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a revelation shows beforehand the things that will be. "Then I saw their deeds." 19. But I, like an innocent lamb led to be sacrificed, did not know. The "I did not know" befits the prophet, as one not expecting grievous things; he did not pay close attention to the Lord's promises, but having heard: "I have made you this day, as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron, and as a wall of bronze, "he thought he would in no way be tried by sorrow. But the divine word did not promise this, but that you will be stronger than the grievous things; "For they shall war," he says, "against you, and they shall not be able to prevail against you; because I am with you, to deliver you, says the Lord;" but for the Lord Christ the word is suitable in another sense. For just as, he says, the lamb being led to slaughter does not know what it will suffer, and follows those who lead it, accepting its passion. "Because they have devised a device against me, saying: Come, let us put wood into his bread, and let us wear him out from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more." This does not at all befit the prophet; for how was it possible for wood to be put into the bread? But to the Lord Christ the word of the prophecy is very fitting; for he called his own body bread; "For the bread," he says, "which I will give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." This bread they nailed to wood, thinking to extinguish his memory. Then the prophet. 20. But you, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteous things, who tests the reins and hearts, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you 81.577 I have revealed my cause. Reins, as we have often said, he names the thoughts; since the concupiscible part being in the reins, it often stirs up thought. Not in vain, however, did God allow the prophet to be tried by grievous things; but since he often attempted to offer intercessions on behalf of the transgressors, wishing to persuade him not to consider himself philanthropic, and the treasure of goodness cruel, He allowed the insurrection to happen; and he, being greatly grieved, entreats God to judge righteously, and to demand justice from the unholy; and the Lord accepts the supplication, and gives the answer, and threatens punishment, and says that some will be slaughtered in war, and others will be destroyed by famine. CHAPTER 12. But again the prophet, seeing the prosperity of those who live in wickedness, entreats to be taught the cause of this. 1. Righteous are you, O Lord, that I should plead with you; yet I will speak judgments to you. I know well, he says, the justice of your decree; but I do not think it is improper for me to offer you an inquiry. "Why does the way of the wicked prosper, have all who deal treacherously prospered?" 2. You planted them, and they took root; they begat children, and they produced fruit. By these things he indicated prosperity; but he indicated their godless mind through the things that follow, signifying: "You are near in their mouth, and far from their reins." Only in their words, he says, do they offer your name; for from their thoughts they have cast out your memory. 3. And you, O Lord, know me, you have seen me, you have tested my heart. For you know not only the things that are seen, but also my hidden thoughts. "Gather them as sheep for the slaughter, and sanctify them for the day of their slaughter." Sanctify, he says, instead of set apart. For one who wishes to sanctify himself sets himself apart; for which reason also the Syrian has put 'prepare' instead of 'sanctify'. 4. How long shall the land mourn, and all the grass of the field wither from the wickedness of those who dwell in the land? Beasts and birds have vanished, because they said, God will not see our ways. Because of their transgression the land is desolate

