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very and of little value. He did not say that 6 he had houses with golden roofs. The wealth was not unfruitful; for from sheep and oxen it was possible to do good to those in need, but from a golden roof no longer. This wealth is great; no one is prevented from having it. And his works, it says, were great upon the earth. Some say spiritual things—for these are truly great works—, but others, the vines, the olive trees and other such things. Yet that work is great which remains, which is not dissolved and ended, which does not fall down. Do you see, in how much wealth he was righteous and abstained from every evil deed? 1,3g And that man, it says, was the noblest of the people of the east. It calls him an easterner. He was, it says, more splendid and more illustrious than all, and he could count distinguished and splendid ancestors. What would not have lifted him up to arrogance—his virtue of soul, his success in all things, being the only one of such a kind, both rich and virtuous, being from admirable ancestors? But when these things come upon the impious, hear what the prophet says: Therefore pride has taken hold of them completely, they have clothed themselves with their own injustice and impiety. And again this same one says: Why do the wicked live, and grow old in wealth? But he himself was not so. Therefore, the nature of wealth is not the cause of these things, but the disposition of those who do not use it as they ought. Do you see here no retail trading, no unjust commerce, no business, nothing else of the sort, but lawful wealth, natural abundance, which God himself wrought? Do you not see here horses, nothing boastful, nothing ambitious, nothing boyish, but all things useful? These things can also be said of Abraham. For his wealth also consisted in these things, for the working of the land, for the care of necessities. The 7 admirable wealth, this is more desirable and more pleasant and more useful and more secure and more just and more pious and more fitting for a man and less toilsome and having not so much loss nor admitting changes nor being turned. Some say that "of the people of the east" means "of Abraham," since Abraham was from there. 1,4a And his sons went to one another 4b and made a feast each day, 4c taking with them also their three sisters 4d to eat and drink with them. Great was the concord; they had been taught the greatest of goods, to eat in common, to have a common table; for this contributes not a little to harmony. Do you see, beloved, gladness with security? Do you see a brotherly table? Do you see a chorus bound together? For this came from great friendship. Taking with them, it says, also their three sisters to eat and drink with them. For this is proof of the greatest friendship. For this reason Paul also commanded, saying: When you come together to eat, wait for one another. So fellowship of the table is a bond, as to overcome even the evil of robbers. For it is said that having shared salt and table they change their way towards those who have shared with them and do not use their wickedness against their table-companions; so Job found a certain method that was both pleasant and necessary, having accustomed them to eat in common each day. See also the propriety of the feast; this was the work of the sons, not of the daughters. For they, it says, prepared this, and this happened not once, not twice, but always. 1,5a And when the days of the feast were completed, 5b Job sent and purified them. 8 Where did he send? And how did he purify? And what was the manner of the purification? And for what reason did he purify? Was there something unclean in the symposium? What is being said? Hear what follows and learn what "he purified" is: not from some bodily filth—for this law did not yet exist—, but from the mind. For lest you suspect anything wicked, hear what it says: 1,5b and rising up in the morning 5c he offered sacrifices for them according to their number 5d and one calf for sin for their souls. 5e For Job said: Lest perhaps my sons in their mind have thought evil things against God. That is: he purified. For the

