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friends. *Observe his thought, if he will be deceived and we shall be able to do it. That is, we will act hypocritically towards him, so as to find some accusation in his deeds. Because I heard. What could be equal to this courage? on the one hand they were mocked, on the other they suffered terribly. But the Lord is with me. How then did you say, "You have deceived me," when you were suffering these things? they persecuted, and could not understand. Did not God also foretell these things? did he not reveal the things to come? the prophet was inexperienced in the beginnings; they did not understand their honors; for it is truly a sin full of 64.932 shame, not to change, but to destroy the one who reproves, so that the evil things may happen in greater darkness. *As a mighty warrior, for this reason they persecuted, and could not recognize. That is, they did not comprehend God's providence for me, and they changed their mind, but they persisted in wickedness. *They were greatly ashamed, because they did not know their dishonor, which will not be forgotten forever. That is, they missed the mark. And not even so did they reason, that by what they do they bring themselves under greater judgment; since God makes no forgetting of their wickedness, but demands justice for their audacity. O Lord, who tries righteous things. I say these things, so that when you hear God saying, "Do not pray," and you see the prophet praying, you may not think the man of God to be more philanthropic, but not even a little bit close. See him then troubled and scandalized by a small insult, although knowing that he will be in safety and peace, but God being insulted every day, and being insolently treated with harsh and unbearable insults. Cursed be the day on which I was born. Before this he was mourning his mother, but now the day; not directed at God, but at the terrible things, as also another prophet, "Why did you show me toils and labors?" this also Job; "Why did the knees receive me?" This also he, this also other prophets. The prophet despairs, being forced to speak against the people, and he pleads with God, and seeing them not changing, and suffering terrible things from those who hear, but being forced again to say similar things. Cursed be the man who. What are you saying? Why do you also curse the man, Did you not yourself say a little before, "If you return evil for good," and you did this instead of good tidings, and you accuse him because he did not kill? How then do you complain that the Jews want to kill you? For if it was good to die then, much more so after the experience. Why then do you not wish it? Do you see that the lament has no reason anywhere? for lament is the cause, but also it is said by a troubled soul, that has considered nothing, but seeks one thing only, to put off the burden. And after a little. And not simply to curse him, but as the cities which God destroyed, and did not repent; let the one man undergo as much punishment as all the cities. What are you saying, tell me? Because he said; For was his saying this the cause of your being born? Your being born became the cause of his saying it. But if 64.933 this is so, much more the mother who bore you, or the father who begot you, or rather, neither him, nor her. What drunken man would have said such things, and an unjust enemy? What Barbarian? What cruel man slays in the womb? But these are the words of one despairing. For what purpose did I come forth? No longer then does he pray, but he curses his shame and sin; for there is in glory shame and grace, and there is shame in sin; for this passion works great and evil things; do you see that wickedness is not of nature? for no one would ever have had anything good. But this from the beginning is inherent in shame.

CHAP. 21.

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φίλοι. *Τηρήσατε τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ, εἰ ἀπατηθήσεται καὶ δυνησόμεθα αὐτό. Τουτέστιν, ὑποκρινοῦμεν αὐτὸν, ὥστε ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ εὑρεῖν τι ἔγκλημα. Ὅτι ἤκουσα. Τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον τῆς ἀνδρίας ταύτης; ἐντεῦθεν ἐχλευάζοντο ἐκεῖθεν ἔπασχον δεινῶς. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος μετ' ἐμοῦ. Πῶς οὖν ἔλεγες, ὅτι Ἠπάτησάς με, ὅτε ταῦτα ἔπασχες; ἐδίωξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο νοῆσαι. Οὐχὶ καὶ ταῦτα προεῖπεν ὁ Θεός; οὐχὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ἐδήλωσεν; ἄπειρος ἦν ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις ὁ προφήτης· τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐνόησαν· αἰσχύνης γὰρ ὄντως 64.932 ἁμάρτημα γέμον, μὴ μεταβάλλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐλέγχοντα ἀναιρεῖν, ἵνα ἐν πλείονι σκότῳ τὰ κακὰ γένηται. *Καθὼς μαχητὴς ἰσχύων, διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο γνωρίσαι. Τουτέστιν, Οὐ συνεχώρουν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ πρόνοιαν, καὶ μετεβάλλοντο τὴν γνώμην, ἀλλ' ἐπέμενον τῇ κακίᾳ. *Ἠσχύνθησαν σφόδρα, ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἀτιμίας αὐτῶν, αἳ δι' αἰῶνος οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσονται. Τουτέστι, ∆ιήμαρτον τοῦ σκοποῦ. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐλογίσαντο, ὡς ἀφ' ὧν πράττουσι μειζόνως ὑπὸ δίκην ἑαυτοὺς ἄγουσι· τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεμίαν λήθην τῆς αὐτῶν κακίας ποιουμένου, ἀλλ' ἀπαιτοῦντος τῆς τόλμης τὴν δίκην. Κύριε, δοκιμάζων δίκαια. Ταῦτα λέγω, ἵν' ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος, Μὴ προσεύχου, καὶ τὸν προφήτην ἴδῃς προσευχόμενον, μὴ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπότερον εἶναι νομίσῃς, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγύς. Ὅρα οὖν καὶ ἀπὸ μικρᾶς ὕβρεως θορυβούμενον, σκανδαλιζόμενον, καίτοιγε εἰδότα, ὅτι ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἔσται καὶ εἰρήνῃ, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν καθ' ἑκάστην ὑβριζόμενον, καὶ ὕβρεις χαλεπὰς καὶ ἀφορήτους ἐμπαροινούμενον. Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ ἡμέρα ἐν ᾗ ἐτέχθην. Πρὸ τούτου μὲν τὴν μητέρα ἐθρήνει, νῦν δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν· οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ ἀποτεινόμενος, ὡς καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης, Ἵνα τί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους; τοῦτο καὶ Ἰώβ· Ἵνα τί μοι συνήντησαν γόνατα; Τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος, τοῦτο καὶ ἕτεροι τῶν προφητῶν. Ἀποδυσπετεῖ ὁ προφήτης, ἀναγκαζόμενος κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ λέγει, καὶ ἐντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ὁρῶν ἐκείνους μὴ μεταβαλλομένους, καὶ πάσχων μὲν δεινὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουόντων, ἀναγκαζόμενος δὲ πάλιν τὰ παραπλήσια λέγει. Ἐπικατάρατος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ. Τί λέγεις; Τί καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα καταρᾶσαι, Οὐχὶ πρὸ μικροῦ αὐτὸς ἔλεγες, Εἰ ἀνταποδίδοτε κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ σὺ ἀντὶ εὐαγγελίων τοῦτο ἐποίησας, καὶ ἐγκαλεῖς ὅτι οὐκ ἀπέκτεινε; Πῶς οὖν ἐγκαλεῖς, ὅτι ἀνελεῖν σε θέλουσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι; Εἰ γὰρ τότε ἀποθανεῖν καλὸν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν. Πῶς οὖν οὐ βούλει; Ὁρᾷς οὐδαμοῦ λόγον ἔχοντα τὸν θρῆνον; θρῆνος γάρ ἐστιν αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τεθορυβημένης λεγόμενος ψυχῆς, καὶ οὐδὲν διεσκεμμένης, ἀλλ' ἓν ζησούσης μόνον, ἀποθέσθαι τὸ βάρος. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς καταράσασθαι ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰς πόλεις ἃς ἀνεῖλεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐ μετεμελήθη· τοσαύτην ὑποστήτω τιμωρίαν ὁ εἷς, ὅσην αἱ πόλεις πᾶσαι. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ; Ὅτι εἶπεν· Μὴ γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν τοῦτο, αἴτιον γέγονε τοῦ τεχθῆναί σε; Τὸ τεχθῆναί σε αἴτιον τοῦ εἰπεῖν γέγονεν. Εἰ δὲ 64.933 τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν μητέρα τὴν τεκοῦσαν, ἢ τὸν σπείραντα πατέρα, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτον, οὐδὲ ἐκείνην. Ποῖος ἂν ἀνὴρ μεθύων τοιαῦτα εἶπε, καὶ πολέμιος ἄδικος; Ποῖος Βάρβαρος; Τίς ὠμὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐν μήτρᾳ ἀναιρεῖ; Ἀλλ' ἀποδυσπετοῦντος ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ῥήματα. Ἵνα τί τοῦτο ἐξῆλθον; Οὐκέτι λοιπὸν εὔχεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ αἰσχύνῃ ἐπαρᾶται καὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ· ἔστι γὰρ ἐν δόξῃ αἰσχύνη καὶ χάρις, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ· μεγάλα γὰρ καὶ κακὰ ἐργάζεται τοῦτο τὸ πάθος· ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ φύσεώς ἐστιν ἡ κακία; οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν ἔσχε ποτὲ ἀγαθόν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔγκειται τῇ αἰσχύνῃ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΑʹ.