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has been called in another way, being himself also named a vine according to the words: "You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted its roots." For the people who came forth through Moses is shown to be a vine, and another would be the choice vine planted in it, which Symmachus translated as "choice." And this was the Word of God himself who also taught about himself in the Gospels and said: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser;" for from him the first people also received the planting of the divine teachings. But in addition to this choice planting there was also a rational planting, as it were "grafted into" the old Egyptian vine. And he builds a tower in the midst of the vineyard, that is, the temple, and he digs a winepress in it, the altar before the temple, and having done all that was his to do, the lord of the vineyard then expects the fruits worthy of such care. But instead of grapes, it produced thorns, "rotten things" according to Aquila, or "imperfect things" according to Symmachus. When the Holy Spirit had said these things concerning the lord of the vineyard, the Lord, taking up what follows, addresses those being judged, saying: And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard; for if anyone among you says he is of the "chosen ones, of a royal race" and descending from the tribe of Judah, you yourselves, citizens of Jerusalem, about which my whole discourse is, be judges of what I have said and of the vineyard's wickedness, but also give counsel, what should be done after so much care, or what should happen that has not happened. But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me foretelling what I am about to do. It is likely that upon learning you will be benefited and will act in such a way as not to suffer the things that are threatened. First, then, I will remove the hedge that has been given to the vineyard and the wall of my watchcare that surrounds it; for when this is done, it will be for plunder and for trampling to those who have chosen to plunder and trample it, and it will no longer receive the cultivation of which it was formerly deemed worthy. For thorns will come up on it as on waste land, and I will also command the clouds not to rain upon it, meaning the prophets by "clouds" because of the purity and transparency of their life; for through them the heavenly word was supplied to them, whom the Lord threatens to remove from them. And he adds the reason more clearly, saying: Because I waited for it to produce judgment, but it produced lawlessness, and not righteousness but a cry; and "every sin that leads to death" lets out a cry, the deed itself "crying out;" so it is said: "the voice of your brother Abel's blood cries to me." Some have thought from the foregoing that the things dared by the people against the Savior were prophesied; for they placed thorns upon him and let out a godless cry against him. Therefore, utter destruction and the final desolation came upon them, which is called "wrath to the uttermost;" for from that time until now they have been deemed worthy of no oversight, and the fall of their tower, I mean of the temple, remains unremedied, and the whole nation happens to be without oversight and uncultivated, nor do the clouds supply them with rational rain. And yet in ancient times, even in a hostile land, prophets were with them as in Babylon and in Egypt and after the return from there, so that now has been fulfilled in them in deed: and I will command the clouds not to rain upon them. But if some should say that the prophets had ceased even before the Savior's advent, yet the temple still stood and the bodily worship was performed until his coming. But the present discourse was established as having reached its end either after the last siege which was conducted by the Romans. 1.34 These can also be common precepts regarding covetousness

