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58. Hence the divine Micah, not enduring Sion to be built with blood, whichever sort you wish, and Jerusalem with iniquities, with her rulers judging for gifts, and her priests giving answers for hire, and her prophets divining for money; for which things, what would happen? Sion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a lodge in a garden, and the mountain of the house shall be reckoned as 35.469 a grove of the forest; and lamenting the desolation of the upright, so that scarcely any stalk is left behind, or gleaning; when also the ruler asks, and the judge speaks words to please, and speaking almost the same things as the great David; saying, Save me, O Lord, for the godly man ceases; from which also good things shall fail them, as though consumed by a moth.

59. And Joel commands us to lament, and wishes those who minister at the altar to beat their breasts, when famine presses; so far is he from permitting reveling in the evils of others; and besides sanctifying a fast and proclaiming a solemn service, to gather the elders, the infants, the piteous ages, and furthermore, for them to occupy the sanctuary in sackcloth and ashes, and very humbly cast down to the ground, because the fields had languished in barrenness, and the drink offering and the sacrifice were taken away from the house of the Lord, to draw down mercy by humiliation.

60. What then of Habakkuk? He indeed takes up more ardent words, and complains to God Himself, and as it were cries out against the good Master because of the injustice of the judges; How long, O Lord, shall I cry, he says, and You will not hear? I will cry out to you being wronged, and you will not save? Why have you shown me toils and troubles, to look upon misery and impiety? Judgment has come against me, and the judge takes bribes. Therefore the law is scattered, and judgment does not go forth to the end. Then the threat, and the things that follow; Behold, you despisers, and look, and wonder marvelously, and be destroyed, because I am doing a work. And why must I add all the things of the threat? But a little before; for this seems to me better to add to what has been said; having recalled and lamented many of those who are in some way unjust and wicked, he finally recalls also the leaders and teachers of wickedness, calling wickedness a disturbing 35.472 overthrow and a drunkenness and delusion of the mind; and saying that their neighbors are given these things to drink by them, that they may look upon the darkness of their soul, and the caves of reptiles and wild beasts, the dwellings of wicked thoughts. Such then are these men, and conversing with us with such instructions.

61. But how is it right to overlook Malachi? now bitterly accusing the priests, and reproaching them that they despise the name of the Lord; and adding in what ways: in bringing to the altar polluted bread, foods not first-fruits, and things which they would not bring even to one of their rulers, or they would be dishonored for bringing them, these things they offer to the king of all after having made a vow: lame, and sick, and corrupt, and utterly profane, and abominable; now reminding them of the covenant of God with the Levites (which was of life and peace), and to fear the Lord with fear, and to be in awe of His name. The law, he says, of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace, directing his way, and turned many away from iniquity, for the priest’s lips will keep knowledge, and they will seek the law from his mouth. And the reason is at once honorable and fearful! because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. And I for my part decline the blasphemy of the curses that follow; but I fear the truth; but what is at once moderate to say and beneficial; If it is still worthy,

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ΝΗʹ. Ἔνθεν δὲ ὁ θεῖος Μιχαίας οὐ φέρων οἰκοδομουμένην Σιὼν ἐν αἵμασιν, ὁποτέροις βούλει, καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἀδικίαις, τῶν ἡγουμένων αὐτῆς μετὰ δώρων κρινόντων, καὶ τῶν ἱερέων μισθοῦ ἀπο κρινομένων, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν μετὰ ἀργυρίου μαν τευομένων· ἀνθ' ὧν τί γενήσεσθαι; Σιὼν ὡς ἀγρὸν ἀροτριαθήσεσθαι, καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦ οἴκου εἰς 35.469 ἄλσος δρυμοῦ λογισθήσεσθαι· θρηνῶν τε τὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν κατορθούντων, ὡς μόλις που καλάμην ὑπο λείπεσθαι ἢ ἐπιφυλλίδα· ὁπότε καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα αἰτεῖν, καὶ τὸν κριτὴν λόγους πρὸς χάριν λαλεῖν, καὶ σχεδὸν τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ μεγάλῳ ∆αβὶδ φθεγγόμενος· Σῶ σόν με, Κύριε, λέγοντι, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος· ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐπιλείψειν αὐτοὺς, ὡς ὑπὸ σητὸς δαπανώμενα.

