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more clearly. 15. For behold, he says, I am calling together all the kingdoms of the kings of the earth from the north, says the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls, and against all the cities of Judah. And showing the justice of the things that were happening, he adds: 16. And I will speak my judgment against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to foreign gods, and have worshipped the works of their own hands. What is more foolish than this impiety? And what is more just than the punishment? For they, having abandoned their own maker, deified their own creations. But he, having been patient for a very long time, stripped them of his own grace. And having been stripped of this, they served unholy men. And he commands him to gird his loins, that is, to be prepared readily and manfully; and reminding him of the promises already made, he casts out fear. And he says that he will make him both like an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, and a most fortified city, and will render him unconquerable, not only to the priests of the Jews, and to the rulers, but also to the kings themselves, and to all the multitude of the subjects. And he promises him not peace and quiet, but struggles and victory. 81.504 19. For they will fight against you, he says, and they shall not be able to prevail against you; because I am with you, to deliver you, says the Lord. He also made this promise to the Church; for indeed he said to the most divine Peter: "Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." He did not say, They will not fight; but, "Fighting, they will not prevail." For indeed the antagonists bring about the victory. CHAPTER II. After these things he is commanded to speak to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 1, 2. Thus says the Lord: I have remembered for you the kindness of your youth, and the love of your perfection; in that you followed the Holy One of Israel in the wilderness, in a land not sown, says the Lord. He called the beginning of the calling the youth of Judea; for at that time they themselves, suffering in Egypt, groaned aloud; but he took pity, and using Moses as a servant, he set them free; but he has set down "the love of your perfection" ironically; for the Jews never had a perfect love for their benefactor. And the psalmist David also teaches us this: "For they loved him, he says, with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied to him; but their heart was not right with him, nor were they faithful in his covenant." 3. Israel is holy to the Lord. Instead of: From on high I chose you before the other nations, and you were called my people. Thus also the blessed Moses said: "And Jacob his people became the Lord's portion, Israel the lot of his inheritance." -"The firstfruits of his produce." For he chose him before all others. For which reason he also said to Pharaoh: "Israel is my firstborn son;" and through another prophet he says thus: "Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, and like the first ripe fruit on a fig tree I found their fathers." -"All who devour him will be guilty; I will bring evil upon them, says the Lord." For those who fought against Israel did not fight as if serving God; but as if able to overcome God himself. Thus also Sennacherib said: "Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying that the Lord will deliver Jerusalem from my hand." For this reason he also threatens them with punishment. Then he says to all the people: 81.505 5. What fault did your fathers find in me, that they went far from me, and

