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he also brings in excellent counsel, and offers a remedy suitable for the wound. 81.1368 24. "Therefore, O king, he says, let my counsel be pleasing to you, and atone for your sins with alms, and your iniquities with mercy to the poor." And by these things he reveals the insatiable cruelty which he used against his subjects. Do you wish, he says, to enjoy benevolence? Show this to those who have obtained the same nature as you; for thus you will persuade the judge to extinguish the threat, and to leave it unfulfilled. "For perhaps, he says, there will be long-suffering for your transgressions." The prophet therefore introduced this opinion; but he, remaining harsh and unbending, received the wages of his lawlessness, and what painful things he had heard, these he saw with his own eyes. Then he also indicates the time of the divine long-suffering; for after twelve months had passed, the threat from the prophecy received its fulfillment in events. And having received so much time for repentance, he badly spent the appointed time for repentance. To whom the blessed Paul might have rightly said: "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil." For these things also happened to Nebuchadnezzar, who did not use God's longsuffering as he ought. And he himself is a witness to this, speaking thus: 20, 27. "And after twelve months, he was walking in the temple of his kingdom in Babylon, and upon the walls of the city with all his glory, and he passed along upon its towers. And the king answered and said: Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal house, by the might of my power, for the honor of my glory?" See the swelling of his pride, see the excess of his arrogance. For I, he says, made it a royal city by establishing a palace in it, for the honor of my glory; and I did these things having the greatest strength, and having conquered all. But while snorting and swaggering, he used such words; but the Lord God immediately brought on the punishment. 81.1369 28. "For while the word, he says, was still in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven." For since he had dreamed of ascending into heaven, from there he receives the decision; and since the kingdom below did not suffice for him, but he also madly desired the kingdom above, he is bereft of the one below as well; and wishing to snatch heaven, he is driven out from the earth. "A voice therefore came from heaven: To you, to you it is said, O King Nebuchadnezzar." And the doubling of the pronoun is not simply added, but for a clearer rebuke of him to whom these things are said. And it still calls him king, showing both his present glory and the dishonor that would not be long in coming. "Your kingdom, it says, has passed from you. (29.) And they will drive you from men, and your dwelling will be with the wild beasts, and they will feed you with grass like an ox, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." Then, showing the swiftness of the punishment, immediately, he says, the deed followed the word. 30. "In that very hour, he says, the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men." And he was driven out, first, because of the affliction itself; for he was given over to madness and frenzy and would have done countless evil things, if he had enjoyed impunity; and then also because of the hatred, which all had for him, which, when he was strong, they tried to conceal,

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εἰσφέρει καὶ συμβουλὴν ἀρίστην, καὶ φάρμακον προσφέρει συμβαῖνον τῷ τραύματι. 81.1368 κδʹ. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶ, βασιλεῦ, ἡ βουλή μου ἀρεσάτω σοι, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐν ἐλεημοσύ ναις λύτρωσαι, καὶ τὰς ἀδικίας σου ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ διὰ τούτων τὴν ἄπληστον ὠμό τητα ᾗ κατὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐχρήσατο. Βούλει, φησὶ, φιλανθρωπίας ἀπολαῦσαι; ἐπίδειξαι ταύτην εἰς τοὺς τὴν αὐτὴν σοὶ φύσιν λαχόντας· οὕτω γὰρ πείσεις τὸν δικαστὴν σβέσαι τὴν ἀπειλὴν, καὶ καταλιπεῖν ἀτέλεστον. "Ἴσως γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔσται μακροθυμία τοῖς παραπτώμασί σου." Ὁ μὲν οὖν προφήτης ταύτην εἰσηγήσατο τὴν γνώμην· ὁ δὲ μείνας ἀτερά μων καὶ ἀκαμπὴς, ἐδέξατο τῆς παρανομίας τὰ ἐπί χειρα, καὶ ἅπερ ἤκουσεν ἀλγεινὰ, ταῦτα τοῖς ὀφθαλ μοῖς ἐθεάσατο. Εἶτα καὶ σημαίνει τῆς θείας μα κροθυμίας τὸν