Verse 9. But say a word against the Lord, and die. After she had related the tragedy in detail, then she brought forth her shameless counsel. And she did not even say to him openly, “Blaspheme.” For those who give wicked counsel do not dare to introduce their advice openly. What are you saying, O woman? When it is necessary to propitiate, necessary to be reconciled, you advise rather to provoke? For if God has done these things, it is necessary to beseech Him, not to blaspheme. And how is it clear that I, though beloved, will die? But see how the woman regarded blasphemy. She considered it capable of bringing death on him immediately. Verse 10. If we have received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure the evil things? For this blessed man, being struck from all sides, stood the more securely, and receiving countless darts, he did not give in. But he emptied the devil’s quiver, while he himself did not fall, nor was he tripped up. But like an excellent helmsman, neither when the sea was raging and the waves were stirred up was he sunk, nor when there was a calm did he become more careless. But in either difference of seasons he maintained his own skill equally. And neither did wealth puff him up, nor did poverty humble him, nor, when his affairs were flowing smoothly, was he supine and reclining, nor, when almost his entire household was overturned and total destruction occurred, was he disturbed or did his own courage fail him. Let the rich hear, let the poor hear; for the narrative is useful for both, and the story is profitable for all people; both for those in prosperity, and for those in misfortunes. For having wielded both kinds of weapons, the champion of piety, the crown-bearer of the world, in both he set up a trophy; and against every kind of war of the demon 17.64 that came upon him, against all he drew up his forces, and in all he was proclaimed victor. And just as a noble soldier, who knows how to fight by night, to fight against walls, to fight on foot, to fight at sea, and to shoot with a bow, and to brandish a spear, and with slings and javelins, and in every manner of battle to overcome the enemy and to be victorious everywhere; so indeed that noble man also bore every temptation with great courage: that from poverty, that from famine, that from sickness, that from pain, that from the loss of his children, that from his friends, that from his enemies, that from his wife, that from his servants. For there was not a human misfortune which was not emptied out upon his body. But nevertheless he was carried above all the nets, and became higher than the devil's snares. And what is more wonderful, is that all things came to him, and all with excess, and all at once. For do not see this, that he suffered so many things; but add, that it was not little by little, nor at intervals, but at one and the same time. And this is no small addition to his temptations. For of other men, first of all, no one would be found who endured all things at once, but even if he struggles with poverty, he nevertheless enjoys health; and if he is encompassed by both poverty and sickness, yet he has often enjoyed a wife who consoles him in his troubles and becomes a harbor for him. And if he did not enjoy such a wife, yet she did not counsel such destructive things, nor did he lose all his children at once; and if at once, yet not by such a manner of death; and if by such a [manner] of death, yet he had friends to comfort him; and if he did not have comforters, yet they were not also treading upon him in this way; and if they were treading upon him, yet he did not also have servants reproaching him; and if they were reproaching him, yet they were not also spitting in his face; and if they were spitting in his face, yet he was not also encompassed by such a disease, but enjoyed a room and shelter, and did not sit upon the dunghill; and if he did sit upon the dunghill, yet he had those who would lend a hand; and if he did not have those to lend a hand, yet they were not also treading upon him. But this man endured all these things. Verse 11. They came to him, each from his own country, Eliphaz the king of the Temanites, Bildad the tyrant of the Shuhites, Zophar the king of the Minaeans. Friendly is your presence, and friendly is your counsel. Eliphaz;