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σαφέστερον. ιεʹ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ συγκαλῶ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ βοῤῥᾶ, λέγει Κύριος· καὶ ἥξουσι, καὶ θήσουσιν ἕκαστος τὸν θρόνον αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ πρόθυρα τῶν θυρῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα. Καὶ δεικνὺς τῶν γινομένων τὸ δίκαιον, ἐπιφέρει· ιϛʹ. Καὶ λαλήσω μετὰ κρίσεώς μου πρὸς αὐτοὺς περὶ πάσης τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν, ὡς ἐγκατέλιπόν με, καὶ ἔθυσαν θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, καὶ προσεκύνη σαν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν. Τί δὲ τῆς ἀσε βείας ταύτης ἀνοητότερον; Τί δὲ τῆς τιμωρίας δι καιότερον; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, τὸν οἰκεῖον ποιητὴν καταλι πόντες, τὰ οἰκεῖα ἐθεοποίουν ποιήματα. Ὁ δὲ, μα κροθυμήσας ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, τῆς οἰκείας αὐτοὺς ἐγύ μνωσε χάριτος. Ταύτης δὲ γυμνωθέντες, ἀνοσίοις ἀνδράσιν ἐδούλευσαν. Κελεύει δὲ τὴν ὀσφὺν περι ζώσασθαι, τουτέστιν, εὐζώνως καὶ ἀνδρείως διακο σμῆσαι· καὶ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων ὑποσχέσεων ἀνα μιμνήσκων, ἐκβάλλει τὸ δέος. Λέγει δὲ αὐτὸν ἀποφῆναι καὶ στύλῳ σιδηρῷ, καὶ τείχει χαλκῷ, καὶ ὀχυρωτάτῃ παραπλήσιον πόλει, καὶ ἄμαχον κατα στῆσαι, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, καὶ παντὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὑπηκόων. Ἐπαγγέλλεται δὲ αὐτῷ οὐκ εἰρήνην καὶ ἡσυχίαν, ἀλλ' ἀγῶνας καὶ νίκην. 81.504 ιθʹ. Πολεμήσουσι γάρ σοι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ μὴ δύ νωνται πρός σε· διότι ἐγὼ μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, τοῦ ἐξαιρεῖσθαί σε, λέγει Κύριος. Ταύτην καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐποιήσατο τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν· πρὸς γὰρ δὴ τὸν θειότατον ἔφη Πέτρον· "Ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς." Οὐκ εἶπεν, Οὐ πολεμήσου σιν· ἀλλὰ, "Πολεμοῦντες οὐ κατισχύσουσι." Τὴν γὰρ δὴ νίκην οἱ ἀνταγωνισταὶ πραγματεύονται. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ. Μετὰ ταῦτα κελεύεται εἰπεῖν τοῖς οἰκοῦσι τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· αʹ, βʹ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἐμνήσθην σοι ἐλέους νεότητός σου, καὶ ἀγάπης τελειώσεώς σου· ἐν τῷ ἐξακολουθῆσαί σε τῷ ἁγίῳ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐν γῇ μὴ σπαρείσῃ, λέγει Κύριος. Νεό τητα τῆς Ἰουδαίας τῆς κλήσεως τὴν ἀρχὴν προσηγό ρευσε· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ταλαι πωρούμενοι κατεστέναξαν· αὐτὸς δὲ ᾤκτειρε, καὶ Μωσῇ διακόνῳ χρησάμενος, ἠλευθέρωσε· τὸ δὲ "ἀγάπης τελειώσεώς σου" κατ' εἰρωνείαν τέθεικεν· οὐδέποτε γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην τελείαν ἔσχον ἀγάπην. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ ὑμνοποιὸς ἡμᾶς διδάσκει ∆αβίδ· "Ἠγάπησαν γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ στόματι αὑτῶν, καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὑτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτῷ· ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν εὐθεῖα μετ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ." γʹ. Ἅγιος Ἰσραὴλ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἄνθέν σε τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν προέκρινα, καὶ ἐμὸς λαὸς ἐχρημάτισας. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη Μωσῆς· "Καὶ ἐγενήθη μερὶς Κυρίου λαὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰακὼβ, σχοίνισμα κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ Ἰσραήλ." -"Ἀπαρχὴ γεννημάτων αὐτοῦ." Πρὸ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων αὐτὸν ἐξελέξατο. Οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ τῷ Φαραὼ ἔφη· "Υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ·" καὶ δι' ἑτέρου δὲ προφήτου φησὶν οὕτως· "Ὡς σταφυλὴν ἐν ἐρήμῳ εὗρον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ὡς καρπὸν σύκου πρώϊμον εὗρον πατέρας αὐτῶν." -"Πάντες οἱ ἐσθίοντες αὐτὸν πλημμελήσουσι, κακὰ ἐπάξω ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, λέ γει Κύριος." Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς τῷ Θεῷ διακονοῦντες ἐπο λέμουν οἱ πολεμοῦντες τῷ Ἰσραήλ· ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ περιγενήσεσθαι δυνάμενοι. Οὕτω καὶ Σε ναχηρεὶμ ἔλεγε· "Μή σε ἀπατάτω ὁ Θεός σου, ἐν ᾧ σὺ πέποιθας ἐπ' αὐτῷ, λέγων ὅτι Ῥύσεται Κύριος τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκ χειρός μου." Τούτου δὴ χάριν καὶ αὐτοῖς ἀπειλεῖ τιμωρίαν. Εἶτα παντί φησι τῷ λαῷ· 81.505 εʹ. Τί εὗρον οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ πλημμέλη μα, ὅτι ἀπέστησαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ μακρὰν, καὶ