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they spoke false things against me." For even though they knew that he is the heir, they said, "Come, let us kill him." And through the psalm he says, "Instead of loving me, they slandered me." And he calls them children of perdition, as not having received the one who saves; and a lawless seed; "For," he says, "Moses wrote about me;" so that they also transgressed the law. And he calls them also a seed of adulterers and of a prostitute, he says adulterers, naming in these the teachers of the Jews. For they as it were committed adultery with the Synagogue, 2576 teaching their own commandments, not those from the law. The Synagogue, receiving whose seeds, was justly named a prostitute. And having declared them killers of the Lord, he shows that from of old they were sick with hatred of God. For you are the ones who long ago were entreating to idols, and this when the law had taught: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." And it was not enough for them to be impious alone, but they also taught others. You shall be, therefore, a portion for foxes, that is, for the demons whom you served, for whom the outer darkness has been prepared; then he says the slaughter of the children will come upon them, when the enemies bring it. And he says that also behind the doorposts you have placed your memorials, speaking of the statues instead of phylacteries, which are memorials of idolatry, for the purpose of remembering these things that are ever-present or carved on the doors. For you thought these things to be more beneficial than me. For how could evil become desirable unless it is colored by an apparent good? But the phrase, upon a high mountain there is your bed, is because they used to sleep beside the idols for the sake of dreams. These things are said to the aforementioned blind watchmen and the mute dogs. But what follows he directs towards Jerusalem itself, and the synagogue of the Jews, saying, You have loved those who sleep with you. But according to the others, you loved their bed, that is of the aforementioned watchmen, with whom you filled the way of all fornication, idolatry, necromancy, augury, and as many such things, and when these things happened, you made many depart from you; for the prophets and the God-fearing, fleeing Jerusalem, said: "We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed." Let us forsake her, and let us go every one into his own land, calling Jerusalem Babylon as superstitious. That is to say, he says, she multiplied for herself Gods from far away from her, meddling in the objects of worship of her neighbors. Which is also shown by the phrase, you sent ambassadors beyond your borders. But Symmachus rendered it thus: And you multiplied your perfumes. You sent your hostages far away. And the word is addressed as to a harlot adorning herself for the pleasure of those who approach her. Whence he says you were humbled even to Hades. You have wearied yourself in your many journeys. For not having remained exalted with God, she is humbled. Wherefore he said: "I have begotten and exalted sons, but they have rejected me." And what is the manner of the humility? The many journeys. For you did not travel the one royal road, but many and wandering ones, ever passing from some gods to others. And this is known to follow from abnormal pleasures, when wealth, and licentiousness, and vain glory trouble. Wherefore Jeremiah says: "In the desire of his soul he was carried by the wind." A soul having suffered this is hard to recall. 2577 Whence he adds: "She was given up, who will turn her back?" And he says Jerusalem, intensely set upon evils, did not cease. To which he says: You did not beseech me. Or according to Aquila, you did not supplicate, so as to obtain forgiveness. For to not suffer from the beginning is the mark of a sound-minded woman. But to persist is the mark of a very desperate one. To which it has been said: "Does not he who falls rise again? Or does he who turns away not return?" for he is ready to receive the repentant, having said through one of the prophets: "Return, you returning children, and I will heal your bruises." But they, as if God were unable to save, when the Babylonians were expected, intensified their idolatry. Wherefore he says: Whom having feared did you lie to me? for what is the Babylonian, being a man, against divine power

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κατελάλησαν κατ' ἐμοῦ ψευδῆ." Καίτοι γὰρ εἰδότες ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ κληρονόμος ἐστὶν, ἔλεγον· "∆εῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν." Καὶ διὰ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ δέ φησιν· "Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν με, ἐνδιέβαλλόν με." Τέκνα δὲ καλεῖ ἀπωλείας, ὡς μὴ δεξαμένους τὸν σώζοντα· καὶ σπέρμα ἄνομον· "Περὶ ἐμοῦ γάρ φησι γέγραφε Μωσῆς·" ὥστε καὶ τὸν νόμον παρέβησαν. Φησὶ δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ σπέρμα μοιχῶν καὶ πόρνης μοιχούς φησι, καλῶν ἐν τούτοις τοὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγητάς. Οἱονεὶ γὰρ ἐμοιχῶντο τὴν Συναγωγὴν, 2576 ἐντάλματα ἴδια, οὐ τὰ ἐκ νόμου διδάσκοντες. Ὧν ἡ Συναγωγὴ δεχομένη τὰ σπέρματα, δικαίως ἐχρημάτισε πόρνη. Κυριοκτόνους δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀποφήνας, δείκνυσιν ἐκ παλαιοῦ νοσοῦντας αὐτοὺς τὸ μισόθεον. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ οἱ καὶ πάλαι παρακαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ νόμου διδάξαντος· "Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις, καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις." Καὶ οὐκ ἤρκει μόνοις ἀσεβεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐδίδασκον. Ἔσῃ τοίνυν μερὶς ἀλωπέκων, δηλονότι δαιμόνων οἷς περ ἐλάτρευσας, οἷς τὸ σκότος ἡτοίμασται τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἡ ἄρα τὴν σφαγὴν τῶν τέκνων φησὶν εἰς αὐτοὺς περι[ελεύσ]εσθαι, πολεμίων αὐτὴν ἐπαγόντων. Φησὶ δὲ, ὅτι καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν σταθμῶν τῆς θύρας ἔθηκας μνημόσυνά σου, τὰ ἀντὶ φυλακτηρίου λέγων ἀγάλματα, μνημόσυνα τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ὑπάρχοντα, πρὸς τὸ μεμνῆσθαι τούτων διὰ παντὸς παρεστηκότων ἢ ταῖς θύραις ἐγγεγλυμμένων. Ὤου γὰρ ἐμοῦ ταῦτα τυγχάνειν ὠφελιμώτερα. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν καὶ γένοιτο τὸ κακὸν αἱρετὸν μὴ φαινομένῳ χρωσθὲν ἀγαθῷ; Τὸ δὲ, ἐπ' ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἐκεῖ σου ἡ κοίτη, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἐνυπνίων ἕνεκα παρεκάθευδον. Ταῦτα μὲν ὡς πρὸς τοὺς εἰρημένους σκοποὺς τυφλοὺς καὶ τοὺς κύνας τοὺς ἐνεούς. Τὰ δὲ ἑξῆς ὡς πρὸς αὐτὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐπιφέρει συναγωγὴν, Ἠγάπησας λέγων τοὺς κοιμωμένους μετὰ σοῦ. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς, ἠγάπησας τὴν κοίτην αὐτῶν, τῶν σκοπῶν δηλονότι τῶν εἰρημένων, μεθ' ὧν πάσης πορνείας ἐπλήρους ὁδὸν, εἰδωλολατρείας, νεκυομαντείας, οἰωνισμῶν, καὶ τῶν ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ὧν γινομένων, πολλοὺς ἐποίησας ἀπὸ σοῦ· φεύγοντες γὰρ οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ θεοσεβεῖς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔλεγον· "Ἰατρεύσαμεν τὴν Βαβυλῶνα, καὶ οὐκ ἰάθη." Ἐγκαταλίπωμεν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀπέλθωμεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, ὡς δεισιδαίμονα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ Βαβυλῶνα καλέσαντες. Ἤγουν φησὶν, ἐπλήθυνε παρ' ἑαυτῇ Θεοὺς τοὺς μακρὰν ἀπ' αὐτῆς, περιεργαζομένη τὰ τῶν ὁμόρων σεβάσματα. Ὃ δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ, ἀπέστελλες πρέσβεις ὑπὲρ τὰ ὅριά σου. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐξέδωκε· Καὶ ἐπλήθυνες τὰ μυρέψιά σου. Ἀπέστειλας ὅμηρά σου ἕως μακράν. Ὡς πρὸς ἑταίραν δὲ καλλωπιζομένην ὁ λόγος ἐφ' ἡδονῇ τῶν αὐτῇ προσιόντων. Ὅθεν φησὶν ἐταπεινώθης ἕως ᾄδου. Ταῖς πολυοδίαις σου ἐκοπίασας. Μὴ μείνασα γὰρ ὑψηλὴ παρὰ Θεῷ, τεταπείνωται. ∆ιό περ ἔλεγεν· "Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν." Τίς δὲ τῆς ταπεινότητος ὁ τρόπος; ἡ πολυοδία. Οὐ γὰρ μίαν ὥδευες τὴν βασιλικὴν ὁδὸν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰς καὶ πεπλανημένας, ἀπ' ἄλλων εἰς ἄλλους ἀεὶ θεοὺς μεταβαίνουσα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐκτόπων οἶδεν ἀκολουθεῖν ἡδονῶν, πλούτου, καὶ ἀσελγείας, καὶ κενῆς δόξης παρενοχλούντων. ∆ιό φησιν Ἱερεμίας· "Ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦἐπνευματοφορεῖτο." Ὅπερ παθοῦσα ψυχὴ δυσανάκλη 2577 τος. Ὅθεν ἐπάγει· "Παρεδόθη, τίς ἀποστρέψει αὐτήν;" Καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ δὲ φησὶν, ἐντόνως ἐπικειμένη τοῖς κακοῖς οὐκ ἐπαύετο. Πρὸς ἣν λέγει· Οὐ κατεδεήθης μου. Ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, οὐκ ἐλιτάνευσας, ὥς τε τυχεῖν ἀφέσεως. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὴ παθεῖν σωφρονούσης. Τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐπιμεῖναι λίαν ἀπεγνωσμένης. Πρὸς ὃ λέλεκται· "Μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται; ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἐπιστρέφει;" μετανοοῦντας γὰρ ἕτοιμος δέχεσθαι δι' ἑνὸς εἰπὼν τῶν προφητῶν· "Ἐπιστράφητε υἱοὶ ἐπιστρέφοντες, καὶ ἰάσομαι τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν." Οἱ δὲ ὡς ἀδυνατοῦντος σῶσαι Θεοῦ, προσδοκωμένων Βαβυλωνίων, τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν ἐπέτειναν. ∆ιό φησι· Τίνα φοβηθεῖσα ἐψεύσω με; τί γὰρ πρὸς θείαν δύναμιν ἄνθρωπος ὢν ὁ Βαβυλώνιος