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the multitude of your iniquity was discovered, your hinder parts, to make an example of your heels. Such a nakedness shames those who endure it. Therefore he says, Because you were made naked, did not your transgressions bring forth these calamities for you? 23. If an Ethiopian will change his skin, or a leopard its spots, you also will be able to do good, having learned evil. True, then, is the saying, that habit is second nature. For by long habit it compares all things of the will to natural things. For this reason he threatens to scatter them like stubble carried here and there by a whirlwind. 81.589 And he also speaks of the multitude of her sins: licentiousness, and insolence, and the worship of idols; for he calls it the alienation of fornication; whence he added, "On the hills, and in the fields I have seen your abominations." Then, lamenting, "Woe to you, Jerusalem, that you were not cleansed after me! Until when yet?" For having dared many transgressions, you were not willing to make use of repentance; but I will no longer be long-suffering, but will bring on the punishment. It is better, therefore, to live according to the divine laws; but since it is likely for us, being human, to stumble, it is fitting to use the medicines of repentance, and through these to propitiate the judge, and to escape the experience of the threatened punishments. Of which may we also remain without experience, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory and power to the Father, with the all-holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 14. 1. And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah concerning the drought. He brings all kinds of chastisements upon them, in order to check the course of wickedness. And the prophet describes the laments and the wailings that happened on account of the lack of rain. For he says that the springs, and the wells, and the reservoirs from the rains have failed; and the barrenness of the earth followed, and the cattle, not only the tame but also the wild, partook of the suffering. 5, 6. For hinds, he says, calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass. Wild asses stood on the wooded valleys, they snuffed up the wind like a dragon. And thirsty men do this, cooling the heat with the breezes of the winds. Then the prophet offers a supplication, and is reminded of the common sins, and by this he propitiates God. "For against you," he says, "we have sinned." 8. O hope of Israel, you save in time of troubles. For from you we all await mercy. 81.592 "Why have you become like a sojourner in the land, and like a native turning aside for a lodging?" The phrase "as a native," the Syrian interpreted as "as a wayfarer." Why, he says, do you overlook us and seem like a sojourner despising the dwellings, as being another's, in which he dwells, and like a wayfarer passing by, and not caring for the things along the way? 9. Will you be like a man sleeping, and a man not able to save? Neither does he who is sleeping hear those who call, nor is he who is yoked with weakness able to help. Instead of: Do not postpone mercy; for you are able, and you are awake, and you are everywhere present, and you stand by all. For he added this: "And you are in us, Lord, and your name has been called upon us; do not forget us." And he also sets down the answer given by God: 10. They have loved to move their feet, and have not spared them. That is, into the way of wickedness; for that which follows also teaches this. "And God was not well-pleased in them." And he says that he will make remembrance of their iniquities, and will exact from them penalties for which they acted impiously. And he also commands the prophet, not the prayers on their behalf

