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in deeds. That priest and prophet were defiled. It seems to me he speaks of adulteries in the house itself; from the rank, priest; from the place, in the house; from the matter, the wickedness of adultery. What is more grievous than this? even if they disbelieved the others, this was sufficient to convict them of their wickedness; they dug through others' marriages, they were mad for women. Therefore, let their way become. See how again he does not bring on wickedness immediately, but gives deadlines; then, lest delay lead them into disbelief and wickedness, he reminds them of those who committed the same sins as them, and suffered more grievous things. And among the prophets of Samaria. Those, if nothing else, put forward Baal; but these, me. *And among the false prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things. The Hebrew, things mixed up, so that it might say they speak nothing true, but make their speeches out of ambition; and he says these things in comparison with the false prophets in Samaria, because those, at least in some order, seemed to say what they were saying, as having an altar, and worshipping calves, and seeming to keep the rest of the good order, even if unlawfully; but these surpassed their wickedness with their lawlessness. For they did not allow the fear of God to be established in the mind of the hearers; they took away the entire basis for becoming better, and held all men in wickedness. And helping them. Not only, he says, did they not admonish men—for from the part he signified the whole—to turn away from their wickednesses, but they also advocated for them, so that from this they might be worn down even more into wickedness. They became to me. What things were not sufficient to teach them? so unpleasant and fearful is the sight of the land, just like a body completely burned. Therefore. Not by nature, but sent forth by disposition. For when something is bitter by its very nature, it is possible to find many consolations, and we change places, and receiving from those who have, we also bring something else. But when the organ of sense itself is corrupted, there is no healing left. It is better, therefore, for the senses to be healthy, than to carry the elements with oneself when they are bitter. Because from the prophets of Jerusalem. Again he gives the cause: it was not enough for them 64.948 to establish their terrible deeds up to the city, but they themselves have also become the cause of what happened to others. Thus says the Lord. These are declarations; from where, tell me, is it clear? that they speak lies, that they intensify evils, that they increase indifference. *Because who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen, and heard his words? That is, which of these who oppose the prophets waited for divine power, and having been deemed worthy of the Spirit, spoke these things? so that he might say, From the deeds themselves they are shown to be fighting against the divine will, because they fight the true prophets by cooperating with the worship of idols. That is, who is able to see God? Symmachus says: For who was present in conversation, and who heard? How then do you say you have heard? *And if they had stood in my counsel, and had heard my words, they would have taught my people, and turned them from their evil way. That is, If they had abided by my laws, and awaited the grace from me, they certainly would have taught piety to the people. No small proof; not a random rule, a boundary of prophecy and false prophecy. *I am a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God far off. Shall a man hide in secret places, and I shall not see him, says the Lord? That is, Speaking to please the crowd, you thought to deceive them; and you lead those who do not know into suspicion, as if sent by me. Why do you not consider my worth, how I am present with each one, so as to know even their counsels? and not like men, being far from your reasonings, I am ignorant of what you do. For who is there of you, who considers something by counsel, and

