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him, having come to the humiliation of the trial of martyrdom, I do not perish. Thus it is fitting to say also concerning every trial; but also of evil thoughts and of the opposing powers warring against me. I would have perished, unless your law had become my support. Forever I will not forget your justifications, because in them you gave me life. But I will remember your teachings, which I learned in life; for on account of them, having passed from earth to heaven, I dwell with angels. For just as one who, from a great sickness, through certain medical aids has recovered firm and sure health, through the very fact of being healthy and well does not forget those medicines which resulted in his being so healthy with well-being; so this holy one, having been made alive by God in the justifications which he had from him, says that he will not forget them for all eternity, giving the reason that in them God had given him life. I am yours, save me, for I have sought out your justifications. Sinners lay in wait for me to destroy me; I have understood your testimonies. I have seen an end of all perfection; your commandment is exceedingly broad. How I have loved your law, O Lord! All the 23.1381 day it is my meditation. You have made me wiser than my enemies by your commandment, for it is mine forever. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I have understood more than the elders, because I have sought out your commandments. But if the Savior should say somewhere: "A disciple is not above his teacher," and so forth, it must be said that this was said by the Savior when he made a distinction and said: Call no man teacher on earth; for one is your teacher, the one in heaven. In relation to that teacher, therefore, no disciple is greater. But the many teachers indicated here are others, than whom the disciple is often greater. And it comes from greater and continuous practice in the divine words. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, so that I might keep your words. I have not turned aside from your judgments, for you have legislated for me. How sweet are your oracles to my throat; more than honey to my mouth. From your commandments I have understood; therefore I have hated every way of iniquity. Your law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths. I have sworn and I have confirmed it, to keep the judgments of your righteousness. Since, with no one compelling him, using his own impulse and good purpose, he bound himself with an oath and swore to keep the judgments of the righteousness of God, he prays that his oath may become worthy of acceptance before God; for even the knowledge of the judgments of God requires much teaching. I have been greatly humbled, O Lord; give me life according to your word. Be pleased, I pray, O Lord, with the freewill offerings of my mouth, and teach me your judgments. My soul is continually in my hands, and I have not forgotten your law. Sinners have set a snare for me, and from your commandments I have not strayed. A person's soul is in his hands whenever he has been in dangers, and common usage says this, that: I had my soul in my hands. I therefore, says the just one, die daily, I am always in danger because of your word, because of the truth, because of the reproof, because of the kingdom which I rule; and for these reasons my soul is continually in my hands. For the danger of death did not cause me to forget your law. But one can also understand the saying more loftily, and say that "my soul was continually in my hands," meaning, in good deeds; for "hand" has often been handed down to mean deeds. But if it should be "in your hands," let us understand the hands of God to be his creation, to which one must continually draw near. I have inherited your testimonies forever; for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform your justifications forever for a reward. 23.1384 I have hated the lawless,

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αὐτὸν, ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τὴν κατὰ τὸν πειρασμὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου, οὐκ ἀπόλλυμαι. Οὕτως ἁρμόζει καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς πειρασμοῦ εἰπεῖν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν καὶ τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων πολεμουσῶν ἐμοί. Εἶχον ἂν ἀπολεῖσθαι, εἰ μὴ ὁ σὸς νόμος ἀντιστήριγμά μου γένηται. Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐ μὴ ἐπιλάθωμαι τῶν δικαιωμάτων σου, ὅτι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔζησάς με. Ἀλλὰ μεμνήσομαι τῶν μαθημάτων σου, ὧν ἔμαθον ἐν τῷ βίῳ· δι' ἐκεῖνα γὰρ ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν μετελθὼν οἰκῶ μετ' ἀγγέλων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἐκ μεγάλης νόσου διά τινων ἰατρικῶν βοηθημάτων παγίαν καὶ βεβαίαν ἀναλαβὼν ὑγίειαν δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὑγιαίνειν καὶ εὐεκτεῖν οὐκ ἐπιλανθάνεται τῶν ἰατρικῶν ἐκείνων οἷς ἠκολούθησε τὸ οὕτως αὐτὸν μετ' εὐεξίας ὑγιαίνειν· οὕτως ὁ ἅγιος οὗτος, ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ζωοποιηθεὶς ἐν οἷς ἔσχε παρ' αὐτοῦ δικαιώμασι λέγει παρ' ὅλον τὸν αἰῶνα μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι αὐτῶν, ἀποδιδοὺς τὴν αἰτίαν, τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸν Θεὸν αὐτὸν ἐζηκέναι. Σός εἰμι ἐγὼ, σῶσόν με, ὅτι τὰ δικαιώματά σου ἐξεζήτησα. Ἐμὲ ὑπέμειναν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοῦ ἀπολέσαι με, τὰ μαρτύριά σου συνῆκα. Πάσης συντελείας εἶδον πέρας, πλατεῖα ἡ ἐντολή σου σφόδρα. Ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, Κύριε, ὅλην τὴν 23.1381 ἡμέραν μελέτη μου ἐστίν. Ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐσόφισάς με τὴν ἐντολήν σου, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐμή ἐστιν. Ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς διδάσκοντάς με συνῆκα, ὅτι τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μου ἐστίν. Ὑπὲρ πρεσβυτέρους συνῆκα, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου ἐξεζήτησα. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι που ὁ Σωτήρ· Οὐκ ἔστι μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, λεκτέον, ὅτι τοῦτ' εἴρηται τῷ Σωτῆρι προσδιαστειλαμένῳ, καὶ φάντι· Μὴ καλέσητε διδάσκαλον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὡς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον οὖν τὸν διδάσκαλον οὐκ ἔστι μαθητὴς κρείττων. Οἱ δὲ ἐνταῦθα δηλούμενοι πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι ἕτεροι τυγχάνουσιν, ὧν πολλάκις ὁ μαθητὴς κρείττων. Γίνεται δὲ πλείονος καὶ συνεχοῦς τῆς περὶ τοὺς θείους λόγους ἀσκήσεως. Ἐκ πάσης ὁδοῦ πονηρᾶς ἐκώλυσα τοὺς πόδας μου, ὅπως ἂν φυλάξω τοὺς λόγους σου. Ἀπὸ τῶν κριμάτων σου οὐκ ἐξέκλινα, ὅτι σὺ ἐνομοθέτησάς μοι. Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου· ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου. Ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου συνῆκα, διὰ τοῦτο ἐμίσησα πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἀδικίας. Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου. Ὤμοσα καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Ἐπεὶ, μηδενὸς ἐκβιασαμένου, οἰκείᾳ χρησάμενος ὁρμῇ καὶ προαιρέσει ἀγαθῇ, ὅρκῳ ἑαυτὸν κατεδήσατο καὶ ὤμοσε τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τοῦ Θεοῦ, εὔχεται τὸν ὅρκον αὐτοῦ ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιον παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ γενέσθαι· δεῖται γὰρ πολλῆς διδασκαλίας καὶ ἡ γνῶσις τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐταπεινώθην ἕως σφόδρα, Κύριε· ζῆσόν με κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου. Τὰ ἑκούσια τοῦ στόματός μου εὐδόκησον δὴ, Κύριε, καὶ τὰ κρίματά σου δίδαξόν με. Ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ταῖς χερσί μου διαπαντὸς, καὶ τοῦ νόμου σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην. Ἔθεντο ἁμαρτωλοὶ παγίδα μοι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου οὐκ ἐπλανήθην. Ἡ ψυχή τινος ἐν χερσὶν αὐτοῦ ἐστιν, εἴ ποτε ἐν κινδύνοις γεγένηται, καὶ τοῦτο ἡ συνήθεια λέγει ὅτι· Τὴν ψυχήν μου εἶχον εἰς τὰς χεῖράς μου. Ἐγὼ οὖν, φησὶν ὁ δίκαιος, καθημέραν ἀποθνήσκω, ἀεὶ κινδυνεύω διὰ τὸν λόγον σου, διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, διὰ τὸν ἔλεγχον, διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἣν βασιλεύω· καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ταῖς χερσί μου διαπαντός. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ κίνδυνος τοῦ θανάτου ἐποίει με ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ νόμου σου. ∆ύναται δέ τις καὶ ὑψηλότερον νοῆσαι τὸ ῥητὸν, καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ταῖς χερσί μου ἦν διαπαντὸς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐν πράξεσιν ἀγαθαῖς· ἡ χεὶρ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν πράξεων πολλάκις παραδέδοται. Εἰ δὲ ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου εἴη, νοήσωμεν χεῖρας εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δημιουργίαν αὐτοῦ, ᾗ προσιτέον διαπαντός. Ἐκληρονόμησα τὰ μαρτύριά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὅτι ἀγαλλίαμα τῆς καρδίας μου εἰσίν. Ἔκλινα τὴν καρδίαν μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὰ δικαιώματά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα δι' ἀντάμειψιν. 23.1384 Παρανόμους ἐμίσησα,