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your word. I have declared my ways, and you heard me: teach me your statutes. Make me to understand the way of your statutes: and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul has slumbered from despondency; strengthen me in your words. Remove from me the way of iniquity, and have mercy on me by your law. Just as drowsiness is the beginning of sleep, so too at times a soul at the beginning of sins is said to slumber, being drawn down as if to sleep, to sin, but looking up and being roused through the memory of better things. I ask necessarily to be made to understand, and that my eyes be enlightened for the comprehension of the laws, so that every way of iniquity may depart from me. Instead of, Remove from me the way of iniquity, Aquila has said, Remove from me the way of falsehood; and Symmachus, Take away from me the false way; so as to make true the aforesaid exegesis. For each one prays to be outside of all false opinion and the false supposition concerning the divine Scriptures. I have chosen the way of truth, I have not forgotten your judgments. This verse only he will say who despises the things that are seen as temporary, but considers the things that are not seen as eternal, and alone properly true, and hastens toward them. For the way of truth is not that which he who pursues earthly wealth and glories on earth chooses. Therefore, he who has chosen to walk, as we have rendered, the way of truth, this one does such a thing not forgetting the judgments of God and his recompenses. The lover of truth and one who never utters a false word through his mouth might say: I have chosen the way of truth. But also he who constantly sets the judgments of God before his eyes and in every deed is mindful of them will say: I have not forgotten your judgments. I have clung to your testimonies, O Lord, do not put me to shame. He is attached to the testimonies who unites himself to the words handed down concerning heaven and earth, or any of the written things, and in no way stands apart from them. Let this one be of good courage even if he has previously done deeds of shame; or let him also ask forgiveness from God, and say: O Lord, do not put me to shame. I ran the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart. I ran through, he says, in a short time the way not of one commandment, but of all your commandments, fulfilling by works, and by these very deeds the things declared by your commandments. Wherefore also Paul, having accomplished this, says: I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Legislate for me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will seek it out continually. For he asks some things from God, but promises to contribute from himself. For you, he says, O Lord, legislate for me the way of your statutes; and I will give all the time of my life in it to the seeking of it. Make me to understand, and I will search your law, and I will keep it with my whole heart. The prophet wishes to search out the law of God, knowing that it is not clear and to be despised. Make me to understand, therefore, that I may seek it with the fitting investigation and attention, so as to receive from it the use and comprehension of things to be done and things to be contemplated; for thus I will be able to keep it with my whole heart, approaching it without doubt. But if he needs understanding merely to investigate the law, what does he need, of the understanding given by God, in order to find the end? Guide me in the path of your commandments, for I have desired it. That he might say the law, or the path; for it is a path of commandments. And a path is called a well-worn road, which many of the righteous before us have traveled. But if someone does not use the righteous one as a guide, he cannot walk according to the commandments of God. For we must become imitators of Christ, and take up the cross, and follow behind him. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity; in the

