31

before them, and you shall be taken captive from your place to another place before them, so that they may see, for it is a rebellious house. And making what was said clearer, he adds: 4-6. And you shall bring out your baggage, as baggage for captivity by day, in their sight, and you shall go out in the evening before them, as a captive goes out. Dig for yourself through the wall, and you shall go out through it before them. You shall be taken up on shoulders, and you shall go out hidden, you shall cover your face, and you shall not see the land; for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel. Imitate, he says, someone being besieged, then when the city is being captured, and being forced to flee, and digging through a wall, and contriving an exit, and covering his face, so that he may not be recognized by those who see him; for through you doing these things I wish to signify beforehand to those who inhabit Jerusalem the coming captivity. But the divine Jeremiah teaches us each of these things more clearly, relating how Zedekiah, when the city was captured, escaped by night with his kinsmen and his bodyguards, having devised an exit through the king's garden. Then the prophet teaches how he brought each of the said things to completion, since he was fulfilling divine commands. But when these things were thus done by me, he says, 8-11. The word of the Lord came to me in the morning, saying: Son of man, did not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, say to you: What are you doing? Say to them: Thus says the Lord Adonai to the prince and leader in Jerusalem, and to all the house of Israel, who are in their midst. Say, that I am performing a sign, in the way that I have performed it, so it shall be to them, they shall go into exile and captivity. Being asked, he says, by these disobedient and stubborn people the reason for the things being done by you, tell them clearly, that I am a portent and a sign to you, prophesying through deeds, 81.908 and sketching in myself the things that will happen both to the king of Jerusalem and to all the rulers. 12. For their prince among them will be lifted on shoulders, and will go out secretly through the wall, and will dig to go out through it; he will cover his face, so that he may not be seen by eyes, and he himself will not see the land. But nevertheless, even making his escape this way, and contriving everything so as to escape notice, he will be captured by the enemies. 13. And I will spread, he says, my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, and he will not see it, and there he will die. Through all the things said he taught that, using the enemies as instruments, he will exact penalties for impiety from the king, and the rulers, and all the subjects. For he called the enemies his net, and the siege his snare. And the fourth book of Kings, and the blessed Jeremiah, also clearly teach these things. For Nebuchadnezzar, having sent a squadron of cavalry into the desert near Jericho, and having captured Zedekiah and those fleeing with him, brought him to Deblatha, and there, having first killed the sons of Zedekiah, and having made him a spectator of the slaughter of his sons, thus he put out his eyes, and having put on him fetters made of bronze, he led him away to Babylon, having forced him to live in a mill. For this reason the prophecy also says, that "He will be brought to Babylon, and will not see it." 14, 15. And all, he says, those around him who are his helpers, and all those who support him, I will scatter to every wind, and I will pour out a sword after them. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have scattered them among the nations, and I will disperse them in the countries. But as many as escape the slaughter in the war, I will cause to be led away as captives, and I will show them to be exiles and dispersed, so that through the events themselves they may learn that the idols are deaf and completely inert, but I am Lord and Master. 10. And I will leave from them a few men from the sword, and from famine, and from death, so that they may declare all their lawless deeds among the nations, where

