3

Keep your state, as one who is intelligent, as one who has reason, so think, so act, show from your activity that you are truly a man. For not from the form, but from the activity, is each one known for what he is; but if not, what is said is said in name only. But only that one is a true man who preserves the image, who does not mar the God-given beauty, such as Job, genuine, not artificial, showing the virtue of man by works, not feigning it by appearance, or playing it as on a stage. And what God formerly required of Abraham, saying: Be pleasing before me, and be blameless; this Scripture now also testifies of Job. For after saying that he was true, it added that he was also blameless. And examine the word for me, so that you may know the great exactness of the just man; why did it not say unaccused, but blameless? because an accusation is made for the greatest sins, but blame for small and very minor ones; therefore, it says, not only did he abstain from the gravest evils, but he did not even endure to be caught in the slightest ones, which are more a matter of blame than of accusation, and bring only condemnation, not punishment. Indeed, Aquila and Symmachus, instead of "blameless," the one rendered it "simple," and the other "unblemished"; the one, alluding to the guilelessness and sincerity of the just man, and the other, alluding to that which is practiced with exactness unto virtue. For "unblemished" is one who is lacking in none of the good things, who conducts his life without stumbling, away from all evil; then after "blameless," it adds that he was also "just," and justice is the collection and union of all things noble and good. For if any of those things that seem praiseworthy should exist in someone by itself, apart from the rest of virtue, it is incomplete and useless, nay rather, it is often found to be contrary and blameworthy. For example, someone is intelligent and sensible; if he does not counsel just things, he is malicious and malevolent, not prudent, this one. For concerning such it has been said, They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge; again, another is brave towards struggles and dangers; if he does not wish to act justly, he is cruel and violent, like those who say: Let our strength be the law of justice; for that which is weak is proven useless. [If] one controls the pleasures of the body, yet he would not be temperate if he is a lover of money, fond of wealth; a dissolute person, who is lavish with money for his desire, is not generous. In general, every part of justice, having been cut off from the rest as from a body, is nothing. But the harmony and union of all admirable things, one might reasonably consider 64.513 justice; but if any of the admirable things should be absent, it limps in this respect and has been mutilated, and the name of justice is falsified. For the just man is first of necessity wise; for how could he do the things that are needful, and conduct himself harmoniously toward all, without understanding the order and capacity of each? Then temperate, for intemperance is injustice; a lover of God, For the pious, it says, have counseled just things, gentle, a lover of mankind, beneficent; and in a word the symphony of all things to be done according to right reason, makes the just man complete; and Ezekiel taught us this precisely, through whom God says, The man who shall be just, who does justice. Then he describes the just man, composing the complete and whole virtue from its constituent parts; and first he attaches piety to him, saying: He shall not eat upon the mountains; for on the mountains they performed idolatries. Then he says that temperance must belong to him; And he shall not defile, it says, his neighbor's wife, and he shall not approach a woman in her impurity. Then he also ascribes to him gentleness and equity, And a man, it says, he shall not oppress; in addition to this, he declares him to be honest in his dealings in saying: And he will not take plunder by violence; and he portrays him as merciful and generous, saying: He will give his bread to the hungry, and will cover the naked, he will not give his money at interest, and

3

κατάστασιν τήρησον, ὡς νουνεχὴς, ὡς λόγον ἔχων, οὕτω διανόησαι, οὕτω πρᾶξον, ἐκ τῆς ἐνεργείας δεῖξον ὅτι ὄντως ἄνθρωπος εἶ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ σχήματος, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἐνεργείας, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἕκαστος γνωρίζεται· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ὁμωνύμως λέγεται, ὃ λέγεται. Μόνος δὲ ἀληθὴς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ τὴν εἰκόνα σώζων, ὁ τὸ θεόσδοτον κάλλος μὴ ἀφανίζων, οἷος ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἀληθινὸς, οὐκ ἐπίπλαστος, ἔργοις τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δεικνὺς ἀρετὴν, οὐ σχήματι προσποιούμενος, ἢ σκηνικῶς ταύτην ὑποκρινόμενος. Ὅπερ δὲ πρότερον ἀπῄτει τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ὁ Θεὸς λέγων· Σὺ δὲ εὐαρέστει ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ γίνου ἄμεμπτος· τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἡ Γραφὴ τῷ Ἰὼβ μαρτυρεῖ· Εἰποῦσα γὰρ ὅτι ἦν ἀληθινὸς, ἐπήγαγεν ὅτι καὶ ἄμεμπτος. Καί μοι τὴν λέξιν βασάνισον, ἵνα γνῷς τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ δικαίου ἀκρίβειαν· διὰ τί οὐκ εἶπεν ἀνέγκλητος, ἀλλὰ ἄμεμπτος; ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἔγκλημα ἐπὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἁμαρτημάτων τίθεται, ἡ δὲ μέμψις ἐπὶ μικρῶν τε καὶ ἐλαχίστων· οὐ μόνον οὖν, φησὶ, τῶν βαρυτάτων κακῶν ἀπείχετο, ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ τοῖς κουφωτάτοις ἁλῶναι ἠνείχετο, ἃ μέμψις μᾶλλόν ἐστιν, ἢ ἔγκλημα, καὶ κατάγνωσιν μόνον φέρει, οὐ κόλασιν. Ἀκύλας γε μὴν, καὶ Σύμμαχος, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἄμεμπτος, ὁ μὲν ἁπλοῦς ἐξέδωκεν, ὁ δὲ ἄμωμος· ὁ μὲν, τὸ ἀπόνηρον τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἄπλαστον, ὁ δὲ, τὸ πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν ἠσκημένον εἰς ἀρετὴν αἰνισσόμενος. Ἄμωμος γάρ ἐστιν, ὁ μηδενὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐλλιπὴς, ὁ ἀπὸ πάσης κακίας ἀπταίστως τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ διεξάγων· εἶτα μετὰ τὸ ἄμεμπτος, προστίθησι ὅτι καὶ δίκαιος, συναγωγὴ δὲ καὶ ἕνωσις πάντων τῶν καλῶν καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη. Εἰ γάρ τι τῶν δοκούντων ἐπαινετῶν εἶναι, καθ' αὑτὸ δίχα τῆς λοιπῆς ἀρετῆς ἔν τινι γένοιτο, ἀτελὲς τοῦτο καὶ ἄχρηστον, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλάκις ἐναντίον καὶ ψεκτὸν εὑρίσκεται. Οἷον νοήμων καὶ συνετός τίς ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ δίκαια βουλεύοιτο, κακεντρεχὴς καὶ κακοήθης, οὐ φρόνιμος οὗτος. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων εἴρηται, Σοφοί εἰσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι, τὸ δὲ καλῶς ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· πάλιν ἀνδρεῖος ἕτερος πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐστὶ καὶ κινδύνους· εἰ μὴ δικαιοπραγεῖν βούλοιτο, ὠμός ἐστι καὶ βίαιος, ὡς οἱ λέγοντες· Ἔστω δὲ ἡμῖν ἡ ἰσχὺς νόμος τῆς δικαιοσύνης· τὸ γὰρ ἀσθενὲς ἄχρηστον ἐλέγχεται. Τῶν περὶ τὸ σῶμα [εἴ] τις ἡδονῶν κρατεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εἴη σώφρων, φιλάργυρος, ἐρασιχρήματος, ἄσωτος, οὐκ ἐλευθέριος, ὁ χρημάτων εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἀφειδής. Καθόλου, πᾶν μόριον δικαιοσύνης, ἀπὸ τοῦ λοιποῦ καθάπερ σώματος, ἀποτετμημένον, οὐδέν ἐστιν. Ἡ δὲ πάντων ἁρμονία καὶ σύνοδος τῶν ἀγαστῶν, εἷς ἂν καὶ νομίζοιτο εὐλόγως 64.513 δικαιοσύνη· εἰ δέ τι τῶν θαυμαστῶν ἀπείη, σκάζει κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἠκρωτηρίασται, καὶ τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὄνομα ψεύδεται. Ὁ γὰρ δίκαιος πρῶτον ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐστὶ σοφός· πῶς γὰρ ἂν τὰ δέοντα πράττοι, καὶ πᾶσιν εὐαρμόστως προσφέροιτο, μὴ τὴν ἑκάστου τάξιν καὶ δύναμιν συνιείς; Εἶτα σωφρονῶν, ἀκολασία γὰρ ἀδικία· φιλόθεος, Οἱ γὰρ εὐσεβεῖς, φησὶν, δίκαια ἐβουλεύσαντο, ἤπιος, φιλάνθρωπος, εὐεργετικός· καὶ καθάπαξ ἡ πάντων τῶν κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πρακτέων συμφωνία, τὸν δίκαιον συμπληροῖ· καὶ τοῦτ' ἀκριβῶς ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἡμᾶς ἐσόφισε, δι' οὗ φησιν ὁ Θεὸς, Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἔσται δίκαιος, ὁ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην. Εἶτα διαγράφει τὸν δίκαιον, τὴν παντελῆ καὶ ὁλόκληρον ἀρετὴν ἐκ τῶν κατὰ μέρος συντιθείς· καὶ πρῶτον αὐτῷ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προσάπτει, λέγων· Ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρέων οὐ φάγεται· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ὄρεσι τὰς εἰδωλολατρείας ἐπετέλουν. Εἶτα σωφροσύνην αὐτῷ προσεῖναι δεῖν λέγει· Καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, φησὶν, τοῦ πλησίον οὐ μὴ μιάνῃ, καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκα ἐν ἀφέδρῳ οὖσαν οὐ προσεγγιεῖ. Εἶτα καὶ τὸ πρᾶον αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἐπιεικὲς προσγράφει, Καὶ ἄνθρωπον, φησὶν, οὐ μὴ καταδυναστεύσῃ· πρὸς τοῦτο ἰδιοπραγεῖν αὐτὸν ἀποφαίνεται ἐν τῷ λέγειν· Καὶ ἅρπαγμα οὐχ ἁρπάσει· ἐλεήμονά τε καὶ κοινωνικὸν διατυποῖ λέγων· Τὸν ἄρτον αὐτοῦ τῷ πεινῶντι δώσει, καὶ γυμνὸν περιβαλεῖ, τὸ ἀργύριον αὐτοῦ οὐ δώσει ἐπὶ τόκῳ, καὶ