ΝΘʹ. Ἰωὴλ δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ θρῆνον διακελεύεται, καὶ κόπτεσθαι βούλεται τοὺς λειτουργοῦντας τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, λιμοῦ πιέζοντος· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τρυ φᾷν ἐπιτρέπειν ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἄλλων κακοῖς· καὶ πρὸς τῷ ἁγιάζειν νηστείαν, καὶ κηρύσσειν θεραπείαν, συναγαγεῖν πρεσβυτέρους, νήπια, ἡλικίας ἐλεεινὰς, ἔτι καὶ αὐτοὺς τὸ ἱερὸν καταλαβόντας ἐν σποδῷ καὶ σάκκοις, καὶ λίαν ταπεινῶς κατὰ γῆς ἐῤῥιμμέ νους, διότι τεταλαιπωρήκει πεδία τῇ ἀκαρπίᾳ, καὶ ἐξῆρτο ἐξ οἴκου Κυρίου σπονδὴ καὶ θυσία, ἕλκειν τῇ ταπεινώσει τὸν ἔλεον.

Ξʹ. Τί δαὶ ὁ Ἀμβακούμ; Οὗτος μὲν καὶ θερ μοτέρων ἅπτεται λόγων, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποδυσπετεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ οἷον καταβοᾷ τοῦ χρηστοῦ δεσπό του διὰ τὴν τῶν κριτῶν ἀδικίαν· Ἕως τίνος, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι, λέγων, καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσακούσεις; βοήσομαι πρὸς σὲ ἀδικούμενος, καὶ οὐ σώσεις; Ἵνα τί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους, ἐπιβλέ πειν ἐπὶ ταλαιπωρίαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν; Ἐξ εναντίας μου γέγονε κρίσις, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς λαμβάνει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο διεσκέδασται νόμος, καὶ οὐ διεξάγεται εἰς τέλος κρίμα. Εἶτα ἡ ἀπειλὴ, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις· Ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταὶ, καὶ ἐπιβλέψατε, καὶ θαυμάσατε θαυμάσια, καὶ ἀφα νίσθητε, διότι ἔργον ἐγὼ ἐργάζομαι. Καὶ τί χρὴ πάντα ἐπιφέρειν τὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς; Ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν· τοῦτο γάρ μοι δοκεῖ βέλτιον εἶναι προσθεῖναι τοῖς εἰρημένοις· πολλοὺς ἀνακαλε σάμενος καὶ ἀποκλαυσάμενος τῶν περί τι ἀδίκων καὶ πονηρῶν, τέλος ἀνακαλεῖται καὶ τοὺς τῆς μοχθηρίας ἡγεμόνας καὶ διδασκάλους, ἀνατροπὴν μὲν 35.472 θολερὰν τὴν κακίαν ἀποκαλῶν καὶ τοῦ νοῦ μέθην καὶ πλάνην· ποτίζεσθαι δὲ λέγων τούτοις ὑπ' αὐτῶν τοὺς πλησίον, ὅπως ἐπιβλέπωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ σκότος αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τὰ σπήλαια ἑρπετῶν καὶ θηρίων, λογισμῶν πονηρῶν οἰκητήρια. Οὗτοι μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτοι, καὶ μετὰ τοιούτων ἡμῖν διαλεγόμενοι τῶν παιδευμά των.

ΞΑʹ. Μαλαχίαν δὲ πῶς παριδεῖν ἄξιον; νῦν μὲν ἐγκα λοῦντα πικρῶς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι, καὶ ὀνειδίζοντα ὡς τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου φαυλίζουσι· καὶ προστιθέντα ἐν τίσιν, ἐν τῷ προσάγειν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἄρτους ἠλισγημένους, βρώματα οὐκ ἀπάργματα, καὶ ἃ μηδ' ἂν τῶν ἡγουμένων τινὶ προσενέγκοιεν, ἢ ἀτιμασθεῖεν ἂν προσενεγκόντες, ταῦτα προσφέρειν τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων εὐχὴν εὐξαμένους, χωλὰ, καὶ ἄῤῥωστα, καὶ διεφθαρμένα, καὶ βέβηλα παντελῶς, καὶ ἀπόπτυστα· νῦν δὲ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς Λευΐτας τοῦ Θεοῦ διαθήκης ὑπομιμνήσκοντα, (ἡ δὲ ἦν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης), καὶ φόβῳ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ στέλλε σθαι. Νόμος, φησὶν, ἦν ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀδικία οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ. Ἐν εἰρήνῃ κατευθύνων ἐπορεύθη μετ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ πολλοὺς ἐπέστρεψεν ἐξ ἀδικίας, ὅτι χείλη ἱερέως φυλάξεται γνῶσιν, καὶ νό μον ἐκζητήσουσιν ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἡ αἰτία ὡς τιμία τε ἅμα καὶ φοβερά! διότι ἄγγελος Κυρίου παντοκράτορός ἐστι. Καὶ παραιτοῦμαι μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀρῶν τὸ βλάσφημον· φο βοῦμαι δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλ' ὃ μέτριόν τε ἅμα εἰπεῖν καὶ συμφέρον· Εἰ ἔτι ἄξιον,