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it happened. And 64.952 just as, he says, the bad things are thrown away, being in no way useful, so will I destroy all of them, being useless, and having turned aside to impiety, making absolutely no remembrance of their own Master. He called them a basket of bad figs because no righteous person was found among them. What does the image of the baskets of figs mean, being very cheap? But the lowliness of that time is the cause of the cheapness; for elsewhere also, wishing to declare his affection for them, he mentions none of the great and truly desirable things, but figs and grapes. "I found Israel like a grape in the wilderness, and as an early fig on a fig tree." Here, therefore, he represents through the image the affection for them, which he is about to show concerning those, and the hatred for these. And before the face of the temple of the Lord; that he might show the sentence brought forth from there. And the Lord said to me. For what reason does he ask him? So that he might make the word trustworthy, and from the response the people might receive the sentence. And it came to pass. What is more corrective than this manner? He showed the difference. For what if you still have your homeland, but you are corrupt? And what if those are in captivity, but are beloved by me? And he does this, so that they might change, and not think they have remained because of their own virtue. And I will build up. Do you see that the "shall not" is not forever? For he did cast them down. And I will give them a heart. If, then, you give the heart, for what reason did you not give it before? For they were not then receptive before the punishments and the correction. See, this is the greatest of goods; and he states the cause, that they will be converted; but the image does not permit it. For it is not possible for things once corrupted to return and become good. But the good things, he says, remain; but the not good, no longer. But it is taken not in reference to nature, but in reference to choice. For the difference concerns the quality, not the substance. But if you say: For what reason then does he not also give good promises to these? Is it that for this reason he intensifies the fear for these? So that they might not even have the experience. And those who dwell. Do not be confident, he says, as having an alliance; for they will not indeed stand by you, but they themselves will also be taken; and the evils will not proceed to captivity only, but further. And they will be for a reproach. The memory of your punishment is immortal, and manifest to all men.

CHAP. XXV.

The word that came to pass. 64.953 He is about, then, to define the time of the punishment, and to pronounce the sentence. And I spoke to you, rising early. These things continuously through one prophet; for I also spoke through the others; and I did not cease always speaking, and I spoke nothing burdensome. This Christ also does, when he is about to hand over the city to the enemies, almost apologizing to them: "How often I wanted to gather your children, and you were not willing?" and what follows. For this reason, thus says the Lord. For did I give for this reason, that I might take it away again? For did I demand a wage from you? for it was a work of grace; no one takes away gifts, unless the one who received them is very unworthy. Behold, I send and will take a family. I will bring, he says, the Babylonians, since you did not believe; do you see from where their indolence came? from not believing. This also now happens concerning Gehenna; for was I not able to punish if I had wished? and the false prophets are the cause of this. You did not believe the words, believe the deeds. Upon all the nations. For what reason? so that you may learn that the providence of God is over all. And they will serve. The seventy years, being philanthropic, not after the of the temple

