In the beginning of the reign of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, came this word from the Lord, saying:2 Thus saith the Lord: Stand in the court of the house of the Lord, and speak to all the cities of Juda, out of which they come, to adore in the house of the Lord, all the words which I have commanded thee to to speak unto them: leave not out one word.3 If so be they will hearken and be converted every one from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil that I think to do unto them for the wickedness of their doings.4 And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: If you will not hearken to me to walk in my law, which I have given to you:5 To give ear to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you rising up early: and sending, and you have not hearkened:6 I will make this house like Silo: and I will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.7 And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremias speaking these words in the house of the Lord.8 And when Jeremias made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests, and the prophets, and all the people laid hold on him, saying: Let him be put to death.9 Why hath he prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying: This house shall be like Silo; and this city shall be made desolate, without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered together against Jeremias in the house of the Lord.
The Novatians bring up a question from the words of the apostle Peter. Because he said, "if perhaps," they think that he did not imply that forgiveness would be granted on repentance. But let them consider concerning to whom the words were spoken—of Simon, who did not believe through faith but was contemplating trickery. So, too, the Lord, to him who said, "Lord, I will follow you wherever you go," replied, "Foxes have holes." For he knew that the man was not being fully sincere. If, then, the Lord refused to him who was not baptized permission to follow him, because he saw that he was not sincere, do you wonder that the apostle did not absolve him who after baptism was guilty of deceit and whom he declared to be still in the bond of iniquity? But let this be my answer to them. As to myself, I say that Peter did not doubt, and I do not think that so great a question can be so easily disposed of by the questionable interpretation of a single word. For if they think that Peter doubted, did God doubt, who said to the prophet Jeremiah, "Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and you shall give an answer to all Judah, to those who have come to worship in the Lord's house, even all the words that I have appointed for you to answer to them. Do not omit a word, perhaps they will listen and be converted." Let them say, then, that God also did not know what would happen. But ignorance is not implied in that word, but the common custom of Holy Scripture is observed to be taken in its simplest sense. Inasmuch as the Lord says also to Ezekiel, "Son of man, I will send you to the house of Israel, to those who have angered me, both themselves and their ancestors, this very day, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, if perhaps they will hear and be afraid." Did God not know that they could or could not be converted? So, then, that expression is not always a proof of doubt.
They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause. My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away.8 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.9 I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to the sons of my mother.10 For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.14 But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Lord; for the time of thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
"Not every one who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven," says the Scripture. Faith, therefore, august sovereign, must not be a mere matter of performance, for it is written, "The zeal of your house has devoured me." Let us then with faithful spirit and devout mind call on Jesus our Lord, let us believe that he is God, to the end that whatever we ask of the Father, we may obtain in his name. For the Father's will is that he be entreated through the Son, the Son's that the Father be entreated.
And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: How came this man by this wisdom and miracles?55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude:†56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hath he all these things?57 And they were scandalized in his regard. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.†58 And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
And this was the carpenter’s son who subdues iron by means of fire, who tries the virtue of this world in the judgment, and forms the rude mass to every work of human need; the figure of our bodies, for example, to the divers ministrations of the limbs, and all the actions of life eternal.
Thus the Lord is held in no honour by His own; and though the wisdom of His teaching, and the power of His working raised their admiration, yet do they not believe that He did these things in the name of the Lord, and they cast His father’s trade in His teeth. Amid all the wonderful works which He did, they were moved with the contemplation of His Body, and hence they ask, Whence hath this man these things? And thus they were offended in him.
Further, He makes this answer, that a Prophet is without honour in his own country, because it was in Judæa that He was to be condemned to the sentence of the cross; and forasmuch as the power of God is for the faithful alone, He here abstained from works of divine power because of their unbelief; whence it follows, And he did not there many mighty works because of their unbelief.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)