Στ. θʹ. Ἀλλ' εἶπόν τι ῥῆμα εἰς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Μετὰ τὸ τὴν τραγῳδίαν ἀκριβῶς διηγήσασθαι, τότε τὴν ἀναίσχυντον ἐπιφέρει συμβουλήν. Καὶ οὐδὲ αὐ τῷ φανερῶς εἶπε, Βλασφήμησον. Οἱ γὰρ πονηρὰ συμ βουλεύοντες οὐ τολμῶσιν ἀνακεκαλυμμένην εἰσά γειν τὴν συμβουλήν. Τί λέγεις, ὦ γύναι; ∆έον ἐξι λεώσασθαι, δέον καταλλάξαι, παροξῦναι μᾶλλον παρ αινεῖς; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ταῦτα ἐποίησε, παρακαλέσαι αὐτὸν, οὐ βλασφημῆσαι δεῖ. Πόθεν δὲ δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ἐρώμενον τελευτήσω; Πλὴν ὅρα ὅπως εἶχε περὶ τῆς βλασφημίας ἡ γυνή. Ὥσπερ παραχρῆμα αὐτὴν θάνατον ἐπάγειν ἱκανὴν ἡγεῖτο. Στ. ιʹ. Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυ ρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Ὁ γὰρ μακάριος οὗτος, πανταχόθεν βαλλόμενος, ἀσφαλέστερον ἵστατο, καὶ μυρία βέλη δεχόμενος, οὐκ ἐνεδίδου. Ἀλλ' ἐκένωσε μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν βελοθή κην, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ κατέπεσεν, οὐδὲ ὑπεσκελίσθη. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης, οὔτε μαινομένης τῆς θα λάσσης, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων διεγειρομένων κατεποντί ζετο, οὔτε γαλήνης οὔσης ῥᾳθυμότερος ἐγίνετο. Ἀλλ' ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν διαφορᾷ ἴσην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τέχνην διετήρησε. Καὶ οὔτε πλοῦτος ἑαυτὸν ἐφύ σησεν, οὔτε πενία ἐταπείνωσεν, οὔτε, κατὰ ῥοῦν τῶν πραγμάτων φερομένων, ὕπτιος ἦν καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὼς, οὔτε, ὅλης σχεδὸν τῆς οἰκείας ἀνατραπείσης, καὶ πανολεθρίας γενομένης, διεταράχθη, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρίαν ἤλεγξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν πλούσιοι, ἀκουέτω σαν πένητες· ἑκατέροις γὰρ τὸ διήγημα χρήσιμον, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἡ ἱστορία λυσιτελής· καὶ τοῖς ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν συμφοραῖς. Ἑκάτερα γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα μεταχειρίσας ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης στεφανίτης, ἐν ἑκατέροις τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησε· καὶ πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος πολέμου τοῦ δαίμονος 17.64 ἐπελθόντος ἐκείνου, πρὸς ἅπαντα παρετάξατο, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνεκηρύττετο. Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιώτης γεν ναῖος, καὶ εἰδὼς νυκτομαχεῖν, τειχομαχεῖν, πεζομα χεῖν, ναυμαχεῖν, καὶ τοξεύειν, καὶ δόρυ σείειν, καὶ σφενδόναις καὶ ἀκοντίοις, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ μάχης περιγίνεσθαι τῆς ἐναντίων καὶ πανταχοῦ κρα τεῖν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἅπαντα πειρα σμὸν μετὰ πολλῆς ἤνεγκε τῆς ἀνδρίας, τὸν ἀπὸ πε νίας, τὸν ἀπὸ λιμοῦ, τὸν ἀπὸ νόσου, τὸν ἐξ ὀδύνης, τὸν ἀπὸ παίδων ἀπωλείας, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀνθρωπίνη συμφορὰ, ἣ μὴ εἰς τὸ σῶμα ἐξεκενώθη ἐκείνου. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἁπάντων ὑπερηνέχθη τῶν δικτύων, καὶ ὑψηλότερος γέγονε τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου καλάμων. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστότερον, ὅτι καὶ πάντα αὐτῷ, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, καὶ πάντα ὑφ' ἕν. Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἔπα θεν· ἀλλὰ πρόσθες, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν, οὐδὲ ἐκ διαστήματος, ἀλλ' ὑφὲν καὶ ὁμοῦ. Οὐ μικρὰ δὲ αὕτη πειρασμῶν προσθήκη. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων ἕκαστος ἀνθρώπων πρῶτον μὲν οὐδεὶς ἂν εὑρεθείη πάντα ὑπο μείνας ὁμοῦ, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πενίᾳ παλαίει, ὅμως ὑγείας ἀπολαύει· εἰ δὲ καὶ πενίᾳ καὶ νόσῳ περιεπάρη, ἀλλὰ γυναικὸς πολλάκις ἀπήλαυσε παραμυθουμένης τὰ δει νὰ, καὶ ἀντὶ λιμένος αὐτῷ γινομένης. Εἰ δὲ μὴ γυναι κὸς ἀπήλαυσε τοιαύτης, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτω συμβουλευ θείσης ὀλέθρια, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀθρόον ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀθρόον, ἀλλ' οὐ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τελευτῆς· εἰ δὲ καὶ τοιούτῳ [τρόπῳ] τελευτῆς, ἀλλὰ φίλους ἔσχε παρακαλοῦντας· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔσχε πα ρακαλοῦντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ οὕτως ἐπεμβαίνοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ οἰκέτας ὀνειδί ζοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὀνειδίζοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐμπτύοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ πρόσ ωπον ἐμπτύοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ νόσῳ τοιαύτῃ περιε πάρει, ἀλλὰ δωματίου καὶ σκέπης ἀπήλαυσε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο, ἀλλ' ἔσχε τοὺς χεῖρα ὀρέγοντας· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔσχε τοὺς χεῖρα ὀρέγοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντας. Οὗτος δ' ἅπαντα ταῦτα ὑπήνεγκεν. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Παρεγένοντο ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας χώ ρας πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ἐλιφὰζ ὁ Θαιμανῶν βασι λεὺς, Βαλδὰδ ὁ Σαυχέων τύραννος, Σωφὰρ Μιναίων βασιλεύς. Φιλικὴ μὲν ἡ παρουσία σου, φιλικὴ δὲ ἡ παρ αίνεσις. Ἐλιφάζ·