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εἶναι λέλεκται καθ' ἕτερον τρόπον, ἄμπελος καὶ αὐτὸς χρηματίζων κατὰ τό· «ἄμπελον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετῆρας, ἐξέβαλες ἔθνη καὶ κατεφύτευσας τὰς ῥίζας αὐτῆς». ἄμπελος γὰρ εἶναι δηλοῦται ὁ διὰ Μωϋσέως προελθὼν λαός, ἑτέρα δ' ἂν εἴη περὶ τὸν λαὸν ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ καταφυτευθεῖσα ἄμπελος σωρήκ, ἣν ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν ἐκλεκτήν. αὕτη δὲ ἦν αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ὁ καὶ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις περὶ αὐτοῦ διδάξας καὶ εἰπών· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός»· ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ ὁ πρῶτος λαὸς τὴν τῶν θείων μαθημάτων φυτείαν εἴληφε. πρὸς δὲ τῇ ἐκλεκτῇ ταύτῃ καὶ λογικὴ φυτεία ἦν, ὥσπερ «ἐνεκέντρισε» τῇ παλαιᾷ καὶ Αἰγυπτιακῇ ἀμπέλῳ. καὶ πύργον οἰκοδομεῖ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, δηλαδὴ τὸν ναόν, καὶ προλήνιον δὲ ὀρύττει ἐν αὐτῷ, τὸ πρὸ τοῦ ναοῦ θυσιαστήριον, πάντα δὲ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πεποιηκὼς ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τοὺς καρποὺς λοιπὸν ἐκδέχεται τοὺς ἐπαξίους τῆς τοσαύτης ἐπιμελείας. ὁ δ' ἀντὶ βοτρύων ἀκάνθας ἐποίει, σαπρίας κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, ἢ ἀτελῆ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον. ταῦτα εἰρηκότος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος περὶ τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος διαλαβὼν ὁ κύριος τὰ ἑξῆς, ἀποτείνεται πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς κρινομένους λέγων· καὶ νῦν, οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Ἰούδα, κρίνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος· εἴ τις γάρ φησιν ἐν ὑμῖν «τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς, βασιλικοῦ γένους» καὶ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἰούδα ὁρμώμενος, αὐτοὶ δὴ ὑμεῖς οἱ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ πολῖται, περὶ ἧς ὁ πᾶς ἐστί μοι λόγος, κριταὶ γένεσθε τῶν τε ὑπ' ἐμοῦ λελεγμένων καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος κακίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμβουλεύσατε, τί χρὴ μετὰ τοσαύτην ἐπιμέλειαν ποιῆσαι, ἢ τί χρὴ γενέσθαι ὃ οὐ γέγονεν. εἰ δ' ὑμεῖς μηδὲν ἔχετε λέγειν, ἀλλ' ἐμοῦ γε προλέγοντος, ἃ μέλλω πράττειν, ἐπακούσατε. εἰκὸς ὑμᾶς μαθόντας ὠφεληθήσεσθαι καὶ τοιαῦτα πρᾶξαι, ὡς μὴ παθεῖν τὰ ἀπειλούμενα. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τὸν ἀποδοθέντα φραγμὸν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος καὶ τὸν περιφράττοντα αὐτὸν τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπισκοπῆς τοῖχον περιελῶ· τούτου γὰρ γενομένου ἔσται εἰς διαρπαγὴν καὶ καταπάτημα τοῖς ἁρπάζειν καὶ καταπατεῖν αὐτὸν προῃρημένοις, καὶ οὐκέτι μὲν τεύξεται γεωργίας, ἧς πρότερον ἠξιοῦτο. ἀναβήσεται γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸν ὡς εἰς χέρσον ἄκανθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελοῦμαι τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς αὐτὸν ὑετόν, νεφέλας δηλῶν τοὺς προφήτας διὰ τὸ καθαρὸν αὐτῶν καὶ διαυγὲς τοῦ βίου· διὰ τούτων γὰρ ὁ οὐράνιος αὐτοῖς ἐχορηγεῖτο λόγος, οὓς ἀπειλεῖ ὁ κύριος ἀποστήσειν αὐτῶν. καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν λευκότερον ἐπάγει λέγων· διότι ἔμεινα ἵνα ποιήσῃ κρίσιν, ἐποίησεν δὲ ἀνομίαν καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην ἀλλὰ κραυγήν· κραυγὴν δὲ ἀφίησι «πᾶσα πρὸς θάνατον ἁμαρτία» «βοώσης» τῆς πράξεως αὐτῆς· οὕτως γοῦν εἴρηται τό· «φωνὴ αἵματος Ἅβελ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με». Τινὲς ἐκ τῶν προκειμένων ᾠήθησαν θεσπίζεσθαι τὰ κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος τῷ λαῷ τολμηθέντα· ἀκάνθας γοῦν αὐτῷ περιτεθείκασιν καὶ κραυγὴν ἄθεον ἀφῆκαν κατ' αὐτοῦ. διὸ μετῆλθεν αὐτοὺς ὁ παντελὴς ὄλεθρος καὶ ἡ ἐσχάτη ἐρημία, ἥ τε λεγομένη «ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος»· ἐξ ἐκείνου γὰρ καὶ εἰς δεῦρο οὐδεμιᾶς ἠξιώθησαν ἐπισκοπῆς, μένει δὲ καὶ τὸ πτῶμα τοῦ πύργου αὐτῶν, λέγω δὴ τοῦ ναοῦ ἀθεράπευτον καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνεπίσκοπον καὶ ἀγεώργητον τυγχάνει, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αἱ νεφέλαι τὸν λογικὸν αὐτοῖς χορηγοῦσιν ὑετόν. καίτοι τὸ παλαιὸν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς πολεμίας γῆς συνῆσαν αὐτοῖς προφῆται ὥσπερ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπάνοδον, ὥστε νῦν ἔργῳ πεπληρῶσθαι εἰς αὐτοὺς τό· καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελοῦμαι τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς αὐτοὺς ὑετόν. εἰ δὲ λέγοιέν τινες, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας διαλελοίπασιν οἱ προφῆται, ἀλλά γε συνειστήκει ὁ νεὼς καὶ ἡ σωματικὴ ἐπετελεῖτο λατρεία μέχρι τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. ὁ δὲ παρὼν λόγος συνίστατο τέλους τετυχηκότα ἢ μετὰ τὴν ὑστάτην πολιορκίαν τὴν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων γενομένην. 1.34 ∆ύναται μὲν ταῦτα καὶ κοινὰ εἶναι παραγγέλματα τοῖς πλεονεξίαν