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with such difficulties to attend to God himself, and to the supplications to him, and to say these things, which, like a teacher, he delivered to him through the psalm set forth. And so, having received this lesson, he healed his own soul, charming himself and saying: With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice to God, and he attended to me. For, he says, I prepared myself to be worthy of the attention of God; therefore he attended to me; and I uttered such voices and cries, as to be worthy of the hearing of God. Therefore according to Symmachus it is said: With my voice to God, and when I cried to God, he gave his ears. For through these things Jeduthun was taught not to think that God stands somewhere far off from those who 23.889 cry out to him. For if at the same time he sent up his voice he perceived that God had become his hearer, he was taught by the deeds themselves that the Divine is present everywhere, and that the eyes of Providence watch over the worthy. But also in the day of my affliction, he says, I sought out God with my hands at night before him, and I was not deceived. And that the afflictions of the righteous are many (since an untested man is unapproved), the divine words teach in every way; but that when afflicted they became stronger than themselves, providing proof of their own patience, not indeed being confused so as to be dizzy and disturbed, he teaches who said, In affliction you have enlarged me, and the divine Apostle saying: Afflicted, but not distressed; cast down, but not destroyed; persecuted, but not forsaken. So therefore he also says here: In the day of my affliction I sought God; for I did not look upon those who afflicted me, nor upon those who were lifted up; but turning the eye of my soul to God at the very time of affliction, I sought him. And I sought him with my hands, having been taught to lift up holy hands according to the word that says: I desire then that the men pray, lifting up holy hands. And this I did not only by day, but also by night, lifting up my hands before him, and seeking him through prayer and through voices to him. Therefore, doing these things, I was not deceived; for he was found by me when sought; therefore he attended to me, and gave his ears to me. But instead of, With my hands at night before him, and I was not deceived, Symmachus interpreted it in this way: My hand was stretched out continually at night. This, then, I had as my greatest and only comfort. Otherwise, I endured no one who wished to comfort and attend to me in the time of my affliction. Therefore he adds: My soul refused to be comforted; or according to Symmachus, My soul was not persuaded to be consoled; but I was not persuaded by men, who were otherwise consoling and comforting me; but I remembered God and was gladdened; for the memory of God was sufficient for me for gladness; but also I meditated, he says, and my spirit grew faint; for which Symmachus interpreted, I communed with myself and I fainted. For when, he says, I communed with myself, I fainted; and when I meditated within myself, then my spirit grew faint; but when I remembered God, I was filled with gladness; but also seeking him with my hands at night, I was not deceived; for I found him as if standing near me, and becoming a hearer of my voice. My eyes were held open before the watches, I was troubled, and I did not speak. The thoughts that afflict me, he says, were of such a kind. For since I saw the rejection of the people, which the aforementioned prophetic words had declared, I was reasonably troubled, and I considered within myself if the evil would be incurable for them. For I believed the prophecy which said that they would be rejected for a time and 23.892 that they would suffer this to the end: Why, O God, have you cast us off forever, was angered the

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τοιαῖσδε ἀμηχανίαις ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν, ταῖς τε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἱκετηρίαις σχολάζειν, καὶ ταῦτα λέγειν, ἅπερ αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ προκειμένου ψαλμοῦ, οἷα διδάσκαλος, παρεδίδου. Καὶ δῆτα παραλαβὼν τὸ μάθημα τοῦτο, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐθεράπευε, κατεπᾴδων αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ καὶ λέγων· Φωνῇ μου πρὸς Κύριον ἐκέκραξα, φωνῇ μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ προσέσχε μοι. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐμαυτὸν παρεσκεύαζον, ὡς ἄξιον εἶναι τῆς προσοχῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ· διὸ προσέσχε μοι· καὶ τοιαύτας τε ἠφίειν φωνὰς καὶ βοὰς, ὡς ἀξίας εἶναι αὐτὰς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκοῆς. ∆ιὸ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· Φωνῇ μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ βοήσαντός μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, παρέσχε τὰς ἀκοὰς αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τούτων γὰρ ἐδιδάσκετο ὁ Ἰδιθοὺμ μὴ νομίζειν πόῤῥω που ἀφεστάναι τὸν Θεὸν τῶν 23.889 ἐπιβοωμένων αὐτόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ τὴν φωνὴν ἀναπέμψαι ᾔσθετο ἐπηκόου αὐτοῦ γενομένου τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἐδιδάσκετο πανταχοῦ παρεῖναι τὸ Θεῖον, καὶ τοὺς τῆς Προνοίας ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐφορᾷν τοὺς ἀξίους. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς μου, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν ἐξεζήτησα ταῖς χερσί μου νυκτὸς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἠπατήθην. Καὶ ὅτι μὲν πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων (ἐπειδὴ ἀπείραστος ἀνὴρ ἀδόκιμος), παντοίως διδάσκουσιν οἱ θεῖοι λόγοι· ὡς δὲ θλιβόμενοι κρείττους ἑαυτῶν ἐγίγνοντο, δοκιμὴν τῆς ἑαυτῶν παρέχοντες ὑπομονῆς, οὐ μὴν συγχεόμενοι ὡς εἰλιγγιᾷν καὶ θορυβεῖσθαι, διδάσκει ὁ εἰπὼν, Ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς με, καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος λέγων· Θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι· καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι· διωκόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησιν· Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς μου τὸν Θεὸν ἐξεζήτησα· οὐ γὰρ ἀπέβλεπον ἐπὶ τοὺς θλίβοντας, οὐδ' ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπαιρομένους· ἐπιστρέφων δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν κατ' αὐτὸν τὸν τῆς θλίψεως καιρὸν, αὐτὸν ἐξεζήτουν. Ἐζήτουν δὲ αὐτὸν ταῖς χερσί μου, δεδιδαγμένος ἐπαίρειν ὁσίους χεῖρας κατὰ τὸν φάσκοντα λόγον· Βούλομαι δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας προσεύχεσθαι, ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας. Καὶ τοῦτ' ἔπραττον οὐ δι' ἡμέρας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ νυκτὸς, τὰς χεῖράς μου ἐπαίρων ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῆς προσευχῆς, καὶ διὰ τῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν φωνῶν ἐπιζητῶν αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ, ταῦτα πράττων, Οὐκ ἠπατήθην· εὑρίσκετο γάρ μοι ζητούμενος· διὸ προσέσχε μοι, καὶ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἀκοὰς ἐμοὶ παρέσχεν Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Ταῖς χερσί μου νυκτὸς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθην, ὁ Σύμμαχος τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσε τὸν τρόπον· Ἡ χείρ μου νυκτὸς ἐκτέτατο διηνεκῶς. Ταύτην μὲν οὖν εἶχον μεγίστην καὶ μόνην παραμυθίαν. Ἄλλως δὲ, οὐδενὸς ἠνειχόμην παρακαλεῖν με καὶ θεραπεύειν ἐθέλοντος ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ τῆς θλίψεώς μου καιρῷ. ∆ιὸ ἐπιλέγει· Ἀπηνήνατο παρακληθῆναι ἡ ψυχή μου· ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, Οὐκ ἐπείθετο παρηγορεῖσθαι ἡ ψυχή μου· ἀλλ' ἀνθρώποις μὲν οὐκ ἐπειθόμην, τοῖς ἄλλως με παρηγορεῖν καὶ παρακαλεῖν· ἐμνήσθην δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ηὐφράνθην· ἀπήρκει γάρ μοι ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μνήμη πρὸς εὐφροσύνην· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠδολέσχησα, φησὶ, καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησα· ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε, ∆ιελάλουν ἐν ἐμαυτῷ καὶ ἐλειποθύμουν. Ὅτι μὲν, φησὶ, ἐμαυτῷ διελάλουν, ἐλειποθύμουν· καὶ ὅτε ἠδολέσχουν παρ' ἐμαυτῷ, τηνικαῦτα ὠλιγοψύχει τὸ πνεῦμά μου· ὅτε δὲ ἀνεμιμνησκόμην τοῦ Θεοῦ, εὐφροσύνης ἐπληρούμην· ἀλλὰ καὶ ζητῶν αὐτὸν ταῖς χερσί μου νυκτὸς, οὐκ ἠπατώμην· εὕρισκον γὰρ ὥσπερ πλησίον παρεστῶτά μοι, καὶ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἐπήκοον γιγνόμενον. Προκατελάβοντο φυλακὰς οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, ἐταράχθην, καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλησα. Οἱ θλίβοντές με, φησὶ, λογισμοὶ τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑώρων τὴν ἀποβολὴν τοῦ λαοῦ, ἣν ἐθέσπισαν οἱ προλεχθέντες προφητικοὶ λόγοι, ἐθορυβούμην εἰκότως, καὶ ἐνενόουν πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν εἰ ἀθεράπευτον αὐτοῖς ἔσται τὸ κακόν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀποβληθῆναι αὐτοὺς καιρῷ τινι καὶ 23.892 εἰς τέλος αὐτοὺς τοῦτο παθεῖν ἐπίστευον τῇ προφητείᾳ λεγούσῃ· Ἱνατί, ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπώσω εἰς τέλος, ὠργίσθη ὁ