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CHAPTER 2. And they say how they despised the prophets sent to them by God, and that the things foretold by them have come to pass. 2. And He brought, it says, upon us great evils, such as have not been done under the whole heaven, 81.764 as He did in Jerusalem. And teaching that these things also were foretold, they added: "According to the things written in the law of Moses." 3. That a man should eat the flesh of his own son, and a man the flesh of his own daughter. For the siege brought about the famine; and this compelled them to partake of human bodies. We have become, it says, a mockery even to the neighboring nations. 5. And we have become underneath and not on top, that is, slaves and not masters. Then they add the reason, "Because we have sinned against the Lord our God, in not obeying His voice." Again, having ascribed justice to the divine decree, they ascribe the shame to themselves. For though God threatened many times, and foretold these things through the prophets, we did not come to the Eternal One in our days, but continued to resist. 9. And the Lord has watched over the evils which He has brought upon us. He calls the punishment "God's watchfulness." For it is the custom of Holy Scripture to call His long-suffering sleep. Again, however, remembering the punishment, they call the Master just. For He punished those who transgressed and were unwilling to be healed. Then, supplicating, they entreat, and recall the ancient freedom which their fathers obtained, having been delivered from the bitter slavery of the Egyptians. And they also recall the wonders that occurred. They also bring forth their own transgressions, and cry out: 12. We have sinned, we have been impious, we have done wrong, O Lord our God, in all your ordinances. We have transgressed, he says, every one of your commandments, we have trampled upon every law. 13. Let your anger turn away from us, for we are left few out of many, among the nations where you have scattered us. We confess the justice of the punishment. But we beseech that it may cease; for we who were once compared to the sand have been reduced to a few. 14. Hear, O Lord, our prayer, and our supplication, and deliver us for your own sake. We are not worthy, but you are merciful; and we are called your people; for this very reason we shall enjoy forbearance. "And grant us favor in the sight of those who have taken us away captive." So that they may not hate, but permit us. 15. That all the earth may know that you are the Lord our God, and that your name has been called upon Israel and his race. The change of our evils will become for others 81.765 an occasion for piety. For they will learn the strength of you, our God. 16. Lord, look down from your holy house, and take thought for us. He calls the one in Jerusalem the "holy house"; for in that place He made His own manifestation. Incline, O Lord, your ear, and hear. 17. Open your eyes, and see. Those who are angry are accustomed to close their eyes when the wrongdoers are seen, and to turn their pupils away from the sinners who are entreating; therefore, they have put these things in human terms. For the divine is not composite, but simple and uncircumscribed. To these things they add, "For the dead are not disposed to praise you." But this is proper to the living. 18. For the soul that is sorrowful over the magnitude walks on; a spirit stooping and weak, and the eyes that are failing, and the hungry soul, will give you glory and righteousness, O Lord. Those who have fallen into the greatest misfortunes, and have come to despair of better things; then, having experienced some change, they genuinely praise your loving-kindness. Then they say: 19. That trusting neither in the righteousness of our fathers, nor in our own, we implore to obtain some mercy. For we are worthy of the things threatened through the prophets

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ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Βʹ. Λέγουσι δὲ, ὅπως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν κατεφρό νουν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς πεμπομένων, καὶ ὅτι τὰ προῤῥηθέντα ὑπ' ἐκείνων τετύχηκε πέ ρατος. βʹ. Καὶ ἤγαγε, φησὶν, ἐφ' ἡμᾶς κακὰ μεγάλα, ἃ οὐκ ἐποιήθη ὑποκάτω παντὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, 81.764 καθὰ ἐποίησεν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ διδάσκοντες, ὡς καὶ ταῦτα προεῤῥέθη, ἐπήγαγον· "Κατὰ τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωσοῦ." γʹ. Τοῦ φαγεῖν ἄνθρωπον υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ σάρ κας, καὶ ἄνθρωπον σάρκας θυγατρὸς αὑτοῦ. Ἡ γὰρ πολιορκία κατεσκεύασε τὸν λιμόν· ὁ δὲ ἀνθρωπείων σωμάτων μεταλαβεῖν κατηνάγκασεν. Ἐγενόμεθα, φησὶν, ἐπίχαρτοι καὶ τοῖς γειτονεύουσιν ἔθνεσι. εʹ. Καὶ ἐγενήθημεν ὑποκάτω καὶ οὐκ ἐπάνω, τουτέστι δοῦλοι καὶ οὐ δεσπόται. Εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιφέρουσιν, "Ὅτι ἡμαρτήκαμεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑπακούειν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ." Πάλιν τῇ θείᾳ ψήφῳ τὸ δίκαιον ἀπονείμαντες, σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀπονέμουσι τὴν αἰσχύνην. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἀπειλήσαντι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τῶν προ φητῶν προθεσπίσαντι, οὐχ ἥξαμεν πρὸς τὸν Αἰώ νιον ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἀντιτείνοντες δι ετελέσαμεν. θʹ. Καὶ ἐγρηγόρησε Κύριος ἐπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς οἷς ἐπήγαγεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. "Ἐγρήγορσιν Θεοῦ" τὴν τιμωρίαν καλεῖ. Τὴν γὰρ μακροθυμίαν αὐτοῦ ὕπνον ἔθος τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ καλεῖν. Πάλιν μέντοι μνημονεύ σαντες τῆς τιμωρίας, δίκαιον ὀνομάζουσι τὸν ∆εσπό την. Παραβάντας γὰρ, καὶ ἰαθῆναι μὴ βουληθέντας, ἐκόλασεν. Εἶτα ποτνιώμενοι ἀντιβολοῦσι, καὶ ἀνα μιμνήσκουσι τῆς παλαιᾶς ἐλευθερίας, ἧς ἔτυχον οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν, τῆς πικρᾶς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀπαλλα γέντες δουλείας. Ἀναμιμνήσκουσι δὲ καὶ τῶν γεγε νημένων θαυμάτων. Προφέρουσι δὲ καὶ τὰς οἰκείας πλημμελείας, καὶ βοῶσιν· ιβʹ. Ἡμάρτομεν, ἠσεβήσαμεν, ἠδικήσαμεν, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς δικαιώμασί σου. Πᾶσάν σου, φησὶ, παρέβημεν ἐντολὴν, πάντα πεπατήκαμεν νόμον. ιγʹ. Ἀποστραφήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἀφ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι κατελείφθημεν ὀλίγοι ἀπὸ πολλῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ διέσπειρας ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖ. Ὁμολογοῦμεν τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ δίκαιον. Στῆναι δὲ ταύτην ἀντιβο λοῦμεν· εἰς ὀλίγους γὰρ περιέστημεν οἱ πάλαι τῇ ψάμμῳ παραβαλλόμενοι. ιδʹ. Εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, τῆς προσευχῆς ἡμῶν, καὶ τῆς δεήσεως ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς ἕνεκέν σου. Οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἄξιοι, ἀλλὰ σὺ φιλάνθρωπος· χρη ματίζομεν δὲ καὶ σὸς λαός· διά τοι τοῦτο φειδοῦς ἀπολαύσομεν. "Καὶ δὸς ἡμῖν χάριν κατὰ πρόσ ωπον τῶν ἀποικισάντων ἡμᾶς." Ἵνα μὴ μισήσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἐάσωσιν. ιεʹ. Ἵνα γνῷ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, ὅτι σὺ εἶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ὅτι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπεκλήθη ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ. Ἡ μεταβολὴ τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν πρόφασις εὐσεβείας τοῖς ἄλλοις 81.765 γενήσεται. Μαθήσονται γάρ σου τοῦ ἡμετέρου Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. ιϛʹ. Κύριε, κάτιδε ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ἁγίου σου, καὶ ἐννόησον εἰς ἡμᾶς. "Οἶκον ἅγιον" τὸν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις καλεῖ· ἐν ἐκείνῳ γὰρ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπι φάνειαν ἐποιεῖτο. Κλῖνον, Κύριε, τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἄκουσον ιζʹ. Ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἴδε. Εἰώθασιν οἱ χαλεπαίνοντες μύειν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ὅταν οἱ ἠδικηκότες ὀφθῶσι, καὶ τὰς κόρας ἀπο στρέφειν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων παρακαλούντων· ἀνθρω πίνως τοίνυν ταῦτα τεθείκασιν. Οὐ γὰρ σύνθετον τὸ θεῖον, ἀλλ' ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀπερίγραφον. Τούτοις προστιθέασιν "Ὅτι οὐχ οἱ τεθνεῶτες ὑμνεῖν σε πεφύκασιν." Ἀλλ' ἴδιον τοῦτο τῶν ζώντων. ιηʹ Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἡ λυπουμένη ἐπὶ τὸ μέγεθος βα δίζει· πνεῦμα κύπτον καὶ ἀσθενοῦν, καὶ ὀφθαλ μοὶ οἱ ἐκλείποντες, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ πεινῶσα, δώ σουσί σοι δόξαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην, Κύριε. Οἱ μεγί σταις περιπεσόντες συμφοραῖς, καὶ ἐν ἀπογνώσει τῶν κρειττόνων γενόμενοι· εἶτά τινος μεταβολῆς ἀπολαύσαντες, τὴν σὴν γνησίως ἀνυμνοῦσι φιλαν θρωπίαν. Εἶτα λέγουσιν· ιθʹ. Ὅτι οὔτε ταῖς τῶν πατέρων, οὔτε ταῖς ἡμετέραις δικαιοσύναις θαῤῥοῦντες, οἴκτου τινὸς ἀντιβολοῦμεν τυχεῖν. Ἄξιοι γὰρ ἡμεῖς τῶν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ἀπειληθέντων