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the God of Israel to me: Take the cup of unmixed wine from my hand, and you shall give it to all the nations to drink, to whom I will send you. And they will drink and vomit, and will be driven mad because of the sword that I will send among them. And I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and I gave it to all the nations to drink to whom the Lord sent me, to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its rulers, to make them a desolation, and an impassable place, and a hissing; and Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants, and his great men; and so he continues: And all the kings of the land of the foreigners, Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and Idumea, and Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and all the kings of the island that is beyond the sea. After which he adds as follows: The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, said: Drink and be drunk, and vomit, and fall, and do not rise up from before the sword that I will send among you. And it shall be, when they are not willing to receive the cup from your hand, so as to drink, you will say to them. Thus said the Lord of hosts: You shall surely drink. Through which the word teaches that God, like a physician to those in need of a bitter antidote, brings on punishments, so that they might vomit, and empty out the excess wickedness within them; and that Jerusalem itself would be the first to drink the said potion; then the rest of the nations, as all would attain a similar cleansing through the punishments to be brought upon them. And so the present oracle, in keeping with the prophetic teaching, teaches that there is a cup in the hand of the Lord, in which, having gathered the fruits of each person, he makes it like unmixed wine. Then he gives the drink according to worth, mixing it in proportion to the deeds of each according to the rule of justice. For he reckons not only the evil deeds of each, but also the good, and weighs them as if with symmetry and makes the mixture suitable to the works of each. Which he indicates by saying: And he poured from this to that; so that there might be one mixture of both the wicked deeds and the better ones of each person. But instead of, He poured from this to that, Symmachus translated, So as to draw from it; and that all the sinners of the earth shall drink the dregs. For no longer a mixture, but the last and turbid part will be reserved for those who have sinned greatly. Therefore, according to Symmachus it is said: But the wicked of the earth, drinking, will drain the dregs. But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the aforesaid things I have said to the transgressors, and I have commanded all, bearing witness. But I who said above: I will recount your wonders, when I find the opportunity; and again having said: I will judge uprightly; and again having said: I 23.876 have strengthened its pillars; after having proclaimed and testified the aforesaid things to the sinners, and after having taught everyone the word concerning the judgment, what shall I do? I will sing praises forever to the God of Jacob. For I know my own Father, who became the God of the God-loving one, and to him I will sing praise, and to him I will declare my own achievements. Then, having thus received from the Father the authority to judge, I will break all the horns of the sinners; having indeed allowed them to be exalted for a time in which it was necessary to make use of forbearance, and of long-suffering and of goodness; but in the end I will break their horns which were lifted up against God; but conversely I will exalt the horns of the just, since they had been humbled. Then it will be exalted, when it reigns with its king according to the Apostle, who says: For Christ is the firstfruits; then those who are Christ’s at his coming; then the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes every authority and
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ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς μέ· Λάβε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ ἀκράτου ἐκ χειρός μου, καὶ ποτιεῖς αὐτὸ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, πρὸς ἃ ἐγὼ ἐξαποστελῶ σε πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶ πίονται καὶ ἐξεμοῦνται, καὶ ἐκμανήσονται ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς μαχαίρας, ἧς ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ ἀναμέσον αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ ποτήριον ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπότισα πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πρὸς ἃ ἀπέστειλέ με Κύριος ἐπ' αὐτὰ, τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα, καὶ βασιλεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄρχοντας αὐτοῦ, τοῦ θεῖναι αὐτοὺς εἰς ἐρήμωσιν, καὶ εἰς ἄβατον καὶ εἰς συριγμόν· καὶ τὸν Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς μεγιστᾶνας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἑξῆς φησι· Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, τὴν Ἀσκάλωνα, καὶ τὴν Γάζαν, καὶ τὴν Ἀκκάρων, καὶ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν, καὶ τὴν Μωαβῖτιν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ πάντας βασιλεῖς Τύρου, πάντας βασιλεῖς Σιδῶνος, καὶ πάντας βασιλεῖς νήσου τοὺς ἐν τῷ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης. Μεθ' ἃ ἐπιλέγει οὕτως· Εἶπε Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· Πίετε καὶ μεθύσθητε, καὶ ἐξεμέσετε, καὶ πεσεῖτε, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀναστῆτε ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς μαχαίρας, ἧς ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ ἀναμέσον ὑμῶν. Καὶ ἔσται ὅταν μὴ βούλωνται δέξασθαι τὸ ποτήριον ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου, ὥστε πιεῖν, καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς. Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων· Πιόντες πίεσθε. ∆ι' ὧν διδάσκει ὁ λόγος δίκην ἰατροῦ τοῖς δεομένοις πικρᾶς ἀντιδότου τὸν Θεὸν ἐπάγειν τὰς κολάσεις, ὡς ἂν ἐμέσαιεν, καὶ ἀποκενώσειεν τὴν πλεονάσασαν ἐν αὐτοῖς κακίαν· καὶ πρώτην γε αὐτὴν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τοῦ λεχθέντος ποτοῦ πιεῖσθαι· εἶτα δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη, ὡς καὶ πάντων τῆς ὁμοίας τευξομένων καθάρσεως διὰ τῶν ἐπαχθησομένων αὐτοῖς τιμωριῶν. Καὶ τὸ παρὸν οὖν λόγιον καταλλήλως τῇ προφητικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ποτήριον εἶναι διδάσκει ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου, ἐν ᾧ τοὺς ἑκάστου καρποὺς συναγαγὼν, ὥσπερ ἄκρατον οἶνον ἐργάζεται. Εἶτ' ἐπιδίδωσι τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν πόμα ἀναλόγως ταῖς ἑκάστου πράξεσι κιρνῶν αὐτὸ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον. Μὴ γὰρ τὰς φαύλας πράξεις μόνας ἑκάστου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς λογίζεσθαι, σταθμᾶσθαί τε ὥσπερ συμμετρίᾳ καὶ κατάλληλον τοῖς ἑκάστου ἔργοις ἀπεργάσασθαι τὸ κρᾶμα. Ὃ δὴ παρίστησι λέγον· Καὶ ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο· ὡς ἂν μία γένοιτο κρᾶσις τῶν τε ἑκάστου μοχθηρῶν πράξεων καὶ τῶν χρηστοτέρων. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Ἐξέκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο, ὁ Σύμμαχος, Ὥστε ἕλκειν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ἡρμήνευσε·τὴν δὲ τρύγα πιεῖσθαι πάντας τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τῆς γῆς. Οὐκέτι γὰρ κρᾶμα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔσχατον καὶ θολερὸν τοῖς τὰ μεγάλα ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἀποκείσεσθαι. ∆ιὸ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· Πλὴν τὰς τρυγίας ἐκστραγγιοῦσι πίνοντες οἱ φαῦλοι τῆς γῆς. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπαγγελῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ. Τὰ μὲν προλεχθέντα πάντα εἶπα τοῖς παρανομοῦσι, καὶ διεστειλάμην ἅπασι μαρτυράμενος. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ ἀνωτέρω εἰπών· ∆ιηγήσομαι τὰ θαυμάσιά σου, ὅταν λάβω καιρόν· καὶ πάλιν φήσας· Ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ· καὶ αὖθις εἰπών· Ἐγὼ 23.876 ἐστερέωσα τοὺς στύλους αὐτῆς· μετὰ τὸ κηρῦξαι καὶ μαρτύρασθαι τὰ προλεχθέντα τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, καὶ μετὰ τὸ διδάξαι τὸν περὶ τῆς κρίσεως λόγον τοὺς πάντας, τί πράξω; Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ. Οἶδα γὰρ ἐμαυτοῦ πατέρα τὸν γενόμενον τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς Θεὸν, κἀκείνῳ ψαλῶ, κἀκείνῳ ἀπαγγελῶ τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ κατορθώματα. Εἶθ' οὕτω λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν τοῦ κρίνειν ἐξουσίαν, πάντα τὰ κέρατα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν συγκλάσω· συγχωρήσας μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐπαίρεσθαι κατὰ καιρὸν καθ' ὃν ἔδει χρήσασθαι τῇ ἀνοχῇ, καὶ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ τῇ χρηστότητι· πλὴν ἐπὶ τέλει τὰ κέρατα αὐτῶν κατεπαρθέντα τοῦ Θεοῦ συγκλάσω· ἀνάπαλιν δὲ τὰ τοῦ δικαίου κέρατα ὑψώσω, ἐπείπερ ἦν τεταπεινωμένα. Τότε δὲ ὑψωθήσεται, ἐπειδὰν συμβασιλεύῃ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ βασιλεῖ κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ὅς φησιν· Ἀπαρχὴ γὰρ Χριστός· εἶτα οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ· εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδιδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, ὅταν καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