time has come. [15.] For your servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they will have pity on her dust." For Sion is greatly desired by us, though she has become very desolate; and her ruined stones are worthy of love, and the memory of the mounds of earth from her destruction puts pity in us. 10. "And the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory." For seeing our return, and the building of the city, those who witnessed our former calamities, both kings, and rulers, and the ruled, will marvel at your power, and fearing you, they will believe that you alone are God. And this properly and truly happened after the incarnation of our God and Savior. For after the recall of the Jews, the neighboring peoples indeed marveled at what had happened; but they were so far from believing in the God of all, that they at the same time took up war against them. But here the word foretells a change for all the nations and for the kings. Some of these things we see having happened, and others we hope will be. For the divine Apostle says: "For we do not yet see all things subjected to him." But nevertheless he taught that to him every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth 80.1681 17. "For the Lord shall build up Sion, and he shall be seen in his glory." For since those who are ignorant of the divine economies supposed the servitude of the Jews and the desolation of Jerusalem to be a weakness of God, he reasonably called the rebuilding of the city the glory of God; meaning, when Sion is built again, all will see the God of all in his former glory. 18. "He has regarded the prayer of the humble, and has not despised their supplication." For he did not despise them as captives and slaves; but he received their supplication, and has given them freedom. 19. "Let this be written for another generation, and the people who are being created shall praise the Lord." And we will make this good deed be recorded forever, so that those who are to come may also learn of your love for mankind. He calls the people gathered from the nations a people being created, concerning whom the blessed Paul also says: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." And the divine David himself said in the 21st psalm: "The generation to come shall be told to the Lord, and they shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made." This people, being instructed in both the old and the new, sends up a fitting hymn to God the Savior. 20-22. For the Lord has looked down from his holy height, from heaven he has looked upon the earth. To hear the groaning of the fettered, to release the sons of the slain. To declare the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem." For the God of all, overseeing and governing all things, heard those he oversees, and brought forth the decree of freedom, so that the fettered might return in place of the slain, and build their ancestral city, and as was customary, offer worship in it to God according to the law. 23-25. "When the peoples are gathered together, and kings, to serve the Lord. He answered him in the way of his strength, 'Declare to me the fewness of my days; do not take me away in the midst of my days.'" When, he says, we attain our return, peoples and kings will be gathered, marveling at your power. Then indeed we will have such gladness, as to even beseech your goodness to grant us an addition of years, and not to deliver us to death in the middle of our time; and he calls the return granted through the strength of God the way of strength. "In a generation of generations 80.1684 are your years." For you have an endless being, and it is easy for you to make others also long-lived. 20, 27. "In the beginning, you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They shall perish, but you remain." For what is impossible for the one of all

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αἰχμαλωσίας τὸν χρόνον, προσφέρει καὶ τὴν ἱκετηρίαν. Τούτοις συνᾴδει καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς μελῳδίας τὰ ῥήματα· "Ὅτι καιρὸς τοῦ οἰκτειρῆσαι αὐτὴν, ὅτι ἥκει και ρός. [ιεʹ.] Ὅτι εὐδόκησαν οἱ δοῦλοί σου τοὺς λίθους αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸν χοῦν αὐτῆς οἰκτειρήσουσι." Τρι πόθητος γὰρ ἡμῖν Σιὼν, καὶ λίαν ἔρημος γενομένη· ἀξιέραστοι δὲ καὶ οἱ καταλελυμένοι λίθοι, καὶ τῶν ἐκ τῆς πορθήσεως γεγενημένων χωμάτων ἡ μνήμη οἶκτον ἡμῖν ἐντίθησιν. ιʹ. "Καὶ φοβηθήσονται τὰ ἔθνη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, καὶ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς τὴν δόξαν σου." Ὁρῶντες γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν ἐπάνοδον, καὶ τὴν οἰκοδο μίαν τῆς πόλεως, οἱ τὰς προτέρας ἡμῶν θεασάμενοι συμφορὰς, καὶ βασιλεῖς, καὶ ἄρχοντες, καὶ ἀρχόμενοι, θαυμάσονταί σου τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ δείσαντές σε Θεὸν εἶναι μόνον πιστεύσουσιν. Τοῦτο δὲ κυρίως καὶ ἀληθῶς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρώπησιν γέγονε. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν Ἰουδαίων ἀνάκλησιν, ἐθαύ μασαν μὲν τὸ γεγονὸς οἱ περίοικοι· τοσοῦτον δὲ ἀπέσχον τοῦ πιστεῦσαι τῷ τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ, ὅτι τὸν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ ταυτὸν ἤραντο πόλεμον. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὁ λόγος καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ τῶν βασι λέων μεταβολὴν προθεσπίζει. Ὧν τὰ μὲν ὁρῶμεν γεγενημένα, τὰ δὲ ἐλπίζομεν ἔσεσθαι. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος· "Οὔπω γὰρ ὁρῶμεν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ὑποτεταγμένα." Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι αὐτῷ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ ἐπουρανίων, καὶ ἐπιγείων, καὶ καταχθονίων 80.1681 ιζʹ. "Ὅτι οἰκοδομήσει Κύριος τὴν Σιὼν, καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ τὰς θείας ἀγνοοῦντες οἰκονομίας, ἀσθένειαν ὑπελάμβα νον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν Ἰουδαίων δουλείαν, καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἐρημίαν, εἰκότως δόξαν ἐκάλεσε τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν τῆς πόλεως νεουργίαν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πάλιν τῆς Σιὼν οἰκοδομηθείσης, ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ δόξῃ πάντες ὄψονται τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. ιηʹ. "Ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν τῶν ταπει νῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξουδένωσε τὴν δέησιν αὐτῶν." Οὐ κατεφρόνησε γὰρ, ὡς αἰχμαλώτων καὶ δούλων· ἀλλ' ἐδέξατο τὴν ἱκετείαν, καὶ δέδωκε τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. ιθʹ. "Γραφήτω αὕτη εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν, καὶ λαὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον." Ταύτην δὲ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν ἀνάγραπτον εἰς ἀεὶ ποιήσομεν· ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἐσομένους τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν μαθεῖν. Λαὸν δὲ κτιζόμενον τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν συλλεγέντα καλεῖ, περὶ οὗ καὶ ὁ μακάριος λέγει Παῦλος· "Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ καινὴ κτίσις." Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ θεσπέσιος ∆αβὶδ ἐν τῷ κʹ καὶ αʹ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Ἀναγγελήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ γενεὰ ἡ ἐρχομένη, καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσι τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ λαῷ τῷ τεχθησομένῳ, ὃν ἐποίη σεν ὁ Κύριος." Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς καὶ τὰ παλαιὰ καὶ τὰ νέα παιδευόμενος τὸν προσήκοντα ὕμνον ἀναπέμπει τῷ Σωτῆρι Θεῷ. κʹ-κβʹ. Ὅτι ἐξέκυψεν ἐξ ὕψους ἁγίου αὑτοῦ Κύ ριος, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπέβλεψε. Τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πεπεδημένων, τοῦ λῦσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν τεθανατωμένων. Τοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι ἐν Σιὼν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, καὶ τὴν αἴνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐν Ἱερου σαλήμ." Πάντα γὰρ ἐφορῶν καὶ πρυτανεύων ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τῶν ἐφορωμένων ἐπήκουσε, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐξενήνοχε ψῆφον, ὥστε τοὺς πεπεδη μένους ἀντὶ τῶν ἀνῃρημένων ἐπανελθεῖν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν πατρῴαν οἰκοδομῆσαι, καὶ συνήθως ἐν ἐκείνῃ τὴν κατὰ τὸν νόμον λατρείαν προσενεγκεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. κγʹ-κεʹ. "Ἐν τῷ ἐπισυναχθῆναι λαοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ βασιλεῖς, τοῦ δουλεύειν τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ἐν ὁδῷ ἰσχύος αὑτοῦ, τὴν ὀλιγότητα τῶν ἡμερῶν μου ἀνάγγειλόν μοι· μὴ ἀναγάγῃς με ἐν ἡμίσει ἡμερῶν μου." Ὅταν, φησὶ, τῆς ἐπανόδου τύχωμεν, ἀθροίσονται λαοὶ καὶ βασιλεῖς, τὴν σὴν θαυμάζοντες δύναμιν. Τηνικαῦτα τοίνυν τοσαύτην ἕξομεν εὐφροσύνην, ὡς καὶ δεηθῆναί σου τῆς ἀγα θότητος, προσθήκην ἡμῖν ἐτῶν χαρίσασθαι, καὶ μὴ μεσοῦντος ἡμῶν τοῦ χρόνου τῷ θανάτῳ παραδοῦ ναι· ὁδὸν δὲ ἰσχύος καλεῖ τὴν διὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῦ Θεοῦ παρασχεθείσαν ἐπάνοδον. "Ἐν γενεᾷ γενεῶν 80.1684 τὰ ἔτη σου." Σὺ γὰρ ἀπέραντον ἔχεις τὸ εἶναι, καὶ ῥᾴδιόν σοι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους μακροβίους ἐργάσα σθαι. κʹ, κζʹ. "Κατ' ἀρχὰς σὺ, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμε λίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις." Τί γὰρ ἀδύ νατον τῷ τῶν ὅλων