THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
I will bestow upon you gifts that seem as though they would spill blood; that is to say, they would not relent in trading justice for profit, offering bribes to condemn the innocent. I will demand from you both abundance and excess. While this may be noted last, not as the gravest offense, it is nonetheless grouped with prior transgressions, thus effectively teaching and urging those who engage in this sin to shun this form of greed, as it is linked to profoundly wicked actions. The greedy are counted alongside murderers, idolaters, fornicators, and the most vile individuals. After detailing the various vices, the Prophet then declares the impending consequences. You have reached the pinnacle of your wickedness, characterized by violence: yet you have forgotten Me, declares the Lord God.
Read more (133 words)
Behold, I will raise My hand against your hand for your deeds, and for the blood that has been shed among you. How will your heart withstand, and how will your hands prevail on the day I act against you? God speaks of Himself, asserting that as Lord and Judge, He will strike with His hands in His wrath. Because you have forgotten Me and failed to remember My mercies and My commandments, I will unleash such disasters upon you that your hands will weaken, and your heart, overwhelmed with confusion, will lose hope for salvation. He displays the truth of His statement. I am the Lord, and I will fulfill this; the authority of Him who declares it substantiates it. Recognizing who has spoken these words is sufficient to affirm their truth.