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a stain. "For again, it says, Jehoshaphat went out to the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and he brought them back to the Lord their God." And not only for piety, but also for other good government did he take thought. "For he appointed, it says, judges in all the fortified cities of Judah." And his words to the judges were admirable: "For see, it says, what you do, for you do not judge for man, but for the Lord, and with you are the words of judgment. And now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, and be careful, and do it, for there is no injustice with the Lord your God, nor showing partiality, nor taking of bribes." He showed them the beholder of all things, and instilled the fear of him, so that they might not sell justice for gifts, nor for friendship. And in a similar way he also commanded the judges of Jerusalem, so that they would not only judge the citizens, but also justly resolve the disputes of those who came from elsewhere, and advise them on what is fitting. "For you shall warn them, he says, and they will not sin against the Lord; and there will not be wrath upon you, and upon your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you shall not sin." And he appointed over them Amariah the priest, so that if the judges did not know how to bring forth the verdict, they might learn it from God through him. "For behold, he said, Amariah the priest is chief over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all matters of the king; and the scribes, and the Levites are before you." If therefore you wish to ask God anything, let this be done through the priest; but if the king, through the ruler; and if you wish to learn what is fitting according to the law, learn it from the Levites who teach the law. For he called the teachers scribes. Then he added: "Be courageous, and act, and the Lord will be with the good." He did not simply say, with you, but "with the good," that is, with the one who has a good purpose, and inclines toward this. And when a great many enemies campaigned against him, he trusted neither in the multitude of his subjects, nor in weapons. But "he set his face, it says, to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." Then, when all had gathered together, and were propitiating God, he himself offered a prayer on behalf of all, calling him Lord and God of the fathers, and maker of heaven and earth, and Master of all the nations. Then he recalls the 80.836 past beneficence and wonder-working. "For you are, he says, the Lord our God, who destroyed the inhabitants of this land from before your people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham your friend." And he remembered the forefather, so that through the promise to him he might obtain help. And he also said how the temple was built, and how Solomon, having prayed, asked that if enemies came upon them, the people should run to the temple, and call upon its God, so that they might enjoy help from above. And you know, he says, how our fathers, passing through the desert, and arriving in this land, did no harm to the Idumeans, nor to the Ammonites, nor to the Moabites as they passed by according to your commandments. But these now, having gathered together, are trying to drive us out of the inheritance given to us by you. Then interrogatively: "Will you not judge them?" And he also confesses his own weakness: that "We have no strength to stand against this great multitude that has come upon us. And we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are upon you." While these things were being said, the whole multitude stood shouting, beseeching God. And the women with ululation and wailing offered their supplications. But the compassionate God, using Jezeel the Levite as a minister, dispelled their fear with the promise of good things; "For, it says, the spirit of the Lord came upon him in the assembly, and he said: Listen, all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and king Jehoshaphat." The division is one of honor; for he mentioned the king separately, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem separately; for many from the other tribes also lived there

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κηλῖδα. "Πάλιν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐξῆλθεν Ἰωσαφὰτ εἰς τὸν λαὸν ἀπὸ Βερσαβεὲ ἕως ὄρους Ἐφραῒμ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὑτῶν." Καὶ οὐ μόνον τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἐφρόντισεν εὐνομίας. "Κατέστησε γὰρ, φησὶ, κριτὰς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα ταῖς ὀχυραῖς." Ἀξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς κριτὰς ῥήματα· "Ἴδετε γὰρ, φησὶ, τί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπῳ ὑμεῖς κρίνετε, ἀλλ' ἢ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ μεθ' ὑμῶν λόγοι κρίσεως. Καὶ νῦν γενέσθω ὁ φόβος Κυρίου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ φυλάσσετε, καὶ ποιεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μετὰ Κυρίου Θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀδικία, οὐδὲ θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον, οὐδὲ λαβεῖν δῶρα." Ἔδει ξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν τῶν ὅλων ὀπτῆρα, καὶ τὸ τούτου δέος ἐντέθεικεν, ἵνα μὴ δώροις, μηδὲ φιλίᾳ πωλῶσι τὸ δίκαιον. Παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ κριταῖς ἐνετείλατο, ὥστε μὴ μόνον τοῖς πολίταις δικά ζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἑτέρωθεν ἀφικνουμένων τὰς ἀμφι βολίας διαλύειν ἐνδίκως, καὶ παραινεῖν τὰ προσήκον τα. "∆ιαστελεῖτε γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶ, καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτή σονται τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὀργὴ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὑμῶν. Οὕτω ποιήσετε, καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεσθε." Ἐπέστησε δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἀμαρίαν τὸν ἱερέα, ὥστε εἰ ἀγνοοῖεν οἱ δικάζοντες, ὅπως ἐξ ενεγκεῖν τὴν ψῆφον, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μάθοιεν δι' ἐκείνου. "Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἔφη, Ἀμαρίας ὁ ἱερεὺς ἡγούμενος ἐφ' ὑμᾶς εἰς πάντα λόγον Κυρίου· καὶ Ζαβα δίας υἱὸς Ἰσμαὴλ, ἡγούμενος τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰούδα εἰς πάντα λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν." Εἴ τι οὖν ἔρεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν βούλεσθε, διὰ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦτο γινέσθω· εἰ δὲ τὸν βασιλέα, διὰ τοῦ ἄρχοντος· εἰ δὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα τῷ νόμῳ μαθεῖν θέλετε, παρὰ τῶν Λευϊτῶν τῶν διδασκόντων τὸν νόμον μάθετε. Τοὺς γὰρ διδασκά λους γραμματέας ἐκάλεσεν. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἀν δρίζεσθε, καὶ ποιεῖτε, καὶ ἔσται Κύριος μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ." Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, μεθ' ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ "μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ," τουτέστι, τοῦ σκοπὸν ἀγαθὸν ἔχοντος, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ῥέποντος. Καὶ τῶν παμπόλλων δὲ πολεμίων κατ' αὐτοῦ στρατευσάντων, οὔτε τῷ πλή θει τῶν ὑπηκόων, οὔτε τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐθάῤῥησεν. Ἀλλ' "ἔδωκε, φησὶ, τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐκζητῆ σαι τὸν Κύριον· καὶ ἐκήρυξε νηστείαν ἐν παντὶ Ἰούδα." Εἶτα πάντων συνειλεγμένων, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεουμένων, αὐτὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων προσενήνοχε προσευχὴν, Κύριον μὲν αὐτὸν καὶ Θεὸν τῶν πατέ ρων ὀνομάσας, οὐρανοῦ δὲ καὶ γῆς ποιητὴν, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ∆εσπότην. Εἶτα ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς 80.836 γεγενημένης εὐεργεσίας τε καὶ θαυματουργίας. "Σὺ γὰρ εἶ, φησὶ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐξολο θρεύσας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπὸ προσ ώπου τοῦ λαοῦ σου Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτὴν τῷ σπέρματι Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ φίλου σου." Ἀνέμνησε δὲ τοῦ προπάτορος, ἵνα διὰ τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐπαγ γελίας τύχῃ τῆς βοηθείας. Ἔφη δὲ καὶ ὅπως ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδομήθη, καὶ ὅπως Σολομὼν προσευξάμε νος ᾔτησεν, ὡς εἰ πολεμίων ἐπεληλυθότων προσ δράμῃ ὁ λαὸς τῷ ναῷ, καὶ τὸν τούτου καλέσῃ Θεὸν, τῆς ἄνωθεν αὐτοὺς ἀπολαῦσαι ῥοπῆς. Οἶδας δὲ, φη σὶν, ὡς οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, διϊόντες τὴν ἔρημον, καὶ εἰς τήνδε τὴν γῆν ἀφικνούμενοι, οὔτε τοῖς Ἰδου μαίοις, οὔτε τοῖς Ἀμμανίταις, οὔτε Μωαβίταις ἐλυ μήναντο παριόντες κατὰ τὰς σὰς ἐντολάς. Ἀλλ' οὗ τοι νῦν κατὰ ταυτὸν ἀθροισθέντες ἐξελάσαι πειρῶν ται ἡμᾶς τῆς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἡμῖν δεδομένης κληρονομίας. Εἶτα ἐρωτηματικῶς· "Οὐ κρινεῖς ἐν αὐτοῖς;" Ὁμολογεῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν· ὅτι "Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἀντιστῆσαι πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τὸ πολὺ τοῦτο τὸ ἐλθὸν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί ποιήσομεν ἡμεῖς, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν." Τούτων λεγομένων, ἅπαν εἱστήκει τὸ πλῆ θος μετὰ βοῆς τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεῦον. Αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες σὺν ὀλολυγμῷ καὶ κωκυτῷ τὰς ἱκετηρίας προσέφε ρον. Ὁ δὲ φιλοικτίρμων Θεὸς, Ἰεζεὴλ τῷ Λευΐτῃ χρησάμενος ὑπουργῷ, ἔλυσε τὸ δέος τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποσχέσει· "Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπ' αὐτὸν πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ εἶπεν· Ἀκού σατε, πᾶς Ἰούδα, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωσαφάτ." Τιμῆς ἡ διαίρεσις· χω ρὶς γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐμνήσθη, καὶ χωρὶς τῶν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκούντων· πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν ᾤκουν ἐκείνην