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ἀποκάλυψις προδείκνυσι τὰ ἐσόμενα. "Τότε εἶδον τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτῶν." ιθʹ. Ἐγὼ δὲ, ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον ἀγόμενον τοῦ θύεσθαι, οὐκ ἔγνων. Τὸ "οὐκ ἔγνων" τῷ προφήτῃ ἁρμόττει, ὡς οὐ προσδοκήσαντι τὰ λυπηρά· οὐ προσέσχεν ἀκριβῶς ταῖς ∆εσποτικαῖς ὑποσχέ σεσιν, ἀλλ' ἀκούσας· "Τέθεικά σε ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ, ὡς πόλιν ὀχυρὰν, καὶ ὡς στύλον σιδηροῦν, καὶ ὡς τεῖχος χαλκοῦν, "ἐνόμισε μηδαμῶς πειρᾶσθαι σκυθρωποῦ. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος λόγος οὐ τοῦτο ὑπέσχετο, ἀλλ' ὅτι Κρείττων ἔσῃ τῶν λυπηρῶν· "Πολεμήσουσι γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς σὲ, καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται πρὸς σέ· διότι ἐγώ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ, τοῦ ἐξαιρεῖσθαί σε, λέγει Κύριος·" τῷ δὲ ∆εσπότῃ Χριστῷ καθ' ἑτέραν ἔννοιαν ὁ λόγος ἐστὶ πρόσφορος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἀρ νειὸς ἀγόμενος εἰς σφαγὴν οὐκ οἶδεν ὃ πείσεται, καὶ τοῖς ἄγουσιν ἕπεται καταδεξάμενος τὸ πάθος. "Ὅτι ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐλογίσαντο λογισμὸν, λέγοντες· ∆εῦτε ἐμ βάλωμεν ξύλον εἰς τὸν ἄρτον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκτρίψωμεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ γῆς ζώντων, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῇ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἔτι." Τοῦτο τῷ προφήτῃ οὐθ' ὅλως ἁρμόττει· πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν ξύλον ἐμβληθῆναι τῷ ἄρτῳ; Τῷ δὲ ∆εσπότῃ Χριστῷ καὶ μάλα τῆς προφητείας ὁ λόγος προσήκει· ἄρτον γὰρ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ προσηγόρευσε σῶμα· "Ὁ ἄρτος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὃν ἐγὼ δώσω, ἡ σάρξ μού ἐστιν, ἣν ἐγὼ δώσω ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς." Τοῦτον τὸν ἄρτον ξύλῳ προσήλωσαν, νομίζοντες αὐτοῦ κατασβεννύναι τὴν μνήμην. Εἶτα ὁ προφήτης. κʹ. Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε τῶν δυνάμεων, ὁ κρίνων δί καια, δοκιμάζων νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, ἴδοιμι τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἐκδίκησιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅτι πρὸς σὲ 81.577 ἀνεκάλυψα τὸ δικαίωμά μου. Νεφροὺς, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὀνομάζει· ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν ἐν τοῖς νεφροῖς ὂν, ἀνακινεῖ πολλάκις τὸν λογισμόν. Οὐ μάτην μέντοι συνεχώρη σεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν προφήτην πειραθῆναι τῶν λυπηρῶν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις ἐπεχείρησε τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν παρα νομούντων πρεσβείας προσενεγκεῖν, πεῖσαι βουλό μενος αὐτὸν μὴ ἑαυτὸν μὲν νομίζειν φιλάνθρωπον, τὸν δὲ τῆς ἀγαθότητος θησαυρὸν ἀπηνῆ, συνεχώρησε γενέσθαι τὴν ἐπανάστασιν· ὁ δὲ λίαν ἀλγήσας, κρί ναι δικαίως ἀντιβολεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δίκας ἀπαιτῆσαι τοὺς ἀνοσίους· δέχεται δὲ τὴν ἱκεσίαν ὁ ∆εσπότης, καὶ δίδωσι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, καὶ κόλασιν ἀπειλεῖ, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐν πολέμῳ σφαγήσεσθαι λέγει, τοὺς δὲ λιμῷ διαφθαρήσεσθαι. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΒʹ. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁ προφήτης, θεώμενος τῶν πονηρίᾳ συζώντων τὴν εὐπραξίαν, τούτου τὴν αἰτίαν διδαχθῆ ναι ἀντιβολεῖ. αʹ. ∆ίκαιος εἶ, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀπολογήσομαι πρὸς σέ· πλὴν κρίματα λαλήσω πρὸς σέ. Οἶδα, φησὶν, ἀκριβῶς τῆς σῆς ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον· οὐκ ἄτοπον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐγὼ προσφέρειν ἡγοῦμαί σοι πεῦσιν. "Τί ὅτι ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐοδοῦται, εὐθήνησαν πάντες οἱ ἀθετοῦντες ἀθέτημα;" βʹ. Ἐφύτευσας αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐῤῥιζώθησαν· ἐτεκνοποίησαν, καὶ ἐποίησαν καρπόν. ∆ιὰ τού των εὐπραξίαν ἐδήλωσε· τὴν δὲ ἄθεον γνώμην διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων ἐδήλωσε σημαίνων· "Ἐγγὺς εἶ σὺ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν, καὶ πόῤῥω ἀπὸ τῶν νεφρῶν αὐτῶν." Ἐν μόνοις, φησὶ, τοῖς λόγοις προσ ηγορίαν προσφέρουσι τὴν σήν· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λογισμῶν τὴν σὴν ἐξέβαλον μνήμην. γʹ. Καὶ σὺ, Κύριε, γινώσκεις με, εἶδές με, ἐδο κίμασας τὴν καρδίαν μου. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ φαινόμενα οἶδας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς λανθάνοντάς μου λογισμούς. "Ἄθροισον αὐτοὺς ὡς πρόβατα εἰς σφαγὴν, καὶ ἅγνισον αὐτοὺς εἰς ἡμέραν σφαγῆς αὐτῶν." Τὸ ἅγνισον, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀφόρισον λέγει. Ἀφορίζει γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ὁ ἁγνίσασθαι βουλόμενος· διὸ καὶ ὁ Σύρος εὐτρέπισον ἀντὶ τοῦ ἅγνισον τέ θεικεν. δʹ. Ἕως πότε πενθήσει ἡ γῆ, καὶ ὁ χόρτος πᾶς τοῦ ἀγροῦ ξηρανθήσεται ἀπὸ κακίας τῶν κατ οικούντων τὴν γῆν; ἠφανίσθησαν κτήνη καὶ πετεινὰ, ὅτι εἶπον, οὐκ ὄψεται ὁ Θεὸς ὁδοὺς ἡμῶν. Τῆς τούτων ἕνεκα παρανομίας ἔρημος ἡ γῆ