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πράγμασιν. Ὅτι ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐμολύνθησαν. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὰς μοιχείας λέγειν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ οἴκῳ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιώματος ἱερεύς· ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ· ἀπὸ τοῦ πράγματος, πονηρίας μοιχείας. Τί τούτου χαλεπώτερον; εἰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἠπίστουν, τοῦτο ἱκανὸν ἐλέγξαι αὐτῶν τὴν πονηρίαν· ἀλλοτρίους διώρυττον γάμους, ἐπεμαίνοντο ταῖς γυναιξίν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γενέσθω ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν. Ὅρα, πῶς πάλιν οὐ παρὰ πόδας ἐπάγει τὴν κακίαν, ἀλλὰ δίδωσι προθεσμίας· εἶτα ἵνα μὴ ἀναβολὴ εἰς ἀπιστίαν αὐτοὺς καὶ κακίαν ἀγάγῃ, ἀναμιμνήσκει τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ πλημμελοῦντας αὐτοῖς, καὶ χαλεπώτερα παθόντας. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Σαμαρείας. Ἐκεῖνοι, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, τὸν Βάαλ προεβάλλοντο· οὗτοι δὲ ἐμέ. *Καὶ ἐν τοῖς ψευδοπροφήταις Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἑώρακα φρικτά. Ὁ Ἑβραῖος, πεφυρμένα, ἵνα εἴπῃ, οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς λέγοντας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ φιλοτιμίαν τοὺς λόγους ποιουμένους· ταῦτα δὲ κατὰ σύγκρισιν τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν τῶν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ λέγει, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι κἂν τάξει τινὶ ἐδόκουν λέγειν ἅπερ ἔλεγον, ὡς βωμὸν ἔχοντες, καὶ δαμάλεσι προσκυνοῦντες, καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν εὐταξίαν δοκοῦντες φυλάττειν, εἰ καὶ παρανόμως· οὗτοι δὲ τὴν ἐκείνων κακίαν ὑπερέβησαν τῇ παρανομίᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ συνεχώρουν τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐγκαθίσαι τῇ διανοίᾳ τῶν ἀκουόντων· τὴν ὑπόθεσιν πᾶσαν τοῦ γενέσθαι βελτίους ἀνῄρουν, καὶ κατεῖχον ἐν τῇ πονηρίᾳ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἅπαντας. Καὶ ἀντιλαμβανομένους. Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐνουθέτουν ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ μέρους τὸ πᾶν ἐσήμανεν ἀποστρέφειν ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνηγόρουν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἐκ τούτου μᾶλλον ἐπιτρίβεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰς κακίαν. Ἐγενήθησάν μοι. Τίνα οὐχ ἱκανὰ παιδεῦσαι ἐκεῖνα; οὕτως ἀτερπὴς καὶ φοβερὰ ἡ ὄψις τῆς γῆς, καθάπερ σῶμα διὰ παντὸς ἐμπεπρησμένον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο. Οὐχὶ τῇ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ διαθέσει προϊέμενον. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ αὐτῇ τῇ φύσει πικρὸν ᾖ, πολλὰς ἔνι παραμυθίας εὑρεῖν, καὶ τόπους ἀμείβομεν, καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐχόντων ἀπολαβόντες, καὶ ἕτερόν τι προσάγομεν. Ὅταν δὲ αὐτὸ τὸ αἰσθητήριον διεφθαρμένον ᾖ, οὐδεμία λοιπὸν ἴασίς ἐστι. Βέλτιον οὖν τὰς αἰσθήσεις ὑγιαίνειν, ἢ τὰ στοιχεῖα πικρὰ ὅταν ὄντα μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ περιφέρῃ περιφέρειν. Ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Πάλιν τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησιν· οὐκ ἤρκεσεν αὐτοῖς 64.948 μέχρι τῆς πόλεως στῆσαι τὰ δεινὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἑτέροις συμβάντων αὐτοὶ γεγόνασιν αἴτιοι. Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος. Ταῦτα ἀποφάσεις εἰσί· πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, δῆλον; ὅτι ψευδῆ λέγουσιν, ὅτι κακὰ ἐπιτείνουσιν, ὅτι ῥᾳθυμίαν αὔξουσιν. *Ὅτι τίς ἔστη ἐν ὑποστήματι Κυρίου, καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἤκουσε τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ; Τουτέστι, τίς τούτων τῶν ἐναντιουμένων τοῖς προφήταις ἀνέμεινε θείαν ἐνέργειαν, καὶ ἀξιωθεὶς Πνεύματος ἐλάλησε ταῦτα; ἵνα εἴπῃ, Ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων δείκνυνται μαχόμενοι τῷ θείῳ βουλήματι, ὅτι τοῖς ἀληθέσι προφήταις μάχονται συμπράττοντες τῇ τῶν εἰδώλων θεραπείᾳ. Τουτέστι, τίς δύναται τὸν Θεὸν ἰδεῖν; Σύμμαχός φησι· Τίς γὰρ παρῆν ἐν ὁμιλίᾳ, καὶ τίς δὲ ἤκουσε; Πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς λέγετε ἀκηκοέναι; *Καὶ εἰ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει, καὶ ἤκουσαν τῶν λόγων μου, ἐδίδασκον ἂν τὸν λαόν μου, καὶ ἀπέστρεφον ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτῶν τῆς πονηρᾶς. Τουτέστιν, Εἰ ἐνέμενον τοῖς ἐμοῖς νομίμοις, καὶ τὴν παρ' ἐμοῦ χάριν ἀνέμενον, πάντως ἂν εὐσέβειαν τὸν λαὸν ἐδίδασκον. Οὐ μικρὸν τεκμήριον· οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν κανὼν ὅρος προφητείας καὶ ψευδοπροφητείας. *Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐχὶ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν. Κρυβήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐν κρυφίοις, καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ὄψομαι αὐτὸν, φησὶ Κύριος; Τουτέστι, Καθ' ἡδονὴν τῷ πλήθει λαλοῦντες, ἀπατᾷν αὐτοὺς ἐνομίζετε· καὶ τοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας εἰς ὑποψίαν ἄγετε, ὡς παρ' ἐμοῦ ἀποστελλόμενοι. ∆ιατί μὴ λογίζεσθε τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν, ὡς ἑκάστῳ πάρειμι, ὥστε καὶ τὰ βουλεύματα εἰδέναι; καὶ οὐχὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πόῤῥωθεν ὢν τῶν ὑμετέρων λογισμῶν, ἀγνοῶ ἃ πράττετε. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἐξ ὑμῶν, ὃς κατὰ βουλήν τι σκέπτεται, καὶ