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Lord. 30, 31. And you, son of man, the sons of your people will speak about you beside the walls, and in the gateways of the houses, and each will speak to his neighbor, and each to his brother, saying: Let us come together, and let us hear what the word is that comes forth from the Lord. And they come to you, as a people comes forth, and my people sits before you, and they hear your words, and they will not do them. Therefore, all the things previously said were spoken concerning those in Judea; but these things were about those who had already become captives, and were dwelling in Babylon, who wanted to hear the prophetic oracles, but no longer to be persuaded by what was said, but in their own gatherings, exhorting one another to run to the prophet, and to learn the things declared by God, they continued to contradict; for which reason it says 81.1152 "And they will not do them. For there is a lie in their mouth." The heart, he says, does not agree with the tongue. "For their heart goes after their defilements." For they listen to the word for pleasure alone, but not for profit. Whence he suitably added: 32. And you become to them like the sound of a sweet-voiced, well-tuned psaltery. Just as, he says, those who hear a certain instrument producing a harmonious sound reap pleasure from it, but certainly not the learning of the notes; so also your words, O prophet, delight their hearing alone, but do not charm the soul which lives with wickedness. For this he added: "And they will hear your words, and they will not do them, because there is a lie in their mouth." But now, he says, not believing, when they see the outcome, they will believe through experience. 33. For when, he says, they come, they will say: Behold, it has come, and they will know that a prophet was in their midst. For what they now disbelieve, they will believe through the events, and then they will learn the prophetic power. From here he transfers the word to the shepherds; and he calls shepherds not only the kings, but also the priests; and he accuses them of shamelessness, and indolence, and the betrayal of the sheep.

CHAPTER 34. 2. For, Son, he says, of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel;

prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord Adonai: O shepherds of Israel, do the shepherds feed themselves? Do not the shepherds feed the sheep? Tell me, he says, you, what is proper for the shepherd, to pasture himself, or to feed the sheep? 3. Behold, you consume the milk, and you clothe yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the fatling, and you did not feed my sheep. He says all things tropologically. For you, the priests, reaped the firstfruits, and the tithes, and the portions from the sacrifices; and you, the kings, receiving tribute and tax, were not content with these, but also slaughtering the wealthy you reaped their wealth; and neither your priests, nor you, took care of the healing of the sheep. Then he recounts their absurdity in detail. 4. The weak you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not healed, and the broken you have not bound up, and that which was in a bad way you did not restore, and the straying you have not brought back, and the lost you have not sought 81.1153 (and what is most grievous of all), the strong you have worn down with toil, and with force you have disciplined them, and in sport. For not only did you not bring the proper healing to the sick, but you also imposed many toils on the healthy. And this is easy to see through the histories. For the evil shepherds were unwilling to heal and turn back to God those who worship idols and live in lawlessness, but they continually tortured and imprisoned the divine prophets who possessed the strength of virtue, subjecting them to countless pains, and doing these things, they mocked

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∆εσπότης. λʹ, λαʹ. Καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου λαλήσουσι περὶ σοῦ παρὰ τοὺς τοίχους, καὶ ἐν τοῖς πυλῶσι τῶν οἰκιῶν, καὶ λαλήσουσιν ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὑτοῦ, λέγοντες· Συνέλθωμεν, καὶ ἀκού σωμεν τί τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον παρὰ Κυ ρίου. Καὶ ἔρχονται πρὸς σὲ, ὡς ἐκπορεύεται λαὸς, καὶ κάθηται ἐνώπιόν σου ὁ λαός μου, καὶ ἀκούουσι τὰ ῥήματά σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν αὐτά. Τὰ μὲν οὖν προειρημένα πάντα περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ἐῤῥέθη· ταῦτα δὲ περὶ τῶν αἰχμα λώτων ἤδη γεγενημένων, καὶ τὴν Βαβυλῶνα οἰκούν των, οἳ ἀκούειν μὲν ἐβούλοντο τῶν προφητικῶν λο γίων, πείθεσθαι δὲ τοῖς λεγομένοις οὐκ ἔτι, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν συλλόγοις ἀλλήλοις παρακελευόμενοι πρὸς τὸν προφήτην δραμεῖν, καὶ μαθεῖν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ διηγορευμένα, ἀντιλέγοντες διετέλουν· διό φησι 81.1152 "Καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν αὐτά. Ὅτι ψεῦδος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν." Οὐ συνομολογεῖ, φησὶν, ἡ καρδία τῇ γλώττῃ. "Ὀπίσω γὰρ τῶν μιασμάτων ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν πορεύεται." Τέρψεως γὰρ μόνης, ἀλλ' οὐκ ὠφελείας, τὸν λόγον ἀκούουσιν. Ὅθεν ἁρμοδίως ἐπήγαγε· λβʹ. Καὶ γίνῃ αὐτοῖς ὡς φωνὴ ψαλτηρίου ἡδυ φώνου εὐαρμόστου. Καθάπερ, φησὶν, οἱ ὀργάνου τινὸς εὐαρμόνιον ἠχὴν ἀποτελοῦντος ἀκούοντες τέρψιν ἐκεῖθεν καρποῦνται, οὐ μὴν καὶ τῶν κρου μάτων τὴν μάθησιν· οὕτω καὶ οἱ λόγοι σου, ὦ προ φῆτα, τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτῶν μόνην τέρπουσι, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν οὐ καταθέλγουσι πονηρίᾳ συζῶσαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ ήγαγεν· "Καὶ ἀκούσονταί σου τοὺς λόγους, καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν αὐτοὺς, διότι ψεῦδος ἐν τῷ στό ματι αὐτῶν." Ἀλλὰ νῦν, φησὶ, μὴ πιστεύοντες, ὅταν ἴδωσι τὴν ἔκβασιν, διὰ τῆς πείρας πιστεύσου σιν. λγʹ. Ἡνίκα γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔλθωσιν, ἐροῦσιν· Ἰδοὺ ἥκει, καὶ γνώσονται ὅτι προφήτης ἦν ἐν μέσῳ αὑτῶν. Οἷς γὰρ νῦν ἀπιστοῦσι, διὰ τῶν πρα γμάτων πιστεύσουσι, καὶ τηνικαῦτα τὴν προφη τικὴν μαθήσονται δύναμιν. Ἐντεῦθεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμένας μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον· καλεῖ δὲ ποιμένας οὐ μόνον τοὺς βασιλέας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας· κατηγορεῖ δὲ αὐτῶν ἀναίδειαν, καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν, καὶ τὴν τῶν προβάτων προδοσίαν.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Λ∆ʹ. βʹ. Υἱὲ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνθρώπου, προφήτευσον ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμένας τοῦ Ἰσραήλ·

