Questions on Kings and Chronicles 5.4
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 5
5.4PG 80 80:821
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, Οὐκ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ λαοῦ, ὅτι ἦν μεταστροφὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα στήσῃ Κύριος τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἐλάλησεν ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Αχιὰ τοῦ Σιλωνίτου; | Οἱ τῆς θείας κηδεμονίας ἀπολαύοντες συνορῶσι τὸ πρακτέον ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφιζόμενοι. Οἱ δὲ ταύτης ἐστερημένοι τῆς χάριτος, ὡς ἔτυχε φέρονται. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὁ λόγος δεδήλωκεν, ὅτι ἔδοξε τῷ Δεσπότῃ Θεῷ ῥῆξαι διχῆ τὴν βασιλείαν διὰ τὰς τοῦ πατρὸς παρανομίας. Τῆς μέντοι διαιρέσεως γενομένης, καὶ τοῦ Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς χρυσᾶς δαμάλεις κατασκευάσαντος, οἱ ἐν ταῖς δέκα φυλαῖς οἰκοῦντες ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευῖται πρὸς τὴν Δαβιδικὴν μετέστησαν βασιλείαν· ἐν ἐκείνῃ γὰρ ὁ θεῖος ναός. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει, ὅτι καὶ ἄκοντας αὐτοὺς ἐξέβαλεν Ἱεροβοάμ, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, τοῦ δὲ μὴ λειτουργεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτῷ ἱερεῖς τῶν ὑψηλῶν, καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις, καὶ τοῖς ματαίοις, καὶ ταῖς δαμάλεσιν αἷς ἐποίησεν Ἱεροβοάμ. Ἠκολούθησαν δὲ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι, καὶ τοῖς Λευΐταις, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν εὐσεβεῖς· ᾿Απῆλθον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἀπὸ πασῶν φυλῶν Ἰσραὴλ, οἳ ἔδωκαν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ζητῆσαι Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ, Ἦλθον εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ θῦσαι Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ αὐτῶν, καὶ κατισχῦσαι τὴν βασιλείαν Ἰούδα. Ὁ δὲ φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης δυσσεβήσαντα μὲν τὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ τῷ Σουσακεὶμ παραδέδωκε. Διὰ Σαμαίου δὲ τοῦ προφήτου καὶ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν εἰπὼν, Ὑμεῖς ἐγκατελίπετέ με, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐγκαταλείψω ὑμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ Σουσακείμ· ὡς εἶδεν ἐντραπέντας, καὶ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ὁμολογήσαντας, ἔφη τῷ προφήτῃ· Ἐνετράπησαν, οὐ καταφθερῶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ δώσω αὐτοὺς ὡς εἰς σμικρὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τὸν σπινθῆρα τῆς εὐλογίας τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν αὐτοῖς διαφυλάξω καὶ οὐ μὴ στάξῃ ὁ θυμός μου ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐν χειρὶ Σουσακείμ. Οὐ νῦν αὐτοὺς, φησὶ, παραδώσω πανωλεθρίᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ὕστερον φυλάξω τὴν τιμωρίαν· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ παρόντος αὐτοῖς τὸν τῆς δουλείας ἐπιθήσω ζυγόν. Ἔσονται γὰρ αὐτῷ, φησὶν, εἰς δούλους, καὶ γνώσονται τὴν δουλείαν μου, καὶ τὴν δουλείαν τῆς βασιλείας τῆς γῆς. ᾿Απὸ συγκρίσεως, φησὶν, αὐτοὺς διδάξω, ὅπως χρηστὸς ὁ ἐμὸς ζυγὸς, καὶ ὅπως βαρὺς ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζυγός. Πάλιν δὲ καὶ ἑτέρας ἐδιδάχθημεν γεγενῆσθαι βίβλους προφητικάς· Οἱ λόγοι γὰρ, φησὶ, ῾Ῥοβοάμ, οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι, οὐκ ἰδού εἰσι γεγραμμένοι ἐν τοῖς λόγοις Σαμαίου τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ Ἰαδώκ τοῦ ὁρῶντος τοῦ γενεαλογῆσαι, καὶ αἱ πράξεις αὐτοῦ; ῎Ἄξιον δὲ θαυμάσαι τὴν τοῦ ᾿Αβιᾶ δημηγορίαν. Τῶν γὰρ δέκα φυλῶν ὀκτακοσίας χιλιάδας κατ' αὐτοῦ στρατευομένας ἰδών ἡγεῖτο δὲ αὐτῶν Ἱεροβοάμ· οὗτος μετὰ τετρακοσίων χιλιάδων παραταττόμενος, πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιπαρατασσομένους ἔφη· Οὐχ ὑμῖν γνῶναι, ὅτι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἔδωκε βασιλείαν τῷ Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ διαθήκην ἁλὸς αἰωνίαν; Οὐχ ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἔδει γνῶναι, ὡς θεόσδοτος ἡ τοῦ Δαβὶδ βασιλεία, καὶ τέλος οὐ δεχομένη κατὰ τὴν θείαν ὑπόσχεσιν; Πῶς οὖν ἀνεστήσατε τύραννον τοῦ πατρός μου τὸν δοῦλον ; Διαθήκην δὲ ἁλὸς αἰωνίαν τὸ βέβαιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐκάλεσεν· ἐπειδὴ καὶ βάρβαροι πολλάκις συνεσθίοντες πολεμίοις βεβαίαν εἰρήνην φυλάττουσι, τῶν ἁλῶν μεμνημένοι. ᾿Αλλ' ὁ ἐμὸς πατὴρ, φησί, διὰ νεότητα καὶ δειλίαν παρεχώρησε τῇ τυραννίδι ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῖν ἐπιμέμφομαι, ὅτι κατὰ τῆς θείας βασιλείας θρασύνεσθε, ἣν τῷ γένει τοῦ Δαβὶδ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἐδωρήσατο Κύριος καὶ θαῤῥεῖτε τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ταῖς χρυσαῖς δαμάλεσι, δι᾽ ἂς καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ἱερέας ἐξελάσαντες, ἑτέρους ἀντ' αὐτῶν κατεστήσατε, παραπλήσια δρῶντες τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς τυχόντας ἱερέας χειροτονοῦσι τοῖς οὐκ οὖσι θεοῖς. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῷ ἀληθινῷ θαῤῥοῦμεν Θεῷ, οὗ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας, καὶ τοὺς Λευίτας γεραίρομεν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον τὰς θυσίας προσφέρομεν, καὶ κατὰ τὰς τούτου διατάξεις παρατασσόμεθα, ταῖς θείαις σάλπιγξι τὸν πόλεμον προσημαίνοντες. Διὸ παρεγγυῶ μὲν ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι τῷ Δεσπότῃ Θεῷ, ὃς τῆς ἡμετέρας φάλαγγος στρατηγεῖ. Μεταγνώσεσθε γὰρ τοῦτο ποιήσαντες. Τούτων εἰρημένων, ἑκύκλωσαν μὲν τὸν Ἰούδαν αἱ δέκα φυλαί· ἠλάλαξαν δὲ οὗτοι, καὶ τὴν θείαν ῥοπὴν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν ἐκάλεσαν. Ὁ δὲ κληθεὶς εἰς συμμαχίαν Θεός εἰς δειλίαν τῶν πολεμίων τὸ θράσος μετέβαλε· καὶ τραπέντες ἀπέδρασαν πάντες, καὶ πεντήκοντα μυριάδες ἀνηλώθησαν φεύγουσαι. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τῆς φυγῆς τὴν αἰτίαν· Καὶ κατίσχυσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰούδα, ὅτι ἤλπισαν ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν. Ἕλαβον δὲ καὶ πόλεις ὑποκειμένας ἐκείνοις. Τὸν δὲ Ἱεροβοάμ αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τῷ θανάτῳ παρέδωκεν. Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦ ᾿Ασὰ τὴν προτέραν εὐσέβειαν Ἐποίησε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ασὰ τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέστησε τὰ θυσιαστήρια τὰ ἀλλότρια, τουτέστι, τὰ τῶν εἰδώλων. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγε, καὶ τὰ ὑψηλά. Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι διὰ τούτων αἰνίττεσθαι τὰ παρανόμως τῷ Θεῷ ἐν τοῖς βουνοῖς ἀνακείμενα. Καὶ συνέτριψε τὰς στήλας, καὶ ἐξέκοψε τὰ ἄλση. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς δὲ τοὺς ἐπαίνους διέξεισι. Μετὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας δὲ τὰ ταύτης παραταξάμενος ἐτρέψατο τοὺς Αἰθίοπας, καὶ διώκων ἅπαντας κατηνάλωσεν. Ὁμόρους δὲ λέγει τούτους αὐτῶν γεγενῆσθαι. Ἐσκύλευσαν γὰρ, φησὶ, σκῦλα πολλὰ, καὶ ἐξέκοψαν τὰς κώμας αὐτῶν κύκλῳ Γεράρων, ὅτι ἐγένετο ἔκστασις Κυρίου ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς καὶ διήρπασαν τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν, ὅτι σκῦλα πολλὰ ἐγενήθη αὐτοῖς. Καὶ γε τὰς σκηνάς κτηνῶν, καὶ τοὺς ᾿Αμαζονεὶμ ἐξέκοψαν, καὶ ἔλαβον πρόβατα πολλά, καὶ καμήλους, καὶ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὅτι δὲ τὰ Γέραρα τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐστὶν, οὐδένα ἀντερεῖν οἶμαι. Περὶ γὰρ τὴν καλουμένην Ἐλευθερόπολιν Γεραρηνῶν σαλτὸν μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ὠνόμασται. Εἰκὸς τοίνυν ἀποίκους Αἰθιόπων ἐκείνην οἰκῆσαι τὴν χώραν· καὶ ἄλλους δέ τινας Αμαζονεὶμ ὠνομασμένους, οὓς κατ' αὐτῶν στρατεύσαντας ἄρδην κατέκτειναν ἅπαντας. Μετὰ μέντοι τὴν νίκην, ᾿Αζαρίας υἱὸς Ὀδὴδ ὁ προφήτης Πνεύματος θείου πλησθεὶς ἀπαντήσας τῇ στρατιᾷ, καὶ τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας ἐμνημόνευσε, καὶ προσμένειν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ παρέτρεψεν Ἐὰν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκζητήσητε αὐτὸν, καὶ εὑρεθήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ ἐὰν ἐγκατελίπητε αὐτὸν, ἐγκαταλείψει ὑμᾶς. Επιδείκνυσι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν δέκα φυλῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν· Ἡμέραι γὰρ, φησὶ, πολλαὶ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν οὐ Θεῷ ἀληθινῷ, καὶ οὐχ ἱερέως ὑποδεικνύντος, καὶ ἐν οὐ νόμῳ. Καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐν στενότητι καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσιν ἐν θλίψει ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν Ισραήλ· καὶ ζητήσουσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ εὑρεθήσεται αὐτοῖς. Μὴ ζηλώσητε, φησὶ, τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐ τῷ ἀληθινῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ψευδωνύμοις λατρεύουσι καὶ ἐστέρηνται ἱερέων καὶ διδασκάλων ἐκπαιδευόντων τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον· ἀλλὰ μαθήσονται τῇ πείρᾳ ὅσον κακὸν ἡ ἀσέβεια. Παντοδαπαῖς γὰρ συμφοραῖς περιπεσόντες τὴν θείαν ἐπικουρίαν ζητήσουσι· καὶ τεύξονται ταύτης διὰ τὴν ἄφατον ἀγαθότητα. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων τὴν ἔφοδον Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς καιροῖς, φησὶν, ἐκείνοις οὐκ ἔστιν εἰρήνη τῷ ἐκπορευομένῳ, ὅτι ἔκστασις Κυρίου πολλὴ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας γαίας. Καὶ πολεμήσει ἔθνος πρὸς ἔθνος, καὶ πόλις πρὸς πόλιν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐξέστησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει. Εἶτα αὐτοῖς εισηγεῖται τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδα κατέχειν ἀσάλευτον Καὶ ὑμεῖς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἰσχύσατε καὶ μὴ ἐκλυέσθωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἔστι μισθὸς τῆς ἐργασίας ὑμῶν. Τούτων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀκούσας, ὅσα ἦν ὑπόλοιπα τῶν εἰδώλων τεμένη κατέλυσε, καὶ ὅσας παρέλαβε τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ἐξεκάθηρε πόλεις. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἡ ἱστορία καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν πλῆθος πολὺ τῇ πείρᾳ μεμαθηκὸς τῶν δύο φυλῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τὴν θείαν κηδεμονίαν, ἧς ἀπολαύουσι, τὰς μὲν οἰκείας κατέλιπον πόλεις, εἰς δὲ τὰς τούτων κατέφυγον, καὶ τὸ παροικεῖν ἐν ἀλλοτρίαις τοῦ τὰς οἰκείας οἰκεῖν προετίμησαν. Τούτους μετὰ τῶν δύο φυλῶν συναγαγὼν ὁ ᾿Ασὰ, ἑορτὴν ἐπινίκιον ἐπετέλεσε· καὶ πάμπολλα θύματα προσενεγκὼν τῷ Θεῷ, ὀμόσαι παρεσκεύασεν ἅπαντας, ὡς τῆς ἐννόμου πολιτείας οὐκ ἀποστήσονται, ἀλλὰ μόνῳ λατρεύσουσι τῷ σεσωκότι Θεῷ. Οὕτω δὲ θερμῶς τοὺς θείους ἠσπάσατο νόμους, ὅτι καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, τῇ ᾿Αστάρτῃ λατρεῦσαι προειλομένην, τῆς βασιλείας ἐγύμνωσε• καὶ τὸ εἴδωλον συγκόψας κατέκαυσεν ἐν τῷ χειμάρῥῳ Κέδρων. ᾿Αλλ' οὐκ ἐν ἅπασι τέλειος ἦν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἅπαντα ἐξῆρε τὰ ὑψηλὰ, τουτέστι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς χωρίοις ἀνακειμένους τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων βωμούς. ᾿Απηγόρευτο γὰρ ἑτέρωσε θύειν - ἑνὶ γὰρ ἡ κατὰ νόμον λατρεία περιώριστο τόπῳ. Ἔπειτα δὲ τοῦ Βαασᾶ στρατεύσαντος κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν Ῥαμὰ τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπιτειχίσαντος, δέον εἰς συμμαχίαν καλέσαι τὸν τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν αὐτῷ γενόμενον χορηγὸν, τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Συρίας εἰς συμμαχίαν ἐκάλεσεν ἐκ τῶν βασιλικῶν θησαυρῶν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν θείων, χρυσὸν αὐτῷ πέμψας ὅτι μάλιστα πλεῖστον. ᾿Αλλ' οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὸν ἀνίατον ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Κύριος· ᾿Ανανὶ δὲ τὸν προφήτην ἀποστείλας, τὴν ἀπιστίαν διήλεγξε, τάδε εἰπών· Ἐν τῷ πεποιθέναι σε ἐπὶ βασιλέα Συρίας, καὶ μὴ πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, διὰ τοῦτο διεσώθη ἡ δυνάμις βασιλέως Ἰσραήλ. Ἡ σή, φησὶν, ἀπιστία προὐξένησεν ἐκείνοις τὴν σωτηρίαν. Εἰ γὰρ συνήθως ἐπίστευσας, ἄρδην ἂν πάντας κατέκτεινας. ᾿Αναμιμνήσκει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν Αἰθιόπων, καὶ τῶν Λιβύων, καὶ τῶν ἵππων, καὶ τῶν ἁρμάτων, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ πίστεως, δι᾿ ἣν αὐτοὺς κατηνάλωσεν ἅπαντας· ὅτι Ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου, φησὶν, ἐπιβλέπουσιν ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, κατισχῦσαι ἐν πάσῃ καρδίᾳ· πλήρει πρὸς αὐτόν. Πᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, γνησίως αὐτὸν καλῶν, τεύξεται τῆς σωτηρίας. Εἶτα σαφέστερον ἐλέγχει· Ἠγνόησας ἐπὶ τούτῳ· ἔπειτα προλέγει τὰ ἐσόμενα σκυθρωπά ᾿Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔσται σοι πόλεμος. Ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι μαθεῖν, ὡς οἱ ᾿Αμαζονεὶμ Λιβυκόν ἐστιν ἔθνος. Οὓς γὰρ ἄνω Αμαζονεὶμ ὠνόμασεν, ἐνταῦθα Λίβυας κέκληκεν. Ὁ δὲ ᾿Ασὰ, δέον ἀλγῆσαι, καὶ θρηνῆσαι, καὶ τὴν θείαν καλέσαι φιλανθρωπίαν, οὐ μόνον ὠργίσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεσμωτηρίῳ τὸν προφήτην παρέδωκε. Συναπήλαυσε δὲ καὶ ὁ λαὸς τῆς τούτου πλημμελείας. Ἐλυμήνατο γάρ, φησὶν, ᾿Ασὰ ἐν τῷ λαῷ, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ. Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἀῤῥωστήσας οὐ τὸν Κύριον ἐζήτησεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἰατρούς. ᾿Αλλὰ τούτου τὴν σαφήνειαν ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν τεθεικὼς, ἐπὶ τὰ ἑξῆς βαδιοῦμαι τῆς ἑρμηνείας. Ἐπαινεῖ τὸν Ἰωσαφάτ ἡ ἱστορία, ὡς κατ᾿ ἀρχὰς τοῦ Δαβὶδ ζηλώσαντα τὴν ἀρετήν· τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει τὸ Ἐν ταῖς πρώταις. Διηγεῖται δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἀξιέπαινα κατορθώματα. Κύριον γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐξεζήτησε, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπορεύθη, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα Ἰσραήλ. Δείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὸν τούτων καρπόν· Καὶ κατεύθυνε Κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα πολλή.» Τὸ δὲ, Ὑψώθη. ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐπὶ κατηγορίας, ἀλλ᾽ εὐφημίας ἔθηκεν. Ἐπήγαγε γὰρ, Ἐν ὁδοῖς Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξῆρε τὰ ἄλση ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Ἰούδα. Ἐπέστησε δὲ καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ διδασκάλους τοῦ θείου νόμου, καὶ ἱερέας, καὶ Λευῖτας, καὶ ἄρχοντας. Ἐκομίζετο δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου Θεοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας τὰ ἐπίχειρα. Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔκστασις ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς γῆς τῆς κύκλῳ Ἰούδα καὶ οὐκ ἐπολέμουν τῷ Ἰωσαφάτ. Τοσοῦτο δὲ πᾶσιν ἐπέπεσε δέος, ὅτι καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ οἱ ῎Αραβες δασμὸν αὐτῷ προσεκόμιζον. Ταύτην ἔχων τὴν ἀφθονίαν, καὶ πόλεις ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ οἰκίας ἐδείματο, καὶ τὰς ἀτειχίστους ὠχύρωσε κώμας. Ἑκουσιαζόμενον δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ λέγει τὸν οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων προσφέροντα, ἀλλὰ δῶρα προσκομίζοντα τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν γαμικὴν ἐπιμιξίαν, ἣν πρὸς τὸν ᾿Αχαάβ ἐποιήσατο.» Γυθολίαν γὰρ τοῦ ᾿Αχαάβ τὴν θυγατέρα κατηγγύησε τῷ παιδί. Τέθεικε δὲ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὸν Μιχαίαν διήγημα, καὶ τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας, ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις ἡρμήνευται παρ' ἡμῶν. Τὸ δὲ παρ᾽ ἐκείνου τοῦ συγγραφέως παραλειφθὲν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τεθὲν, ἀναγκαῖον οἶμαι εἰπεῖν. Ἐπανιόντι γὰρ ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς παρατάξεως τῷ Ἰωσαφάτ ἀπήντησεν Ἰηοῦ ὁ τοῦ ᾿Ανανὶ ὁ προφήτης, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Βασιλεῦ Ἰωσαφάτ, εἰ ἁμαρτωλῷ σὺ βοηθεῖς, εἰ μισουμένῳ ὑπὸ Κυρίου σὺ φιλιάζεις; διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο ἐπὶ σὲ ὀργὴ παρὰ Κυρίου· ἀλλ᾽ ἢ λόγοι ἀγαθοὶ εὑρέθησαν ἐν σοὶ, ὅτι ἐξῆρας τὰ ἄλση ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Ἰούδα, καὶ κατηύθυνας τὴν καρδίαν σου ἐκζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον. Ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὡς ἐλαττοῖ τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι τιμωρίας τὰ προγενόμενα κατορθώματα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς ταῦτα ἐκείνοις ἀντιμετρῶν οὕτως ἐκφέρει τὴν ψῆφον. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου πεποίηκεν. Ἐχαλέπαινε μὲν γὰρ κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν διὰ δὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἀρετὴν, τῶν προσβαλόντων καὶ - κυκλωσάντων ἠλευθέρωσε πολεμίων. Προσήκει τοίνυν ἡμᾶς, ταῦτα μεμαθηκότας, φεύγειν τῶν θεομισῶν καὶ τὴν συγγένειαν, καὶ τὴν φιλίαν. Ὁ δὲ συγγραφεὺς τὸν ψόγον καταλιπὼν, εἰς τὸν τῆς εὐφημίας μετέβη κατάλογον, καὶ διδάσκει τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, ὡς τὸν ἔλεγχον ὁ βασιλεὺς δεξάμενος, ἐσπούδασεν ἐν τοῖς εὐσεβέσι πόνοις τὴν τῆς συγγενείας ἐξαλείψαι κηλίδα. Πάλιν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐξῆλθεν Ἰωσαφὰτ εἰς τὸν λαὸν ἀπὸ Βερσαβεὲ ἕως ὅρους Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν. Καὶ οὐ μόνον τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἐφρόντισεν εὐνομίας. Κατέστησε γὰρ, φησὶ, κριτὰς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα ταῖς ὀχυραῖς. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς κριτὰς ῥήματα· Ἴδετε γάρ, φησὶ, τί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπῳ ὑμεῖς κρίνετε, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν λόγοι κρίσεως. Καὶ νῦν γενέσθω ὁ φόβος Κυρίου ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς, καὶ φυλάσσετε, καὶ ποιεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μετὰ Κυρίου Θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀδικία, οὐδὲ θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον, οὐδὲ λαβεῖν δῶρα. Ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν τῶν ὅλων ὀπτῆρα, καὶ τὸ τούτου δέος ἐντέθεικεν, ἵνα μὴ δώροις, μηδὲ φιλίᾳ πωλῶσι τὸ δίκαιον. Παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ κριταῖς ἐνετείλατο, ὥστε μὴ μόνον τοῖς πολίταις δικάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἑτέρωθεν ἀφικνουμένων τὰς ἀμφιβολίας διαλύειν ἐνδίκως, καὶ παραινεῖν τὰ προσήκοντα. Διαστελεῖτε γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶ, καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσονται τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὀργὴ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὑμῶν. Οὕτω ποιήσετε, καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεσθε. | Επέστησε δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἀμαρίαν τὸν ἱερέα, ὥστε εἰ ἀγνοοῖεν οἱ δικάζοντες, ὅπως ἐξενεγκεῖν τὴν ψῆφον, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μάθοιεν δι᾽ ἐκείνου. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἔφη, Ἀμαρίας ὁ ἱερεὺς ἡγούμενος ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς εἰς πάντα λόγον Κυρίου· καὶ Ζαβαδίας υἱὸς Ἰσμαήλ, ἡγούμενος τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰούδα εἰς πάντα λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν. Εἴ τι οὖν ἔρεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν βούλεσθε, διὰ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦτο γινέσθω· δὲ τὸν βασιλέα, διὰ τοῦ ἄρχοντος· εἰ δὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα τῷ νόμῳ μαθεῖν θέλετε, παρὰ τῶν Λευϊτῶν τῶν διδασκόντων τὸν νόμον μάθετε. Τοὺς γὰρ διδασκάλους γραμματέας ἐκάλεσεν. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγεν· δρίζεσθε, καὶ ποιεῖτε, καὶ ἔσται Κύριος μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, τουτέστι, τοῦ σκοπὸν ἀγαθὸν ἔχοντος, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ῥέποντος. Καὶ τῶν παμπόλλων δὲ πολεμίων κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ στρατευσάντων, οὔτε τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὑπηκόων, οὔτε τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐθάῤῥησεν. ᾿Αλλ' ἔδωκε, φησὶ, τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐκζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον· καὶ ἐκήρυξε νηστείαν ἐν παντὶ Ἰούδα. Εἶτα πάντων συνειλεγμένων, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεουμένων, αὐτὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων προσενήνοχε προσευχὴν, Κύριον μὲν αὐτὸν καὶ Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων ὀνομάσας, οὐρανοῦ δὲ καὶ γῆς ποιητὴν, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων Δεσπότην. Εἶτα ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς γεγενημένης εὐεργεσίας τε καὶ θαυματουργίας Σὺ γὰρ εἶ, φησὶ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐξολοθρεύσας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ σου Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτὴν τῷ σπέρματι Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ φίλου σου. ᾿Ανέμνησε δὲ τοῦ προπάτορος, ἵνα διὰ τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐπαγγελίας τύχῃ τῆς βοηθείας. Ἔφη δὲ καὶ ὅπως ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδομήθη, καὶ ὅπως Σολομών προσευξάμενος ᾔτησεν, ὡς εἰ πολεμίων ἐπεληλυθότων προσδράμῃ ὁ λαὸς τῷ ναῷ, καὶ τὸν τούτου καλέσῃ Θεόν, τῆς ἄνωθεν αὐτοὺς ἀπολαῦσαι ῥοπῆς. Οἶδας δὲ, φησὶν, ὡς οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, διϊόντες τὴν ἔρημον, καὶ εἰς τήνδε τὴν γῆν ἀφικνούμενοι, οὔτε τοῖς Ἴδουμαίοις, οὔτε τοῖς Αμμανίταις, οὔτε Μωαβίταις ἐλυμήναντο παριόντες κατὰ τὰς σὰς ἐντολάς. ᾿Αλλ' οὗτοι νῦν κατὰ ταυτὸν ἀθροισθέντες ἐξελάσαι πειρῶνται ἡμᾶς τῆς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἡμῖν δεδομένης κληρονομίας. Εἶτα ἐρωτηματικῶς· Οὐ κρινεῖς ἐν αὐτοῖς; Ὁμολογεῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν· ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἀντιστῆσαι πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τὸ πολὺ τοῦτο τὸ ἐλθὸν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς. Καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί ποιήσομεν ἡμεῖς, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. Τούτων λεγομένων, ἅπαν εἰστήκει τὸ πλῆθος μετὰ βοῆς τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεῦον. Αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες σὺν ὀλολυγμῷ καὶ κωκυτῷ τὰς ἱκετηρίας προσέφερον. Ὁ δὲ φιλοικτίρμων Θεὸς, Ἰεζεὴλ τῷ Λευΐτῃ χρησάμενος ὑπουργῷ, ἔλυσε τὸ δέος τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποσχέσει· Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ εἶπεν· ᾿Ακούσατε, πᾶς Ἰούδα, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωσαφάτ. Τιμῆς ἡ διαίρεσις χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐμνήσθη, καὶ χωρὶς τῶν τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ οἰκούντων πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν ᾤχουν ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὑμῖν· Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ὑμεῖς, μηδὲ πτοηθῆτε ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ὄχλου τοῦ πολλοῦ τούτου· ὅτι οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἡ παράταξις, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τῷ Θεῷ. Εἶτα κελεύει ἐπί τινος στῆναι κορυφῆς, καὶ θεατὰς γενέσθαι τῆς παρατάξεως· Οὐχ ὑμῖν γὰρ, φησὶ, πολεμῆσαι ἐν ταύτῃ. Στῆτε, καὶ συνίετε, καὶ ἴδετε τὴν σωτηρίαν Κυρίου τὴν μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν. Ἰούδα καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ, μὴ φοβεῖσθε, μηδὲ δειλιᾶτε ἐξελθεῖν αὔριον εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ Κύριος μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν. Ἔδωκε τὸ τοῦ θάρσους ἐνέχυρον, καὶ ἐξήλασε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον δέος. Τούτων εἰρημένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰεζεήλ, προσεκύνησαν ἅπαντες· οἱ δὲ Λευῖται ταῖς ὑμνῳδίαις ἐχρήσαντο. Ἐξιόντας δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ὁ βασιλεὺς περιεθάῤῥυνε, λέγων· ᾿Ακούσατέ μου, υἱοὶ Ἰούδα, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ, πιστεύσατε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐμπιστεύσατε ἐν τοῖς προφήταις αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐοδωθήσεσθε. Εἶτα τῆς στρατιᾶς ἡγεῖσθαι προσέταξεν, οὐ τοὺς προμάχους ὁπλοφοροῦντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς Λευίτας ὑμνοῦντας. Ὁ δὲ διασκεδάζων φυλὰς ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἀθετῶν λογισμοὺς λαῶν, καὶ ἀθετῶν βουλὰς ἀρχόντων, καὶ ἀποστρέφων φρονίμους εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν μωραίνων, κατ᾿ ἀλλήλων τοὺς πολεμίους διήγειρε. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν Αμμανῖται καὶ Μωαβῖται τοὺς Ἰδουμαίους ἀνήλωσαν· εἶτα κατ᾿ ἀλλήλων χωρήσαντες τὰ παραπλήσια ἀλλήλοις διέθηκαν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς σὺν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐθεώρει σφαγάς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἅπαντες ἔπεσον, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς διέφυγεν, ἵνα τοῖς οἰκείοις μηνύσῃ τὸ πάθος, ἀδεῶς τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐσκύλευσαν, καὶ τὴν λείαν ἀπήγαγον ἅπασαν. Ἐν τρισὶ δὲ τοῦτο δεδρακότες ἡμέραις, τῇ τετάρτῃ τὸν δοτῆρα τῆς νίκης ἀνύμνησαν. Ἔλαβε δὲ καὶ τὸ πεδίον ἐκεῖνο τῆς εὐλογίας τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν· Κοιλὰς γὰρ εὐλογίας ἐκλήθη. Τὸ δὲ τῆς νίκης παράδοξον ἐξεδειμάτωσεν ἅπαντας τῶν ὁμόρων τοὺς βασιλεῖς. ᾿Ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς μεγίστης ταύτης θαυματουργίας γεγενημένης ἔτι, φησὶν, Ὁ λαὸς οὐ κατηύθυναν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν. Ἐμνημόνευσε δὲ πάλιν ἡ ἱστορία τῆς τοῦ Ἰηοῦ τοῦ ᾿Ανανł ἐγγράφου προφητείας. Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ λόγοι Ἰωσαφάτ, οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι, οὐκ ἰδοὺ γεγραμμένοι εἰσὶν ἐν λόγοις Ἰηοῦ ᾿Ανανί, οὖς κατέγραψεν ἐπὶ βιβλίου λόγων βασιλέων Ἰσραήλ; Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ πάλιν τῷ Ἰωσαφάτ, ὅτι τῷ Οχοζίᾳ τῷ υἱῷ ᾿Αχαάβ ἐκοινώνησε· καὶ ἐπήγαγε· «Καὶ αὐτὸς ἡνόμησε τοῦ ποιῆσαι καὶ πορευθῆναι εἰς Θαρσεῖς· καὶ ἐποίησε ναῦς ἐν Γασίων Γαβέρ. Καὶ ἤδη δὲ ἔφην, ὅτι πόλις ἦν αὕτη τῷ Ἰνδικῷ πελάγει παρακειμένη, Αἰθίοπας οἰκήτορας ἔχούσα. Καλοῦσι δὲ αὐτὴν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν Βερονίκην. Ὁ δὲ τῶν ψυχῶν ἰατρὸς, Ἐλιέζερ τὸν τοῦ Δωδίου, τὸν προφήτην, πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσαφὰτ ἀποστείλας, ἐπεμέμψατο τῇ φιλίᾳ, καὶ τὴν παιδείαν προεἶπεν· ῾Ὡς ἐφιλίασας γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ Ὀχοζίᾳ, καὶ ἐκοινώνησας μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, διέκοψε Κύριος τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ συνετρίβησαν αἱ νῆές σου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς Θαρσεῖς. Ὅσων δὲ κακῶν πρόξενος ἡ δυσσεβὴς ἐκείνη συγγένεια, τὰ ἑξῆς διδάσκει τῆς ἱστορίας· Ἰωρὰμ γὰρ, ὁ τοῦ Ἰωσαφάτ υἱὸς, ᾿Αχαὰβ τοῦ κηδεστοῦ ἐζήλωσε τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Οὗτος καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς κατέκτεινεν ἅπαντας, καὶ διὰ πάσης ὥδευσε πονηρίας. Ἐπορεύθη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ βασιλέων Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς ἐποίησεν οἶκος ᾿Αχαάβ, ὅτι θυγάτηρ ᾿Αχαάβ ἦν αὐτῷ γυνή καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἠβούλετο Κύριος ἐξολοθρεῦσαι τὸν οἶκον Δαβὶδ διὰ τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν διέθετο τῷ Δαβίδ, ὃν τρόπον εἶπε δοῦναι αὐτῷ λύχνον, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας. Ἐντεῦθεν ἐδιδάχθημεν ὅσον ὀνίνησιν ἡ τῶν προγόνων εὐσέβεια. ᾿Ανέχεται γὰρ καὶ πονηρῶν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, τῆς τῶν κατοιχομένων ἀρετῆς μεμνημένος. Ἐδρέψατο δὲ καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας καρπούς. ᾿Απώσατο μὲν γὰρ Ἰδουμαία τὸν τῆς δουλείας ζυγόν ἀπέστη δὲ καὶ Λομνὰ, πόλις οὖσα τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Ὁ δὲ Δεσπότης διὰ Ἡλιοῦ τοῦ πάνω τὴν ψῆφον κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐξενήνοχεν. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης ἀφίκετο, διὰ γραμμάτων δὲ μεμήνυκε θείαν ἀπόφασιν . Ἦλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγγραφὴ παρὰ Ἠλίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ πατρός σου· ᾿Ανθ᾽ ὧν οὐκ ἐπορεύθης ἐν ὁδῷ Ἰωσαφάτ τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐν ὁδοῖς ᾿Ασά βασιλέως Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐπορεύθης ἐν ὁδοῖς βασιλέων Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας τὸν Ἰούδαν, καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὃν τρόπον ἐξεπόρνευσεν ὁ οἶκος ᾿Αχαάβ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ πατρός σου τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ὑπὲρ σὲ ἀπέκτεινας· διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ Κύριος πατάσσει πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν τῷ λαῷ σου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς σου, καὶ ἐν ταῖς γυναιξί σου, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου. Καλ σὺ ἔσῃ ἐν ἀῤῥωστίαις πονηραῖς, ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ κοιλίας σου, ἕως οὗ ἐξέλθῃ τὰ ἔντερά σου ἀπὸ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας. Ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὡς καὶ ᾿Ασὰ καὶ Ἰωσαφάτ οὐ παντάπασιν ἦσαν ἀδόκιμοι· ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καί τινα ἐπλημμέλησαν, ἐν τοῖς πλείοσι τὸν Θεὸν ἐθεράπευσαν. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἐνεκλήθη, ὡς τὴν ἐκείνων πορείαν καταλιπών. Ἔλαβε δὲ πέρας ἡ πρόῤῥησις. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀλλόφυλοι τῷ Ἰωρὰμ ἐπεσράτευσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῎Αραβες, καὶ τῶν Αἰθιόπων οἱ πρόσοικοι, καὶ προσβαλόντες κατακράτος ἐνίκησαν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀνεῖλον, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἐξηνδραπόδισαν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας κατέκτειναν, καὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν ἐσφετερίσαντο πλοῦτον. Μόνος δὲ Οχοζίας διέφυγε, τῶν παίδων νεώτατος. Ἐπέσκηψε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς γαστρὸς τὸ πάθος, κατὰ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν, καὶ οὐδὲ μετὰ θάνατον βασιλικῆς ἠξιώθη ταφῆς. Οὐκ ἐποίησε γὰρ αὐτῷ, φησὶν, ὁ λαὸς ἐκφορὰν καὶ καῦσιν, κατὰ τὴν καῦσιν τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐν τάφοις βασιλέων. ᾿Αληθῶς φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἄῤῥητος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ κόλασις ἀνυπόστατος. Ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ἱστορίας μανθάνομεν, ὡς οἱ ᾿Αμαζονιεὶμ πρόσοικοι Αἰθιόπων εἰσίν. Ἄνω γὰρ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας πολεμίους τῷ Ἰωρὰμ ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἐδίδαξεν ὁμόρους εἶναι τῶν Αἰθιόπων. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ εἰπὼν, ὅτι καὶ τὸν Οχοζίαν ἐβασίλευσαν ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν νεώτερον, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι πάντας τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ἀπέκτεινε τὸ λῃστήριον, τὸ ἐλθὸν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀμαζονιεὶμ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ. Καὶ οὗτος δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐζήλωσε τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Διδάσκαλον γὰρ εἶχε τὴν μιαρωτάτην μητέρα. Τοῦτον ἀνεῖλεν ὁ Ἰηοῦ, σὺν τῷ Ἰωράμ τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραήλ. Ἔτυχε μέντοι ταφῆς διὰ τὴν τοῦ πάππου εὐσέβειαν ἔθαψε γὰρ αὐτὸν Ἰηοῦ, Ὅτι, εἶπεν, υἱός ἐστιν Ἰωσαφάτ, ὅστις ἐζήτησε τὸν Κύριον ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξηγεῖται τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωὰς, ἅπερ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἠρμηνεύσαμεν· ἐροῦμεν δὲ ὅσα ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ βίβλῳ μὴ εὐρήκαμεν κείμενα. Ὁ γὰρ τὰς Παραλειπομένας συγγεγραφὼς βίβλους, ἐδίδαξεν, ὡς ὑπὸ θαυμαστοῦ ἀρχιερέως εἰς ζῆλον ὁ λαὸς πυρσευθεὶς κατέσπασε τοῦ Βάαλ τὴν στήλην, καὶ συνέτριψε, καὶ ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέσπασε τὰ θυσιαστήρια, καὶ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων εἰκόνας ἐλέπτυνε. Ματθὰν δὲ τοῦ Βάαλ τὸν ἱερέα κατέκτεινε τὰς δὲ τῶν ἱερέων ἐφημερίας ἐκράτυνε, καὶ τῶν Λευϊτῶν τὴντάξιν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀπαξαπλῶς, ὅσα Δαβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ διετάξατο θεραπείαν. Συνήργει δὲ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως πραττομένοις ὁ βασιλεὺς φωτιζόμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ Ἐποίησε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰωὰς τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον Κυρίου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Ἰωδαὲ ἱερέως. Προσήνεγκε δὲ καὶ τῇ οἰκοδομίᾳ τοῦ ναοῦ τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν θεραπείαν. Ἐν γὰρ δὲ τῷ παρελθόντι χρόνῳ ἠμελήθη, ὅτι Γοθολία, φησὶν, ἡ ἄνομος, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῆς, κατέσπασαν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀγια Κυρίου ἐποίησαν τοῖς Βααλείμ. Τούτων δὲ πάντων ὁ ἀξιάγαστος ἀρχιερεὺς αἰτιώτατος, ὃς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἀρετὴν, ἐβίω μὲν ἔτη τριάκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν, θήκης δὲ ἠξιώθη βασιλικῆς. Ἔθαψαν γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐν πόλει Δαβὶδ μετὰ τῶν βασιλέων, ὅτι ἐποίησεν ἀγαθωσύνην ἐν Ἰσραήλ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Εκείνου δὲ τελευτήσαντος, ὁ Ἰωὰς ἀπέκλινεν εἰς ἀσέβειαν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπαχθείς· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἠμέλησεν ὁ τῶν ψυχῶν ιατρός. ᾿Απέστειλε γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος εἰς αὐτοὺς προφήτας, ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς Κύριον· καὶ διεμαρτύρατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν. Ἑνὸς δὲ προφήτου καὶ ὀνομαστὶ ἐμνήσθη· Πνεῦμα γὰρ, φησὶ, Κυρίου ἐνέδυσε τὸν Ζαχαρίαν, τὸν τοῦ Ἰωδαὲ τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ ἀνέστη ἐπάνω τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἱνατί ὑμεῖς παραπορεύεσθε τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου ; Καὶ οὐκ εὐοδωθήσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγκατελίπετε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐγκαταλείψει ὑμᾶς. ᾿Αλλ' οὐ μόνον τοῖς θείοις λόγοις ἀντεῖπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατέλευσαν τὸν προφήτην, τοῦ βασιλέως κελεύσαντος, καὶ κατέλευσαν αὐτὸν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ τοῦ ναοῦ. Τοιαύτην οὗτος ἀχαριστίαν 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 αἰτήσεως. Ἐνιαυτοῦ γὰρ διελθόντος, ὀλίγη μὲν αὐτοῖς Σύρων προσέβαλε στρατιά ἐξεδόθησαν δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ καταφρονηθέντος Δεσπότου καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλον, τοὺς δὲ ἐξανδραποδίσαντες ᾤχοντο. Οὗτος δὲ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπεσὼν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐσφάγη. Ταύτην γὰρ κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκεν ὁ Δεσπότης, 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 Δαβὶδ, καὶ οὐκ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τῶν βασιλέων. ᾿Αληθὴς ἄρα ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸν Νῶε ῥηθεὶς, Ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου, ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται, ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ τούτους δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωὰς υἱὸς Ἀμασίας βασιλεύσας κατέκτεινεν. Οὐ γὰρ ζήλῳ θείῳ πυρσευθέντες ἀνεῖλον, ἀλλὰ μιαιφόνῳ χρησάμενοι γνώμῃ. ᾿Αντ᾿ αὐτοῦ δὲ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ᾿Αμασίας. Οὗτος στρατεῦσαι βουληθεὶς κατὰ τῶν Ἰδουμαίων, ἐμισθώσατο Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἑκατὸν χιλιάδας ἰσαρίθμων ταλάντων. ᾿Αλλ' ὁ προφήτης πρὸς αὐτὸν θεόθεν ἀποσταλεὶς ταῦτα ἔφη· Βασιλεῦ, μὴ πορευέσθω μετὰ σοῦ δύναμις Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι Κύριος μετὰ Ἰσραὴλ πάντων τῶν υἱῶν Ἐφραΐμ. Ὅτι ἐὰν ὑπολάβῃς κατισχῦσαι ἐν τούτοις ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, τροπώσεταί σε Κύριος ἐναντίον τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἰσχὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ τοῦ βοηθῆσαι καὶ τοῦ τροπώσασθαι. ᾿Αρκῶ σοι, φησὶν, εἰς βοήθειαν οὐ χρήζεις πλήθους παρατασσόμενος, μὴ λάβῃ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τοὺς εὐσεβείας γεγυμνωμένους. Τούτου δὲ εἰρηκότος, Καὶ τί ποιήσω 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 ἐπικουρίας τυχών, οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν εὐεργέτην. Τῶν γὰρ ἡττηθέντων τοὺς θεοὺς, οὓς μετὰ τῶν λαφύρων ἐκόμισεν, ὡς δοτῆρας τῆς νίκης ἐτίμησε, καὶ ἱερουργίαις ἐγέραιρεν. ᾿Αλλ'᾽ ἤλεγξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου. Εἶπε γὰρ αὐτῷ, Τί ἐζήτησας τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ, οἳ οὐκ ἐξείλοντο τὸν λαὸν αὐτῶν ἐκ χειρός σου ; Ἐπὶ πολὺν, φησὶ, ῾χρόνον τούτους ἐθεράπευσαν Ἰδουμαῖοι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀπώσαντο τῆς θεραπείας· οὐδεμιᾶς γὰρ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐπικουρίας ἀπήλαυσαν. Σὺ δὲ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπολαύσας ῥοπῆς, οὐ μόνον κατέκτεινας ἐκείνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους ἐξηνδραπόδισας. Τούτων οὐδὲν ὤνησε τὸν ἀνόητον. Ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς τὸν προφήτην, Μὴ σύμβουλον τοῦ βασιλέως δέδωκά σε ; πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ πατάξω σε. Ὁ δὲ προφήτης εἶπε σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ· Ἔγνων ὅτι ἐβουλεύσατο Κύριος τοῦ διαφθεῖραί σε, ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσας τῆς συμβουλίας Οὕτω τῆς θείας γυμνωθεὶς προμηθείας, προσκαλεῖται μὲν εἰς πόλεμον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν βασιλέα· πέπονθε δὲ ἅπερ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις εἰρήκαμεν. Ὁμοίως δὲ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τὸ πέρας ἐδέξατο. Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ τὸν Ὀσίαν ἡ θεία Γραφή. «Ην γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκζητῶν τὸν Κύριον ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ζαχαρίου τοῦ συνιόντος ἐν ὀράσει Θεοῦ. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας καρπούς· Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ἐξεζήτησε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ κατηύθυνεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ὁ Θεός. Ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὡς πολλοὶ Ζαχαρίαι γεγένηνται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωδαὲ υἱὸς, ὃν Ἰωὰς κατέλυσε, Ζαχαρίας ὠνόμασται· καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὀζίου Ζαχαρίας κέκληται. Οἶμαι δὲ τοῦτον εἶναι, περὶ οὗ πρὸς τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ἔφη Θεός· Ποίησόν μοι μάρτυρας πιστοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τὸν Οὐρίαν τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ Ζαχαρίαν υἱὸν Βαραχίου. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἡσαΐας κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον προεφήτευσε τὸν καιρόν· Ὅρασις γὰρ, φησὶν, ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμὼς, ἣν εἶδε κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ κατὰ Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου, καὶ Ἰωάθαμ, καὶ ῎Αχαζ, καὶ Ἐζεκίου, οἱ ἐβασίλευσαν τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Λέγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδρεῖον, καὶ ἐν οἰκοδομαῖς φιλότιμον, καὶ ἐν γεωργίαις φιλόκαλον. Πέτρας δὲ τῆς πόλεως τοὺς οἰκήτορας Αραβας ὀνομάζει. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἤκουσε τοῦ προγόνου Δαβίδ, λέγοντος, Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρης. ᾿Αλαζονικῷ γὰρ φρονήματι χρησάμενος, ἔργον ἀρχιερατικὸν ἐπιτελέσαι τετόλμηκεν· Ὡς γὰρ κατίσχυσε, φησὶν, Οζίας, ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ τοῦ διαφθεῖραι, καὶ ἠδίκησεν ἐν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν ναὸν Κυρίου, τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν θυμιαμάτων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ βωμῷ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων τοῦτο δρᾶσαι τετόλμηκεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἔνδον ἐν τῷ ναῷ. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐ παρεχώρησεν ὡς βασιλεῖ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ διήλεγξεν. Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ Ζαχαρίας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὀγδοήκοντα ἱερεῖς, υἱοὶ δυνάμεως· καὶ ἐπέστησαν τὸν Ὀζίαν τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Οὐ σοί, Ὀζία, τοῦ θυμιάσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ααρών, τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις τοῦ θυμιάσαι. Ἔξελθε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος, ὅτι ἀπέστης ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σοι εἰς δόξαν παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Διόρισται, φησὶ, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι προσήκοντα, καὶ τὰ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἁρμόττοντα. Γενικὸν ἔχουσι τὸ γέρας οἱ ἱερεῖς. Τί πατεῖς τὸν θεόσδοτον νόμον; τί παραβαίνεις τοὺς ὄρους; ἁρπάζων τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα προσαπολέσεις. Αλλ' οὐ μόνον οὐκ εἶξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχαλέπηνε πρὸς τοὺς λόγους, καὶ ἐπέμεινε τῆς ἱερουργίας κατατολμῶν. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ἀντὶ τῆς δόξης ἀτιμίαν ἐδρέψατο. Ἀνέτειλε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ λέπρα ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου ἐναντίον τῶν ἱερέων, ἐπάνω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τῶν θυμιαμάτων. Παραυτίκα δὲ οἱ ἱερεῖς τὴν θεήλατον πληγὴν θεασάμενοι, καὶ ἄκοντα αὐτὸν ἐξήλασαν τοῦ νεώ καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πέπονθεν ᾿Αδὰμ τῷ προπάτορι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐπιθυμήσας γενέσθαι Θεὸς, καὶ τὸ εἶναι εἰκὼν Θεοῦ προσαπώλεσεν καὶ οὗτος πειραθεὶς τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἁρπάσαι, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσεν. Ἔνδον γὰρ ἐν θαλάμῳ ἐκάθητο, τῆς ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ λέπρας τὴν ἐν τῷ πλήθει διατριβὴν καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἀπειργούσης. Ἔφερε γὰρ ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ τῆς παρανομίας τὸν ἔλεγχον. Ἰωάθαμ δὲ ὁ τούτου παῖς ἰθύνων διετέλει τὴν βασιλείαν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήσαντος τὰ σκῆπτρα παρέλαβεν. Ἠρίστευσε δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἐν πολέμοις, καὶ τοὺς Αμμανίτας δασμὸν φέρειν ἠνάγκασε. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ συγγραφεὺς, ὅτι ἡτοίμασε τὰς ὁδοὺς αὑτοῦ ἕναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ.» ῎Αχαζ δὲ ὁ τούτου παῖς ἐν ταῖς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐπινοίαις τοὺς ὁμοίους ἀπέκρυψεν ἅπαντας. Τοῦτο καὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ βίβλος ἐδίδαξεν. Αὕτη δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἡ ἱστορία καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ἐδήλωσεν, ἣν ὑπέμεινε. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐξεδόθησαν Σύροις· καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν, πολλοὶ δὲ ἐξηνδραποδίσθησαν. Ἔπειτα δὲ Φακεὲ, τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐν μιᾷ συμπλοκῇ δώδεκα αὐτῶν μυριάδας κατέκτεινε, καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγούς· εἴκοσι δὲ μυριάδας ἐξηνδραπόδισεν. Ὠδὴδ δὲ ὁ προφήτης τοῖς νενικηκόσιν ὑπαντήσας ἠπείλησε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργὴν, ὅτι δὴ παρὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον εἰς δουλείαν ἦγον οὓς ἠχμαλώτευσαν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν· καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀπεκτείνατε ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐν ὀργῇ, καὶ ἕως τῶν οὐρανῶν ἔφθασε. Καὶ νῦν υἱοὺς Ἰούδα καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὑμεῖς λέγετε κατακτήσασθαι εἰς δούλους καὶ δούλας. Ἰδοὺ οὐκ εἰμὶ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν, μαρτύρεται Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν. Καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατέ μου, καὶ ἀποστρέψατε τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἣν ἠχμαλωτεύσατε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν, ὅτι ὀργὴ θυμοῦ Κυρίου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Ἠβουλήθη, φησὶν, ὁ Δεσπότης Θεὸς δίκας ἐκείνοις εἰσπράξασθαι τῆς ἀσεβείας. Τοῦτο κἀκείνοις τὴν ἧτταν, καὶ ὑμῖν παρέσχε τὴν νίκην. Ὑμεῖς δὲ νενικηκότες ἐπελήθητε τῆς συγγενείας, τὴν φύσιν εἰς νοῦν οὐκ ἐλάβετε, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς βαρβάροις καὶ ἀλλοφύλοις τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις ἐχρήσασθε. Καὶ οὐκ ἠρκέσθητε ταῖς μυρίαις σφαγαῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ δουλεύειν τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἀναγκάζετε. Μαρτύρομαι τοίνυν ὑμᾶς, ὡς χαλεπώτερα πείσεσθε. Εἶξαν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῷ προφήτῃ· καὶ τῷ λαῷ παρήνεσαν, καὶ θεραπείας τοὺς δορυαλώτους ἠξίωσαν. Ἐνέδυσαν γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς γυμνοὺς, καὶ ἀλοιφὴν αὐτοῖς προσήνεγκαν καὶ τροφὴν, καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις ἔδωκαν ὑποζύγια, καὶ μέχρι τῆς Ἱεριχοῦς ἀπήγαγον πόλεως. Ἐπισημαντέον δὲ, ὅτι πόλιν φοινίκων τὴν Ἱεριχὼ κεκληκε. Κατέστησαν γὰρ αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν Ἱεριχώ, τὴν πόλιν τῶν φοινίκων. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἡ ἱστορία, ὡς ἐπιμείναντες τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ παρεδόθησαν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις, καὶ εἰς τὰς τούτων πόλεις ᾤκησαν οἱ πολέμιοι. Ἐταπείνωσε γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος τὸν Ἰούδα, διὰ τὸν "Αχαζ τὸν βασιλέα Ἰούδα, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἀπεκάλυψεν ἐν τῷ Ἰούδα ἀσέβειαν, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀποστάσει ἀπὸ Κυρίου. Τὸ δὲ ἀπέκαμψεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐδίδαξεν αὐτὸν ἃ μὴ δεῖ. Ξένα γὰρ εἰσήγαγεν ἔθη, καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν θεοὺς παρεσκεύασε σέβειν. Καλέσας δὲ τὸν ᾿Ασσύριον εἰς ἐπικουρίαν, διήμαρτε τῆς σπουδῆς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπἠγαγεν· Οὐκ εἰς βοήθειαν αὐτῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τοῦ θλιβῆναι αὐτόν. Καὶ ταύταις δὲ πάσαις ταῖς τιμωρίαις ὑποβληθεὶς ἐπέτεινε τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔφη· Καὶ προσέθηκεν "Αχαζ ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ Κυρίου. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς "Αχαζ· Ζητήσω τοὺς θεοὺς Δαμασκοῦ τοὺς τύπτοντάς με· καὶ εἶπεν, ὅτι οἱ θεοὶ Συρίας κατισχύουσιν αὐτούς. Θύσω τοίνυν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀντιλήψονταί μου· καὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτοὶ αὐτῷ εἰς σκῶλον. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ ἐπεκούρησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντοδαπῶν αὐτῷ συμφορῶν ἐγένοντο πρόξενοι. Εἰς ἐσχατην δὲ πονηρίαν ἐλάσας, Καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ κατέκοψε σκεύη, καὶ τοῦ θείου ναοῦ τὰς θύρας ἀπέκλεισε, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ θυσιαστήρια ἐν πάσῃ γωνίᾳ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει κατηγορίαν. Τοῦτον ἀποθανόντα τῆς μετὰ τῶν εὐσεβῶν βασιλέων ταφῆς οὐκ ἠξίωσαν. Ἐζεκίας δὲ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς τὴν ἀκροτάτην κατώρθωσεν ἀρετήν. Ἐποίησε γὰρ, φησὶν, Εζεκίας τὸ εὐθὲ, ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε Δαβὶδ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πρῶτον ἀνέῳξε τὰς θύρας τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπεσκεύασεν αὐτάς. Εἶτα τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς Λευῖτας ἁγιάσας, ἐκκαθῆραι παρηγγύησε τὸν θεῖον ναόν. Οἱ δὲ παραυτίκα ἐξέβαλον, φησὶ, πᾶσαν τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν, τὴν εὑρεθεῖσαν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν οἴκου Κυρίου· καὶ ἐδέξαντο οἱ Λευῖται ἐξενεγκεῖν εἰς τὸν χειμάῤῥουν Κέδρων ἔξω. Ἔπειτα τούτων γεγενημένων τὰς νενομισμένας θυσίας προσήνεγκεν, οὐχ ὑπὲρ μόνων τῶν δύο φυλῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῶν δώδεκα. Ἐξιλάσατο γὰρ, φησὶ, περὶ παντὸς Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι περὶ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς προσενεχθῆναι τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα, καὶ τὰ περὶ ἁμαρτίας· καὶ ἔστησε τοὺς Λευίτας ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, αἰνοῦντας ἐν κυμβάλοις, καὶ ἐν κινύραις, καὶ ἐν ναύλαις, κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν Δαβὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ Γὰδ τοῦ ὁρῶντος τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ Νάθαν τοῦ προφήτου· ὅτι δι᾽ ἐντολὴν Κυρίου τὸ πρόσταγμα ἦν ἐν χειρὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο διελέγχει τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἀφροσύνην, οἳ τὸν μέγαν Δαβὶδ προφήτην καλεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ τῶν τριῶν μνημονεύουσα ἐπήγαγεν, Ὅτι δι' ἐντολὴν Κυρίου τὸ πρόσταγμα ἐν χειρὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ. Μετ᾿ ὀλίγα δὲ ὁ λόγος αἰνίττεται, ὅτι καὶ ὁ ᾿Ασάφ ὑμνοποιὸς ἐγεγόνει. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἐζεκίας ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες, τοῖς Λευίταις, τοῦ ὑμνεῖν τὸν Κύριον ἐν λόγοις Δαβίδ, καὶ Ἀσὰφ τοῦ προφήτου. Διδάσκει δὲ ἡμᾶς πάλιν ἡ ἱστορία, ὅτι τῶν ἱερέων οὐκ ἀποχρώντων ἀποδεῖραι τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν, ἀντελάβοντο αὐτῶν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῶν οἱ Λευῖται, ἕως οὗ συνετελέσθη τὸ ἔργον, καὶ ἕως οὗ ἡγιάσθησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς, ὅτι οἱ Λευίται προθύμως ἡγιάσθησαν παρὰ τοὺς ἱερεῖς. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ νῦν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν γιγνόμενον. Πρεσβυτέρου γὰρ οὐ παρόντος, καὶ τῆς χρείας κατεπειγούσης, ἀναγκάζεται καὶ διάκονος προσφέρειν τῷ δεομένῳ τὸ βάπτισμα. Ὁ μέντοι βασιλεὺς ἄγαν ὢν εὐσεβὴς, καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι τῶν δέκα φυλῶν οἰκοῦντας εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν συνεκάλεσε. Καί τινες μὲν ἐκωμῴδουν τοὺς συγκαλοῦντας, τινὲς δὲ ὑπακούοντες ᾔεσαν. Πλείστου δὲ πλήθους συναθροισθέντος, ἐπετελέσθη τοῦ Πάσχα ἡ ἑορτή. Πάλιν μέντοι οὐκ ἐξαρκούντων τῶν ἱερέων, οἱ Λευῖται ἔθυον τῷ πλήθει τὰ θύματα, καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τὸ αἷμα προσέφερον οἱ δὲ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου προσέχεον βάσει. Ἐξαπίνης δὲ κληθέντες πρὶν ἁγνισθῆναι τῶν ἱερείων μετέλαβον. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει, ὅτι τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ, ἀπὸ Ἐφραΐμ, καὶ Μανασσῆ, καὶ Ἰσάχαρ, καὶ Ζαβουλών, οὐχ ἡγιάσθησαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔφαγον τὸ Φασέκ τοῦτο παρὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν. Ἔτυχον δὲ συγγνώμης διὰ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εὐσέβειαν. Προέθεσαν δὲ τῇ ἑορτῇ ἑτέρας ἰσαρίθμους ἡμέρας, τῶν ἀρχόντων παρεσχηκότων φιλοτίμως τὰ θύματα. Ἔφη δὲ τοιαύτην ἑορτὴν ἐκ τῶν ἡμερῶν Σολομῶντος μὴ γεγενῆσθαι. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμήσαντες, καὶ τὰ τεμένη τῶν εἰδώλων κατέλυσαν, καὶ τὰ ἄλση ἐξέτεμον, καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἀνατεθέντα τῷ Θεῷ θυσιαστήρια ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέσπασαν. Ἐφρόντισε δὲ καὶ τῆς ἱερατικῆς τάξεως, καὶ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ προγόνου γεγενημένην ἐκράτυνε, καὶ τὸν λαὸν παρεσκεύασε τὰς κατὰ νόμον ἀπαρχὰς ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν. Εἶτα ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ταύτην, ἦλθε Σεναχηρεὶμ ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων. Δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς θεοσεβεῖς ἄνδρας δοκιμάζων ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, συμφοραῖς παραπεσεῖν συγχωρεῖ, εἶτα ἐπικουρῶν διαλύει τὰ σκυθρωπά. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῷ Θεῷ θαῤῥῶν, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ συνεισφέρων, πρῶτον τὰς πρὸ τῆς πόλεως πηγὰς ἐνέφραξεν ἵνα μὴ προσεδρεύων πολιορκῇ ἔχων τὴν ἀφθονίαν τοῦ ὕδατος. Ἔπειτα τοὺς περιβόλους ὠχύρωσε, καὶ τοὺς πύργους εἰς ὕψος ἀνέστησε, καὶ προτείχισμα προσῳκοδόμησεν ἕτερον. ᾿Αλλ' οὔτε τούτοις, οὔτε τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐθάῤῥησεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος ἔφη· ᾿Ανδρίζεσθε, καὶ ἰσχύσατε· μὴ φοβηθῆτε, μηδὲ πτοηθῆτε ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως Ασσυρίων, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου παντὸς ἔθνους τοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν πλείους ὑπὲρ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ. Μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ βραχίονες σάρκινοι, μεθ' ἡμῶν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, τοῦ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοῦ πολεμεῖν τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν. Διὰ δὲ τούτων ἐδίδαξε καὶ τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἄμαχον, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως τὸ πρόσκαιρον καὶ ἐπίκηρον. Τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ καὶ ἡ τετάρτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἔχει. Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ ἱστορία, ὅτι καὶ τοσαύτην νίκην νενικηκὼς, καὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπαλλαγεὶς παραδόξως, οὐ κατὰ τὸ ἀνταπόδομα ὃ ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Κύριος, ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Ἐζεκίας, ἀλλ᾽ ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένετο ὀργὴ ἐπὶ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν. Καὶ ἐταπεινώθη Ἐζεκίας ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ οὐκ ἦλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ὀργὴ Κυρίου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἐζεκίου. ᾿Αληθὴς ἄρα ὁ λόγος ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι «Ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. Οὗτος μέντοι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν αὐτόπτης οὐκ ἐγένετο τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐφόδου τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος κατέλαβε. Γηὼν δὲ, ὡς προείρηται, τὸν Σιλωάμ καλεῖ. Ὅτι μέντοι διὰ τὸ ἀναστρέψαι τὸν ἥλιον τοὺς δέκα ἀναβαθμοὺς, ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. Διηγησαμένη γὰρ ὂν συνήγαγε πλοῦτον, καὶ ὅσους κατεσκεύασε θησαυροὺς, ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ εὐωδώθη Ἐζεκίας ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὕτως ἐν τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος, τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσι πρὸς αὐτὸν πυθέσθαι παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ τέρας ὁ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτὸν Κύριος, τοῦ πειρᾶσαι αὐτὸν εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχᾶσθαι. Δέον γὰρ αὐτὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἐξηγήσασθαι, τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἐπέδειξε, τοὺς οὐδὲν μόνιμον ἔχοντας. Τὸ δὲ πειρᾶσαι αὐτὸν εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο σημαίνει, ὅτι ἠθέλησε γυμνῶσαι τοὺς λογισμοὺς αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ ἐνθυμήματα ὁ ἐπιστάμενος καρδίας μονώτατος· ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀποκαλύπτει τὰ κεκρυμμένα. ᾿Απήλαυσε δὲ καὶ ἐπιταφίων λαμπρῶν. Μετὰ πολλῆς γὰρ αὐτὸν τιμῆς καὶ δόξης κατέθηκαν. Τοῦ Μανασσῆ δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἡ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἐδίδαξε βίβλος. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς βασιλεῖς ὑπερηκόντισεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, φησίν, ἃ ἐξῆρε Κύριος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Ἔτισε δὲ καὶ δίκας τῆς ἀσεβείας. Παρεδόθη γὰρ τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων, καὶ ἀπήχθη πεπεδημένος εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. ᾿Αλλὰ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἡ ἄβυσσος μετέδωκε καὶ τούτῳ τῶν τοῦ ἐλέους κρουνῶν· Ὡς γὰρ ἐθλίβη, φησὶ, Μανασσῆς, ἐδεήθη τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἑταπεινώθη σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ. Καὶ προσηύξατο πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπήκουσε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔγνω Μανασσῆς, ὅτι Κύριος αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Τοσοῦτον ἡ παιδεία τοὺς βουλομένους ὀνίνησι. γὰρ βασιλεύων οὐκ εἶχε, ταῦτα δουλεύων ἐκτήσατο. Τῆς γὰρ δουλείας ἀπαλλαγείς, περιεῖλε, φησὶ, τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους, καὶ τὸ γλυπτὸν ἐξ οἴκου Κυρίου, καὶ πάντα τὰ θυσιαστήρια, ἃ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐν ὄρει οἴκου Κυρίου, καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, καὶ κατώρθωσε θυσιαστήριον Κυρίου, καὶ ἔθυσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ θυσίαν σωτηρίου καὶ αἰνέσεως. Εδίδαξε δὲ καὶ τὸν λαὸν εὐσεβεῖν. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Μανασσῆς τῷ Ἰούδα, δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ Ἰσραήλ. Τὸ δὲ ἀτελὲς τοῦ λαοῦ πάλιν ὁ λόγος δεδήλωκεν. Ἐπήγαγε γὰρ, ὅτι ἔτι ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἐθυσίαζεν. Ὅτι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἔθυον, σαφῶς ἐνταῦθα ἡ ἱστορία δεδήλωκεν· ἐπήγαγε γάρ· Πλὴν εἰς κενὸν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ αὐτῶν. Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ἀμὼν καὶ Ἰωσίαν ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡρμηνεύσαμεν. Ζητητέον δὲ, πῶς ἔνδον οὔσης τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἐν τῷ ᾿Ἁγίῳ τῶν ἁγίων, τοῖς Λευΐταις ὁ Ἰωσίας ἀγνισθῆναι προσέταξε, τοῦ δοῦναι τὴν κιβωτὸν τὴν ἁγίαν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ τοῦτο δηλοῖ· Καὶ ἔθηκαν τὴν κιβωτὸν τὴν ἁγίαν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησε Σολομών, ὁ υἱὸς Δαβὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰσραήλ. Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι, ἢ τὸν ᾿Ασσύριον ἐπὶ τοῦ Μανασσῆ τὴν πόλιν ἑλόντα ἐξαγαγεῖν τὴν κιβωτὸν ἔνδοθεν· ἡ τινα τῶν δυσσεβῶν βασιλέων, τῶν μετὰ τὸν Ἐζεκίαν βεβασιλευκότων, ἢ τὸν Μανασσὴν, ἢ τὸν ᾿Αμών· εἶτα τοῦτο τὸν Ἰωσίαν μεμαθηκότα εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀποκαταστῆσαι τόπον. Πάλιν μέντοι ἡ ἱστορία τὸν ᾿Ασάφ, καὶ Αἰμὰν, καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ προφήτας ἐκάλεσε. Κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς, φησὶ, Δαβίδ, καὶ ᾿Ασάφ, καὶ Αἰμὰν, καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, τῶν προφητῶν τοῦ βασιλέως. Τὸ δὲ Κερεσεὶμ εἶδος εἶναι μαντείας ὑπολαμβάνω· τοῖς γὰρ ἐγγαστριμύθοις, καὶ τοῖς γνώσταις, καὶ τοῖς θεραφίμ συνῆπται. Τοσαύτη δὲ ἦν τοῦδε τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ἀρετὴ, ὅτι καὶ θρῆνον ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας συνέγραψε, καὶ τοῦτον τοῖς ᾠδοῖς δέδωκε, καὶ ταῖς ἀδούσαις, ὥστε τοῦτον ἄδειν καθ᾿ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπιτελοῦντας τὴν μνήμην. Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς βασιλεῖς ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας διὰ πλειόνων ἐδίδαξεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ διὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος κἀκείνην τὴν βίβλον ἑρμηνεύσαντες αὖθις ἑρμηνεῦσαι ταύτην περιττὸν ὑπειλήφαμεν. Ὅτι δὲ ἐκ πολλῶν προφητικῶν βίβλων ταῦτα ὁ ἱστοριογράφος μετὰ πολύν χρόνον συνήγαγε, τὸ τέλος τῆς βίβλου ἐκδιδάσκει· μέμνηται γὰρ Κύρου τοῦ
