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I have counseled. I have spoken and I have brought it about, I created and I have made it. All things are easy for the God of all; for not only rational but also irrational beings yield to the divine will. Through the bird, however, he has indicated the swiftness of the return. 12Hear me, you who have lost your heart, who are far from righteousness; 13I have brought my righteousness near, it shall not be far off, and the salvation from me I will not delay. For even if you are unworthy of salvation, having become far from righteousness because of your lawlessness, yet I will provide salvation and will bring a just punishment upon the Babylonians. I have given in Zion salvation to Israel for a glorification. For all will learn through the salvation of Israel my power and will know that I truly am God. Having thus prophesied these things to Israel, he transfers the discourse to Babylon: 471 Come down, sit on the ground, O virgin daughter of Babylon. He calls her virgin not as being incorrupt—for she was accursed and licentious—but as one who adorns herself like a virgin. Sit on the ground, there is no throne. You have been deprived, he says, of the kingdom; you have taken on the rank of a slave. Enter into the darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; you shall no longer be called delicate and luxurious. You have cast off your former prosperity; you do not revel in the evils of others. 2Take a millstone, grind flour. These are proofs of slavery. Uncover your veil. Be stripped of your royal robe, cast off the signs of royalty. Uncover your gray hairs. Through the gray hair he hinted at the long duration of the kingdom; for the kingdom of the Assyrians is said to have held power for almost two thousand four hundred years. Make bare the legs, cross the rivers; 3your shame will be uncovered. And through these things he signifies captivity; for it is characteristic of captives to cross rivers with bare feet. Your reproaches will be made manifest; I will take what is just from you; I will no longer deliver you to men. 4The one who delivers you is the Lord Sabaoth, his name is the Holy One of Israel. And Symmachus interpreted these things thus: "And let your reproach be manifest; I will take vengeance, and no man will stand against me. Our redeemer is the Lord of hosts, his name is the Holy One of Israel." I will exact penalties from you, he says, for your cruelty toward Jacob. I will no longer deliver you to men; for I will bring swift and utter destruction upon you and I do not need a second blow. Then to Israel: The one who delivers you is the Lord Sabaoth, his name is. But if someone should wish to take the saying as referring to Babylon itself, he would see that it too was delivered from many sins through the punishment; for no longer having power, it no longer sinned, and so it too received a benefit, being delivered from greater sins. 5Sit down stunned, that is, lamenting. Enter into the darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans. For to those who dwell in you even the light is darkness. You shall no longer be called the strength of a kingdom. For you will be allotted slavery instead of a kingdom. 6I was provoked with my people because they defiled my inheritance. For they burned the divine temple and dedicated the sacred vessels to idols and used cruelty |159 a| against the captives. And I gave them into your hand. For you would not have conquered had it not been my will. But I gave them up, wishing to discipline them, not to destroy them utterly. But you gave them no mercy; you made the yoke of the elder very heavy. Nor did old age appear venerable to you. For from this he showed their great harshness. 7And you said; I will be a ruler forever. You did not consider these things in your heart nor did you remember your latter end. A change in prosperity, he says, you did not expect; you supposed you would hold power forever. 8Now then, hear these things, you luxurious one, who sits, who trusts, who says in her heart: I am, and there is no other; I will not sit as a widow nor will I know orphanhood. He fittingly mocked her great pride; for she presumed that she alone would rule the world. 9Now then these two things will come upon you in one day, widowhood and childlessness; they will come suddenly upon you. He calls widowhood