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τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἀδικίας σου ἀνεκαλύφθη τὰ ὀπίσθιά σου παραδειγματι σθῆναι τὰς πτέρνας σου. Καταισχύνει τοὺς τοῦτο ὑπομένοντας ἡ τοιαύτη γύμνωσις. Λέγει τοίνυν, Ὅτι ἐγυμνώθης, οὐ τὰ πλημμελήματα καὶ ταύτας σοι τὰς συμφορὰς ἀπεκύησεν; κγʹ. Εἰ ἀλλάξει Αἰθίοψ τὸ δέρμα αὑτοῦ, καὶ πάρδαλις τὰ ποικίλματα αὑτῆς, καὶ ὑμεῖς δυνή σεσθε εὖ ποιῆσαι, μεμαθηκότες κακά. Ἀληθὴς ἄρα ὁ λόγος, ὅτι τὸ ἔθος δευτέρα φύσις. Τοῖς γὰρ φυσικοῖς τὰ γνωμικὰ τῷ μακρῷ ἔθει πάντα συν έκρινα. Τούτου χάριν ἀπειλεῖ φρυγάνων δίκην αὐ τοὺς διασκεδάσειν ὑπὸ λαίλαπος τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περι 81.589 φερομένων. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῆς τὸ πλῆθος, ἀκολασίαν, καὶ θρασύτητα, καὶ εἰδώλων λατρείαν· ἀπαλλοτρίωσιν γὰρ πορνείας αὐτὴν καλεῖ· ὅθεν ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἐπὶ τῶν βουνῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς ἑώρακα τὰ βδελύγματά σου." Εἶτα θρηνητι κῶς, "Οὐαί σοι, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκαθαρίσθης ὀπίσω μου! ἕως τίνος ἔτι;" Πολλὰς γὰρ παρανομίας τολμήσασα μεταμελείᾳ χρήσασθαι οὐκ ἠθέλησας· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκέτι μακροθυμήσω· ἀλλὰ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπάξω. Ἄμεινον μὲν οὖν κατὰ τοὺς θείους πολιτεύε σθαι νόμους· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας καὶ πταίειν εἰκὸς, κεχρῆσθαι προσήκει τοῖς τῆς μεταμελείας φαρμάκοις, καὶ διὰ τούτων τὸν κριτὴν ἱλεοῦσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἠπειλημένων κολάσεων τὴν πεῖραν διαφυγεῖν. Ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπείρατοι διαμείναιμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΤΟΜΟΣ ∆ʹ ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ι∆ʹ. αʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν περὶ τῆς ἀβροχίας. Παντοδαπὰς αὐτοῖς ἐπιφέρει παιδείας, ἵνα τῆς πονηρίας ἀνακόψῃ τὸν δρόμον. ∆ιηγεῖται δὲ ὁ προφήτης τοὺς θρήνους, καὶ τὰς ὀλο φύρσεις, τὰς δι' ἀνομβρίαν γεγενημένας. Λέγει γὰρ ἐπιλελοιπέναι καὶ τὰς πηγὰς, καὶ τὰ φρέατα, καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῶν ὄμβρων συστήματα· ἠκολούθησε δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς γῆς ἀκαρπία, καὶ τὰ κτήνη δὲ οὐ τὰ ἥμερα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἄγρια, τοῦ πάθους μετέλα χεν. εʹ, ϛʹ. Ἔλαφοι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν ἀγρῷ ἔτεκον, καὶ ἐγκατέλιπον, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν βοτάνη. Ὄνοι ἄγριοι ἔστησαν ἐπὶ νάπαις, εἵλκυσαν ἄνεμον ὡς δρά κων. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἄνθρωποι ποιοῦσι διψῶντες, ταῖς τῶν ἀνέμων αὔραις τὸ θερμὸν καταψύχοντες. Εἶτα ὁ προφήτης ἱκετείαν προσφέρει, καὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναμιμνήσκεται, καὶ ταύτῃ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεοῦται. "Σοὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡμάρτομεν." ηʹ. Ὑπομονὴ Ἰσραὴλ, σώζεις ἐν καιρῷ κα-κῶν. Παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ τὸν ἔλεον προσμένομεν ἅπαντες. 81.592 "Ἱνατί ἐγενήθης ὡς πάροικος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὡς αὐτόχθων ἐκκλίνων εἰς κατάλυμα;" Τὸ "ὡς αὐτό χθων," ὁ Σύρος, "ὡς ὁδίτης," ἡρμήνευσε. Τί δή ποτε, φησὶ, παρορᾷς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἔοικας παροίκῳ κα ταφρονοῦντι τῶν οἰκημάτων, ὡς ἀλλοτρίων, ἐν οἷς οἰκεῖ, καὶ ὁδίτῃ παριόντι, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν οὐκ ἐπιμελουμένῳ; θʹ. Μὴ ἔσῃ ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος ὑπνῶν, καὶ ἀνὴρ οὐ δυνάμενος σώζειν; Οὔτε ὁ καθεύδων τῶν παρακαλούντων ἀκούει, καὶ ὁ ἀσθενείᾳ συνεζευγμέ νος ἐπαμύνειν οὐ δύναται. Ἀντὶ τοῦ· Μὴ ἀναβάλλῃ τὸν ἔλεον· καὶ γὰρ δύνασαι, καὶ ἐγρήγορας, καὶ παν ταχοῦ πάρει, καὶ τοῖς πᾶσι παρίστασαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ σὺ ἐν ἡμῖν εἶ, Κύριε, καὶ τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπικέκληται ἐφ' ἡμᾶς· μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ἡμῶν." Τίθησι δὲ καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθεῖσαν ἀπό κρισιν· ιʹ. Ἠγάπησαν κινεῖν πόδας αὑτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσαντο. Τουτέστιν εἰς τὴν τῆς πονηρίας ὁδόν· τοῦτο γὰρ διδάσκει καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα. "Καὶ ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ εὐδόκησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς." Λέγει δὲ ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἀδικιῶν αὐτῶν τὴν μνήμην ποιήσεται, καὶ δίκας αὐ τοὺς ὧν ἠσέβησαν πράξεται. Παρεγγυᾷ δὲ καὶ τῷ προφήτῃ, τὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν προσευχὰς μὴ