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For since they sinned, He did the works of enemies, and through the enemies He both demolished the walls, and burned the houses, and brought grief to men and women. For this is what it says: He multiplied for the daughter of Judah the humbled man 81.789 and the humbled woman. (6.) He has torn out his tabernacle as a vine. For the enemies burned the divine temple. "He has destroyed His festival." For they no longer celebrated festivals, but were forced to mourn. "The Lord has caused festival and sabbath to be forgotten in Zion." And He has added the destruction of the kings and of the priests, and the desolation of the temple, and the defilement of the altar, and the demolition of the wall, and the most grievous thing of all. "They gave a shout of war in the house of the Lord;" like a psalm of the Levites. "On the day of a festival." For instead of the customary hymnody, the battle-cry of the enemies was sent up. 8. The Lord considered destroying the wall of the daughter of Zion; He stretched out a measuring line. That is, the equal and just vote; this also the blessed Zechariah saw. And again, having mentioned the gates, and the walls, and the rulers, he added, "And there is no law." For before the assault of the enemies, it was transgressed without fear; but after the capture of the city and the burning of the temple, they were not able, even if they wanted to, to fulfill the worship according to the law. "And indeed her prophets did not find a vision from the Lord." He means the false prophets, who prophesied false things to her. He also points to the old men lamenting, and girded with sackcloth, and the prophet himself cries out: 11. My eyes have failed with tears, my bowels are troubled; my glory is poured out on the ground for the destruction of the daughter of my people. And he shows the most pitiful suffering of all. "In the fainting of infants and sucklings in the squares of the city." For famine conquered even natural affection. For this he added: 12. They said to their mothers, Where is wheat and wine? while they were fainting. And he says he does not find a worthy image of the suffering. 13. For what, he says, shall I testify to you, and to what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? And he also reminds of the false prophets, who foretold good things. 14. For your prophets, he says, have seen for you vain and foolish things; and they did not uncover your iniquity, to turn away your captivity. And they saw for you vain burdens, and they cast you out. For they became an obstacle to repentance by foretelling pleasant things, and did not allow them to turn away from their great lawlessness. 81.792 15. All who pass by on the road have clapped their hands at you; they have hissed, they have shaken their head at the daughter of Jerusalem. This is characteristic of those who marvel at the change for the worse. And he says what they were saying: "Was this the city, the crown of glory, the beautiful comeliness, the joy of all the earth?" He says that all these things have been fulfilled according to the divine prophecies; and he teaches what kind of words the enemies used, rejoicing over the evils that had befallen her. "For this is the day we expected, we have found and seen it." For this the blessed David also said before: "We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us." And again: "You have made us a reproach among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples." And again, the prophet, using personification, exhorts the walls and the city to weep night and day, on account of the various calamities; and he also speaks of the excess of the evils. "Shall women eat the fruit of their own womb? the cook has made a late-born infant." That is, he has boiled the late-born fruit. For he added this: "Many infants suckling at the breasts will be slain." And he adds the other absurdity: "Shall they kill a priest and a prophet in the sanctuary of the Lord?" And by the quality of the persons, and of the place, he showed the excess of the suffering. And having lamented

