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has shown of such a gain. And he likens the one who trusts in God, and compares him to a plant continually watered, and not harmed by the most intense heat, but always bearing ripe fruit. And he did not say these things in vain, but admonishing them not to trust in the help of the Egyptians, but through a change of life to draw down the divine favor. 9, 10. The heart is heavy beyond all things; and it is man, and who shall know it? I the Lord search hearts, testing the reins, to give to each according to his ways, and according to the fruits of their doings. To men, he says, the counsels of their neighbor are incomprehensible; for the movements of the heart are hidden; but to me the creator these things are also clear; for I judge not only by 81.605 actions, but also by thoughts, and I cast an equal and just vote. Again he transferred the discourse to the Babylonian. 11. The partridge cried out, it gathered what it did not hatch; making his wealth not with judgment. The hunters of partridges tame partridges, and through their call they summon their kin; and they, running together, fall into the traps. To this he likened the Babylonian, who tries to rule over all men, while amassing unjust wealth. And he foretells the gloomy things that will happen to him. "In the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool." The divine Daniel also taught us these things; for he fell into madness, and became like a wild beast, and was driven from the kingdom. 12. A throne of glory, exalted. And he was deprived of the throne. Our high sanctuary from the beginning; the place of our sanctuary. (13.) The patience of Israel. But you, he says, O Lord, our sanctuary, the renown of our place, have eternal dominion. You, therefore, we will await. For you will grant us deliverance from painful things; for those who have forsaken you will be filled with all shame. 14. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise. I bring myself to your providence, and I supplicate to receive salvation from you. 15, 16. Behold, they say to me, Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come. But I have not been weary following after you, and I have not desired the day of man, you know; the things that proceed from my lips are before your face. They find fault with the slowness of the punishment, and consider the prophecy false, since you postpone the punishment; but I, seeing even this insensibility of theirs, did not wish them to fall into evils; for this he says: I have not desired the day of man. (17.) Do not become an estrangement to me, you who spare me in an evil day. He calls the uprising that occurred against him "an evil day." And he exhorts to obtain the care of God; and that they should fail in their attempts, and be put to shame, but that he himself should appear superior to the plot. After these things the prophet is commanded to occupy the royal gates, and to charge everyone, both kings and private citizens, not to transgress the law concerning the Sabbath, but with rest 81.608 to honor this day, and not to emulate the disobedience of their fathers; for when this is done, he says, you will enjoy the fruits of peace, and those who offer sacrifices to God in peace will flock together from all sides. But if you transgress the law of rest, and carry burdens on the Sabbath day, I will deliver not only the gates, but the whole city to fire. CHAPTER 18. Thus, having concluded this discourse also, he commands the prophet to enter the potter's workshop. And the prophet does what was commanded, and beholds the

