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that those formerly plundered by the Jews, when God was allied with them, will feed on their things, having the power of bulls. And the lambs from the gentiles, he says, will feed on the desolate places of the besieged. grazing on the deepest grass, as in a desert. Calling the strong ones bulls, but those not such, lambs. But we suffer such things, being defeated in war by opposing powers and by irrational impulses, like bulls, we shall live in the wilderness of this life. Therefore he did not say, Oxen. For they are gregarious. But the bull, being spirited, separates itself from the others. 1917 ιηιθʹ. 9Woe to those who draw sins to themselves as with a long rope, and iniquities as with the strap of a heifer's yoke; who say: Let what he will do come near quickly, that we may see. And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.9 And these things are consistent with what was said before. For having heard many teaching words of the Savior, and after him of the apostles, persisting in unbelief, they made additions to their transgressions, always intertwining other things with the preceding ones, just as those who weave a rope, when the spinning stops, they join another, wishing to make it long. But everyone who sins fashions for himself bonds through the things by which he sins, making the rope by which he is bound long or short, according to the measure of his sins. For on account of this we become prisoners according to the voice of Jeremiah. For each one is truly bound tight by the chains of his own sins. And the things which we accomplish against our neighbor not by chance, but by counsel and ambush and long preparations, is a long rope, through which we also draw sins to ourselves that lie far off, that is, the punishments for them. For Scripture also knows to call these things sins. For in a certain way we compel the justice of God to come upon ourselves, so that it is said to each of us: "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering?" But Symmachus rendered it: Woe to those who draw iniquities, as with a rope of vanity, and sin as with a cart rope. For the ropes, being long, are difficult to untie, being made dense by the strain of sins. For the yoke-straps are not easily broken, not even by the strongest yokes, and when the burdens are drawn violently. And he intensified the strength by saying the strap was from a heifer, a strong animal, and one weakened neither by toil nor by time. Or thus, as those who bring heifers, that is, oxen, under the yoke, sometimes drag them with great force into labors and bind them; in the same way, bringing themselves under the things that were to come from divine wrath, they said, Let what he will do come near quickly, having heard the threats against themselves from both the prophets and the Savior himself, and calling these things down through unbelief. Therefore a certain prophet laments them, saying: "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord. And it is darkness, and not light." And indeed, one who has become a prisoner of sin should follow Christ who will say to those in bonds, Come forth. And by the Holy One of Israel he means the only-begotten Word of God. κʹ. 9Woe to those who call evil good, and 1920 good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.9 And these things are brought against the same people. For turning away from the good and wise words of the Savior, they accepted contrary reasonings. And instead of the evangelical light, they embraced the darkness of their own error, as if it were some light, and they pursued the bitter nature of wickedness, as if it were some sweet pleasure. As even now they turn away from the truth of the Gospel, and marvel at old wives' tales, such was also the act of denying Christ, but asking for Barabbas, having become part of the robbers' lot; and of accepting idolaters, but persecuting the people of Christ who are both reverent and sober-minded. For having rejected the illumination through Christ, they have remained in darkness, according to the saying: "When they waited, the light became to them darkness; having waited

