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of the inheritance in the age to come, which is: "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him." Therefore he says: There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord. And those who serve him love him, by slaving for him with all reverence. But in the Septuagint it is written for the lawless, but your guilty ones will be in it. And it shows that after the renewal through the spirit, if any should be found guilty of sins, they will be in it, that is, in corruption; wherefore he immediately added, 'there is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord.' But some have said that the whole saying should also be understood of the earthly Jerusalem, saying that gladness can come to be, whenever a sudden 2548 change for the better occurs. To which gladness he also exhorts Jerusalem to break the bonds of sin, with which she bound herself, having become barren of good things and having departed from God. For thus you will have more inhabitants, he says, having obtained me as a protector in the manner of a husband taking your part, and I will make you greater after the captivity. And your seed will inherit the nations that gathered to prevent its rebuilding. For they were so defeated, that their weapons sufficed for fuel for seven years. And he says that the cities made desolate by Israel will be inhabited. Do not therefore reckon, he says, that you will not be restored to your ancient glory. For you shall wipe away the ancient reproach. Job used such words: "For though I wash myself with snow, and make my hands clean, sufficiently have you plunged me in filth." And my garment has abhorred me. And for faith in the promise is the saying, 'The Lord who makes you, who also created you out of non-being into being.' I will not be your God alone, but also of all the nations. For I will not hold a grudge against you, nor will I reproach you, which is what those do who cast off their sinning wives for a little while. For even if they are reconciled, they are accustomed to reproach them for what was before. But I am a God who does not hold a grudge. And for a little while I handed you over for the sake of healing, so that having repented I might fill you with mercy. And he claims to be known for his goodness even from former times. For even before you came to be with Noah, he says, I had mercy, saving you according to foreknowledge. For from him who was saved, she was destined to be. And out of goodness I promised to no longer bring a flood upon men who from their youth are inclined toward evil things, nor to move hills and mountains. Therefore, neither did I lie then, nor now concerning the promise that I will have mercy on you, and that you will enjoy all peace. And he says these things, not as having a necessity to do what he foretells. For he establishes these things in the mind of the hearers. For in the case of Sodom also one city was saved, as the ever-ready Master took a pretext from Lot to deliver it from his wrath. And to Abraham he promised an increase of his race, and a passage of the blessings to them, clearly if his descendants would keep the patriarchal commands, as he himself says: "For I knew that Abraham will command his sons to fear God." Then he accuses the cruelty of the Chaldeans, saying: You were not comforted. For they made the yoke of the elder heavy, and they did not pity the children. "For I was angry a little, but they joined in for evil." But I will comfort you, bestowing upon you a better rebuilding. For when he only wills it, all precious material is at hand, only if by repenting you become worthy. But if this does not happen, the things of the promise are also inactive. For the promises are for those who live according to the law, whom he calls taught of God. Then 2549 he teaches not to trust simply in walls and in those who seem to guard a city, but in righteousness. For this is the meaning of, 'in righteousness you shall be built.' For when they practiced this, the high walls of Jericho were taken down without a struggle. Practicing this, therefore, you shall not fear; rather you shall be unconquerable, so that the nations around you that make war on you will sojourn with you, and be helped by you, my favor being present with you. And he shows the indefatigable nature of himself, and his power to do whatever he wishes by his authority, from the removal of the toils of smiths. But I create, he says, not with a view to destroy what has been brought forth. For not in order that