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ἐτύγχανε. Καὶ 64.952 ὥσπερ, φησὶ, τὰ πονηρὰ ῥίπτεται, οὐδαμῶς χρήσιμα τυγχάνοντα, οὕτως πάντας διαφθερῶ ἀχρήστους ὄντας, καὶ εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐκκλίναντας, παντελῶς οὐδεμίαν μνήμην τοῦ ἑαυτῶν ∆εσπότου ποιουμένους. Πονηρῶν δὲ σύκων κάλαθον τούτους ὠνόμασε διὰ τὸ μὴ εὑρεθῆναι αὐτοῖς δίκαιον. Τί βούλεται ἡ εἰκὼν τῶν καλάθων τῶν σύκων, εὐτελὴς οὖσα σφόδρα; Ἀλλὰ τῆς εὐτελείας ἡ ταπεινότης αἰτία τῶν τότε· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τὸ φίλτρον τὸ περὶ αὐτοὺς δηλῶσαι βουλόμενος, οὐδὲν τῶν μεγάλων καὶ ὄντως ποθεινῶν τίθησιν, ἀλλὰ σῦκα καὶ σταφυλάς. Ὡς σταφυλὴν εὗρον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ὡς σκοπὸν ἐν συκῇ πρώϊμον. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν τὸ κατ' αὐτῶν φίλτρον, ὃ μέλλει περὶ ἐκείνους ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ τὸ μῖσος τὸ περὶ τούτους διὰ τῆς εἰκόνος παρίστησι. Καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ναοῦ Κυρίου· ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἐκεῖθεν ἐξενηνεγμένην. Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρός με. Τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾷ; ἵνα ἀξιόπιστον ποιήσῃ τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως λάβῃ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ὁ λαός. Καὶ ἐγένετο. Τί τούτου τοῦ τρόπου διορθωτικώτερον; ἔδειξε τὴν διαφοράν. Τί γὰρ, εἰ τὴν πατρίδα ἔχετε ἔτι, ἀλλὰ διεφθαρμένοι ἐστέ; τί δὲ εἰ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ προσφιλεῖς μοί εἰσι; τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, ἵνα μεταβάλωνται, καὶ μὴ νομίσωσιν ἐξ οἰκείας ἀρετῆς ἀπομεμενηκέναι. Καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, οὐ μὴ, οὐκ εἰς διηνεκές ἐστι; καὶ γὰρ καθεῖλεν αὐτούς. Καὶ δώσω αὐτοῖς καρδίαν. Εἰ τοίνυν σὺ δίδως τὴν καρδίαν, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἔδωκας πρότερον; οὔτε γὰρ ἦσαν τότε δεκτοὶ πρὸ τῶν τιμωριῶν καὶ τῆς διορθώσεως. Ὅρα τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦτο· καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν λέγει, ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται· ἀλλὰ ἡ εἰκὼν οὐκ ἀφίησιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τὰ ἅπαξ διαφθαρέντα ἐπανελθεῖν, καὶ γενέσθαι καλά. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν καλὰ, φησὶ, μένει· τὰ δὲ μὴ καλὰ, οὐκέτι. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως εἴληπται. Περὶ γὰρ τὴν ποιότητα ἡ διαφορὰ, οὐ περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις· Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐχὶ καὶ τούτοις δίδωσιν ἐπαγγελίας χρηστάς; Ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο τούτοις ἐπιτείνει τὸν φόβον; ἵνα μηδὲ πεῖραν λάβωσιν. Καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας. Μὴ θαῤῥεῖτε, φησὶν, ὡς συμμαχίαν ἔχοντες· οὐ γὰρ δὴ οὐ μὴ προστήσωνται ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ληφθήσονται· καὶ οὐ τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ περαιτέρω προβήσεται τὰ κακά. Καὶ ἔσονται εἰς ὄνειδος. Ἀθάνατος ὑμῶν τῆς κολάσεως ἡ μνήμη, καὶ δήλη πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΕʹ.

Ὁ λόγος ὁ γενόμενος. 64.953 Μέλλει λοιπὸν ὁρίζειν τῆς τιμωρίας τὸν χρόνον, καὶ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἐκφέρειν. Καὶ ἐλάλησα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὀρθρίζων. ∆ι' ἑνὸς προφήτου ταῦτα συνεχής· καὶ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐλάλησα· καὶ οὐ διέλιπον ἀεὶ λαλῶν, καὶ ἐλάλησα οὐδὲν φορτικόν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ποιεῖ μέλλων τὴν πόλιν παραδιδόναι τοῖς πολεμίοις, μονονουχὶ ἀπολογεῖται πρὸς αὐτούς· Ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος. Μὴ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἔδωκα, ἵνα πάλιν ἀφέλωμαι; μὴ γὰρ μισθὸν ὑμᾶς ἀπῄτησα; καὶ γὰρ χάριτος ἦν ἔργον· οὐδεὶς τὰ δωρηθέντα ἀφαιρεῖται, ἂν μὴ σφόδρα ἀνάξιος ᾖ ὁ λαβών. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω καὶ λήψομαι πατριάν. Ἄξω, φησὶ, Βαβυλωνίους, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε· ὁρᾷς. πόθεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ῥᾳθυμία γέγονεν; ἐκ τοῦ ἀπιστεῖν. Τοῦτο καὶ νῦν γίνεται περὶ τῆς γεέννης· μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐδυνάμην κολάσαι εἴγε ἤθελον; τούτου δὲ αἴτιοι οἱ ψευδοπροφῆται. Οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε τοῖς ῥήμασι, πιστεύσατε τοῖς πράγμασιν. Ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι αὐτοῦ καθόλου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ πρόνοια. Καὶ δουλεύσουσιν. Τὰ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη φιλάνθρωπος ὢν, οὐχὶ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ναοῦ