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He did not have, he slanders the intention; he does not take hold of the manifest things, but of the hidden things. And yet it was possible to say: "Whence is this, O foul one, that for this reason he reveres God, on account of his wealth and his possessions?" But He wishes the victory to be his by a superabundance and not subject to dispute, and He abides by the terms of God. For you said: He does not revere God for nothing, and you have set forth the cause and the reasons, the possessions. Therefore, when the possessions are taken away and he remains God-fearing, will you yourself confess that he reveres him for nothing? For God everywhere wishes the judgments to be brought forth by his enemies, so as to leave them no word. Just as he said there: Wicked servant, out of your own mouth I will judge you—and again in the case of the Jews: Give us, he says, a guard, lest his disciples come and steal him; therefore, if you take a guard, it is not possible for you to say that they stole him; thus error everywhere pierces itself—, so also here: "If you take his possessions, is it not possible for you to say that he does not revere him for nothing?" What of those present now who do not revere God even for a reward? If to revere him for the sake of possessions is not praiseworthy, where will despising him even with possessions be placed? Let the Jews be ashamed who do not do this even with possessions. The man was not a hireling. He reveres God, because he knew this very thing to be good, but now the many do not, even with possessions. But you, O foul and all-wicked one, for what reason do you not revere God? 1,10a Have you not hedged about, he says, his things outside, and the things inside his house 10b and the things outside of all that he has all around? "You have hedged about the things outside and the things inside his house, walling him in." Do you see the devil's knowledge also made precise, that from God is all security? 1,10c And the works of his hands, he says, you have blessed, 10d and you have made his cattle numerous upon the earth. Do you see the wealth given by God? Do you see that it is not from injustice? How much did Job have to toil to persuade men that his wealth was not from injustice. Behold, the devil testified to this for him and he does not know that even in this he is praising him, that he did not have this from retail trading nor by oppressing others, but he had this from the blessing of God and he enjoyed the security from above. But he would not have enjoyed it, if he were not virtuous, so that even in this he praised and crowned him unawares. He said well: the things inside his house and the things outside of all that he has all around. There was no temptation from without, no disturbance from within, he enjoyed a deep peace; his children in harmony, his flocks in fruitfulness. No war came upon him, his house had no strife, no civil war, no foreign war ravaged him. And he well said first: the things inside his house; for this is more difficult, the war within. His entire house was at peace, both within and without. So there is need of God everywhere, in order to be at peace both within and without. God does not refuse nor is he ashamed of this protection, to stand over your flocks and to keep your herds safe, if only you love him. And see the security of the protection: you have hedged him about on every side, he says, and you have blessed the works of his hands. Do you see that it was not according to nature that the herds and the flocks were numerous? 1,11a But stretch forth, he says, your hand and touch all that he has. He did not say: "Give me authority," but, stretch forth your hand and touch all that he has. 20 1,11b Surely he will bless you to your face. He indeed wanted and desired to receive the authority himself, but he did not dare to say it, but, you, he says, stretch forth your hand. Then, so that he might not say that "you struck him sparingly as your own servant," he did not do what the devil asked, although it was possible even having done this to justify himself, that "what you wished, I did; you said that I should touch him." But nevertheless he does something more. 1,12a And the Lord said to the devil: 12b Behold, all that he has, I have given into your hand, 12c but do not touch him. "Thus I am confident in my athlete; you said: stretch forth your hand,

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οὐκ ἔσχεν, τὴν γνώμην διαβάλλει· τῶν φανερῶν οὐκ ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀφανῶν. καὶ μὴν ἐξῆν εἰπεῖν· «πόθεν τοῦτο, ὦ μιαρέ, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο σέβεται τὸν θεόν, διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὰ χρήματα;» ἀλλὰ ἐκ περιουσίας αὐτῷ βούλεται γενέσθαι τὴν νίκην καὶ οὐκ ἀμφισβητήσιμον, καὶ τοῖς ὅροις ἐμμένει τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ. εἶπες γάρ· οὐ δωρεὰν σέβεται τὸν θεόν, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τέθεικας καὶ τοὺς λογισμούς, τὰ χρήματα. οὐκοῦν, ὅταν ἀναιρεθῇ τὰ χρήματα καὶ μείνῃ θεοσεβῶν, αὐτὸς σὺ ὁμολογήσεις, ὅτι δωρεὰν αὐτὸν σέβεται; πανταχοῦ γὰρ τὰς κρίσεις παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν βούλεται φέρεσθαι ὁ θεός, ὥστε μηδένα αὐτοῖς καταλιπεῖν λόγον. καθάπερ ἐκεῖ ἔλεγεν· πονηρὲ δοῦλε, ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματός σου κρινῶ σε-καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων· δὸς ἡμῖν, φησίν, κουστωδίαν, μήποτε ἔλθωσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κλέψωσιν αὐτόν· οὐκοῦν, ἐὰν λάβητε κουστωδίαν, οὐκ ἔξεστι λέγειν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἔκλεψαν αὐτόν· οὕτως ἑαυτὴν ἡ πλάνη πανταχοῦ περιπείρει-, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· «ἐὰν λάβῃς τὰ χρήματα, οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι λέγειν, ὅτι μὴ δωρεὰν αὐτὸν σέβεται;» τί πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας νῦν οὐδὲ μετὰ μισθοῦ σεβομένους τὸν θεόν; εἰ τὸ διὰ χρήματα αὐτὸν σέβειν οὐκ ἐπαινετόν, τὸ δὲ καὶ μετὰ χρημάτων αὐτοῦ καταφρονεῖν ποῦ κείσεται; αἰσχυνέσθωσαν Ἰουδαῖοι οὐδὲ μετὰ χρημάτων τοῦτο ποιοῦντες. οὐχὶ μισθωτὸς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν. τὸν θεὸν σέβει, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καλὸν ᾔδει ὄν, νῦν δὲ οἱ πολλοὶ οὐδὲ μετὰ χρημάτων. σὺ δέ, ὦ μιαρὲ καὶ παμπόνηρε, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ σέβεις τὸν θεόν; 1,10a οὐ σὺ περιέφραξας, φησίν, αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔξω, καὶ τὰ ἔσωθεν τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ 10b καὶ τὰ ἔξωθεν πάντων τῶν ὄντων αὐτῷ κυκλόθεν; «σὺ περιέφραξας τὰ ἔξω καὶ τὰ ἔσωθεν τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ τειχί19 σας αὐτόν.» εἶδες καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν γνῶσιν ἠκριβωμένην, ὅτι παρὰ θεοῦ πᾶσα ἡ ἀσφάλεια; 1,10c τὰ δὲ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, φησίν, εὐλόγησας 10d καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ πολλὰ ἐποίησας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ὁρᾷς τὸν πλοῦτον παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ δεδομένον; ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἀδικίας; πόσα ἔδει καμεῖν τὸν Ἰὼβ ὥστε πεῖσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἀδικίας ἦν ὁ πλοῦτος. ἰδού, ὁ διάβολος αὐτῷ τοῦτο ἐμαρτύρησε καὶ οὐκ οἶδε καὶ ἐν τούτῳ αὐτὸν ἐπαινῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ καπηλείας οὐδὲ καταδυναστεύων ἑτέρους τοῦτον ἔσχεν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλογίας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦτον εἶχε καὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἀπήλαυε τῆς ἄνωθεν. οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἀπήλαυσεν, εἰ μὴ ἐνάρετος ἦν, ὥστε καὶ ἐν τούτῳ λανθανόντως αὐτὸν ἐπῄνεσε καὶ ἐστεφάνωσεν. καλῶς εἶπεν· τὰ ἔσωθεν τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἔξωθεν πάντων τῶν ὄντων αὐτῷ κυκλόθεν. οὐκ ἔξωθεν πειρασμός, οὐκ ἔνδοθεν ταραχὴ ἦν, εἰρήνης ἀπήλαυε βαθείας· τὰ τέκνα ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ, ἐν εὐτοκίᾳ τὰ θρέμματα. οὐ πόλεμός τις ἐπῄει, οὐχ ἡ οἰκία μάχην εἶχεν, οὐκ ἐμφύλιος, οὐκ ἐξωτικὸς αὐτὸν ἐλυμήνατο πόλεμος. καὶ καλῶς εἶπε πρῶτον· τὰ ἔσωθεν τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ· οὗτος γὰρ χαλεπώτερος, ὁ ἔνδον πόλεμος. ἡ οἰκία αὐτῷ εἰρηνεύετο πᾶσα, καὶ ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν. ἄρα τοῦ θεοῦ χρεία πανταχοῦ, ὥστε καὶ ἔνδοθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν εἶναι ἐν εἰρήνῃ. οὐ παραιτεῖται οὐδὲ ἐπαισχύνεται ὁ θεὸς καὶ ταύτην τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ τοῖς ποιμνίοις ἐφεστάναι τοῖς σοῖς καὶ βουκόλια διασῴζειν, μόνον αὐτὸν ἂν φιλῇς σύ. καὶ ὅρα τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τῆς φυλακῆς· περιέφραξας κύκλῳ πάντοθεν, φησίν, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ηὐλόγησας. ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐ κατὰ φύσιν ἦν τὰ βουκόλια πολλὰ καὶ τὰ θρέμματα; 1,11a ἀλλ' ἀπόστειλον, φησίν, τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ ἅψαι πάντων ὧν ἔχει. οὐκ εἶπεν· «δός μοι ἐξουσίαν», ἀλλ' ἀπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ ἅψαι πάντων ὧν ἔχει. 20 1,11b ἦ μὴν εἰς πρόσωπόν σε εὐλογήσει. ἐβούλετο μὲν καὶ ἐπεθύμει αὐτὸς λαβεῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν, οὐκ ἐτόλμησε δ' εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ σύ, φησίν, ἀπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου. εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ λέγῃ, ὅτι «σὺ πεφεισμένως αὐτὸν ἔπληξας ὡς οἰκεῖον θεράποντα», οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ὅπερ ᾔτησεν ὁ διάβολος, καίτοι ἐνῆν καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντα δικαιολογήσασθαι, ὅτι «ὅπερ ἠθέλησας, ἐποίησα· σὺ εἶπας, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἅψωμαι». ἀλλ' ὅμως πλέον τι ποιεῖ. 1,12a καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· 12b ἰδού, πάντα ὅσα ἔστιν αὐτῷ, ἐν χειρί σου δέδωκα, 12c ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ μὴ ἅψῃ. «οὕτω θαρρῶ τῷ ἀθλητῇ τῷ ἐμῷ· σὺ εἶπες· ἀπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου,