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let us see. Which also another prophet brings as a charge, saying: Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord. And for what purpose is this day to you? And this is darkness and not light, and a gloom having no brightness of its own. For they also, disbelieving, were saying: when will the day of punishment and of vengeance come? Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Again he discusses the same things. Since they were insulting the prophets and calling them deceivers, but were honoring the false prophets and were reversing the order of things, he pronounces them wretched for their corrupt judgment. Woe, he says, to those who call evil good, that is, false prophecy, and good evil, that is, prophecy; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. For even if their words, he says, are burdensome, yet nothing is sweeter than the prophets, who by the threat of their words ward off the experience of the events. And even if the words of the false prophets are sweet, yet nothing is more bitter than them, who by the grace of their words bring on the threat through their deeds.

5.7 Have you seen the wisdom of the prophet, how he overturned their supposition? For since they were not paying attention to those speaking most bitterly, but to those who were most gentle and had much sweetness, he said that the opposite is in fact the case: great is the honey of the prophets, and great is the bitterness of the false prophets; thus also must we handle the argument concerning light and darkness. For the ones led to error, while the others guided to the truth; and the ones, having all but bound their hands, handed them over to the gloom of captivity, while the others did everything so that they might lead them in the light of freedom. Since, therefore, they held contrary and unfitting opinions about these things, he rightly corrects them, saying: Who put darkness for light and light for darkness. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. This also is no small fault, for one to consider himself wise and to entrust everything to his own reasonings. For from this that also comes to pass; [I mean, the saying that evil is good, and good evil, and so forth]. This also Paul said, accusing the pagan philosophers, that, Professing to be wise, they became fools. For from this they became fools, and the proverbial saying again states: I have seen a man who seems to be wise in his own eyes; but the fool has more hope than he. This also Paul charges again, saying: Do not be wise in your own sight; and again: If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. Let him not delight, he says, in his own wisdom, nor in his own reasonings, but having put those to rest, let him give over his soul to the teaching of the Spirit. Since, therefore, there were some such men among the Jews who looked down on the prophets as shepherds and goatherds, but wished to be wise from their own resources, which became for them a cause of folly and of despising what was said, he rightly laments them, saying: Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to you who are mighty, who drink wine, and the men of power, who mix strong drink. Do not be surprised if, after saying so much against drunkenness a little before, he takes up the same argument again. For since the wound is severe and resistant to treatment, for this reason it was necessary to apply remedies continuously. But it is severe and resistant to treatment, because it does not seem to be a sin to most people, though it is more grievous than all sins and sprouts a myriad of diseases. Therefore he says: Who drink wine, and the men of power, who mix strong drink. The precipice is twofold, the tyranny of drunkenness and the excess of power. For all men have need of reason, but especially those in positions of dignity and power, so that they may not, like some rush of unruly waters, be thrown down the precipice by being carried away by the bulk of their authority. Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. The charge is again twofold, to release the guilty and the guiltless

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ἴδωμεν. Ὃ καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης ἐγκαλεῖ λέγων· Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου. Καὶ ἵνα τί ὑμῖν ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη; Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶ σκότος καὶ οὐ φῶς καὶ γνόφος οὐκ ἔχων φέγγος αὐτῆς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἀπιστοῦντες ἔλεγον· πότε ἥξει ἡ ἡμέρα τῆς κολάσεως καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας; Οὐαὶ οἱ λέγοντες τὸ πονηρὸν καὶ τὸ καλὸν πονηρόν· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ φῶς σκότος καὶ τὸ σκότος φῶς· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ γλυκὺ πικρὸν καὶ τὸ πικρὸν γλυκύ. Πάλιν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαλέγεται. Ἐπειδὴ τοὺς μὲν προφήτας ὕβριζον καὶ ἀπατεῶνας ἔλεγον, τοὺς δὲ ψευδοπροφήτας ἐτίμων καὶ ἀνέστρεφον τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν τάξιν, ταλανίζει αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ κρίσει τῇ διεφθαρμένῃ. Οὐαί, φησίν, οἱ λέγοντες τὸ πονηρὸν καλόν, τουτέστι, τὴν ψευδοπροφητείαν καὶ τὸ καλὸν πονηρόν, τὴν προφητείαν· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ φῶς σκότος καὶ τὸ σκότος φῶς· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ γλυκὺ πικρὸν καὶ τὸ πικρὸν γλυκύ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φορτικά, φησί, τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν γλυκύτερον τῶν προφητῶν, τῇ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀπειλῇ τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀποκρουομένων πεῖραν. Εἰ καὶ γλυκέα τὰ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτῶν πικρότερον, τῇ χάριτι τῶν λόγων τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπαγόντων ἀπειλήν.

