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in wickedness; for they were not turned away from it, but continuously walked it. "And I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, and they did not do it." For he gave them over to various punishments; at one time to the Ammonites, at another to the Moabites, at other times they served foreigners. 9, 10. And the Lord said: A conspiracy was found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have returned to the iniquities of their forefathers, who would not listen to my words. The phrase "A conspiracy was found," 81.573 instead of, they are bound together, and entwined with their fathers, and they walk their path; for this is what it also means through the following words. "And behold, they walk after other gods, to serve them." And they do these things, transgressing the covenant given to them. For this reason, I will surround them with all kinds of misfortunes, and when they lament I will not deem them worthy of pity; nor indeed will they enjoy any help from the gods they worship. And he also states their multitude. 13. For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, they set up altars to the shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. Therefore, on account of the excess of impiety, he forbids the prophet to offer intercession on their behalf. 14. For do not pray, he says, for this people, and do not ask on their behalf in petition and prayer; for I will not listen to you in the time when they call upon me, in the time of their affliction. For it is in the punishment itself that they offer their petitions; for this reason the prophet David also exhorts, saying: "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving." But here he shows its unsurpassable impiety. 15. What has the beloved done in my house, an abomination? Both indicate the intensity of the impiety, both being called "beloved," and setting up inside the divine temple the idols of non-existent gods. "Shall vows and holy meats take away from you your wickedness? or shall you escape by these things?" Clearly the prophetic definition and word has taught us that the Lord seeks good action; for the divine David also proclaims this: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; but a body you have prepared for me." And again: "For if you had desired sacrifice, I would have given it; you will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings; a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart God will not despise." And since he called her beloved, he again states her other name. 16. A beautiful olive tree, shady in appearance, the Lord called your name. And he gave this name, urging it toward fruitfulness. Thus also he often named it a vine. "At the sound of its pruning a fire was kindled upon it. Since he called it an olive tree, he also mentions purification; for he calls the purification 'pruning'; thus also the Lord says in the holy Gospels: "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit is cut off, and cast into the fire." -"Great is the affliction upon you; its 81.576 branches have become useless." For they did not wish to bear good fruits; and teaching that it is not the Babylonian who is strong, but that he himself brings the punishment upon it, he has added this as well: 17. And the Lord God of hosts who planted you, has spoken evil against you, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel, and of the house of Judah; for they did this to themselves, to provoke me to anger by burning incense to Baal. He himself, he says, your gardener, cut off the branches; but you are the cause of these things, having brought forth not useful, but poisonous fruits. And through the following the prophet teaches what things they will dare against him, and against the Lord Christ. For in him those things also were prefigured. 18. Lord, make known to me, and I shall know. That he does not only speak of the things that happened to him, the prayer testifies; he did not need a revelation to see the things happening then; for they happened to him; but the

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ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ· οὐ γὰρ ἀπετρέποντο ταύτης, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς αὐτὴν ὥδευον. "Καὶ ἐπήγαγον ἐπ' αὐ τοὺς πάντας τοὺς λόγους τῆς διαθήκης ταύτης, ἧς ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς ποιῆσαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησαν." ∆ια φόροις γὰρ τιμωρίαις αὐτοὺς ἐξέδωκε· ποτὲ μὲν Ἀμμανίταις, ποτὲ δὲ Μωαβίταις, ἄλλοτε ἀλλοφύλοις ἐδούλευσαν. θʹ, ιʹ. Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· Εὑρέθη σύνδεσμος ἐν ἀνδράσιν Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐπεστράφησαν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀδικίας τῶν πατέρων αὑτῶν τῶν προτέρων, οἳ οὐκ ἤθελον ἀκοῦσαι τῶν λόγων μου. Τὸ "Εὑρέθη σύνδεσμος," 81.573 ἀντὶ τοῦ, συνδεδεμένοι εἰσὶ, καὶ συμπεπλεγμένοι τοῖς πατράσι, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων πορείαν ὁδεύουσι· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων σημαίνει. "Καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτοὶ βαδίζουσιν ὀπίσω θεῶν ἀλλοτρίων, τοῦ δουλεύειν αὐτοῖς." Ταῦτα δὲ δρῶσι τὴν δοθεῖσαν αὐ τοῖς παραβαίνοντες διαθήκην. Οὗ δὴ χάριν παντο δαπαῖς αὐτοὺς περιβαλῶ συμφοραῖς, καὶ ὀδυρομένους οὐκ ἀξιώσω φειδοῦς· οὔτε μὴν παρὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτῶν θεραπευομένων θεῶν ἐπικουρίας τινὸς ἀπολαύονται. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τούτων τὸ πλῆθος. ιγʹ. Ὅτι κατὰ ἀριθμὸν τῶν πόλεών σου ἦσαν οἱ θεοί σου, Ἰούδα, καὶ κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἐξόδων Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἔταξαν βωμοὺς τῇ αἰσχύνῃ, θυσια στήρια τοῦ θυμιᾷν τῇ Βάαλ. ∆ιὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοίνυν τῆς ἀσεβείας τὸν προφήτην κωλύει τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πρεσβείαν προσενεγκεῖν. ιδʹ. Μὴ εὔχου γὰρ, φησὶ, περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ μὴ ἀξιοῖς περὶ αὐτῶν ἐν δεήσει καὶ προσ ευχῇ· ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαί σου ἐν τῷ καιρῷ, ἐν ᾧ ἐπικαλοῦνταί με, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς κακώ σεως αὐτῶν. Ἐν αὐτῇ γὰρ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ τὰς δεήσεις προσφέρουσι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ∆αβὶδ παρ εγγυᾷ, λέγων· "Προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει." Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὴν ἀνυπέρβλητον αὐτῆς ἀσέβειαν δείκνυσιν. ιεʹ. Τί ἡ ἠγαπημένη ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου ἐποίησε βδέλυγμα; Ἀμφότερα τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῆς δυσσεβείας δηλοῖ, καὶ τὸ "ἠγαπημένην" κληθῆναι, καὶ τὸ ἔνδο θεν ἐν τῷ θείῳ νεῷ τῶν οὐκ ὄντων θεῶν τὰ ἰνδάλ ματα στῆσαι. "Μὴ εὐχαὶ καὶ κρέα ἅγια ἀφαιροῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ τὰς κακίας σου; ἢ τούτοις διαφεύξῃ;" Σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ὁ προφητικὸς ἐδίδαξεν ὅρος καὶ λόγος, ὡς πρᾶξιν ἀγαθὴν ὁ ∆εσπότης ζητεῖ· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ θεῖος βοᾷ ∆αβίδ· "Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλη σας· σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὅτι εἰ ἠθέλησας θυσίαν, ἔδωκα ἂν, ὁλοκαυτώματα οὐκ εὐδοκήσεις· θυσία τῷ Θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον· καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει." Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἠγαπημένην αὐτὴν ἐκάλεσε, λέγει πάλιν καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν αὐτῆς προσ ηγορίαν. ιϛʹ. Ἐλαίαν ὡραίαν, εὔσκιον τῷ εἴδει, ἐκά λεσε Κύριος τὸ ὄνομά σου. Ταύτην δὲ τὴν προσ ηγορίαν ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὴν καρπογονίαν προτρέπων. Οὕτω καὶ ἄμπελον πολλάκις ὠνόμασεν. "Εἰς φω νὴν περιτομῆς αὐτῆς ἀνήφθη πῦρ ἐπ' αὐτήν. Ἐπειδὴ ἐλαίαν ἐκάλεσε, καὶ καθάρσεως μέμνηται· περιτομὴν γὰρ καλεῖ τὴν κάθαρσιν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύ ριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις φησί· "Πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν ἐκκόπτεται, καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται." -"Μεγάλη ἡ θλίψις ἐπὶ σέ· ἠχρειώθη 81.576 σαν οἱ κλάδοι αὐτῆς." Καρποὺς γὰρ ἀγαθοὺς ἐνεγ κεῖν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν· καὶ διδάσκων ὡς οὐχ ὁ Βαβυλώ νιος ἰσχυρὸς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτῇ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπάγει, προστέθεικε καὶ ταῦτα· ιζʹ. Καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων ὁ κατα φυτεύσας σε, ἐλάλησεν ἐπὶ σὲ κακὰ, ἀντὶ τῆς κακίας οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ οἴκου Ἰούδα· ὅτι ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς τοῦτο, τοῦ παροργίσαι με ἐν τῷ θυμιᾷν αὐτοὺς τῇ Βάαλ. Αὐτὸς, φησὶν, ὁ φυ τουργός σου τοὺς κλάδους ἐξέκοψε· σὺ δὲ τούτων αἰτία, οὐκ ὠφελίμους, ἀλλὰ δηλητηρίους βλαστήσασα καρπούς. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ὁ προφήτης, οἷα κατ' αὐτοῦ τολμήσουσι, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χρι στοῦ. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ κἀκεῖνα ἐσκιογραφήθη. ιηʹ. Κύριε, γνώρισόν μοι, καὶ γνώσομαι. Ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ λέγει γεγενημένα, μαρτυ ρεῖ ἡ εὐχή· οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεως ἐδεῖτο εἰς τὸ ἰδεῖν τὰ τότε γιγνόμενα· εἰς αὐτὸν γὰρ ἐγένοντο· ἀλλ' ἡ