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But these, having been honored with reason, loved irrationality. 23. For to this people, he says, there was an unhearing and disobedient heart. For they are not sensible of the good things supplied by me; for I provide them with the early and the latter rain continually. Then they also enjoy the fruits of the earth. For this he said, "At the time of fulfillment, the ordinances of harvest." For he has used his will as a kind of command; and he bestows the fruits from the earth in abundance. But yet seeing you transgressing, I have deprived you of these good things also. 26, 27. For ungodly men were found among my people, and they set traps to destroy men, and they caught them. As a snare set up full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Through these things he has revealed their secret plots. And he speaks of the wealth born from injustice, and the arrogance that comes from wealth, and the lawless life, and the injustice against orphans and widows. And after these things he adds: 29. Shall I not visit for these things, or shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation? It is alien, he says, to my righteous judgment, to overlook such things. 81.541 30. But astonishment and dreadful things have happened upon the earth. When we see something happening lawlessly against all expectation, we are accustomed to say these things: I was astonished at this; I shuddered hearing this. Then he states the causes of these things. 31. Your prophets prophesy unrighteously; that is, falsely. "And the priests clapped with their hands." This is a sign of agreement. "And my people have loved it so." He has shown the evil agreement of all. "And what will you do after these things?" Instead of, when the punishment is brought on; and he reveals this through what follows CHAPTER 6. For he exhorts the one of the tribe of Benjamin—and this was joined to that of Judah—to give a sign with the trumpet, and to be ready for battle, as enemies from the north were rushing against Jerusalem. For he calls her beautiful and delicate; beautiful, because of the beauty of the buildings; and delicate, because of the luxurious lifestyle of those dwelling in her. 3. Shepherds and their flocks will come, and they will pitch their tents against her, and each will shepherd his flock with his own hand. He calls the kings who campaigned with Nebuchadnezzar shepherds; and the armies serving under them, herds and flocks; and through these he has indicated the siege of the city. Then he also speaks of the battles at midday, and the evening assaults, and the night attacks, and he exhorts them to cut it down like a fruitless forest; for it is all false according to its dominion; and these things are also consistent with what was said before. 7. As a cistern cools its water, so she cools her wickedness. The city dedicated to God, and receiving those living in transgression, ought to have taught good order; but now on the contrary she is accused, that she has become a teacher of impiety; and just as the cistern changes the water to a cold quality, so she changed to wickedness those who came to her; yet he calls the city not the buildings, but the inhabitants. "Impiety and misery will be heard in her before my face continually." They did not even fear my dwelling, but in my sight they dared every impiety. Then he introduces an exhortation and counsel. In pain and scourge (8) be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from 81.544 you, and I make you an impassable land, which will not be inhabited. These things also reveal the ineffable philanthropy of the Master; for while threatening her with grim things, he promises her, if she changes, deliverance from them. But since they did not accept the suggestion,