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σφόδρα καὶ εὐτελές. οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι 6 οἰκίας χρυσορόφους εἶχεν. οὐκ ἦν ὁ πλοῦτος ἄκαρπος· ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ προβάτων καὶ βοῶν δυνατὸν ἦν εὖ ποιεῖν τοῖς δεομένοις, ἀπὸ δὲ χρυσοῦ ὀρόφου οὐκέτι. μέγας οὗτος ὁ πλοῦτος· οὐδεὶς κωλύεται τοῦτον ἔχειν. καὶ ἔργα, φησίν, μεγάλα ἦν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. οἱ μὲν τὰ πνευματικά φασιν-ὄντως γὰρ μεγάλα ἔργα ταῦτα-, οἱ δὲ τὰς ἀμπέλους, τὰς ἐλαίας καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα. πλὴν ἐκεῖνο ἔργον μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ μένον, τὸ μὴ διαλυόμενον καὶ παυόμενον, τὸ μὴ καταπῖπτον. ὁρᾷς, ἐν ὅσῳ πλούτῳ δίκαιος καὶ ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος; 1,3g καὶ ἦν, φησίν, ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος εὐγενὴς τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν. ἀνατολικὸν αὐτὸν καλεῖ. πάντων, φησίν, λαμπρότερος ἦν καὶ περιφανέστερος, καὶ προγόνους εἶχεν ἀριθμεῖν ἐπισήμους καὶ λαμπρούς. τί αὐτὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐπῆρεν εἰς ὑπερηφανίαν ἡ κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετή, ἡ ἐν πᾶσιν εὐπραγία, τὸ μόνον εἶναι τοιοῦτον καὶ πλούσιον καὶ ἐνάρετον, τὸ προγόνων εἶναι θαυμαστῶν; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὅταν ἐκβαίνῃ, ἄκουσον, τί φησιν ὁ προφήτης· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκράτησεν αὐτοὺς ἡ ὑπερηφανία εἰς τέλος, περιεβάλοντο ἀδικίαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν ἑαυτῶν. καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς οὗτός φησιν· διὰ τί ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσιν, πεπαλαίωνται δὲ ἐν πλούτῳ; αὐτὸς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἦν. οὐκ ἄρα ἡ τοῦ πλούτου φύσις τούτων αἰτία, ἀλλ' ἡ γνώμη τῶν οὐ δεόντως αὐτῷ χρωμένων. ὁρᾷς ἐνταῦθα οὐ καπηλείαν, οὐκ ἐμπορίαν ἄδικον, οὐ πραγματείαν, οὐκ ἄλλο τοιοῦτον οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἔννομον πλοῦτον, τὴν φυσικὴν εὐπορίαν, ἣν αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς εἰργάζετο. οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἐνταῦθα ἵππους, οὐδὲν ἀλαζονικόν, οὐδὲν φιλότιμον, οὐδὲν μειρακιῶδες, ἀλλὰ πάντα χρήσιμα. ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ˉ̓Αβραὰμ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνῳ ὁ πλοῦτος ἐν τούτοις ἦν, πρὸς ἐργασίαν γῆς, πρὸς ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων. ὁ 7 πλοῦτος ὁ θαυμαστός, οὗτός ἐστι ποθεινότερος καὶ ἡδίων καὶ χρησιμώτερος καὶ ἀσφαλέστερος καὶ δικαιότερος καὶ εὐσεβέστερος καὶ μᾶλλον ἀνθρώπῳ πρέπων καὶ ἀπονώτερος καὶ ζημίαν οὐ τοσαύτην ἔχων οὐδὲ μεταβολὰς δεχόμενος οὐδὲ τρεπόμενος. τινὲς τὸ τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν "τοῦ Ἀβραάμ" φασιν, ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖθεν ἦν ὁ Ἀβραάμ. 1,4a συμπορευόμενοι δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους 4b ἐποίουν πότον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν 4c συμπαραλαμβάνοντες ἅμα καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς αὐτῶν 4d ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ' αὐτῶν. πολλὴ ἡ ὁμόνοια· τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἦσαν πεπαιδευμένοι, κοινῇ σιτεῖσθαι, κοινὴν τράπεζαν ἔχειν· οὐ μικρὸν γὰρ τοῦτο εἰς συμφωνίαν συντελεῖ. ὁρᾷς, ἀγαπητέ, εὐφροσύνην μετὰ ἀσφαλείας; ὁρᾷς τράπεζαν ἀδελφικήν; ὁρᾷς χορὸν συνδεδεμένον; τοῦτο γὰρ ἀπὸ πολλῆς φιλίας ἐγίνετο. συμπαραλαμβάνοντες ἅμα, φησίν, καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς αὐτῶν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ' αὐτῶν. μεγίστης γὰρ τοῦτο φιλίας τεκμήριον. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἐπέταττε λέγων· συνερχόμενοι εἰς τὸ φαγεῖν ἀλλήλους ἐκδέχεσθε. οὕτω σύνδεσμός ἐστι κοινωνία τραπέζης, ὡς καὶ λῃστῶν περιγενέσθαι κακίας. λέγονται γὰρ ἁλῶν καὶ τραπέζης κοινωνήσαντες μεταβάλλεσθαι τὸν τρόπον πρὸς τοὺς κεκοινωνηκότας καὶ μὴ κεχρῆσθαι τῇ πονηρίᾳ κατὰ τῶν ὁμοτραπέζων· ὥστε εὗρέ τινα μέθοδον Ἰὼβ καὶ τὸ ἡδὺ καὶ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἔχουσαν ἐθίσας αὐτοὺς κοινῇ σιτεῖσθαι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. ὅρα καὶ τοῦ πότου τὸ σεμνόν· τῶν υἱῶν τοῦτο ἔργον ἦν, οὐ τῶν θυγατέρων. ἐκεῖνοι γάρ, φησίν, τοῦτο παρεσκεύαζον, καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἅπαξ, οὐ δίς, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς ἐγίνετο. 1,5a καὶ ὡς ἂν συνετελέσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πότου, 5b ἀπέστελλεν ˉ̓Ιὼβ καὶ ἐκαθέριζεν αὐτούς. 8 ποῦ ἀπέστελλεν; πῶς δὲ ἐκαθέριζεν; τίς δὲ τῆς καθάρσεως ὁ τρόπος; τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἐκαθέριζεν; ἀκάθαρτον δὲ ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ ἦν; τί ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; ἄκουε τῶν ἑξῆς καὶ μάνθανε, τί ἐστι τὸ ἐκαθέριζεν· οὐκ ἀπὸ σωματικοῦ τινος ῥύπου-οὔπω γὰρ οὗτος ἦν ὁ νόμος-, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ διανοίας. ἵνα γὰρ μηδὲν ὑποπτεύσῃς πονηρόν, ἄκουσον, τί φησιν· 1,5b καὶ ἀνιστάμενος τὸ πρωὶ 5c προσέφερε θυσίας περὶ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτῶν 5d καὶ μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν. 5e ἔλεγε γὰρ ˉ̓Ιώβ· μήποτε οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς τὸν θεόν. τουτέστιν· ἐκαθέριζεν. ὑπὲρ τῶν