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of the beauty of Lebanon. But these things you said to yourself, having reasoned in your own mind that with the multitude of your chariots you accomplished such great things, but I say to you: Do not deceive yourself; for you have not overcome all these things by your own power. But I was the one who decreed these things against them; even if you did not know, even if you have not heard my counsel from of old; for I myself decreed these things against the godless and impious nations long ago and from ancient days to be done through you. But now through deeds I have shown my counsel, having raised you up for the destruction of those worthy of punishment, and having used you as an instrument to lay waste nations and to make desolate the inhabitants in fortified cities, which I formerly guarded, preserving them. But since they were impious, not knowing their own savior, I let go my hands, delivering them over to you for punishment, and immediately they became desolate, deprived of my oversight. Wherefore they were also immediately withered and became like dry grass on the housetops and like wild grass; this, then, was the cause of their destruction, that they bore no good fruit of piety. Therefore they were compared neither to a vine nor to an olive tree nor to any of the fruitful plants, but to dry grass and wild grass, when they were most justly delivered into your hand. But you did not think these things, O ruler of the Assyrians, but having reasoned godless and impious things, you thought to capture the city dedicated to me, God, in the same way as the rest which do not know God. But knowing your thoughts and the going out and the coming in of your reasonings, I also say these things to you, that the anger which you have used against my people, who are called by my name, has not escaped my notice, but also your bitterness has come up to me, or according to Symmachus: your arrogance has come up to my ears. Since, therefore, such things have been dared by you, hear now, O man, what will befall you: I will put such a muzzle on your mouth as to restrain even your nose and to choke you, so that you may no longer utter such things; but according to Symmachus: and I will put, he says, a ring in your nostril and a bridle on your lips, so that you may not go where you wish, but may be dragged backwards even unwillingly; for you must be turned back by the way in which you have made your journey here. These things, then, are spoken as to the ruler of the Assyrians, even if he is not present in body, but nevertheless let them be said to all. And since it is necessary to answer you, Hezekiah, concerning the prayers you have made, receive also the word to you: you have heard the things said concerning the ruler of the Assyrians, but if you need a sign for the confirmation of my words, know that this present year you shall use for food what springs up of itself from the earth, because the land cannot receive its usual cultivation on account of the invasion of the enemies. Therefore eat this year what you have sown. But instead of 'what you have sown,' all the other interpreters have rendered it 'what grows of itself.' And in the coming year likewise eat what is left over from the previous year. But instead of 'in the second year the remnant,' Aquila rendered 'and in the second year what grows of itself,' and Symmachus 'and in the second year from trees,' and Theodotion 'and in the second year what grows of itself,' being constrained for these two years because the land did not receive cultivation in the same way. In the third year you will be filled with all abundance; for having sown, you shall reap, and plant vineyards, and you shall eat their fruit, knowing well that those who were left in Judea after the captivity of the multitude in Samaria will continue in peace, if according to my counsel you cast a firm root of piety in your soul, you will render to me the holy fruit of my husbandry, looking upward to me. Thus, then, those who are left in Jerusalem will be saved, if they become fruitful with me and render 'their worthy fruits'; for the Lord, being 'jealous' as for his own city which is dedicated to him and for his people who are called by his name, these things

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Λιβάνου κάλλους. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν σὺ παρὰ σαυτῷ εἶπας ἐν τῇ σαυτοῦ διανοίᾳ λογισάμενος, ὡς ἄρα τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἁρμάτων σου τὰ τοσαῦτα διεπράξω, ἐγὼ δὲ σοί φημι Μὴ σαυτὸν ἀπάτα· οὐ γὰρ τῇ σαυτοῦ δυνάμει τούτων ἁπάντων περιγέγονας. ἐγὼ δὲ ἤμην ὁ ταῦτα τὰ κατ' αὐτῶν ὁρίσας· εἰ σὺ μὴ ἔγνως, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἤκουσας τὴν ἐμὴν ἐξ ἀρχαίου βουλήν· ταῦτα γὰρ αὐτὸς κέκρικα κατὰ τῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἐθνῶν πάλαι καὶ ἐξ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων διὰ σοῦ πραχθῆναι. νῦν δὲ δι' ἔργων τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπέδειξα βουλὴν ἐγείρας σε ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ τῶν τιμωρίας ἀξίων καὶ σοὶ χρησάμενος σημείῳ τοῦ ἐξερημῶσαι ἔθνη καὶ ἀναστάτους ποιῆσαι τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν πόλεσιν ὀχυραῖς, ἃς πρότερον μὲν ἐφύλαττον διασῴζων ἐγώ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἠσέβουν μὴ γνωρίζοντες τὸν ἑαυτῶν σωτῆρα, ἀνῆκα τὰς ἐμαυτοῦ χεῖρας σοὶ παραδιδοὺς ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ, οἱ δὲ παραχρῆμα ἔρημοι ἐγένοντο τῆς ἐμῆς στερηθέντες ἐπισκοπῆς. διὸ καὶ παραυτίκα ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς χόρτος ξηρὸς ἐπὶ δωμάτων καὶ ὡς ἄγρωστις· τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτῶν τὸ αἴτιον τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὅτι μηδένα καρπὸν ἀγαθὸν εὐσεβείας προὔφερον. διὸ οὔτε ἀμπέλῳ οὔτε ἐλαίᾳ οὔτε τινὶ τῶν γονίμων φυτῶν, χόρτῳ δὲ ξηρῷ καὶ ἀγρώστιδι παρεικάζοντο, ὅτε δικαιότατα σῇ παρεδόθησαν χειρί. ἀλλ' οὐ σύ γε ταῦτα ἐφρόνησας, ὦ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἄρχων, ἄθεα δὲ καὶ ἀσεβῆ λογισάμενος καὶ τὴν ἐμοὶ τῷ θεῷ ἀνακειμένην πόλιν ἐνόμισας ὁμοίως ταῖς λοιπαῖς ταῖς τὸν θεὸν ἀγνοούσαις αἱρήσειν. εἰδὼς δὲ σοῦ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν σῶν λογισμῶν ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς σέ φημι, ὡς οὐκ ἔλαθέ με ὁ θυμός, ᾧ κέχρησαι κατὰ τοῦ χρηματίζοντος ἐμοῦ λαοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πικρία σου ἀνέβη πρός με, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ἀνέβη ἡ ἀλαζονεία σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τοιαῦτά σοι τετόλμηται, ἄκουε λοιπόν, ὦ οὗτος τὰ διαδεξόμενά σε φιμὸν κατὰ τοῦ στόματός σου τοιοῦτον ἐμβαλῶ, ὡς καὶ τὴν ῥῖνα αὐτὴν συσχεῖν καὶ ἀποπνῖξαι πρὸς τὸ μηκέτι τοιαῦτα φθέγγεσθαι, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· καὶ δώσω φησὶ κρίκον εἰς τὸν μυκτῆρά σου καὶ χαλινὸν εἰς τὰ χείλη σου, ἵνα μὴ ὅπου βούλει ἀπίῃς, ἕλκοιο δὲ καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος εἰς τοὐπίσω· ἀποστραφῆναι γάρ σε δεήσει τῇ ὁδῷ, ᾗ τὴν ἐνταῦθα πεποίησαι πορείαν. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, εἰ καὶ μὴ τῷ σώματι πάρεστιν, ὅμως δ' οὖν καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντα εἰρήσθω. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ σοὶ χρὴ τῷ Ἑζεκίᾳ πρὸς ἃς πεποίησαι εὐχὰς ἀποκρίνασθαι, δέχου δὴ καὶ τὸν πρὸς σὲ λόγον· τὰ μὲν εἰρημένα περὶ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἀκήκοας, εἰ δὲ σοὶ δεῖ σημείου πρὸς πίστωσιν τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων, ἴσθι ὅτι τὸν παρόντα ἐνιαυτὸν τοῖς ἀπὸ γῆς αὐτομάτως ἀναδοθησομένοις πρὸς τροφὴν χρήσῃ, τῷ δὲ μὴ δύνασθαι συνήθως τὴν χώραν γεωργίας τυχεῖν διὰ τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἔφοδον. διόπερ φάγε τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἃ ἔσπαρκας. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· ἃ ἔσπαρκας, οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες ἑρμηνευταὶ αὐτόματα ἐκδεδώκασι. καὶ τῷ ἐπιόντι δὲ ἐνιαυτῷ ὁμοίως φάγε τὰ ὑπολειφθέντα ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου ἔτους. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔτει τὸ κατάλειμμα, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας καὶ τῷ ἔτει τῷ δευτέρῳ αὐτοφυῆ ἐκδέδωκεν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· καὶ τῷ ἔτει τῷ δευτέρῳ ἀπὸ δένδρων, ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· καὶ τῷ ἔτει τῷ δευτέρῳ αὐτοφυῆ, δύο δὲ τούτους ἐνιαυτοὺς στενοχωρηθέντες διὰ τὸ μὴ ὁμοίως γεωργίας τυχεῖν τὴν χώραν. τῷ τρίτῳ ἔτει πληρωθήσεσθε πάσης εὐθηνίας· σπείραντες γοῦν ἀμήσατε καὶ φυτεύσατε ἀμπελῶνας καὶ φάγεσθε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν, εὖ εἰδότες ὡς οἱ περιλειφθέντες ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ μετὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ πλήθους ἐν εἰρήνῃ διατελέσετε, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν βουλὴν ῥίζαν ἐμβαλόντες ἑδραίαν θεοσεβείας ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ, καρπὸν τῆς ἐμῆς γεωργίας ἅγιον ἄνω βλέποντα πρός με ἀποδώσετε. οὕτω γοῦν διασωθήσονται οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ καταλειφθέντες, εἰ γένοιντο καρποφόροι παρ' ἐμοὶ καὶ «τοὺς ἀξίους αὐτῶν» ἀποδίδοιεν «καρπούς»· «ζηλῶν» γὰρ ὁ κύριος ὡς ὑπὲρ οἰκείας τῆς ἀνακειμένης αὐτῷ πόλεως καὶ τοῦ χρηματίζοντος αὐτοῦ λαοῦ ταῦτα