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they will destroy their strength, and they will lead them away as captives, and will plunder the cattle, and for a long time the stream of the river will remain untroubled, neither beast nor man disturbing it, because of the desolation that resulted from the captivity; and that having ceased from being diverted here and there, the canals, he says, will flow like oil, that is, quietly and gently, with nothing standing in the way. These things, he says, will be when desolation overtakes it, and its inhabitants have been led away as captives of the spear. "And they shall know, he says, that I am the Lord." For by the experience of evils they will be taught their own worthlessness, and they will recognize my dominion. Then he says, and also 10. The daughters of the nations [he means the cities and the villages] will lament for him, for Egypt and for all her strength, they will lament for him, says the Lord Adonai. Not only, he says, the nation of the Egyptians, but also their king will the cities of the other nations lament, considering their former prosperity, and seeing the change that happened so suddenly. 17, 18. And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the first month, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, lament for the strength of Egypt, and bring him down, cast him away. By the word, he says, of the prophecy, turn him aside from his station, and dragging him away from the royal thrones, and bring him down. "And they shall bring down her daughters, the nations, dead into the depth of the earth, to those who go down into the pit." Again he calls the cities and villages daughters, which he says will be given over to death; for he called death a pit, having taken the name from the grave. 81.1136 19. From the fair waters go down, and lie down with the uncircumcised. She who long ago, he says, luxuriated in the river waters, and received her comeliness from the fruits growing in them, but did not circumcise the impiety of her heart, share in the slaughter with those like you. Then having said the same things again, he added: 21. And the giants in the depth of the pit will say to you: Be; for of whom are you better? Go down, lie down with the uncircumcised in the midst of those wounded by the sword. These things the blessed Isaiah also says concerning the Babylonian: "And the rulers of old will say to you: You also have been captured, just as we have; and you have been counted among us; your glory has gone down to Hades, and your great gladness; under you they will spread corruption, and your covering is the worm." And here too he says: Those who have become illustrious in power, and have long been dead, will say to you; for these he called giants; Be, that is, dead like us; for of whom are you better, that you try to be immortal? Go down, therefore, and receive the end of life, and receive a slaughter like those who have dared things like you; then he speaks of those who have become distinguished in power. 22, 23. There is Assur, and all his assembly, all the wounded were placed there. And their burial is in the depth of the pit, and his assembly was round about his tomb. Who, he says, became so much talked of as the king of the Assyrians? But yet, he says, he too received the end of his life, and his whole army has shared in his death. "All the wounded fallen by the sword, who have placed their graves in the sides of the pit." He named the form of the tombs thus; for the tombs are oblong, and resemble thighs. "And an assembly was made round about his tomb, all the wounded falling by the sword." For they too likewise received the slaughter with their king, and by his tomb they were given over to slaughter. And these things, he says, men suffered, "Having seen their terror in the land of the living." But yet all those who terrify and frighten shall receive, he says, their shame with those who are brought down to the pit; for having been stripped of that glory, they will end their life with shame, receiving the slaughter just as those slaughtered by them. Then he speaks of the tombs according to the nation. 24. There is Elam and all his power

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ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν καταλύσουσι, καὶ αὐτοὺς μὲν αἰχμαλώτους ἀπάξουσι, τὰ δὲ κτήνη ληΐσονται, καὶ ἐπὶ χρόνῳ πολλῷ ἀθό λωτον τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸ ῥεῖθρον μενεῖ, μήτε κτήνους αὐτὸ, μήτε ἀνθρώπου ταράττοντος, διὰ τὴν συμβᾶ σαν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐρημίαν· καὶ ὅτι παυσά μενοι τοῦ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε μετοχετεύεσθαι αἱ διώρυγες, ὡς ἔλαιον, φησὶ, πορεύσονται, τουτέστιν ἡσύχως καὶ ἡμέρως, οὐδενὸς ἐμποδὼν γινομένου. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶν, ἔσται ἐρημίας αὐτὴν καταλαβούσης, καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων αὐτῆς ἀπαχθέντων δορυαλώτων. "Καὶ γνώσονται, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος." Τῇ γὰρ πείρᾳ τῶν κακῶν καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν εὐτέλειαν διδα χθήσονται, καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπιγνώσονται δεσποτείαν. Εἶτα λέγει, ὅτι καὶ ιʹ. Αἱ θυγατέρες τῶν ἐθνῶν [λέγει δὲ τὰς πό λεις καὶ τὰς κώμας] θρηνήσουσιν αὐτὸν, ἐπ' Αἴ γυπτον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς, θρη νήσουσιν αὐτὸν, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος. Οὐ μό νον, φησὶ, τὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἔθνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τούτων θρηνήσουσι βασιλέα αἱ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν πόλεις, τὴν προτέραν εὐπραξίαν λογιζόμεναι, καὶ τὴν ἐξαπιναίως γενομένην ὁρῶσαι μεταβολήν. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ δωδεκάτῳ ἔτει, ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνὶ, πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς, ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με, λέγων· Υἱὲ ἀν θρώπου, θρήνησον ἐπὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν Αἰγύπτου, καὶ κλίνων πάρελκε αὐτόν. Τῷ λόγῳ, φησὶ, τῆς προφητείας ἀπὸ τῆς στάσεως αὐτὸν παρακλίνων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλείων θρόνων παράσυρον αὐτὸν, καὶ καταβίβασον. "Καὶ καταβιβάσουσι τὰς θυγα τέρας αὐτῆς, τὰ ἔθνη, νεκρὰς εἰς τὸ βάθος τῆς γῆς, πρὸς τοὺς καταβαίνοντας εἰς βόθρον." Θυγα τέρας πάλιν τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰς κώμας καλεῖ, ἃς λέγει θανάτῳ παραδοθήσεσθαι· βόθρον γὰρ τὸν θάνατον ὠνόμασεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου τεθεικὼς τὴν προσηγορίαν. 81.1136 ιθʹ. Ἐξ ὑδάτων εὐπρεπῶν κατάβηθι, καὶ κοι μήθητι μετὰ ἀπεριτμήτων. Ἡ πάλαι, φησὶ, τοῖς ποταμίοις ὕδασιν ἐντρυφήσασα, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνοις φυομένων καρπῶν εὐπρέπειαν δεξαμένη, μὴ περι τεμοῦσα δὲ τὴν τῆς καρδίας ἀσέβειαν, τοῖς παρα πλησίοις σοι κοινώνησον τῆς σφαγῆς. Εἶτα πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ εἰρηκὼς ἐπήγαγεν· καʹ. Καὶ ἐροῦσί σοι οἱ γίγαντες οἱ ἐν βάθει βόθρου· Γίνου· τίνος γὰρ κρείττων εἶ; Κατά βηθι, κοιμήθητι μετὰ ἀπεριτμήτων ἐν μέσῳ τραυματιῶν μαχαίρας. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἡσαΐας περὶ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου φησί· "Καὶ ἐροῦσί σοι οἱ ἄρχοντες οἱ ἀπ' αἰῶνος· Καὶ σὺ ἑάλως, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς· ἐν ἡμῖν δὲ κατελογίσθης· κατέβη εἰς ᾄδου ἡ δόξα σου, καὶ ἡ πολλὴ εὐφροσύνη σου· ὑποκάτω σου στρώσουσι σῆψιν, καὶ τὸ κατακά λυμμά σου σκώληξ." Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δέ φησιν· Ἐροῦσί σοι οἱ ἐν δυνάμει περιφανεῖς γεγενημένοι, καὶ πάλαι τεθνεῶτες· τούτους γὰρ ἐκάλεσε γίγαν τας· Γίνου, τουτέστιν, ὁμοίως ἡμῖν νεκρός· τίνος γὰρ κρείττων εἶ, ὅτι πειρᾶσαι εἶναι ἀθάνατος; Κατάβηθι τοίνυν, καὶ δέξαι τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος, καὶ τοῖς ὅμοιά σοι τετολμηκόσιν ὁμοίαν δέξαι τὴν σφα γήν· εἶτα λέγει τοὺς ἐπισήμους ἐν δυνάμει γεγε νημένους. κβʹ, κγʹ. Ἐκεῖ Ἀσσοὺρ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγὴ αὐτοῦ, πάντες τραυματίαι ἐκεῖ ἐδόθησαν. Καὶ ἡ ταφὴ αὐτῶν ἐν βάθει βόθρου, καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ συναγωγὴ αὐτοῦ περικύκλῳ τοῦ μνήματος αὐτοῦ. Τίς, φησὶν, ἐγένετο πολυθρύλλητος, ὡς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ὁ βασιλεύς; Ἀλλ' ὅμως, φησὶ, καὶ οὗτος ἐδέ ξατο τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος, καὶ πᾶσα αὐτοῦ ἡ στρατεία τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ κεκοινώνηκε. "Πάντες οἱ τραυ ματίαι πεπτωκότες μαχαίρᾳ, οἳ ἔδωκαν τὰς ταφὰς αὑτῶν ἐν μηροῖς λάκκου." Τὸ εἶδος τῶν τάφων οὕτως ὠνόμασε· προμήκεις γὰρ οἱ τάφοι, καὶ μηροῖς ἐοικότες. "Καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐκκλησία περικύκλῳ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ, πάντες οἱ τραυματίαι πίπτοντες μαχαίρᾳ." Τῷ βασιλεῖ γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ αὐτοὶ ὁμοίως ἐδέξαντο τὴν σφαγὴν, καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἐκείνου σῆμα σφαγῇ παρεδόθησαν. Καὶ ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἔπαθον ἄνδρες, "Ἰδόντες τὸν φόβον αὑτῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ζωῆς." Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖνοι πάντες ἐκδειματοῦντες καὶ δεδιτ τόμενοι λήψονται, φησὶ, τὸν καταισχυμμὸν αὑτῶν σὺν τοῖς καταγομένοις εἰς βόθρον· γυμνωθέντες γὰρ ἐκείνης τῆς δόξης μετ' αἰσχύνης καταλύσουσι τὸν βίον, τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν σφαγεῖσιν ὁμοίως δεχό μενοι τὴν σφαγήν. Εἶτα λέγει κατὰ τὸ ἔθνος τὰ μνήματα. κδʹ. Ἐκεῖ Αἰλὰμ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις