Commentary on Isaiah, Discourses 20–30

Commentary on Isaiah, Discourses 20–30

continued

Discourse 28

1 Thus says the Lord: Keep judgment, and do justice. For my salvation is about to come, and my mercy to be revealed. Concerning the calling of the nations through faith, that is, the one in Christ, he has made long speeches in the preceding parts a little while ago, and having finished this, he moves on again to the need to admonish those of the blood of Israel. For being good by nature, He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But since it was their custom to raise their eyebrows at the nobility of their fathers, and to be high-minded for this very reason, and this alone, and to think these things would suffice for them, even if the boast of a good life was not seen among them, he tries to assure them that their puffing up over this will be completely in vain, and he shows rather that those who have obtained God-befitting glory are those who choose to fulfill what has been commanded, and love to practice brightness in works. Therefore, he says, keep judgment, that is, right judgment, or the divine judgments, which clearly means the commandments. Do justice; for it will not suffice merely to wish to adhere to the divine laws, but to shrink from the need to carry them out; but one must be seen as a guardian of the sacred judgments, and besides this, to excel through every good work.

2 And lest anyone of us should think that through these words those from Israel are being incited to the observance of the law, which is, as I say, in shadows and types; for no one is justified by the law before God, as the most excellent Paul wrote to some; he says that salvation is near, and his mercy is to be revealed. And he calls Christ mercy and salvation; for we have been shown mercy through him, gaining remission and salvation through faith. We say that this is similar to what was said [alt. this to what was said] by God to the blessed Habakkuk: "Yet a little while, and he who is to come will come, and will not delay. And when he says 'to be revealed,' it is instead of 'to be made manifest'; for the blessed prophets foretold the arrival of the Savior; but he became visible to those on earth at the times when the ruler willed it; and the divine David will teach this, saying: "The Lord has made known his salvation, he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. For Christ, who is salvation and righteousness, has been made manifest to the nations; for as I just said, God the Father has saved and justified us in him. Blessed is the man who does these things, and the man who holds fast to them, and keeps my Sabbaths from being profaned, and keeps his hands from doing any wrong.

3 These things are also akin to what we have just said, and proceed along the same lines, yet the discourse has much for observation. For observe how he says that the blessed one is not at all necessarily the one from the seed of Abraham, nor the one boasting in flesh and noble birth, and having a vain mind on this account, but rather that one in whom is seen excellence in good things, and the brilliant and manifest dignity of a life unprofaned. Something of this sort is also seen to have been proclaimed by the blessed John the Baptist to the crowds of the Jews; for they came honoring the baptism from him, but it was one of repentance, and he rebuked them for being very bitter, saying: "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves: We have Abraham as our father. But he says: "If you had Abraham as your father, you would do the works of Abraham. Blessed, therefore, he says, is not one who is a son of Abraham, but the one who keeps these things; and what are these things? Judgment and justice, and in addition to this, keeping and performing them, and holding fast to them, that is, not proceeding to them negligently or carelessly, but as it were with all zeal, and vigorously, so as to hold fast to them exceedingly, and to keep the Sabbaths from profaning them.

4 So that you may again understand this: it was not permitted on the Sabbath to take any thought for things concerning the flesh of toils or of zealous works. But it was necessary rather to be idle from this, as the divine law commanded, yet while being idle they offered the customary sacrifices to God, the letter of the law enigmatically showing, that abstaining from carnal care it is fitting to wisely offer spiritual sacrifices to God, and those for a spiritual aroma of sweet fragrance. The power of the Sabbath rest, therefore, fulfilled the type of the rest from sins and carnal desires; thus it is fitting for us also to keep from profaning the Sabbaths; for having ceased, as I said, from all earthly and carnal care, we keep the sabbath spiritually, not performing the sacrifices through blood and smoke, but gladdening him with holy zealous works, and offering ourselves up as a smell of sweet fragrance. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased, as it is written. Therefore, it is necessary not to profane the Sabbaths, and in addition to this to keep our hands clean; and in what way, he himself taught by saying: To do no wrong. For it is not possible to be able to keep judgment and to do righteousness while wishing to do wrong, and defiling the hand with the filth of sin.

5 And hand not in every case means that of the body, but instead of the hand you will understand practical energy, by which we approach each of the matters. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say: The Lord will surely separate me from this people. And let not the eunuch say, I am a dry tree. Thus says the Lord to the eunuchs: Whoever shall keep my Sabbaths, and shall choose the things that I desire, and hold fast to my covenant, I will give them in my house and in my wall a named place, better than sons and daughters, I will give them an everlasting name, and it will not fail. God drags down another brow of those of the blood of Israel, that is a pretext for arrogance, as both rotten and stale; for they thought much of themselves, as I said, saying, "We have Abraham as our father," and indeed that we are a holy people, chosen, and we are also assigned as God's inheritance. And they also fled from childlessness, since indeed the forefather Abraham in the order of blessing received from God that his immeasurable seed would be extended into a multitude; for God promised to show it to be equal in number to the stars. And it was said to them also through the all-wise Moses: "There shall not be among you a barren man or a barren woman.

6 And that having many children was considered a great and excellent thing among them, one of the holy prophets will fully inform, saying: "Their glories are from childbirths and birth pangs, and conceptions. And that seven women will take hold of one man, the prophet Isaiah says; and they said that "We will eat our own bread, and we will wear our own garments, only let your name be called upon us, take away our reproach. For they did not want, as I said, to be reproached as barren and sterile. Therefore, since it seemed to those of Israel to think highly of themselves for their carnal nobility, and in addition for having many children, he necessarily removes them from this ignorance also, saying: Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from his people. For not because he is a foreigner, that is, not of the blood of Israel, is he for this reason also without a share in the gifts from him, that is, of intimacy with him, clearly spiritual; but if he should join himself to the Lord, he will certainly be ranked among his own, and those known, and as a holy nation, and a royal priesthood, and as an inheritance of God; and he will be numbered also among the children of Abraham.

7 For not all who are of Israel are Israel, as the all-wise Paul says, nor because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but the children of the promise are counted as seed. And the promise has been given to Abraham by God, not only upon those from him according to the flesh, but also indeed upon all those through faith; for thus was Abraham justified. Therefore, to those who walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham will certainly be given the being numbered among the children. He will not therefore separate the proselyte from his people, but he who has once been added and called in faith he will receive, and will call them a holy people. But if someone is a eunuch, he says, that is, childless or barren, let him not say to himself, "I am a dry tree," that is, let him not grieve because of his childlessness. For this is nothing before God, nor does it render one rejected. For what manner of virtue, or what brilliance of achievements, is having many children? These are works of the flesh, far from both blame and praise. For even if this thing has been given to some as a blessing, when the time calls for it, it would in no way wrong those who did not receive it. Since what manner of condemnation would there be for those who died before their time, or who departed from our human affairs before marriage and union, for whom there was no begetting of children?

