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they will hear. If he had said, that they will hear, without the "Perhaps," it would have been false; for they were not going to hear. If he had said the truth, that they will not hear, he would have sent the prophet in vain to those who would not hear. And not for this reason only, but also so that his foreknowledge might not be thought to be some kind of compulsion to disobedience, for this reason he set 56.171 down the words ambiguously, so that some might not say, that God foretold it, and it absolutely had to happen; which they also say about Judas. He foretold, one says, that he would be a traitor, and for this reason he became a traitor. O the foolishness, O the shamelessness. For foreknowledge, O man, is not the cause of wickedness; may it not be so. For it is not compelling of things that are to be, but only foreknowing. It is not because Christ foretold it that that man became a traitor; but because he was going to become a traitor, for this reason Christ foretold it. Therefore, so that they might not also say in this case, that he said that they will not hear, and closed the way of repentance to them, he anticipated and took away their pretext, by saying to the prophet, "Perhaps they will hear." 5. Remember the promise; for for this reason I constantly remind you, so that when I draw the conclusion, you may not forget the main point sought by us at the beginning. And what was this? That if the Jews had perceived that these terrible things which have befallen them were going to happen to them—I mean these things that now hold them—they would have cut up the books themselves, and would not have spared even the divine writings. But let us come to the history. After hearing these things, Jeremiah calls his disciple Baruch son of Neriah, and says to him: "Write in a book all the terrible things that are going to befall them." What has happened? you were commanded by God, and you send the disciple? Are you not a coward? Are you not in agony? Are you not afraid? if you are afraid, how will the disciple dare? But none of these things; for the reason is added; for after saying, "Write and read," he added: "For I am detained in the prison." O the greatness of soul. He was in the prison, and he did not desist from the prophecy. Let us pay attention to the courage of the just man, and to the philosophy of his mind. He did not say to himself: So many terrible things have happened to me because of this boldness; I have spent countless words, and have benefited nothing, nor has anything more happened to me, but only to be bound; and God has not yet released me from my bonds, and again he sends me to those beasts? He neither said nor thought any of these things; but he considered one thing only, how the command of the Master might be accomplished; and since he was not able to do it by himself, he arranged it through his disciple. For "Read," he says, "to them, and tell them all the evils." For I am detained in the prison. And Jeremiah spoke, and Baruch wrote in a book. It was a time of fasting when these things happened; a feast was at hand, calling everyone to the metropolis; for the gathering had to be public, since the assembly was going to be about necessary matters. Baruch went in to the princes, and read in the ears of the princes all these words; and he also gave the reason: "For perhaps," he says, "your supplication will fall before the Lord"; so that they might not think that he was speaking as an accuser, but learning that he had come to heal them, they might become more reasonable. What then did they do? When it was necessary to give thanks, necessary to praise, necessary to marvel, they do none of these things, 56.172 but going away they reported to the king the things written in the book, and they put the book away in the house of Elishama. And the king, it says, sent Jehudi, a certain one of those who stood by him, and commanded the book to be brought. And the king was sitting in the winter house; for it was the ninth month, that is, November; he says the ninth counting from Xanthicus; for it is necessary to know these things accurately as well. For if he had counted from Dios, it would not have been winter then. Therefore of what

