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they heard." And he made mention of one prophet by name: "For the Spirit of the Lord, he says, clothed Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood up above the people, 80.844 and said to them, Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord? And you shall not prosper, because you have forsaken the Lord, and He will forsake you." But not only did they speak against the divine words, but they also stoned the prophet, at the king's command, and they stoned him inside in the court of the temple. He was sick with such ingratitude, both towards the God who had saved him, and towards the one who had ministered to his salvation. For this the history teaches. "And Joash the king, it says, did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, and he put his son to death with him. And as he was dying, he said: May the Lord see, and judge." And he did not fail in his request. For when a year had passed, a small army of Syrians attacked them; but they were delivered up by the despised Lord; and some they killed, and others they carried away as slaves. And he, having fallen ill with a disease, was slain by his subjects. For the Lord passed this sentence against him, as the historian said: "And after Joash he executed judgments, and his servants rose up against Joash for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they put him to death on his bed, and he died, and they buried him in the city of David, and they did not bury him in the tomb of the kings." True then is the word spoken to Noah, "Whoever sheds man's blood, drinks it, for his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God I have made man." And these men, Amaziah the son of Joash, when he became king, put to death. For they did not kill him, being kindled by divine zeal, but acting with a murderous intent. And in his place, his son Amaziah became king. This man, wishing to campaign against the Idumeans, hired a hundred thousand Israelites for a hundred thousand talents. But the prophet, sent to him from God, said these things: "O king, let not the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the sons of Ephraim. For if you think to prevail with these in the war, the Lord will put you to flight before your enemies, for it is in the Lord's power to help and to put to flight." I am sufficient for you, he says, for help; you do not need a multitude when you go into battle, do not take for aid those who are stripped of piety. And when he said this, "And what shall I do with the hundred talents which I gave to the army of Israel?" the prophet answered and said: "The Lord is able to give you much more than these." And believing what was said, he went away, and killed ten thousand, and enslaved as many; but having received divine assistance, 80.845 he did not acknowledge his benefactor. For the gods of the vanquished, whom he brought back with the spoils, he honored as givers of the victory, and venerated with sacrifices. But God reproved his impiety through the prophet. For he said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people, who did not deliver their own people from your hand?" For a long time, he says, the Idumeans served these, and did not reject their worship; for they enjoyed no assistance from them. But you, having enjoyed my support, not only killed those men, but also enslaved these. None of these things profited the foolish man. For he said to the prophet, "Have I made you counselor to the king? Take heed to yourself, lest I strike you." But the prophet said with boldness: "I know that the Lord has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel." Thus stripped of divine providence, he challenges the king of Israel to war; and he suffered the things which we have related in the books of Kings. And he received an end similar to his father's. But the divine Scripture praises Uzziah. "For he was, it says, seeking the Lord in the fear of the Lord, in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God." And it also speaks of the fruits of his piety: "And in his days he sought the Lord, and the Lord God prospered him."

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ἤκουσαν." Ἑνὸς δὲ προφήτου καὶ ὀνομαστὶ ἐμνήσθη· "Πνεῦ μα γὰρ, φησὶ, Κυρίου ἐνέδυσε τὸν Ζαχαρίαν, τὸν τοῦ Ἰωδαὲ τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ ἀνέστη ἐπάνω τοῦ λαοῦ, 80.844 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς παραπορεύεσθε τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου; Καὶ οὐκ εὐ οδωθήσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγκατελίπετε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐγ καταλείψει ὑμᾶς." Ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον τοῖς θείοις λόγοις ἀντεῖπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατέλευσαν τὸν προφήτην, τοῦ βασιλέως κελεύσαντος, καὶ κατέλευσαν αὐτὸν ἔν δον ἐν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ τοῦ ναοῦ. Τοιαύτην οὗτος ἀχα ριστίαν ἐνόσησε, καὶ περὶ τὸν σεσωκότα Θεὸν, καὶ περὶ τὸν ὑπουργηκότα τῇ σωτηρίᾳ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. "Καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθη, φησὶν, Ἰωὰς ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἐλέους, οὗ ἐποίησεν Ἰωδαὲ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθανάτωσε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Ὡς δὲ ἀπέθνησκεν, εἶπεν· Ἴδοι Κύριος, καὶ κρίναι." Καὶ οὐ διήμαρτε τῆς αἰτή σεως. Ἐνιαυτοῦ γὰρ διελθόντος, ὀλίγη μὲν αὐτοῖς Σύρων προσέβαλε στρατιά· ἐξεδόθησαν δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ καταφρονηθέντος ∆εσπότου· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλον, τοὺς δὲ ἐξανδραποδίσαντες ᾤχοντο. Οὗτος δὲ ἀῤῥω στίᾳ περιπεσὼν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐσφάγη. Ταύτην γὰρ κατ' αὐτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκεν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ὡς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἔφη· "Καὶ μετὰ Ἰωὰς ἐποίησε κρίματα, καὶ ἐπέθεντο τῷ Ἰωὰς οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἐν αἵμασιν υἱῶν Ἰωδαὲ τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ ἐθανάτωσαν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέθανε, καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν πόλει ∆αβὶδ, καὶ οὐκ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τῶν βασιλέων." Ἀληθὴς ἄρα ὁ λόγος ὁ πρὸς τὸν Νῶε ῥηθεὶς, "Ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου, πίνει αὐτὸ, ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται, ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον." Καὶ τού τους δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωὰς υἱὸς Ἀμασίας βασιλεύσας κατέκτεινεν. Οὐ γὰρ ζήλῳ θείῳ πυρσευθέντες ἀνεῖλον, ἀλλὰ μιαιφόνῳ χρησάμενοι γνώμῃ. Ἀντ' αὐτοῦ δὲ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀμασίας. Οὗτος στρατεῦ σαι βουληθεὶς κατὰ τῶν Ἰδουμαίων, ἐμισθώσατο Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἑκατὸν χιλιάδας ἰσαρίθμων ταλάντων. Ἀλλ' ὁ προφήτης πρὸς αὐτὸν θεόθεν ἀποσταλεὶς ταῦτα ἔφη· "Βασιλεῦ, μὴ πορευέσθω μετὰ σοῦ δύ ναμις Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι Κύριος μετὰ Ἰσραὴλ πάντων τῶν υἱῶν Ἐφραΐμ. Ὅτι ἐὰν ὑπολάβῃς κατ- ισχῦσαι ἐν τούτοις ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, τροπώσεταί σε Κύ ριος ἐναντίον τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἰσχὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ τοῦ βοηθῆσαι καὶ τοῦ τροπώσασθαι." Ἀρκῶ σοι, φησὶν, εἰς βοήθειαν· οὐ χρῄζεις πλήθους παρα τασσόμενος, μὴ λάβῃ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τοὺς εὐσεβείας γεγυμνωμένους. Τούτου δὲ εἰρηκότος, "Καὶ τί ποιή σω τοῖς ἑκατὸν ταλάντοις, οἷς ἔδωκα τῇ δυνάμει Ἰσραήλ;" ὑπολαβὼν ὁ προφήτης ἔφη· "Ἔστι τῷ Κυρίῳ δοῦναί σοι πλεῖον τούτων." Πιστεύσας δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀπῆλθε, καὶ κατέκτεινε μυρίους, ἐξηνδραπόδισε δὲ τοσούτους· ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας ἐπικου 80.845 ρίας τυχὼν, οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν εὐεργέτην. Τῶν γὰρ ἡττη θέντων τοὺς θεοὺς, οὓς μετὰ τῶν λαφύρων ἐκόμισεν, ὡς δοτῆρας τῆς νίκης ἐτίμησε, καὶ ἱερουργίαις ἐγέραιρεν. Ἀλλ' ἤλεγξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου. Εἶπε γὰρ αὐτῷ, "Τί ἐζήτησας τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ, οἳ οὐκ ἐξείλοντο τὸν λαὸν αὑ τῶν ἐκ χειρός σου;" Ἐπὶ πολὺν, φησὶ, χρόνον τού τους ἐθεράπευσαν Ἰδουμαῖοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπώσαντο τῆς θεραπείας· οὐδεμιᾶς γὰρ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐπικουρίας ἀπήλαυσαν. Σὺ δὲ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπολαύσας ῥοπῆς, οὐ μό νον κατέκτεινας ἐκείνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους ἐξ ηνδραπόδισας. Τούτων οὐδὲν ὤνησε τὸν ἀνόητον. Ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς τὸν προφήτην, "Μὴ σύμβουλον τοῦ βασιλέως δέδωκά σε; πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ πα τάξω σε." Ὁ δὲ προφήτης εἶπε σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ· "Ἔγνων ὅτι ἐβουλεύσατο Κύριος τοῦ διαφθεῖραί σε, ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσας τῆς συμβουλίας μου." Οὕτω τῆς θείας γυμνωθεὶς προμηθείας, προσκαλεῖται μὲν εἰς πόλεμον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν βασι λέα· πέπονθε δὲ ἅπερ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις εἰρήκα μεν. Ὁμοίως δὲ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τὸ πέρας ἐδέξατο. Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ τὸν Ὀσίαν ἡ θεία Γραφή. "Ἦν γὰρ,φησὶν, ἐκζητῶν τὸν Κύριον ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ζαχαρίου τοῦ συνιόντος ἐν ὁράσει Θεοῦ." Λέγει δὲ καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας καρπούς· "Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ἐξεζήτησε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ κατηύθυνεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ὁ Θεός."