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οὗτοι δὲ λόγῳ τιμηθέντες, τὴν ἀλογίαν ἠγά πησαν. κγʹ. Τῷ γὰρ τούτῳ λαῷ, φησὶ, ἐγενήθη καρδία ἀνήκοος καὶ ἀπειθής. Οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνονται τῶν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ χορηγηθέντων ἀγαθῶν· ὑετὸν μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πρώϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον διηνεκῶς παρέχω. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς καρπῶν ἀπολαύουσι. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπε, "Κατὰ καιρὸν πληρώσεως προστάγματα θερισμοῦ." Οἷον γάρ τινι προστάγματι τῷ βουλή ματι κέχρηται· καὶ πλήρεις τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς δωρεῖται καρπούς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως παρανομοῦντας ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν, καὶ τούτων ἐστέρησα τῶν ἀγαθῶν. κϛʹ, κζʹ. Εὑρέθησαν γὰρ ἐν τῷ λαῷ μου ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ παγίδας ἔστησαν διαφθεῖραι ἄνδρας, καὶ συνελάμβανον. Ὡς παγὶς ἐφισταμένη πλήρης πετεινῶν, οὕτως οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν πλήρεις δόλου. Τὰς λαθραίας αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλὰς διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκε. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀδικίας ἐγγιγνόμενον πλοῦ τον, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου προσγιγνομένην ἀλαζο νείαν, καὶ τὸν παράνομον βίον, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ χηρῶν ἀδικίαν. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπ άγει· κθʹ. Μὴ ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐκ ἐπισκέψομαι, ἢ ἐν ἔθνει τῷ τοιούτῳ οὐκ ἐκδικιεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου; Ἀλλότριον, φησὶ, τῆς ἐμῆς δικαιοκρισίας, ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ὑπεροψία. 81.541 λʹ. Ἔκστασις δὲ, καὶ φρικτὰ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ὅταν παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν παρανόμως τι γινό μενον ἴδωμεν, ταῦτα λέγειν εἰώθαμεν· Ἐξέστην ἐπὶ τῷδε ἔφριξα τόδε ἀκούσας. Εἶτα λέγει τὰ τούτων αἴτια. λαʹ. Οἱ προφῆται ὑμῶν προφητεύουσιν ἄδικα· τουτέστι, ψευδῆ. "Καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐπεκρότησαν ταῖς χερσὶν αὑτῶν." Συγκαταθέσεως τοῦτο σημεῖον. "Καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἠγάπησεν οὕτως." Τὴν κακὴν ἁπάντων ὑπέδειξε συμφωνίαν. "Καὶ τί ποιήσετε μετὰ ταῦτα;" Ἀντὶ τοῦ, τῆς τιμωρίας ἐπιφερο μένης· δηλοῖ δὲ ταύτην διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ΚΕΦΑΛ. ςʹ. Παρακελεύεται γὰρ τὸν τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος φυλῆς· συνῆπτο δὲ αὕτη τῇ τοῦ Ἰούδα, σημᾶναι τῇ σάλ πιγγι, καὶ εἰς παράταξιν ἑτοίμους γενέσθαι, ὡς τῶν ἀπὸ βοῤῥᾶ πολεμίων κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁρμών των. Ὡραίαν γὰρ καὶ τρυφερὰν αὐτὴν καλεῖ· ὡραίαν μὲν, διὰ τὸ κάλλος τῶν οἰκημάτων· τρυφε ρὰν δὲ, διὰ τὸ ἁβροδίαιτον τῶν ἐνοικούντων ἐν αὐ τῇ. γʹ. Ἥξουσι ποιμένες καὶ τὰ ποίμνια αὐτῶν, καὶ πήξουσιν ἐπ' αὐτὴν σκηνὰς, καὶ ποιμανοῦ σιν ἕκαστος τῇ χειρὶ αὑτοῦ τὴν ἀγέλην αὑτοῦ. Ποιμένας τοὺς βασιλέας καλεῖ, τοὺς μετὰ τοῦ Να βουχοδονόσορ ἐπιστρατεύσαντας· ἀγέλας δὲ καὶ ποίμνας, τὰς στρατιὰς τὰς ὑπὸ τούτους τελούσας· τὴν δὲ τῆς πόλεως πολιορκίαν διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκεν. Εἶτα λέγει καὶ τὰς ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ παρατάξεις, καὶ τὰς ἑσπερινὰς ἐφόδους, καὶ τὰς νυκτερινὰς προσβο λὰς, καὶ ὡς δρυμὸν ἄκαρπον ἐκκόψαι παρακελεύεται· ὅλη γάρ ἐστι ψευδὴς κατὰ δυναστείαν αὑτῆς· συμβαίνει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς πρόσθεν εἰρημένοις. ζʹ. Ὡς ψύχει λάκκος ὕδωρ αὑτοῦ, οὕτω ψύ χει κακίαν αὑτῆς. Ἔδει τὴν τῷ Θεῷ ἀνακειμένην πόλιν, καὶ τοὺς παρανομίᾳ συζῶντας ὑποδεχομένην, εὐνομίαν διδάσκειν· νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον ἐγκαλεῖται, ὅτι αὕτη διδάσκαλος ἀσεβείας ἐγένετο· καὶ καθά περ ὁ λάκκος εἰς ψυχρὰν ποιότητα μεταβάλλει τὸ ὕδωρ· οὕτως εἰς πονηρίαν αὕτη τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὴν παραγινομένους μετέβαλε· τὴν μέντοι πόλιν, οὐ τὰς οἰκοδομὰς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας καλεῖ. "Ἀσέβεια καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἀκουσθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ ἐπὶ προσ ώπου μου διαπαντός." Οὐδὲ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐνοίκησιν ἐδε δίεισαν, ἀλλ' ὁρῶντός μου πᾶσαν ἐτόλμων ἀσέβειαν. Εἶτα παραίνεσιν εἰσάγει καὶ συμβουλήν. Ἐν πόνῳ καὶ μάστιγι (ηʹ) παιδεύθητι, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, μήποτε ἀποστῇ ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ 81.544 σοῦ, καὶ ποιήσω σε ἄβατον γῆν, ἥτις οὐ κατοικη θήσεται. Τὴν ἄῤῥητον τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ ταῦτα δηλοῖ· ἀπειλῶν γὰρ αὐτῇ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ, ὑπισχνεῖται μεταβαλλομένῃ τὴν τούτων ἀπαλλαγήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν εἰσήγησιν οὐκ ἐδέχοντο,