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and having acquired destruction. But that all Israel should obtain the return, the Master both promised, and has fulfilled His own word. For He prepared Cyrus to permit the return to all; but they, suffering from their usual disobedience, spoke against what was commanded, and preferred the foreign land to their own. ιγʹ-ιεʹ. Thus says Adonai the Lord: Because they said to you, You are a land that devours men, and you have become bereaved of your nation. Therefore you shall no longer devour men, and you shall no longer bereave your nation, says the Lord. And the disgrace of the nations shall no longer be heard against you, and you shall no longer bear the reproaches of peoples, and your nation shall no longer be made childless, says Adonai the Lord. These things also would have received their fulfillment, if the Jews had been willing; but since, like rabid dogs, they raged against the Master, they themselves have made the prophecy unfulfilled, and yet in this way the prediction holds its truth. For God of all, anticipating, said through Jeremiah the prophet: "At one moment I will speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to be built up and to be planted, and they will do evil things before me, so as not to hear my voice, and I will repent concerning the good things, which I said I would do for them." The Jews, therefore, are the cause of not receiving the good things promised through the prophecy. ιʹ-ιηʹ. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, and they defiled it by their way, and by their idols, and by their uncleannesses; according to the uncleanness of a menstruous woman was their way before my face. And I poured out my wrath 81.1181 upon them. The facts themselves, he says, bear witness to the justice of the punishment; for not only did they continually serve all sorts of idols, but they also practiced every form of lawlessness, so as to be filled with all abomination and hatred; and since according to the law the menstruating woman was considered extremely unclean, that is, she who has a flow of blood, he likens the abomination of their lawlessness to that discharge. Then again, insisting on the accusation: Because, he says, they poured out blood upon the land, and defiled it with their idols. (ιθʹ.) And I scattered them among the nations, and I winnowed them into the countries. And again he shows the justice of the punishment. "According to their way, and according to their practices I judged them." They have reaped, he says, the fruits of what they planted. Here he has called blood not only the other murders, but also the sacrifices of their children, which they offered to the flesh-devouring and wicked demons; for they were not content, he says, with the transgressions before the captivity, but even having been taken captive by the spear and become sojourners, they persisted in the same evils. κʹ. And they entered among the nations, where they entered there, and they profaned My holy name, when it was said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and they have come forth out of His land. Living in wickedness, he says, they have become agents of blasphemy against Me. For first the nations supposed that these were defeated on account of my weakness, and had come under their enemies; then, having learned of their wickedness by experience, they stirred up blasphemy against me, as one who delights in such practices, and who called such wicked people His own; but nevertheless, taking thought for those very ones; καʹ. And I spared them for the sake of My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned where they entered there. Wishing to teach them My strength, he says, I will deliver these from the evils that lie upon them. κβʹ, κγʹ. Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says Adonai the Lord: I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations, where you entered there. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says Adonai the Lord, when I am sanctified in you before their eyes. Not you, he says, are worthy of salvation, but it is fitting for the nations to receive healing, having received from you the occasion for blasphemy against me; but the blasphemy will be undone through the

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ὄλεθρον τε κτηνάμενοι. Τὸ δὲ πάντα τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τῆς ἐπανόδου τυχεῖν, καὶ ὑπέσχετο ὁ ∆εσπότης, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον πεπλήρωκε λόγον. Παρεσκεύασε γὰρ τὸν Κύρον ἅπασι τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐπιτρέψαι· οἱ δὲ τὴν συνήθη νοσοῦντες ἀπείθειαν, τοῖς προσταχθεῖσιν ἀντεῖπον, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν προείλοντο. ιγʹ-ιεʹ. Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Ἀνθ' ὧν εἶπόν σοι· Γῆ κατεσθίουσα ἀνθρώπους σὺ εἶ, καὶ ἠτεκνωμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔθνους σου ἐγένου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀνθρώπους οὐκέτι φάγεσαι, καὶ τὸ ἔθνος σου οὐκ ἀτεκνώσεις ἔτι, λέγει Κύριος. Καὶ οὐκ ἀκουσθήσεται ἔτι ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἀτιμία ἐθνῶν, καὶ ὀνειδισμοὺς δὲ οὐ μὴ ἐνέγκητε ἔτι, καὶ τὸ ἔθνος σου οὐκ ἀτεκνωθήσεται ἔτι, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος. Ἐδέξατο ἂν καὶ ταῦτα πέρας, εἰ ἐβουλήθησαν Ἰουδαῖοι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καθάπερ κύνες λυττῶντες ἐπεμάνησαν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, αὐτοὶ τὴν προ φητείαν ἀτέλεστον πεποιήκασι, καὶ οὕτως δὲ τὸ ἀψευδὲς ἡ πρόῤῥησις ἔχει. Προλαβὼν γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεὸς διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου· "Πέρας λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνος καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείαν, τοῦ ἀνοικοδο μεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ καταφυτεύεσθαι, καὶ ποιήσουσι τὰ πονηρὰ ἐναντίον μου, τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν μου τῆς φωνῆς, καὶ μετανοήσω περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὧν ἐλά λησα τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς." Ἰουδαῖοι τοίνυν αἴτιοι τοῦ μὴ τυχεῖν τῶν διὰ τῆς προφητείας ἐπαγγελθέν των ἀγαθῶν. ιʹ-ιηʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με, λέ γων· Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ κατῴκησεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς αὑτῶν, καὶ ἐμίαναν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὑτῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὑτῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀκαθαρσίαις αὑτῶν, κατὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρ σίαν τῆς ἀποκαθημένης ἐγένετο ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν πρὸ προσώπου μου. Καὶ ἐξέχεα τὸν θυμόν μου 81.1181 ἐπ' αὐτούς. Αὐτὰ, φησὶ, τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρεῖ τῷ δικαίῳ τῆς τιμωρίας· οὐ γὰρ μόνα τὰ παντο δαπὰ εἴδωλα θεραπεύοντες διετέλεσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶν εἶδος ἐπετήδευσαν παρανομίας, ὡς πάσης βδελυ γμίας καὶ μίσους ἀναπλησθῆναι· καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸν νόμον λίαν ἀκάθαρτος ἡ ἀποκαθημένη ἐδόκει, τουτέστιν, ἡ ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος, ἐκείνῳ τῷ περιττώ ματι τῆς παρανομίας ἀπεικάζει τὴν βδελυγμίαν. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπιμένων τῇ κατηγορίᾳ· Ἀνθ' ὧν ἐξέχεαν, φησὶν, αἷμα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὑτῶν ἐμίαναν αὐτήν. (ιθʹ.) Καὶ διεσκόρπισα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐλίκμησα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χώρας. Καὶ πάλιν τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ δίκαιον δείκνυσι. "Κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐ τῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτῶν ἔκρινα αὐτούς." Ἐτρύγησαν, φησὶν, ὧν ἐφύτευσαν τοὺς καρπούς. Αἷμα ἐνταῦθα κέκληκεν οὐ μόνον τὰς ἄλλας μιαιφονίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τῶν τέκνων θυσίας, ἃς τοῖς ὠμοβόροις καὶ πονηροῖς προσέφερον δαίμο σιν· οὐκ ἠρκέσθησαν γὰρ, φησὶ, ταῖς πρὸ τῆς αἰχμ αλωσίας παρανομίαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δορυάλωτοι γενόμενοι καὶ μέτοικοι, τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπέμειναν κακοῖς. κʹ. Καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, εἰς οὓς εἰσῆλ θον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐβεβήλωσαν τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον, ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι αὐτοῖς, Λαὸς Κυρίου οὗτοι, καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ ἐξεληλύθασι. Πονηρίᾳ, φησὶ, συζῶντες βλασφημίας μοι γεγένηνται πρόξενοι. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὑπέλαβε τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀσθένειαν τούτους ἡττηθῆναι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῖς πολε μίοις γενέσθαι· ἔπειτα πείρᾳ τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτῶν μεμαθηκότες, κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐκίνησαν, ὡς τοιούτοις ἐπιτηδεύμασι χαίροντος, καὶ τοὺς οὕτω πονηροὺς ἀνθρώπους οἰκεῖον λαὸν ὀνομάσαντος· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκείνων αὐτῶν προμηθούμενος· καʹ. Καὶ ἐφεισάμην αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ ἐβεβήλωσεν ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, οὗ εἰσῆλθον ἐκεῖ. ∆ιδάξαι, φησὶν, ἐκείνους βουλόμενος τὴν ἐμὴν ἰσχὺν, τούτους ἀπαλλάξω τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν. κβʹ, κγʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὲ τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐγὼ ποιῶ οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ εἰσήλ θετε ἐκεῖ. Καὶ ἁγιάσω τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ μέγα τὸ βεβηλωθὲν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ γνώσονται τὰ ἔθνη, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος, ἐν τῷ ἁγια σθῆναί με ἐν ὑμῖν κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν. Οὐχ ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, ἄξιοι τῆς σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἔθνη προσήκει θεραπείας τυχεῖν, ἀφορμὴν τῆς κατ' ἐμοῦ βλασφημίας παρ' ὑμῶν εἰληφότα· λυθήσεται δὲ ἡ βλασφημία διὰ τῆς