[Amon May be an Example to Such as Sin with an High Hand.]
XXIII. There is no sin more grievous than idolatry, for it is an impiety against God: and yet even this sin has been forgiven, upon sincere repentance. But if any one sin in direct opposition, and on purpose to try whether God will punish the wicked or not, such a one shall have no remission, although he say with himself, “All is well, and I will walk according to the conversation of my evil heart.” Such a one was Amon the son of Manasseh. For the Scripture says: “And Amon reasoned an evil reasoning of transgression, and said, My father from his childhood was a great transgressor, and repented in his old age; and now I will walk as my soul lusteth, and afterwards I will return unto the Lord. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And the Lord God soon destroyed him utterly from His good land. And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house, and he reigned two years only.”
[23] Ἠκούσατε, τέκνα ποθητὰ ἡμῶν, ὅπως Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν εἰδώλοις προσανασχόντα καὶ πολλοὺς ἀθώους φονεύσαντα, βραχέως τιμωρησάμενος, μεταγνόντα προσελάβετο, καὶ ἀφεὶς αὐτῷ τὰ πλημμελήματα ἐπέστρεψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ: οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἀφίησιν τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἀξίαν αὐτοὺς ἐπανάγει. Μείζων εἰδωλολατρείας οὐκ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία, εἰς Θεὸν γάρ ἐστιν δυσσέβεια: ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ αὐτὴ διὰ γνησίας μετανοίας συγκεχώρηται. Ἐὰν δέ τις ἐκ παρατάξεως ἁμαρτάνῃ, πειράζων τὸν Θεὸν ὡς μὴ ἐπεξιόντα τοῖς πονηροῖς, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἄφεσιν οὐχ ἕξει, κἂν λέγῃ παρ' ἑαυτῷ: »Ὅσιά μοι γένοιτο, ὅτι πορεύσομαι ἐν τῆ ἀναστροφῇ τῆς καρδίας μου τῆς πονηρᾶς.« Τοιοῦτος γάρ τις ἐγένετο καὶ Ἀμὼς ὁ τοῦ Μανασσῆ υἱός. Φησὶν γὰρ ἡ γραφή: »Καὶ ἐλογίσατο Ἀμὼς λογισμὸν παραβάσεως ἐν ἑαυτῷ κακὸν καὶ εἶπεν: Ὁ πατήρ μου πολλὰ ἐκ νεότητος παρηνόμησεν καὶ ἐν τῷ γήρει μετέγνω: καὶ νῦν ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι καθὰ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ὕστερον ἐπιστρέψω πρὸς Κύριον. Καὶ ἐποίησεν τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου παρὰ πάντας τοὺς γενομένους ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξωλόθρευσεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τάχει ἐκ τῆς γῆς τῆς ἀγαθῆς αὐτοῦ: καὶ ἐπέθεντο αὐτῷ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθανάτωσαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη δύο μόνα.«