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we, 9your holy city, that is, of David; for it was called his city. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem has become a desolation; 10the house of our sanctuary, and the glory which our fathers blessed, has been burned with fire, and all our glorious things have fallen. If we, he says, who were called your people, are unworthy of benevolence, spare the city for the sake of its builder; for it has become desolate. And by the memory of the name he stirs up to pity: Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem has become a desolation. But the phrase: the house of our sanctuary into a curse, the Others have interpreted as “into destruction.” But “curse” also has a meaning suitable to the suffering; for all are accustomed to say: “May you suffer what so-and-so has suffered.” Therefore, the much-famed temple, full of holiness, celebrated by all, was set on fire by the enemy’s flame, and is set forth as a curse to those who mock. 11And for all these things you have held back, Lord, and were silent. And seeing all these things being done by the enemies, you endured with long-suffering. And he teaches the reason: And you have humbled us exceedingly. For in order to humble us and to destroy our pride, you were not willing to punish those who had dared these things. When this supplication was offered by the prophet, the God of all answers, using the same language: 651I became manifest to those who did not ask for me, I was found by those who did not seek me; I said, “Behold, I am here, behold, I am here,” to a nation that did not call upon my name. I do not accept, he says, the intercession on behalf of these; I have chosen another people, I will no longer endure the ungrateful. I became manifest to the nations throughout the world; those in darkness saw a light, those who were ignorant knew the creator, those who did not seek found the treasure, those who did not have prophets believe in him who was preached by them. 2I spread out my hands all day long to a disobedient and contradicting people, to those who walk in a way that is not good, but after their own sins. Therefore the nations, though they had not received a prophet, recognized the benefactor, but these, having received every kind of care, received no benefit but abide in their customary lawlessness. But the phrase: I spread out my hands all day long, signifies the care for them that occurred at all times, and it also alludes to the saving passion of the cross, on which he stretched out his hands. Then he also lays bare their great impiety and lawlessness: 3This people that provokes me to my face continually; they sacrifice in the gardens and burn incense on the bricks 4to demons and to things that are not. Knowing that I see what is happening, they serve demons in my presence, wishing to provoke me by their audacious acts. They sleep in the tombs and in the caves for the sake of dreams. Having given themselves |182 a| up to error, they follow the apparitions that occur in sleep, and for this reason they endure sleeping beside the tombs and in caves set apart for the demons. Who eat swine’s flesh, and the broth of sacrifices; all their vessels are polluted. He accuses them of transgressing the law, teaching that, by not holding to the law nor embracing the lawful way of life, they dared that blood-guilty act and nailed the benefactor to the tree—for they are lawless who always transgress the law without fear—but are habitually ungrateful regarding the divine benefactions . 5Who say, “Keep away from me, do not come near me, for I am pure.” Such were those who accused the Savior, saying, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Such was the Pharisee who “said to himself: If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him.” Such was the one praying in the temple and saying: “I thank you, God, that I am not like the rest of men, unjust, greedy, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Then, showing the harm of arrogance, he adds: This is the smoke of my wrath, a fire burns in it all the day. For just as wood stirs up the flame, so does arrogance, so

