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that often having heard, they forgot. He speaks of the impunity and the great boldness, as they will not present themselves according to the law of enemies; but as to places already preoccupied. As keepers of a field they came against her round about. So that there was no escape for those of them who wished to flee. He stated also the cause of the terrible things. Because you have neglected me, says the Lord. Reproachfully, You have neglected the master. And the trustworthiness. Is this not enough for punishment? is it not more grievous than any punishment? for if there were no war, if 64.804 there were no capture of a city, to hear this saying alone, what a punishment it holds? That is, just as those watchers of fruit, finding someone stealing, cry out, and put the thief in fear, and with all eagerness they themselves attack, wishing to seize the one who dared. So also these only cry out, and turn you to flight, as being upon what is another's. Because you have neglected me, says the Lord. You will endure things worthy of what you have dared, and you will reap what you have sown. Your ways, and your practices have done it. What hope of healing is there then, when the chief and most ruling part is corrupted? for there is a wickedness that is not bitter, there is a wickedness that comes from simplicity, which one might even pardon. This, he says, is unbearable, both because it has become permanent, and because it has come, he says, to the heart itself. My belly, I am in pain. *The prophet, having said these things beforehand, is in anguish for them, and laments, and says: My belly, my belly I am in pain, and the senses of my heart. And he took this from the metaphor of a woman in pain. My soul rages, that is, it is disturbed, being in a struggle. My heart is torn, that is, from fear it leaps, all but wishing to come out; it imitates a mother whose bowels are torn at the destruction of her children. Because my soul has heard the sound of the trumpet. The prophet has become inspired. Not now, but a little before he said these things, he sees with prophetic eyes things happening in reality: wars, and battle lines, and fights, the sound of trumpets, the noise of horses, the assault of enemy men, all the misfortunes of the Jews. But see for me the long-suffering of God; he threatened through words, the word did not bite them; he makes the prophecy more trustworthy, making him who deserves it a spectator of the things being said. He invokes destruction, because all the land has suffered; suddenly the tent has suffered. My curtains were torn apart. He shows its vulnerability, calling it a tent; and otherwise one would not err in naming every city and every house in this manner of address; for the present life is a tent. The enemies will need neither labor nor any time, but just as tearing apart a tent, so they overcome the walls. But see also the affection of the prophet, he makes the whole city his own, he says Jerusalem is his house. My curtains were torn apart. He speaks concerning the other cities; and he took it from the metaphor of the kings and the others who make tents in the army camps. And some said the tent was the palace, but the curtains the other houses of the city. How long shall I see them fleeing, hearing the voice of trumpets? What then of the trumpets sounding, and war 64.805 and battle, but not coming to us? but he added, that all the land has suffered. Well said, has suffered; for he everywhere strives to show them that this war is being kindled from God. For to suffer is this. For they did not prevail over them by war and battle alone, but by coming all at once and against expectation and suddenly. He makes him a spectator, and a hearer, that he might strike them from both sides. The prophet saw, so that the Jews would not see. Jeremiah praised the heart, in order that he might keep them in safety, in many places he delivers up those who serve. Because the leaders of my people did not know me. The greatest accusation, when those who ought to teach others, are themselves first ignorant. *Then of the prophet

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ὅτι πολλάκις ἀκούσαντες ἐπελάθοντο. Τὴν ἄδειαν λέγει καὶ τὴν πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν, ὡς οὐ νόμῳ πολεμίων παρέσονται· ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπὶ ἤδη προκατειλημμένα χωρία. Ὡς φυλάσσοντες ἀγρὸν ἐγένοντο ἐπ' αὐτὴν κύκλῳ. Ὥστε μὴ εἶναι διαφυγεῖν βουλομένοις αὐτοῖς. Εἶπε καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν δεινῶν. Ὅτι ἐμοῦ ἠμέλησας, λέγει Κύριος. Ἐντρεπτικῶς, Τοῦ δεσπότου ἠμέλησας Καὶ τὸ ἀξιόπιστον. Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς κόλασιν; οὐ πάσης τιμωρίας χαλεπώτερον; εἰ γὰρ μὴ πόλεμος ἦν, εἰ 64.804 γὰρ μὴ πόλεως ἅλωσις, αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ἀκοῦσαι τὸ ῥῆμα, πόσην ἔχει τιμωρίαν; Τουτέστιν, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ὀπωροφύλακες εὑρόντες τινὰ κλέπτοντα βοῶσι, καὶ εἰς φόβον καθιστῶσι τὸν κλέπτην, καὶ μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας αὐτοὶ ἐπιᾶσιν ἑλεῖν βουλόμενοι τὸν τολμήσαντα. Οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι βοῶσι μόνον, καὶ εἰς φυγὴν ὑμᾶς τρέπουσιν, ὡς ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίοις ὄντας. Ὅτι ἐμοῦ ἠμέλησας, λέγει Κύριος. Ἄξια ὧν ἐτόλμησας ὑπομενεῖς, καὶ θερίσεις ἃ ἔσπαρκας. Αἱ ὁδοί σου, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματά σου ἐποίησαν. Τίς λοιπὸν ἐλπὶς θεραπείας ἐστὶ, τοῦ κεφαλαίου, καὶ ἡγεμονικωτάτου διαφθαρέντος; ἔστι γὰρ κακία οὐ πικρὰ, ἔστι κακία ἐξ ἀφελείας γινομένη, ᾗ καὶ συγγνοίη τις ἄν. Αὕτη, φησὶν, ἀφόρητός ἐστι, τῷ καὶ μόνιμος γενέσθαι, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν, φησὶν, ἐλθεῖν τὴν καρδίαν. Τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἀλγῶ. *Ταῦτα προειπὼν ὁ προφήτης, ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἀποδύρεται, καὶ λέγει· Τὴν κοιλίαν μου, τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἐγὼ ἀλγῶ, καὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια τῆς καρδίας μου. Ἔλαβε δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῆς ὀδυνομένης γυναικός. Μαιμάσσει ἡ ψυχή μου, τουτέστι, θορυβεῖται ἐν ἀγῶνι τυγχάνουσα. Σπαράσσεται ἡ καρδία μου, τουτέστιν, ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους πηδᾷ μόνον οὐχὶ ἐξελθεῖν βουλομένη· μιμεῖται μητέρα τὰ σπλάγχνα σπαραττομένην, ἐπὶ τέκνων ὀλέθρῳ. Ὅτι φωνὴν σάλπιγγος ἤκουσεν ἡ ψυχή μου. Ἔνθους γέγονεν ὁ προφήτης. Οὐ νῦν, ἀλλὰ μικρῷ πρόσθεν εἶπε ταῦτα, ἐπὶ πραγμάτων ὁρᾷ συμβαίνοντα προφητικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, πολέμους, καὶ παρατάξεις, καὶ μάχας, σαλπίγγων ἠχὴν, θόρυβον ἵππων, ἔφοδον πολεμίων ἀνδρῶν, πάσας τὰς Ἰουδαίων συμφοράς. Ὅρα δέ μοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μακροθυμίαν· ἠπείλησε διὰ ῥημάτων, οὐκ ἔδακεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λόγος· ἀξιοπιστοτέραν ποιεῖ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν, αὐτὸν τὸν ἀξιοῦντα θεατὴν τῶν λεγομένων ποιῶν. Συντριμμὸν ἐπικαλεῖται, ὅτι τεταλαιπώρηκε πᾶσα ἡ γῆ· ἄφνω τεταλαιπώρηκεν ἡ σκηνή. ∆ιεσπάσθησαν αἱ δέῤῥεις μου. Τὸ εὐάλωτον δείκνυσι, σκηνὴν καλῶν· ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι, πόλιν πᾶσαν, καὶ οἰκίαν πᾶσαν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς προσηγορίας προσονομάζων· σκηνὴ γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος ἐστίν. Οὐδὲ πόνου δεήσει τοῖς πολεμίοις, οὐδὲ χρόνου τινὸς, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ σκηνὴν διασπῶντες, οὕτω κρατοῦσι τῶν τειχῶν. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦ προφήτου φιλόστοργον, πᾶσαν οἰκειοῦται τὴν πόλιν, οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ φησιν εἶναι τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. ∆ιεσπάσθησαν αἱ δέῤῥεις μου. Περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πόλεών φησιν· ἔλαβε δὲ αὐτὸ ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν ἐν ταῖς στρατοπεδείαις σκηνοποιουμένων βασιλέων, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. Τινὲς δὲ σκηνὴν μὲν ἔφασαν τὰ βασίλεια, δέῤῥεις δὲ τὰς λοιπὰς οἰκίας τῆς πόλεως. Ἕως πότε ὄψομαι φεύγοντας, ἀκούων φωνὴν σαλπίγγων; Τί οὖν δὴ τῶν μὲν σαλπίγγων ἠχουσῶν, καὶ πο 64.805 λέμου, καὶ μάχην, οὐ πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀφικνουμένων; ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Τεταλαιπώρηκε πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Καλῶς τὸ, τεταλαιπώρηκε· πανταχοῦ γὰρ σπουδάζει θεόθεν τὸν πόλεμον ἀναῤῥιπιζόμενον τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῦτον. Τὸ γὰρ ταλαιπωρῆσαι τοῦτό ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ πολέμου μόνον καὶ μάχης αὐτῶν ἐκράτουν, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον ἐλθόντες καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδας καὶ ἄφνω. Θεατὴν αὐτὸν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἀκροατὴν, ἵνα ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτοὺς καταπλήξῃ. Εἶδεν ὁ προφήτης, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι. Ἐπῄνεσε τὴν καρδίαν ὁ Ἱερεμίας, ἵνααὐτοὺς ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ φυλάξῃ, πολλαχοῦ τοὺς θεραπεύοντας ἐκδίδωσι. ∆ιότι οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐμὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν. Ἡ μεγίστη κατηγορία, ὅταν οἱ τοὺς ἄλλους διδάσκειν ὀφείλοντες, αὐτοὶ πρῶτον ἀγνοῶσιν. *Εἶτα τοῦ προφήτου