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making the despondency lighter, there is not. 22. "And they gave gall for my food; and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." And the very food for me, he says, they prepared to be bitter and grievous; for even the most pleasant food is without pleasure to those who eat with pain. 23. "Let their table before them become a snare, and a recompense, and a stumbling block." And their gladness, therefore, turn into calamities, O Master; and may they fall into what they have done. For he called gladness a table; and punishments, a snare. For so also Symmachus interpreted: May their table before them become a snare, and for a punishment, so as to be caught. 24. "Let their eyes be darkened, so as not to see." Bring upon them the gloomy cloud of calamities. "And bow down their back always." Decree their servitude, O Master; so that they may fall into what they do, forever stooping to toilsome labor. 25. "Pour out your wrath upon them; and may the fury of your wrath overtake them." Inflict upon them all, he says, the wrath of punishment, and bring swift and lasting calamity. For by fury he has indicated swiftness; for such is fury; and by wrath, persistence; for such is the nature of wrath. For fury is sharp and short-lived, but wrath is slower, yet more lasting. Therefore, he called the sharp and persistent punishment the fury of wrath. 20. "Let their habitation become desolate; and in their tents let there be no one dwelling." And through all things he asks for a just sentence; and he beseeches that they be subjected to what they have done. For since having sacked both Jerusalem and the other cities of Judea, they [the Chaldeans] made them desolate, he beseeches that their own 80.1409 fatherland also suffer these things; and he has obtained his request. For Babylon both has become and has remained desolate, even to this day; however, it is fitting to know, that the very things the Jews asked for the Babylonians to suffer, who had treated them with impiety and wickedness, these things they themselves have suffered, having raged against their Benefactor and Savior. For the Babylonians made their food bitter; not by giving them such food, but by toilsome servitude taking away the natural pleasure of food. But the Jews, not being wronged, but receiving all kinds of benefits, offered to the Benefactor himself the gall, and the vinegar itself, like some worthless vine. For which reason indeed they were subjected to the same punishments, and their table became a snare, and a recompense, and a stumbling block. For instead of their former good fortune, servitude was decreed against them; and their eyes were darkened, not enduring to see the true light, and their back has been perpetually bent by servitude and poverty, because of their proud nape, and their stiff neck; and their habitation became desolate, and in the tents of Jerusalem none of them dwells. Therefore they were subjected to their own curses; and what they cursed upon the Babylonians when they were wronged, these things they have suffered, having done wrong, and having been ungrateful to their benefactor. For this reason the divine apostles also used the testimonies from here, knowing the double meaning of the prophecy. But let us proceed to the continuation of the interpretation. 27. "Because him whom you have smitten, they have persecuted; and they have added to the pain of my wounds." For you, he says, while exacting from me the penalty of my transgression, delivered me to these as to some executioners; but they surrounded me with more evils than you commanded; and they increased for me the pain due to sin. The God of all also accuses this cruelty of theirs, and says, "I delivered them into your hands, but you did not show them mercy; and on the elder you made the yoke heavy, and you did not pity the younger." 28. "Add iniquity upon their iniquity, and let them not enter into righteousness." The punishment brought on because of sin he called iniquity; instead of, Inflict on them who live lawlessly a worthy punishment; and may they not obtain the good things which you are accustomed to bestow on the just.