Pōs noēteon to, Ouk ēkousen ho basileus tou laou, hoti ēn metastrophē apo tou Theou, hina stēsę̄ Kyrios ton logon autou, hon elalēsen en cheiri ᾿Achia tou Silōnitou? | Hoi tēs theias kēdemonias apolauontes synorōsi to prakteon hypo tou Theou sophizomenoi. Hoi de tautēs esterēmenoi tēs charitos, hōs etyche pherontai. Touto gar entautha ho logos dedēlōken, hoti edoxe tǭ Despotę̄ Theǭ rhēxai dichē tēn basileian dia tas tou patros paranomias. Tēs mentoi diaireseōs genomenēs, kai tou Hieroboam tas chrysas damaleis kataskeuasantos, hoi en tais deka phylais oikountes hiereis kai Leuitai pros tēn Dabidikēn metestēsan basileian; en ekeinę̄ gar ho theios naos. Entautha de hē historia didaskei, hoti kai akontas autous exebalen Hieroboam, kai hoi huioi autou, tou de mē leitourgein tǭ Kyriǭ; kai katestēsen autǭ hiereis tōn hypsēlōn, kai tois eidōlois, kai tois mataiois, kai tais damalesin hais epoiēsen Hieroboam. Ēkolouthēsan de tois hiereusi, kai tois Leuïtais, kai ek tōn allōn phylōn eusebeis; ᾿Apēlthon gar, phēsin, opisō autōn apo pasōn phylōn Israēl, hoi edōkan kardian autōn zētēsai Kyrion ton Theon Israēl. Kai, Ēlthon eis Hierousalēm thysai Kyriǭ tǭ Theǭ autōn, kai katischysai tēn basileian Iouda. Ho de philanthrōpos Despotēs dyssebēsanta men ton Hieroboam tǭ Sousakeim paradedōke. Dia Samaiou de tou prophētou kai autǭ kai tois archousin eipōn, Hymeis enkatelipete me, kai egō enkataleipsō hymas en cheiri Sousakeim; hōs eiden entrapentas, kai tēn asebeian homologēsantas, ephē tǭ prophētę̄; Enetrapēsan, ou kataphtherō autous, kai dōsō autous hōs eis smikron eis sōtērian; anti tou, Ton spinthēra tēs eulogias tēs oikoumenēs en autois diaphylaxō kai ou mē staxę̄ ho thymos mou epi Hierousalēm en cheiri Sousakeim. Ou nyn autous, phēsi, paradōsō panōlethrią, all᾽ eis hysteron phylaxō tēn timōrian; epi de tou parontos autois ton tēs douleias epithēsō zygon. Esontai gar autǭ, phēsin, eis doulous, kai gnōsontai tēn douleian mou, kai tēn douleian tēs basileias tēs gēs. ᾿Apo synkriseōs, phēsin, autous didaxō, hopōs chrēstos ho emos zygos, kai hopōs barys ho tōn anthrōpōn zygos. Palin de kai heteras edidachthēmen gegenēsthai biblous prophētikas; Hoi logoi gar, phēsi, ῾Rhoboam, hoi prōtoi kai hoi eschatoi, ouk idou eisi gegrammenoi en tois logois Samaiou tou prophētou, kai Iadōk tou horōntos tou genealogēsai, kai hai praxeis autou? ᾿Axion de thaumasai tēn tou ᾿Abia dēmēgorian. Tōn gar deka phylōn oktakosias chiliadas kat' autou strateuomenas idōn hēgeito de autōn Hieroboam; houtos meta tetrakosiōn chiliadōn paratattomenos, pros tous antiparatassomenous ephē; Ouch hymin gnōnai, hoti Kyrios ho Theos Israēl edōke basileian tǭ Dabid epi Hierousalēm eis ton aiōna, kai tois huiois autou diathēkēn halos aiōnian? Ouch hymas, phēsin, edei gnōnai, hōs theosdotos hē tou Dabid basileia, kai telos ou dechomenē kata tēn theian hyposchesin? Pōs oun anestēsate tyrannon tou patros mou ton doulon ? Diathēkēn de halos aiōnian to bebaion tēs basileias ekalesen; epeidē kai barbaroi pollakis synesthiontes polemiois bebaian eirēnēn phylattousi, tōn halōn memnēmenoi. ᾿All' ho emos patēr, phēsi, dia neotēta kai deilian parechōrēse tę̄ tyrannidi egō de hymin epimemphomai, hoti kata tēs theias basileias thrasynesthe, hēn tǭ genei tou Dabid ho tōn holōn edōrēsato Kyrios kai tharrheite tǭ plēthei, kai tais chrysais damalesi, di᾽ as kai tou Theou tous hiereas exelasantes, heterous ant' autōn katestēsate, paraplēsia drōntes tois ethnesi. Kai gar ekeinoi tous tychontas hiereas cheirotonousi tois ouk ousi theois. Hēmeis de tǭ alēthinǭ tharrhoumen Theǭ, hou kai tous hiereas, kai tous Leuitas gerairomen, kai kata ton theion nomon tas thysias prospheromen, kai kata tas toutou diataxeis paratassometha, tais theiais salpinxi ton polemon prosēmainontes. Dio parengyō men hymin mē antiparataxasthai tǭ Despotę̄ Theǭ, hos tēs hēmeteras phalangos stratēgei. Metagnōsesthe gar touto poiēsantes. Toutōn eirēmenōn, hekyklōsan men ton Ioudan hai deka phylai; ēlalaxan de houtoi, kai tēn theian rhopēn eis epikourian ekalesan. Ho de klētheis eis symmachian Theos eis deilian tōn polemiōn to thrasos metebale; kai trapentes apedrasan pantes, kai pentēkonta myriades anēlōthēsan pheugousai. Legei de kai tēs phygēs tēn aitian; Kai katischysan hoi huioi Iouda, hoti ēlpisan epi Kyrion ton Theon tōn paterōn autōn. Helabon de kai poleis hypokeimenas ekeinois. Ton de Hieroboam autos ho tōn holōn Theos tǭ thanatǭ paredōken. Epainei de kai tou ᾿Asa tēn proteran eusebeian Epoiēse gar, phēsin, Asa to euthes enōpion Kyriou tou Theou autou, kai apestēse ta thysiastēria ta allotria, toutesti, ta tōn eidōlōn. Eita epēgage, kai ta hypsēla. Egō de oimai dia toutōn ainittesthai ta paranomōs tǭ Theǭ en tois bounois anakeimena. Kai synetripse tas stēlas, kai exekopse ta alsē. Kai en tois hexēs de tous epainous diexeisi. Meta tēs eusebeias de ta tautēs parataxamenos etrepsato tous Aithiopas, kai diōkōn hapantas katēnalōsen. Homorous de legei toutous autōn gegenēsthai. Eskyleusan gar, phēsi, skyla polla, kai exekopsan tas kōmas autōn kyklǭ Gerarōn, hoti egeneto ekstasis Kyriou ep᾿ autous kai diērpasan tas poleis autōn, hoti skyla polla egenēthē autois. Kai ge tas skēnas ktēnōn, kai tous ᾿Amazoneim exekopsan, kai elabon probata polla, kai kamēlous, kai hypestrepsan eis Hierousalēm. Hoti de ta Gerara tēs Palaistinēs estin, oudena anterein oimai. Peri gar tēn kaloumenēn Eleutheropolin Gerarēnōn salton mechri tou parontos ōnomastai. Eikos toinyn apoikous Aithiopōn ekeinēn oikēsai tēn chōran; kai allous de tinas Amazoneim ōnomasmenous, hous kat' autōn strateusantas ardēn katekteinan hapantas. Meta mentoi tēn nikēn, ᾿Azarias huios Odēd ho prophētēs Pneumatos theiou plēstheis apantēsas tę̄ stratią, kai tēs theias epikourias emnēmoneuse, kai prosmenein tę̄ eusebeią paretrepsen Ean gar, phēsin, ekzētēsēte auton, kai heurethēsetai hymin; kai ean enkatelipēte auton, enkataleipsei hymas. Epideiknysi de autois kai tōn deka phylōn tēn asebeian; Hēmerai gar, phēsi, pollai tǭ Israēl en ou Theǭ alēthinǭ, kai ouch hiereōs hypodeiknyntos, kai en ou nomǭ. Kai ekathisan en stenotēti kai epistrepsousin en thlipsei epi Kyrion ton Theon Israēl; kai zētēsousin auton, kai heurethēsetai autois. Mē zēlōsēte, phēsi, tōn adelphōn hymōn tēn asebeian. Ekeinoi gar ou tǭ alēthinǭ Theǭ, alla tois pseudōnymois latreuousi kai esterēntai hiereōn kai didaskalōn ekpaideuontōn ton tou Theou nomon; alla mathēsontai tę̄ peirą hoson kakon hē asebeia. Pantodapais gar symphorais peripesontes tēn theian epikourian zētēsousi; kai teuxontai tautēs dia tēn aphaton agathotēta. Prolegei de kai tōn ᾿Assyriōn tēn ephodon En gar tois kairois, phēsin, ekeinois ouk estin eirēnē tǭ ekporeuomenǭ, hoti ekstasis Kyriou pollē epi pantas tous katoikountas gaias. Kai polemēsei ethnos pros ethnos, kai polis pros polin, hoti ho Theos exestēsen autous en pasę̄ thlipsei. Eita autois eisēgeitai tēn eis ton Theon elpida katechein asaleuton Kai hymeis gar, phēsin, ischysate kai mē eklyesthōsan hai osphyes hymōn, hoti esti misthos tēs ergasias hymōn. Toutōn ho basileus akousas, hosa ēn hypoloipa tōn eidōlōn temenē katelyse, kai hosas parelabe tōn deka phylōn exekathēre poleis. Edidaxe de hē historia kai touto, hōs ek tōn allōn phylōn plēthos poly tę̄ peirą memathēkos tōn dyo phylōn tēn eusebeian, kai tēn theian kēdemonian, hēs apolauousi, tas men oikeias katelipon poleis, eis de tas toutōn katephygon, kai to paroikein en allotriais tou tas oikeias oikein proetimēsan. Toutous meta tōn dyo phylōn synagagōn ho ᾿Asa, heortēn epinikion epetelese; kai pampolla thymata prosenenkōn tǭ Theǭ, omosai pareskeuasen hapantas, hōs tēs ennomou politeias ouk apostēsontai, alla monǭ latreusousi tǭ sesōkoti Theǭ. Houtō de thermōs tous theious ēspasato nomous, hoti kai tēn mētera autou, tę̄ ᾿Astartę̄ latreusai proeilomenēn, tēs basileias egymnōse• kai to eidōlon synkopsas katekausen en tǭ cheimarrhǭ Kedrōn. ᾿All' ouk en hapasi teleios ēn. Prōton men gar ouch hapanta exēre ta hypsēla, toutesti tous en tois hypsēlois chōriois anakeimenous tǭ Theǭ tōn holōn bōmous. ᾿Apēgoreuto gar heterōse thyein - heni gar hē kata nomon latreia periōristo topǭ. Epeita de tou Baasa strateusantos kat᾿ autou, kai tēn Rhama tois Hierosolymois epiteichisantos, deon eis symmachian kalesai ton tosoutōn agathōn autǭ genomenon chorēgon, ton basilea tēs Syrias eis symmachian ekalesen ek tōn basilikōn thēsaurōn, kai mentoi kai tōn theiōn, chryson autǭ pempsas hoti malista pleiston. ᾿All' ouk eiasen auton aniaton ho philanthrōpos Kyrios; ᾿Anani de ton prophētēn aposteilas, tēn apistian diēlenxe, tade eipōn; En tǭ pepoithenai se epi basilea Syrias, kai mē pepoithenai epi Kyrion ton Theon sou, dia touto diesōthē hē dynamis basileōs Israēl. Hē sē, phēsin, apistia prouxenēsen ekeinois tēn sōtērian. Ei gar synēthōs episteusas, ardēn an pantas katekteinas. ᾿Anamimnēskei de auton kai tōn Aithiopōn, kai tōn Libyōn, kai tōn hippōn, kai tōn harmatōn, kai tēs autou pisteōs, di᾿ hēn autous katēnalōsen hapantas; hoti Ophthalmoi Kyriou, phēsin, epiblepousin epi pasan tēn gēn, katischysai en pasę̄ kardią; plērei pros auton. Pas gar, phēsi, gnēsiōs auton kalōn, teuxetai tēs sōtērias. Eita saphesteron elenchei; Ēgnoēsas epi toutǭ; epeita prolegei ta esomena skythrōpa ᾿Apo tou nyn gar, phēsin, estai soi polemos. Enteuthen esti mathein, hōs hoi ᾿Amazoneim Libykon estin ethnos. Hous gar anō Amazoneim ōnomasen, entautha Libyas keklēken. Ho de ᾿Asa, deon algēsai, kai thrēnēsai, kai tēn theian kalesai philanthrōpian, ou monon ōrgisthē, alla kai desmōtēriǭ ton prophētēn paredōke. Synapēlause de kai ho laos tēs toutou plēmmeleias. Elymēnato gar, phēsin, ᾿Asa en tǭ laǭ, en tǭ kairǭ ekeinǭ. Epimemphetai de autǭ, hoti arrhōstēsas ou ton Kyrion ezētēsen, alla tous iatrous. ᾿Alla toutou tēn saphēneian en tę̄ tetartę̄ tōn Basileiōn tetheikōs, epi ta hexēs badioumai tēs hermēneias. Epainei ton Iōsaphat hē historia, hōs kat᾿ archas tou Dabid zēlōsanta tēn aretēn; touto gar legei to En tais prōtais. Diēgeitai de autou kai ta axiepaina katorthōmata. Kyrion gar, phēsi, ton Theon tou patros autou exezētēse, kai en tais entolais autou eporeuthē, kai ou kata ta erga Israēl. Deiknysi de kai ton toutōn karpon; Kai kateuthyne Kyrios tēn basileian en cheiri autou, kai egeneto autǭ ploutos kai doxa pollē.» To de, Hypsōthē. hē kardia autou, ouk epi katēgorias, all᾽ euphēmias ethēken. Epēgage gar, En hodois Kyriou, kai exēre ta alsē apo tēs gēs Iouda. Epestēse de kai panti tǭ laǭ didaskalous tou theiou nomou, kai hiereas, kai Leuitas, kai archontas. Ekomizeto de para tou Despotou Theou tēs eusebeias ta epicheira. Egeneto gar, phēsin, ekstasis epi pasas tas basileias tēs gēs tēs kyklǭ Iouda kai ouk epolemoun tǭ Iōsaphat. Tosouto de pasin epepese deos, hoti kai allophyloi kai hoi ᾿Arabes dasmon autǭ prosekomizon. Tautēn echōn tēn aphthonian, kai poleis ǭkodomēse, kai oikias edeimato, kai tas ateichistous ōchyrōse kōmas. Hekousiazomenon de tǭ Kyriǭ legei ton ouch hyper hamartēmatōn prospheronta, alla dōra proskomizonta tǭ Theǭ. Epimemphetai de autǭ tēn gamikēn epimixian, hēn pros ton ᾿Achaab epoiēsato.» Gytholian gar tou ᾿Achaab tēn thygatera katēngyēse tǭ paidi. Tetheike de kai to kata ton Michaian diēgēma, kai tous pseudoprophētas, hoper en tais Basileiais hērmēneutai par' hēmōn. To de par᾽ ekeinou tou syngrapheōs paraleiphthen, entautha de tethen, anankaion oimai eipein. Epanionti gar ap' ekeinēs tēs parataxeōs tǭ Iōsaphat apēntēsen Iēou ho tou ᾿Anani ho prophētēs, kai eipen autǭ; Basileu Iōsaphat, ei hamartōlǭ sy boētheis, ei misoumenǭ hypo Kyriou sy philiazeis? dia touto egeneto epi se orgē para Kyriou; all᾽ ē logoi agathoi heurethēsan en soi, hoti exēras ta alsē apo tēs gēs Iouda, kai katēuthynas tēn kardian sou ekzētēsai ton Kyrion. Enteuthen manthanomen, hōs elattoi tas epi tois hamartēmasi timōrias ta progenomena katorthōmata. Kai gar ho dikaios kritēs tauta ekeinois antimetrōn houtōs ekpherei tēn psēphon. Touto kai epi toutou pepoiēken. Echalepaine men gar kat᾿ autou dia tēn syngeneian dia de tēn allēn aretēn, tōn prosbalontōn kai - kyklōsantōn ēleutherōse polemiōn. Prosēkei toinyn hēmas, tauta memathēkotas, pheugein tōn theomisōn kai tēn syngeneian, kai tēn philian. Ho de syngrapheus ton psogon katalipōn, eis ton tēs euphēmias metebē katalogon, kai didaskei tous entynchanontas, hōs ton elenchon ho basileus dexamenos, espoudasen en tois eusebesi ponois tēn tēs syngeneias exaleipsai kēlida. Palin gar, phēsin, exēlthen Iōsaphat eis ton laon apo Bersabee heōs horous Ephraim, kai epestrepsen autous epi Kyrion ton Theon autōn. Kai ou monon tēs eusebeias, alla kai tēs allēs ephrontisen eunomias. Katestēse gar, phēsi, kritas en pasais tais polesin Iouda tais ochyrais. ᾿Axiagasta de autou kai ta pros tous kritas rhēmata; Idete gar, phēsi, ti hymeis poieite, hoti ouk anthrōpǭ hymeis krinete, all᾽ ē tǭ Kyriǭ, kai meth᾽ hymōn logoi kriseōs. Kai nyn genesthō ho phobos Kyriou eph᾽ hymas, kai phylassete, kai poieite, hoti ouk esti meta Kyriou Theou hymōn adikia, oude thaumasai prosōpon, oude labein dōra. Edeixen autois ton tōn holōn optēra, kai to toutou deos entetheiken, hina mē dōrois, mēde philią pōlōsi to dikaion. Paraplēsiōs de kai tois tēs Hierousalēm kritais eneteilato, hōste mē monon tois politais dikazein, alla kai tōn heterōthen aphiknoumenōn tas amphibolias dialyein endikōs, kai parainein ta prosēkonta. Diasteleite gar autois, phēsi, kai ouch hamartēsontai tǭ Kyriǭ; kai ouk estai orgē eph᾽ hymas, kai epi tous adelphous hymōn. Houtō poiēsete, kai ouch hamartēsesthe. | Epestēse de autois Amarian ton hierea, hōste ei agnooien hoi dikazontes, hopōs exenenkein tēn psēphon, para tou Theou mathoien di᾽ ekeinou. Idou gar, ephē, Amarias ho hiereus hēgoumenos eph᾽ hymas eis panta logon Kyriou; kai Zabadias huios Ismaēl, hēgoumenos tǭ oikǭ Iouda eis panta logon tou basileōs; kai grammateis, kai hoi Leuitai enōpion hymōn. Ei ti oun eresthai ton Theon boulesthe, dia tou hiereōs touto ginesthō; de ton basilea, dia tou archontos; ei de ta dokounta tǭ nomǭ mathein thelete, para tōn Leuïtōn tōn didaskontōn ton nomon mathete. Tous gar didaskalous grammateas ekalesen. Eita epēgagen; drizesthe, kai poieite, kai estai Kyrios meta tou agathou. Ouch haplōs eipe, meth᾽ hymōn, alla meta tou agathou, toutesti, tou skopon agathon echontos, kai pros touto rhepontos. Kai tōn pampollōn de polemiōn kat᾿ autou strateusantōn, oute tǭ plēthei tōn hypēkoōn, oute tois hoplois etharrhēsen. ᾿All' edōke, phēsi, to prosōpon autou, ekzētēsai ton Kyrion; kai ekēryxe nēsteian en panti Iouda. Eita pantōn syneilegmenōn, kai ton Theon hileoumenōn, autos tēn hyper hapantōn prosenēnoche proseuchēn, Kyrion men auton kai Theon tōn paterōn onomasas, ouranou de kai gēs poiētēn, kai tōn ethnōn hapantōn Despotēn. Eita anamimnēskei tēs gegenēmenēs euergesias te kai thaumatourgias Sy gar ei, phēsi, Kyrios ho Theos hēmōn, ho exolothreusas tous katoikountas tēn gēn tautēn apo prosōpou tou laou sou Israēl, kai edōkas autēn tǭ spermati Abraam tou philou sou. ᾿Anemnēse de tou propatoros, hina dia tēs pros ekeinon epangelias tychę̄ tēs boētheias. Ephē de kai hopōs ho naos ǭkodomēthē, kai hopōs Solomōn proseuxamenos ę̄tēsen, hōs ei polemiōn epelēlythotōn prosdramę̄ ho laos tǭ naǭ, kai ton toutou kalesę̄ Theon, tēs anōthen autous apolausai rhopēs. Oidas de, phēsin, hōs hoi pateres hēmōn, diïontes tēn erēmon, kai eis tēnde tēn gēn aphiknoumenoi, oute tois Idoumaiois, oute tois Ammanitais, oute Mōabitais elymēnanto pariontes kata tas sas entolas. ᾿All' houtoi nyn kata tauton athroisthentes exelasai peirōntai hēmas tēs hypo sou hēmin dedomenēs klēronomias. Eita erōtēmatikōs; Ou krineis en autois? Homologei de kai tēn oikeian astheneian; hoti Ouk estin hēmin ischys tou antistēsai pros to plēthos to poly touto to elthon eph᾽ hēmas. Kai ouk oidamen ti poiēsomen hēmeis, hoti epi soi hoi ophthalmoi hēmōn. Toutōn legomenōn, hapan eistēkei to plēthos meta boēs ton Theon hiketeuon. Hai de gynaikes syn ololygmǭ kai kōkytǭ tas hiketērias prosepheron. Ho de philoiktirmōn Theos, Iezeēl tǭ Leuïtę̄ chrēsamenos hypourgǭ, elyse to deos tę̄ tōn agathōn hyposchesei; Egeneto gar, phēsin, ep᾿ auton pneuma Kyriou en tę̄ ekklēsią, kai eipen; ᾿Akousate, pas Iouda, kai hoi katoikountes Hierousalēm, kai ho basileus Iōsaphat. Timēs hē diairesis chōris gar tou basileōs emnēsthē, kai chōris tōn tēn Hierousalēm oikountōn polloi de kai tōn allōn phylōn ǭchoun ekeinēn tēn polin. Tade legei Kyrios hymin; Mē phobēthēte hymeis, mēde ptoēthēte apo prosōpou tou ochlou tou pollou toutou; hoti ouch hymin estin hē parataxis, all᾽ ē tǭ Theǭ. Eita keleuei epi tinos stēnai koryphēs, kai theatas genesthai tēs parataxeōs; Ouch hymin gar, phēsi, polemēsai en tautę̄. Stēte, kai syniete, kai idete tēn sōtērian Kyriou tēn meth᾽ hymōn. Iouda kai Hierousalēm, mē phobeisthe, mēde deiliate exelthein aurion eis apantēsin autǭ, kai ho Kyrios meth᾽ hymōn. Edōke to tou tharsous enechyron, kai exēlase to anthrōpinon deos. Toutōn eirēmenōn hypo tou Iezeēl, prosekynēsan hapantes; hoi de Leuitai tais hymnǭdiais echrēsanto. Exiontas de tę̄ hysteraią ho basileus perietharrhyne, legōn; ᾿Akousate mou, huioi Iouda, kai hoi katoikountes Hierousalēm, pisteusate Kyriǭ tǭ Theǭ hymōn, kai empisteusate en tois prophētais autou, kai euodōthēsesthe. Eita tēs stratias hēgeisthai prosetaxen, ou tous promachous hoplophorountas, alla tous Leuitas hymnountas. Ho de diaskedazōn phylas ethnōn, kai athetōn logismous laōn, kai athetōn boulas archontōn, kai apostrephōn phronimous eis ta opisō, kai tēn boulēn autōn mōrainōn, kat᾿ allēlōn tous polemious diēgeire. Kai prōton men Ammanitai kai Mōabitai tous Idoumaious anēlōsan; eita kat᾿ allēlōn chōrēsantes ta paraplēsia allēlois diethēkan. Ho de basileus syn tois hypēkoois tas tōn polemiōn etheōrei sphagas. Epeidē de hapantes epeson, kai oude heis diephygen, hina tois oikeiois mēnysę̄ to pathos, adeōs tous nekrous eskyleusan, kai tēn leian apēgagon hapasan. En trisi de touto dedrakotes hēmerais, tę̄ tetartę̄ ton dotēra tēs nikēs anymnēsan. Elabe de kai to pedion ekeino tēs eulogias tēn epōnymian; Koilas gar eulogias eklēthē. To de tēs nikēs paradoxon exedeimatōsen hapantas tōn homorōn tous basileis. ᾿Alla kai tēs megistēs tautēs thaumatourgias gegenēmenēs eti, phēsin, Ho laos ou katēuthynan tēn kardian autōn pros Kyrion ton Theon tōn paterōn autōn. Emnēmoneuse de palin hē historia tēs tou Iēou tou ᾿Ananł engraphou prophēteias. Ephē de houtōs; Kai hoi loipoi logoi Iōsaphat, hoi prōtoi kai hoi eschatoi, ouk idou gegrammenoi eisin en logois Iēou ᾿Anani, ous kategrapsen epi bibliou logōn basileōn Israēl? Epimemphetai de palin tǭ Iōsaphat, hoti tǭ Ochozią tǭ huiǭ ᾿Achaab ekoinōnēse; kai epēgage; «Kai autos hēnomēse tou poiēsai kai poreuthēnai eis Tharseis; kai epoiēse naus en Gasiōn Gaber. Kai ēdē de ephēn, hoti polis ēn hautē tǭ Indikǭ pelagei parakeimenē, Aithiopas oikētoras echousa. Kalousi de autēn kata tēn Hellada phōnēn Beronikēn. Ho de tōn psychōn iatros, Eliezer ton tou Dōdiou, ton prophētēn, pros ton Iōsaphat aposteilas, epemempsato tę̄ philią, kai tēn paideian proeipen; ῾Hōs ephiliasas gar, phēsi, tǭ Ochozią, kai ekoinōnēsas met᾿ autou, diekopse Kyrios ta erga sou, kai synetribēsan hai nēes sou, kai ouk ēdynēthēsan tou poreuthēnai eis Tharseis. Hosōn de kakōn proxenos hē dyssebēs ekeinē syngeneia, ta hexēs didaskei tēs historias; Iōram gar, ho tou Iōsaphat huios, ᾿Achaab tou kēdestou ezēlōse tēn asebeian. Houtos kai tous adelphous katekteinen hapantas, kai dia pasēs hōdeuse ponērias. Eporeuthē gar, phēsin, en tę̄ hodǭ basileōn Israēl, hōs epoiēsen oikos ᾿Achaab, hoti thygatēr ᾿Achaab ēn autǭ gynē kai epoiēse to ponēron enōpion Kyriou, kai ouk ēbouleto Kyrios exolothreusai ton oikon Dabid dia tēn diathēkēn, hēn dietheto tǭ Dabid, hon tropon eipe dounai autǭ lychnon, kai tois huiois autou, pasas tas hēmeras. Enteuthen edidachthēmen hoson oninēsin hē tōn progonōn eusebeia. ᾿Anechetai gar kai ponērōn ho philanthrōpos, tēs tōn katoichomenōn aretēs memnēmenos. Edrepsato de kai tous tēs eusebeias karpous. ᾿Apōsato men gar Idoumaia ton tēs douleias zygon apestē de kai Lomna, polis ousa tēs Ioudaias. Ho de Despotēs dia Hēliou tou panō tēn psēphon kat᾿ autou exenēnochen. All᾿ ouk autos ho prophētēs aphiketo, dia grammatōn de memēnyke theian apophasin . Ēlthe gar, phēsin, engraphē para Ēliou tou prophētou legontos Tade legei Kyrios ho Theos tou patros sou; ᾿Anth᾽ hōn ouk eporeuthēs en hodǭ Iōsaphat tou patros sou, kai en hodois ᾿Asa basileōs Iouda, kai eporeuthēs en hodois basileōn Israēl, kai exeporneusas ton Ioudan, kai tous katoikountas en Hierousalēm, hon tropon exeporneusen ho oikos ᾿Achaab kai tous adelphous sou, kai tous huious tou patros sou tous agathous hyper se apekteinas; dia touto idou Kyrios patassei plēgēn megalēn en tǭ laǭ sou, kai en tois huiois sou, kai en tais gynaixi sou, kai en pasę̄ tę̄ oikią sou. Kal sy esę̄ en arrhōstiais ponērais, en arrhōstią koilias sou, heōs hou exelthę̄ ta entera sou apo tēs arrhōstias ex hēmerōn eis hēmeras. Enteuthen manthanomen, hōs kai ᾿Asa kai Iōsaphat ou pantapasin ēsan adokimoi; all᾽ ei kai tina eplēmmelēsan, en tois pleiosi ton Theon etherapeusan. Kai gar houtos eneklēthē, hōs tēn ekeinōn poreian katalipōn. Elabe de peras hē prorrhēsis. Ou gar monon allophyloi tǭ Iōram epesrateusan, alla kai ᾿Arabes, kai tōn Aithiopōn hoi prosoikoi, kai prosbalontes katakratos enikēsan, kai tēn polin aneilon, kai to plēthos exēndrapodisan, kai tous huious autou kai tas thygateras katekteinan, kai ton basilikon espheterisanto plouton. Monos de Ochozias diephyge, tōn paidōn neōtatos. Epeskēpse de autǭ kai tēs gastros to pathos, kata tēn prorrhēsin, kai oude meta thanaton basilikēs ēxiōthē taphēs. Ouk epoiēse gar autǭ, phēsin, ho laos ekphoran kai kausin, kata tēn kausin tōn paterōn autou, kai ethapsan auton ouk en taphois basileōn. ᾿Alēthōs phoberon to empesein eis cheiras Theou zōntos. Hōsper gar ho eleos autou arrhētos, houtō kai hē kolasis anypostatos. Ek tautēs tēs historias manthanomen, hōs hoi ᾿Amazonieim prosoikoi Aithiopōn eisin. Anō gar tous epelthontas polemious tǭ Iōram ho syngrapheus edidaxen homorous einai tōn Aithiopōn. Entautha de eipōn, hoti kai ton Ochozian ebasileusan ant᾿ autou, ton huion autou ton neōteron, epēgagen, hoti pantas tous presbyterous apekteine to lę̄stērion, to elthon ep᾿ autous apo ta tōn barbarōn, kai apo tōn Amazonieim en tę̄ parembolę̄. Kai houtos de tou patros ezēlōse tēn asebeian. Didaskalon gar eiche tēn miarōtatēn mētera. Touton aneilen ho Iēou, syn tǭ Iōram tǭ basilei Israēl. Etyche mentoi taphēs dia tēn tou pappou eusebeian ethapse gar auton Iēou, Hoti, eipen, huios estin Iōsaphat, hostis ezētēse ton Kyrion en holę̄ kardią autou. Meta tauta exēgeitai ta kata ton Iōas, haper en tę̄ tetartę̄ tōn Basileiōn ērmēneusamen; eroumen de hosa en ekeinę̄ tę̄ biblǭ mē eurēkamen keimena. Ho gar tas Paraleipomenas syngegraphōs biblous, edidaxen, hōs hypo thaumastou archiereōs eis zēlon ho laos pyrseutheis katespase tou Baal tēn stēlēn, kai synetripse, kai ek bathrōn anespase ta thysiastēria, kai tas tōn daimonōn eikonas eleptyne. Matthan de tou Baal ton hierea katekteine tas de tōn hiereōn ephēmerias ekratyne, kai tōn Leuïtōn tēntaxin, kai ta alla apaxaplōs, hosa Dabid ho basileus eis tēn tou Theou dietaxato therapeian. Synērgei de tois hypo tou archiereōs prattomenois ho basileus phōtizomenos hyp' autou Epoiēse gar, phēsin, Iōas to euthes enōpion Kyriou pasas tas hēmeras Iōdae hiereōs. Prosēnenke de kai tę̄ oikodomią tou naou tēn harmottousan therapeian. En gar de tǭ parelthonti chronǭ ēmelēthē, hoti Gotholia, phēsin, hē anomos, kai hoi huioi autēs, katespasan ton oikon tou Theou, kai panta ta agia Kyriou epoiēsan tois Baaleim. Toutōn de pantōn ho axiagastos archiereus aitiōtatos, hos dia tēn eusebeian, kai tēn pollēn aretēn, ebiō men etē triakonta kai hekaton, thēkēs de ēxiōthē basilikēs. Ethapsan gar auton, phēsin, en polei Dabid meta tōn basileōn, hoti epoiēsen agathōsynēn en Israēl, kai meta tou Theou kai tou oikou autou. Ekeinou de teleutēsantos, ho Iōas apeklinen eis asebeian tois archousin hypachtheis; all᾽ ouk ēmelēsen ho tōn psychōn iatros. ᾿Apesteile gar, phēsi, Kyrios eis autous prophētas, epistrepsai autous pros Kyrion; kai diemartyrato autous, kai ouk ēkousan. Henos de prophētou kai onomasti emnēsthē; Pneuma gar, phēsi, Kyriou enedyse ton Zacharian, ton tou Iōdae tou hiereōs, kai anestē epanō tou laou, kai eipen autois, Tade legei Kyrios; Hinati hymeis paraporeuesthe tas entolas Kyriou ? Kai ouk euodōthēsesthe, hoti enkatelipete ton Kyrion, kai enkataleipsei hymas. ᾿All' ou monon tois theiois logois anteipon, alla kai kateleusan ton prophētēn, tou basileōs keleusantos, kai kateleusan auton endon en tǭ hypaithrǭ tou naou. Toiautēn houtos acharistian enosēse, kai peri ton sesōkota Theon, kai peri ton hypourgēkota tę̄ sōtērią. Touto gar hē historia didaskei. Kai ouk emnēsthē, phēsin, Iōas ho basileus tou eleous, hou epoiēsen Iōdae ho patēr autou met᾿ autou, kai ethanatōse ton huion autou met᾿ autou. Hōs de apethnēsken, eipen; Idoi Kyrios, kai krinai. Kai ou diēmarte tēs aitēseōs. Eniautou gar dielthontos, oligē men autois Syrōn prosebale stratia exedothēsan de hypo tou kataphronēthentos Despotou kai tous men aneilon, tous de exandrapodisantes ǭchonto. Houtos de arrhōstią peripesōn hypo tōn hypēkoōn esphagē. Tautēn gar kat᾿ autou tēn psēphon exēnenken ho Despotēs, hōs ho historiographos ephē; Kai meta Iōas epoiēse krimata, kai epethento tǭ Iōas hoi paides autou en haimasin huiōn Iōdae tou hiereōs, kai ethanatōsan auton epi tēs klinēs autou, kai apethane, kai ethapsan auton en polei Dabid, kai ouk ethapsan auton en tǭ taphǭ tōn basileōn. ᾿Alēthēs ara ho logos pros ton Nōe rhētheis, Ho ekcheōn haima anthrōpou, anti tou haimatos autou ekchythēsetai, hoti en eikoni Theou epoiēsa ton anthrōpon. Kai toutous de ho tou Iōas huios Amasias basileusas katekteinen. Ou gar zēlǭ theiǭ pyrseuthentes aneilon, alla miaiphonǭ chrēsamenoi gnōmę̄. ᾿Ant᾿ autou de ebasileusen ho huios autou ᾿Amasias. Houtos strateusai boulētheis kata tōn Idoumaiōn, emisthōsato Israēlitōn hekaton chiliadas isarithmōn talantōn. ᾿All' ho prophētēs pros auton theothen apostaleis tauta ephē; Basileu, mē poreuesthō meta sou dynamis Israēl, hoti ouk esti Kyrios meta Israēl pantōn tōn huiōn Ephraïm. Hoti ean hypolabę̄s katischysai en toutois en tǭ polemǭ, tropōsetai se Kyrios enantion tōn echthrōn sou, hoti estin ischys tǭ Kyriǭ tou boēthēsai kai tou tropōsasthai. ᾿Arkō soi, phēsin, eis boētheian ou chrēzeis plēthous paratassomenos, mē labę̄ eis epikourian tous eusebeias gegymnōmenous. Toutou de eirēkotos, Kai ti poiēsō tois hekaton talantois, hois edōka tę̄ dynamei Israēl? hypolabōn ho prophētēs ephē; Esti tǭ Kyriǭ dounai soi pleion toutōn. Pisteusas de tois eirēmenois apēlthe, kai katekteine myrious, exēndrapodise de tosoutous; alla tēs theias epikourias tychōn, ouk egnō ton euergetēn. Tōn gar hēttēthentōn tous theous, hous meta tōn laphyrōn ekomisen, hōs dotēras tēs nikēs etimēse, kai hierourgiais egerairen. ᾿All'᾽ ēlenxen autou tēn asebeian ho Theos dia tou prophētou. Eipe gar autǭ, Ti ezētēsas tous theous tou laou, hoi ouk exeilonto ton laon autōn ek cheiros sou ? Epi polyn, phēsi, ῾chronon toutous etherapeusan Idoumaioi, all᾽ ouk apōsanto tēs therapeias; oudemias gar par' autōn epikourias apēlausan. Sy de tēs emēs apolausas rhopēs, ou monon katekteinas ekeinous, alla kai toutous exēndrapodisas. Toutōn ouden ōnēse ton anoēton. Ephē gar pros ton prophētēn, Mē symboulon tou basileōs dedōka se ? proseche seautǭ, hina mē pataxō se. Ho de prophētēs eipe syn parrhēsią; Egnōn hoti ebouleusato Kyrios tou diaphtheirai se, hoti epoiēsas touto, kai ouk ēkousas tēs symboulias Houtō tēs theias gymnōtheis promētheias, proskaleitai men eis polemon tou Israēl ton basilea; peponthe de haper en tais Basileiais eirēkamen. Homoiōs de tǭ patri kai to peras edexato. Epainei de ton Osian hē theia Graphē. «Ēn gar, phēsin, ekzētōn ton Kyrion en phobǭ Kyriou, en tais hēmerais Zachariou tou syniontos en orasei Theou. Legei de kai tous tēs eusebeias karpous; Kai en tais hēmerais autou exezētēse ton Kyrion, kai katēuthynen auton Kyrios ho Theos. Enteuthen manthanomen, hōs polloi Zachariai gegenēntai. Kai gar ho tou Iōdae huios, hon Iōas katelyse, Zacharias ōnomastai; kai houtos ho epi tou Oziou Zacharias keklētai. Oimai de touton einai, peri hou pros ton Hēsaïan ephē Theos; Poiēson moi martyras pistous anthrōpous, ton Ourian ton hierea, kai Zacharian huion Barachiou. Kai gar ho Hēsaïas kat᾿ ekeinon proephēteuse ton kairon; Horasis gar, phēsin, hēn eiden Hēsaïas huios Amōs, hēn eide kata tēs Ioudaias, kai kata Hierousalēm, en hēmerais Oziou, kai Iōatham, kai ᾿Achaz, kai Ezekiou, hoi ebasileusan tēs Ioudaias. Legei de auton kai en polemois andreion, kai en oikodomais philotimon, kai en geōrgiais philokalon. Petras de tēs poleōs tous oikētoras Arabas onomazei. All᾿ ouk ēkouse tou progonou Dabid, legontos, Eis to telos mē diaphtheirēs. ᾿Alazonikǭ gar phronēmati chrēsamenos, ergon archieratikon epitelesai tetolmēken; Hōs gar katischyse, phēsin, Ozias, hypsōthē hē kardia autou tou diaphtheirai, kai ēdikēsen en Kyriǭ Theǭ autou, kai eisēlthen eis ton naon Kyriou, tou thymiasai epi to thysiastērion tōn thymiamatōn. Ou gar en tǭ bōmǭ tōn holokautōmatōn touto drasai tetolmēken, all᾿ endon en tǭ naǭ. All᾿ ou parechōrēsen hōs basilei ho archiereus, all᾽ en parrhēsią diēlenxen. Eisēlthe gar, phēsin, opisō autou Zacharias ho archiereus, kai met᾿ autou ogdoēkonta hiereis, huioi dynameōs; kai epestēsan ton Ozian ton basilea, kai eipon autǭ; Ou soi, Ozia, tou thymiasai tǭ Kyriǭ, all᾽ ē tois hiereusi tois huiois ᾿Aarōn, tois hēgiasmenois tou thymiasai. Exelthe apo tou hagiasmatos, hoti apestēs apo tou Kyriou kai ouk estai soi eis doxan para Kyriou tou Theou. Dioristai, phēsi, para tou Theou ta tois basileusi prosēkonta, kai ta tois hiereusin harmottonta. Genikon echousi to geras hoi hiereis. Ti pateis ton theosdoton nomon? ti parabaineis tous orous? harpazōn ta mē prosēkonta, kai ta oikeia prosapoleseis. All' ou monon ouk eixen, alla kai echalepēne pros tous logous, kai epemeine tēs hierourgias katatolmōn. ᾿All᾿ anti tēs doxēs atimian edrepsato. Aneteile gar, phēsin, hē lepra en tǭ metōpǭ autou, kai en tǭ oikǭ Kyriou enantion tōn hiereōn, epanō tou thysiastēriou tōn thymiamatōn. Parautika de hoi hiereis tēn theēlaton plēgēn theasamenoi, kai akonta auton exēlasan tou neō kai ta auta peponthen ᾿Adam tǭ propatori. Kai gar ekeinos epithymēsas genesthai Theos, kai to einai eikōn Theou prosapōlesen kai houtos peiratheis tēn hierōsynēn harpasai, kai tēs basileias exepesen. Endon gar en thalamǭ ekathēto, tēs en tǭ metōpǭ lepras tēn en tǭ plēthei diatribēn kai parrhēsian apeirgousēs. Ephere gar en tǭ metōpǭ tēs paranomias ton elenchon. Iōatham de ho toutou pais ithynōn dietelei tēn basileian. Autos gar kai tou patros teleutēsantos ta skēptra parelaben. Ēristeuse de kai houtos en polemois, kai tous Ammanitas dasmon pherein ēnankase. Legei de kai tēn aitian ho syngrapheus, hoti hētoimase tas hodous hautou henanti Kyriou tou Theou autou.» ᾿Achaz de ho toutou pais en tais tēs asebeias epinoiais tous homoious apekrypsen hapantas. Touto kai tōn Basileiōn hē biblos edidaxen. Hautē de pros toutois hē historia kai tēn symphoran edēlōsen, hēn hypemeine. Prōton men gar exedothēsan Syrois; kai polloi men anę̄rethēsan, polloi de exēndrapodisthēsan. Epeita de Phakee, tōn deka phylōn ho basileus, en mią symplokę̄ dōdeka autōn myriadas katekteine, kai tou basileōs tous paidas, kai tous stratēgous; eikosi de myriadas exēndrapodisen. Ōdēd de ho prophētēs tois nenikēkosin hypantēsas ēpeilēse tou Theou tēn orgēn, hoti dē para ton theion nomon eis douleian ēgon hous ēchmalōteusan. Idou gar, phēsin, orgē tou Theou tōn paterōn hēmōn epi Ioudan; kai paredōken autous eis tas cheiras hymōn, kai apekteinate en autois en orgę̄, kai heōs tōn ouranōn ephthase. Kai nyn huious Iouda kai Hierousalēm hymeis legete kataktēsasthai eis doulous kai doulas. Idou ouk eimi meth᾽ hymōn, martyretai Kyrios ho Theos hymōn. Kai nyn akousate mou, kai apostrepsate tēn aichmalōsian hēn ēchmalōteusate apo tōn ophthalmōn hymōn, hoti orgē thymou Kyriou eph' hēmas. Ēboulēthē, phēsin, ho Despotēs Theos dikas ekeinois eispraxasthai tēs asebeias. Touto kakeinois tēn hēttan, kai hymin paresche tēn nikēn. Hymeis de nenikēkotes epelēthēte tēs syngeneias, tēn physin eis noun ouk elabete, all᾿ hōs barbarois kai allophylois tois homophylois echrēsasthe. Kai ouk ērkesthēte tais myriais sphagais, alla kai douleuein tous homogeneis anankazete. Martyromai toinyn hymas, hōs chalepōtera peisesthe. Eixan hoi archontes tǭ prophētę̄; kai tǭ laǭ parēnesan, kai therapeias tous doryalōtous ēxiōsan. Enedysan gar, phēsi, tous gymnous, kai aloiphēn autois prosēnenkan kai trophēn, kai tois asthenesterois edōkan hypozygia, kai mechri tēs Hierichous apēgagon poleōs. Episēmanteon de, hoti polin phoinikōn tēn Hierichō keklēke. Katestēsan gar autous, phēsin, eis tēn Hierichō, tēn polin tōn phoinikōn. Edidaxe de kai touto hē historia, hōs epimeinantes tę̄ asebeią paredothēsan tois allophylois, kai eis tas toutōn poleis ǭkēsan hoi polemioi. Etapeinōse gar, phēsi, Kyrios ton Iouda, dia ton "Achaz ton basilea Iouda, anth᾽ hōn apekalypsen en tǭ Iouda asebeian, kai apestē apostasei apo Kyriou. To de apekampsen, anti tou, edidaxen auton ha mē dei. Xena gar eisēgagen ethē, kai tous tōn allōn ethnōn theous pareskeuase sebein. Kalesas de ton ᾿Assyrion eis epikourian, diēmarte tēs spoudēs. Touto gar epēgagen; Ouk eis boētheian autǭ, all᾽ ē tou thlibēnai auton. Kai tautais de pasais tais timōriais hypoblētheis epeteine tēn asebeian. Touto gar ephē; Kai prosethēken "Achaz apostēnai apo Kyriou. Kai eipen ho basileus "Achaz; Zētēsō tous theous Damaskou tous typtontas me; kai eipen, hoti hoi theoi Syrias katischyousin autous. Thysō toinyn autois, kai antilēpsontai mou; kai egenonto autoi autǭ eis skōlon. Ou gar monon ouk epekourēsan, alla kai pantodapōn autǭ symphorōn egenonto proxenoi. Eis eschatēn de ponērian elasas, Kai ta hiera katekopse skeuē, kai tou theiou naou tas thyras apekleise, kai epoiēsen heautǭ thysiastēria en pasę̄ gōnią en Hierousalēm. Kai ta hexēs de tēn autēn echei katēgorian. Touton apothanonta tēs meta tōn eusebōn basileōn taphēs ouk ēxiōsan. Ezekias de ho toutou huios tēn akrotatēn katōrthōsen aretēn. Epoiēse gar, phēsin, Ezekias to euthe, enōpion Kyriou, kata panta hosa epoiēse Dabid ho patēr autou. Kai prōton aneǭxe tas thyras tou oikou Kyriou, kai apeskeuasen autas. Eita tous hiereis kai tous Leuitas hagiasas, ekkathērai parēngyēse ton theion naon. Hoi de parautika exebalon, phēsi, pasan tēn akatharsian, tēn heuretheisan en oikǭ Kyriou, eis tēn aulēn oikou Kyriou; kai edexanto hoi Leuitai exenenkein eis ton cheimarrhoun Kedrōn exō. Epeita toutōn gegenēmenōn tas nenomismenas thysias prosēnenken, ouch hyper monōn tōn dyo phylōn, all᾽ hyper tōn dōdeka. Exilasato gar, phēsi, peri pantos Israēl, hoti peri pantos Israēl eipen ho basileus prosenechthēnai ta holokautōmata, kai ta peri hamartias; kai estēse tous Leuitas en oikǭ Kyriou, ainountas en kymbalois, kai en kinyrais, kai en naulais, kata tēn entolēn Dabid tou basileōs, kai Gad tou horōntos tǭ basilei, kai Nathan tou prophētou; hoti di᾽ entolēn Kyriou to prostagma ēn en cheiri tōn prophētōn autou. Touto dielenchei tōn Ioudaiōn tēn aphrosynēn, hoi ton megan Dabid prophētēn kalein ouk anechontai. Entautha gar hē Graphē tōn triōn mnēmoneuousa epēgagen, Hoti di' entolēn Kyriou to prostagma en cheiri tōn prophētōn autou. Met᾿ oliga de ho logos ainittetai, hoti kai ho ᾿Asaph hymnopoios egegonei. Eipe gar, phēsin, Ezekias ho basileus, kai hoi archontes, tois Leuitais, tou hymnein ton Kyrion en logois Dabid, kai Asaph tou prophētou. Didaskei de hēmas palin hē historia, hoti tōn hiereōn ouk apochrōntōn apodeirai tēn holokautōsin, antelabonto autōn hoi adelphoi autōn hoi Leuitai, heōs hou synetelesthē to ergon, kai heōs hou hēgiasthēsan hoi hiereis, hoti hoi Leuitai prothymōs hēgiasthēsan para tous hiereis. Touto de kai nyn estin heurein gignomenon. Presbyterou gar ou parontos, kai tēs chreias katepeigousēs, anankazetai kai diakonos prospherein tǭ deomenǭ to baptisma. Ho mentoi basileus agan ōn eusebēs, kai tous en tais polesi tōn deka phylōn oikountas eis tēn heortēn synekalese. Kai tines men ekōmǭdoun tous synkalountas, tines de hypakouontes ę̄esan. Pleistou de plēthous synathroisthentos, epetelesthē tou Pascha hē heortē. Palin mentoi ouk exarkountōn tōn hiereōn, hoi Leuitai ethyon tǭ plēthei ta thymata, kai tois hiereusi to haima prosepheron hoi de tou thysiastēriou prosecheon basei. Exapinēs de klēthentes prin hagnisthēnai tōn hiereiōn metelabon. Touto kai hē historia didaskei, hoti to pleiston tou laou, apo Ephraïm, kai Manassē, kai Isachar, kai Zaboulōn, ouch hēgiasthēsan, all᾽ ephagon to Phasek touto para tēn theian Graphēn. Etychon de syngnōmēs dia tēn tou basileōs eusebeian. Proethesan de tę̄ heortę̄ heteras isarithmous hēmeras, tōn archontōn pareschēkotōn philotimōs ta thymata. Ephē de toiautēn heortēn ek tōn hēmerōn Solomōntos mē gegenēsthai. Enteuthen hormēsantes, kai ta temenē tōn eidōlōn katelysan, kai ta alsē exetemon, kai meta toutōn ta en tois hypsēlois anatethenta tǭ Theǭ thysiastēria ek bathrōn anespasan. Ephrontise de kai tēs hieratikēs taxeōs, kai tēn hypo tou progonou gegenēmenēn ekratyne, kai ton laon pareskeuase tas kata nomon aparchas apodounai tois hiereusin. Eita ho syngrapheus epēgagen, hōs meta tous logous toutous, kai tēn alētheian tautēn, ēlthe Senachēreim ho basileus ᾿Assyriōn. Dēloi de ho logos, hoti kai tous theosebeis andras dokimazōn ho tōn holōn Theos, symphorais parapesein synchōrei, eita epikourōn dialyei ta skythrōpa. Ho de basileus tǭ Theǭ tharrhōn, kai ta par' autou syneispherōn, prōton tas pro tēs poleōs pēgas enephraxen hina mē prosedreuōn poliorkę̄ echōn tēn aphthonian tou hydatos. Epeita tous peribolous ōchyrōse, kai tous pyrgous eis hypsos anestēse, kai proteichisma prosǭkodomēsen heteron. ᾿All' oute toutois, oute tois hoplois etharrhēsen, alla pros to plēthos ephē; ᾿Andrizesthe, kai ischysate; mē phobēthēte, mēde ptoēthēte apo prosōpou tou basileōs Assyriōn, kai apo prosōpou pantos ethnous tou met᾿ autou, hoti meth᾽ hēmōn pleious hyper tous met' autou. Met᾿ autou brachiones sarkinoi, meth' hēmōn Kyrios ho Theos hēmōn, tou sōsai hēmas, kai tou polemein ton polemon hēmōn. Dia de toutōn edidaxe kai tēs theias epikourias to amachon, kai tēs anthrōpeias physeōs to proskairon kai epikēron. Ta de loipa kai hē tetartē tōn Basileiōn echei. Epimemphetai de autǭ hē historia, hoti kai tosautēn nikēn nenikēkōs, kai tēs arrhōstias apallageis paradoxōs, ou kata to antapodoma ho antapedōken autǭ Kyrios, antapedōken autǭ Ezekias, all᾽ hypsōthē hē kardia autou, kai egeneto orgē epi Iouda, kai epi Hierousalēm, kai ep᾿ auton. Kai etapeinōthē Ezekias apo tou hypsous tēs kardias autou, autos kai hoi katoikountes Hierousalēm. Kai ouk ēlthen ep᾿ autous orgē Kyriou en tais hēmerais Ezekiou. ᾿Alēthēs ara ho logos ekeinos, hoti «Ho hypsōn heauton tapeinōthēsetai, kai ho tapeinōn heauton hypsōthēsetai. Houtos mentoi dia tēn eusebeian autoptēs ouk egeneto tōn lypērōn, alla pro tēs ephodou tōn polemiōn tou biou to telos katelabe. Gēōn de, hōs proeirētai, ton Silōam kalei. Hoti mentoi dia to anastrepsai ton hēlion tous deka anabathmous, apesteile pros auton tōn Babylōniōn ho basileus, hē historia didaskei. Diēgēsamenē gar on synēgage plouton, kai hosous kateskeuase thēsaurous, epēgage; Kai euōdōthē Ezekias en pasi tois ergois autou. Kai houtōs en tois presbeutais tōn archontōn tōn apo Babylōnos, tois apostaleisi pros auton pythesthai par᾿ autou to teras ho egeneto epi tēs gēs, kai enkatelipen auton Kyrios, tou peirasai auton eidenai ta en tę̄ kardią autou. Dēloi de ho logos, hoti ameinon en Kyriǭ kauchasthai. Deon gar auton ta peri tēs theias dynameōs exēgēsasthai, tous thēsaurous epedeixe, tous ouden monimon echontas. To de peirasai auton eidenai ta en tę̄ kardią autou, touto sēmainei, hoti ēthelēse gymnōsai tous logismous autou. Ou gar autos agnoei tōn anthrōpōn ta enthymēmata ho epistamenos kardias monōtatos; alla tois allois apokalyptei ta kekrymmena. ᾿Apēlause de kai epitaphiōn lamprōn. Meta pollēs gar auton timēs kai doxēs katethēkan. Tou Manassē de tēn asebeian kai hē tōn Basileiōn edidaxe biblos. Ou gar monon tous dyssebeis basileis hyperēkontisen; alla kai ta ethnē, phēsin, ha exēre Kyrios apo prosōpou tōn huiōn Israēl. Etise de kai dikas tēs asebeias. Paredothē gar tǭ basilei tōn ᾿Assyriōn, kai apēchthē pepedēmenos eis Babylōna. ᾿Alla tēs philanthrōpias hē abyssos metedōke kai toutǭ tōn tou eleous krounōn; Hōs gar ethlibē, phēsi, Manassēs, edeēthē tou prosōpou Kyriou tou Theou autou, kai hetapeinōthē sphodra apo prosōpou tou Theou tōn paterōn autou. Kai prosēuxato pros auton, kai epēkouse tēs phōnēs autou, kai epestrepsen auton eis Hierousalēm epi tēn basileian autou kai egnō Manassēs, hoti Kyrios autos estin ho Theos. Tosouton hē paideia tous boulomenous oninēsi. gar basileuōn ouk eiche, tauta douleuōn ektēsato. Tēs gar douleias apallageis, perieile, phēsi, tous theous tous allotrious, kai to glypton ex oikou Kyriou, kai panta ta thysiastēria, ha ǭkodomēsen en orei oikou Kyriou, kai en Hierousalēm; kai exebalen exō tēs poleōs, kai katōrthōse thysiastērion Kyriou, kai ethysen ep᾿ autǭ thysian sōtēriou kai aineseōs. Edidaxe de kai ton laon eusebein. Eipe gar, phēsi, Manassēs tǭ Iouda, douleuein Kyriǭ tǭ Theǭ Israēl. To de ateles tou laou palin ho logos dedēlōken. Epēgage gar, hoti eti ho laos epi tōn hypsēlōn ethysiazen. Hoti de tǭ Theǭ en tois hypsēlois ethyon, saphōs entautha hē historia dedēlōken; epēgage gar; Plēn eis kenon Kyriǭ tǭ Theǭ autōn. Ta de kata ton Amōn kai Iōsian en tę̄ tetartę̄ tōn Basileiōn hērmēneusamen. Zētēteon de, pōs endon ousēs tēs kibōtou en tǭ ᾿Hagiǭ tōn hagiōn, tois Leuïtais ho Iōsias agnisthēnai prosetaxe, tou dounai tēn kibōton tēn hagian en tǭ oikǭ Kyriou. Kai ta hexēs de touto dēloi; Kai ethēkan tēn kibōton tēn hagian en tǭ oikǭ, hon ǭkodomēse Solomōn, ho huios Dabid tou basileōs Israēl. Egō de oimai, ē ton ᾿Assyrion epi tou Manassē tēn polin helonta exagagein tēn kibōton endothen; hē tina tōn dyssebōn basileōn, tōn meta ton Ezekian bebasileukotōn, ē ton Manassēn, ē ton ᾿Amōn; eita touto ton Iōsian memathēkota eis ton oikeion apokatastēsai topon. Palin mentoi hē historia ton ᾿Asaph, kai Aiman, kai Idithoum prophētas ekalese. Kata tas entolas, phēsi, Dabid, kai ᾿Asaph, kai Aiman, kai Idithoum, tōn prophētōn tou basileōs. To de Kereseim eidos einai manteias hypolambanō; tois gar engastrimythois, kai tois gnōstais, kai tois theraphim synēptai. Tosautē de ēn toude tou basileōs hē aretē, hoti kai thrēnon ho prophētēs Hieremias synegrapse, kai touton tois ǭdois dedōke, kai tais adousais, hōste touton adein kath᾿ hekaston eniauton epitelountas tēn mnēmēn. Ta de kata tous loipous basileis ho prophētēs Hieremias dia pleionōn edidaxen. Hēmeis de dia tēs theias charitos kakeinēn tēn biblon hermēneusantes authis hermēneusai tautēn peritton hypeilēphamen. Hoti de ek pollōn prophētikōn biblōn tauta ho historiographos meta polyn chronon synēgage, to telos tēs biblou ekdidaskei; memnētai gar Kyrou tou
How should “The king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might establish his word which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite” be understood? Those who enjoy divine care see what must be done, being made wise by God; but those deprived of this grace are carried along at random. This is what the passage showed here: that it seemed good to God the Master to tear the kingdom in two because of the father's lawless deeds. When the division had taken place, and Jeroboam had made the golden heifers, the priests and Levites living among the ten tribes moved to the kingdom of David, for the divine temple was in it. Here the history teaches that Jeroboam and his sons even drove them out against their will, so that they could not minister to the Lord, “and he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the heifers which Jeroboam had made.” The pious from the other tribes too followed the priests and Levites: “For there went after them,” it says, “from all the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel.” And, “They came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers, and they strengthened the kingdom of Judah.” The Master who loves humankind handed Rehoboam over to Shishak when he acted impiously. But when he had said through Shemaiah the prophet to him and to the officials, “You have forsaken me, and I will forsake you into the hand of Shishak,” and saw them humbled and confessing their impiety, he said to the prophet, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, and I will grant them some deliverance,” meaning: I will preserve in them the spark of the world's blessing; “and my wrath shall not drip upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.” I will not now hand them over to utter destruction, he says, but will keep the punishment for later; for the present I will put on them the yoke of slavery: “For they shall be his servants,” he says, “and they shall know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the earth.” By comparison, he says, I will teach them how kind my yoke is and how heavy the yoke of human beings. Again we have been taught that there were other prophetic books too: “For the words of Rehoboam,” it says, “first and last, are they not written in the words of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iado the seer, to record the genealogy, and his acts?” One should admire the address of Abijah. For seeing the ten tribes marching against him eight hundred thousand strong (Jeroboam led them), he, drawn up with four hundred thousand, said to those opposing him, “Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Jerusalem to David forever, and to his sons by a covenant of salt forever?” Ought you not, he says, to have known that David's kingdom was given by God and, according to the divine promise, admits no end? How then did you set up my father's servant as usurper? He called the stability of the kingdom a “covenant of salt forever,” since even barbarians, when they have eaten with enemies, often keep a firm peace, remembering the salt. But my father, he says, gave way to the usurpation through youth and timidity; I blame you for being insolent against the divine kingdom which the Lord of the universe gave to the family of David, and for trusting in your numbers and in the golden heifers, for whose sake you even drove out the priests of God and appointed others in their place, acting like the nations; for they too appoint any chance persons as priests of gods that are not. But we trust in the true God, whose priests and Levites we honor, and we offer the sacrifices according to the divine law and draw up for battle according to its ordinances, announcing the war with the divine trumpets. So I urge you not to fight against God the Master, who commands our phalanx; for you will regret it if you do. When this had been said, the ten tribes surrounded Judah; but these raised the war cry and called on the divine power for help. And God, called into alliance, turned the boldness of the enemy into cowardice; and they all turned and fled, and five hundred thousand were destroyed as they fled. It states the cause of the flight too: “And the sons of Judah prevailed, because they trusted in the Lord God of their fathers.” They also took cities subject to them. And Jeroboam the God of the universe himself handed over to death. It also praises Asa's earlier piety: “For Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, and removed the foreign altars,” that is, those of the idols. Then it added, “and the high places.” I think that by these it hints at those dedicated to God unlawfully on the hills. “And he broke the pillars and cut down the groves.” In what follows too it goes through his praises. Drawn up with piety and its arms, he routed the Ethiopians and, pursuing them, destroyed them all. It says that these had been their neighbors: “For they took much spoil,” it says, “and destroyed their villages round about Gerar, for the terror of the Lord was upon them; and they plundered their cities, for there was much spoil in them. And they also destroyed the tents of cattle and the Amazoneim, and took many sheep and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.” That Gerar is in Palestine no one, I think, will deny; for near the city called Eleutheropolis the Gerarene forest is so named to this day. It is likely, then, that colonists of the Ethiopians lived in that region, and some others called Amazoneim, who marched against them and were all utterly killed. After the victory, Azariah son of Oded the prophet, filled with the divine Spirit, met the army, reminded them of the divine help, and urged them to persevere in piety: “If you seek him,” he says, “he will be found by you; and if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” He also shows them the impiety of the ten tribes: “For many days Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law; and they sat in distress, and they will turn in affliction to the Lord God of Israel, and seek him, and he will be found by them.” Do not emulate the impiety of your brothers, he means; for they serve not the true God but the falsely named ones, and are deprived of priests and teachers to instruct them in the law of God; but they will learn by experience how great an evil impiety is. For falling into all kinds of calamities they will seek divine help, and obtain it through his unspeakable goodness. He also foretells the attack of the Assyrians: “In those times,” he says, “there is no peace for him who goes out, for great terror from the Lord is upon all the inhabitants of the lands; and nation will fight against nation and city against city, for God has troubled them with every affliction.” Then he urges them to keep their hope in God unshaken: “And you,” he says, “be strong and let your loins not be weakened, for there is a reward for your work.” Hearing this, the king destroyed whatever precincts of the idols remained, and purified the cities he had taken from the ten tribes. The history also taught that a great multitude from the other tribes, having learned by experience the piety of the two tribes and the divine care they enjoyed, left their own cities and took refuge in theirs, preferring to sojourn in others' cities to living in their own. Gathering these with the two tribes, Asa held a feast of victory; and having offered very many victims to God, he made them all swear that they would not depart from the lawful way of life, but would serve only the God who had saved them. He embraced the divine laws so warmly that he even stripped his mother of her royal rank, since she had chosen to serve Astarte, and he cut down the idol and burned it in the brook Kidron. But he was not perfect in everything. First, he did not remove all the high places, that is, the altars dedicated to the God of the universe on high places; for it was forbidden to sacrifice elsewhere, lawful worship being confined to one place. Then, when Baasha marched against him and fortified Ramah against Jerusalem, when he ought to have called to his aid the one who had supplied him with so many good things, he called the king of Syria into alliance, sending him a very great quantity of gold from the royal treasuries and also from the divine ones. But the Lord who loves humankind did not leave him uncured: sending Hanani the prophet, he exposed his unbelief, saying this: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Israel escaped.” Your unbelief, he says, procured their safety; for if you had believed as you used to, you would have killed them all utterly. He also reminds him of the Ethiopians and the Libyans, their horses and chariots, and of his faith, through which he destroyed them all; “for the eyes of the Lord,” he says, “look upon all the earth, to strengthen every heart that is perfect toward him.” For everyone, he means, who calls on him sincerely will obtain salvation. Then he rebukes him more plainly: “You acted foolishly in this”; then he foretells the gloomy future: “For from now on,” he says, “you will have war.” From this one can learn that the Amazoneim are a Libyan nation; for those he called Amazoneim above he has here called Libyans. Asa, when he ought to have grieved, lamented and called on God's love for humankind, not only became angry but even put the prophet in prison. The people too shared in the consequences of his offense: “For Asa oppressed some of the people,” it says, “at that time.” It blames him because, when he fell ill, he sought not the Lord but the physicians. But since I have explained this in the fourth book of the Kingdoms, I will go on to what follows in the interpretation. The history praises Jehoshaphat as having emulated David's virtue at the beginning; for this is what “in the first ways” means. It also recounts his praiseworthy achievements: “For he sought the Lord God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the works of Israel.” It also shows the fruit of these: “And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand, and he had riches and great glory.” It put “His heart was lifted up” not as a charge but as praise; for it added, “in the ways of the Lord; and he removed the groves from the land of Judah.” He also set over all the people teachers of the divine law, priests, Levites and officials. And he received from God the Master the rewards of piety: “For terror came,” it says, “upon all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, and they did not make war on Jehoshaphat.” Such fear fell on all that even the foreigners and the Arabs brought him tribute. Having such abundance, he built cities, erected houses, and fortified the unwalled villages. It calls “one who offers willingly to the Lord” the person who brings gifts to God, not offerings for sins. It blames him for the marriage alliance he made with Ahab; for he betrothed Gotholia, Ahab's daughter, to his son. It also included the story of Micaiah and the false prophets, which we have interpreted in the Kingdoms. But what that writer left out and this one included I think it necessary to state. For as Jehoshaphat was returning from that battle, Jehu son of Hanani the prophet met him and said to him, “King Jehoshaphat, do you help a sinner, and are you a friend to one hated by the Lord? Because of this wrath has come upon you from the Lord; but good things have been found in you, for you removed the groves from the land of Judah and set your heart to seek the Lord.” From this we learn that earlier good deeds lessen the punishments for sins. For the just Judge weighs these against those and so pronounces his verdict. He did this in this case too: he was angry with him because of the kinship, but because of his virtue in other respects he freed him from the enemies who had attacked and surrounded him. So we who have learned these things ought to flee both kinship and friendship with those hated by God. The writer, leaving the blame, passed on to the catalogue of praise, and teaches readers that the king, accepting the rebuke, was eager to wipe out the stain of the kinship by pious labors: “For Jehoshaphat went out again among the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers.” He took care not only of piety but also of good order in other respects: “For he appointed judges,” it says, “in all the fortified cities of Judah.” His words to the judges too are admirable: “See what you are doing,” he says, “for you judge not for man but for the Lord, and the words of judgment are with you. And now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; keep it and do it, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” He showed them the Overseer of all and put the fear of him into them, so that they would not sell justice for gifts or friendship. Likewise he charged the judges of Jerusalem not only to judge the citizens but also to settle justly the disputes of those who came from elsewhere, and to give them proper advice: “You shall warn them,” he says, “and they will not sin against the Lord; and there shall be no wrath upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not sin.” He set over them Amariah the priest, so that if the judges did not know how to pronounce the verdict they might learn it from God through him: “Behold,” he said, “Amariah the priest is over you in every matter of the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael is leader of the house of Judah in every matter of the king; and the scribes and the Levites are before you.” If then you wish to ask God anything, he means, let it be done through the priest; if the king, through the officer; and if you wish to learn what the law holds, learn it from the Levites who teach the law. For he called the teachers scribes. Then he added, “Be strong and do it, and the Lord will be with the good.” He did not simply say “with you,” but “with the good,” that is, with the one who has a good purpose and inclines toward it. And when very many enemies marched against him, he trusted neither in the number of his subjects nor in arms; “but he set his face,” it says, “to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast in all Judah.” Then, when all had gathered and were propitiating God,he offered the prayer on behalf of all, naming him Lord and God of the fathers, Maker of heaven and earth, and Master of all the nations. Then he recalls the kindness and the miracles that had been done: “For you are the Lord our God,” he says, “who destroyed the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham your friend.” He recalled the forefather, so as to obtain help through the promise made to him. He also told how the temple was built, and how Solomon prayed and asked that if enemies came against them and the people ran to the temple and called on its God, they would enjoy help from above. You know, he says, that our fathers, passing through the wilderness and coming into this land, did not harm the Idumeans, the Ammonites or the Moabites as they passed by, according to your commands. But these have now gathered together and are trying to drive us out of the inheritance you gave us. Then, by way of question: “Will you not judge them?” He also confesses his own weakness: “For we have no strength to stand against this great multitude that has come against us; and we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are on you.” While this was being said, the whole multitude stood beseeching God with a loud cry, and the women offered their supplications with wailing and lament. The compassionate God, using Jahaziel the Levite as his servant, dispelled the fear with the promise of good things: “For the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in the assembly, and he said, Hear, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat.” The distinction is one of honor: he mentioned the king separately, and separately those who lived in Jerusalem; for many from the other tribes too lived in that city. “Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid or dismayed before this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God's.” Then he tells them to stand on a height and be spectators of the battle: “It is not for you to fight in this; stand and understand and see the salvation of the Lord with you. Judah and Jerusalem, do not fear or be afraid to go out tomorrow to meet them, and the Lord will be with you.” He gave the pledge of courage and drove out human fear. When Jahaziel had said this, they all worshiped, and the Levites sang hymns. When they went out the next day the king encouraged them, saying, “Hear me, sons of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God and trust in his prophets, and you will prosper.” Then he ordered not armed champions but the Levites singing hymns to lead the army. And he who scatters the tribes of the nations, who frustrates the reasonings of peoples and sets aside the counsels of rulers, who turns the wise backward and makes their counsel foolish, roused the enemies against one another. First the Ammonites and Moabites destroyed the Idumeans; then, turning on one another, they did the same to each other. The king with his subjects watched the slaughter of the enemy. When all had fallen and not one escaped to tell his own people the disaster, they stripped the dead without fear and carried off all the spoil. Having done this in three days, on the fourth they praised the giver of the victory. That plain received the name of blessing; for it was called the valley of blessing. The extraordinary nature of the victory terrified all the kings of the neighboring lands. But even after this very great miracle, “the people,” it says, “had not yet set their hearts on the Lord God of their fathers.” The history again mentioned the written prophecy of Jehu son of Hanani. It said thus: “And the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, first and last, are they not written in the words of Jehu son of Hanani, which he recorded in the book of the words of the kings of Israel?” It again blames Jehoshaphat for joining with Ahaziah son of Ahab; and it added, “And he acted lawlessly in making ships to go to Tharsis; and he made the ships in Ezion-geber.” I have already said that this was a city lying on the Indian sea, inhabited by Ethiopians; in the Greek language they call it Berenice. The physician of souls, sending the prophet Eliezer son of Dodavahu to Jehoshaphat, rebuked the friendship and foretold the discipline: “Because you have made friends,” he says, “with Ahaziah and joined with him, the Lord has destroyed your works.” And the ships were wrecked and could not go to Tharsis. How many evils that impious kinship procured, the following part of the history teaches. For Joram son of Jehoshaphat emulated the impiety of his father-in-law Ahab. He killed all his brothers and went through every kind of wickedness: “For he walked,” it says, “in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab did, for Ahab's daughter was his wife; and he did evil before the Lord; yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David because of the covenant he had made with David, as he said he would give a lamp to him and to his sons for all days.” From this we have been taught how much the piety of forefathers benefits. For the One who loves humankind bears even with the wicked, remembering the virtue of the departed. He also reaped the fruits of his impiety: Idumea threw off the yoke of slavery, and Libnah, a city of Judea, revolted. The Master pronounced the sentence against him through Elijah the great. The prophet did not come himself, but announced the divine sentence by letter: “For there came a writing,” it says, “from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of your father: Because you have not walked in the way of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the harlot, as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and have killed your brothers, the sons of your father, who were better than you; therefore behold, the Lord will strike with a great blow your people, your sons, your wives and all your household. And you shall be in grievous sicknesses, in a sickness of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness from day to day.” From this we learn that Asa and Jehoshaphat were not entirely unapproved; even if they offended in some things, in most they served God. For this man was accused of having abandoned their way. And the prophecy was fulfilled. Not only the foreigners marched against Joram, but also the Arabs and the neighbors of the Ethiopians; attacking, they won by force, took the city, carried off the multitude as captives, killed his sons and daughters, and seized the royal wealth. Ahaziah alone, the youngest of the sons, escaped. The disease of the belly struck him too, according to the prophecy, and not even after death was he granted a royal burial: “For the people,” it says, “made no funeral procession and burning for him like the burning for his fathers, and they buried him not in the tombs of the kings.” Truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; for as his mercy is unspeakable, so his punishment is irresistible. From this history we learn that the Amazoneim are neighbors of the Ethiopians. For above the writer taught that the enemies who attacked Joram were neighbors of the Ethiopians; and here, having said that they made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, he added that the band of raiders that came against them from the barbarians and from the Amazoneim in the camp had killed all the elder ones. He too emulated his father's impiety, for he had his most foul mother as teacher. Jehu killed him together with Joram king of Israel. He was granted burial, however, because of his grandfather's piety; for Jehu buried him, “for,” he said, “he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” After this it relates the affairs of Joash, which we interpreted in the fourth book of the Kingdoms; we will state what we did not find in that book. The writer of Chronicles taught that the people, kindled to zeal by the admirable high priest, pulled down the pillar of Baal and broke it, tore the altars up from their foundations, and ground the images of the demons to powder; they killed Mattan the priest of Baal; and he strengthened the courses of the priests, the order of the Levites, and in short everything else that King David had ordained for the service of God. The king, enlightened by him, cooperated in what the high priest did: “For Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” He also gave the building of the temple the repairs it needed; for it had been neglected in the past, because “Athaliah the lawless,” it says, “and her sons had broken down the house of God, and used all the holy things of the Lord for the Baals.” The admirable high priest was the principal cause of all this; because of his piety and great virtue he lived a hundred and thirty years and was granted a royal tomb: “For they buried him,” it says, “in the city of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and his house.” When he died, Joash turned aside to impiety, led on by the officials; but the physician of souls did not neglect him: “For the Lord sent prophets to them,” it says, “to bring them back to the Lord; and he testified against them, but they did not listen.” One prophet it even mentioned by name: “For the Spirit of the Lord clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord? You will not prosper; because you have forsaken the Lord, he will forsake you.” But they not only contradicted the divine words, but also stoned the prophet at the king's command; they stoned him inside the open court of the temple. Such was the ingratitude this man suffered from, both toward the God who saved him and toward the one who served his salvation. The history teaches this: “And King Joash did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, May the Lord see and judge.” And he was not disappointed in his request. For when a year had passed, a small army of Syrians attacked them; and they were given over by the Master whom they had despised; the Syrians killed some, took others captive, and departed. Joash himself, fallen ill, was slain by his subjects. For the Master pronounced this sentence against him, as the historian said: “And on Joash they executed judgments; and his servants conspired against Joash for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but did not bury him in the tomb of the kings.” True, then, is the word spoken to Noah: “Whoever sheds the blood of a man, in return for his blood his own shall be shed, for in the image of God I made man.” Amaziah son of Joash, when he became king, killed these men too; for they did not kill him kindled by divine zeal, but with a murderous intent. His son Amaziah reigned in his place. Wishing to march against the Idumeans, he hired a hundred thousand Israelites for as many talents. But the prophet sent to him by God said this: “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 rout you before your enemies; for the Lord has power to help and to rout.” I am enough for you, he means, for help; you do not need numbers when you go into battle; do not take as your help those stripped of piety. When he said, “And what shall I do about the hundred talents which I gave to the army of Israel?”, the prophet answered, “The Lord is able to give you more than these.” Believing what was said, he went and killed ten thousand, and took as many captive; but having obtained divine help, he did not acknowledge his benefactor. For the gods of the defeated, which he brought with the spoils, he honored as the givers of the victory and venerated with sacred rites. But God exposed his impiety through the prophet. For he said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which did not deliver their people out of your hand?” For a long time, he means, the Idumeans served these, but did not drive you back from their service; for they received no help from them. But you, having enjoyed my aid, not only killed those people but also took these gods captive. None of this helped the fool. For he said to the prophet, “Have I made you the king's counselor? Take care, lest I strike you.” 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 challenged the king of Israel to war, and suffered what we have described in the Kingdoms; and he met the same end as his father. The divine Scripture praises Uzziah: “For he sought the Lord,” it says, “in the fear of the Lord, in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God.” It also states the fruits of piety: “And in his days he sought the Lord, and the Lord God prospered him.” From this we learn that there were many Zechariahs. For the son of Jehoiada, whom Joash killed, was named Zechariah, and this one in Uzziah's time was called Zechariah. I think this is the one of whom God said to Isaiah, “Make me faithful witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Barachiah.” For Isaiah prophesied at that time: “The vision,” it says, “which Isaiah son of Amoz saw, which he saw against Judea and against Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, who reigned over Judea.” It says that he was brave in war, generous in building, and fond of agriculture. It calls the inhabitants of the city of Petra Arabs. But he did not heed his forefather David, who said, “For the end; do not destroy.” With an arrogant mind he dared to perform a high-priestly act: “For when Uzziah became strong,” it says, “his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he did wrong against the Lord his God, andwent into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” For he did not dare to do this at the altar of burnt offerings, but inside the temple. But the high priest did not give way to him as king, but rebuked him boldly: “For Azariah the high priest went in after him,” it says, “and with him eighty priests, men of valor; and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have departed from the Lord, and it will not be to your glory before the Lord God.” What belongs to kings and what befits priests, he means, has been determined by God; the priests hold their privilege by descent. Why do you trample the God-given law? Why do you overstep the boundaries? By seizing what does not belong to you, you will lose what is yours as well. But he not only did not yield, but was angered at the words and persisted in daring the sacred rite. But instead of glory he reaped dishonor: “For leprosy broke out on his forehead,” it says, “in the house of the Lord, before the priests, beside the altar of incense.” At once the priests, seeing the God-sent blow, drove him out of the temple even against his will; and he suffered the same as Adam the forefather. For he, desiring to become God, lost even being the image of God; and this man, trying to seize the priesthood, fell from the kingdom too. For he sat inside in a chamber, since the leprosy on his forehead kept him from mixing with the people and from speaking freely; for he bore on his forehead the proof of his lawlessness. Jotham his son continued to direct the kingdom; and when his father died he received the scepter. He too excelled in wars and compelled the Ammonites to pay tribute. The writer states the reason too: that “he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.” Ahaz his son eclipsed all his like in devising impiety. The book of Kingdoms taught this too; but this history further showed the calamity he suffered. First they were handed over to the Syrians, and many were killed and many taken captive. Then Pekah, king of the ten tribes, killed a hundred and twenty thousand of them in one battle, along with the king's sons and generals, and carried off two hundred thousand as captives. Oded the prophet met the victors and threatened them with God's wrath, because, contrary to the divine law, they were leading those they had captured into slavery: “Behold,” he says, “the wrath of the God of our fathers was upon Judah, and he gave them into your hands; and you have killed among them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. And now you say that you will subdue the sons of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves. Behold, am I not with you? The Lord your God bears witness. And now hear me, and send back the captives whom you have taken out of your sight, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon us.” God the Master, he means, wished to exact punishment from them for their impiety; this gave them defeat and you victory. But you, having won, forgot your kinship, did not take nature into account, but treated your countrymen as barbarians and foreigners. Not content with countless slaughters, you are also forcing those of your own race to be slaves. So I testify to you that you will suffer worse things. The officials yielded to the prophet, advised the people, and granted the captives every care: “For they clothed the naked,” it says, and brought them ointment and food, gave the weaker ones beasts of burden, and led them back as far as the city of Jericho. One should note that it called Jericho the city of palm trees: “For they set them down,” it says, “at Jericho, the city of palm trees.” The history also taught that, persisting in impiety, they were handed over to the foreigners, and the enemy settled in their cities: “For the Lord humbled Judah,” it says, “because of Ahaz king of Judah, because he made Judah bare in impiety, and fell away in apostasy from the Lord.” “He led astray” means: he taught him what he should not; for he introduced foreign customs and induced them to worship the gods of the other nations. Calling the Assyrian to his aid, he failed in his aim; for it added, “not to help him, but to afflict him.” And though subjected to all these punishments, he increased his impiety. For it said this: “And Ahaz added to his apostasy from the Lord. And King Ahaz said, I will seek the gods of Damascus who strike me; and he said, The gods of Syria strengthen them; so I will sacrifice to them, and they will help me. And they became a stumbling block to him.” Not only did they not help, but they brought him all kinds of calamities. Having reached the extreme of wickedness, he “cut up the sacred vessels, shut the doors of the divine temple, and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.” What follows contains the same charge. When he died, they did not grant him burial with the pious kings. Hezekiah his son achieved the highest virtue: “For Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord,” it says, “according to all that David his father had done.” And first he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. Then, having sanctified the priests and Levites, he charged them to purify the divine temple. They at once, it says, “brought out all the uncleanness that was found in the house of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord, and the Levites received it to carry it out to the brook Kidron.” Then, when this had been done, he offered the customary sacrifices, not for the two tribes only, but for the twelve: “For he made atonement,” it says, “for all Israel, because the king had said that the whole burnt offerings and sin offerings should be offered for all Israel. And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord, praising with cymbals, lyres and harps, according to the commandment of David the king, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the ordinance was by the commandment of the Lord through his prophets.” This refutes the folly of the Jews, who will not call the great David a prophet. For here Scripture, mentioning the three, added, “for the ordinance was by the commandment of the Lord through his prophets.” A little later the passage hints that Asaph too was a composer of hymns: “For Hezekiah the king and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the prophet.” The history again teaches us that, since the priests were not enough to flay the whole burnt offering, “their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more eager to sanctify themselves than the priests.” One can find this happening now too: when a presbyter is not present and the need is pressing, even a deacon is obliged to administer baptism to the one who asks for it. The king, being very pious, also invited to the feast those living in the cities of the ten tribes. Some mocked those who invited them, but others obeyed and came. When a very great multitude had gathered, the feast of the Passover was celebrated. Again, since the priests were not sufficient, the Levites slaughtered the victims for the multitude and brought the blood to the priests, who poured it at the base of the altar. Having been summoned suddenly, they ate of the victims before being purified. The history teaches this: that most of the people, from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not been sanctified, but ate this Phasek contrary to the divine Scripture. But they obtained pardon because of the king's piety. They added to the feast as many days again, the officials generously supplying the victims. It said that no such feast had taken place since the days of Solomon. Setting out from there, they destroyed the precincts of the idols, cut down the groves, and with them tore up from their foundations the altars dedicated to God on the high places. He also took care of the priestly order, strengthened the one his forefather had established, and induced the people to give the priests the firstfruits according to the law. Then the writer added that “after these words and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came.” The passage shows that the God of the universe, testing even God-fearing men, allows them to fall into misfortunes, and then, coming to their help, dispels the gloom. The king, trusting in God and contributing his own part, first stopped up the springs outside the city, so that the besieger would not have abundance of water; then he fortified the walls, raised the towers high, and built another outer wall. But he trusted neither in these nor in arms, but said to the multitude, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of the Assyrians and before all the nation with him; for more are with us than with him. With him are arms of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to save us and to fight our battle.” By this he taught both the invincibility of divine help and the transience and perishability of human nature. The fourth book of Kingdoms contains the rest. The history blames him because, after winning so great a victory and being delivered wonderfully from his illness, “Hezekiah did not repay according to the benefit the Lord had done him, but his heart was lifted up, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem and upon him. And Hezekiah humbled himself from the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” True, then, is that saying: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Because of his piety he did not see the sad events, but reached the end of his life before the attack of the enemy. As has been said before, he calls Siloam Gihon. That the king of the Babylonians sent to him because the sun went back ten steps the history teaches. For having told of the wealth he gathered and the treasuries he made, it added, “And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. And so, in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about the sign that had happened in the land, the Lord left him, to test him and to know what was in his heart.” The passage shows that it is better to boast in the Lord. For when he ought to have related the power of God, he showed his treasures, which have nothing lasting. “To test him and to know what was in his heart” means that he wished to lay bare his thoughts; for he who alone knows hearts is not ignorant of human thoughts, but he reveals to others what is hidden. He enjoyed a splendid funeral; for they laid him to rest with great honor and glory. The book of Kingdoms too taught Manasseh's impiety. For he surpassed not only the impious kings, but also “the nations,” it says, “which the Lord removed before the sons of Israel.” He paid the penalty for his impiety: he was handed over to the king of the Assyrians and led away in fetters to Babylon. But the abyss of love for humankind gave him too a share in the streams of mercy: “For when Manasseh was afflicted,” it says, “he entreated the face of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers; and he prayed to him, and he heard his voice and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom; and Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” So much does discipline benefit those who are willing. What he did not have as king, he acquired as a slave. For freed from slavery, “he took away,” it says, “the foreign gods and the carved image from the house of the Lord, and all the altars he had built on the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city; and he restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it a sacrifice of peace offerings and praise.” He also taught the people to be pious: “For Manasseh told Judah,” it says, “to serve the Lord God of Israel.” The passage again showed the imperfection of the people; for it added that the people still sacrificed on the high places. That they sacrificed to God on the high places the history showed clearly here; for it added, “but in vain, to the Lord their God.” The affairs of Amon and Josiah we interpreted in the fourth book of the Kingdoms. One must ask how, when the ark was inside in the Holy of Holies, Josiah ordered the Levites to purify themselves “to put the holy ark in the house of the Lord.” What follows shows this too: “And they put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David king of Israel built.” I think either that the Assyrian, when he took the city in Manasseh's time, brought the ark out from within, or that one of the impious kings who reigned after Hezekiah, either Manasseh or Amon, did so; and then Josiah, learning of it, restored it to its proper place. Again the history called Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun prophets: “According to the commandments,” it says, “of David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, the king's prophets.” I take keresim to be a kind of divination; for it is joined to mediums, wizards and teraphim. So great was this king's virtue that the prophet Jeremiah composed a lament and gave it to the male and female singers, so that they would sing it every year, keeping his memory. The prophet Jeremiah taught at greater length about the remaining kings. Since we have interpreted that book too by divine grace, we thought it superfluous to interpret this again. That the historian collected these things from many prophetic books long afterward the end of the book teaches; for it mentions Cyrus the …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
2 Chr 10:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 11:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 11:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 11:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 11:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 12:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 13:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 14:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 14:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 14:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 14:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 14:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 15:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 16:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 17:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 18:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 19:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:23 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:34 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:35 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:36 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 20:37 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 21:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:31 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 22:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 22:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 22:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 23:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 23:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:23 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 24:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 9:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 25:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 8:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 26:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 27:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 27:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:23 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 28:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:30 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 29:34 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:23 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 30:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 31:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 31:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 31:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 14:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:30 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:31 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 32:33 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 36:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 57:1 (56:1 LXX) (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret's running commentary on 2 Chronicles 10–36 supplements Kings: God divides the kingdom and spares Judah for David's sake; pious kings (Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah) are rewarded and their lapses punished; impious ones (Joram, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Ahaz) are disciplined; Manasseh repents; the book was compiled from prophetic sources after the exile.
- Migne prints this as question I of 2 Chronicles; it is a long continuous exposition of 2 Chr 10:15–36:23 introduced by one question, and is one item. Quotations are from the LXX of 2 Chronicles, with Gen 9:6; Isa 1:1; 8:2; Luke 14:11; Heb 10:31; Ps 57 title (LXX 56:1). Theodoret refers to his own expositions of Kings (books 1–4 of this work) and of Jeremiah. Where the printed text names Jeroboam as handed over to Shishak, the context (2 Chr 12) shows Rehoboam is meant, and the translation follows the sense; likewise “the fruits of piety” reaped by Joram is translated “the fruits of his impiety” by the sense. The remarks on the Jews and on the deacon who baptizes when no presbyter is present are Theodoret's own; translated as written. In Gen 9:6 the printed text adds two stray words (“drinks it”), removed by a logged correction. Several displaced phrases (a gloss on the deacon's baptism, words of 2 Chr 29:16, and others) are put back in their places by logged corrections. The text breaks off in mid-sentence at the very end (“it mentions Cyrus the …”); the rest is lost.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin letter and stray syllable; Latin letters inside the word; Latin look-alike letters; Latin word printed inside the name; OCR accent error; OCR breathing error; OCR letter error; OCR letter error and stray marks; OCR misread the article; a marginal variant line printed inside the word ἐπικουρίας; stray marks; displaced words (from below) restored to their place; displaced words (from below) restored to their place in the quotation; displaced words (restored above) printed in the sentence; displaced words (restored above) printed inside the word προφήτην; marginal fragments printed in the text; stray article; stray bracket; stray digits; stray footnote mark; stray footnote marks; stray letter; stray letters; stray mark; stray marks; stray marks and digits; stray syllable; stray syllables and Latin look-alike letters; stray words inside the quotation of Gen 9:6; word split by the OCR; word split by the OCR and stray letters; word split by the OCR with stray letter; word split by the OCR with stray mark; words joined by the OCR): συνορῶσε τὸ πρακτέον → συνορῶσι τὸ πρακτέον; τῷ Δεσπό τη Θεῷ → τῷ Δεσπότῃ Θεῷ; φιλάν θρωπος Δεσπότης δυσσεβήσαντα μὲν τὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ ὅτ τῷ → φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης δυσσεβήσαντα μὲν τὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ τῷ; προφητικάς σε· Οἱ → προφητικάς· Οἱ; τοῦ D᾿Αβιᾶ σε δημηγορίαν → τοῦ ᾿Αβιᾶ δημηγορίαν; τῷ Δεσπότῇ Θεῷ, ὃς → τῷ Δεσπότῃ Θεῷ, ὃς; Τούτων είρημένων → Τούτων εἰρημένων; καὶ ς τραπέντες → καὶ τραπέντες; ἀνηλώθησαν το φεύγουσαι → ἀνηλώθησαν φεύγουσαι; οἱ τἱ υἱοὶ Ἰούδα → οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰούδα; ᾿Αμαζονεὶμ το ἐξέκοψαν → ᾿Αμαζονεὶμ ἐξέκοψαν; Γεραρηνῶν δε σαλτὸν → Γεραρηνῶν σαλτὸν; καὶ ετ εὑρεθήσεται Βὑμῖν → καὶ εὑρεθήσεται ὑμῖν; ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶ· τὴν → ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν τὴν; κατοι - κοῦντας → κατοικοῦντας; ὀσφύες θε ὑμῶν → ὀσφύες ὑμῶν; καὶ τοῦτο *, ὡς → καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς; μητέρα αὐτοῦ *, → μητέρα αὐτοῦ,; ἀγαθῶν θε αὐτῷ → ἀγαθῶν αὐτῷ; πάντας ( κατέκτεινας → πάντας κατέκτεινας; πόλεμος., Ἐντεῦθεν ὁ ἔστι → πόλεμος. Ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι; ἐκείνῳ". → ἐκείνῳ.; ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἰατρούς → ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἰατρούς; ἄρχον τας → ἄρχοντας; πᾶσινἐπέπεσε → πᾶσιν ἐπέπεσε; Ὁ δὲ νόμου τοῦ θείου. "Οπερ – ἐχαλέπηνεν. συγγραφεὺς → Ὁ δὲ συγγραφεὺς; ἐντυγχά νοντας → ἐντυγχάνοντας; ἡγού- α μενος → ἡγούμενος; Ζαβα-patrum, δίας → Ζαβαδίας; ἐξολο θρεύσας → ἐξολοθρεύσας; προσ ώπου τοῦ λαοῦ σου → προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ σου; ὁ ναὺς 3* ᾠκοδομήθη → ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδομήθη; πειρῶν· ται → πειρῶνται; τὸ ) ἀνθρώπινον → τὸ ἀνθρώπινον; περιεβάῤῥυνε **, → περιεθάῤῥυνε,; Κυρίῳ ἐε τῷ Θεῷ → Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ; ἀρχόντων **, → ἀρχόντων,; νεκροὺς 5ο ἐσκύλευσαν → νεκροὺς ἐσκύλευσαν; λοιποὶ σε λόγοι → λοιποὶ λόγοι; Ἰηοῦ δε ᾿Ανανί → Ἰηοῦ ᾿Ανανί; Καὶ ἤδη 5* δὲ ἔφην → Καὶ ἤδη δὲ ἔφην; Ἐλιέζερ δε τὸν → Ἐλιέζερ τὸν; ἐφιλίασας δε γὰρ, φησὶ στ, τῷ Ὀxoζίᾳ → ἐφιλίασας γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ Ὀχοζίᾳ; βασιλέων σε Ἰσραὴλ → βασιλέων Ἰσραὴλ; ἐξεπόρνευ σεν → ἐξεπόρνευσεν; Ἔλα - βε → Ἔλαβε; τῶν παίδων - νεώτατος → τῶν παίδων νεώτατος; Οὐκ τὴν θε ἐποίησε → Οὐκ ἐποίησε; καὶ το ἡ κόλασις → καὶ ἡ κόλασις; ἐξηγεῖται τὸ τὰ κατὰ → ἐξηγεῖται τὰ κατὰ; Ματθὰν το δὲ → Ματθὰν δὲ; τὰ ( ἄλλα → τὰ ἄλλα; Ἐποίησε γὰρ, ρ, φησὶν → Ἐποίησε γὰρ, φησὶν; ἱερέως 80., → ἱερέως.; οἱ υiot αὐτῆς → οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῆς; τριάκοντα καὶ ἐἑκατὸν → τριάκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν; διεμαρτύρατο 8* αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν 85.1 → διεμαρτύρατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν.; Κύριος· να Ιτί ὑμεῖς → Κύριος· Ἱνατί ὑμεῖς; Δεσπότης, ὡς θ· ὁ ἱστοριογράφος → Δεσπότης, ὡς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος; ἀνθρώπου, πίνει αὐτὸ, ἀντὶ → ἀνθρώπου, ἀντὶ; Καὶ τού( τους → Καὶ τούτους; τροπώσεταί σε Κύ ριος → τροπώσεταί σε Κύριος; ἀπῆλθε *, καὶ κατέκτεινε μυρίους, ἐξηνδραπόδισε δὲ τοσούτους· ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας ἐπικουνενικηκὼς ἐπανῆλθεν καὶ κατέκτεινεν μὲν μυρίους. ρίας τυχών, οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν εὐεργέτην. Τῶν γὰρ ἡττημου. θέντων → ἀπῆλθε, καὶ κατέκτεινε μυρίους, ἐξηνδραπόδισε δὲ τοσούτους· ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας τυχών, οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν εὐεργέτην. Τῶν γὰρ ἡττηθέντων; ὡς ὁ δοτῆρας → ὡς δοτῆρας; πατάξω ' σε → πατάξω σε; εἶπε ὁ σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ → εἶπε σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ; ἅπερ ὁ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις → ἅπερ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις; Ἐπαινεῖ ἐὶ δὲ ἐὲ τὸν → Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ τὸν; ἀρχιερεὺς 3*, → ἀρχιερεὺς,; Οὐ σοἱ, Ὀζία → Οὐ σοί, Ὀζία; ἐκάθητο 3*, → ἐκάθητο,; ὁ τού - του παῖς → ὁ τούτου παῖς; Πρῶτον μὲν ) γὰρ → Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ; Ὠδὴδ39 δὲ → Ὠδὴδ δὲ; νἱοὺς Ἰούδα → υἱοὺς Ἰούδα; ὑμῶν **. Καὶ νῦν → ὑμῶν. Καὶ νῦν; ἀλλοφύ- " λοις → ἀλλοφύλοις; ἀπέκαμψεν **, → ἀπέκαμψεν,; θλι βῆναι → θλιβῆναι; ναόν *6. → ναόν.; τὴν εὑρερίου καὶ ἐδέξαντο → τὴν εὑρεθεῖσαν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν οἴκου Κυρίου· καὶ ἐδέξαντο; δώδεκα **. → δώδεκα.; Δαβὶδ θεῖσαν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν οἴκου Κυπροφήτην → Δαβὶδ προφήτην; μνημονεύουσα δι ἐπήγαγεν → μνημονεύουσα ἐπήγαγεν; Πρεσβυτέρου ἀναγκάζεται → Πρεσβυτέρου γὰρ οὐ παρόντος, καὶ τῆς χρείας κατεπειγούσης, ἀναγκάζεται; ᾔεσαν δα. → ᾔεσαν.; τὰ θύματα, γὰρ οὐ παρόντος, καὶ τῆς χρείας κατεπειγούσης, καὶ τοῖς → τὰ θύματα, καὶ τοῖς; πρὶν ἀἁγνισθῆναι → πρὶν ἁγνισθῆναι; καὶ μετὰ τούτων δε τὰ → καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὰ; Ἐφρόν-est, τισε → Ἐφρόντισε; μεθ' ἡμῶν σε Κύριος → μεθ' ἡμῶν Κύριος; ὁ ἀνταπ- - έδωκεν → ὃ ἀνταπέδωκεν; Βαβυ λωνίων → Βαβυλωνίων; πρεσβευ ταῖς → πρεσβευταῖς; ἀπο σταλεῖσι → ἀποσταλεῖσι; ἐξηγήσασθαι το, → ἐξηγήσασθαι,; ἡρμηνεύσαμεν». → ἡρμηνεύσαμεν.; τοῖς Λευΐταις το ὁ Ἰωσίας → τοῖς Λευΐταις ὁ Ἰωσίας; Κερεσεὶμτ6 → Κερεσεὶμ; χάριτος " κάκείνην → χάριτος κἀκείνην.
Topics: Baptism, Church office, Scripture and canon, Prayer, Fasting
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 5.4 (PG 80 80:821; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/5-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/5-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.