8 And will being fathers of many sons and daughters in some way profit the lovers of sin in this life? Let him who has no children not say, he says, "I am a dry tree. But it is no grief, rather I say it is necessary to remember now also those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven, according to the voice of the Savior, to whom one might apply, and very rightly, the word from God in these matters. For I will give to them, he says, in my house and in my wall a famous place. And by house and wall, that is, the enclosure and security, he seems to call the Church, perhaps the one above and in the heavens, or the one on earth, in which men excel who are companions of purity and reverence, and who take up the boast of continence, and consider the glory in this to be better than having many children, and who in respect of a reverent way of life differ in no way from eunuchs. These receive eternal glory from God; this the name makes clear, and the grace from him would not fail in them; for the rewards of continence are exceptional, yet he does not promise the provision of such splendid dignities to simple eunuchs, but to those who keep his Sabbaths, that is, of Christ; and his Sabbaths, as I said, are different from those of the law.

9 For the one were in types, but the other are illumined by the beauty of truth. And since to those who choose [what] he himself wishes, and hold fast to his covenant. And Christ wishes not the things in shadows and letters according to the law, but also the things in the covenant from him; and it is clear that this is the new and evangelical one. And to the foreigners who cleave to the Lord to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants and handmaids, and all who keep my Sabbaths from being profaned, and who hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their whole burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable upon my altar. For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, said the Lord who gathers the dispersed of Israel. These things must be joined to what was said before, so that what is said may be of this sort: Thus says the Lord to the eunuchs, and to the foreigners who cleave to the Lord to serve him. Therefore he speaks to those from the nations, and not at all only to those from the blood of Israel, who, raising a high brow, looked down upon the foreigners, calling themselves the portion and inheritance of God and a holy people;

10 saying, "We are blessed, O Israel, for the things that are pleasing to the Lord are known to us. It is clear, therefore, that it is not the power of fleshly nobility that joins one to God; for not because they are from Abraham have they remained God's inheritance, but those who cleave to him would be counted as his people through a spiritual connection, even if they should be foreigners, cleaving through faith, and considering servitude under him a boast, and loving his name; and loving in such a way as to run always under the yoke through complete subjection to his kingdom, not turning aside to what is not lawful, nor indeed being easily led to choose to turn back, at least to the necessity of cleaving to other gods, but rather a firm and having an unshaken mind, and so keeping His Sabbaths, so as not to profane them, of Christ, that is. For Jews keep the Sabbath according to the law, keeping the flesh free from all toil, and practicing inactivity as regards bodily works. But such a sabbath-keeping was rejected by God; but he who has entered into the rest of Christ, and keeps the Sabbath intellectually, has ceased from his own works. For thus writes the all-wise Paul. He promises to bring the foreigners into His holy mountain, and to gladden them in His house of prayer. Here see for me the shadow of the law overturned, and the oldness of the letter now somehow inoperative.

11 For all things have become new in Christ, the old things have passed away. The law indeed forbade foreigners to enter the house of God; for it said: "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord. But the Savior and Lord of all, transforming our affairs into a spiritual newness, promises to bring the foreigners into His holy house. For He says the holy mountain is nothing other than His own Church, into which having entered they are gladdened by His gifts, delighting, that is, and being rich in the hope of the saints; and that they will live purely, and will have the God of all to be benevolent and gracious, He has declared by saying, that Their whole burnt offerings, and their sacrifices will be acceptable upon my altar. And the word was given as from an example and type of the worship according to the law. For of old it was the custom for those of Israel to offer whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and to bring sacrifices. But since, as I said, the shadow has passed away, those called from the Gentiles do not make their approach through blood, but as it were consecrate themselves to God, dying to the world, but living to righteousness, as it is written. And they will be acceptable, and as a fragrant aroma, some presenting their whole life as if it were sacred, so as to be understood in the rank of whole burnt offerings;

12 others as a partial sacrifice, such as is the life of those who have married in the Lord, being divided in a way between God and the world. For the animals offered for sacrifices were not placed whole upon the altars, but rather by halves, that is, in part. Therefore the foreigners are acceptable, offering themselves up as a spiritual fragrance. But that the divine temple, that is, the house of prayer of the God over all, has not been allotted only to those of Israel, but is rather praised by those throughout all the earth who are called through conversion and faith to the knowledge of Him, He makes clear by saying, that My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Who then is it who promises these things beforehand? Is it the divine prophet Isaiah, as from his own opinion? Not at all. For the Lord has said, he says, who gathers the dispersed of Israel. These, therefore, are the words, and the voices of Him who has mercy; for being good by nature, He wants all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But that the greatness of his gentleness was not shown only to those of the Gentiles, when Christ shone upon the world, but indeed also upon those of the blood of Israel, would be made clear by his saying, The Lord has said who gathers the dispersed of Israel.

13 Therefore they too were scattered, and not so much bodily, that is, carried away somewhere outside of Judea, and being in other cities or countries, but as having departed from the polity of the law, and having leaped away from the love of God; for they have not kept the given commandment; and we shall find in many places, that they also inclined to the worship of idols, and honored God with their lips, but having their mind estranged, and worshiping Him in vain, teaching as doctrines, the commandments of men. Therefore let the intractable Israel not boast over the foreigners; for they too have been shown mercy in a like manner by God; For they were taken, not having their genuine nature unshaken, nor indeed their noble sentiment entirely blameless, but rather scattered and dispersed, as I just said. Because I will gather an assembly against him. All you wild beasts, come, eat, all you beasts of the forest. See that they are all blinded, and they did not know how to be prudent. They are all dumb dogs, unable to bark, dreaming in bed, loving to slumber, and like shameless dogs in their soul, not knowing satiety, and they are wicked, not knowing understanding, all have followed in their own ways, each one according to his own. You will approach what is written in a twofold manner:

14 for it either says that the untamed and savage beasts are those from the nations, inasmuch as they have been brought up under such a tyrant, I mean the devil, and as it were have been made beastly, and live in a way that is not human; or it seems to call beasts those who laid waste to Israel, and with their whole mouth devoured him on account of their impiety toward Christ. And if it is mentioning the nations as beasts, we say that the words, 'Come, eat,' have been addressed to them by God. And this signifies that every abundance of the sacred gifts has been given to them by Him, and that the life-giving table has been set before them; for they too have eaten the bread of life, for they have become partakers of Christ, and of the same body as the saints, so as also to say rejoicing: "The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want. He has made me to lie down in a place of green pasture; He has nourished me beside the water of rest; He has restored my soul. You have prepared a table before me. And He said also through one of the holy prophets: "Eat, drink, and be drunk, O neighbors. For being far from God, they have come near through faith, those who once were wandering have been filled with the sacred food; for it is written, "Bread strengthens man's heart.

15 But if by beasts we understand those who devoured Israel, 'Come, eat' is as if throwing to them those who have acted impiously, and for whom it is fitting to suffer, and very justly so; for they have killed the author of life, not having accepted the faith, and those who were near have become far, and no longer the people of God, but rather are hated as slayers of the Lord. But lest God seem to be punishing in vain, and demanding penalties for nothing, He immediately sets forth the reasons for which they, having become liable, are given over to destruction by their enemies, that is, to the beasts for consumption. For, He says, See that they are all blinded, they did not know how to be prudent. For truly blind are those of Israel, and especially among the others the Scribes and the Pharisees, and those chosen to be leaders of the Synagogue. For they did not receive the true light, nor indeed did they wish to know Christ, although He clearly cried out, at one time, "I am the light of the world," and at another time again, "I have come as a light into this world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Therefore, when it was possible to be enriched by the light by accepting the faith, this they did not do, but as the prophet says, When they waited for light, there was darkness for them, waiting for brightness they walked in gloom.