5.7 Εἶδες προφήτου σοφίαν, πῶς ἀνέστρεψεν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόνοιαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῖς μὲν ὡς πικρότατα φθεγγομένοις οὐ προσεῖχον, τοῖς δὲ ὡς προσηνεστάτοις καὶ γλυκύτητα πολλὴν ἔχουσιν, ἔφησεν, ὅτι τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν ἐστι· πολὺ τῶν προφητῶν τὸ μέλι, πολλὴ δὲ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ἡ πικρία· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ τοῦ σκότους τὸν λόγον μεταχειριστέον ἡμῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὴν πλάνην ἦγον, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐχειραγώγουν· καὶ οἱ μὲν τῷ ζόφῳ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας μονονουχὶ τὰς χεῖρας δήσαντες παρεδίδοσαν, οἱ δὲ ὅπως ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀγάγωσι, πάντα ἔπραττον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰς ἐναντίας περὶ τούτων δόξας εἶχον καὶ τὰς οὐ προσηκούσας, εἰκότως αὐτοὺς διορθοῦται λέγων· Οἱ τιθέντες τὸ φῶς σκότος καὶ τὸ σκότος φῶς. Οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον αὑτῶν ἐπιστήμονες. Οὐ μικρὸν καὶ τοῦτο ἐλάττωμα, τὸ σοφόν τινα νομίζειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ λογισμοῖς τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέπειν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖνο γίνεται· [λέγω δὴ τὸ φάσκειν τὸ πονηρὸν καλόν, καὶ τὸ καλὸν πονηρόν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς]. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τοῖς ἔξω φιλοσόφοις ἐγκαλῶν ἔλεγεν ὅτι Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοί, ἐμωράνθησαν. Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ὁ παροιμιώδης λόγος πάλιν φησίν· Εἶδον ἄνθρωπον δοκοῦντα εἶναι σοφὸν παρ' ἑαυτῷ· ἐλπίδα δὲ ἔχει μᾶλλον ὁ ἄφρων αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἐγκαλεῖ πάλιν λέγων· Μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς· καὶ πάλιν· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, γενέσθω μωρός, ἵνα γένηται σοφός. Μὴ τῇ οἰκείᾳ σοφίᾳ, φησί, μηδὲ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιτερπέσθω λογισμοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους κατευνάσας, ἐκδιδότω τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος διδασκαλίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τοιοῦτοί τινες ἦσαν ὑπερορῶντες μὲν τῶν προφητῶν ὡς ποιμένων καὶ αἰπόλων, βουλόμενοι δὲ σοφίζεσθαι οἴκοθεν, ὃ καὶ ἀπονοίας αὐτοῖς ὑπόθεσις ἐγίνετο, καὶ τοῦ καταφρονεῖν τῶν λεγομένων, εἰκότως αὐτοὺς θρηνεῖ λέγων· Οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον αὑτῶν ἐπιστήμονες. Οὐαὶ οἱ ἰσχύοντες ὑμῶν, οἱ τὸν οἶνον πίνοντες καὶ οἱ δυνάσται, οἱ κιρνῶντες τὸ σίκερα. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πρὸ μικροῦ τοσαῦτα κατὰ μέθης εἰπών, πάλιν τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπαναλαμβάνει λόγον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ χαλεπὸν τὸ ἕλκος καὶ δύσεικτον, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπαντλεῖν ἔδει. Χαλεπὸν δὲ καὶ δύσεικτον, τῷ μὴ δοκεῖν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἁμάρτημα εἶναι, πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων χαλεπώτερον ὂν καὶ μυρία βλαστάνον νοσήματα. ∆ιό φησιν· Οἱ τὸν οἶνον πίνοντες καὶ οἱ δυνάσται, οἱ κιρνῶντες τὸ σίκερα. ∆ιπλοῦς ὁ κρημνός, τυραννὶς μέθης καὶ δυναστείας ὑπερβολή. Πᾶσι μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώποις λογισμοῦ χρεία, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς ἐν ἀξιώμασι καὶ δυναστείαις οὖσιν, ὥστε μή, καθάπερ ἀτάκτων ὑδάτων ῥύμῃ τινί, τῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκφερομένους ὄγκῳ κατακρημνίζεσθαι. Οἱ δικαιοῦντες τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἕνεκεν δώρων καὶ τὸ δίκαιον τοῦ δικαίου αἴροντες ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. ∆ιπλοῦν τὸ ἔγκλημα πάλιν, τὸ τὸν ὑπεύθυνον ἀφιέναι καὶ τὸν ἀνεύθυνον