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he set them as flocks of families; But Aquila says, And he will make them as a flock of kindred; But Symmachus says, And he will arrange them as a flock of kindred, the Churches in city and country, composed of various kindreds. They will see the upright and be glad, and all iniquity shall shut its mouth. What will they see but the change from worse to better? Therefore the Savior said to those who had seen the fulfillment of the prophecies: But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and, Many prophets desired to see what you see, and did not see it. And all injustice shall shut its mouth; raging, rent asunder by envy, but able to do nothing because of God who willed these things. This can be clearly seen, how against the Church of Christ the iniquity of unbelieving and idolatrous men, raging and often persisting, finally, being able to do nothing, shut its mouth, being muzzled by the divine word, which also said to it during the times of persecutions: Be silent, be muzzled. And you will understand iniquity to be the devil, and everything done according to it, according to: The mouth of those who speak unjust things was stopped. Who is wise, and will keep these things, and will understand the mercies of the Lord? A SONG OF A PSALM OF DAVID. 107. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready, I will sing and give praise in my glory. Awake, my glory, awake, psaltery and harp, I will awake early. I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord, I will sing praise to you among the nations. For your mercy is great above the heavens, and your truth to the clouds, He who has become worthy of the saving 23.1329 beatitude, by which it is said: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, would say with confidence: My heart is ready, O God. The Prophet, therefore, having accomplished through virtuous works things dear and kindred to the Holy Spirit, offers up the present prayer to God, the giver of such things. I will sing and give praise in my glory; having received my own glory, that is, the prophetic grace. Awake, my glory, awake, psaltery and harp, I will awake early. Perhaps he arouses the powers of his soul and body on account of the future inspiration of the divine Spirit that is to come upon him; and according to our understanding, we take the members of the body and the senses, by which the mind is struck whenever it wishes; and the psaltery as the bodiless and rational powers of the soul, which he, preparing for the reception of the Spirit, says: Awake, psaltery and harp. Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and your glory over all the earth, that your beloved may be delivered. Save with your right hand, and hear me. God has spoken in his holy one; I will be exalted and divide Shechem, and I will measure out the valley of the tents. I beseech and pray that grace may quickly come, and that you, the most high God who are praised in the heavens, may be known, and that you may make your glory manifest over all the earth. For when this happens, your beloved will be delivered from the bitter slavery and captivity which they have suffered, having become subject to it. Save with your right hand, and hear me. God has spoken in his holy one. Who was his holy one but the only-begotten Son, who is truly holy and beloved, through whom God made a response to the prayer offered by them; therefore to the prayer that said: Be exalted above the heavens, O God, he answers saying, I will be exalted, and to: And your glory over all the earth, he again answers the things that follow, from, I will be exalted and divide Shechem, and I will measure out the valley of the tents. This valley, therefore, he says,
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ἔθετο ὡς πρόβατα πατριάς· ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, Καὶ θήσει, φησὶν, ὡς ποίμνιον συγγενείας· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Καὶ τάξει, φησὶν, ὡς ποίμνην συγγενείας, τὰς κατὰ πόλιν καὶ κατὰ χώραν Ἐκκλησίας ἐκ διαφόρων συγγενειῶν συνεστώσας. Ὄψονται εὐθεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται, καὶ πᾶσα ἀνομία ἐμφράξει τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς. Τί δὲ ὄψονται ἀλλ' ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω μεταβολήν; ∆ιὸ τοῖς τὰ τέλη τῶν προφητειῶν τεθεαμένοις ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὅτι βλέπουσι· καὶ, Πολλοὶ προφῆται ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ ὑμεῖς βλέπετε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον. Καὶ πᾶσα ἀδικία ἐμφράξει τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς· λυττῶσα ὑπὸ φθόνου διαῤῥηγνυμένη, μηδὲν δὲ πράττειν διὰ τὸν ταῦτα βουληθέντα Θεὸν δυναμένη. Τοῦτο δὲ πάρεστιν ἐναργῶς ὁρᾷν, ὡς κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ τῶν ἀπίστων καὶ εἰδωλολατρῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀνομία λυττῶσα καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιμήνασα, τέλος διὰ τὸ μηδὲν δύνασθαι, τὸ στόμα ἑαυτῆς ἔφραξεν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου λόγου φιμουμένη, τοῦ καὶ αὐτῇ κατὰ τοὺς τῶν διωγμῶν καιροὺς φάσκοντος· Σιώπα, πεφίμωσο. Ἀνομίαν δὲ νοήσεις τὸν διάβολον, καὶ πάντα τὸν κατ' αὐτὴν πεποιημένον, κατὰ τό· Ἐνεφράγη τὸ στόμα λαλούντων ἄδικα. Τίς σοφὸς, καὶ φυλάξει ταῦτα, καὶ συνήσουσι τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ Κυρίου; Ω∆Η ΨΑΛΜΟΥ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆. ΡΖʹ. Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεὸς, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου. Ἐξεγέρθητι, ἡ δόξα μου, ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα, ἐξεγερθήσομαι ὄρθρου. Ἐξομολογήσομαι σοι ἐν λαοῖς, Κύριε, ψαλῶ σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν. Ὅτι μέγα ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου, Ὁ τοῦ σωτηρίου 23.1329 μακαρισμοῦ γενόμενος ἄξιος, δι' οὗ εἴρηται· Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται, εἴποι ἂν θαῤῥῶν· Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεός. Ὁ Προφήτης οὖν, τὰ φίλα καὶ συγγενῆ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δι' ἐναρέτων ἔργων ἐπιτελέσας, τῷ τοιούτων δοτῆρι Θεῷ τὴν προκειμένην εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει. Ἄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου· ἀπολαβὼν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ δόξαν, τουτέστι τὴν προφητικὴν χάριν. Ἐξεγέρθητι, ἡ δόξα μου, ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα, ἐξεγερθήσομαι ὄρθρου. Μήποτε τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος διεγείρει διὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν εἰς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος ἐπίπνοιαν· καὶ κατὰ διάνοιαν μὲν ἐκλαμβανόντων ἡμῶν τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος καὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια, δι' ὧν ὁ νοῦς ἀνακρούεται ὅτε δ' ἂν βούληται· ψαλτήριον δὲ τὰς ἀσωμάτους καὶ λογικὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις, ἃς δὴ παρασκευάζων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ὑποδοχήν φησιν· Ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα. Ὑψώθητι ἐπὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἡ δόξα σου, ὅπως ἂν ῥυσθῶσιν οἱ ἀγαπητοί σου. Σῶσον τῇ δεξιᾷ σου, καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ· Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα, καὶ τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω. Ἱκετεύω καὶ δέομαι τάχος ἐπιστῆναι τὴν χάριν, καὶ σὲ τὸν ὕψιστον Θεὸν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ὑμνούμενον γνωσθῆναι, καὶ τὴν σαυτοῦ δόξαν φανερὰν ποιῆσαι ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. Τούτου γὰρ γενομένου, ῥυσθήσονται οἱ ἀγαπητοί σου ἀπὸ τῆς πικρᾶς δουλείας καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας ἣν πεπόνθασιν ὑποχείριοι γενόμενοι. Σῶσον τῇ δεξιᾷ σου, καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ. Τίς ἦν ὁ ἅγιος αὐτοῦ ἢ ὁ μονογενὴς Παῖς, ὁ ὢν ἀληθῶς ἅγιος καὶ ἀγαπητὸς, δι' οὗ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν εὐχὴν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεός· πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὴν εὐχὴν τὴν φήσασαν· Ὑψώθητι ἐπὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ὁ Θεὸς, ἀποκρίνεται λέγων, Ὑψωθήσομαι, πρὸς δὲ τό· Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἡ δόξα σου, πάλιν ἀποκρίνεται τὰ ἀκόλουθα ἀπὸ τοῦ, Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα, καὶ τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω. Ταύτην τοίνυν, φησὶ, τὴν κοιλάδα,