16 And the Savior Himself also said concerning them and the peoples under their hand, "They are blind, and guides of the blind. Therefore, they are all blinded, He says, and did not know how to be prudent. For it was indeed the part of prudent and understanding men to grasp swiftly the present time of salvation; for the divine David urged them to this, saying: "Lay hold of instruction, lest the Lord be angry, and you perish from the righteous way, when His wrath is kindled swiftly against you. But since they did not lay hold of the instruction through Christ, His wrath was kindled against them, and they perished from the righteous way, that is, they have become outside the evangelical way of life, through which alone the ways of the righteousness pleasing to God shine forth. And in addition to being blind, he says, they were also dumb dogs, unable to bark, dreaming in bed, loving to slumber; as from an example He makes his arguments about them clear. For the dogs that follow the flocks, always circling around, are stronger than sleep and slumber. For if any of the untamed wild beasts should be seen, they bark vigorously, and using all their strength they hasten to drive them away from the livestock, and this is their task.

17 Those who preside over the rational flocks, that is, the guides and teachers, ought to be like these, so as to care for those yoked under them, and to drive away those who wish to do harm in any way whatsoever, and who, while leading them away from the love of God, persuade them to neglect their reverence for Him, and snatch them away for their own purposes. But the leaders of the synagogue of the Jews did not wish to be such; for they were rather mute dogs, loving slumber, and dreaming in their beds. And yet, though it was necessary to introduce what is useful to the people under their authority, and to drive off the attacks of those accustomed to teach other doctrines, they did not do this, but rather they themselves cast them into the pits of destruction. And God of all will teach this, saying: "Your priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' And those who upheld the law did not know me, and the shepherds acted impiously against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal. Therefore, just as dogs, they did not want to bark at those who threatened the flocks, but they imitated the shamelessness of dogs, and their not knowing satiety. For being lovers of wealth, and overcome by shameful gains, and delighting in bribes, they acted unlawfully;

18 who, though ashamed of it, at times passed an unjust sentence on those who did no wrong, while justifying the ungodly, for they did not know satiety, that is, a surfeit of shameful gains, clearly; and for these things the Savior himself also accused them, saying: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. And the divine prophet Isaiah also said about them: "How the faithful city Zion has become a harlot, she that was full of judgment, in whom righteousness lodged, but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your wine merchants mix the wine with water, your rulers are disobedient, companions of thieves, loving gifts, pursuing rewards, not judging orphans, and not attending to the judgment of a widow. Yea, and the divine Habakkuk, on this very account, almost tearfully, called upon God: "How long, O Lord, O Lord, shall I cry, and you will [not] hear? I will cry out to you being wronged, and you will not save? Why have you shown me toils and labors, to look upon misery and impiety? Judgment has come before me, and the judge takes. Because of this the law is scattered, and judgment is not brought to completion, because the ungodly man overpowers the just. For this reason judgment will go forth perverted.

19 Therefore, they did not want to emulate the watchfulness of the dogs in the herds, but only imitated them in being despisers of all reverence, and being insatiably intent on the collections of gains. And in addition to this, he says that they are wicked, and do not know understanding. Therefore the wicked man is without understanding; for understanding would be most fitting for those accustomed to do good, but may wickedness of mind be far from the good. For to see scabies and a sore on a body is the same as wickedness in the mind; for it renders it without understanding, bringing it down to awkwardness, and making it perverse. But since they have become wicked and without understanding, for this reason, he says, they all followed in their own ways, each in the same manner; for having abandoned, as it were, being borne straight to every good, and the necessity of following what has been established, having given, as it were, full rein to their own wills, they did what was pleasing, and not just one by one, but indeed also in the same manner, that is, together and as a multitude. And we will find the teachers of the Jews out of place and discordant with the divine laws, in their assemblies, and councils counseling, and acting. For thus they fell also into the crimes of deicide, and each one turned otherwise to his own way.

20 For they were lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and they delighted more in the distractions of this present life, utterly disregarding the lawful and best life. See how the just man has perished, and no one takes it to heart, and just men are taken away, and no one understands. For from the face of injustice the just man has been taken away, his burial will be in peace, he has been taken from the midst. Having declared that they have become mute dogs, and insatiable in their love of gain, he further shows in these things that they are slothful and scornful, so as to be unyielding even in the last of their offenses, and not even willing to have in mind the need to repent. For, he says, the just man has perished, and no one takes it to heart, and just men are taken away, and no one understands. And through these things he seems to signify the audacious acts of the Jewish flock against Christ, and all that they have done against the holy apostles; for they killed Jesus, almost shouting and saying that prophetic word: "Let us bind the just one, for he is useless to us," and as far as their purpose was concerned, he who was just perished, that is, he who knew no sin;

21 for they did not kill him for reasonable causes, and they unmercifully prepared men who were just, who proclaimed to them the divine and evangelical word, and called them to repentance for their cruelty, to come to trial. Indeed, the divine Stephen was killed by them after he had delivered a long speech to them, and by those things through which it was likely they would be caught for repentance, by these very things they were incited to hostility. Therefore just men are taken away, he says, and no one takes it to heart, that is, he does not deign to consider the magnitude of the impiety; they have contended against the just, and the wicked have prevailed over him who knew not how to sin. His burial will therefore be in peace; he has been taken from the midst. Observe for me again the figure of the speech; for it shows the purpose of those who killed, and not at all in every way the end of the matter as it is said. For Christ has not been taken from the midst, nor indeed those who proclaim his words, being themselves just, as being justified by him; but they have become as if from the midst, according to, I say, the attempt of those who killed; but that the accusation runs against all those who killed, and there was no one among the Jews who would be outside the charge, he indicated, saying: His burial will be in peace.

22 And he calls death "burial," and by adding "in peace," he indicated that there was no one at all in the ranks of the Jews who opposed their unholy counsels, that is, who stood against and rebuked those willing to commit unholy acts; for all from one counsel and opinion dared to act against Christ, and being at peace with one another they killed him. But you, draw near here, lawless sons, seed of adulterers and of a harlot. In what did you revel? And against whom did you open your mouth? And against whom did you let loose your tongue? Are you not children of destruction, a lawless seed? From very great love of God the divine prophet attacks the foul mouths of the Jews, and is exceedingly grieved at their unholy words, which they have spoken against Christ. For they have continually, as it were, let loose their tongue against him, and run him down with full sails, so to speak, of his inherent forbearance. For what of the outrageous things would they not be caught having said of him? They called him a Samaritan, and a winebibber, and one born of fornication, and they said that he who rebuked demons was possessed, and that he who crushed Beelzebub worked his divine signs by Beelzebub. Then, finally, they brought him to Pilate, and they accused him, saying nothing of the truth, but rather using falsehoods and slanders. For they said, that this man stirs up the crowds, and forbids giving tribute to Caesar;

23 and other things to to these things, which will pour down upon their own head the unquenchable flame. For these things the Savior himself also accused them, saying through the voice of Hosea: "Woe to them, for they have leaped away from me; they are wretched, for they have acted impiously against me. But I redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And through the voice of Jeremiah: "I have forsaken my house, I have left my inheritance, I have given my beloved soul into the hands of her enemies. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest; it has raised its voice against me, therefore I have hated it. For in addition to the other slanders, which they have made against him, they have often dared to say when bringing him before Pilate: "Away, away, crucify him. The leaders of the Synagogue of the Jews, more than the others, have done this. For although they knew that he is the heir, they said among themselves: "Come, let us kill him, and let us take his inheritance for ourselves. But their hope failed them. For they indeed killed him, but he did not remain held by death; for he rose again, and has given the vineyard to other husbandmen, having miserably destroyed the ungrateful and Lord-slaying ones. Therefore, O lawless sons, he says, O seed of adulterers and of a harlot.

24 And by these he calls adulterers the Scribes and teachers of the law, who were appointed to lead, who all but committed adultery with the Synagogue, speaking to it the things from the divine law. But they turn aside rather to things which are not lawful, and teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. And the Synagogue of the Jews is rightly a harlot, receiving the seeds of those who commit adultery, and setting aside the law of the all-wise Moses. For this very reason he very rightly calls them lawless sons. Tell me then, in what, he says, have you reveled, and against whom have you opened your mouth, and against whom have you let loose your tongue . Many times, he says, you have uttered railings against holy prophets, but they were, though genuine to the God over all, yet servants, and yoked under, and having the human measure, and their sins were against fellow-servants. But now, against whom have you let loose your tongue? For you were not willing to receive the one who saves; and lawless seed; for you did not endure the one who orders toward piety through evangelical decrees. You who call upon idols under thick trees, slaying your children in the valleys in the midst of the rocks. That is your portion, this is your lot, and to them you poured out libations, and to them you brought sacrifices. Over these things, then, shall I not be angry?

25 Upon a high and lofty mountain, there is your bed, and there you brought up sacrifices, and behind the posts of your door you have set up your memorial. Having declared them slayers of the Lord, he shows that their God-hating sickness, and their readiness for bloodshed, was not new in them, but had been in them for a long time and from the beginning. For you are the ones who in former times, he says, called upon idols under thick trees. For although the law through Moses awarded them useful things, and stated expressly, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve," they slipped into such madness, or rather into unrestrained impiety beyond all measure, so as to become makers of idols, and to perform sacred rites to them, and to call upon them, that is, to teach others to worship under thick trees, and to crown them with honors fitting for God. The God of all makes this clear, saying through the voice of Jeremiah: "Have you seen what the house of Israel has done to me? They went upon every high mountain, and under every leafy tree, and committed fornication there. For taking possession of the tops of mountains and the most flourishing parts of the groves, they constructed altars and sanctuaries, and there they offered sacrifices and libations to unclean demons; and there are also those who did not spare their own children. For Jechonias slaughtered his own son to those that are not to gods.

26 This God himself said somewhere through one of the holy prophets, showing the cruelty of those accustomed to do such things: "Sacrifice men; for calves have failed. You therefore, he says, are the ones who call upon idols, slaughtering their children under shady trees in the ravines among the rocks. What then for these things? That is your portion, this is your lot. For you have worshipped, he says, vain things; and you will have such a portion, and your lot will be vain. That is, it probably means to declare this: You have slaughtered their children in the ravines, he says. Therefore that is your portion, this is your lot, that is, you will be held in equal evils, and the slaughter will be your portion and lot. For what reason? First, because you have become a child-murderer, then because you poured out libations to unclean demons and lifeless idols, and offered sacrifices to them. Shall I not therefore be angry at these things? he says; is not my wrath well-occasioned against you, and does not justice have a reasonable starting-point? Upon a high and lofty mountain, there is your bed, there you brought up sacrifices, and behind the posts of your door you have set your memorial. That they slept on the mountains for the sake of dreams, the prophetic word has declared to us in many places.

27 They say that Israel slipped into this error, so as to carve the forms of idols on the doors and on the posts, so that both entering their houses and walking outside they might see them, and have them in unceasing memories. This matter would be reckoned to them as a clear proof of complete godlessness, and very rightly so; and they called the carved images of the idols salvations [alt. saviors] and guardians of the house. You thought that if you should depart from me, you would have something more. You loved those who lay with you, and you multiplied your fornication with them, and you made many those who were far from you, and you sent ambassadors beyond your borders. All unseemly pleasure, and all evil, which bewitches the human mind, all but promises some experience of a good thing, and that one will partake of things not long ago known, and will be in better circumstances than before. For having thus taken it captive, it carries it off to whatever they might choose. But the foolish, having learned by experience where they are of evil, with difficulty return to their former state; but those who with the eyes of the mind perceive very well the end of each matter, do not endure a turning away; but rather they keep the mind untouched, seeing before experience the things that come after it. But such was not the Synagogue of the Jews;

28 for it was under the hand of the all-powerful God, and clothed with glory from him, it was terrible and unbearable to its neighbors, and having a thrice-desired hope, and full of all prosperity. For following the law through Moses it served the God who is by nature and in truth God; and it continued for seasons not enduring to call, that is, to know how to worship, another God besides him. But when it was inclined to certain teachers and unholy shepherds, it fell into apostasy from God, and worshipped the works of its own hands; thinking perhaps, that it would also be in better circumstances, having slipped away from the love of God. For these things he accuses it, saying: You thought that if you should depart from me, you would have something more. But the expected outcomes of so cold and vain a hope did not come to pass for it; for they have rather been in every evil. Therefore they have had nothing extra for prospering, having cast away what is genuine, and considering what is firm in these things worthy of almost no account at all. And what is even more irrational than this, You loved, he says, those who lay with you, and you multiplied your fornication with them; and he speaks as to a harlot. But who were those who lay with her, except perhaps "false shepherds, men seared in their mind," as the blessed Paul says, and full of diabolical darkness?