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κουφοτέραν τὴν ἀθυ μίαν ποιῶν, οὐκ ἔστι. κβʹ. "Καὶ ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολήν· καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος." Καὶ αὐτήν μοι, φησὶ, τὴν τροφὴν πικρὰν καὶ ἀνιαρὰν κατ εσκεύασαν· ἀνήδονος γὰρ τοῖς μετ' ὀδύνης ἐσθίουσι καὶ ἡδίστη τροφή. κγʹ. "Γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον αὐ τῶν εἰς παγίδα, καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδοσιν, καὶ εἰς σκάν δαλον." Καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν τοίνυν εὐφροσύνην εἰς συμφορὰς μετέβαλε, ∆έσποτα· καὶ οἷς ἔδρασαν πε ριπέσοιεν. Τράπεζαν γὰρ τὴν εὐφροσύνην ἐκάλεσε· τὰς δὲ τιμωρίας, παγίδα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε· Γένοιτο ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα, καὶ εἰς τιμωρίαν, ὥστε συλ ληφθῆναι. κδʹ. "Σκοτισθήτωσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν, τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν." Ἐπάγαγε αὐτοῖς τὸ ζοφῶδες νέφος τῶν συμφορῶν. "Καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν διαπαντὸς σύγ καμψον." ∆ουλείαν αὐτῶν καταψήφισαι, ∆έσποτα· ἵνα οἷς ποιοῦσι περιπέσωσιν, εἰς ἐπίπονον ἐργασίαν συγκεκυφότες ἀεί. κεʹ. "Ἔκχεον ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὴν ὀργήν σου· καὶ ὁ θυμὸς τῆς ὀργῆς σου καταλάβοι αὐτούς." Πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς, φησὶν, ἐπάφες τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας ὀργὴν, καὶ ταχεῖαν καὶ διαρκῆ ἐπάγαγε συμφοράν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ θυμοῦ τὸ ταχὺ δεδήλωκε· τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὁ θυμός· διὰ δὲ τῆς ὀργῆς, τὸ ἐπίμονον· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ὀργῆς φύσις. Ὁ γὰρ θυμὸς ὀξύς ἐστι καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος, ἡ δὲ ὀργὴ, βραδυτέρα μὲν, μονιμωτέρα δέ. Θυμὸν τοίνυν ὀργῆς τὴν ὀξεῖαν καὶ ἐπίμονον ἐκάλεσε τιμω ρίαν. κʹ. "Γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτῶν ἠρημωμένη· καὶ ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασιν αὐτῶν μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοι κῶν." ∆ιὰ πάντων δὲ τὴν δικαίαν ψῆφον αἰτεῖ· καὶ οἷς δεδράκασιν ὑποβληθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἱκετεύει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεις πορθήσαντες, ἐρήμους ἀπ έφήναν [οἱ Χαλδαῖοι], ταῦτα παθεῖν καὶ τὴν 80.1409 αὐτῶν ἱκετεύει πατρίδα· καὶ τετύχηκε τῆς αἰτή σεως. Ἔρημος γὰρ καὶ γέγονε καὶ μεμένηκεν ἡ Βαβυλὼν, μέχρι καὶ τήμερον· εἰδέναι μέν τοι προσ ήκει, ὡς ἅπερ ᾔτησαν Ἰουδαῖοι Βαβυλωνίους παθεῖν, δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ πονηρίᾳ κατ' αὐτῶν κεχρη μένους, ταῦτα πεπόνθασιν αὐτοὶ, κατὰ τοῦ εὐερ γέτου καὶ Σωτῆρος λυττήσαντες. Βαβυλώνιοι μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πικρὰν εἰργάσαντο τὴν τροφήν· οὐ τοι αύτην αὐτοῖς δεδωκότες τροφήν· ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐπιπόνῳ δουλείᾳ τὴν ἔμφυτον τῆς τροφῆς ἡδονὴν ἀφελόμενοι. Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ οὐκ ἀδικούμενοι, ἀλλὰ παντοδαπὰς εὐερ γεσίας δεχόμενοι, αὐτῷ τῷ εὐεργέτῃ προσήνεγκαν τὴν χολὴν, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ὄξος, οἷόν τις ἀμπελὼν ἐπιζήμιος. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ταῖς αὐταῖς ὑπεβλήθησαν τιμωρίαις, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν εἰς παγί δα, καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδοσιν, καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλον. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τῆς προτέρας εὐκληρίας δουλείαν κατεψηφίσθη σαν· καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ αὐτῶν ἐσκοτίσθησαν, ἰδεῖν τὸ ἀληθινὸν οὐκ ἀνασχόμενοι φῶς, καὶ ὁ νῶτος δὲ αὐτῶν διηνεκῶς τῇ δουλείᾳ καὶ τῇ πενίᾳ συγκέκαμπται, διὰ τὸν γαῦρον αὐχένα, καὶ τὸν σκληρὸν αὐτῶν τράχηλον· καὶ ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτῶν ἐγένετο ἔρημος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ σκηνώμασιν οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν κατοικεῖ. Ταῖς οἰκείαις τοίνυν ἀραῖς ὑπεβλήθησαν· καὶ ἃ τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις ἐπηράσαντο ἀδικούμενοι, ταῦτα πεπόνθασιν ἀδική σαντες, καὶ ἀχάριστοι περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γενόμε νοι. Τούτου χάριν καὶ οἱ θεῖοι ἀπόστολοι ταῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἐχρήσαντο μαρτυρίαις, τῆς προφητείας τὸ διπλοῦν ἐπιστάμενοι. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰ συνεχῆ τῆς ἑρμηνείας βαδίσωμεν. κζʹ. "Ὅτι ὃν σὺ ἐπάταξας, αὐτοὶ κατεδίωξαν· καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄλγος τῶν τραυμάτων μου προσέθηκαν." Σὺ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, δίκας με τῆς παρανομίας εἰσ πραττόμενος, οἷόν τισι δημίοις παρέδωκας τούτοις· οὗτοι δὲ πλείοσί με, ἢ προσέταξας, κακοῖς περι έβαλον· καὶ ἐπηύξησάν μοι τὴν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὀδύνην. Ταύτην αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς κατ ηγορεῖ τὴν ὠμότητα, καί φησιν, "Ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς παρ έδωκα εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἔλεον· καὶ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγὸν, καὶ νεώτερον οὐκ ἠλέησας." κηʹ. "Πρόσθες ἀνομίαν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ εἰσελθέτωσαν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ." Τὴν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐπαγομένην τιμωρίαν ἀνομίαν ἐκά λεσεν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐπίθες αὐτοῖς ἀνόμως ζῶσι τιμω ρίαν ἀξίαν· καὶ μὴ τύχωσιν ἀγαθῶν ἃ τοῖς δικαίοις εἴωθας ἀπονέμειν.