31

ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, καὶ αἰχμαλωτευθήσῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου σου εἰς τόπον ἕτερον ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, ὅπως ἴδωσι, διότι οἶκος παραπικραίνων ἐστί. Καὶ σαφέστερα τὰ εἰρημένα ποιῶν ἐπάγει· δʹ- ϛʹ. Καὶ ἐξοίσεις τὰ σκεύη σου, ὡς σκεύη αἰχμαλωσίας ἡμέρας, κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ σὺ ἐξελεύσῃ ἑσπέρας ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, ὡς ἐκπο ρεύεται αἰχμάλωτος. ∆ιόρυξον σεαυτῷ εἰς τὸν τοῖχον, καὶ ἐξελεύσῃ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν. Ἐπ' ὤμων ἀναληφθήσῃ, καὶ κεκρυμμένος ἐξ ελεύσῃ, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου συγκαλύψεις, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδῃς τὴν γῆν· διότι τέρας δέδωκά σε τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ. Μίμησαι, φησὶ, πολιορκούμενόν τινα, εἶτα τῆς πόλεως ἁλισκομένης, καὶ φεύγειν ἀναγκαζ όμενον, καὶ διορύττοντα τοῖχον, καὶ ἔξοδον ἐπινο οῦντα, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον συγκαλύπτοντα, ἵνα μὴ γνώριμος τοῖς ὁρῶσι γένηται· διὰ σοῦ γὰρ βούλομαι ταῦτα ποιοῦντος προσημῆναι τοῖς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοῦσι τὴν ἐσομένην αἰχμαλωσίαν. Τούτων δὲ ἕκα στον σαφέστερον ἡμᾶς ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἱερεμίας διδά σκει, διηγούμενος ὅπως ὁ Σεδεκίας, τῆς πόλεως ἁλού σης, μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων ἐδραπέ τευσε νύκτωρ, ἔξοδόν τινα μηχανησάμενος διὰ τοῦ κήπου τῶν βασιλείων. Εἶτα διδάσκει ὁ προφήτης, ὡς τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστον εἰς πέρας ἤγαγε, ἅτε δὴ θεῖα πληρῶν ἐπιτάγματα. Τούτων δὲ, φησὶν, οὕτω παρ' ἐμοῦ γενομένων, ηʹ-ιαʹ. Ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου τοπρωῒ πρός με, λέγων· Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς σὲ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ οἶκος ὁ παραπικραίνων· Τί σὺ ποιεῖς; Εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτούς· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος τῷ ἄρχοντι καὶ ἀφηγουμένῳ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ παντὶ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ, οἵ εἰσιν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. Εἰπὲ, ὅτι Ἐγὼ τέρας ποιῶ, ὃν τρόπον πεποίηκα, οὕτως ἔσται αὐτοῖς, ἐν μετοικήσει καὶ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ πορεύσονται. Ἐρωτώμενος, φησὶ, παρὰ τῶν ἀπειθῶν τούτων καὶ ἀντιτύπων, τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γινομένων τὴν αἰτίαν, σαφῶς αὐτοῖς εἰπὲ, ὅτι Τέρας ὑμῖν ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ σημεῖον, διὰ τῶν πραγμά 81.908 των προφητεύων, καὶ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ σκιογραφῶν, τά τε τῷ βασιλεῖ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄρχουσι συμβησόμενα. ιβʹ. Καὶ ὁ ἄρχων γὰρ αὑτῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν ἐπ' ὤμων ἀρθήσεται, καὶ κεκρυμμένως ἐξελεύσεται διὰ τοῦ τοίχου, καὶ διορύξει τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτὸν δι' αὐτοῦ· τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ συγκαλύψει, ὅπως μὴ ὁραθῇ ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν γῆν οὐκ ὄψεται. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω ποιούμενος τὴν φυγὴν, καὶ πάντα μηχανώμενος ὥστε λαθεῖν, συλληφθήσεται παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων. ιγʹ. Καὶ ἐκπετάσω, φησὶ, τὸ δίκτυόν μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ συλληφθήσεται ἐν τῇ περιοχῇ μου, καὶ ἄξω αὐτὸν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα εἰς γῆν Χαλδαίων, καὶ αὐτὴν οὐκ ὄψεται, καὶ ἐκεῖ τελευτήσει. ∆ιὰ πάντων ἐδίδαξε τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς ὀργάνοις κεχρη μένος τοῖς πολεμίοις, δίκας ἀπαιτήσει τῆς ἀσεβείας, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, καὶ ἅπαν τὸ ὑπήκοον. ∆ίκτυον γὰρ αὑτοῦ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκάλεσε, καὶ περιοχὴν αὑτοῦ τὴν πολιορκίαν. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἡ τετάρτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν, καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἱερεμίας σαφῶς διδάσκει. Ἱππικὸν γὰρ σύνταγμα πέμψας ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ εἰς τὴν καθ' Ἱεριχὼ ἔρη μον, καὶ τὸν Σεδεκίαν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ δραπετεύ σαντας συλλαβὼν, ἤγαγεν εἰς ∆εβλαθὰ, κἀκεῖ τοῦ Σεδεκίου τοὺς παῖδας πρότερον ἀνελὼν, καὶ θεατὴν αὐτὸν ποιήσας τῆς τῶν παίδων σφαγῆς, οὕτως αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξώρυξε, καὶ δεσμὰ περιθεὶς ἐκ χαλκοῦ πεποιημένα, εἰς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα ἀπήγαγε, μύλωνα οἰκεῖν ἀναγκάσας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡ προφητεία φησὶν, ὅτι "Εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἀχθήσεται, καὶ αὐτὴν οὐκ ὄψεται." ιδʹ, ιεʹ. Καὶ πάντας, φησὶ, τοὺς κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ τοὺς βοηθοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀντιλαμ βανομένους αὐτοῦ, διασπερῶ εἰς πάντα ἄνεμον, καὶ ῥομφαίαν ἐκχεῶ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. Καὶ γνώσον ται ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, ἐν τῷ διασκορπίσαι με αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ διασπερῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς χώραις. Ὅσοι δ' ἂν διαφύγωσι τὴν ἐν τῷ πολέ μῳ σφαγὴν, αἰχμαλώτους ἀπαχθῆναι παρασκευάσω, καὶ μετοίκους ἀποφανῶ καὶ σποράδας, ἵνα δι' αὐτῶν μάθωσι τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς κωφὰ μὲν τὰ εἴδωλα, καὶ παντελῶς μὲν ἀδρανῆ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κύριος καὶ ∆εσπότης. ιʹ. Καὶ ὑπολήψομαι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρας ἀριθμῷ ἐκ ῥομφαίας, καὶ ἐκ λιμοῦ, καὶ ἐκ θανάτου, ὅπως ἂν ἐκδιηγῶνται πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας αὑτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