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Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

Cyprian of Carthage

Book 1 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In Isaiah: “Hear, O heaven, and

‹ Book 1 · Section 2 Book 1 · Section 3 ›

give

ear

,

O

earth

:

for

the

Lord

hath

spoken

;

I

have

begotten

and

brought

up

children

,

but

they

have

rejected

me

.

The

ox

knoweth

his

owner

,

and

the

ass

his

master’s

crib

:

but

Israel

hath

not

known

me

,

and

my

people

hath

not

perceived

me

.

Ah

sinful

nation

,

a

people

filled

with

sins

,

a

wicked

seed

,

corrupting

children

:

ye

have

forsaken

the

Lord

,

and

have

sent

that

Holy

One

of

Israel

into

anger

.

”

In

the

same

also

the

Lord

says

:

“

Go

and

tell

this

people

,

Ye

shall

hear

with

the

ear

,

and

shall

not

understand

;

and

seeing

,

ye

shall

see

,

and

shall

not

perceive

.

For

the

heart

of

this

people

hath

waxed

gross

,

and

they

hardly

hear

with

their

ears

,

and

they

have

shut

up

their

eyes

,

lest

haply

they

should

see

with

their

eyes

,

and

hear

with

their

ears

,

and

understand

with

their

heart

,

and

should

return

,

and

I

should

heal

them

.

”

Also

in

Jeremiah

the

Lord

says

:

“

They

have

forsaken

me

,

the

fountain

of

living

water

,

and

have

dug

for

themselves

worn

-

out

cisterns

,

which

could

not

hold

water

.

”

Moreover

,

in

the

same

:

“

Behold

,

the

word

of

the

Lord

has

become

unto

them

a

reproach

,

and

they

do

not

wish

for

it

.

”

Again

in

the

same

the

Lord

says

:

“

The

kite

knoweth

his

time

,

the

turtle

,

and

the

swallow

;

the

sparrows

of

the

field

keep

the

time

of

their

coming

in

;

but

my

people

doth

not

know

the

judgment

of

the

Lord

.

How

say

ye

,

We

are

wise

,

and

the

law

of

the

Lord

is

with

us

?

The

false

measurement

has

been

made

vain

;

the

scribes

are

confounded

;

the

wise

men

have

trembled

,

and

been

taken

,

because

they

have

rejected

the

word

of

the

Lord

.

”

In

Solomon

also

:

“

Evil

men

seek

me

,

and

shall

not

find

me

;

for

they

held

wisdom

in

hatred

and

did

not

receive

the

word

of

the

Lord

.

”

Also

in

the

twenty

-

seventh

Psalm

:

“

Render

to

them

their

deserving

,

because

they

have

not

perceived

in

the

works

of

the

Lord

.

”

Also

in

the

eighty

-

first

Psalm

:

“

They

have

not

known

,

neither

have

they

understood

;

they

shall

walk

on

in

darkness

.

”

In

the

Gospel

,

too

,

according

to

John

:

“

He

came

unto

His

own

,

and

His

own

received

Him

not

.

As

many

as

received

Him

,

to

them

gave

He

power

to

become

the

sons

of

God

who

believe

on

His

name

.

”

Notes

1
Isa. i. 2–4.
2
Isa. vi. 9, 10.
3
Jer. ii. 13.
4
Jer. vi. 10.
5
According to the Oxford edition: “The turtle and the swallow knoweth its time,” etc.
6
Six ancient authorities have “your measurement.”
7
Jer. viii. 7–9.
8
Prov. i. 28, 29.
9
Ps. xxviii. 4, 5.
10
Ps. lxxxii. 5.
11
John i. 11, 12.