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μέλλοντι αἰῶνι κληρονομίας, ἥτις ἐστίν· "Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν." ∆ιό φησιν· Ἔστι κληρονομία τοῖς θεραπεύουσι Κύριον. Ἀγαπῶσι δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ θεραπεύοντες αὐτὸν, διὰ τοῦ πάσῃ εὐλαβείᾳ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ. Παρανόμοις δὲ κεῖται τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα, οἱ δὲ ἔνοχοί σου ἔσονται ἐν αὐτῇ. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὅτι μετὰ τὸν διὰ πνεύματος ἀνακαινισμὸν, εἴτινες εὑρεθεῖεν ἁμαρτίαις ἔνοχοι, ἔσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, τῇ φθορᾷ δηλονότι· διὸ ἐπήνεγκεν εὐθὺς, τὸ ἔστι κληρονομία τοῖς θεραπεύουσι Κύριον. Τὴν δὲ πᾶσαν ῥῆσίν τινες καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ νοεῖν ἔφασαν, δύνασθαι εὐφροσύνην λέγοντες γίνεσθαι, ὅτ' ἂν ἀθρόα γένηται πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον μετα 2548 βολή. Πρὸς ἣν εὐφροσύνην προτρέπεται καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ῥηγνῦσαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ δεσμὰ, οἷς ἑαυτὴν ἐγκατέδησεν στειρωθεῖσα καλῶν καὶ ἀποστᾶσα Θεοῦ. Οὕτω γὰρ πλείους ἕξεις, φησὶ, τοὺς οἰκήτορας, λαχοῦσα προστάτην ἐμὲ δίκην ἀνδρὸς ἀντιλαμβανόμενον, καὶ μείζονα δέ σε μετὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ποιήσω. Ἔθνη δὲ κληρονομήσει τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰ συνελθόντα πρὸς τὸ κωλῦσαι τὸν ταύτης ἀνοικισμόν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἡττήθησαν, ὡς καὶ τὰ ὅπλα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἀρκέσαι πρὸς καῦσιν. Καὶ τὰς πόλεις φησὶ τὰς ἠρημωμένας ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ κατοικισθήσεσθαι. Μὴ οὖν λογίζου, φησὶν, ὡς οὐ μὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν δόξαν κατασταθήσῃ. Ἀποτρίψῃ γὰρ ὄνειδος τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Τοιούτοις ἐχρῆτο λόγοις Ἰώβ· "Κἂν γὰρ ἀπολούσωμαι χιόνι, καὶ καθάρωμαι χερσὶ καθαραῖς, ἱκανῶς με ἐν ῥύπῳ ἔβαψας." Ἐβδελύξατο δὲ ἡ στολή μου. Πρὸς πίστιν δὲ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ, Κύριος ὁ ποιῶν σε, ὁ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι πρὸς τὸ εἶναί σε κτίσας. Οὐκ ἔσομαι δὲ μόνου σοῦ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων. Οὐ γὰρ μνησικακήσω σοι, οὐδὲ ὀνειδίσω, ὅπερ ποιοῦσιν οἱ γυναῖκας ἁμαρτανούσας πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀποῤῥίψαντες. Κἂν γὰρ καταλλαγῶσιν, τὰ πρόσθεν ὀνειδίζειν εἰώθασιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ Θεὸς ἀμνησίκακός εἰμι. Καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον σε θεραπείας χάριν παρέδωκα, ὡς ἂν μετανοήσασαν ἐλέους ἐμπλήσω. Ἀξιοῖ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ χρόνων τῶν πρόσθεν ἐξ ἀγαθότητος γνωρίζεσθαι. Καὶ πρὶν γάρ σε γενέσθαι σὺν τῷ Νῶε, φησὶν, ἠλέησα διασώσας σε κατὰ πρόγνωσιν. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ σωθέντος ἤμελλε γίνεσθαι. Ἐξ ἀγαθότητος δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ νεότητος ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐγκειμένοις ἀνθρώποις μηκέτι κατακλυσμὸν ἐποίσειν ἐπηγγειλάμην, μηδὲ βουνούς τε καὶ ὄρη μεταστήσειν. Οὔτε τοίνυν τὰ τότε ἐψευσάμην, οὔτε τὴν νῦν περὶ τοῦ σε ἐλεήσειν ὑπόσχεσιν, καὶ πάσης ἀπολαύσειν εἰρήνης. Ταῦτα δέ φησιν, οὐχ ὡς ἔχων ἀνάγκην ἃ προλέγει ποιεῖν. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἵστησι γνώμῃ. Καὶ ἐπὶ Σοδόμων γὰρ μία πόλις ἐσώθη, τοῦ εὐαφόρμου ∆εσπότου πρόφασιν λαβόντος παρὰ τοῦ Λὼτ ὑπεξελεῖν αὐτὴν τῆς ὀργῆς. Καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ αὔξησιν ἐπηγγείλατο γένους, καὶ διάβασιν εἰς αὐτοὺς τῶν εὐλογιῶν, δῆλον ὡσεὶ φυλάττοιεν οἱ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὰς πατρικὰς ἐντολὰς, ὡς καὶ αὐτός φησιν· "Ἔγνων γὰρ ὅτι συντάξει Ἀβραὰμ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεόν." Εἶτα κατηγορεῖ τῆς τῶν Χαλδαίων ὠμότητος λέγων· Οὐ παρεκλήθης. Τοῦ γὰρ πρεσβυτέρου τὸν ζυγὸν ἐβάρυναν, καὶ παιδία οὐκ ἠλέησαν. "Ἐγὼ γὰρ ὠργίσθην ὀλίγα, αὐτοὶ δὲ συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά." Ἀλλ' ἐγώ σε παρακαλέσω, ἀνοικισμόν σοι δωρούμενος κρείττονα. Θέλοντος γὰρ μόνον ὕλη πᾶσα τιμία παρίσταται, μόνον εἰ μετανοοῦντες ἄξιοι γένοισθε. Τούτου δὲ μὴ γενομένου καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀργεῖ. Τοῖς γὰρ κατὰ νόμον βιοῦσιν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, οὓς Θεοῦ καλεῖ διδακτούς. Εἶτα 2549 παιδεύει μὴ τείχεσιν ἁπλῶς καὶ τοῖς φυλάττειν δοκοῦσι πόλιν θαῤῥεῖν, δικαιοσύνῃ. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ οἰκοδομηθήσῃ. Ταύτην γὰρ ἀσκούντων καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῆς Ἱεριχοῦς ἀκονιτὶ καθῄρητο τείχη. Ταύτην οὖν ἀσκῶν οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσῃ· μᾶλλον δὲ ἀκαταγώνιστος ἔσῃ, ὡς καὶ τὰ κύκλῳ πολεμοῦντά σε γένη παροικήσειν ὑμῖν, καὶ ὑφ' ὑμῶν βοηθεῖσθαι, τῆς ἐμῆς ῥοπῆς παρούσης ὑμῖν. Τὸ ἀκάματον δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φύσεως, καὶ τὸ ἀπ' ἐξουσίας ἅπερ ἂν ἐθέλοι ποιεῖν ἐξ ἀναιρέσεως τῶν χαλκευτικῶν παρίστησι μόχθων. Κτίζω δὲ, φησὶν, οὐ σκοπῶν ἀπολέσαι τὸ παραχθέν. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα