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Aaron, and from those who fear the Lord to confess and to say in the confession, "You are my God, and I will confess to you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. I will confess to you, for you have heard me, and have become my salvation." To whom does he say these things, if not to the Lord declared above, who also delivered him from affliction, who also humbled his enemies, who also exalted the stone rejected by the builders, who also gave success to and saved those who believe in him. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. HALLELUJAH. 118. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that search his testimonies; with their whole heart they will seek him. For they that work iniquity have not walked in his ways. You have commanded us to keep your precepts 23.1368 diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep your ordinances! Then I shall not be ashamed, when I have respect to all your commandments. I will confess to you in uprightness of heart, when I have learned the judgments of your righteousness. I will keep your ordinances; do not utterly forsake me. The undefiled would also be the perfect in the way, whom he who is at the beginning of the divine lessons is taught to declare blessed; so that he may not be worn down, becoming vain, as if already blessed, but may know that he falls far short of those who are called blessed. Blessed are they that search his testimonies; with their whole heart they will seek him. We have already spoken about the testimonies; the way of these testimonies, then, would be to travel according to their will, not out of grief or necessity, but with all joy, as the Prophet says: "I have run the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart." Wherewith shall a young man correct his way? by keeping your words. With my whole heart I have sought you; do not thrust me away from your commandments. I have hidden your oracles in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your ordinances. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of your mouth. I have been delighted in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your commandments, and I will understand your ways. I will meditate on your ordinances; I will not forget your words. Recalling to memory, he says, the words of your righteous judgments, I am greatly benefited. But I fear lest any forgetfulness of them occur in me; wherefore I made a prayer: to be mindful of your judgment throughout all my life, and at every moment; or, in another way, my soul has desired to know the judgments of your providence as a whole, O Lord. Repay your servant; I shall live and keep your words. Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wonderful things from your law. I am a sojourner in the earth; do not hide your commandments from me. My soul has longed to desire your judgments at all times. You have rebuked the proud; cursed are they who turn aside from your commandments. Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have sought out your testimonies. For rulers also sat and spoke against me, but your servant meditated on your ordinances. For your testimonies are also my meditation, and your ordinances are my counselors. Sometimes, he says, they reproached me for old sins, if such there were; and sometimes they held me in contempt, scorning me as worthy of no account. But I, sitting alone, and attending to the divine words, and possessing no counselor nor having any other comfort, used your ordinances instead of counselors. My soul has cleaved to the ground; quicken me 23.1369 according to your

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Ἀαρὼν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Κύριον ἐξομολογεῖσθαι καὶ λέγειν ἐν τῇ ἐξομολογήσει τὸ, Θεός μου εἶ σὺ, καὶ ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι· Θεός μου εἶ σὺ, καὶ ὑψώσω σε. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι ἐπήκουσάς μου, καὶ ἐγένου μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν. Τίνι δὲ ταῦτα λέγει ἢ τῷ ἀνωτέρω δεδηλωμένῳ Κυρίῳ τῷ καὶ ἐκ θλίψεως ῥυσαμένῳ αὐτὸν, τῷ καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ταπεινώσαντι, τῷ καὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν ἀποβληθέντα πρὸς τῶν οἰκοδόμων ὑψώσαντι, τῷ καὶ εὐοδώσαντι καὶ σώσαντι τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας. Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ ὅτι ἀγαθὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. ΑΛΛΗΛΟΥΙΑ. ΡΙΗʹ. Μακάριοι οἱ ἄμωμοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, οἱ πορευόμενοι ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐξερευνῶντες τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ, ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐκζητήσουσιν αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπορεύθησαν. Σὺ ἐνετείλω τὰς ἐν 23.1368 τολάς σου φυλάξασθαι σφόδρα. Ὤφελον κατευθυνθείησαν αἱ ὁδοί μου τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ δικαιώματά σου. Τότε οὐκ αἰσχυνθῶ ἐν τῷ με ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας, ἐν τῷ μεμαθηκέναι με τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Τὰ δικαιώματά σου φυλάξω, μή με ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἕως σφόδρα. Ἄμωμοι δ' ἂν εἶεν καὶ οἱ τέλειοι ἐν ὁδῷ, οὓς καὶ μακαρίους ἀποφαίνειν διδάσκεται ὁ ἐν ἀρχαῖς τυγχάνων τῶν θείων μαθημάτων· ὡς ἂν μὴ ἐπιτρίβοιτο αὐτὸς χαυνούμενος, ὡς ἤδη μακάριος· γινώσκῃ δὲ, ὅτι μακρὰ ἀφυστερεῖ τῶν μακαριζομένων. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐξερευνῶντες τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ, ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐκζητήσουσιν αὐτόν. Περὶ τῶν μαρτυρίων ἤδη διηγησάμεθα· ὁδὸς οὖν μαρτυρίων τούτων εἴη ἂν τὸ ὁδεῦσαι κατὰ τὸ βούλημα αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πάσης εὐφροσύνης, καθὸ ὁ Προφήτης φησίν· Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον, ὅταν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου. Ἐν τίνι κατορθώσει νεώτερος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ; ἐν τῷ φυλάξασθαι τοὺς λόγους σου. Ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου ἐξεζήτησά σε, μὴ ἀπώσῃ με ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου. Ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἔκρυψα τὰ λόγιά σου, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἁμάρτω σοι. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, δίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου. Ἐν τοῖς χείλεσί μου ἐξήγγειλα πάντα τὰ κρίματα τοῦ στόματός σου. Ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τῶν μαρτυρίων σου ἐτέρφθην, ὡς ἐπὶ παντὶ πλούτῳ. Ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς σου ἀδολεσχήσω, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰς ὁδούς σου. Ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασί σου μελετήσω· οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαι τῶν λόγων σου. Τοὺς δικαιοκρισίας σου, φησὶ, λόγους ἀναλαμβάνων τῇ μνήμῃ τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελοῦμαι. Φοβοῦμαι δὲ μήποτέ τις αὐτῶν λήθη ἐν ἐμοὶ γένηται· διόπερ εὐχὴν ἐποιησάμην· τὸ δι' ἁπάσης τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ζωῆς, καὶ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ τῆς σῆς μνημονεύειν κρίσεως· ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, τῆς σῆς καθ' ὅλου προνοίας, ὦ Κύριε, τὰ κρίματα εἰδέναι ἐπεθύμησεν ἡ ψυχή μου. Ἀνταπόδος τῷ δούλῳ σου· ζήσομαι καὶ φυλάξω τοὺς λόγους σου. Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσιά σου ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου. Πάροικος ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν τῇ γῇ, μὴ ἀποκρύψῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Ἐπεπόθησεν ἡ ψυχή μου τοῦ ἐπιθυμῆσαι τὰ κρίματά σου ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ. Ἐπετίμησας ὑπερηφάνοις, ἐπικατάρατοι οἱ ἐκκλίνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου. Περίελε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὄνειδος καὶ ἐξουδένωσιν, ὅτι τὰ μαρτύριά σου ἐξεζήτησα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκάθισαν ἄρχοντες καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ κατελάλουν, ὁ δὲ δοῦλός σου ἠδολέσχει ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασί σου. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μου ἐστὶ, καὶ αἱ συμβουλίαι μου τὰ δικαιώματά σου. Ποτὲ μὲν ὠνείδιζόν με, φησὶ, παλαιὰ εἰ τύχοι ἁμαρτήματα· ποτὲ δὲ ἐξουδένουν ἐξευτελίζοντες, ὡς οὐδενὸς ἄξιον λόγου. Ἐγὼ δὲ καταμόνας καθήμενος, καὶ τοῖς θείοις λόγοις προσανέχων, καὶ μηδένα κεκτημένος σύμβουλον μηδ' ἄλλην ἔχων παραμυθίαν, τοῖς σοῖς δικαιώμασιν ἀντὶ συμβούλων ἐχρώμην. Ἐκολλήθη τῷ ἐδάφει ἡ ψυχή μου· ζῆσόν με 23.1369 κατὰ τὸν