προφήτευσον, καὶ εἰπὲ τοῖς ποιμέσι· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύ ριος· Ὦ οἱ ποιμένες Ἰσραὴλ, μὴ βόσκουσιν οἱ ποιμένες ἑαυτούς; Οὐχὶ τὰ πρόβατα βόσκουσιν οἱ ποιμένες; Εἴπατε, φησὶν, ὑμεῖς, τί τοῦ ποιμέ νος ἴδιον, τὸ ἑαυτὸν νέμειν, ἢ τὰ πρόβατα βόσκειν; γʹ. Ἰδοὺ τὸ γάλα κατεσθίετε, καὶ τὰ ἔρια περιεβάλλεσθε, καὶ τὸ παχὺ ἐσφάζετε, καὶ τὰ πρόβατά μου οὐκ ἐβόσκετε. Τροπικῶς ἅπαντα λέγει. Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, οἱ ἱερεῖς, τὰς ἀπαρχὰς, καὶ τὰς δεκάτας, καὶ τὰ τῶν θυσιῶν ἀφαιρέματα ἐκαρ ποῦσθε· ὑμεῖς δὲ, οἱ βασιλεῖς, τὸν δασμὸν λαμβά νοντες καὶ τὸν φόρον, οὐκ ἠρκεῖσθε τούτοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς εὐπόρους κατασφάζοντες τὸν τούτων ἐκαρ ποῦσθε πλοῦτον· οὔτε δὲ οἱ ἱερεῖς ὑμῶν, οὔτε ὑμεῖς τῆς τῶν προβάτων ἐπεμελεῖσθε θεραπείας. Εἶτα κατὰ μέρος αὐτῶν τὴν ἀτοπίαν διηγεῖται. δʹ. Τὸ ἠσθενηκὸς οὐκ ἐνισχύσατε, καὶ τὸ ἀῤῥωστοῦν οὐκ ἰάσασθε, καὶ τὸ συντετριμ μένον οὐ κατεδήσατε, καὶ τὸ κακῶς ἔχον οὐκ ἐσωματοποιήσατε, καὶ τὸ πλανώμενον οὐκ ἐπ εστρέψατε, καὶ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς οὐκ ἐπεζητή 81.1153 σατε (καὶ τὸ πάντων χαλεπώτατον), τὸ ἰσχυ ρὸν κατειργάσασθε μόχθῳ, καὶ ἐν κράτει ἐπαιδεύσατε αὐτὰ, καὶ ἐν παιγνίῳ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσι τὴν προσήκουσαν οὐ προσενηνέγ κατε θεραπείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι πόνους πολλοὺς ἐπεθήκατε. Καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῶν ἱστοριῶν ῥᾴδιον κατιδεῖν. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ τὰ εἴδωλα προσκυ νοῦντας καὶ παρανομίᾳ συζῶντας, ἰατρεύειν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιστρέφειν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν οἱ κακοὶ ποιμένες, τοὺς δὲ θείους προφήτας τὴν ἰσχὺν τῆς ἀρετῆς κεκτημένους αἰκιζόμενοι καὶ καθείργοντες, καὶ μυρίοις ἀλγεινοῖς ὑποβάλλοντες διετέλεσαν καὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες ἐπετώθαζον