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τοῦ τοιούτου κέρδους ἐδήλωσεν. Ἀπεικάζει δὲ τὸν τῷ Θεῷ πεποιθότα, καὶ παραβάλ λει φυτῷ διηνεκῶς ἀρδομένῳ, καὶ μὴ βλαπτομένῳ ὑπὸ καύματος σφοδροτάτου, ἀεὶ δὲ ὥριμον φέροντι τὸν καρπόν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ μάτην εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ παραινῶν μὴ τῇ Αἰγυπτίων ἐπικουρίᾳ θαῤῥῆσαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τοῦ βίου μεταβολῆς τὴν θείαν ῥοπὴν ἐπισπάσασθαι. θʹ, ιʹ. Βαρεῖα ἡ καρδία παρὰ πάντα· καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, καὶ τίς γνώσεται αὐτόν; Ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐτάζων καρδίας, δοκιμάζων νεφροὺς, τοῦ δοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν. Ἀνθρώποις μὲν, φησὶν, ἀκατάληπτα τὰ τοῦ πέλας βουλεύματα· κέκρυπται γὰρ τῆς καρδίας κινήματα· ἐμοὶ δὲ τῷ ποιητῇ δῆλα καὶ ταῦτα· οὐ γὰρ μόνοις 81.605 πράγμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λογισμοῖς δικάζω, καὶ ἴσην καὶ δικαίαν ἐκφέρω τὴν ψῆφον. Πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν Βαβυλώνιον τὸν λόγον μετήνεγκεν. ιαʹ. Ἐφώνησε πέρδιξ, συνήγαγεν ἃ οὐκ ἔτεκε· ποιῶν πλοῦτον αὑτοῦ οὐ μετὰ κρίσεως. Τῶν περδίκων οἱ θηρευταὶ τιθασσεύουσι πέρδικας, καὶ διὰ τῆς τούτων φωνῆς τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς συγκαλοῦ σιν· οἱ δὲ, συντρέχοντες περιπίπτουσι τοῖς θηρά τροις. Τούτῳ τὸν Βαβυλώνιον ἀπείκασε, δεσπόζειν μὲν πάντων ἀνθρώπων πειρώμενον, πλοῦτον δὲ ἄδικον ἀθροίζοντα. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τὰ συμβησόμενα αὐτῷ σκυθρωπά. "Ἐν ἡμίσει ἡμερῶν αὐτοῦ κα ταλείψουσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων αὑτοῦ ἔσται ἄφρων." Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ∆α νιήλ· μανίᾳ γὰρ περιέπεσε, καὶ θηριώδης ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐξελάσθη τῆς βασιλείας. ιβʹ. Θρόνος δόξης ὑψούμενος. Ἐστερήθη δὲ καὶ τὸν θρόνον. Ὑψηλὸν ἁγίασμα ἡμῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς· τόπος ἁγιά σματος ἡμῶν. (ιγʹ.) Ὑπομονὴ Ἰσραήλ. Σὺ δὲ, φησὶ, ∆έσποτα, τὸ ἡμέτερον ἁγίασμα, ἡ τοῦ τόπου ἡμῶν περιφάνεια, αἰώνιον ἔχεις τὸ κράτος. Σὲ τοίνυν ὑπο μενοῦμεν. Σὺ γὰρ ἡμῖν παρέξεις τῶν λυπηρῶν τὴν ἀπαλλαγήν· οἱ γὰρ καταλιπόντες σε αἰσχύνης πά σης πλησθήσονται. ιδʹ. Ἴασαί με, Κύριε, καὶ ἰαθήσομαι· σῶσόν με, καὶ σωθήσομαι· ὅτι καύχημά μου εἶ σύ. Ἐμαυτὸν ἐγὼ τῇ σῇ προνοίᾳ προσάγω, καὶ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρίας ἱκετεύω τυχεῖν. ιεʹ, ιϛʹ. Ἰδοὺ αὐτοὶ λέγουσι πρός με, Ποῦ ἔστιν ὁ λόγος Κυρίου; ἡκέτω. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐκο πίασα κατακολουθῶν ὀπίσω σου, καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἐπεθύμησα, σὺ ἐπίστασαι· τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα διὰ τῶν χειλέων μου πρὸ προσ ώπου σού ἐστιν. Ἐπιμέμφονται τῇ βραδύτητι τῆς τιμωρίας, καὶ ψευδῆ τὴν προφητείαν νομίζουσι, σοῦ ἀναβαλλομένου τὴν τιμωρίαν· ἐγὼ δὲ, οὐδὲ ταύτην αὐτῶν τὴν ἀναλγησίαν ὁρῶν ἐβουλήθην αὐ τοὺς περιπεσεῖν τοῖς κακοῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει· Ἡμέραν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἐπεθύμησα. (ιζʹ.) Μὴ γένῃ μοι εἰς ἀλλοτρίωσιν, φειδόμενός μου σὺ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πονηρᾷ. "Ἡμέραν πονηρὰν" τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἐπανάστασιν καλεῖ. Καὶ παρακαλεῖ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίας τυχεῖν· καὶ ἐκείνους μὲν διαμαρτεῖν τῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων, καὶ καταισχυνθῆναι, αὐτὸν δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἀναφα νῆναι κρείττονα. Μετὰ ταῦτα κελεύεται ὁ προφήτης τὰς βασιλικὰς πύλας καταλαβεῖν, καὶ πᾶσι παρεγ γυῆσαι, καὶ βασιλεῦσι, καὶ ἰδιώταις, τὸν περὶ τοῦ Σαββάτου μὴ παραβαίνειν νόμον, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀργίᾳ 81.608 τήνδε τὴν ἡμέραν τιμῆσαι, καὶ τῶν πατέρων μὴ ζηλῶσαι τὴν ἀπείθειαν· τούτου γὰρ γινομένου, φησὶ, τῶν τῆς εἰρήνης καρπῶν ἀπολαύσεσθε, καὶ συνδρα μοῦνται πάντοθεν οἱ τῷ Θεῷ τὰς θυσίας ἐν εἰρήνῃ προσφέροντες. Ὑμῶν δὲ παραβαινόντων τῆς ἀργίας τὸν νόμον, καὶ φορτία κομιζόντων ἐν τῇ τοῦ Σαβ βάτου ἡμέρᾳ, οὐ τὰς πύλας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν παραδώσω πυρί. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΗʹ. Οὕτω καὶ τοῦτον συμπεράνας τὸν λόγον, παρακε λεύεται τῷ προφήτῃ εἰς τὸ τοῦ κεραμέως εἰσελθεῖν καταγώγιον. Ποιεῖ δὲ τὸ προσταχθὲν ὁ προφήτης, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν