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being disposed, that a prophet, and a priest, who are especially the cause of the evils, are led into captivity, being taught, and teaching the strength of God. Did I utterly reject Judah, and did my soul depart from Zion? See again the prophet making the argument on his behalf. For the plague was in proportion to the magnitude of the punishments. Why, he says, have you completely despaired of the people? and he says Judah, and the name of the place. It is not only the people, because they were struck, that he grieves. Utterly rejecting. These things seem to be said concerning the final abandonment because of Christ; but the magnitude of the evils, and the length of the time, somehow resemble rejection and casting off; but Paul: He has not cast away, he says, His people, whom He foreknew. For after the fullness of the Gentiles, all Israel will be saved. The purpose of God, therefore, presents the hope that comes after these things. We waited for peace, and there were no good things. We expected other things, because we had paid a sufficient penalty. We have known, Lord, our sins. He takes refuge in the remaining remedy, the knowledge of sins. The iniquities of our fathers, for we have sinned before you. For what reason did he mention the fathers? Such is the negligence among us of our own, that even the things of the fathers run back to us. That is, not even from there is there hope of salvation for us; we cannot take refuge in our ancestors; we are betrayed from every side. Cease for your name's sake, do not destroy. 64.901 Now therefore, says the prophet, even if we are unworthy of such a penalty, yet for your glory's sake, restrain your wrath, Lest the nations should say, Where is their God? Do not destroy the throne of your glory. Do not scatter your covenant. He speaks of the kingdom, he introduces the commandments. Do not scatter your covenant. And yet the covenant held this. If they do not scatter my covenant, I will not scatter my mercy from them. He does not ask not to experience terrible things, but not to be cast off completely. Is there among the idols of the nations one who sends rain? For even if you cast us off, is there not another to flee to? he says. And let this console you. That you alone are Lord of this. And we will wait for you, Lord, for you have done all these things. For it is especially necessary for you in afflictions, so as not to be impatient. And if the heaven will give its abundance, are you not it? We know that not even an element itself by itself can do anything. For is it possible to look elsewhere? Are you not the Lord himself? For surely you do not change in forgiving sins?

CHAPTER XV.

And the Lord said to me: If Moses and Samuel should stand. Since it was likely for him to reason that Moses and Samuel were strong enough to deliver those who had practiced idolatry; and they accomplished everything from one intercession, but I, having approached so many times, accomplish nothing, but am often at a loss, so that he might not say these things, hear how he consoles him. If, he says, Moses and Samuel should stand, not even they will be able to deliver these people. Send this people away, and let them go forth. None of these things bent them, none of these things drew them, nothing made them better; but they remained uncorrected. And I will deliver them to distress in all the kingdoms of the earth. So that no place would be ignorant of their circumstances. Because of Manasseh. Do you see the strength of repentance? this is the Manasseh on whose account Jews are scattered everywhere in the world; and neither Moses nor Samuel are sufficient to deliver them; this man through repentance delivered himself, and was reconciled to God. *He does not say that he brought the evils upon them because of his sins, but because they remained in his idolatries. 64.904 Who will have pity on you,

