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the men of Anathoth have said, —but these things are said concerning Christ. “Those seeking my life, who say: you shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord”— the Jews prevented Jesus from teaching—“lest you die by our hands. Behold, I will visit upon them; their young men shall die by the sword, and their sons and their daughters shall perish by famine.” They did not perish by the sword then, but after the sacking now a famine has come upon them, “not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord”; for no longer is “thus says the Lord almighty” said among them. This is the famine, so that prophecy may no longer be, and why do I say prophecy? Not even teaching. Even if wise men should be called so ten thousand times among them, the word of the Lord is no longer in them, since that has been fulfilled: “the Lord will take away from Judea and from Jerusalem the mighty man and the mighty woman, the giant and the strong man, and the man of war and the judge and the prophet and the diviner and the elder and the captain of fifty and the wonderful counselor and the wise architect and the skillful hearer.” No longer is there among them one who can say: “As a wise architect I have laid a foundation.” The architects have departed, they came to the church, they laid the foundation, Jesus Christ; upon this also those after them are building. 10.5 Therefore, “in famine” that people have been abandoned; for “I will bring” upon them “evils upon the inhabitants of Anathoth in the year of their visitation. You are righteous, O Lord, that I should make my defense to you. Yet I will speak my judgments to you. <Why> is it that the way of the wicked prospers? all who deal treacherously have prospered.” We still ask if the God who gave the law and the prophets is good, seeing that “the way of the wicked prospers” and he does not punish the wicked. “All who deal treacherously have prospered”; they themselves, who speak against the creator, blaspheming him, “have prospered, were planted and took root, they brought forth children <and produced> fruit.” How much fruit from Marcion who brought forth children, how much from Basilides, how much from Valentinus? For this is what is prophesied and said concerning the wicked in the phrase “they brought forth children and produced fruit.” “You are near to their mouth, but far from their reins”; they name the name of Jesus, but they do not have Jesus; for they do not confess him as they ought. “And you, Lord, know me, you have seen me, you have tested my heart before you; purify them for the day of their slaughter.” What shall I do, that I may clarify these things? He calls the punishments a purification of those who are punished; for he says, “purify them for the day of their slaughter,” through their being slaughtered purify them; “For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives.” 10.6 “How long will the land mourn and the grass of the field wither from the wickedness of those who dwell in it?” As if the earth were animate, here also the prophet speaks, saying that the earth mourns because of the wickedness of those who tread upon it. Therefore, on account of each of us the earth either mourns or rejoices; for it either mourns “from the wickedness of those who dwell in it” or rejoices from the virtue of “those who dwell in it.” Therefore, on account of each of us the element itself either rejoices or mourns; and if the earth, then perhaps also the other elements. Similarly I will speak also of water and the angel set over the water, so that I may explain the earth mourning or not mourning; for it is not this body, the earth, that “mourns because of those who dwell in it,” but understand for me that in the arrangement of the universe a certain angel has been appointed over the earth, and another appointed over the waters, and another over the air, and a fourth over fire. Thus ascend for me with the argument to the entire arrangement that is in animals, that is in plants, that is in the heavenly stars; a certain angel has been appointed also over the sun and another over the moon, <and others> also over the stars. These are the angels, with whom we are as long as we are on earth, who either rejoice or mourn over us when we sin; the earth, he says, mourns because of those who dwell in it. Homonymously

