Мидраш к Зехарья 1:5

(Jer. 8, 5) By a perpetual backsliding. Rab said: "A triumphant answer has the Assembly of Israel given to the prophets. The prophet said to Israel: 'Repent ye of your sins, as you may look upon your parents who have sinned, where are they?' And they answered: 'And your prophets who have not sinned, where are they?' As it is said (Zech. 1,5) Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? He then said to them: 'But your parents have repented and confessed,' as it is said (Ib. ib. 6) But My words and My Statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they turned and said: Like as the Lord of hosts purposed to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us." Samuel said: "The triumphant answer was thus: Ten men came to the prophet and sat down. And the prophet said to them: 'Repent of your sins.' And they answered: 'A slave whom his master has sold, and a woman whom her husband has divorced, has this then anything to do with one another?' The Holy One, praised be He! then said to the prophet: 'Go and say to them (Isa. 50, 1) Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away?'" And this is what Resh Lakish said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Jer. 47, 10) Nebuchadnezar My slave? It was known before Him who said, and the world came into being that Israel might claim so in the future, and therefore He said advance, Nebuchadnezzar My slave; for to whom, then, belongs the property of a slave? Surely to his master?" [Hence whatever Nebuchadnezzar took, it belongs to the Lord.] (Ezek. 20, 32-35) And that which cometh up into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the other countries to serve wood and stone. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I be King over you. R. Nachman said: "Let the Merciful have all the anger, if He only redeem us." (Isa. 28, 26) For his God had instructed him rightly, taught him (so to do). Rabba b. b. Chana said. "The prophet said to Israel: "Repent." And they answered: "We cannot, as the evil inclination dominates over us. And he said to them: "Overrule him." To which they answered: "This can be done only by his God."