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a sign. Pharaoh, who is to be captured, is a sign of your evils. For by my counsel the Babylonian has taken Zedekiah, not by his own power; and he too will suffer, at the same time remaining impious, and at the same time bringing us to the realization that it is good to hope in the Lord rather than to hope in rulers. Having concluded this prophecy, which is interwoven with history, he recalls an older prophecy, which he was commanded to speak to Baruch in the days of Jehoiakim. Thus said the Lord: For behold, I am giving Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, handed over into the hands of his enemies, and into the hands of those seeking his life, just as I gave Zedekiah, king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. For when Jerusalem was captured, the Egyptian, fearing for everything, engaged the king of the Babylonians near the Euphrates, at which time he was also captured. Therefore, when this was not yet clear, but while the war was still in suspense, having threatened the capture of Egypt and the destruction of the Jews, he said that the defeat of Pharaoh was the proof of his words.

CHAPTER 45.

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah, when he wrote these words from the mouth of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. One might think that these things are not placed in order by the prophet, whence he says it must be noted that this is a feature of Scripture in many places, of those who composed the histories, not caring for sequence, but for composing it in some way for the benefit of the readers. But rather one might say it has been fitted to what precedes. For since he said that of those in Egypt only those fleeing to Judea would be saved, and all the rest would perish, and they were not persuaded, he confirmed what was said from old events. For just as of old, he says, Baruch, in the time of Jehoiakim, foretelling the terrible things would not perish, and God having promised kept him alone unharmed out of all, so also now He saves those who obey. Thus said the Lord. He does not mention this word now simply, nor out of season, but so that you may learn both what sort of man Baruch was toward them, how he laments and mourns, entreating God for them. But He says: Do not seek great things. Since you, Baruch, said: Woe is me, for the Lord has added trouble to my pain. I went to sleep in groanings, and found no rest. 64.1017 Baruch, being sent by Jeremiah to declare the things against the city, fearing the king's anger and the cruelty of the rest, did not want to go; but considering again that it is no ordinary danger to transgress the words of the prophet—for this is to speak against God who sends him—he was held in distress; for going he expected death, and not obeying he would not escape punishment, nor by offending God. Therefore, 'The Lord has added trouble to my pain': he calls the grief he had for the people 'pain'; and the vexation of the soul and the care for the future, 'trouble'. And, 'I went to sleep in groanings, and found no rest'; as having held the matter in his care, so that he could not even get sleep with ease. Thus said the Lord: Behold, what I have built, I will tear down, what I have planted, I will pluck up, even this whole land, and you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. That is, You have taken up thoughts not fitting for a righteous mind. For because of the impiety of the multitude, having pronounced against all, and wishing through the threat to deliver them from the dangers, you are not willing even to be disheartened or to be of good cheer, or to take any care of the matter. For, 'You seek great things for yourself,' means this;

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σημεῖον. Σημεῖον τῶν ὑμετέρων κακῶν ὁ Φαραὼ ἁλωσόμενος. Ἐμῇ γὰρ βουλῇ καὶ ὁ Βαβυλώνιος Σεδεκίαν εἴληφεν, οὐκ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει· πείσεται δὲ καὶ οὗτος, ἅμα μένων ἀσεβὴς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς αἴσθησιν ἄγων ἡμᾶς, ὡς Ἀγαθὸν ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ Κύριον ἢ ἐλπίζειν ἐπ' ἄρχουσι. Συμπεράνας δὲ ταύτην τὴν προφητείαν ἱστορίᾳ συμπεπλεγμένην, πρεσβυτέρας ἀναμιμνήσκει προφητείας, ἣν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰωακεὶμ τῷ Βαροὺχ εἰπεῖν προσετάχθη. Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐγὼ δίδωμι τὸν Φαραὼ Οὔαφρι βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου ἔκδοτον εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς χεῖρας ζητούντων τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καθὰ δέδωκα τὸν Σεδεκίαν βασιλέα Ἰούδα εἰς χεῖρας Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος. Τῆς γὰρ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἁλούσης, δείσας περὶ τῶν ὅλων ὁ Αἰγύπτιος, περὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην συμβάλλει τῷ Βαβυλωνίων βασιλεῖ, ἡνίκα καὶ ἑάλω. Οὔπω τοίνυν τούτου δήλου τυγχάνοντος, ἀλλ' ἔτι μετεώρου τοῦ πολέμου καθεστῶτος, ἀπειλήσας τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἅλωσιν, καὶ Ἰουδαίοις ἀπώλειαν, ἀπόδειξιν τῶν λόγων τὴν ἧτταν τοῦ Φαραὼ ἔφη.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΕʹ.

