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humble in heart, that they may find rest” befitting for pure souls, when the seventieth year was fulfilled from the circular motion of the sun of righteousness, who moves around the pure and clear minds. 1.53Zach. I, 13: And the Lord Almighty answered the angel who was speaking in me good words and comforting words. 1.54 To the angel who had said: “How long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah?” the Lord Almighty answered good words about having mercy on Jerusalem and the cities under it and comforting words showing and bringing much comfort. For how do they not comfort and restore those returning from captivity, so as to say with thanksgiving: “When the Lord returned the captivity of Zion, we became as those comforted, we became joyful”? May the Lord Almighty also answer us through the angel of his great counsel with good words, so that, having obtained everything praiseworthy, we may be perfectly comforted by his perfect words, being led into a free and blessed life. 1.55Zach. I, 14-15: And the angel speaking in me said to me: Cry out, saying: Thus says the Lord Almighty: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy, and I am very angry with the nations that attack together, because although I was a little angry, they joined together for evil. 1.56 The prophet says in his own person that a command was given to him by the angel of the Lord Almighty, that he should cry out vehemently: “Thus says the Lord: I was jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy, bringing great wrath upon the nations” that afflict, since when the guardian brought on a few and small things for the sake of discipline and conversion, they savagely and most cruelly joined in the attack. 1.57 It was necessary to fear, seeing those belonging to God being abandoned to be scourged for the evil things they did, and to be careful lest they suffer the same things, but they joined together for evil, being arrogant and mocking with malicious intent, striking with their fists, trampling those who were handed over. 1.58 Against those who behaved so inhumanly and beastly towards those handed over to them, God finds fault, saying in Isaiah the prophet: “I gave them into your hands, but you showed them no mercy; on the elder you made your yoke very heavy and you said: ‘I shall be a ruler forever.’” Therefore, since I was angry with you, suddenly there will come upon you what you threatened to inflict on those whom I handed over not for destruction, but so that, perceiving the threat that was to be against them, they might return to me, the guardian. 1.59 And what were the things it boasted out of pride and audacity? “I am,” it says, “and there is none besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know bereavement.” Having proclaimed these things proudly and cruelly, she was suddenly seen to be unprotected by the judgment of God, no longer helped by a father and a husband. Taking these things to mind, may those who have been entrusted with authority not rise up against, cruelly attacking, those whom they have under their hand by the decree of providence for reasons which it knows. 1.60 And what does the Lord Almighty mean by saying: “I am jealous for Zion and for Jerusalem with a great jealousy”? For she was indeed a bride and a consort to God the Word, she who is spiritually called Zion and Jerusalem, whom for a little while he had abandoned, since she had broken the marital rights towards her husband, so that he who lived with her said: “As a wife is unfaithful to her partner, so the house of Israel has been unfaithful to me, says the Lord.” 1.61 When she was thus overlooked, she who was once nobly and honorably kept in her chamber, many of those who attempt to harm subjected her to ill-treatment, dishonoring her, leading her into disgrace as one unprotected, having no husband. Taking pity on these things, he who is merciful by nature began again to be jealous for her. 1.62

