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will draw you and take you with herself. And this will not be long for you, but very soon, that is, it will come upon you with speed, as soon as the visitation of God begins to watch over you. And by day and by night it will come upon you, and this will be the end of your hope, which you signed up for yourselves, having given yourselves over to death and Hades. But even if you lend your ears to such words with displeasure, nevertheless, even in your distress, hear what awaits you and do not say: we are not able to fight "for the truth," but we are too weak for you to be gathered together; for if you were willing, you would also be gathered in the portion of God and you would not grow weak striving for piety, since you willingly allotted yourselves to death and to Hades, know that the Lord himself will now come upon you, bringing wrath against you on account of all the things spoken before. And the wrath of God will press upon you like a very high and very heavy mountain against the impious. As Symmachus says, so the Lord will stand on the mountain of divisions, and instead of: and it will be in the valley of Gibeon, again the same says in the valley that is in Gibeon. And the story is found in the book of Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, where, warring against the foreigners, Joshua prayed saying: "Let the sun stand still at Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Elom," when "the sun stood still at Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Elom," when "the sun also stood still" for the duration of a whole day until all the foreigners perished. So then, just as was once done against the impious on the mountain of divisions, in the valley of Gibeon, so also now the Lord will rise up against those accused here and with wrath will do his works, works of bitterness, for those in need, like a bitter antidote on account of the wickedness underlying their soul. And the wrath of the Lord will treat them as strangers, and his bitterness is not according to his sweetness and kindness and goodness, but according to the punishment fitting for them. But bitterness and wrath and anger and such things, when said of God, are accustomed to signify nothing other than the punishments against the impious which will come from the divine tribunal. Since, therefore, he says such things await you who are unwilling to accept "the precious and costly stone," for this reason do not rejoice with an evil joy, nor let your bonds be strengthened, with which you have bound yourselves, "having made a covenant with death and agreements with Hades." But if you have any hope of salvation, break the bonds with death, and depart from the joy you imagine, and cease from temporary pleasure; for you have learned what the end of this will be. And do not think that I, the prophet, am saying these things; for what I heard with the hearing of the soul from the Lord of Sabaoth who spoke, these things I have imparted to you; for he wished you not to be ignorant of the things judged and determined and ordained by him. For if the judgment that awaits men has not yet come upon them, yet it has already been determined and judged by him, these things which I have heard I have also testified to you. 1.94 Furthermore, the word addresses these things to the one given "the crown of pride," exhorting those who "rejected" "the cornerstone, chosen and precious," first to give ear, then to hear and obey what is said. And it teaches them that the punishments will come upon them deservedly; "for the mighty will be mightily tested." And the weak and small man might even obtain pardon or, according to the capacity of his smallness, would undergo a fitting punishment, but he who was capable of great things, according to the principle of justice, "will be mightily tested." Wherefore also the rulers of the people and priests and leaders themselves will undergo the punishment according to the greatness of the dignity entrusted to them. Then it uses a natural example; for just as in the farming of the land another

