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again the prophet has used, he himself offering the prayer instead of her. And he brought back the answer: In mercy He will have mercy on you at the voice of your cry; when He saw, He heard you. These things are like the evangelical word which the Lord spoke: «With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.» For here also He measured mercy by the eagerness of repentance; for He called eagerness 'voice'. Instead of: according to your diligence, according to your turning back you will receive mercy. 20And the Lord will give you the bread of affliction and scant water. For since you did not bear abundance but from there received harm and sickness, the physician will use opposite remedies. And those who lead you astray will no longer approach you, because your eyes will see those who lead you astray 21<and your ears will hear the words of those who led you astray from behind> of those saying: This is the way, let us walk in it, whether to the right or to the left. Through these things he has pointed out the false prophets and the impious rulers. 22And you will defile the idols overlaid with silver and overlaid with gold, and you will make them fine and winnow them and make them like the water of a menstruating woman, and you will cast them out as dung. These things happened more accurately after the incarnation of our Savior, not only among those from the Jews who believed but also among the nations throughout the world who shattered the idols formerly deified and loathed them more than the most foul-smelling dung. And things similar to what was said happened as in a certain type, both under Hezekiah and under Josiah the pious kings, and after the return from Babylon. 23Then the rain for the seed of your land will be for abundance and rich; and your cattle will be fed in that day in a place fertile and spacious, 24your bulls and your oxen that work the land will eat mixed straw with winnowed barley. He promises them prosperity and abundance of fruits and enjoyment of bodily goods; for they gaped more for these things. But in the New Testament, teaching toward perfection, He forbids the asking for such things: for He says, «Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink or what you will put on your body; for all these things the nations seek. But seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the rest will be added to you as a surplus.» But to these who have an earthly mind, He promises the fruits of the earth. 25And on every high mountain and on every lofty hill there will be water running through on that day, when many perish and when towers fall. 26And the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord heals the fracture of His people, and will heal the pain of their wound. Those who suddenly receive pleasant things instead of painful things both see the day brighter and the sun much more radiant than usual; just as, on the other hand, those who mourn perceive even the light as darkness. He has therefore foretold the gladness that would be theirs because of the return; for the elements did not have manifold light, but those who were in despondency saw these things as brighter. And He says these things will be after the destruction of the Babylonians. For He called them 'many' because of their number and 'towers' because of their power. But that 'on every mountain and hill waters gush forth' we do not find fulfilled according to the letter, yet we know the promise of God is not false. For which reason it is necessary, even if the Jews are unwilling, to understand the prophecy tropologically and to find its fulfillment after the incarnation of the Lord Christ; for then the thirsty nature of mankind received the divine apostles as certain waters. Having foretold these things thus, he transfers the discourse to the Assyrian: 27Behold, the name of the Lord comes after a long time. Since it was a very great wonder for so many myriads |138 b| to fall without human hands, and the Egyptians also suffered this very same thing, all submerged in the sea

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πάλιν ὁ προφήτης ἐχρήσατο, αὐτὸς ἀντ' ἐκείνης προσφέρων τὴν δέησιν. Ἐκόμισε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν· Ἐλεῶν ἐλεήσει σε πρὸς τὴν φωνὴν τῆς κραυγῆς σου· ἡνίκα εἶδεν ἐπήκουσέ σου. Ἔοικε ταῦτα τῷ εὐαγγελικῷ λόγῳ ὃν ὁ κύριος ἔφη· «Ὧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.» Καὶ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸν ἔλεον τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῆς μετανοίας ἐμέτρησεν· φωνὴν γὰρ τὴν προθυμίαν ἐκάλεσεν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ· πρὸς τὴν σπουδήν σου, πρὸς τὴν ἐπιστροφήν σου δέξῃ τὸν ἔλεον. 20Καὶ δώσει ὑμῖν κύριος ἄρτον θλίψεως καὶ ὕδωρ στενόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν κόρον οὐκ ἤνεγκας ἀλλὰ βλάβην ἐκεῖθεν εἰσεδέξω καὶ νόσον, τοῖς ἐναντίοις χρήσεται φαρμάκοις ὁ ἰατρός. Καὶ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ ἐγγίσωσί σοι οἱ πλανῶντές σε, ὅτι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὄψονται τοὺς πλα νῶντάς σε 21<καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἀκούσεται τοὺς λόγους τῶν ὀπίσω πλανησάντων σε> τῶν λεγόντων· Αὕτη ἡ ὁδός, πορευθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ εἴτε εἰς δεξιὰ εἴτε εἰς ἀριστερά. Τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας καὶ τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς ἄρχοντας διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκεν. 22Καὶ μιανεῖ τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ περιηργυρωμένα καὶ τὰ περι κεχρυσωμένα καὶ λεπτὰ ποιήσεις καὶ λικμήσεις καὶ ποιήσεις ὡς ὕδωρ ἀποκαθημένης καὶ ὡς κόπρον ὤσεις αὐτά. Ταῦτα ἀκριβέστερον μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρώπησιν γέγονεν οὐ τῶν ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πεπιστευκότων μόνων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐθνῶν τὰ πάλαι θεοποιούμενα εἴδωλα συντριψάντων καὶ βδελυξαμένων πλέον ἢ τὴν δυσωδεστάτην κόπρον. Ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς ἐν τύ πῳ τινὶ καὶ ὑπὸ Ἐζεκίου καὶ ὑπὸ Ἰωσίου τῶν εὐσεβῶν βασιλέων καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον τοῖς εἰρημένοις παρα πλήσια. 23Τότε ἔσται ὁ ὑετὸς τῷ σπέρματι τῆς γῆς σου ἔσται εἰς πλησμονὴν καὶ λιπαρός· καὶ βοςκηθήσεταί σου τὰ κτήνη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τόπον πίονα καὶ εὐρύχωρον, 24οἱ ταῦροι ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ βόες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν γῆν φάγονται ἄχυρα ἀναπεποιημένα ἐν κριθῇ λελικμημένῃ. Εὐετηρίαν αὐτοῖς καὶ καρπῶν εὐθηνίαν κ αὶ σωματικῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπόλαυσιν ἐπαγγέλλεται· περὶ ταῦτα γὰρ κεχήνασι μᾶλλον. Ἐν δὲ τῇ Καινῇ ∆ιαθήκῃ ἐπὶ τὰ τέλεια παιδεύων ἀπαγορεύει τῶν τοιούτων τὴν αἴτησιν· «Μὴ μεριμνήσητε» γάρ φησι «τί φάγητε ἢ τί πίητε ἢ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί ἐνδύσησθε· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐπιζητεῖ. Αἰτεῖτε δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα ἐκ περιττοῦ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.» Τούτοις δὲ περίγειον ἔχουσι φρόνημα τῆς γῆς ἐπαγγέλλεται τοὺς καρπούς. 25Καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ μετεώρου ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅταν ἀπόλωνται πολλοὶ καὶ ὅταν πέσωσι πύργοι. 26Καὶ ἔσται τὸ φῶς τῆς σελήνης ὡς τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου, καὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου ἔσται ἑπταπλάσιον ὡς τὸ φῶς τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅταν ἰάσηται κύριος τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς πληγῆς αὐτοῦ ἰάσεται. Οἱ ἐξαπίνης ἀντὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν τὰ θυμήρη δεχόμενοι καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν λαμπροτέραν ὁρῶσι καὶ τὸν ἥλιον πολλῷ τοῦ συνήθους φανότερον· ὥσπερ αὖ οἱ πενθοῦντες σκότος ὑπολαμβάνουσι καὶ τὸ φῶς. Τὴν ἐσομένην τοίνυν αὐτοῖς εὐφροσύνην διὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον προδεδήλωκεν· οὐ γὰρ τὰ στοιχεῖα πολλαπλάσιον ἔσχε τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ' οἱ ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ ὄντες ταῦτα ἑώρων λαμπρότερα. Ταῦτα δέ φησιν ἔσται μετὰ τὴν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων κατάλυσιν. Αὐτοὺς γὰρ καὶ πολλοὺς διὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ πύργους διὰ τὴν δυναστείαν ὠνόμ ασεν . Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους καὶ βουνοῦ ὕδατα ἀναβλύζειν οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν πληρωθὲν κατὰ τὸ ῥητόν, ἴσμεν δὲ ὅμως ἡμεῖς ἀψευδῆ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ἀνάγκη, κἂν μὴ θέλωσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, τροπικῶς νο ῆσαι τὴν πρόρρησιν καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν εὑρεῖν μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ δεσπότου Χριστοῦ· τότε γὰρ ἡ διψῶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσις οἷόν τινα ὕδατα τοὺς θείους ἀποστόλους ἐδέξατο. Ταῦτα οὕτω προαγορεύσας εἰς τὸν Ἀσσύριον μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον · 27Ἰδοὺ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ἔρχεται διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ μέγιστον ἦν θαῦμα τὸ δίχα χειρῶν ἀνθρω πίνων τοσαύτας μυριάδας |138 b| πεσεῖν, ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο πεπόνθασι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι ὑποβρύχιοι πάντες ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