his observance. And when they are not capable of giving counsel, nor do they preside to consider what is necessary for the common good, it must be said that counsel has perished from the elders. And the ruler will put on destruction, unless he puts on Christ Jesus and the breastplate of righteousness and the whole armor of God, so as to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For every ruler who sins will put on destruction; and the hands of the people are weakened, when the governance of the 13.796 people shall be watery and disordered and dissolute. But when he uses the strength of God, instead of being a people of the earth, he becomes a people of heaven, seeking the kingdom of heaven. And counsel from the elders. Neither will human counsel be of any benefit to them, he says, nor will they have any good advice. The king will mourn and the ruler. The phrase, The king will mourn, is usually understood historically, perhaps because the Savior was not thought to mourn, the Seventy not having interpreted the saying, or not having found the word at that time in the Hebrew text. Nor is it strange, since the saying is also preserved, to say that the king also mourns, if indeed the Savior wept over Jerusalem. And in their judgments I will judge them. And with the judgments of the one who has sinned, God judges the one who transgresses, if indeed it is true that, As you judge, you will be judged; and, For in whatever judgment you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge do the same things. CHAP. VIII. And the hand of the Lord came upon me. But in some it is written, The hand of the Lord Lord. And indeed in other places we have said that in many places what is pronounced with the voice "Lord" is the venerable name of God among the Hebrews, which they do not readily utter. However, there are times when "lord" is also applied to the lord of slaves. Where, therefore, "Lord Lord" is found, one must know that the one is, as it were, the proper and ineffable name of God; but the other, "Lord," Adonai for the Hebrews, they apply to the Lord, sometimes uttering the word for the ineffable name, and sometimes, as it were, for the Lord of slaves. Therefore, Adonai Lord, for one who has understood what has been said about the ineffable name, differs in no way from "Lord," as we have set forth. And he took me by the crown of my head. Since there were several inner gates, one facing south, another east, and another west, he is led to the one facing north, so that looking up from there he might see the things being brought against those who sin in this northern world. For there are also other worlds on the earth, as the sciences also show; and Clement also says: The ocean is impassable to men, and the worlds beyond it are governed by the same ordinances of the Master. And since the sins of those in the aforementioned world to the north are many, for this reason there is at the entrance of the first gate facing north a pillar of the image of jealousy, which He who says, "I am a jealous God," is jealous over. And through this jealousy he makes His own those who are most alienated through wickedness, acquiring them. Among men, therefore, it is not the original jealousy, but an image of jealousy that enacts or administers punishments. But in the devil and his angels there is not an image of jealousy, but jealousy itself. See the wicked iniquities which they themselves do 13.797. The sinning elders make idols within themselves, fashioning through the poison of wickedness every likeness of a creeping thing, and through licentious desire every likeness of a beast. And if they should also hold false opinions about divine things, they fashion vain abominations; for every falsehood concerning divine things, since it is impious, is also a vain abomination. And there are some who have, so to speak, the entire walls of the house of the soul inscribed with every likeness of creeping thing and beast, and with vain abominations, and they serve these, and sacrifice and burn incense to them as to gods, so that the vapor of the incense rises, that is, the wonder concerning them is exalted and lifted up by them. And they inscribe these things in their minds all around, leaving no empty place for evils in them, so as to be throughout