Ὁ λόγος, ὃν ἐλάλησεν Ἱερεμίας ὁ προφήτης πρὸς Βαροὺχ υἱὸν Νηρίου, ὅτι ἔγραψε τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἀπὸ στόματος Ἱερεμίου ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῷ τετάρτῳ Ἰωακεὶμ υἱοῦ Ἰωσίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα. Οἰηθείη μὲν ἄν τις οὐ κατὰ τάξιν ταῦτα κεῖσθαι παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ, ὅθεν φησὶ, δεῖν ἐπισημαίνεσθαι, ὡς πολλαχοῦ ἐστι τοῦτο τῆς Γραφῆς τὸ ἰδίωμα, τῶν συνθέντων τὰς ἱστορίας, οὐ τῆς ἀκολουθίας φροντισάντων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ὅπως δήποτε συνθεῖναι πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ἀναγινωσκόντων. Μᾶλλον δ' ἄν τις ἡρμόσθαι αὐτό φησι πρὸς τὰ ἡγούμενα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔφη τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μόνους σώζεσθαι τοὺς εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν φεύγοντας, ἀπόλλυσθαι δὲ πάντας τοὺς λοιποὺς, οὐκ ἐπείσθησαν δὲ, ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐπιστώσατο τὸ λεγόμενον. Ὡς γὰρ πάλαι, φησὶν, ὁ Βαροὺχ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωακεὶμ προλέγων τὰ δεινὰ μὴ ἀπολεῖται, ἐπαγγειλάμενος δὲ αὐτῷ Θεὸς ἀβλαβῆ ἐφύλαξε μόνον ἐξ ἁπάντων, οὕτω καὶ νῦν τοὺς πειθομένους σώζει. Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς μέμνηται τούτου τοῦ λόγου νῦν, οὐδὲ ἀκαίρως, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς, καὶ οἷος ὁ Βαροὺχ περὶ αὐτοὺς ἦν, πῶς θρηνεῖ καὶ ἀποδύρεται, ἀξιῶν περὶ αὐτῶν τὸν Θεόν. Αὐτὸς δέ φησι· Μὴ ζήτει μεγάλα. Ἐπεὶ σὺ Βαροὺχ εἶπας· Οἴμοι ὅτι προσέθηκε Κύριος κόπον ἐπὶ πόνον μου. Ἐκοιμήθην ἐν στεναγμοῖς, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εὗρον. 64.1017 Ὁ Βαροὺχ ἀποστελλόμενος παρὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου τὰ κατὰ τῆς πόλεως ἐξειπεῖν, δεδοικὼς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὀργήν, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τὴν ὠμότητα, ἀπιέναι οὐκ ἐβούλετο, ἐννοῶν δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν κίνδυνός ἐστι παραβῆναι τοῦ προφήτου τοὺς λόγους τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ πέμποντι ἀντειπεῖν, ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ κατείχετο· ἀπιών τε γὰρ θάνατον προσεδόκα, καὶ μὴ πειθόμενος οὐ διαφεύξεσθαι τὴν τιμωρίαν, οὔτε τῷ Θεῷ προσκρούων. Τὸ οὖν· Προσέθηκε Κύριος κόπον ἐπὶ πόνον μου· πόνον μὲν καλεῖ τὴν λύπην ἦν εἶχον περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ· κόπον δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀνίαν, καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος φροντίδα. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐκοιμήθην ἐν στεναγμοῖς, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εὗρον· ὡς ἐν φροντίδι ἐσχηκὼς τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὥστε μήτε ὕπνου μετὰ ἀνέσεως τυχεῖν. Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ ἃ ᾠκοδόμησα ἐγὼ καθελῶ, ἃ ἐφύτευσα ἐγὼ ἐκτίλλω, καὶ σύμπασαν τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην, καὶ σὺ ζητεῖς σεαυτῷ μεγάλα; μὴ ζήτει. Τουτέστιν, Οὐ προσήκοντα λογισμῷ δικαίῳ εἴληφας. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀσέβειαν τοῦ πλήθους κατὰ πάντων ἀποφηναμένου, καὶ βουλομένου μου διὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς ἀπαλλάξαι τῶν κινδύνων, σὺ οὐδὲ ἀθυμεῖν ἴσ. εὐθυμεῖν ἐθέλεις, ἢ φροντίδα τινὰ τοῦ πράγματος ποιεῖσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ, Σὺ ζητεῖς σεαυτῷ μεγάλα, τοῦτο σημαίνει·