29 These have become for it both a way and a pretext of destruction, leading away of genuineness toward God, but injecting as it were the seeds of impiety, and persuading them to bear fruit for Satan, the crimes of drunken insolence against God. And we say that the for- nication of some is multiplied, that is, the apostasy from God, when the force of the accusations is not seen, perhaps, as being of one manner and of one kind, but as being accomplished out of excessive perverse- ness, and bringing forth many things against them for which one might, and very justly, find fault with those who do them; for instance, I say: it certainly follows for one who has chosen to serve Satan to tolerate doing nothing wholesome; but to be scattered, as it were, into every path of profane and abominable pleasure. And concurrent with such accusations would be the other evils of this sort, both sorceries and necromancies, and the useless little tales of the interpreters of portents, both false prophecies and incantations, and the slanders of the astrologers, and the observance of days, and in addition to this, of hours, seasons and years. Thus, he says, multiplying your fornication, you made many to be far from you. And who these might be, it is necessary to see again. For either he means the holy prophets, who, seeing her going beyond all audacity, and driving toward the end of all godlessness, departed from her as from one defiled, almost crying out and say- ing:

30 "We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed; let us forsake her, and let us go each one to his own land; for her judgment has reached to heaven, and has been lifted up even to the stars. (for since Babylon was named a land of graven images, and Jerusalem was grievously sick with this, for this very reason the divine prophets very fitting- ly call her Babylon; or perhaps, she has made many to be far from her- self. For, being curious about the objects of worship of the neighboring nations, and the falsely-named gods among each one, they sent for these; and they were devoted to them and have served, some these, others those. And indeed God said somewhere through the voice of Jeremiah, that "According to the num- ber of your cities were your gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up al- tars to burn incense to Baal. This, I think, is also what is shown by, You sent ambassadors beyond your borders. For not being content with the gods present among them, they sent for, as I said, many others as well, each according to what was supposed to be good for them.

31 Or perhaps the phrase, You sent ambassadors beyond your borders, might signify that the acts of fornication were practiced among them beyond measure, so that what is said is in the manner of a parable, and a common expression, spoken of those who go beyond what is reasonable in each of their affairs. And you turned away, and you were humbled even to Hades. You have wearied yourself in your many ways, and you did not say: I will cease and be strong. Because you have done these things, for this reason you did not beseech me; you, revering whom were you afraid, that you lied to me? What is the end of the apostasy from God, of the immeasurable fornication, and of the unholy undertakings, that is, of the turning away from better things to worse? Utter humiliation, and to arrive, he says, at the lowest abyss of destruction. For since you were not willing to remain exalted, and to have unshaken prosperity, for this very reason you have become humble. For that some of Israel were exalted, at least as far as concerns the glory from God, would become clear from His saying about them through the voice of Isaiah: "I have begotten and exalted sons. Therefore, she has a self-inflicted humiliation; for she has acted impiously against the God who exalts. And in what way she has been humbled, he shows immediately; for he said: You have wearied yourself in your many ways.

32 For by going, as it were, into every way of destruction, they have spent the vi- gors of the soul—clearly meaning the intellectual ones—on nothing useful, and they have grown weary not moderately, by placing their earnestness in destructive matters. Or perhaps by "many ways" in these things he means the constant changing to other gods, and despising those already acquired, but seeking those that belong to certain others, and becoming drunk as if being scattered everywhere, and for the mind within them to have no support or stability. And we happen to suffer this also in the excesses of pleasures. For the mind is sometimes carried away towards every form of impurity, and sometimes it praises being rich, and sometimes it loves the flesh, and is overcome by empty glory, and is, as it were, carried about by every wind, according to what was said through the voice of Jeremiah concerning a certain one: "In the desires of her soul she was carried away by the wind; she was given over, who will turn her back? For the soul that has suffered this will certainly be given over to the assaults of the passions; and the Proverb-writer teaches this, saying: "For crooked thoughts separate from God, and the wandering of desire subverts an innocent mind. It is necessary, therefore, for us to restrain the mind, if it should somehow wish to go unrestrained over rocks, and to delight in and associate with the excesses of pleasures, so that, wearied from much wandering, it may not become the devil's prey.

33 Therefore, having done these things, he says, O Jerusalem, you did not say: I will cease being strong, that is, you did not check with your reasonings the advance towards baser things, you did not measure the apostasy, you did not put an end to your zeal for what is vile, but you rather more intensely apply yourself to wanting to do the things which ought not to have happened in the first place. For it is the work of a soul, at least of one having moderate understanding, not to want to be caught in accusations leading to sin; but if it should happen to suffer this, at least to choose to repent, and through the return to what is better, to cast off the charges. But if it should be carried unrestrainedly towards baser things, and in addition reject the need to repent, it has added sin upon sin, and one can see it suffering sickness upon sickness. At any rate, the God of all accuses those who are in these things, and says: "Does not he who falls rise? Or he who turns away not turn back? Why has this people turned away with a shameless turning, and they have been held fast in their choice, and have not been willing to turn back? But because you have done these things, he says, for this reason you did not entreat me.

34 And yet how was it not more necessary, since you have dared to do such shameful and rejectable things, to lift up supplications, and to ask for mercy from God? For he receives those who are willing to repent, being good by nature, and knowing our frame, according to what is written. For he said through one of the holy prophets: "Return, O returning children, and I will heal your breakings. It is, therefore, proof of the utmost folly and of a complete turning away, for one who has been in so many evils, not to endure to seek from God even to be shown mercy with the confession of his stumblings. For it is written, that "Declare you your iniquities first, that you may be justified. And someone sings, and says: "I said: I will confess my iniquity against myself to the Lord; and you forgave the ungodliness of my heart. But there was a certain argument among the Jews, both rotten and weak, and full of ignorance; for they were contending to turn away from the living God, and to incline towards other gods, since the host of the Babylonians was being announced to them as about to arrive at any moment. But, O madman, he says, whom having feared did you revere, and lie to me? The tyrant of the Babylonians is a man, and as for the divine strength, his army is absolutely nothing. For it is written concerning God: "He who holds the circle of the earth;

35 and those who dwell in it are as grasshoppers. And again the prophet Isaiah said: "If all the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and will be counted as spittle, and were counted as the turn of a scale, to whom have you likened the Lord, and with what likeness have you likened him? Therefore, most foolish are those who considered the man from earth to be greater than God, and who lied about their piety towards him, and thought that they would be saved through gods that are not. For what benefit could come from stone and wood? At any rate, it is said concerning them: And in the time of their evils they will say: Arise and save us. And where are your gods, which you made for yourself? If they will arise, and save you in the time of your affliction. And they lied to God, not doing this in word only, but indeed through the things themselves, of what sort is that which was said about them as in the manner of an example: "And I waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced thorns, and not justice, but a judgement. And somewhere the divine Psalmist also said, as from the person of Christ, about them: "Alien sons lied to me, alien sons have grown old, and they have limped from their paths. And you did not remember me, nor did you take me into your mind, nor into your heart. And I, seeing you, overlook you, and you did not fear me.

36 And I will declare my righteousness, and your evil deeds, which will not profit you. When you cry out, let them deliver you in your affliction. For a wind will take all these, and a tempest will carry them away. God said somewhere through the voice of Ezekiel to the mother of the Jews, I mean, the Synagogue: "As you have done, so shall it be to you; your recompense will be returned upon your head. Yes, and also the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to the lawless," he says; "evil things according to the works of his hands will happen to him. Something of this sort is also now signified through the preceding words. For since you have rejected the knowledge concerning me, he says, you will be overlooked by me, and you will endure a penalty equal to your transgressions. But one forgets God who is by nature and truly God, and who rules over all things, not, of course, by coming entirely into a state of forgetting that God exists (for even the demons believe, and shudder, according to the voice of the apostle), but rather by scorning the will to be subject to him, and by caring little for the things ordained by him; so as to be seen as unruly and disobedient, and having completely turned aside towards everything contrary to what he ought to fulfill. But God forgets, that is, overlooks those who are unmindful of him, all but withdrawing his helping hand, and stripping them of all mercy; which indeed Israel has suffered.