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ἑλκύσει ὑμᾶς καὶ σὺν ἑαυτῇ λήψεται. τοῦτο δὲ ὑμῖν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἔσται, ἀλλὰ πρωῒ πρωΐ, τοῦτ' ἔστι διὰ τάχους ἥξειν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἅμα τῷ ἄρξασθαι ἐφορᾶν ὑμᾶς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. δι' ἡμέρας δὲ καὶ διὰ νυκτὸς ἐπελεύσεται ὑμῖν, καὶ τοῦτ' ἔσται τέλος τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐλπίδος, ἣν ἑαυτοῖς ὑπεγράψατε θανάτῳ καὶ ᾅδῃ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδεδωκότες. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀηδῶς τὰ ὦτα τοῖς τοιούτοις παρέχετε λόγοις, ὅμως καὶ στενοχωρούμενοι τὰ περιμένοντα ὑμᾶς ἀκούετε καὶ μὴ λέγετε· οὐ δυνάμεθα «ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας» μάχεσθαι, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀσθενοῦμεν τοῦ ὑμᾶς συναχθῆναι· εἰ γὰρ ἐθέλοιτε καὶ ἐν τῇ μερίδι τοῦ θεοῦ συναχθήσεσθε καὶ οὐκ ἐξασθενήσετε ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιζόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ ἑκόντες τῷ θανάτῳ καὶ τῷ ᾅδῃ ἑαυτοὺς προσεκληρώσατε, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἤδη ὑμῖν ἐπελεύσεται αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἐπάγων καθ' ὑμῶν ὀργὴν διὰ τὰ προλεχθέντα πάντα. Ἐπικείσεται δὲ ὑμῖν ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ὥσπερ ὑψηλότατόν τι καὶ βαρύτατον ὄρος κατὰ ἀσεβῶν. ὁ Σύμμαχος καθάπερ φησὶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῶν διακοπῶν οὕτω στήσεται κύριος, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ· καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γαβαών, πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι φησὶ τῇ ἐν Γαβαών. φέρεται δὲ ἡ ἱστορία ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ τοῦ Μωσέως διαδόχου, ἔνθα πολεμῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ὁ Ἰησοῦς προσηύξατο εἰπών· «Στήτω ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ Γαβαὼν καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα Ἐλώμ», ὅτε «καὶ ἔστη ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ Γαβαὼν καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα Ἐλώμ», ὅτε «καὶ ἔστη ὁ ἥλιος» χρόνου διαστήματος ὅλης ἡμέρας ἕως οὗ πάντες ἀπώλοντο οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι. οὕτως οὖν ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῶν διακοπῶν, ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τῆς Γαβαὼν ἐπράχθη ποτὲ κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, οὕτω καὶ νῦν ὁ κύριος ἐπαναστήσεται τοῖς ἐνταῦθα κατηγορουμένοις καὶ μετὰ θυμοῦ τὰ ἔργα ποιήσει, πικρίας ἔργα τοῖς δεηθεῖσιν ὥσπερ ἀντιδότου πικρᾶς διὰ τὴν ὑποκειμένην αὐτῶν τῇ ψυχῇ κακίαν. χρήσεται δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ τοῦ κυρίου θυμὸς ὡς ἀλλοτρίοις, καὶ ἡ πικρία αὐτοῦ οὐ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ γλυκύτητα καὶ χρηστότητα καὶ ἀγαθωσύνην, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκείνοις κατάλληλον τιμωρίαν. πικρία δὲ καὶ ὀργὴ καὶ θυμὸς καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λεγόμενα ἐπὶ θεοῦ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν κολάσεις τὰς ἐκ τοῦ θείου δικαστηρίου ἐπελευσομένας εἴωθε σημαίνειν. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν φησὶ τοιαῦτα ὑμᾶς περιμένει τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους παραδέξασθαι «τὸν τίμιον καὶ πολυτελῆ λίθον», τούτου χάριν μὴ εὐφρανθείητε τὴν κακὴν εὐφροσύνην, μηδὲ ἰσχυσάτωσαν οἱ δεσμοὶ ὑμῶν, οἷς κατεδήσατε ἑαυτοὺς «διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου ποιησάμενοι καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ᾅδου συνθήκας». ἀλλ' εἴ τίς ἐστιν ὑμῖν σωτηρίας ἐλπίς, διαρρήξατε τοὺς πρὸς τὸν θάνατον δεσμούς, ἀναχωρεῖτε δὲ καὶ τῆς νομιζομένης ὑμῖν εὐφροσύνης, τῆς τε προσκαίρου παύσασθε ἡδονῆς· τοῦτον γὰρ ὁποῖον ἔσται τὸ τέλος μεμαθήκατε. ταῦτα δὲ μὴ νομίσητε λέγειν ἐμὲ τὸν προφήτην· ἃ γὰρ ἤκουσα ψυχῆς ἀκοῇ εἰρηκότος κυρίου σαβαώθ, ταῦθ' ὑμῖν μεταδέδωκα· ἐβουλήθη γὰρ ὑμᾶς μὴ ἀγνοεῖν τὰ παρ' αὐτῷ κεκριμένα καὶ ὡρισμένα καὶ συντεταγμένα πράγματα. εἰ γὰρ μηδέπω ἀνθρώποις ἐπελήλυθεν ἡ περιμένουσα αὐτοὺς κρίσις, ἀλλ' ὥρισται ἤδη παρ' αὐτῷ καὶ κέκριται, ταῦθ' ἅπερ ἀκούσας ἐγὼ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐμαρτυράμην. 1.94 Ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα «τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ὕβρεως» τῷ ἀποδοθέντι προσφωνεῖ ὁ λόγος παρακελευόμενος τοῖς «τὸν λίθον τὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον καὶ ἐκλεκτὸν καὶ ἔντιμον» «ἀποδοκιμάσασιν» ἐνωτίζεσθαι πρῶτον, εἶτα ἀκούειν καὶ πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς λεγομένοις. διδάσκει δὲ αὐτούς, ὅτι τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας ἐπαξίως αὐτοὺς μετελεύσεται· «δυνατοὶ γὰρ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται». καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀσθενὴς καὶ μικρός, κἂν συγγνώμης τύχοι ἢ καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν τῆς αὐτοῦ σμικρότητος ὑπόσχοι ἂν τὴν κατάλληλον τιμωρίαν, ὁ δὲ τὰ μεγάλα δεδυνημένος κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον «δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσεται». διὸ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἡγουμένους κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἐγχειρισθείσης αὐτοῖς ἀξίας ὑφέξειν τὴν τιμωρίαν. Εἶθ' ὑποδείγματι κέχρηται φυσικῷ· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν χώραν γεωργίας ἕτερος