51

of the terrible things. If you say in your heart; for you will no longer have power even to utter a sound. If an Ethiopian will change his skin. For what reason then do you complain, for what reason do you send prophets? For what reason do you say, You were not willing 64.892 to hear me? if wickedness is of nature, for what reason do you find fault? Do you see the absurdity? But the absurdity is from our folly. For what he wishes to say is this, that you have nearly changed the evil from choice into a habit. For to learn is not of nature. He who has learned was previously in ignorance, and he learns. Therefore he is not evil by nature; for what is by nature does not need learning. We do not learn that it is necessary to sleep, nor that it is necessary to see the light. For these things are natural, and we do not wait for a teacher, but it comes upon us whether we want it or not. But where it is possible to learn, it is also possible to be ignorant, and learning comes from ignorance. What then is it? He speaks hyperbolically, just as we also say: This child cannot be useful; he has a bad nature; so that at least by blushing in this way they may change. And I scattered them as dry sticks. See also how he shows at the same time the ease, and the power, and wishing to satisfy, or, to fill, his anger. Thus is your lot, and the portion of your disobedience to me. Such things you will reap from disobedience, since the false prophets said the opposite. As you have forgotten me, so have I. See the cause being; Thus I also will do. And I will uncover your backside. You gave me the beginning. I wish to be loved, and you are not willing. For this reason I will do these things, like a jealous person, neither wishing to punish the one who insults him, nor being able to bear what has happened meekly, he spares no word in what he says to her, in this way prob. but he speaks as if fulfilling his anger, and by not punishing he gratifies his love, but by insulting he relieves himself; so also is God. And your adulteries, and your neighing, and the estrangement of your fornication. What is neighing? It shows her madness, her frenzy. Upon hills and in the fields I have seen your abominations. Nothing in a house, nor in secret; your fornication is made public and common to all. Your shame parades, or, will parade, before you. Woe to you, Jerusalem. Because he both wishes to punish, and grieves over those who are being punished, and he laments, and wails, and pities.

CHAPTER 14.

The word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah concerning the drought. He said countless things, he threatened, they did not believe through images, such as that of the loincloth, such as that of the nut-tree staff, and the rest. He begins therefore with the punishments. Judah has mourned. He did not say, the marketplace, but the gates, there being no one going out, which is the greatest proof of desolation. 64.893 And the cry of Jerusalem went up. They were calling upon God; when he slew them, then they sought him. And her great men sent their younger ones for water. See the punishment touching all; for there was not only famine, but also drought. For since it was likely that with food stored up there would be anticipation, but not the experience of famine, with the scarcity of water he forestalled their mind. They came to the wells, and found no water. For since they did not pay attention to the teachings of the spiritual flowing water, from these things he chastens them, so that they might not come to the experience of terrible things. Then he also speaks of the necessity of the irrational animals. The farmers were ashamed. Rightly so. For what reason were they ashamed, tell me? Was it not because of their own fault? was it not because of their own indolence, prob. was it not because of their own indolence? the matter happened by the impulse from above. For what reason then were they ashamed? because they themselves are the cause through their sins; for to those who sin, not less than any

51

τῶν δεινῶν. Ἐὰν εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· οὐδὲ γὰρ ῥῆξαι φωνὴν ἐξουσίαν ἕξεις λοιπόν. Εἰ ἀλλάξεται Αἰθίοψ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλεῖς, τίνος ἕνεκεν πέμπεις προφήτας; Τίνος ἕνεκεν λέγεις, Οὐκ ἠθελήσατε 64.892 ἀκοῦσαί μου; εἰ φύσεώς ἐστιν ἡ πονηρία, τίνος ἕνεκεν μέμφῃ; Ὁρᾷς τὴν ἀτοπίαν; Ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἄνοιαν ἡ ἀτοπία. Ὃ γὰρ βούλεται εἰπεῖν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι Τὴν ἐκ προαιρέσεως κακίαν εἰς ἕξιν σχεδὸν μετεστήσατε. Τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν οὐ φύσεώς ἐστιν. Ὁ μαθὼν πρότερον ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ ἦν, καὶ μανθάνει. Οὐκ ἄρα φύσει πονηρός· τὸ γὰρ φύσει οὐ δεῖται μαθήσεως. Οὐ μανθάνομεν ὅτι δεῖ καθεύδειν, οὐδὲ ὅτι δεῖ τὸ φῶς ὁρᾷν. Ταῦτα γὰρ φυσικὰ, καὶ διδάσκαλον οὐκ ἀναμένομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θελόντων, καὶ μὴ θελόντων ἔπεισιν. Ἔνθα δὲ μαθεῖν ἔστι, καὶ ἀγνοῆσαι ἔνι, καὶ ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἡ μάθησις. Τί οὖν ἐστι; Φησὶν ὑπερβολικῶς, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς λέγομεν· Οὐ δύναται ὁ παῖς οὗτος εὐχρηστῆσαι· κακὴ φύσις· ἵνα κἂν οὕτως ἐρυθριάσαντες μεταβάλωνται. Καὶ διέσπειρα αὐτοὺς ὡς φρύγανα. Ὅρα καὶ τὴν εὐκολίαν πῶς δείκνυσιν ὁμοῦ, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν ἐκπλῆσαι ἄλλ. ἐμπλῆσαι θέλων. Οὕτως ὁ κλῆρός σου, καὶ μερὶς τοῦ ἀπειθεῖν ὑμᾶς ἐμοί. Τοιαῦτα καρπώσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας, ἐπειδὴ οἱ ψευδοπροφῆται τὰ ἐναντία ἔλεγον. Ὡς ἐπελάθου μου, κἀγώ. Ὅρα τὴν αἰτίαν οὖσαν· Οὕτω καὶ ἐγὼ ποιήσω. Κἀγὼ ἀποκαλύψω τὰ ὀπίσω σου. Σύ μοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔδωκας. Φιλεῖσθαι βούλομαι, καὶ οὐ θέλεις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα ποιήσω, καθάπερ τις ζηλότυπος, μήτε κολάσαι βουλόμενος τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ὑβρίζουσαν, μήτε πράως δυνάμενος ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ συμβάντα, οὐδενὸς φείδεται ῥήματος ἐν τοῖς πρὸς αὐτὴν, ταύτῃ ἴσ. λαλεῖ δὲ δὲ ὡς τὸν θυμὸν ἐκπληρῶν, καὶ τῷ μὲν μὴ κολάσαι τῷ φίλτρῳ χαριζόμενος, τῷ δὲ ὑβρίσαι ἀναπαύων ἑαυτόν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεός. Καὶ αἱ μοιχεῖαί σου, καὶ ὁ χρεμετισμός σου, καὶ ἡ ἀπαλλοτρίωσις τῆς πορνείας σου. Τί ἐστι χρεμετισμός; τὴν μανίαν, τὴν παροίστρησιν αὐτῆς ἐμφαίνει. Ἐπὶ βουνῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς ἑώρακα τὰ βδελύγματά σου. Οὐδὲν ἐν οἰκίᾳ, οὐδὲ λάθρα· δεδημοσιευμένη, καὶ πάνδημος ἡ πορνεία. Ἐμπομπεύει ἄλλ. ἐμπομπεύσει σου ἡ αἰσχύνη. Οὐαὶ σοὶ, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὅτι καὶ βούλεται κολάσαι, καὶ ἀλγεῖ ἐπὶ τοῖς κολαζομένοις αὐτοῖς, καὶ θρηνεῖ, καὶ ὀδύρεται, καὶ ἐλεεῖ.

ΚΕΦ. Ι∆ʹ.

Λόγος Κυρίου, ὃς ἐγενήθη πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν περὶ τῆς ἀβροχίας. Εἶπε μυρία, ἠπείλησεν, οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν διὰ εἰκόνων, ὡς τοῦ περιζώματος, ὡς τῆς ῥάβδου τῆς καρυΐνης, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. Ἄρχεται λοιπὸν τῶν τιμωριῶν. Ἐπένθησεν ἡ Ἰουδαία. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἡ ἀγορὰ, ἀλλ' αἱ πύλαι, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ ἐξιόντος, ὃ μέγιστον ἐρημίας τεκμήριον. 64.893 Καὶ ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀνέβη. Τὸν Θεὸν ἐπεκαλοῦντο· ὅτε ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτόν. Καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτῆς ἀπέστειλαν τοὺς νεωτέρους αὐτῶν ἐφ' ὕδωρ. Ὅρα τὴν τιμωρίαν πάντων ἁπτομένην· οὐ γὰρ δὴ λιμὸς ἐγένετο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐχμός. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν σιτίων ἀποκειμένων τὴν προσδοκίαν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν πεῖραν εἶναι τοῦ λιμοῦ, τῇ τοῦ ὕδατος σπάνει προκατέλαβεν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὰ φρέατα, καὶ οὐχ εὕροσαν ὕδωρ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ ὕδατος ῥέοντος τοῦ πνευματικοῦ ταῖς διδασκαλίαις οὐ προσεῖχον, ἀπὸ τούτων αὐτοὺς σωφρονίζει, ὥστε μὴ εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθεῖν τῶν δεινῶν. Εἶτα λέγει καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων ἀνάγκην. Ἠσχύνθησαν οἱ γεωργοί. Εἰκότως. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ᾐσχύνθησαν, εἰπέ μοι; Μὴ γὰρ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν αἰτίαν; μὴ γὰρ τῆς αὐτῶν ῥᾳθυμίας ἴσ. μὴ γὰρ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ῥᾳθυμίαν; τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς γέγονε τὸ πρᾶγμα. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ᾐσχύνθησαν; ὅτι αὐτοὶ αἴτιοι διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν· τοῖς γὰρ ἁμαρτάνουσιν, οὐδεμιᾶς ἐλάττων