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ἡμεῖς, 9πόλις τοῦ ἁγίου σου, τουτέστι τοῦ ∆αυίδ· αὐτοῦ ἐχρη μάτιζε πόλις. Ἐγενήθη ἔρημος Σιὼν ὡς ἔρημος ἐγενήθη Ἱερουσαλήμ· εἰς κατάραν 10ὁ οἶκος τοῦ ἁγιάσματος ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἣν εὐλόγησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐγενήθη πυρί καυστος, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔνδοξα ἡμῶν συνέπεσαν. Εἰ ἡμεῖς φιλανθρωπίας φησὶν ἀνάξιοι οἱ σὸς λαὸς χρηματίσαντες, τὴν πόλιν φειδοῦς διὰ τὸν ταύτης ἀξίωσον οἰκιστήν· ἔρημος γὰρ αὕτη γεγένηται. Καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς προσηγορίας εἰς ἔλεον διεγείρει· Ἐγενήθη ἔρημος Σιὼν ὡς ἔρημος ἐγενήθη Ἱερουσαλήμ. Τὸ δέ· εἰς κατάραν ὁ οἶκος τοῦ ἁγιάσματος ἡμῶν, οἱ μὲν Ἄλλοι «εἰς ἀφανισμὸν» ἡρμήνευσαν. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἡ κατάρα διάνοιαν τῷ πάθει πρόσφορον· εἰώθασι γὰρ πάντ ες λέγειν· Πάθοις ἃ ὁ δεῖνα πέπονθεν. Ὁ πολυθρύλητος τοίνυν νεώς, ὁ πλήρης ἁγιωσύνης, ὁ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀοίδιμος πολεμικῷ μὲν ἐνεπρήσθη πυρί, πρόκειται δὲ τοῖς ἐπιτωθάζουσιν εἰς κατάραν. 11Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἀνέσχου κύριε καὶ ἐσιώπησας. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ὁρῶ<ν> ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων γιγνόμενα ἠνέσχου μακροθυμῆσαι. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διδάσκει· Καὶ ἐταπείνωσας ἡμᾶς ἕως σφόδρα. Ἵνα γὰρ ἡ μᾶς ταπεινώσῃς καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον φρόνημα καταλύσῃς, οὐκ ἐβουλήθης κολάσαι τοὺς ταῦτα τετολ μηκότας. Ταύτης ὑπὸ τοῦ προφήτου τῆς ἱκετείας προσενεχθείσης ἀποκρίνεται ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς τῇ αὐτῇ χρώμενος γλώττῃ· 651Ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν, εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν, εἶπον· Ἰδού εἰμι ἰδού εἰμι ἐν ἔθνει οἳ οὐκ ἐκάλεσαν τὸ ὄνομά μου. Οὐ δέχομαί φησι τὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων πρεσβείαν· ἄλλον ἐξελεξάμην λαόν, οὐκέτι τῶν ἀχαρίστων ἀνέξομαι. ∆ῆλος τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔθνεσιν ἐγενόμην· εἶδον οἱ ἐν σκότει φῶς, ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἀγνοοῦντες τὸν ποιητήν, εὗρον οἱ μὴ ζητοῦντες τὸν θησαυρόν, οἱ προφήτας οὐκ ἐσχηκότες τῷ ὑπ' ἐκείνων κηρυττομένῳ πιστεύουσιν. 2Ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπὶ λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα, τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ὁδῷ οὐ καλῇ ἀλλ' ὀπίσω τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἔθνη προφήτην οὐ δεξάμενα τὸν εὐεργέτην ἐπέγνω, οὗτοι δὲ παντοδαπῆς ἐπιμελείας τετυχηκότες ὄνησιν οὐδεμίαν ἐδέξαντο ἀλλὰ τῇ συνήθει παρανομίᾳ προσμένουσιν. Τὸ δέ· ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου, δηλοῖ μὲν τὴν ἐν παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ γεγενημένην αὐτῶν ἐπιμέλειαν, αἰνίττεται δὲ καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ σωτήριον πάθος, ἐν ᾧ τὰς χεῖρας ἐξέτεινεν. Εἶτα καὶ τὴν πολλὴν αὐτῶν ἀσέβειαν καὶ παραν ομίαν γυμνοῖ· 3Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὁ παροξύνων με ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ διὰ παντὸς αὐτοὶ θυμιάζουσιν ἐν τοῖς κήποις καὶ θυμιῶσιν ἐπὶ ταῖς πλίνθοις 4τοῖς δαιμονίοις καὶ τοῖς οὐκ οὖσιν. Εἰδό τες ὡς ὁρῶ τὰ γιγνόμενα παρόντος μου τοὺς δαίμονας θεραπεύουσι, παροξύνειν με διὰ τῶν τολμωμένων βουλό μενοι. Ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις κοιμῶνται δι' ἐνύπνια. Σφᾶς |182 a| αὐτοὺς ἐκδεδωκότες τῇ πλάνῃ καὶ ταῖς καθ' ὕπνον γινομέναις φαντασίαις ἀκολουθοῦσι καὶ τούτου χάριν καὶ παρὰ τοὺς τάφους καθεύδειν ἀνέχονται καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀφωρισμένοις σπηλαίοις τοῖς δαίμοσιν. Οἱ ἐσθίοντες κρέας ὕειον καὶ ζωμοὺς θυσιῶν, μεμολυσμένα πάντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτῶν. Τῆς τοῦ νόμου παραβάσεως κατηγορεῖ διδάσκων, ὡς οὐκ ἀντεχόμενοι τοῦ νόμου οὐδὲ τὴν ἔννομον πολιτείαν ἀσπαζόμενοι τὴν μιαιφονίαν ἐκείνην ἐτόλμησαν καὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην τῷ ξύλῳ προσήλωσαν- παρανομοῦσι γὰρ οἵ γε τὸν νόμον ἀεὶ ἀδεῶς παραβαίνοντες-ἀλλὰ συνήθως ἀχάριστοι περὶ τὰς θείας γενόμενοι εὐεργεσίας . 5Οἱ λέγοντες· Πόρρω ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, μὴ ἐγγίσῃς μοι, ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι. Τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν οἱ τοῦ σωτῆρος κατηγοροῦντες καὶ λέγοντες· «Ἵνα τί μετὰ τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν;» Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ Φαρισαῖος ὁ «ἐν αὐτῷ λέγων· Εἰ ἦν οὗτος προφήτης, ᾔδει τίς καὶ ποταπὴ ἡ γυνὴ αὕτη ἡ ἁπτομένη αὐτοῦ». Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ προσευχόμενος καὶ λέγων· «Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὁ θεός, ὅτι οὔκ εἰμι ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄδικοι, πλεονέκται, μοιχοί, οὐδὲ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης.» Εἶτα δεικνὺς τοῦ τύφου τὴν βλάβην ἐ πάγει · Οὗτος καπνὸς τοῦ θυμοῦ μου, πῦρ καίεται ἐν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ξύλα διεγείρει τὴν φλόγα, οὕτως ὁ τῦφος, οὕτως