mourning, not a relative groaning. But he had only just taken hold of his kingdom and become master of a double existence, immediately his brothers were drawing up for battle, his sisters were putting on airs, his friends were pressing upon him. But why do I speak of brothers and relatives and not rather quickly turn my discourse, because of the late hour, to Job's wife? For she too, while Job was sick and living in agony, became harder than all, that is, reproaching, reviling, urging him to blaspheme, saying to her husband: How long will you endure, saying: 'Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my salvation'? For behold, your memorial has vanished from the earth; sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb, have died, for whom I labored in vain with toils; and you yourself sit in the rot of worms, spending the night in the open air, while I, a wanderer and a servant, go about from place to place and from house to house. When will the sun set, so that I may rest from the toils and pains which now possess me? But say some word against the Lord, and die. Did you see the words of hopelessness? How long will you endure, saying: 'Behold, I wait yet a little while'? That is: How long will you deceive yourself, eagerly awaiting the expectation of good things? What hope is left for you? And what did it profit you to frequently raise your hands to heaven and to prolong your prayers? You were warred against from above, and fire was brought down from heaven. While his wife was saying these things, Job still living in trial, Job then answered nothing; but he had only just taken hold of his kingdom and obtained his substance and saw his brothers and friends and relatives and all feasting, likewise also his wife brightened by a royal robe and becoming the mother of the same children, turning to his wife, Job would say: What are you saying, woman? Are you not the one who rebuked me more harshly than all? Did you not say to me: 'How long will you endure, saying: "Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my salvation"?' The hope of my salvation has come. Does not the farmer await the ear of corn? And shall I not wait for the God who raises the needy from the earth and lifts the poor from the dunghill? Has not the harvest of good things come? Has not the spring of enjoyment arrived? Are you not richer now than before? Look around at your children; are these less beautiful than the first? Have you not become a twice-bearing vine? You were harvested of those, but you hold these; and those live and these leap for joy. For thus I have received all things double; if I had listened to you, woman, and having blasphemed, departed from life, from where would be the resurrection of good things? Have you seen how much fruit the dunghill of patience has sprouted? Therefore, woman, from now on do not begin to say: 'I am a wanderer and a servant.' For the deceiver has fallen and the idolater has been brought to nothing. Truly the deceiver devil has fallen, he who always digs the pits against himself. For today a cross is woven and Job is crowned, today Adam is renewed and a thief is praised, today a tomb is sealed and heaven is opened, today the master is struck and humanity receives freedom. And Paul bears witness to my word, crying out: For freedom Christ has redeemed us, stand firm. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