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ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐξ ήμαρτον, τὰ δυσμενῶν εἰργάσατο, καὶ διὰ τῶν πο λεμίων καὶ τοὺς περιβόλους κατέλυσε, καὶ τὰς οἰκίας ἐνέπρησε, καὶ ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξὶ τὸ πένθος ἐπ ήνεγκε. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει· Ἐπλήθυνε θυγατρὶ Ἰούδα τεταπεινωμένον 81.789 καὶ τεταπεινωμένην. (ϛʹ.) Ἐξέσπασεν ὡς ἄμ πελον τὸ σκήνωμα αὑτοῦ. Κατέκαυσαν γὰρ οἱ πολέμιοι τὸν θεῖον νεών. "∆ιέφθειρεν ἑορτὴν αὐ τοῦ." Οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ ἑορτὰς ἐπετέλουν, ἀλλὰ θρηνεῖν ἠναγκάζοντο. "Ἐπιλαθέσθαι ἐποίησε Κύριος Σιὼν ἑορτῆς, καὶ σαββάτου." Προστέθεικε δὲ καὶ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν ἱερέων τὸν ὄλεθρον, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τὴν ἐρημίαν, καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τὸν μια σμὸν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ τείχους κατάλυσιν, καὶ τὸ πάν των ἀνιαρώτατον. "Φωνὴν πολέμου ἔδωκαν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου·" ὡς ψαλμὸν Λευϊτῶν. "Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἑορτῆς." Ἀντὶ γὰρ τῆς συνήθους ὑμνῳδίας ὁ τῶν πολεμίων ἀλαλαγμὸς ἀνεπέμπετο. ηʹ. Ἐλογίσατο Κύριος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι τεῖχος θυγατρὸς Σιών· ἐξέτεινε μέτρον. Τουτέστι, τὴν ἴσην καὶ δικαίαν ψῆφον· τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἐθεάσατο Ζαχαρίας. Πάλιν δὲ τῶν πυλῶν, καὶ τῶν τειχῶν, καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγε, "Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι νόμος." Πρὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐφόδου τῶν πολεμίων, ἀδεῶς παρεβαίνετο· μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἅλωσιν, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν, οὐδὲ βουλόμενοι πληροῦν τὴν κατὰ νόμον λατρείαν ἠδύ ναντο. "Καί γε προφῆται αὐτῆς οὐχ εὗρον ὅρασιν παρὰ Κυρίου." Τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας λέγει, τοὺς τὰ ψευδῆ μαντευσαμένους αὐτῇ. Ὑποδείκνυσι καὶ τοὺς γεγηρακότας θρηνοῦντας, καὶ σάκκον περιεζωσμέ νους, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ προφήτης βοᾷ· ιαʹ. Ἐξέλιπον ἐν δάκρυσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, ἐταράχθη ἡ κοιλία μου· ἐξεχύθη εἰς γῆν ἡ δόξα μου ἐπὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ λαοῦ μοῦ. ∆είκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὸ πάντων ἐλεεινότατον πάθος. "Ἐν τῷ ἐκλύεσθαι νήπια καὶ θηλάζοντα ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως." Ὁ γὰρ λιμὸς καὶ τὴν τῆς φύσεως φιλοστοργίαν ἐνίκησε. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ ήγαγεν· ιβʹ. Ταῖς μητράσιν αὑτῶν εἶπον, Ποῦ σῖτος καὶ οἶνος; ἐν τῷ ἐκλύεσθαι αὐτούς. Λέγει δὲ μὴ εὑρίσκειν ἀξίαν εἰκόνα τοῦ πάθους. ιγʹ. Τί γὰρ, φησὶ, μαρτυρήσω σοι, καὶ τί ὁμοιώσω σοι, θύγατερ Ἱερουσαλήμ; Ἀναμιμνήσκει δὲ καὶ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, τῶν τὰ χρηστὰ προλεγόντων. ιδʹ. Προφῆται γάρ σου, φησὶν, εἶδόν σοι μά ταια, καὶ ἀφροσύνην· καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψαν τὴν ἀδικίαν σου, τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὴν αἰχμα λωσίαν σου. Καὶ εἶδόν σοι λήμματα μάταια, καὶ ἔξωσάν σε. Ἐμποδὼν γὰρ ἐγένοντο τῇ μετα μελείᾳ τὰ θυμήρη προλέγοντες, καὶ οὐκ εἴων αὐτοὺς τῆς πολλῆς ἀποστῆναι παρανομίας. 81.792 ιεʹ. Ἐκρότησαν ἐπὶ σὲ χεῖρας πάντες οἱ παρα πορευόμενοι τὴν ὁδόν· ἐσύρισαν, ἐκίνησαν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν θυγατέρα Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἴδιον τοῦτο τῶν θαυμαζόντων τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω μεταβολήν. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ἅπερ ἔλεγον· "Εἰ αὐτὴ ἦν ἡ πόλις στέφανος δόξης, καλὴ εὐπρέπεια, εὐφροσύνη πάσης τῆς γῆς;" Λέγει πάντα ταῦτα πεπληρῶσθαι κατὰ τὰς θείας προῤῥήσεις· διδάσκει δὲ καὶ οἵοις οἱ δυσμενεῖς ἐκέχρηντο λόγοις, ἐφ ηδόμενοι τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῇ κακοῖς. "Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἡμέρα ἢν προσεδοκῶμεν, εὕρομεν καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτήν." Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ μακάριος προ εῖπε ∆αβίδ· "Ἐγενήθημεν ὄνειδος τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν, μυκτηρισμὸς καὶ χλευασμὸς τοῖς κύκλῳ ἡμῶν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἔθου ἡμᾶς εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, κίνησιν κεφαλῆς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς." Πάλιν δὲ προσωποποιίᾳ κεχρημένος ὁ προφήτης, τοῖς περιβόλοις καὶ τῇ πόλει παρακελεύεται νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν δακρύειν, διὰ τὰς παντοδαπὰς συμφο ράς· λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν κακῶν. "Εἰ φάγονται γυναῖκες καρπὸν κοιλίας αὑτῶν; ἐπι φυλλίδα ἐποίησε μάγειρος." Τουτέστι, τὸν ὀψί γονον καρπὸν ἥψησε. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγε· "Φονευ θήσονται νήπια πολλὰ θηλάζοντα μασθούς." Προστίθησι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν ἀτοπίαν· "Εἰ ἀπο κτενοῦσιν ἐν ἁγιάσματι Κυρίου ἱερέα καὶ προφή την;" Καὶ τῇ τῶν προσώπων ποιότητι, καὶ τοῦ τόπου, ἔδειξε τὴν τοῦ πάθους ὑπερβολήν. Θρηνήσας δὲ