As the morning passeth, so hath the king of Israel Israel was a child, and I loved him: and I called my son out of Egypt.3 And I was like a foster father to Ephraim, I carried them in my arms: and they knew not that I healed them.4 I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love: and I will be to them as one that taketh off the yoke on their jaws: and I put his meat to him that he might eat.8 How shall I deal with thee, O Ephraim, shall I protect thee, O Israel? how shall I make thee as Adama, shall I set thee as Seboim? my heart is turned within me, my repentance is stirred up.9 I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath: I will not return to destroy Ephraim: because I am God, and not man: the holy one in the midst of thee, and I will not enter into the city.
I will address myself as is right to those who have come from Egypt. They have come here eagerly, having overcome ill will by zeal. They come from that Egypt which is enriched by the river who is Christ, raining out of the earth and like the sea in its season—if I too may follow in my small measure those who have so eloquently spoken of these matters. They too are enriched by Christ my Lord. He too was once fugitive in Egypt; the first, when he fled from Herod's massacre of the children, and now by the love of the fathers for their children, by Christ the new food of those who hunger after good, who offers the greatest alms of corn of which history speaks and men believe. He is the bread that came down from heaven and gives life to the world, that life which is indestructible and indissoluble. It is of him that I now seem to hear the Father saying, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."
Behold, God is my saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear: O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.3 You shall draw waters with joy out of the saviour’s fountains:4 And you shall say in that day: Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make his works known among the people: remember that his name is high.5 Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath done great things: shew this forth in all the earth.6 Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel.
And who is this strong man, except him of whom the Lord says in the Gospel; No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man. The Lord, therefore, clave the fountains and the torrents, when He spread in the hearts of His Apostles the streams of truth. Of whom it is said again by another Prophet; With joy shall ye draw water from the fountains of the Saviour. For we go in our thirst to their teaching, that we may bring back the pitcher of our hearts full of truth. But He dried the rivers of Ethan by the springing forth of His own fountains, when He withered the doctrine of the mighty and malignant spirit by displaying the ray of His own truth.
To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ,9 And to enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things:10 That the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church,11 According to the eternal purpose, which he made, in Christ Jesus our Lord:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named,16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man,17 That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity,18 You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth:19 To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
Those who are wise in mind have a certain attribute of nature peculiar to themselves; and they who have shown themselves capable, receive from the Supreme Wisdom a spirit of perception in double measure. For those who practise the common arts, are in what pertains to the senses highly gifted: in hearing, he who is commonly called a musician; in touch, he who moulds clay; in voice the singer, in smell the perfumer, in sight the engraver of devices on seals. Those also that are occupied in instruction, train the sensibility according to which the poets are susceptible to the influence of measure; the sophists apprehend expression; the dialecticians, syllogisms; and the philosophers are capable of the contemplation of which themselves are the objects. For sensibility finds and invents; since it persuasively exhorts to application. And practice will increase the application which has knowledge for its end. With reason, therefore, the apostle has called the wisdom of God "manifold," and which has manifested its power "in many departments and in many modes" -by art, by knowledge, by faith, by prophecy-for our benefit. "For all wisdom is from the Lord, and is with Him for ever," as says the wisdom of Jesus.
But the self-love of the Greeks proclaims certain men as their teachers. As, then, the whole family runs back to God the Creator; so also all the teaching of good things, which justifies, does to the Lord, and leads and contributes to this.
Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.32 The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him.33 But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.34 But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.†35 And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe.36 For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him.37 And again another scripture saith: They shall look on him whom they pierced.
(Hom. lxxxv) The Jews who strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel, after their audacious wickedness, reason scrupulously about the day: The Jews therefore because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath.
(Hom. lxxxv. 3) How forcible is truth: their own devices it is that accomplish the fulfilment of prophecy: Then came the soldiers and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side.
(Hom. lxxxv) This being the source whence the holy mysteries are derived, when thou approachest the awful cup, approach it as if thou wert about to drink out of Christ’s side.
(Hom. lxxxv. 3) As if to say, I did not hear it from others, but saw it with mine own eyes. And his record is true, he adds, not as if he had mentioned something so wonderful that his account would be suspected, but to stop the mouths of heretics, and in contemplation of the deep value of those mysteries which he announces.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)