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of Babylon. And that within two years, I will also restore the sacred vessels that were carried away. And I will bring back Jeconiah with all the 81.648 captives. But the prophet Jeremiah himself, wishing to show that he prays for these things to happen. 6. May the Lord establish, he said in the hearing of all, your word, which you prophesy, to return the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles from Babylon to their own place. However, he did not allow the prophecy to be confirmed by his assent. For he said: 7-9. Nevertheless, hear this word, which I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people. The prophets who were before me, and who were before you from of old, also prophesied against many lands, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of death. The one who prophesied for peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known, whom the Lord has sent in faith. The end, he says, of the matter, will show the truth of the prophecy. We shall see, therefore, if we will be delivered over to the Babylonians according to my prophecy. But that false prophet profited nothing from these things; but he broke the yokes which the prophet was wearing, saying that in this manner the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar would be broken, after two years had passed. But the God of all instructed the prophet to say to Hananiah: "You have broken the wooden yokes, and I will make iron yokes in their place." And he calls the yoke of the Babylonians iron, as the punishment would be heavier on account of their disobedience. Then the prophet, being displeased, as having learned precisely the false oracle-mongering of Hananiah, said to him: "Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people to trust in lies." And he foretells his death within a few months. "Because you have spoken rebellion," he says, "against the Lord." That is, you have prepared the people to turn away from the divine oracles, and to believe your falsehood. Then he related also the death of the false prophet, and the immeasurable nature of the divine long-suffering; for He did not immediately deprive him of life, awaiting his repentance; but when he persisted in wickedness, after seven months He delivered him over to death. CHAPTER 29. From here he passes to another narrative, and teaches how he sent a letter, by the counsel of God, to the captives in Babylon, after the captivity of Jeconiah the king. He also gives the names of those who carried the letters. And it contained these things, that the God of all commands those who had already become captives, both to beget children, and to build houses, 81.649 and to give their daughters in marriage to men, and to take wives for their sons, and to take thought for the increase of the race, and to pray for those who enslaved them. "For in their peace," he says, "you will have peace." With this word also agrees the legislation of the Apostle, enjoining "to make prayers and intercessions, for kings, and all who are in high position and authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." However, the God of all commanded these things to be done, teaching them not to obey the false prophets, but to await the appointed time; for this he has declared through the following, saying: "Let not your false prophets who are among you persuade you, and let not your diviners deceive you. And do not listen to your dreams, which you dream." 9. Because they prophesy falsely to you in my name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. And he also teaches the time of the return; for when seventy years are completed, he says, I will visit you, and the good promises

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Βαβυλῶνος. Καὶ ὅτι ἐντὸς δύο ἐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη τὰ ἀποκομισθέντα ἀποκαταστήσω. Καὶ τὸν Ἰεχονίαν ἐπανάξω σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς αἰχμα 81.648 λώτοις. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας δεῖξαι βουλό μενος, ὡς εὔχεται ταῦτα γενέσθαι. ϛʹ. Στήσαι Κύριος, ἔφη πάντων ἀκουόντων, τὸν λόγον σου, ὃν σὺ προφητεύεις, τοῦ ἐπιστρέ ψαι τὰ σκεύη οἴκου Κυρίου, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν μετοικίαν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὑτῶν. Οὐ μὴν εἴασε βεβαιωθῆναι τῇ συγκαταθέσει τὴν προ φητείαν. Ἔφη γάρ· ζʹ-θʹ. Πλὴν ἄκουσον τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, ὃν ἐγὼ λαλῶ εἰς τὰ ὦτά σου, καὶ εἰς τὰ ὦτα παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ. Οἱ προφῆται οἱ πρότεροί μου, καὶ οἱ πρότεροι ὑμῶν ἀπὸ αἰῶνος, καὶ προεφήτευσαν ἐπὶ γαίας πολλὰς, καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείας μεγάλας, εἰς πόλεμον, καὶ εἰς κακὰ, καὶ εἰς θάνατον. Ὁ προφητεύσας εἰς εἰρήνην, ἐλθόντος τοῦ λόγου τοῦ προφήτου, γνωσθήσεται ὁ προφήτης, ὃν ἀπ έστειλεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ἐν πίστει. Τὸ τέλος, φησὶ, τῶν πραγμάτων, δείξει τῆς προφητείας τὸ ἀληθές. Ὀψόμεθα τοίνυν, εἴγε κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν προφητείαν Βαβυλωνίοις παραδοθησόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ τούτων οὐδὲν ἀπώνατο ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης ἐκεῖνος· ἀλλ' οὓς ἔφερεν ὁ προφήτης κλοιοὺς συνέτριψε, τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον συντριβήσεσθαι λέγων τὸν τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ζυγὸν, δυοῖν ἐτῶν διελθόντων. Ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὸν προφήτην παρηγγύησε πρὸς τὸν Ἀνανίαν εἰπεῖν· "Κλοιοὺς ξυλίνους συνέτριψας, καὶ ποιήσω ἀντὶ τούτων σιδηροῦς κλοιούς." Τὸν ζυγὸν δὲ τῶν Βα βυλωνίων σιδηροῦν ὀνομάζει, ὡς βαρυτέρας διὰ τὴν ἀπείθειαν ἐσομένης τῆς τιμωρίας. Εἶτα δυσχεράνας ὁ προφήτης, ὡς ἀκριβῶς μεμαθηκὼς Ἀνανίου τὴν ψευδῆ χρησμολογίαν, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· "Ἄκουσον δὴ, Ἀνανία, οὐκ ἀπέστειλέ σε Κύριος, καὶ σὺ πεποι θέναι ἐποίησας τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἐπ' ἀδίκοις." Προ λέγει δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐντὸς ὀλίγων μηνῶν τελευτήν. "Ὅτι ἔκκλισιν, φησὶν, ἐλάλησας πρὸς τὸν Κύριον." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Παρεσκεύασας τὸν λαὸν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων λογίων ἐκκλῖναι, καὶ τῇ σῇ ψευδολογίᾳ πιστεῦσαι. Εἶτα διηγήσατο καὶ τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτου τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τῆς θείας μακροθυμίας τὴν ἀμετρίαν· οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἐστέρησε τῆς ζωῆς, ἀναμένων τὴν μεταμέλειαν· ἐπιμείναντα μὲν τῇ πονηρίᾳ, μετὰ μῆνας ἑπτὰ θανάτῳ παρέδωκεν. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΚΘʹ. Ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἕτερον μεταβαίνει διήγημα, καὶ δι δάσκει ὡς ἐπέστειλε, τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλεύσαντος, τοῖς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι δορυαλώτοις, μετὰ τὴν Ἰεχονίου τοῦ βασιλέως αἰχμαλωσίαν. Λέγει καὶ τὰς προσηγορίας τῶν ἀποκομισάντων τὰ γράμματα. Περιεῖχε δὲ ταῦτα, ὡς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις ἤδη γεγενημέ νοις κελεύει, καὶ παιδοποιῆσαι, καὶ δείμασθαι οἰκίας, 81.649 καὶ κατεγγυῆσαι τὰς θυγατέρας ἀνδράσι, καὶ γυναῖ κας ἀγαγεῖν τοῖς υἱέσι, καὶ φροντίσαι τῆς αὔξης τοῦ γένους, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνδραποδισάντων προσεύξα σθαι. "Ὅτι ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ αὐτῶν, φησὶν, ἔσται ὑμῖν εἰρήνη." Τούτῳ συμβαίνει τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου νομοθεσία, παρεγγυῶσα "ποιεῖσθαι προσ ευχὰς καὶ ἐντεύξεις, ὑπὲρ βασιλέων, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν τῇ ὑπεροχῇ καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ ὄντων, ἵνα ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνό τητι." Ταῦτα μέντοι γενέσθαι προσέταξεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, διδάσκων αὐτοὺς τοῖς ψευδοπροφήταις μὴ πεί θεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὡρισμένον ἀναμεῖναι χρόνον· τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς δεδήλωκε, λέγων· "Μὴ ἀναπειθέ τωσαν ὑμᾶς οἱ ψευδοπροφῆται ὑμῶν οἱ ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ μὴ ἀπατάτωσαν ὑμᾶς οἱ μάντεις ὑμῶν. Καὶ μὴ ἀκούετε τῶν ἐνυπνίων ὑμῶν, ὧν ὑμεῖς ἐνυπνιά ζεσθε." θʹ. Ὅτι ἄδικα οὗτοι προφητεύουσιν ὑμῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου· οὐκ ἀπέστειλα αὐτοὺς, φησὶ Κύριος. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐπανόδου καιρόν· τῶν γὰρ ἑβδομήκοντα, φησὶ, πληρουμένων ἐτῶν ἐπι σκέψομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς ἐπαγγελίας