πενθοῦσα, οὐ συγγενὴς στενάζων. Μόνον δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπελάβετο καὶ διπλῆς ὑπάρξεως δεσπότης γέγονεν, εὐθέως οἱ ἀδελφοὶ παρατασσόμενοι, αἱ ἀδελφαὶ σοβαρευόμεναι, οἱ φίλοι ἐπερειδόμενοι. Τί δὲ λέγω περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῶν συγγενῶν καὶ οὐ μεταφέρω θᾶττον τὸν λόγον διὰ τὸ τῆς ὥρας ὀψὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γαμετὴν τοῦ Ἰώβ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ κάμνοντος τοῦ Ἰὼβ καὶ ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ διάγοντος σκληροτέρα πάντων γεγένηται, τουτέστιν ὀνειδίζουσα, λοιδοροῦσα, βλασφημεῖν παρακελευομένη, λέγουσα πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα· Μέχρι τίνος καρτερήσεις λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἀναμένω χρόνον ἔτι μικρὸν προσδεχόμενος τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας μου; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἠφάνισταί σου τὸ μνημόσυνον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς· υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, τῆς ἐμῆς κοιλίας ὠδῖνες καὶ πόνοι, ἐτελεύτησαν, οὓς εἰς τὸ κενὸν ἐκοπίασα μετὰ μόχθων· σύ τε αὐτὸς ἐν σαπρίᾳ σκωλήκων κάθῃ διανυκτερεύων αἴθριος, ἐγὼ δὲ πλανῆτις καὶ λάτρις τόπον ἐκ τόπου καὶ οἰκίαν ἐξ οἰκίας περιερχομένη. Πότε δύσεται ὁ ἥλιος, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι τῶν μόχθων καὶ τῶν ὀδυνῶν, αἵ με νῦν συνέχουσιν; Ἀλλ' εἶπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς κύριον καὶ τελεύτα. Εἶδες ἀνελπιστίας ῥήματα; Μέχρι τίνος καρτερήσεις λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἀναμένω χρόνον ἔτι μικρόν; Τουτέστιν· Ἕως πότε φρεναπατᾷς σεαυτὸν προσδοκίαν ἀγαθῶν καραδοκῶν; Ποία σοι ἐλπὶς ὑπολέλειπται; Τί δέ σοι ὤνησε τὸ συχνῶς τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπαίρειν καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς πλατύνειν; Ἄνωθεν ἐπολεμήθης καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πῦρ κατηνέχθη. Ταῦτα τῆς γυναικὸς λεγούσης ἔτι τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐν τῷ πειρασμῷ διάγοντος, τότε μὲν ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο· μόνον δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπελάβετο καὶ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τετύχηκεν καὶ εἶδεν ἀδελφοὺς καὶ φίλους καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ πάντας εὐωχουμένους, ὁμοίως καὶ τὴν γαμετὴν τῷ βασιλικῷ πέπλῳ φαιδρυνομένην καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν τέκνων μητέρα γινομένην, στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ὁ Ἰὼβ ἔλεγεν· Τί λέγεις, γύναι; Οὐ σὺ εἶ ἡ πάντων μοι χαλεπώτερον ἐπιπλήττουσα; Οὐκ ἔλεγές μοι· Μέχρι τίνος καρτερήσεις λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἀναμένω χρόνον ἔτι μικρὸν προσδεχόμενος τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας μου; Ἦλθεν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς σωτηρίας μου. Ἦ ὁ γεωργὸς τὸν στάχυν οὐκ ἐκδέχεται; Κἀγὼ τὸν θεὸν οὐ περιμένω τὸν ἀνιστῶντα ἀπὸ γῆς πένητα καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἐγείροντα πτωχόν; Μὴ οὐκ ἦλθε τὸ θέρος τῶν ἀγαθῶν; Μὴ οὐκ ἔφθασε τὸ ἔαρ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως; Οὐχὶ μᾶλλον νῦν πλουτεῖς ἢ πρότερον; Περίβλεψαί σου τὰ τέκνα· μὴ ἀμορφότερα ταῦτα τῶν πρώτων; Μὴ οὐ γέγονας ἄμπελος δίφορος; Ἐκείνους ἐτρυγήθης, ἀλλὰ τούτους κρατεῖς· κἀκεῖνοι ζῶσι καὶ οὗτοι σκιρτῶσιν. Οὕτω γὰρ διπλᾶ ἀπέλαβα τὰ πάντα· εἰ ἤκουσά σου, γύναι, καὶ βλασφημήσας τὸν βίον ἐξῆλθον, πόθεν ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν ἀγαθῶν; Εἶδες ἡ κοπρία τῆς ὑπομονῆς πόσον καρπὸν ἐβλάστησεν; ∆ιό, γύναι, ἀπὸ τοῦ λοιποῦ μὴ ἄρξῃ λέγειν· Ἐγὼ πλανῆτις καὶ λάτρις. Ἔπεσε γὰρ ὁ πλάνος καὶ κατήργηται ὁ εἰδωλολάτρης. Ὄντως ἔπεσεν ὁ πλάνος διάβολος, ὁ ἀεὶ καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς βοθύνους ἐγείρων. Σήμερον γὰρ καὶ σταυρὸς πλέκεται καὶ Ἰὼβ στεφανοῦται, σήμερον καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἀνακαινοῦται καὶ λῃστὴς ἐπαινεῖται, σήμερον καὶ τάφος σφραγίζεται καὶ οὐρανὸς ἀνοίγεται, σήμερον ὁ δεσπότης ῥαπίζεται καὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης τὴν ἐλευθερίαν δέχεται. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μοι τῷ λόγῳ Παῦλος βοῶν· Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν, στήκετε ἑδραῖοι. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.