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rulers; for these too received the divine proclamation; thus also the divine apostles Barnabas and Paul did; for having entered a certain synagogue, and after speaking at length to the Jews, then seeing their disobedience, they said: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you; but since you reject it, and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be 81.548 as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth;" the outcome therefore accords with the prophecy; here, however, the prophetic word threatens the disobedient Jews with a punishment appropriate to their contradiction; and it also forbids the worship according to the law. 20. Why do you bring me frankincense from Sheba, and cinnamon from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices do not please me. But if even when the law was in force, these things were considered superfluous, the Jews are mad in vain, occupying themselves after the cessation of the law with the superfluous things of the law as if they were necessary. He foretells again the weakness to which they were yoked, not only opposing servitude, but also appearing abominable to all. From here he transfers the prophecy to the Babylonian, and the kings who marched with him, and he describes their strength, and their full armor, and the harsh and beastly nature of their mind. He also speaks of their cowardice. 24. For our hands, he says, were paralyzed, anguish seized us, pains as of a woman in labor. And he exhorts them not to venture forth from the cities, as the enemies are encamped before them. He also exhorts Jerusalem to put on sackcloth, and to put dust on their heads, and to imitate the mourning for an only-begotten child. Then he instructs the prophet to see their transgressions. 27. For I have made you, he says, a tester among my confined people; and you shall know when you test their way. Instead of, You do not tire of wandering through many cities and fields; for in Jerusalem they are all gathered together because of the war. And he shows him the perversity of their mind. 28. All are disobedient, walking crookedly, like bronze and iron. They are all corrupt. That is, counterfeit, having nothing of proven worth. 29. The bellows failed from the fire; the lead failed; in vain the silversmith refines silver; their wickednesses were not melted away. He calls the word of instruction a silversmith; and the punishment itself, fire and lead; and the bellows, the divine decree, through which the punishment is brought. And the craftsmen of silver, wishing to purify silver, are accustomed to add lead, so that through this the dross might be consumed. The Master therefore says that I have used all kinds of methods, wanting to change them, and I have brought various chastisements, and they are incurably disposed. Whence he adds: 81.549 30. Call them rejected silver, because the Lord God has rejected them. He persisted in the trope. No, he says, device has overcome their wickedness; and he says these things, not accusing their nature, but their will; for he himself is the maker of nature, and he would not accuse what he made; but of their will, they are the creators. CHAP. 7. After this the prophet teaches how he was commanded to stand in the gates of the divine temple, and to offer the prophetic word to all who were entering; and this had counsel, and a promise of good things. 3. Amend your ways, and your practices, and I will make you dwell in this place. And he also accuses the false prophecy. 4. For do not trust, he says, in yourselves, or in false words; that

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ἄρχοντας· καὶ οὗτοι γὰρ τὸ θεῖον ἐδέξαντο κήρυγμα· οὕτω καὶ οἱ θεῖοι ἀπόστολοι Βαρνάβας καὶ Παῦλος ἐποίησαν· εἴς τινα γὰρ εἰσ ελθόντες συναγωγὴν, καὶ πλεῖστα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις δια λεχθέντες, εἶτα τὴν ἀπείθειαν αὐτῶν κατιδόντες ἔφα σαν· "Ὑμῖν ἦν ἀναγκαῖον πρῶτον λαληθῆναι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπωθεῖσθε αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀξίους ἑαυτοὺς κρίνετε τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, ἰδοὺ στρεφό μεθα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐντέταλκεν ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος· Τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἶναί σε 81.548 εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχά του τῆς γῆς·" συμβαίνει τοίνυν τῇ προῤῥήσει ἡ ἔκ βασις· ἐνταῦθα μέντοι ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τοῖς ἀπειθοῦσιν Ἰουδαίοις ἀπειλεῖ τιμωρίαν τῇ ἀντιλογίᾳ κατάλληλον· ἀπαγορεύει δὲ καὶ τὴν κατὰ νόμον λατρείαν. κʹ. Ἱνατί μοι λίβανον ἐκ Σαβὰ θέρεις, καὶ κινάμωμον ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν; Τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστι δεκτὰ, καὶ αἱ θυσίαι ὑμῶν οὐχ ἥδυνάν με. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡνίκα ὁ νόμος ἐκράτει, περιττὰ ταῦτα ἐνομίσθη, μάτην μεμήνασιν Ἰου δαῖοι, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου παῦλαν τοῖς τοῦ νόμου περιττοῖς ὡς ἀναγκαίοις ἐνασχολούμενοι. Προλέγει δὲ πάλιν τὴν ἀσθένειαν ᾗ συνεζύγησαν, οὐ μόνον δουλεύειν ἐναντιούμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυσαροὶ πᾶσι φαινόμενοι. Ἐντεῦθεν μεταφέρει τὴν προφητείαν ἐπὶ τὸν Βαβυλώνιον, καὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρατεύσαντας σὺν αὐτῷ βασιλέας, καὶ διηγεῖται αὐτῶν τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τὴν πανοπλίαν, καὶ τὸ ἀπηνὲς καὶ θηριῶδες τῆς γνώμης. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν τούτων δειλίαν. κδʹ. Παρελύθησαν γὰρ, φησὶν, αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν, θλίψις κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς, ὠδῖνες ὡς τικτούσης. Καὶ παρακελεύεται μὴ προκύπτειν τῶν πόλεων, ὡς τῶν πολεμίων προκαθημένων. Παρακελεύεται δὲ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ σάκκον περιβαλέσθαι, καὶ ταῖς κεφαλαῖς κόνιν ἐπιβαλεῖν, καὶ μονογενοῦς παιδὸς μιμήσασθαι πένθος. Εἶτα τῷ προφήτῃ παρεγγυᾷ τὰς τούτων παρανομίας ἰδεῖν. κζʹ. ∆οκιμαστὴν γὰρ, φησὶ, δέδωκά σε ἐν λαῷ μου συγκεκλεισμένῳ· καὶ γνώσῃ ἐν τῷ δοκιμάσαι σε τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὐ κάμνῃς περινοστῶν πόλεις πολλὰς καὶ ἀγρούς· ἐν γὰρ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ πάντες εἰσὶ συνηθροισμένοι διὰ τὸν πόλεμον. Ἐπιδείκνυσι δὲ αὐτῷ τῆς γνώμης αὐτῶν τὸ διάστροφον. κηʹ. Πάντες ἀνήκοοι, πορευόμενοι σκολιῶς, ὡς χαλκὸς καὶ σίδηρος. Πάντες διεφθαρμένοι εἰσίν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, κίβδηλοι, οὐδὲν δόκιμον ἔχοντες. κθʹ. Ἐξέλιπε φυσητὴρ ἀπὸ πυρός· ἐξέλιπε μόλιβδος· εἰς κενὸν ἀργυροκόπος ἀργυροκοπεῖ· πονηρίαι αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐτάκησαν. Ἀργυροκόπον καλεῖ τὸν παιδευτικὸν λόγον· πῦρ δὲ καὶ μόλιβδον τὴν τιμωρίαν αὐτήν· φυσητῆρα δὲ, τὴν θείαν ἀπό φασιν, δι' ἧς ἡ τιμωρία προσφέρεται. Εἰώθασι δὲ καὶ οἱ τοῦ ἀργύρου τεχνῖται, τὸν ἄργυρον καθαίρειν βου λόμενοι, μόλιβδον ἐπιβάλλειν, ὥστε διὰ τούτου δα πανῆσαι τὸ κίβδηλον. Λέγει τοίνυν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ὅτι Παντοδαπαῖς ἐχρησάμην μεθόδοις, μεταβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς θέλων, καὶ διαφόρους παιδείας ἐπήνεγκα, καὶ ἀνιάτως διάκεινται. Ὅθεν ἐπάγει· 81.549 λʹ. Ἀργύριον ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον καλέσατε αὐ τοὺς, ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ὁ Θεός. Ἐπέμεινε τῇ τροπῇ. Οὐδεμία, φησὶ, μηχανὴ τῆς τούτων πονηρίας περιεγένετο· ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, οὐ τῆς φύσεως κατηγορῶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως· τῆς γὰρ φύσεως αὐτὸς ποιητὴς, οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἧς ἐποίησε κατηγόρησε· τῆς δὲ προαιρέσεως ἐκεῖνοι δημι ουργοί. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ. Μετὰ ταῦτα διδάσκει ὁ προφήτης ὡς ἐκελεύθη στῆναι μὲν ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τοῦ θείου νεὼ, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς εἰσιοῦσι τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον προσενεγκεῖν· εἶχε δὲ οὗτος συμβουλὴν, καὶ ὑπόσχεσιν ἀγαθῶν. γʹ. ∆ιορθώσατε τὰς ὁδοὺς ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ ἐπι τηδεύματα ὑμῶν, καὶ κατοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ. Κατηγορεῖ δὲ καὶ τῆς ψευδοῦς προφη τείας. δʹ. Μὴ πεποίθατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἢ ἐπὶ λόγοις ψευδέσιν· ὅτι