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punishment. For not only, he says, will my people fall into these evils, but the nations will also pay the penalty for their impiety. 4, 5. And a sword shall come upon the Egyptians, and there will be turmoil in Ethiopia, and the wounded shall fall in Egypt, and their multitude shall be taken, and her foundations shall collapse. And Persians shall be seized, and Cretans, and Libyans, and Ethiopians, and Lydians, and all of Arabia, and all the mingled people, and those from the sons of my covenant in it shall fall by the sword with her. The things that will happen to Egypt, he says, will also cause turmoil for Ethiopia; for being a neighbor, it will be in agony lest it suffer the same things. Then he recounts the helpers of the Egyptians being destroyed with the Egyptians: Cretans, and Libyans, and Ethiopians, and Lydians, and Arabs. And Greek histories also teach of the alliance of the Lydians and Egyptians. But by Persians he does not mean those who came from Persia to help them; for how was it possible, when the Assyrians and Chaldeans were at war with them, for them to have Persians as allies? but those who long ago were colonized from there, and had become sojourners in Egypt. And they say that for this reason the Egyptian Babylon became homonymous with the Persian one, as Persians had inhabited it. And he calls them sons of the covenant, the Jews, who after the siege of Jerusalem went down to Egypt, taking the prophet Jeremiah. And to these likewise he threatens punishment, since contrary to his purpose they left Judaea and came to 81.1113 Egypt. And these things were also said through Jeremiah the prophet: "For all the remnant of Judah, he says, who dwell in the land of Egypt, shall know whose word will stand, mine, or theirs; and this shall be the sign to you, says the Lord: Behold, I give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and one who seeks his life." Therefore, the things foretold by the divine prophets agree with each other; for they are the words of one Spirit. Thus again, having foretold the desolation of Egypt after its demarcation, and having called the Assyrian king a fire, he adds: 9. In that day messengers shall go forth from my presence in Seim, hastening to destroy Ethiopia their hope; and there shall be turmoil among them in the day of Egypt, for behold, it has come. -He called Ethiopia "hope," because the Egyptians were confident in their help; and "Seim" in the Greek language means "with strength." And these things, he says, while the Egyptians are enduring them, the Ethiopians, their helpers, will be troubled, not only on account of the evils that have come upon these, but also on account of the calamities that will seize them themselves through certain messengers sent by me, and hastening to fulfill what was commanded. 10-12. Thus says Adonai the Lord: And I will destroy the multitude of the Egyptians by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Him, and his people with him; scourges from the nations sent to destroy the land; and they shall draw all their swords against Egypt, and the land shall be filled with the wounded. And I will make their rivers desolate, and I will sell the land into the hands of wicked men, and I will destroy the land and its fullness, by the hands of strangers; I the Lord have spoken. To the Babylonians, he says, the most cruel of all the nations, I will deliver Egypt, so that all their land will be filled with slaughter, and the rivers become desolate of those dwelling beside them; and the phrase, "I will sell the land into the hands of wicked men," he has put instead of "I will deliver." And this also fits with what was said before; for he said he would give to Nebuchadnezzar the enslavement of Egypt as a wage, for the toils that had been his in the siege of Tyre. Then he foretells that their abominations, that is, the idols full of abomination, will be destroyed by the enemies. 13. And the rulers of Memphis shall cease. Then the reins of Egypt entrusted 81.1116
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τιμωρίαν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον, φησὶν, ὁ ἐμὸς λαὸς τούτοις περιπε σεῖται τοῖς κακοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη δώσει δίκας τῆς ἀσεβείας. δʹ, εʹ. Καὶ ἥξει μάχαιρα ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους, καὶ ἔσται ταραχὴ ἐν τῇ Αἰθιοπίᾳ, καὶ πεσοῦνται οἱ τετραυματισμένοι ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ληφθήσεται τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν, καὶ συμπεσεῖται τὰ θεμέ λια αὐτῆς. Καὶ καταληφθήσονται Πέρσαι, καὶ Κρῆτες, καὶ Λίβυες, καὶ Αἰθίοπες, καὶ Λυδοὶ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἀραβία, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐπίμικτοι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς διαθήκης μου ἐν αὐτῇ μα χαίρᾳ πεσοῦνται μετ' αὐτῆς. Τὰ τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, φησὶ, συμβησόμενα θόρυβον καὶ τῇ Αἰθιοπίᾳ παρ έξει· ὅμορος γὰρ οὖσα ἀγωνιάσει μὴ ταὐτὰ πάθῃ. Εἶτα διηγεῖται τοὺς Αἰγυπτίων ἐπικούρους σὺν Αἰ γυπτίοις ἀναιρουμένους, Κρῆτας, καὶ Λίβυας, καὶ Αἰθίοπας, καὶ Λυδοὺς, καὶ Ἄραβας. Καὶ Ἑλληνικαὶ δὲ ἱστορίαι διδάσκουσι τὴν Λυδῶν καὶ Αἰγυ πτίων συμμαχίαν. Πέρσας δὲ οὐ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Περσί δος εἰς βοήθειαν αὐτοῖς ἐληλυθότας λέγει· πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν, Ἀσσυρίων καὶ Χαλδαίων πολεμούντων αὐτοῖς, Πέρσας ἔχειν συμμάχους; ἀλλὰ τοὺς πάλαι ποτὲ ἐκεῖθεν ἀποικισθέντας, καὶ μετοίκους ἐν Αἰ γύπτῳ γεγενημένους. Φασὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν Αἰγυπτιακὴν Βαβυλῶνα τούτου χάριν ὁμώνυμον τῇ Περσικῇ γε νέσθαι, ὡς Περσῶν αὐτὴν ᾠκηκότων. Υἱοὺς δὲ τῆς διαθήκης αὐτοὺς καλεῖ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, οἳ μετὰ τὴν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ πολιορκίαν κατῆλθον εἰς Αἴγυπτον, τὸν προφήτην Ἱερεμίαν λαβόντες. Καὶ τούτοις δὲ ὁμοίως ἀπειλεῖ τιμωρίαν, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ σκο πὸν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καταλιπόντες ἀφίκοντο εἰς τὴν 81.1113 Αἴγυπτον. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφή του εἴρηται· "Γνώσονται γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντες οἱ κα τάλοιποι τοῦ Ἰούδα, οἱ παροικοῦντες ἐν γῇ Αἰγύ πτου, λόγος τίνος ἐμμενεῖ, ὁ ἐμὸς, ἢ ὁ αὐτῶν· καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν τὸ σημεῖον, φησὶ Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δί δωμι τὸν Φαραὼ Οὐαφρῆ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου ἔκδο τον εἰς χεῖρας ζητούντων ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ἔδωκα τὸν Σεδεκίαν βασιλέα Ἰούδα εἰς χεῖρας Ναβουχοδο νόσορ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζη τοῦντος ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ." Συμφωνεῖ τοίνυν ἀλλήλοις τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν θείων προφητῶν προηγορευμένα· ἑνὸς γὰρ Πνεύματος ῥήματα. Οὕτω πάλιν προει ρηκὼς μετὰ τοῦ διορισμοῦ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὴν ἐρημίαν, καὶ πῦρ τὸν Ἀσσύριον προσαγορεύσας βα σιλέα, ἐπάγει· θʹ. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐξελεύσονται ἄγγελοι ἀπὸ προσώπου μου ἐν Σεὶμ, σπεύδοντες ἀφα νίσαι τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν τὴν ἐλπίδα· καὶ ἔσται τα ραχὴ αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἥκει. -Ἐλπίδα τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν ἐκάλεσε, διὰ τὸ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους τῇ ἐκείνων βοηθείᾳ θαῤῥεῖν· τὸ δὲ Σεὶμ τῇ Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ ἐν ἰσχύϊ δηλοῖ. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶ, τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὑπομενόντων, ταραχθήσονται Αἰθίοπες οἱ τούτων ἐπίκουροι, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὰ τού τοις ἐπελθόντα κακὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὰς σφᾶς αὐ τοὺς καταληψομένας συμφορὰς δι' ἀγγέλων τινῶν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ πεμπομένων, καὶ ἐπειγομένων πληρῶσαι τὰ προσταχθέντα. ιʹ-ιβʹ. Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Καὶ ἀπολῶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Αἰγυπτίων διὰ χειρὸς Ναβουχοδο νόσορ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος. Αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ· λοιμοὶ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν ἀπ εσταλμένοι ἀπολέσαι τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἐκκενώσουσι πάντας τὰς μαχαίρας αὑτῶν ἐπ' Αἰγύπτου, καὶ πλησθήσεται ἡ γῆ τραυματιῶν. Καὶ δώσω τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐρήμους, καὶ ἀποδώσομαι τὴν γῆν εἰς χεῖρας πονηρῶν, καὶ ἀπολῶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς, ἐν χερσὶν ἀλλοτρίων· ἐγὼ Κύριος λελάληκα. Τοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν, φησὶν, ἁπάντων ὠμοτέροις Βαβυλωνίοις παραδώσω τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ὥστε πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν γῆν πληρωθῆναι σφαγῶν, καὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς ἐρήμους γενέσθαι τῶν παροικούντων· τὸ δὲ, "Ἀποδώσομαι τὴν γῆν εἰς χεῖρας πονηρῶν," ἀντὶ τοῦ παραδώσω τέθεικεν. Ἁρμόττει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς προειρημένοις· μισθὸν γὰρ ἔφη δώσειν τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὴν δούλωσιν, ὑπὲρ τῶν γεγενημένων αὐτῷ πόνων ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ τῆς Τύρου. Εἶτα προλέγει, ὅτι βδε λύγματα αὐτῶν, τουτέστι, τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ βδελυγ μίας μεστὰ, ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων καταλυθήσεται. ιγʹ. Καὶ λήξουσιν οἱ τῆς Μέμφεως ἡγεμόνες. Τηνικαῦτα τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὰς ἡνίας πεπιστευμέ 81.1116