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they went whoring after their own inventions. And the Lord was angered with wrath against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance. If for all these things he abhorred his inheritance, how is it said above: To see the goodness of your chosen ones, to rejoice in the gladness of your nation, to be praised with your inheritance? But see if the word has not clearly presented both the abhorred inheritance of the former people, and proclaims concerning another inheritance, as also concerning another people with whom it teaches to pray to be numbered. And he delivered them into the hands of enemies, and those who hated them ruled over them. But the Lord does not deliver his people, unless he first abhors them; and he abhors them on account of the aforementioned deeds. And when the Lord delivers, who is not able to rule over his own? And their enemies afflicted them, and they were humbled under their hands; many times he delivered them. But they provoked him in their counsel, and were humbled in their iniquities. He, it says, delivered them, being good to them and becoming sweet; but they provoked, making him bitter to themselves; and again he saved as a savior; but they were perishing, entangling themselves in works of destruction; and this happened many times, until they humbled themselves in their own iniquities. And the Lord saw when they were afflicted, when he hearkened to their supplication. And he remembered his covenant, and he changed according to the multitude of his mercy. And he gave them to be pitied in the sight of all those who had taken them captive. And this was fulfilled, when God put it into the heart of Cyrus the king, and after this of Darius and Artaxerxes to treat the nation of the Jews humanely, according to what is written in the Book of Ezra. But even now, serving under the rule of the Romans they find themselves in pity, God having granted this to them; not because they were worthy, but again on account of the multitude of mercy. And he changed according to the multitude of his mercy. And he calls the cessation of chastisement repentance. For God does not have the passion of repentance, nor is he pleased now with these, and now with those, but wisely governs all things, both bringing on chastisement and extending philanthropy. 23.1320 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, to confess your holy name, to glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting. And all the people shall say, So be it, so be it. They are taught to pray to obtain the gathering from the nations, that being at last delivered from the dispersion they might be gathered to the same place; which the Jews indeed imagine will happen in the present life, when their anointed one has appeared to them; but we, since our Savior has already shone upon men, see from all the nations the multitude of souls being daily gathered under the Son of God, and from there being prepared for the better gathering of the kingdom of the heavens, which he truly proclaims as holy. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting. And all the people shall say, So be it, so be it. In accordance with the Apostle who said: In everything give thanks, so now the word teaches, to always bless the Lord, both for the things wherein he has mercy and for the things wherein he chastises, and for the things wherein he saves. HALLELUJAH. 106. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say, whom he has redeemed from the hand of enemies, and gathered them out of the countries, from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the sea;

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ἐπόρνευσαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐβδελύξατο τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ διὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἐβδελύξατο τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται· Τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἐν τῇ χρηστότητι τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν σου, τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐν τῇ εὐφροσύνῃ τοῦ ἔθνους σου, τοῦ ἐπαινεῖσθαι μετὰ τῆς κληρονομίας σου; Ἀλλὰ ὅρα εἰ μὴ σαφῶς καὶ τὴν βδελυχθεῖσαν κληρονομίαν τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ παρέστησεν ὁ λόγος, καὶ περὶ ἑτέρας κληρονομίας θεσπίζει, ὡς καὶ περὶ ἑτέρου λαοῦ μεθ' ὧν εὔχεσθαι καταριθμηθῆναι διδάσκει. Καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἐκυρίευσαν αὐτῶν οἱ μισοῦντες αὐτούς. Οὐ παραδίδωσι δὲ Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον βδελύξηται αὐτόν· βδελύσσεται δὲ αὐτὸν διὰ τὰς προλελεγμένας πράξεις. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ ὁ Κύριος παραδῷ, τίς οὐ δύναται τῶν αὐτοῦ κυριεύσειν; Καὶ ἔθλιψαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐταπεινώθησαν ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν· πλεονάκις ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτούς. Αὐτοὶ δὲ παρεπίκραναν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐταπεινώθησαν ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις αὐτῶν. Αὐτὸς μὲν, φησὶν, ἐῤῥύετο, χρηστὸς ὢν αὐτοῖς καὶ γλυκὺς γενόμενος· οἱ δὲ παρεπίκραναν, πικρὸν ἑαυτοῖς ποιοῦντες αὐτόν· καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ἔσωζεν οἷα σωτήρ· οἱ δὲ ἀπώλλυντο, ἔργοις ἀπωλείας ἑαυτοὺς περιπείροντες· καὶ τοῦτο πλεονάκις ἐγίνετο, ἕως οὗ αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐταπείνωσαν ἐν ταῖς αὑτῶν ἀνομίαις. Καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν εἰσακοῦσαι τῆς δεήσεως αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐμνήσθη τῆς διαθήκης αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετεβλήθη κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς οἰκτιρμοὺς ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν αἰχμαλωτευσάντων αὐτούς. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐπληροῦτο, ὅτε ἐνέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ∆αρείου καὶ Ἀρταξέρξου φιλανθρώπως χρήσασθαι τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει, κατὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ τοῦ Ἔσδρα φερόμενα. Ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰσέτι νῦν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δουλεύοντες ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς τυγχάνουσι, τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς δεδωρημένου· οὐχ ὅτι ἦσαν ἄξιοι, ἀλλὰ πάλιν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους. Καὶ μετεβλήθη κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ. Μεταμέλειαν δὲ καλεῖ τῆς παιδείας τὴν παῦλαν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς τῆς μεταμελείας οὐκ ἔχει τὸ πάθος, οὐδὲ νῦν μὲν τούτοις, νῦν δὲ ἐκείνοις ἀρέσκεται, ἀλλὰ σοφῶς ἅπαντα πρυτανεύων, καὶ παιδείας ἐπάγει καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ὀρέγει. 23.1320 Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐπισυνάγαγε ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν, τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου τῷ ἁγίῳ, τοῦ ἐγκαυχᾶσθαι ἐν τῇ αἰνέσει σου. Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Καὶ ἐρεῖ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, Γένοιτο, γένοιτο. ∆ιδάσκονται εὔχεσθαι τυχεῖν τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν συναγωγῆς, ἵν' ἤδη ποτὲ τῆς διασπορᾶς ἀπαλλαγέντες ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναχθῶσιν· ὅπερ Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν φαντάζονται μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, ἐπιστάντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἠλειμμένου· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἤδη τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιλάμψαντος ἀνθρώποις, ὁρῶμεν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὁσημέραι ὑπὸ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν ἐπισυναγομένων ψυχῶν, ἐντεῦθέν τε παρασκευαζομένων ἐπὶ τὴν κρείττονα ἐπισυναγωγὴν τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἥντινα ἀληθῶς ἁγίαν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Καὶ ἐρεῖ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, Γένοιτο, γένοιτο. Ἀκολούθως τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ φήσαντι· Ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖσθε, καὶ νῦν ὁ λόγος διδάσκει, πάντοτε εὐλογεῖν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐφ' οἷς ἐλεεῖ καὶ ἐφ' οἷς παιδεύει, καὶ ἐφ' οἷς σώζει. ΑΛΛΗΛΟΥΙΑ. Ρʹ. Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι χρηστὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Εἰπάτωσαν οἱ λελυτρωμένοι ὑπὸ Κυρίου, οὓς ἐλύτρωσεν ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν χωρῶν συνήγαγεν αὐτοὺς, ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν, καὶ βοῤῥᾶ καὶ θαλάσσης·