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Following these things, when he said, How long will I see them fleeing? God answers, Because the leaders of my people did not know me, that is, Because of their impieties they suffer these things, since also formerly, one pursued a thousand, and you learned the things concerning Egypt, he explains also the multitude of those fleeing, and he says from the person of God, Because the leaders of my people did not know me, they are foolish sons, and not wise. And lest they be thought worthy of forgiveness as being foolish, he immediately added, they are wise to do evil. For this is the most difficult thing, that they used it for nothing, foolishly, just as the drunkards with wine, and the murderers with the sword. I looked upon the earth, and behold, nothing, and to the heaven. How nothing? No sheep, he says, no oxen, no buildings, and walls. For war knows how to make all such things disappear. And to the heaven, and its lights were not. He means the mind of the beholder, not the nature of the thing. For he does not say it simply, but, I saw, and its lights were not. For the darkness of the night is accustomed to cover the light, but it shows the moon with the stars; but the night of despondency, which is much more grievous than this, makes all the stars disappear, not in their substance, but in the sight of the one beholding. So that its lights did not appear, wherefore they did not even seem to exist to the beholders. But just as if naked, and stripped of light, so it became. A soul that is darkened suffers something of this sort; for many, having disembarked from the sea, thought they saw the earth standing upright and spinning around for them. Nature is accustomed to do all these things. For just as fear of the senses falling into clear and still water disturbs the earth at the bottom, and confuses it, making the things above below, and disturbing the whole order; so indeed it also happens here, one hears some things, and sees other things, and nothing stands on its own foundation. 64.808 As if in darkness have I become from fear on account of the desolation of the city. I saw the mountains, and behold they were trembling. That is, it is not possible to be saved even by being in the mountains. I looked, and behold there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled in terror. For we do not seem to see even those standing near; how then does he say concerning the birds, that they had fled in terror? This is also from the disposition of the prophet. For because of the desolation, the birds also left the place. For most of the animals are by nature accustomed to dwell in inhabited places. The whole earth shall be desolate. What are you saying? Do you release the Jewish fear? For why did you not stop at the former threat? It was enough to say, The whole earth shall be desolate. But immediately he turned the gloomy thing, bringing on what is good. For what reason? So that by this also he might make them better. For when we speak by joining grievous things upon grievous things, the soul has often fallen into despair; but she who has good hopes, even if small, will be able to rise up quickly. But at these things let the earth mourn. He rightly calls the earth to a perception of the things that are about to happen, since men are disposed insensibly. Because I have spoken, and I will not repent. Let no one think the matter is a threat, the deed will certainly follow. For since he often spoke and, through love for mankind, did not bring about the end, it will not be so now, but as I have spoken, I will also do. If you put on scarlet. What ever is being said? The speech is metaphorical; the prophet constantly speaks to the city as to a dishonorable and prostituted woman. Since he said above, See your ways in the cemetery, that is the place, where caught with women you acted impiously, he says, if you wish to deceive the enemies in a similar manner, you will not be able. And the phrase, If you anoint with kohl, refers to the black substance with which women are accustomed to color their eyes. As to a harlot expecting by the beauty of her appearance to capture her lovers, just like Jezebel, just like the daughters of the Jews. But now to the city, consider every misfortune, when even lovers

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ἀκολούθως τούτοις φήσαντος, Ἕως πότε ὄψομαι φεύγοντας; ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Θεὸς, ∆ιότι οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐμὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, τουτέστι, ∆ιὰ τὰς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν ταῦτα πάσχουσιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ πρότερον, καὶ εἷς ἐδίωκε χιλίους, καὶ τὰ κατ' Αἴγυπτον ἐμάθετε, ἐξηγεῖται καὶ τῶν φευγόντων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ φησι, ∆ιότι οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐμὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, υἱοὶ ἄφρονές εἰσι, καὶ οὐ συνετοί· καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομισθῶσιν ἄξιοι εἶναι συγγνώμης ὡς ἄφρονες, εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγεν, σοφοί εἰσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ τὸ παγχάλεπον, ὅτι εἰς οὐδὲν ἐχρήσαντο, ἀφρόνως, καθάπερ οἱ μέθυσοι τῷ οἴνῳ, καὶ τῷ σιδήρῳ οἱ ἀνδροφόνοι. Ἐπέβλεψα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐδὲν, καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Πῶς οὐδέν; Οὐ πρόβατα, φησὶν, οὐ βόες, οὐκ οἰκοδομήματα, καὶ τείχη. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀφανίζειν οἶδεν ὁ πόλεμος. Καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν τὰ φῶτα αὐτοῦ. Τὴν διάνοιαν λέγει τοῦ θεατοῦ, οὐ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς λέγει, ἀλλ', Εἶδον, καὶ οὐκ ἦν τὰ φῶτα αὐτοῦ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς νυκτὸς σκότος καλύπτειν εἴωθε τὸ φῶς, δείκνυσι δὲ τὴν σελήνην μετὰ τῶν ἄστρων· ἡ δὲ τῆς ἀθυμίας νὺξ, ἡ πολὺ ταύτης χαλεπωτέρα, πάντα ἀφανίζει τὰ ἄστρα, οὐ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ θεωμένου. Ὥστε τὰ μὲν φῶτα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐφαίνετο, διόπερ οὐδὲ εἶναι ἐδόκει τοῖς θεαταῖς. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ γυμνὸς, καὶ ἐρημωθεὶς τοῦ φωτὸς, οὕτως ἐγένετο. Τοιοῦτόν τι πάσχει ψυχὴ σκοτωθεῖσα· καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τοῦ πελάγους ἀποβάντες ὀρθουμένην ἔδοξαν ὁρᾷν τὴν γῆν, καὶ περιδινουμένην αὐτοῖς. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ποιεῖν ἡ φύσις εἴωθε. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἰς ὕδωρ καθαρὸν καὶ ἑστὸς ἐμπεσὼν ὁ φόβος τῶν αἰσθητηρίων, τὴν γῆν τὴν ἐν τῷ βυθῷ ταράσσει, καὶ συγχεῖ τὰ ἄνω κάτω ποιῶν, καὶ τὴν τάξιν ταράσσων ἅπασαν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα γίνεται, ἕτερα ἀκούει, καὶ ἕτερα βλέπει, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἕστηκεν ἕδρας. 64.808 Ὡς ἐν σκότῳ γέγονα ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου διὰ τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἐρημίαν. Εἶδον τὰ ὄρη, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦν τρέμοντα. Τουτέστιν, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι γενομένοις ἔστι σώζεσθαι. Ἐπέβλεψα, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπτόηντο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς πλησίον ἑστῶτας δοκοῦμεν ὁρᾷν· πῶς οὖν περὶ τῶν πετεινῶν φησι, ὅτι ἐπτόηντο; Τοῦτο καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς διαθέσεως τοῦ προφήτου. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐρημίας, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τὸν τόπον κατέλιπον. Τὰ γὰρ πολλὰ τῶν ζώων εἰς ἀπῳκισμένους τόπους εἰπεῖν οἰκεῖν πέφυκεν. Ἔρημος ἔσται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Τί λέγεις; Ἐκλύεις τὸν φόβον τὸν Ἰουδαϊκόν; Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔστης ἐπὶ τῇ προτέρᾳ ἀπειλῇ; ἤρκει εἰπεῖν, Ἔρημος ἔσται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Ἀλλ' εὐθέως τὸ σκυθρωπὸν ἔστρεψεν, τὸ χρηστὸν ἐπαγαγών. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ ποιῆσαι βελτίους. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐπὶ χαλεποῖς χαλεπὰ συνάπτοντες λέγωμεν, εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἡ ψυχὴ πολλάκις ἐμπέπτωκεν· ἡ δὲ ἐλπίδας ἔχουσα χρηστὰς, κἂν βραχείας, ταχέως ἀναστῆναι δυνήσεται. Ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ πενθείτω ἡ γῆ. Καλῶς τὴν γῆν πρὸς αἴσθησιν τῶν μελλόντων γίνεσθαι καλεῖ, τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀναισθήτως διακειμένων. ∆ιότι ἐλάλησα, καὶ οὐ μετανοήσω. Μὴ νομίσῃ τις εἶναι ἀπειλὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα, πάντως ἕψεται καὶ τὸ ἔργον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλάκις εἰπὼν, διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν τὸ τέλος οὐκ ἐπήγαγεν, οὐχ οὕτως καὶ νῦν ἔσται, ἀλλὰ ὡς ἐλάλησα, καὶ ποιήσω. Ἐὰν περιβάλῃ κόκκινον. Τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Μεταφορικὸς ὁ λόγος ἐστίν· ὡς πρὸς γυναῖκα ἄτιμον, τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἑταιριζομένην ὁ προφήτης συνεχῶς διαλέγεται. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν ἀνωτέρω, Ἴδε τὰς ὁδούς σου ἐν τῷ πολυανδρίῳ, τουτέστι τὸν τόπον, ἔνθα ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἁλοὺς ἠσέβησας, φησὶν, ἐὰν τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον θελήσῃς ἀπατῆσαι τοὺς πολεμίους, οὐ δυνήσῃ. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐὰν χρίσῃς στίβει, τὸ μέλαν λέγει, ᾧ ἐπιχρωννύειν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰώθασιν αἱ γυναῖκες. Ὡς πρὸς πόρνην προσδοκῶσαν τῷ κάλλει τῆς ὄψεως ἑλεῖν τοὺς ἐραστὰς, καθάπερ ἡ Ἰεζάβελ, καθάπερ τῶν Ἰουδαίων αἱ θυγατέρες. Ἀλλὰ νῦν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, πᾶσαν ἐννόησον δυσπραγίαν, ὅταν καὶ ἐρασταὶ