χρόνον· δυοκαίδεκα γὰρ διαδραμόν των μηνῶν, ἐδέξατο ἡ διὰ τῆς προῤῥήσεως ἀπειλὴ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τέλος. Καὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον εἰς μεταμέλειαν εἰληφὼς, κακῶς τὴν τῆς μεταμελείας ἀνάλωσε προθεσμίαν. Πρὸς ὃν ὁ μακάριος εἴποι ἂν Παῦλος εἰκότως· "Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστό τητος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς, καὶ μακροθυμίας κατα φρονεῖς, ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετά νοιάν σε ἄγει; Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς, καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως, καὶ δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· τοῖς μὲν καθ' ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ δόξαν, καὶ τιμὴν, καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν ζητοῦσι, ζωὴν αἰώνιον· τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας, καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι μὲν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πει θομένοις δὲ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, θυμὸς καὶ ὀργή· θλίψις καὶ στενοχωρία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου τοῦ κατεργαζομένου τὸ κακόν." Ταῦτα γὰρ συνέβη καὶ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίᾳ εἰς δέον οὐ χρησαμένῳ. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυς αὐτὸς οὑτωσὶ λέγων· κʹ, κζʹ. "Καὶ μετὰ δώδεκα μῆνας, ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς βασιλείας αὑτοῦ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι περιπατῶν ἦν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τειχῶν τῆς πόλεως μετὰ πάσης τῆς δό ξης αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πύργων αὑτοῦ διεπορεύετο. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν· Οὐκ αὐτή ἐστι Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἣν ἐγὼ ᾠκοδόμησα εἰς οἶκον βασιλείας, ἐν κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος μου, εἰς τι μὴν τῆς δόξης μου;" Βλέπε τοῦ φρονήματος τὸν ὄγκον, βλέπε τὴν τῆς ἀλαζονείας ὑπερβολήν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὴν, φησὶ, βασιλικὴν πόλιν ἐποιησάμην βασίλεια καταστησάμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, εἰς τιμὴν τῆς δόξης μου· ἐποίησα δὲ ταῦτα ἰσχὺν ἔχων μεγί στην, καὶ πάντων κεκρατηκώς. Ἀλλὰ μὴν φρυατ τόμενος καὶ βρενθυόμενος, τοιούτοις ἐχρήσατο τοῖς λόγοις· ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης Θεὸς παραυτίκα τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπήγαγεν. 81.1369 κηʹ. "Ἔτι γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ λόγου ὄντος ἐν τῷ στό ματι τοῦ βασιλέως, φωνὴ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἐγένετο." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν ὠνειροπόλη σεν, ἐκεῖθεν δέχεται τὴν ἀπόφασιν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἀπέχρησεν αὐτῷ τὰ κάτω βασίλεια, ἀλλ' ἅμα καὶ τῶν ἄνω μανικῶς ἐπεθύμησεν, ἔρημος γίνεται καὶ τῶν κάτω· καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἁρπάσαι θελήσας, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐξελαύνεται. "Φωνὴ τοίνυν ἦλθεν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ· Σοὶ, σοὶ λέγεται, Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασι λεῦ." Ὁ δὲ τῆς ἀντωνυμίας διπλασιασμὸς οὐχ ἁπλῶς πρόσκειται, ἀλλ' εἰς ἔλεγχον ἐναργέστερον τοῦ πρὸς ὃν ταῦτα λέγεται. Καλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν ἔτι βασιλέα, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἔτι δόξαν, καὶ τὴν ἐσομένην οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἀτιμίαν δεικνύς. "Ἡ βασιλεία σου, φησὶ, παρῆλθεν ἀπὸ σοῦ. (κθʹ.) Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σε ἐκδιώξουσι, καὶ μετὰ θηρίων ἀγρίων ἡ κατοικία σου καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦν ψωμιοῦσί σε, καὶ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλαγήσονται ἐπὶ σοὶ, ἕως οὗ γνῷς, ὅτι κυριεύει ὁ Ὕψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐ τήν." Εἶτα δεικνὺς τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας ὀξύτητα, καὶ παραυτίκα, φησὶ, τῷ λόγῳ τὸ ἔργον ἐπηκο λούθησεν. λʹ. "Αὐτῇ, φησὶ, τῇ ὥρᾳ συνετελέσθη ὁ λόγος ἐπὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐδιώχθη." Ἐξεδιώχθη δὲ πρῶτον μὲν δι' αὐτὸ τὸ πάθος· μανίᾳ γὰρ παρεδόθη καὶ λύττῃ καὶ μυρία ἂν εἰργάσατο κακὰ, εἴπερ ἀδείας ἀπήλαυσεν· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπέχθειαν, ἣν περὶ αὐτὸν ἅπαντες ἔχοντες, ἡνίκα μὲν ἔῤῥωτο, ἐπειρῶντο λανθάνειν,