37 For he did not fear the Lord of heaven and earth, and the creator and craftsman of all things; but having freed his neck, as it were, from his scepters, he has been enslaved to gods that are not. For this reason he says, that You did not fear me, and I will declare my righteousness, and your evil deeds; calling 'evil deeds' evidently the apostasy from him, and, I mean, the inclining to those gods which he himself made. And the God of all declares his righteousness upon those who are accustomed to do such things, pronouncing a divine sentence upon them, and imposing a punishment of equal measure. For the audacious acts are not against one who is like us, but they are committed against the very high and exalted nature that rules over all. But that the invention of falsely-named gods is ineffectual [alt. unprofitable] to them, he clearly shows by saying, that "They will not profit you; and that the matter is true, he further declares, saying: "When you cry out, let them deliver you in your affliction. Therefore, as the prophet says, "What does a graven image profit, that they have graven it? They formed it, a molten image, a false fantasy, and a craftsman made it, and it is not God. Then how could an image made of wood and stone, and the findings of human art rather than God, help those who are deceived? For this reason he says, that a wind will take them all, and a tempest will carry them away.

38 But these, who? Either the gods devised by them, or perhaps those who worship them, who, like dust and ashes, are tossed up by the blasts of the winds. And this, I think, is what is said in the book of Psalms: "Let them become like dust before the face of the wind; that is, "they will go towards nothingness. And it is a custom for the divinely-inspired Scripture often to compare the onsets of temptations, that is, of punishments, to a whirlwind and a tempest. But those who hold fast to me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain; and they will say: Clear the ways from before him, and take away stumbling blocks from the way of my people. Necessarily, these things also have been added to what came before. For it was necessary, it was necessary, for the punishment of the lovers of sin and the apostates to become clear, and the works of those who love him. And in general indeed True is the promise; for everyone who holds fast to God, and considers nothing better than complete love for him, and also excels in all good works; this one will be an heir of the land prepared for the saints, which indeed the Savior himself signified to us, saying: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. But by holy mountain in these things I mean, perhaps, the city above, the heavenly Jerusalem, the beautiful city of the saints. For somewhere the divine David sings and says concerning it:

39 "Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Therefore, for all who hold fast to God, the inheritance will be the land of the saints, and the revered and renowned mountain. And he now seems to be making his arguments concerning those from the Jewish ranks who have believed in him, of whom the first-fruits and first ones were the divine disciples, clinging tightly to the love for Christ, having unshakable faith in him, and unassailable submission, and inseparable love. For they say, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? These have become heirs of the kingdom of heaven, and have taken possession of the land above which has been prepared for the meek. The name of meekness would be fitting for those who live the evangelical life, to whom Christ also commanded not to be angry, nor indeed to avenge oneself on any who have caused grief, but rather to hasten to do good even to those who are in the category of enemies. For "Do good," he says, "to your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, and to him who strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. To excel in these things would be proof of forbearance and meekness to the highest degree.

40 But to those who have acquired the land and the holy mountain, as it will be said in promise and in hope, he says: "Clear ways from before his face; this is clearly, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And in what manner the preparation is done, he clarified by saying: "Take up the stumbling blocks from the way of my people; that is, make the way of salvation through faith smooth and easy for those throughout all the earth; let there be nothing rough and steep. For the law through Moses did not know how to pity, and it was difficult to fulfill; for we all stumble in many ways, and it was hard to find one who was completely free, and able to complete it blamelessly. And so the divine disciples said to those who after the faith wished to return to the shadows of the law: And now why do you test God, to place a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? And Paul also said, that the law was added because of transgressions; for the law is a conviction of sin, and stumbling against it, they were under blame and indictment. Therefore, the difficulty of the life under the law was a hindrance. But let it be taken away from the midst, he says; and let the well-trodden path, passable without sweat, be shown, that is, the power of the evangelical life bringing in true worship.

41 God said something like this also elsewhere to the holy mystagogues: "Go through my gates, and cast the stones out of the way; that is, free the way from all difficulty, which would lead to God through worship in spirit and in truth, and through the brightness of faith. Thus says the Lord the most high, who dwells in the high places for ever, holy resting among the holy, and giving long-suffering to the faint-hearted, and giving life to the contrite in heart; I will not take vengeance on you forever, nor will I be angry with you for all time. For a spirit shall go forth from me, and I have made every breath. The blessed prophets, when the Lord of all promises something great and befitting of God to some, they receive the great wonder of his glory and gentleness, and as if leaping for joy they turn to doxology. We shall now find the prophet having experienced something of this kind; for he did not simply say, Thus says the Lord, but he necessarily adds, the most high, that is, he who by nature is beyond and above all that has been brought into existence; and by saying, who dwells in the high places, he indicates again that the divine and most supreme nature is in unshakeable eminences and in ineffable heights. And yet this, I think, is what it is for it to dwell in the high places forever;

42 for it possesses unchangeably in things pertaining to itself, and could not in any way be in better things than what it is, but rather it is inherent in it unchangeably to be continuously in what it is. And he says that he, the Holy One, rests and dwells in the holy, hinting that he rejects those of the blood of Israel as polluted through much sin, but lovingly abides in those who have been cleansed through faith and sanctified in spirit. And he gives longsuffering to the fainthearted, and he calls fainthearted those who are accustomed at times to be somewhat weak regarding the purpose of life set before them. And he gives to them longsuffering, that is, endurance and patience, almost crying out and saying: "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. And he also gives life to those who are contrite in heart, that is, to the poor in spirit; and such are all those in obedience to God, and who have a yielding mind; these would be they who through faith are called to the knowledge of Christ; and they are called poor in spirit, walking the opposite path to those from Israel. For the latter were boastful, disobedient, and unbroken; but the former are good, and good-hearted, and assign to the laws of God the necessity to prevail, and place the neck of their mind under the yoke of Christ. And these are the works of those in Christ.

43 But what does the Most High say to those who have slipped through disobedience into the crimes of impiety toward him? I will not vindicate you forever, nor will I be angry with you always. He does not cut off the hope of being saved from those from Israel; for the remnant has been saved; a very great portion of their multitude has been called, and will they also be called in the last times? with God checking his anger against them, and pulling back the punishment, so that it might not be extended against them entirely. For being good, he has kept his unfailing promise to their fathers. And he gives another reason, as a compassionate God. For a spirit, he says, will go forth from me. And in what way it will go forth, he clarified by saying: I have made every breath. For he is the Father of spirits. Yet he is not understood as having begotten them from his own nature, as he did his own Son, nor do we say that they have had a procession, that is, a proceeding forth, from the essence in the same way as the Holy Spirit; but rather we affirm, thinking correctly, that they came forth from God creatively into being; for he himself made every breath. And wherever creation is named at all, there would certainly be the going forth, that is, the exodus, not essentially, but rather as signifying in a figurative word the act of bringing into being.

44 For a short time I grieved him for sin, and I struck him, and he turned my face from him; and he was grieved, and went sullen in his ways. I have seen his ways, and I healed him, and I comforted him, and I gave him true comfort, peace upon peace to those who are far and to those who are near. And the Lord said: I will heal them; but the unjust will be so tossed, and will not be able to rest. There is no joy for the wicked, said the Lord God. The Jews have paid the penalties for their drunken violence against Christ, unbearable indeed for any man, yet measured, insofar as it came to equality with their sins. For they have committed impiety beyond all measure, killing the righteous, and making themselves guilty of the blood of holy prophets. And finally they laid their hands also upon Christ himself, whom the Father sent, being his Son, with the servants. But they even so boasted against him, although they said to one another: "This is the heir. Therefore, for this sin I grieved him, he says, and I struck him, and I turned my face away from him. For he said: "When you stretch out your hands to me, I will turn my eyes from you; and if you multiply your prayer, I will not listen to you; for your hands are full of blood.

45 But in later times when Israel repents (for he will go on gloomily), the things of the turning away will cease; and he will be accepted through faith, and will be delivered from his ancient sins, God having pity on him; and he will receive a true consolation. And what do we say this is, if not clearly the grace through Christ, which justifies by faith, and delivers from sins, and also provides the sanctification through the Spirit, and the glory of adoption, and the hope of the rewards prepared for the saints? Therefore, the consolation is true, which brings to those who have been deemed worthy of it, in addition to all other good things, peace upon peace, that is, the continuous and unfailing tranquility of peace, which the Savior gave both to those who are far off and to those who are near, that is, both to those from the Gentiles and to those of the blood of Israel. For the blessed Paul has addressed the Gentiles, saying, "But now altogether, you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For inasmuch as it came to Israel to be yoked to the law, and to worship the living and true God, at least according to what seems to be in the sacred proclamations (for it was said to them: "The Lord your God, the Lord is one"), they seemed to be near in some way;

46 but the Gentiles were far off, because they were entirely alienated, both from holy teachings and from knowing the Creator and Lord of all. But peace has been given to these and to those by God the Father, clearly that through Christ, who made both one, and created the two peoples into one new man, and broke down the middle wall of the fence, and abolished the law of commandments in ordinances. Therefore, through him we have received reconciliation, and undivided peace, toward God and toward one another. For Christ said somewhere to the Father and God in heaven: "I desire that, just as I and you are one, so they also may be one in us. And the prophet adds to these things: And the Lord said, I will heal them, making through this a kind of recapitulation of the whole discourse, and establishing a clear and true promise of the God who rules over all; for he promised, he says, saying that he will heal them; but the unrighteous will be so tossed by waves, and will not be able to rest. For since he went through the rewards of those who will be called, for this reason, and very rightly, he also usefully announces the punishments of the disobedient, and the storm among them, and the endless torments. For there is no joy for them, he says, said the Lord God. And when the Lord and God of all has removed their joy, what manner of gladness will there be for them?

47 But that even at the time of the calling of those from Israel, some will remain in disobedience, cleaving to the son of lawlessness, the all-wise Paul will make clear, saying: "Because they did not receive the knowledge of the truth, for this reason God will send them a working of error. And the Savior himself also said: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name," that is, the son of lawlessness, as I said, "him you will receive. Therefore, Israel will be called in due course to the knowledge of Christ, and will be enriched with grace through faith in him; but some impious and unrighteous people will remain; and then, having fallen as if into an unstable storm, and having cast away all joy, they will by no means be able to rest; for they will be crushed, being held fast by a long and endless punishment. Cry out with strength, and do not hold back; like a trumpet lift up your voice, and declare to my people their sins, and to the to the house of Jacob their iniquities. Having finished the discourses concerning the calling of those from Israel, he comes to another kind of admonition, a good and beneficial one, productive of all good order, and one which makes for glorious crowns;

48 and I say that it is necessary to first lay bare the purpose of the prophecy to those who will encounter it, so that they may know to what end the sense of what has been said tends. Therefore, in the previous discourses, which God made concerning those from Israel, there were clear [proclamations] of war and of an inescapable disaster which was yet to come. For He said: "And you did not remember me, nor did you take me into your mind, nor into your heart; and I, seeing you, overlook you, and you did not fear me; and I will declare my righteousness, and your evils, which will not profit you. When you cry out, let them deliver you in your affliction. We were saying that in these things he calls the inventions concerning idols the evils of those from Israel. For this reason he also said: "When you cry out, let them deliver you in your affliction. There was, therefore, a certain proclamation of war, and this was rumored among the peoples of the Jews; but there were some among them who put on a pretense of piety, and while acting heedlessly, doing things which it is not even lawful to speak of, they adorned themselves with outward embellishments, and, as I said, snatched at a reputation for equity. These men also feigned fasts, and made frequent prayers, thinking by this to avert the things from the divine wrath.

49 Therefore, since they were brought to a forgetfulness of their own faults, they thought that for those accustomed to do the most shameful things, fasting alone and prayer would suffice for justification and sanctification; God commands the prophet, saying: "Cry aloud with strength, and do not spare; lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to my people their sins. For do not speak secretly, he says, nor indeed in a corner to some; but rather use a certain high and lifted-up voice, and with all boldness rebuke the transgressors, and let them learn their own transgressions, and from what they should have abstained, if they wished to be honored by God, and worthy of forbearance by the [perhaps of the] from him. They seek me day by day, and desire to know my ways, as a people that has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the judgment of their God. They join, he says, day to days, seeking help from me, and wanting to know my ways, that is, the administrations for each matter. For with war having been announced, and fear having thrown everything into confusion, they have indeed fasted, and they thought that they would learn even to what end the matter would come. This, I think, is the meaning of, They desire to know my ways. They desire this as a people that has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the judgment of their God;

50 that is, as those who have conducted themselves lawfully, and have become the best guardians of the ordinances given to them, and have a blameless life, and are clothed with the boast of a pious polity. For it would be fitting for such people to also seek God, that is, to wish to be near him, and to enjoy forbearance from above, and in addition to this to know his ways. For it has been said through one of the holy prophets: "Seek the Lord, and when you find him, call upon him. And when he draws near to you, let the ungodly forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his counsel, and let him return to the Lord, and he shall have mercy; for he will abundantly pardon their sins. They now ask of me a just judgment, and desire to draw near to God, saying: Why is it that we have fasted, and you did not see? we have humbled our souls, and you did not know? For in the days of your fasts you find your own wills, and you oppress all who are under your hand, you fast for judgments and strifes, and you strike the humble with your fists. They accuse me, he says, as one who does not dispense just things because of not wishing to have mercy on the humble through fasting and prayer;

51 then they wish also to be near God, though on account of nothing pertaining to piety boasting of deeds of valor, but not even clothed with the radiance that comes from virtues, but because of mere abstinence from food alone; and indeed they say, "We have fasted, and You did not see; we have humbled our souls, and You did not know. And they do not say such things as if God were ignorant of their humiliation through fasting; but because they have not come to a sense of their accusations, they say, "You did not see," and "You did not know. For we say that God of all then knows the labors of some, those done through prayer and ascetic practice, I say, when He assents to their requests. Why then He did not accept those who fasted, and made unacceptable the prayers of those who had humbled themselves, He explains, saying: For in the days of your fasts you find your own wills. For fasting is an excellent thing, and prayer is also beneficial; and to humble oneself in the eyes of God has the greatest benefit. For it is written, "I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my own bosom. And the divine David also said: "My knees are weakened from fasting, and my flesh is changed for mercy; yes, and also the God of all Himself: "Turn to me," He says, "with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. For He readily pities those who make their humiliation through toil self-chosen.

52 But it is most absurd for those who wish to be pitied to provoke the lawgiver in another way, and to call Him to wrath by loving to do none of the things that have been commanded; for in every way those who approach God must be holy, and excel in good works, and be seen as free from all filth. For because of this reason He says: You have fasted, but I did not see, that is, I did not pay attention; you humbled your souls, and I did not know, that is, I did not deem your humiliation worthy of any reward; because in the days of your fasts you find your own wills. It is necessary, therefore, that those who wish to fast purely and holily, should depart from their own wills, and choose what seems good to God, and submit a compliant neck to His wills; but those from Israel did not do this at all; but rather they followed their own wills, dishonoring what seemed good to the lawgiver, and they pricked their subjects to judgment and battles; and yet it was necessary to gather into one accord those who were set against one another, and to award peace to those who were brought into disputes. But they turned their zeal to the very opposite. And they struck the humble, and not entirely with hands, but with insults and greed, that is, by some other manner of injustice. Then how was it possible to praise those fasting, when such impurity was in them?

53 or how could the prayers of such wicked men be accepted? To what purpose do you fast for Me, so that your voice is heard today with a cry? I have not chosen this fast, and a day for a man to humble his soul. Nor if you bend your neck like a ring, and spread sackcloth and ashes, not even so will you call it an acceptable fast. The power of the true fast has an extraordinary cry before the God who rules all things. For He perhaps gladly receives the prayers of those who worship Him; and if He sees them humbled through toils and ascetic practices, without any delay He grants their requests. But indeed, of that which might be done lazily and carelessly, He makes its manner rejected. And we say that a fast is holy, that which is accomplished from a pure conscience; which someone might do, having first departed mightily from the ways of wickedness, and having sent away every stain from his mind, and having wiped away the filth of the love of the flesh, and having washed his hands in innocency, according to what is written; and simply, having been shown to be a practitioner of every good work. But that which is not such, is like one gone astray, and while in the form of a fast, it has absolutely none of the things that befit it, it is both ridiculous and unseemly.

54 For those who are good and completely neglecting good things, and having accomplished none of the best deeds of valor; then practicing unprofitable and useless fasting, as if it were some great thing and honorable before God; they box in vain, and they beat the air; for their labor is not rewarded, because it is also unacceptable to God. Why then do you fast for me, he says, so that the cry of your voice may be heard in one day? He says "cry," meaning either the prayer with, I say, the useless fasting, or the cry from the matter itself. For the things done by us are said to have a certain voice to God, according to what was said to Cain by him: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth. But this is not the fast I have chosen, he says; and what this fast is, he has already declared, saying, that "In the days of your fasts you find your own pleasures, and you prick all your subordinates into judgment and fights. You fast, and you strike the lowly with your fists. Therefore, not even if you bend your neck like a ring, and spread out sackcloth and ashes, that is, even if you practice extreme humiliation, and tread an unbearable path of labor, with such shameful accusations, not even so will you call it an acceptable fast. For if you wish, he says, to speak the truth, not even you yourselves would call it an acceptable fast.

55 Is not this the fast that I have chosen, says the Lord, but loose every bond of wickedness, undo the knots of forced contracts, send the crushed away in forgiveness, and tear up every unjust document. Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house. If you see one naked, cover him, and you will not overlook the members of your own seed. to Cain by him: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth. But this is not the fast I have chosen, he says; and what this fast is, he has already declared, saying, that "In the days of your fasts you find your own pleasures, and you prick all your subordinates into judgment and fights. You fast, and you strike the lowly with your fists. Therefore, not even if you bend your neck like a ring, and spread out sackcloth and ashes, that is, even if you practice extreme humiliation, and tread an unbearable path of labor, with such shameful accusations, not even so will you call it an acceptable fast. For if you wish, he says, to speak the truth, not even you yourselves would call it an acceptable fast. Is not this the fast that I have chosen, says the Lord, but loose every bond of wickedness, undo the knots of forced contracts, send the crushed away in forgiveness, and tear up every unjust document. Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house.

56 If you see one naked, cover him, and you will not overlook the members of your own seed. It was necessary for those who did not know the manner of the true fast to be shown this by God. For from him comes all wisdom, and understanding, and the way to everything that is best is revealed. At any rate, the divine David also sings, and says: "Lead me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth. Therefore, he made the most artless and in no way beneficial fast of the Jews rejected, and he reveals the power of the true one. For loose, he says, every bond of wickedness, that is, rid yourself of the desire to take advantage of anyone; for greed is a bond of wickedness, and attacking some of the weaker ones, and, as it were, binding them with inescapable entanglements of accusations, in order to make them terrified, and thus to seek to receive from them whatever they might wish. Undo the knots of forced contracts. And we say that commercial transactions are full of forced contracts, and those resulting from knots, that is, ill-nature. And in addition to these, the other things of so-called givings and takings, which involve certain kinds of greed, and prove men to be lovers of shameful gains those accustomed to doing the same things. And the broken, he says, send away in release, that is, those who endure crushing, or toil, or from the bond of injustice, or from violent transactions.

57 Release in release, that is, free them from the distress that has been brought upon them; permit the weary to rest at last. And tear apart every unjust contract; as I think, he means the notes of the moneylenders, often drawn up without even the giving of as much money as the measure of the contract travails with. But when you refrain from these things, he says, then add what is lacking. And this is to bear fruit for one's neighbor the good things that come from love. For the fulfillment of the law is love, according to what is written. And the fulfillment of love toward brethren, and proof of compassion which is honored by God, is to break bread for the hungry, to take the poor and homeless into one's house, and to clothe the naked, and to one's own kin, that is, those of one's family, sufficient care, I think, [to bestow] and to share with them the breadth of the abundance given by God. But observe, that to refrain from evil is not the same as to do good. Nor would it suffice for some as a boast before God not to have done what is wicked, but one must follow in every way and altogether, and fulfill the need for good works, and hold fast to the pursuits of piety. For to undo the knots of violent transactions, and every bond of injustice, and to tear apart every unjust contract, is nothing other than only to depart from wickedness.

58 But to choose to fulfill the works of love by breaking bread for the hungry, and taking in the poor and homeless, and clothing the naked, and not tolerating any of one's own kin, has clear proof of the best virtues. For this reason also the old law, being a tutor unto Christ, did not bring in the fulfillment of the good to those of that time, but rather taught them to depart from wickedness beforehand. For, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not swear falsely," has this force. But the perfect, and the fulfillment of all good was reserved for the ordinances through Christ, from whom we learned to fulfill the works of love toward God and brethren.