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ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἵν' εὕρωσιν ἀνάπαυσιν» ψυχαῖς καθαραῖς προσήκουσαν, τοῦ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ ἔτους πληρωθέντος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης κυκλικῆς κινήσεως, περιπολοῦντος τὰς καθαρὰς καὶ διαυγεῖς διανοίας. 1.53Zach. I, 13: Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Κύριος παντοκράτωρ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῷ λαλοῦντι ἐν ἐμοὶ ῥήματα καλὰ καὶ λόγους παρακλητικούς. 1.54 Πρὸς τὸν εἰρηκότα ἄγγελον· «Ἕως τίνος οὐ μὴ ἐλεήσῃς τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα;» ἀπεκρίθη ὁ παντοκράτωρ Κύριος ῥήματα καλὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐλεηθήσεσθαι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὰς ὑπ' αὐτὴν πόλεις καὶ λόγους παρακλητικοὺς πολλὴν παραμυθίαν ἐμφαίνοντας καὶ ἐπιφέροντας. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ παρακαλοῦσιν καὶ ἀνακτῶνται τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, ὥστ' εἰπεῖν εὐχαριστικῶς· «Ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι Κύριον τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Σιών, ἐγενήθημεν ὡς παρακεκλημένοι, ἐγενήθημεν εὐφραινόμενοι»; Ἀποκριθείη καὶ ἡμῖν Κύριος ὁ παντοκράτωρ διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς αὐτοῦ καλὰ ῥήματα, ἵνα παντὸς ἐπαινετοῦ τυχόντες τελείως παρακληθῶμεν ὑπὸ τῶν τελείων αὐτοῦ λόγων εἰσαγόμενοι εἰς ἐλευθέραν καὶ μακαρίαν διαγωγήν. 1.55Zach. I, 14-15: Καὶ εἶπεν πρός με ὁ ἄγγελος λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί· Ἀνάκραγε λέγων· Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐζήλωκα τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιὼν ζῆλον μέγαν, καὶ ὀργὴν μεγάλην ἐγὼ ὀργίζομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ συνεπιτιθέμενα, ἀνθ' ὧν ἐγὼ μὲν ὠργίσθην ὀλίγα, αὐτοὶ δὲ συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά. 1.56 Ἐξ ἰδίου προσώπου προφήτης φησὶν πρόσταξιν αὐτῷ δεδόσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου Κυρίου παντοκράτορος, ὅπως ἐπιτεταμένως βοήσῃ· «Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἐζήλωσα τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιὼν ζῆλον μέγαν, μεγάλην ὀργὴν ἐπιφέρων τοῖς ἔθνεσι» τοῖς καταπονοῦσιν, ἐπείπερ τοῦ κηδεμόνος ὀλίγα καὶ βραχέα παιδεύσεως καὶ ἐπιστροφῆς ἕνεκα ἐπαγαγόντος, ἀγρίως καὶ ὠμοτάτως αὐτοὶ συνεπέθεντο. 1.57 ∆έον φοβηθῆναι ὁρῶντας τοὺς Θεῷ ἀνήκοντας ἐγκαταλειπομένους ἐπὶ τῷ μαστιχθῆναι ἐφ' οἷς ἔδρασαν κακῶς καὶ εὐλαβηθῆναι μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πάθωσιν, ἀλλὰ συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά, βρενθυόμενοι καὶ ἐπικερτομοῦντες ἐπιχαιρεκάκῳ προαιρέσει, κονδυλίζοντες, πατοῦντες τοὺς παραδοθέντας. 1.58 Πρὸς τοὺς οὕτω ἀπανθρώπως καὶ θηριωδῶς προσενεχθέντας τοῖς παραδοθεῖσιν αὐτοῖς μέμφεται Θεὸς λέγων ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ· «Ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος· τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγὸν καὶ εἶπας· Ἔσομαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἄρχουσα.» Ὅθεν ὀργισθέντος σοι ἐμοῦ ἐξαίφνης ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ ἃ ἠπείλησας διαθεῖναι οὓς ἐγὼ παρέδωκα οὐκ εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ἀλλ' ἵνα αἰσθηθέντες τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν ἐσομένης ἀπειλῆς, ἐπιστρέψωσιν πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸν κηδεμόνα. 1.59 Τίνα δὲ ἦν ἃ ἐκόμπασεν ἀπὸ ὑπερηφανίας καὶ θρασύτητος; «Ἐγώ εἰμι, φησίν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι μετ' ἐμὲ ἔτι. Οὐ καθιῶ χήρα οὐδὲ γνώσομαι ὀρφανείαν.» Ταῦθ' ὑπερηφάνως καὶ ὠμῶς λελακυῖα, ἐξαίφνης Θεοῦ κρίσει ἀπροστασίαστος ὤφθη, οὐκ ἐπικουρουμένη ἔτι ὑπὸ πατρὸς καὶ ἀνδρός. Ταῦτα κατὰ νοῦν λαβόντες οἱ ἀρχὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένοι μὴ κατεξανιστάσθωσαν ὠμῶς ἐπιτιθέμενοι καθ' ὧν ἔσχον ὑποχειρίων ψήφῳ τῆς προνοίας δι' ἃς οἶδεν αὐτὴ αἰτίας. 1.60 Τί δ' ἐστὶν ὃ βούλεται Κύριος παντοκράτωρ διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν· «Ἐζήλωσα τὴν Σιὼν καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ζῆλον μέγαν»; Ἦν μὲν γὰρ νύμφη καὶ σύνοικος τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ ἡ πνευματικῶς Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ προσαγορευομένη, ἥντινα πρὸς ὀλίγον καταλέλοιπεν λύσασαν τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα γαμικὰ δίκαια, ὡς εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν συνοικοῦντα αὐτῇ· «Ὡς ἀθετεῖ γυνὴ εἰς τὸν συνόντα αὐτῇ, οὕτως ἠθέτησεν εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, λέγει Κύριος.» 1.61 Οὕτως παροραθείσης τῆς ποτε εὐγενῶς καὶ σεμνῶς θαλαμευομένης, πολλοὶ τῶν βλάπτειν ἐπιχειρούντων κακώσει αὐτὴν ὑπέβαλον, ἀτιμάζοντες, εἰς ἀσχημοσύνην ἄγοντες οἷά τινα ἀπροστασίαστον ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχουσαν. Ἐφ' οἷς οἶκτον λαβὼν ὁ τῇ φύσει ἵλεω, ἤρξατο πάλιν ζηλοῦν αὐτήν. 1.62