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ἀκούσονται. Εἰ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἀκούσονται, χωρὶς τοῦ Ἴσως, ψευδὲς ἦν· οὐ γὰρ ἔμελλον ἀκούσεσθαι. Εἰ εἶπε τὸ ἀληθὲς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκούσονται, περιττῶς ἔπεμπε τὸν προφήτην τοῖς οὐκ ἀκουσομένοις. Καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἡ πρόγνωσις αὐτοῦ νομισθείη ἀναγκαστική τις εἶναι τῆς παρακοῆς, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπαμ56.171 φιβόλως τέθεικε τὰ ῥήματα, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσί τινες, ὅτι προεῖπεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πάντως ἔδει γενέσθαι· ὃ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα λέγουσι. Προεῖπε, φησὶν, ὅτι προδότης ἔσται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προδότης ἐγένετο. Ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας, ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ πρόγνωσις, ἄνθρωπε, τῆς πονηρίας αἰτία· μὴ γένοιτο. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀναγκαστικὴ τῶν μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ προγνωστικὴ μόνον. Οὐκ ἐπειδὴ προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο ἐκεῖνος προδότης· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ προδότης ἔμελλε γενέσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστός. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγωσιν, ὅτι εἶπεν ὅτι οὐκ ἀκούσονται, καὶ ἀπέκλεισεν αὐτοῖς τῆς μετανοίας τὴν ὁδὸν, προλαβὼν ἀνέσπασεν αὐτῶν τὴν πρόφασιν, εἰπὼν τῷ προφήτῃ, Ἴσως ἀκούσονται. εʹ. Μνημονεύετε τῆς ὑποσχέσεως· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο συνεχῶς ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνήσκω, ἵν' ὅταν ἐπαγάγω τὸ συμπέρασμα, μὴ ἐπιλάθησθε τοῦ ζητηθέντος ἡμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ κεφαλαίου. Τί δὲ ἦν τοῦτο; Ὅτι εἰ ᾔσθοντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτι ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς συμβήσεσθαι τὰ κατειληφότα αὐτοὺς δεινὰ ταῦτα δὴ λέγω τὰ νῦν κατέχοντα αὐτοὺς, αὐτὰ τὰ βιβλία ἂν κατέκοψαν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐφείσαντο οὐδὲ τῶν θείων γραμμάτων. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἔλθωμεν. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Ἱερεμίας, καλεῖ τὸν μαθητὴν αὐτοῦ Βαροὺχ υἱὸν Νηρίου, καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· Γράψον εἰς βιβλίον πάντα τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτοῖς ἔσεσθαι δεινά. Τί γέγονε; σὺ ἐπετάγης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸν μαθητὴν πέμπεις; ἆρα μὴ δειλιᾷς; ἆρα μὴ ἀγωνιᾷς; ἆρα μὴ δέδοικας; εἰ σὺ δέδοικας, πῶς ὁ μαθητὴς τολμήσει; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων· πρόσκειται γὰρ ἡ αἰτία· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Γράψον καὶ ἀνάγνωθι, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ κατέχομαι ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ. Ὢ μεγαλοψυχίας. Ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ἦν, καὶ τῆς προφητείας οὐκ ἀφίστατο. Προσέχωμεν τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ τῇ τῆς διανοίας φιλοσοφίᾳ. Οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς ἑαυτόν· Τοσαῦτά μοι δεινὰ συμβέβηκε διὰ τὴν παῤῥησίαν ταύτην· μυρίους ἀνήλωσα λόγους, καὶ οὐδὲν ὤνησα, οὐδὲ ἐγένετό μοί τι πλέον, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ δεδέσθαι μόνον· καὶ οὔπω με τῶν δεσμῶν ἀπέλυσεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πάλιν πέμπει με πρὸς τοὺς θῆρας ἐκείνους; Οὐδὲν τούτων οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐδὲ ἐνενόησεν· ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον ἐσκόπει, ὅπως ἀνυσθῇ τὸ ἐπίταγμα τοῦ ∆εσπότου· καὶ ἐπεὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ ἴσχυσε, διὰ τοῦ μαθητοῦ κατεσκεύασεν αὐτό. Ἀνάγνωθι γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἰπὲ πάντα τὰ κακά. Ἐγὼ γὰρ κατέχομαι ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ. Καὶ ἔλεγεν Ἱερεμίας, καὶ ἔγραφεν ὁ Βαροὺχ ἐν βιβλίῳ. Νηστείας καιρὸς ἦν, ὅτε ταῦτα ἐγίνετο· ἑορτὴ ἐφειστήκει, πάντας καλοῦσα πρὸς τὴν μητρόπολιν· ἔδει γὰρ κοινὸν γενέσθαι τὸν σύλλογον, ἐπειδὴ περὶ ἀναγκαίων πραγμάτων ἔμελλεν ἡ ἐκκλησία ἔσεσθαι. Εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ὁ Βαροὺχ, καὶ ἀνέγνω εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἀρχόντων πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους· καὶ εἶπε καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν· Ἴσως γὰρ, φησὶ, πεσεῖται τὸ ἔλεος ὑμῶν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου· ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν ὅτι ὡς κατήγορος ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ μαθόντες ὅτι θεραπεῦσαι αὐτοὺς ἀφῖκται, ἐπιεικέστεροι γένωνται. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; ∆έον χάριτας ὁμολογῆσαι, δέον ἐπαινέσαι, δέον θαυμάσαι, οὐδὲν τούτων ποιοῦσιν, 56.172 ἀλλ' ἀπελθόντες ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ, καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἀπέθεντο ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἐλισαμᾶ. Καὶ πέμψας, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Ἰουδὴν, ἕνα τινὰ τῶν παρεστηκότων αὐτῷ, ἐκέλευσε κομισθῆναι τὸ βιβλίον. Καὶ ἐκάθητο ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν οἴκῳ χειμερινῷ· μὴν γὰρ ἔννατος ἦν, τουτέστι Νοέμβριος· ἔννατον ἀπὸ τοῦ Ξανθικοῦ ἀριθμῶν λέγει· δεῖ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἀκριβῶς εἰδέναι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ίου ἠρίθμει, οὐκ ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι τότε χειμών. Τίνος οὖν