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βεβούλευμαι. Ἐλάλησα καὶ ἤγαγον, ἔκτισα καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτό. Πάντα ῥᾴδια τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ· οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ λογικὰ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἄλογα τῷ θείῳ νεύματι εἴκει. ∆ιὰ μέντοι τοῦ πετεινοῦ τὸ ταχὺ τῆς ἐπανόδου δεδήλωκεν. 12Ἀκούσατέ μου οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν, οἱ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης· 13ἤγγισα τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, οὐ μὴ μακρυνθῇ, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρ' ἐμοῦ οὐ βραδύνω. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς τῆς σωτηρίας ἀνάξιοι πόρρω τῆς δικαιοσύνης διὰ τὴν παρανομίαν γενόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ παρέξω τὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ δικαίαν τιμωρίαν τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις ἐπάξω. ∆έδωκα ἐν Σιὼν σωτηρίαν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς δόξασμα. Μαθή σονται γὰρ ἅπαντες διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ σωτηρίας τὴν ἐμὴν δύναμιν καὶ γνώσονται ὅτι ἀληθῶς ὑπάρχω θεός. Οὕτω ταῦτα τῷ Ἰσραὴλ προθεσπίσας εἰς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον· 471 Κατάβηθι κάθισον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν παρθένος θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος. Παρθένον αὐτὴν καλεῖ οὐχ ὡς ἀδιάφθορον-ἐναγὴς γὰρ ἦν καὶ ἀκόλαστος-ἀλλ' ὡς παρθένῳ παραπλησίως καλλωπιζομένην. Κάθισον εἰς τὴν γῆν, οὐκ ἔστι θρόνος. Ἐστέρησαί φησι τῆς βασιλείας, τὴν δουλικὴν ἀντέλαβες τάξιν. Εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ σκότος θυγάτηρ Χαλδαίων, οὐκέτι προστεθήσῃ κληθῆναι ἁπαλὴ καὶ τρυφερά. Ἀπέβαλες τὴν πρ οτέραν εὐημερίαν, οὐκ ἐντρυφᾷς τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις κακοῖς. 2Λάβε μύλον, ἄλεσον ἄλευρον. Ἔστι ταῦτα δουλείας τεκμήρια. Ἀποκάλυψαι τὸ κατα<κά>λυμμά σου. Γυμνώθητι τῆς βασιλικῆς στολῆς, ἀπόβαλε τὰ σημεῖα τῆς βασιλείας. Ἀνακάλυψαι τὰς πολιάς. ∆ιὰ τῆς πολιᾶς τὸ πολυχρόνιον τῆς βασι λείας ᾐνίξατο· ἡ γὰρ Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεία τετρα κόσια καὶ δισχίλια ὀλίγου δέοντα κεκρατη κέναι λέγετ αι ἔτη. Ἀνάσυραι τὰς κνήμας, διάβηθι ποταμούς· 3ἀνακαλυφθήσεται ἡ αἰσχύνη σου. Καὶ διὰ τούτων τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν σημαίνει· αἰχμαλώτων γὰρ τὸ γυμνοῖς ποσὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς διαβαί νειν. Φανήσονται οἱ ὀνειδισμοί σου, τὸ δίκαιον ἐκ σοῦ λήψομαι, οὐκέτι σε μὴ παραδῶ ἀνθρώποις. 4Ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε κύριος Σαβαὼθ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ ταῦτα ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕ τως ἡρ μήνευσεν· «Καί γε φανήτω τὸ ὄνειδός σου· ἐκδίκησιν λήψομαι, καὶ οὐκ ἀντιστήσεταί μοι ἄνθρωπος. Λυτρωτὴς ἡμῶν κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ.» ∆ίκας σέ φησι τῆς εἰς τὸν Ἰα κὼβ ὠμότητος πράξομαι. Οὐκέτι σε μὴ παραδῶ ἀνθρώποις· σύντομον γάρ σοι πανωλεθρίαν ἐ ποίσω καὶ οὐ δέομαι δευτέρας πληγῆς. Εἶτα πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ· Ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε κύριος Σαβαὼθὄνομα αὐτῷ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς βούλοιτό τις λαβεῖν τὸ ῥητὸν τῆς Βαβυλῶνος, συνίδοι ἂν καὶ αὐτὴν πλ ειόνων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγεῖσαν διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας· οὐκέτι γὰρ ἔχουσα τὴν δυναστείαν οὐκέτι ἡ μάρτανε, καὶ αὐτὴ τοίνυν ὠφέλειαν ἐδέξατο μειζόνων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλα γεῖσα . 5Κάθισον κατανενυγμένη, τουτέστι θρηνοῦσα. Εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ σκότος θυγάτηρ Χαλδαίων. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐν σ οὶ κατοικοῦσι σκότος ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ φῶς. Οὐκέτι μὴ κληθήσῃ ἰσχὺς βασι λείας. ∆ουλείᾳ γὰρ ἀντὶ β ασιλεία ς συ γκληρωθή σῃ . 6Παρωξύνθην ἐπὶ τῷ λαῷ μου διότι ἐμίαναν τὴν κληρονο μίαν μου. Ἐνέπρησαν γὰρ τὸν θεῖον νεὼν καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἀνέθεσαν καὶ ὠμότητι |159 a| κατὰ τῶν δορυαλώτων ἐχρήσαντο. Καὶ ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν χεῖρά σου. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐνίκ ησας μὴ βουληθέντος ἐμοῦ. Προὔδωκα δὲ αὐτοὺς παιδεῦσαι βουλόμενος, οὐ παντελῶς ἀπολέσ αι . Σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος οὐθέν, τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγὸν σφόδρα. Οὐδὲ τὸ γῆρας αἰδέσιμον ὤφθη σοι. Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν πολλὴν ἀπήνειαν ἔδειξεν. 7Καὶ εἶπα<ς>· Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσομαι ἄρχουσα. Οὐκ ἐνόησας ταῦτα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου οὐδὲ ἐμνή σθης τὰ ἔσχατά σου. Μεταβολήν φησι τῆς εὐημερίας οὐ προσεδόκησας, διὰ παντὸς σχήσειν τὸ κράτος ὑπέλαβες. 8Νῦν δὲ ἄκουε ταῦτα ἡ τρυφερά, ἡ καθημένη, ἡ πεποιθυῖα, ἡ λέγουσα ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς· Ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα, οὐ καθιῶ χήρα οὐδὲ γνώσομαι ὀρφανίαν. Ἀξίως αὐτῆς τὸν πολὺν ἐκωμῴδησε τῦφον· ἐτόπασε γὰρ μόνη τῆς οἰκουμένης κρατήσειν. 9Νῦν δὲ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ τὰ δύο ταῦτα ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ χηρεία καὶ ἀτεκνία, ἥξει ἐξαίφνης ἐπὶ σέ. Χηρείαν καλεῖ