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διακειμένων, ὅτι προφήτης, καὶ ἱερεὺς οἱ μάλιστα τῶν κακῶν αἴτιοι εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπάγονται, διδασκόμενοι, καὶ διδάσκοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ ἰσχύν. Μὴ ἀποδοκιμάζων ἀπεδοκίμασα τὸν Ἰούδαν, καὶ ἀπὸ Σιὼν ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχῆ μου; Ὅρα πάλιν τὸν προφήτην ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν ποιούμενον τὸν λόγον. Ἐγένετο γὰρ ἡ πληγὴ πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τῶν τιμωριῶν. Τί, φησὶν, ἀπέγνως εἰς τέλος τοῦ λαοῦ; καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν λέγει, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου. Οὐ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μόνον, ὅτι ἐπλήγησαν, ἀνιᾶται. Μὴ ἀποδοκιμάζων. Ταῦτα περὶ τῆς διὰ Χριστὸν ὑστάτης ἐγκαταλείψεως ἔοικε λέγεσθαι· τῶν δὲ κακῶν τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ τοῦ χρόνου τὸ μῆκος προσέοικέν πως ἀποδοκιμασίᾳ καὶ ἀπωσμῷ· ἀλλ' ὁ Παῦλος· Οὐκ ἀπώσατο, φησὶ, τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὃν προέγνω. Μετὰ τὸ πλήρωμα γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. Ἡ πρόθεσις ἄρα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα παρίστησιν ἐλπίδα. Ὑπεμείναμεν εἰς εἰρήνην, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀγαθά. Ἕτερα προσεδοκήσαμεν, ὅτι δεδώκαμεν δίκην ἱκανήν. Ἔγνωμεν, Κύριε, ἁμαρτήματα ἡμῶν. Ἐπὶ τὸ λειπόμενον φάρμακον καταφεύγει, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν γνῶσιν. Ἀδικίας πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν ἐναντίον σου. Τίνος ἕνεκεν τῶν πατέρων ἐμνημόνευσεν; Τοσαύτη παρ' ἡμῖν ἡ ῥᾳθυμία τῶν οἰκείων, ὅτι καὶ τὰ τῶν πατέρων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀνατρέχει. Τουτέστιν, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖθεν ἡμῖν σωτηρίας ἐλπίς· οὐκ ἔχομεν καταφυγεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς προγόνους· πάντοθεν προδεδόμεθα. Κόπασον διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου, μὴ ἀπολέσῃς. 64.901 Νῦν οὖν, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοιαύτης ἀνάξιοι δίκης, ἀλλ' οὖν διὰ τὴν σὴν δόξαν ἐπίσχες σου τὴν ὀργὴν, Μήποτε εἴπωσι τὰ ἔθνη, Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν; Μὴ ἀπολέσῃς θρόνον δόξης σου. Μὴ διασκεδάσῃς τὴν διαθήκην σου. Τὰ βασίλεια λέγει, τὰ προστάγματα εἰσάγει. Μὴ διασκεδάσῃς τὴν διαθήκην σου. Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο εἶχεν ἡ διαθήκη. Ἐὰν μὴ διασκεδάσωσι τὴν διαθήκην μου, τὸν ἔλεόν μου οὐ μὴ διασκεδάσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Οὐ τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν πεῖραν τῶν δεινῶν ἀξιοῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ εἰς τέλος ἀποῤῥιφῆναι. Μὴ ἔστιν ἐν εἰδώλοις τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑετίζων; Κἂν γὰρ ἀποῤῥίψῃς, μὴ ἔστι πρὸς ἕτερον καταφυγεῖν; φησί. Καὶ τοῦτο παρακαλείτω σε. Ὅτι σὺ τούτου μόνος Κύριος εἶ. Καὶ ὑπομενοῦμέν σε, Κύριε, ὅτι σὺ ἐποίησας πάντα ταῦτα. Μάλιστα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι δεῖ, ὥστε μὴ ἀκαρτερήτους εἶναι. Καὶ εἰ ὁ οὐρανὸς δώσει πλησμονὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ αὐτός; Οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὔτε στοιχεῖον αὐτὸ παρ' ἑαυτὸ δύναταί τι. Μὴ γὰρ ἔστιν ἑτέρωθι βλέψαι; Οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς Κύριος; Μὴ γὰρ δὴ μεταβάλλῃ συγχωρῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα;

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΕʹ.

Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρός με· Ἐὰν στῇ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ Σαμουήλ. Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν λογίζεσθαι, ὅτι ἐκείνους μὲν εἰδωλολατρήσαντας, ἴσχυσεν ἐξελέσθαι ὁ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ ὁ Σαμουήλ· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν ἐκ μιᾶς ἐντυχίας τὸ πᾶν, ἐγὼ δὲ τοσαυτάκις προσελθὼν, οὐδὲν ἐργάζομαι, ἀλλ' ἐξαποροῦμαι πολλάκις, ἵνα μὴ ταῦτα λέγῃ, ἄκουσον πῶς αὐτὸν παραμυθεῖται. Ἐὰν στῇ, φησὶ, Μωϋσῆς, καὶ Σαμουὴλ, τούτους οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνοι δυνήσονται ἐξελέσθαι. Ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐξελθέτωσαν. Οὐδὲν τούτων αὐτοὺς ἔκαμψεν, οὐδὲν τούτων αὐτοὺς ἐπεσπάσατο, οὐδὲν βελτίους ἐποίησεν· ἀλλ' ἔμειναν ἀδιόρθωτοι. Καὶ παραδώσω αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀνάγκας πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς. Ὥστε μηδένα τόπον ἀγνοεῖν τὰ κατ' αὐτούς. ∆ιὰ Μανασσῆν. Ὁρᾷς τῆς μετανοίας τὴν ἰσχύν; οὗτος ὁ Μανασσῆς δι' ὃν πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης διασπείρονται Ἰουδαῖοι· καὶ οὔτε Μωϋσῆς, οὔτε Σαμουὴλ ἱκανοὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξελέσθαι· οὗτος διὰ μετανοίας ἑαυτὸν ἐξείλετο, καὶ κατήλλαξε τῷ Θεῷ. *Οὐ διὰ τὰς ἐκείνου ἁμαρτίας λέγει ἐπαγαγεῖν αὐτοῖς τὰ κακὰ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ταῖς ἐκείνου εἰδωλολατρίαις ἐνέμειναν. 64.904 Τίς φείσεται ἐπὶ σοὶ,