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ὅτι οἱ πάλαι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων διηρπασμένοι ἡνίκα τούτοις συνεμάχει Θεὸς, τὰ τούτων βοσκηθήσονται, ταύρων ἔχοντες δύναμιν. Καὶ τὰς ἐρήμους, φησὶ, τῶν πολιορκηθέντων ἄρνες οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν βοσκηθήσονται. βαθυτάτην, ὡς ἐν ἐρήμῳ, πόαν νεμόμενοι. Τοὺς [μὲν] ἰσχυροὺς ταύρους εἰπὼν, τοὺς δὲ μὴ τοιούτους ἄρνας. Τοιαῦτα δὲ πάσχομεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων ἡττώμενοι κατὰ πόλεμον καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλόγων κινημάτων, ταύρων δίκην, ἐν τῇ ἐρημίᾳ τοῦ βίου τούτου διάξομεν. Ὅθεν οὐκ ἔφη, Βόες. Συναγελαστικαὶ γάρ. Ὁ δὲ ταῦρος θυμοειδὴς ὢν ἀποσπᾶται τῶν ἄλλων. 1917 ιηιθʹ. 9Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπισπώμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὡς σχοινίῳ μακρῷ, καὶ ὡς ζυγοῦ ἱμάντι δαμάλεως τὰς ἀνομίας οἱ λέγοντες· Τὸ τάχος ἐγγισάτω ἃ ποιήσει, ἵνα ἴδωμεν. Καὶ ἐλθέτω ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ, ἵνα γνῶμεν9. Καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν ἀκόλουθα. Πολλῶν γὰρ ἐπακούσαντες διδασκαλικῶν λόγων τοῦ Σωτῆρος, μετ' αὐτόν τε τῶν ἀποστόλων, ἐπιμένοντες ἀπιστίᾳ, προσθήκας ἐποιοῦντο πλημμελημάτων, ἀεὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν ἐπισυμπλέκοντες ἕτερα, καθάπερ οἱ πλέκοντες σχοινίον, παυσαμένου τοῦ κλωθομένου συνάπτουσιν ἕτερον, μακρὸν ποιῆσαι βουλόμενοι. Πᾶς δὲ ἁμαρτάνων, δεσμοὺς ἑαυτῷ δι' ὧν ἁμαρτάνει κατασκευάζεται, μακρὸν, ἢ βραχὺ, κατὰ λόγον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, τὸ σχοινίον ᾧ δεσμεῖται ποιῶν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο γινόμεθα δέσμιοι κατὰ τὴν Ἱερεμίου φωνήν. Σειραῖς γὰρ τῷ ὄντι τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων ἕκαστος σφίγγεται. Καὶ ἅπερ δὲ κατὰ τὸν πλησίον οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ παρατυχόντος, ἀλλ' ἐκ βουλῆς καὶ ἐνέδρας καὶ μακρῶν συντελοῦμεν κατασκευῶν, σχοινίον ἐστὶ μακρὸν, δι' οὗ καὶ πόῤῥω κειμένας ἑαυτοῖς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐπισυρόμεθα, ἤγουν τὰς ἐπ' αὐταῖς τιμωρίας. Καὶ ταύτας γὰρ οἶδεν ἁμαρτίας καλεῖν ἡ Γραφή. Τρόπον γάρ τινα τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐλθεῖν βιαζόμεθα δίκην, ὡς ἡμῶν ἑκάστῳ λέγεσθαι· "Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς, καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς;" Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν· Οὐαὶ οἱ ἕλκοντες τὰς ἀνομίας, ὡς σχοινίῳ ματαιότητος, καὶ ὡς βρόχῳ τῆς ἁμάξης τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Μακρὰ γὰρ ὄντα τὰ σχοινία δυσδιάλυτά ἐστιν, τῷ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εὐτόνῳ πυκνούμενα. Οἱ γὰρ ζυγόδεσμοι, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἰσχυροτάτων ζυγῶν, καὶ βιαίως ἐπισπωμένων τὰ βάρη, εὐχερῶς διαῤῥήγνυνται. Τὴν δὲ ἰσχὺν ἐπέτεινεν ἐκ δαμάλεως εἰπὼν τὸν ἱμάντα ἰσχυροῦ τε ζώου, καὶ οὔτε διὰ πόνον, οὔτε διὰ χρόνον ἠσθενηκότος. Ἢ οὕτως, ὡς οἱ τὰς δαμάλεις, ἤτοι τὰς βοῦς ὑποφέροντες τοῖς ζυγοῖς, ἕλκουσιν ἔσθ' ὅτε σὺν βίᾳ πολλῇ εἰς πόνους [καὶ] καταδεσμεύουσιν· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῖς ἐκ θείας ὀργῆς ἐσομένοις ἑαυτοὺς ὑποφέροντες ἔφασκον, Ἐγγισάτω τὸ τάχος ἃ ποιήσει, τὰς καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἀπειλὰς παρά τε προφητῶν, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀκούσαντες, δι' ἀπιστίαν τε ταύτας ἐπικαλούμενοι. ∆ιό τις αὐτοὺς ταλανίζει προφήτης εἰπών· "Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου. Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶ σκότος, καὶ οὐ φῶς." Καὶ αὐτὸν μέντοι γενόμενον δέσμιον ἁμαρτίας ἀκολουθῆσαι Χριστῷ τῷ ἐροῦντι τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς, Ἐξέλθετε. Ἅγιον δὲ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν μονογενῆτοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον φησίν. κʹ. 9Οὐαὶ οἱ λέγοντες τὸ πονηρὸν καλὸν, καὶ τὸ 1920 καλὸν πονηρὸν, οἱ τιθέντες τὸ σκότος φῶς, καὶ τὸ φῶς σκότος, οἱ τιθέντες τὸ πικρὸν γλυκὺ, καὶ τὸ γλυκὺ πικρόν9. Καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιφέρεται. Τοὺς γὰρ ἀγαθοὺς τοῦ Σωτῆρος καὶ [φρο]νίμους λόγους ἀποστρεφόμενοι, τοὺς ἐναντίους λογισμοὺς ἀπεδέχοντο. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ φωτὸς, τὸ τῆς αὐτῶν πλάνης σκότος, ὥσπερ τι φῶς, κατησπάζοντο, τῆς τε κακίας τὴν πικρὰν φύσιν, ὥσπερ τινα γλυκεῖαν ἡδονὴν μετεδίωκον. Ὡς καὶ νῦν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀποστρέφονται, καὶ τοὺς γραώδεις μύθους θαυμάζοντες, τοιοῦτον ἦν καὶ τὸ Χριστὸν μὲν ἀρνήσασθαι, τὸν δὲ Βαραββὰν ἐξαιτεῖν τῆς τῶν ληστῶν γεγονότας μερίδος· καὶ τὸ εἰδωλολάτρας μὲν ἀποδέχεσθαι, διώκειν δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν λαὸν τὸν σεμνόν τε καὶ σώφρονα. Παρωσάμενοι γὰρ τὸν διὰ Χριστοῦ φωτισμὸν, μεμενήκασιν ἐν σκότῳ, κατὰ τό· "Ὑπομεινάντων αὐτῶν, τὸ φῶς ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς σκότος· ὑπομείναντες