τηρήσει αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐπὰν δὲ μὴ ἱκανοὶ συμβου λεύειν, μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τὰ δέοντα σκοπεῖν προ καθέζωνται, λεκτέον ὅτι ἀπώλετο βουλὴ ἐκ πρεσβυ τέρων. Καὶ ὁ ἄρχων ἐνδύσεται ἀφανισμὸν, εἰ μὴ ἐν δύσεται τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τὸν θώρακα τῆς δι καιοσύνης καὶ τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ δύ νασθαι ἀντιστῆναι πρὸς τὰς μεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου. Πᾶς γὰρ ἁμαρτάνων ἄρχων ἀφανισμὸν ἐνδύσεται· καὶ αἱ χεῖρες δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐκλύονται, ὅταν ὑδαρὴς καὶ ἄτακτος καὶ ἐκλελυμένη ἔσται ἡ πολιτεία τοῦ 13.796 λαοῦ. Ἐπὰν δὲ τῇ ἰσχύϊ τοῦ Θεοῦ χρήσεται, τοῦ εἶναι λαὸς γῆς, καὶ γίνεται λαὸς οὐρανοῦ, ζητῶν τὴν βασι λείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Καὶ βουλὴ ἐκ πρεσβυτέρων. Οὐδὲ ἀνθρωπίνη βουλὴ ἔσται αὐτοῖς εἰς ὄνησιν, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ἕξουσί τι συμβούλευμα χρηστόν. Ὁ βασιλεὺς πενθήσει καὶ ὁ ἄρχων. Τὸ, Ὁ βασιλεὺς πενθήσει, συνήθως ἱστόρηται, τάχα διὰ τὸν Σωτῆρα οὐκ ἂν νομισθέντα πενθεῖν, οὐχ ἑρμηνευ σάντων τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα τὸ ῥητὸν, ἢ μὴ εὑρηκότων τότε ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ τὴν λέξιν. Οὐδὲ ἄτοπον, σωζο μένου καὶ τοῦ ῥητοῦ, πενθεῖν λέγειν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα, εἴγε ἔκλαυσεν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς κρίμασιν αὐτῶν ἐκδικήσω αὐτούς. Καὶ τοῖς κρίμασι τοῦ ἡμαρτηκότος κρίνει τὸν πταί σαντα ὁ Θεὸς, εἴπερ ἀληθὲς τὸ, Ὡς κρίνετε, κριθή σεσθε· καὶ τὸ, Ἐν ᾧ γὰρ κρίματι κρίνεις τὸν ἕτε ρον, σεαυτὸν κατακρίνεις· τὰ γὰρ αὐτὰ πράττεις ὁ κρίνων. ΚΕΦ. Ηʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπ' ἐμὲ χεὶρ Κυρίου. Ἔν τισι δὲ γέγραπται, Χεὶρ Κυρίου Κυρίου. Καί γε ἐν ἄλ λοις εἰρήκαμεν, ὅτι πολλαχοῦ τὸ ἐκφωνούμενον ἐν τῇ Κύριος φωνῇ τὸ σεβάσμιον παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἐστὶν ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅ τι περ οὐ ταχέως προφέρονται. Πλὴν ἔσθ' ὅτε τὸ κύριος τάσσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δού λων κυρίου. Ἔνθα οὖν κεῖται τὸ, Κύριος Κύριος, χρὴ εἰδέναι, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἕτερον οἱονεὶ τὸ κύριον ὄνομα καὶ ἄῤῥητόν ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν τὸ, Κύριος, Ἑβραίοις Ἀδωναῒ, ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου τάσσουσιν, ὁτὲ μὲν προφερόμενοι τὴν φωνὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀῤῥήτου ὀνόματος, ὁτὲ δὲ οἱονεὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου τῶν δούλων. Τὸ οὖν Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος τῷ νοήσαντι τὰ εἰρημένα περὶ τοῦ ἀῤῥήτου ὀνόματος οὐδὲν διαφέρει τοῦ Κύριος, ὡς ἐκδεδώκαμεν. Καὶ ἀνέλαβέ με τῆς κορυφῆς μου. Πλειόνων οὐ σῶν καὶ τῶν ἐσωτέρων πυλῶν, καὶ τῆς μὲν βλεπού σης πρὸς νότον, τῆς δὲ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς, καὶ ἄλλης πρὸς δυσμὰς, ἄγεται ἐπὶ τὴν βλέπουσαν πρὸς βοῤ ῥᾶν, ἵν' ἐκεῖθεν ἀναβλέψας ἴδῃ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα κατὰ τῶν ἐν τῷ βορειοτικῷ τούτῳ κόσμῳ ἁμαρτανόντων. Εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοι κόσμοι ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὡς δείκνυσι μὲν καὶ τὰ μαθήματα· φησὶ δὲ καὶ ὁ Κλήμης· Ὠκεανὸς ἀπέρατος ἀνθρώποις, καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτὸν κόσμοι τοσαύταις διαταγαῖς τοῦ ∆εσπότου διοικοῦνται. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πολλαὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι εἰσὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ προειρη μένῳ πρὸς βοῤῥᾶν κόσμῳ, διὰ τοῦτο ἐστὶ πρὸς τοῖς προθύροις πύλης τῆς προτέρας τῆς βλεπούσης πρὸς βοῤῥᾶν στήλη τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ ζήλου, ὃν ζηλοῖ ὁ λέ γων· Ἐγὼ Θεὸς ζηλωτής. Καὶ διὰ τούτου γε ζήλου τοὺς διὰ τὴν κακίαν ἀπαλλοτριωτάτους ἰδιοποιεῖται κτώμενος αὐτούς. Παρὰ μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὁ πρωτότυπός ἐστι ζῆλος, ἀλλ' εἰκὼν τοῦ ζήλου ἐνερ γοῦσα ἢ οἰκονομοῦσα τὰς κολάσεις. Ἐν δὲ τῷ δια βόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰκὼν ζήλου, ἀλλ' αὐτόζηλος. Ἴδε τὰς ἀνομίας τὰς πονηρὰς ἃς αὐτοὶ ποιοῦ 13.797 σι. Ποιοῦσιν εἴδωλα οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες πρεσβύτεροι ἔνδον ἑαυτῶν κατασκευάζοντες διὰ μὲν τοῦ τῆς κα κίας ἰοῦ πᾶσαν ὁμοίωσιν ἑρπετοῦ, διὰ δὲ τῆς ἀκολά στου ἐπιθυμίας πᾶσαν ὁμοίωσιν κτήνους. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ψευδοδοξήσαιεν περὶ τῶν θείων, μάταια βδελύγματα κατασκευάζουσι· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ περὶ τῶν θείων ψεῦδος, ἅτε ἀσεβὲς τυγχάνον, καὶ μάταιόν ἐστι βδέλυγμα. Εἰσὶ δέ τινες, τοὺς, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, τοίχους τοῦ οἴ κου τῆς ψυχῆς ὅλους διαγεγραμμένους ἔχοντες πάσῃ ὁμοιώσει ἑρπετοῦ καὶ κτήνους, καὶ ματαίοις βδελύ γμασι, καὶ τούτοις δουλεύοντες, καὶ ὡς θεοῖς θύοντες καὶ θυμιῶντες, ὥστε τὴν ἀτμίδα τοῦ θυμιάματος ἀναβαίνειν, τουτέστι τὸ περὶ αὐτῶν θαῦμα ὑψούμε νον καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν. Ἐγγράφουσι δὲ ταῦτα ταῖς διανοίαις αὐτῶν κύκλῳ, μηδένα κενὸν καταλείποντες κακῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς τόπον, ὡς δι' ὅλον εἶ ναι