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it will be dissolved. 81.916 12. For there will be, he says, a flooding rain, and I will give hailstones into their bonds, and it will fall, and a sweeping wind will come, and it will be broken. And behold, the wall has fallen. He has said everything figuratively as if about a wall, but through it all he has revealed the attack of the enemies. And he foretold the bonds of the wall as the king and the rulers, who just as straps bind a building, so they bound the people together. And so, the flooding rain, and the hailstones, and the sweeping wind, he called the Chaldeans. Therefore, when the wall has fallen, he says, "Will they not say to you: Where is your plaster, with which you plastered?" When through the events they learn that your prophecies are false, and war, and slaughter, and captivity instead of the hoped-for peace, will they not say to you: Where are your fine words, and the promises of peace? Thus again, having said the same things more extensively, and having threatened the flood of the weapons of war, and the flurries of stones, and the destruction down to the foundations of the poorly-built wall, and the refutation of the false speech of those who had foretold good things, he makes the discourse clearer. For I said, he says, to you: The wall is no more, nor those who plaster it. (10.) The prophets of Israel, who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and see for it a vision of peace, and there is no peace, says the Lord Adonai. All will vanish, he says, both the plaster, and the wall, and the prophets who applied the plaster. For a siege, he says, and captivity, instead of the promised peace, will overtake Jerusalem. Having said these things about the false prophets, he turns the discourse to the false prophetesses. For the avenger of human nature, finding these women also to be instruments, worked his falsehood through them; and he set the false prophets against the prophets, and against the women deemed worthy of prophetic grace, he set those who had received the operation of falsehood. Therefore he also foretells to these women the things that will happen. 17, 18. And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy against them, and you shall say: Thus says the Lord Adonai: Woe to those who sew cushions under every elbow, and make veils for every head of every age, to pervert souls. They were perverting the souls of my people, and were gaining souls for themselves. And Symmachus interpreted this more clearly, saying thus: "Woe to those who sew 81.917 elbow-cushions under every elbow of the hand, and who make neck-pillows for the head of every age to hunt for souls." And figuratively through these things he hinted at the softer and finer words; for both the neck-pillows and the elbow-cushions offer a certain rest and care to the limbs under which they are placed; and the finer words, though they are false, for a time tickle the hearing, but bring all kinds of perversions to souls. Thus the false prophetesses also, while causing spiritual harm to the people, were acquiring monetary gain for themselves, prophesying things that seemed good. For he hinted at this by saying: "They were perverting the souls of my people, and were gaining souls for themselves." For by perverting the people, and turning them away from God, they prepared them to pay attention to themselves. Then the worthlessness of the gain. 19. And they profaned me among my people for a handful of barley and for pieces of bread. For what is more worthless than these things? But what is more grievous than the ruin brought on from this? "To put to death, he says, souls that should not die, and to keep alive souls that should not live, by your speaking to a people who listen to vain utterances." For because of a small gain, you praised some in vain before the people, and said others were worthy of punishment, having misused the levity and credulity of the people. For, being persuaded by the things spoken by you, they were unjustly saving some, and were vainly slaughtering others. Thus having refuted their impiety, he threatens punishment. 20, 21. Therefore thus says the Lord Adonai

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διαλυθήσεται. 81.916 ιβʹ. Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑετὸς κατακλύζων, καὶ δώσω λίθους πετροβόλους εἰς τοὺς ἐνδέσμους αὑ τῶν, καὶ πεσεῖται, καὶ πνεῦμα ἐξαῖρον ἥξει, καὶ ῥαγήσεται. Καὶ ἰδοὺ πέπτωκεν ὁ τοῖχος. Τροπι κῶς ἅπαντα ὡς ἐπὶ τοίχου εἴρηκε, διὰ πάντων δὲ τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παρεδήλωσεν ἔφοδον. Ἐνδέσμους δὲ τοῦ τοίχου τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας προηγό ρευσεν, οἳ καθάπερ ἱμαντίαι οἰκοδομίαν, οὕτω συν έσφιγγον τὸν λαόν. Καὶ ὑετὸν τοίνυν κατακλύζοντα, καὶ λίθους πετροβόλους, καὶ πνεῦμα ἐξαῖρον, τοὺς Χαλδαίους ὠνόμασε. Πεσόντος τοίνυν, φησὶ, τοῦ τοίχου, "Ἆρα οὐκ ἐροῦσι πρὸς ὑμᾶς· Ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ ἀλοιφὴ ὑμῶν, ἣν ἠλείψατε;" Ὅταν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων μάθωσι ψευδεῖς τὰς ὑμετέρας προῤ ῥήσεις, καὶ πόλεμον, καὶ σφαγὴν, καὶ αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀντὶ τῆς ἐλπισθείσης εἰρήνης, οὐκ ἐροῦσι ὑμῖν· Ποῦ οἱ χρηστοὶ ὑμῶν, λόγοι, καὶ αἱ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπαγγελίαι; Οὕτω πάλιν διὰ πλατυτέρων τὰ αὐτὰ εἰρηκὼς, καὶ ἀπειλήσας τῶν πολεμικῶν βελῶν τὸν κατακλυσμὸν, καὶ τὰς τῶν λίθων νιφάδας, καὶ τοῦ κακῶς οἰκοδομηθέντος τοίχου τὴν μέχρι θεμελίων κατάλυσιν, καὶ τῆς ψευδολογίας τῶν τὰ ἀγαθὰ προει ρηκότων τὸν ἔλεγχον, σαφέστερον ποιεῖ τὸν λόγον. Εἶπα γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς ὑμᾶς· Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ τοῖχος, οὐδὲ οἱ ἀλείφοντες αὐτόν. (ιʹ.) Οἱ προ φῆται τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, οἱ προφητεύοντες ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ὁρῶντες αὐτῇ εἰρήνην, καὶ εἰρήνη οὐκ ἔστι, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος. Φροῦδα, φησὶ, πάντα γενήσεται, καὶ ἡ ἀλοιφὴ, καὶ ὁ τοῖχος, καὶ οἱ τὴν ἀλοιφὴν προσενεγκόντες προφῆται. Πο λιορκία γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ αἰχμαλωσία, ἀντὶ τῆς ἐπαγ γελθείσης εἰρήνης τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καταλήψεται. Ταῦτα περὶ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν εἰρηκὼς, τρέ πει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὰς ψευδοπροφήτιδας. Ὄργανα γὰρ καὶ ταύτας ὁ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως ἀλάστωρ εὑρὼν, καὶ διὰ τούτων τὴν ψευδολογίαν ἐνήργει· καὶ τοῖς μὲν προφήταις τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας ἀντ έταττε, ταῖς δὲ προφητικῆς χάριτος ἠξιωμέναις γυ ναιξὶ τὰς τοῦ ψεύδους τὴν ἐνέργειαν δεξαμένας. Προλέγει τοίνυν καὶ ταύταις τὰ συμβησόμενα. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. Καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, στήρισον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐπὶ τὰς θυγατέρας τοῦ λαοῦ σου, τὰς προφητευούσας ἀπὸ καρδίας αὑτῶν, καὶ προφήτευσον ἐπ' αὐτὰς, καὶ ἐρεῖς· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Οὐαὶ ταῖς συῤῥαπτούσαις προσ κεφάλαια ὑπὸ πάντα ἀγκῶνα χειρὸς, καὶ ποιού σαις ἐπιβόλαια ἐπὶ πᾶσαν κεφαλὴν πάσης ἡλικίας, τοῦ διαστρέψαι ψυχάς. Τὰς ψυχὰς τοῦ λαοῦ μου διέστρεφον, καὶ ψυχὰς περι εποιοῦντο. Τοῦτο δὲ σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμή νευσεν, οὕτως εἰπών· "Οὐαὶ ταῖς συῤῥαπτούσαις 81.917 ὑπαγκώνια ὑπὸ πάντα ἀγκῶνα χειρὸς, καὶ ποιούσαις ὑπαυχένια πρὸς κεφαλῆς πάσης ἡλικίας εἰς τὸ θη ρεύειν ψυχάς." Τροπικῶς δὲ διὰ τούτων τοὺς ἁπα λωτέρους καὶ χρηστοτέρους ᾐνίξατο λόγους· τά τε γὰρ ὑπαυχένια καὶ τὰ ὑπαγκώνια ἀνάπαυλάν τινα καὶ θεραπείαν προσφέρει τοῖς μέλεσιν, οἷς ὑποτίθεν ται· καὶ οἱ χρηστότεροι λόγοι, καὶ ψευδεῖς ὄντες, πρὸς καιρὸν μὲν τὴν ἀκοὴν γαργαλίζουσι, διαστρο φὰς δὲ παντοδαπὰς προσφέρουσι ταῖς ψυχαῖς. Οὕτω καὶ αἱ ψευδοπροφήτιδες τῷ μὲν λαῷ τὴν κατὰ ψυχὴν βλάβην, ἑαυταῖς δὲ χρηματικὸν περιεποιοῦντο κέρ δος, τὰ δοκοῦντα χρηστὰ προφητεύουσαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ᾐνίξατο εἰρηκώς· "Τὰς ψυχὰς τοῦ λαοῦ μου διέστρε φον, καὶ ψυχὰς περιεποιοῦντο." ∆ιαστρέφοντες γὰρ τὸν λαὸν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀφιστῶντες, αὐταῖς προσ έχειν παρεσκεύαζον. Εἶτα κέρδους τὸ εὐτελές. ιθʹ. Καὶ ἐβεβήλουν με πρὸς τὸν λαόν μου, ἕνε κεν δρακὸς κριθῶν, καὶ ἕνεκεν κλασμάτων ἄρτου. Τί γὰρ τούτων εὐτελέστερον; Τί δὲ χαλεπώτερον τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἐπαγομένης λώβης; "Τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι, φησὶ, ψυχὰς, ἃς οὐκ ἔδει ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ τοῦ περι ποιήσασθαι ψυχὰς, ἃς οὐκ ἔδει ζῆσαι, ἐν τῷ ἀπο φθέγγεσθαι ὑμᾶς λαῷ εἰσακούοντι μάταια ἀποφθέ γματα." Σμικροῦ γὰρ ἕνεκεν κέρδους, τοὺς μὲν ἐπῃνεῖτε μάτην ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, τοὺς δὲ τιμωρίας εἶ ναι ἀξίους ἐλέγετε, τῇ τοῦ λαοῦ κουφότητι καὶ εὐ κολίᾳ κακῶς ἀποκεχρημέναι. Πειθόμενοι γὰρ τοῖς ὑφ' ὑμῶν λεγομένοις, τοὺς μὲν ἀδίκως διέσωζον, τοὺς δὲ μάτην κατέσφαττον. Οὕτω τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐλέγ ξας, ἀπειλεῖ τιμωρίαν. κʹ, καʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