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λόγον σου. Τὰς ὁδούς μου ἐξήγγειλα, καὶ ἐπήκουσάς μου· δίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου. Ὁδὸν δικαιωμάτων σου συνέτισόν με, καὶ ἀδολεσχήσω ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις σου. Ἐνύσταξεν ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ ἀκηδίας, βεβαίωσόν με ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου. Ὁδὸν ἀδικίας ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ τῷ νόμῳ σου ἐλέησόν με. Ὥσπερ ἀρχὴ κοιμήσεώς ἐστι νυσταγμὸς, οὕτως ποτὲ καὶ ψυχὴ ἐν ἀρχῇ γενομένη ἁμαρτημάτων λέγεται νυστάζειν, καθελκομένη μὲν ὥσπερ εἰς ὕπνον, τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἀνανεύουσα δὲ καὶ ἐγειρομένη διὰ τῆς τῶν κρειττόνων μνήμης. Ἀναγκαίως δὲ συνετισθῆναι ἀξιῶ, καὶ φωτισθῆναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου εἰς κατανόησιν τῶν νόμων, ἵνα πᾶσα ὁδὸς ἀδικίας ἀποστῇ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Ὁδὸν ἀδικίας ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, Ὁδὸν ψεύδους ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, εἴρηκεν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ὁδὸν ψευδῆ περίελε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· ὡς ἀληθεύειν τὴν προειρημένην ἐξήγησιν. Εὔχεται γὰρ ἕκαστος ἐκτὸς γενέσθαι πάσης ψευδοδοξίας καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς ψευδοῦς ὑπολήψεως. Ὁδὸν ἀληθείας ᾑρετισάμην, τὰ κρίματά σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην. Τὸν στίχον τοῦτον ἐρεῖ μόνος ὁ καταφρονῶν μὲν τῶν βλεπομένων ὡς προσκαίρων, σκοπῶν δὲ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα ὡς αἰώνια, καὶ μόνα κυρίως ἀληθῆ, καὶ ἐπ' ἐκεῖνα σπεύδων. Οὐκ ἀληθείας γὰρ ὁδὸς, ἣν αἱρεῖται ὁ πραγματευόμενος τὸν κάτω πλοῦτον καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ γῆς δόξας. Ὁ οὖν ἑλόμενος ὁδεύειν, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδὸν, οὗτος οὐκ ἐπιλανθανόμενος τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνταποδόσεων αὐτοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον πράττει. Ὁ φιλαλήθης καὶ μήποτε προφέρων ψευδῆ λόγον διὰ στόματος εἴποι ἄν· Ὁδὸν ἀληθείας ᾑρετισάμην. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ διαπαντὸς πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τιθέμενος τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίματα καὶ ἐπὶ πάσῃ πράξει μεμνημένος αὐτῶν ἐρεῖ· Τὰ κρίματά σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην. Ἐκολλήθην τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου, Κύριε, μή με καταισχύνῃς. Κεκόλληται τοῖς μαρτυρίοις ὁ ἐπὶ λόγοις τοῖς περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ἤ τινος τῶν γεγραμμένων παραδεδομένοις ἑνῶν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ μηδαμῶς αὐτῶν ἀφεστηκώς. Οὗτος καὶ θαῤῥείτω κἂν πρότερον ἔργα αἰσχύνης πεποιηκώς· ἢ καὶ αἰτείτω ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἄφεσιν, καὶ λεγέτω· Κύριε, μή με καταισχύνῃς. Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον, ὅταν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου. ∆ιέδραμον, φησὶν, ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ οὐ μιᾶς ἐντολῆς, ἀλλὰ πασῶν ἐντολῶν σου τὴν ὁδὸν ἔργοις ἐπιτελῶν, καὶ αὐταῖς πράξεσι τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου διηγορευμένα. Ὅθεν καὶ Παῦλος, τετελεκὼς τοῦτο, φησί· Τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα. Νομοθέτησόν με, Κύριε, τὴν ὁδὸν τῶν δικαιωμάτων σου· καὶ ἐκζητήσω αὐτὴν διαπαντός. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ αἰτεῖ, τὸ δὲ ἐπαγγέλλεται ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ συνεισφέρειν. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὦ Κύριε, νομοθέτησόν με τὴν ὁδὸν τῶν δικαιωμάτων σου· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν τῆς ζωῆς μου ἅπαντα χρόνον ἐπιδώσω ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἀναζήτησιν αὐτῆς. Συνέτισόν με, καὶ ἐξερευνήσω τὸν νόμον σου, καὶ φυλάξω αὐτὸν ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου. Βούλεται ἐξερευνῆσαι τὸν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ προφήτης ἐπιστάμενος, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι σαφὴς καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητος. Συνέτισόν με τοίνυν, ἵνα ζητήσω αὐτὸν μετὰ τῆς πρεπούσης ἐρεύνης καὶ ἐπιστασίας, ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τῶν πρακτέων καὶ θεωρητῶν τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ κατάληψιν· οὕτω γὰρ δυνήσομαι φυλάξαι αὐτὸν ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ ἀνενδοιάστως αὐτῷ προσερχόμενος. Εἰ δὲ συνέσεως δεῖται ἵνα μόνον ἐρευνήσῃ τὸν νόμον, τίνος δεῖται, συνέσεως ἀπὸ Θεοῦ διδομένης, ἵνα εὕρῃ τὸ τέλος; Ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τῇ τρίβῳ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου, ὅτι αὐτὴν ἠθέλησα. Ἵνα εἴπῃ τὸν νόμον, ἤτοι τὴν τρίβον· ἔστι γὰρ ἐντολῶν τρίβος. Τρίβος δὲ λέγεται ἡ τετριμμένη ὁδὸς, ἣν πολλοὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐπορεύθησαν τῶν δικαίων. Ἐὰν δέ τις μὴ ὁδηγῷ χρήσηται τῷ δικαίῳ, οὐ δύναται ὁδεῦσαι κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ Χριστοῦ γὰρ ἡμᾶς δεῖ γίνεσθαι μιμητὰς, καὶ αἴρειν τὸν σταυρὸν, καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ Κλῖνον τὴν καρδίαν μου εἰς τὰ μαρτύριά σου, καὶ μὴ εἰς πλεονεξίαν. Ἀπόστρεψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν ματαιότητα· ἐν τῇ