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εἰρήκασιν οἱ ἄνδρες Ἀναθώθ, -ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγεται περὶ Χριστοῦ. «Τοὺς ζητοῦντας τὴν ψυχήν μου, τοὺς λέγοντας· οὐ μὴ προφητεύσῃς ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου»- ἐκώλυσαν Ἰουδαῖοι διδάσκειν Ἰησοῦν-»εἰ δὲ μή, ἀποθανῇ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἡμῶν. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπισκέψομαι ἐπ' αὐτούς· οἱ νεανίσκοι αὐτῶν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἀποθανοῦνται, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῶν τελευτήσουσιν ἐν λιμῷ.» Οὐ τότε τετελευτήκασιν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν πόρθη σιν νῦν λιμὸς ἦλθεν ἐπ' αὐτούς, «οὐ λιμὸς ἄρτου οὐδὲ δίψα ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ λιμὸς τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον κυρίου»· οὐκέτι γὰρ «τάδε λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ» λέγεται παρ' αὐ τοῖς. Αὕτη ἡ λιμός, ἵνα ἡ προφητεία μηκέτι ᾖ, καὶ τί λέγω προφητεία; οὐδὲ διδασκαλία. Κἂν μυριάκις χρηματίζωσιν παρ' αὐτοῖς σοφοί, οὐκ ἔστιν λόγος κυρίου ἔτι ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐπεὶ πεπλήρωτο τὸ «ἀφελεῖ κύριος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν, γίγαντα καὶ ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἄνθρωπον πολεμιστὴν καὶ δικαστὴν καὶ προ φήτην καὶ στοχαστὴν καὶ πρεσβύτερον καὶ πεντηκόνταρχον καὶ θαυμαστὸν σύμβουλον καὶ σοφὸν ἀρχιτέκτονα καὶ συνε τὸν ἀκροατήν». Οὐκέτι ἔστιν παρ' αὐτοῖς δυνάμενος εἰπεῖν· «Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα.» Μετέβησαν οἱ ἀρχιτέκτονες, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἔθηκαν τὸν θεμέλιον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν· τούτῳ ἐποικοδομοῦσιν καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους. 10.5 «Ἐν λιμῷ» οὖν ὁ λαὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐγκαταλελειμμένοι εἰσίν· «ἐπάξω» γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς «κακὰ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοι κοῦντας Ἀναθὼθ ἐν ἐνιαυτῷ ἐπισκέψεως αὐτῶν. ∆ίκαιος εἶ, κύριε, ὅτι ἀπολογήσομαι πρός σε. Πλὴν κρίματά μου λαλήσω πρός σε. <Τί> ὅτι ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐοδοῦται; εὐθή νησαν πάντες οἱ ἀθετοῦντες ἀθετήματα.» Ἔτι ζητοῦ μεν, εἰ ἀγαθὸς ὁ θεός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας δεδωκώς, ὁρῶντες ὅτι «ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐοδοῦται» καὶ οὐ κολάζει τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς. «Εὐθήνησαν πάντες οἱ ἀθετοῦντες ἀθετήματα»· αὐτοὶ οἱ κατὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ λέγοντες, δυσφημοῦντες αὐτὸν «εὐθήνησαν, ἐφυτεύθησαν καὶ ἐρρι ζώθησαν, ἐτεκνοποίησαν <καὶ ἐποίησαν> καρπόν». Πόσος καρπὸς Μαρκίωνος τεκνοποιήσαντος, πόσος Βασιλείδου, πόσος Οὐαλεντίνου; τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ περὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν προφητευόμενον καὶ λεγόμενον ἐν τῷ «ἐτεκνοποίησαν καὶ ἐποίησαν καρπόν». «Ἐγγὺς εἶ σὺ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν, πόρρω δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν νεφρῶν αὐτῶν»· ὀνομάζουσι τὸ Ἰησοῦ ὄνομα, οὐκ ἔχουσι δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν· οὐ γὰρ ὁμολογοῦσιν αὐτὸν ὡς χρή. «Καὶ σύ, κύριε, γινώσκεις με, εἶδές με, ἐδοκίμασας τὴν καρδίαν μου ἐναντίον σου· ἅγνισον αὐτοὺς εἰς ἡμέραν σφαγῆς αὐτῶν.» Τί ποιήσω, ἵνα ταῦτα σαφηνίσω; Τὰς κολάσεις ἁγνισμὸν λέγει τῶν κολαζομένων· «ἅγνισον» γὰρ «αὐτοὺς εἰς ἡμέραν» φησὶν «σφαγῆς αὐτῶν», διὰ τοῦ σφαγῆναι αὐτοὺς ἅγνισον αὐτούς· «Ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχε ται». 10.6 «Ἕως πότε πενθήσει ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ χόρτος τοῦ ἀγροῦ ξηρανθήσεται ἀπὸ κακίας τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν αὐτῇ;» Ὡσπερεὶ ἐμψύχου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνταῦθα διαλέγεται ὁ προ φήτης λέγων τὴν γῆν πενθεῖν διὰ τὴν κακίαν τῶν ἐπιβαι νόντων ἐπ' αὐτήν. Καθ' ἕκαστον οὖν ἡμῶν ἡ γῆ ἤτοι πεν θεῖ ἢ εὐφραίνεται· ἢ γὰρ πενθεῖ «ἀπὸ κακίας τῶν ἐνοι κούντων ἐν αὐτῇ» ἢ εὐφραίνεται ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς «τῶν ἐνοικούν των ἐν αὐτῇ». Ἐφ' ἑκάστου οὖν ἡμῶν αὐτὸ τὸ στοιχεῖον ἢ εὐφραίνεται ἢ πενθεῖ· εἰ δὲ ἡ γῆ, τάχα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ στοιχεῖα. Ὁμοίως ἐρῶ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος τεταγμένος ἄγγελος, ἵνα διηγήσωμαι καὶ τὴν γῆν πεν θοῦσαν ἢ μὴ πενθοῦσαν· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα, ἡ γῆ, «πενθεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν αὐτῇ», ἀλλὰ νόει μοι πρὸς τῇ διατάξει τοῦ παντὸς τεταγμένον τινὰ ἄγγελον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἄλλον τεταγμένον ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ ἄλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀέρος καὶ τέταρτον ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρός. Οὕτως ἀνάβα μοι τῷ λόγῳ ἐπὶ τὴν διάταξιν πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν ζῴοις, τὴν ἐν φυτοῖς, τὴν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἄστροις· ἄγγελός τις τέτακται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σελήνης ἄλλος, <ἄλλοι> καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄστρων. Οὗτοι δὴ οἱ ἄγγελοι, μεθ' ὧν ἐσμεν ὅσον ἐσμὲν ἐπὶ γῆς, ἤτοι εὐφραίνονται, ἢ πενθοῦσιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ὅταν ἁμαρτάνωμεν· πενθεῖ, φησίν, ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τῶν κατοι κούντων ἐν αὐτῇ. Ὁμωνύμως