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Then he adds also the killing of the servants, increasing the calamity by addition. But what is indeed more grievous: I, he says, was saved alone, the one who brings the news of the evils. 1, 16 While this one was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job: Fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep, and consumed the shepherds likewise. And I alone was saved and came to report to you. Since at the first hearing the just man was not disturbed, but with a noble soul bore the news and repulsed the trial of the enemy, immediately another of the devil's guards appeared, no longer saying that he was warred upon by men, but that the sheep and the shepherds were struck by lightning from heaven, indicating to him that the God whom he revered had become his enemy. 1, 17 While this one was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job: The horsemen made three companies against us, and surrounded the camels and took them captive, and killed the servants with swords; and I alone was saved and came to report to you. 22 Again from below the news of war, so that he might give up, being warred upon both by God and by men. And 'three companies' instead of: the enemies arranged themselves into three divisions and bands. And again the messenger of the calamities says that he alone was saved; and he added the killing of the men, at which the just are especially pained. 1, 18-19 While this one was still speaking, another messenger comes, saying to Job: While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking at their eldest brother's house, suddenly a great wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children and they are dead; and I alone was saved and came to report to you. Observe here also the bitterness of the devil, how he mentions the offspring by name, saying 'your sons' and 'your daughters', all but striking the very nature of the just man. He also makes the banquet solemn, saying that it took place at the eldest brother's house, and that they were making merry, and that suddenly a wind came from the desert and did not touch any other house, but shook down only that one where the children were feasting. And again marking the bitterness of the message; for he did not say: 'and it fell upon all those inside,' although it killed them all, from whom he himself, he says, 'and I alone was saved,' but he says specifically: 'and it fell upon your children,' reminding him of his nature and giving him mortal blows. 23 Again he fashioned the calamity to be sent from God, having formed two attacks from enemies, and two from God, that of the fire and of the wind. And having brought on last the killing of the children and the paradox of only the messengers being saved, he provokes the just man to helplessness and confusion and blasphemy against God. 1, Thus Job arose and tore his garments and shaved the hair of his head. At the first messages he was downcast, as was likely, and marveled at the things that were happening. But when he heard of the sudden death of his many and beautiful children, so that he might not seem to be unfeeling and unsympathetic, he pays his debt to nature and tears his clothing, and shaves his hair in mourning. For those for whom long hair was considered an adornment, these would cut it in mourning; and those for whom being shorn seemed proper, these would let their hair grow long in mourning, enduring the weight of the hair. And that sympathy is not unphilosophical, Paul also shows, saying in the Acts: 'Why do you weep and break my heart?' And David also shows it, lamenting not his obedient son, but his most hostile one, and groaning with bitter wailing and saying: 'My son Absalom, my son'. And our God and Savior himself also weeps sympathetically, whether on account of Lazarus or on account of the destruction of the Jews, which is indeed truer to say. For victory is not in not suffering, but in enduring while suffering. 24 But one might say, interpreting more elegantly, that he also threw his garment at the devil, like some athlete stripping for a wrestling match, so that

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τότε προστίθησι καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τὴν ἀναίρεσιν κατὰ προσθήκην αὔξων τὴν συμφοράν. τὸ δὲ δὴ χαλεπώτερον· ἐγώ, φησίν, ἐσώθην μόνος ὁ τὰς τῶν κακῶν ἀγγελίας ἀποκομίζων. 1, 16 ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος ἦλθεν ἕτερος ἄγγελος καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Ἰώβ· πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέκαυσε τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τοὺς ποιμένας κατέφαγεν ὁμοίως. καὶ σωθεὶς ἐγὼ μόνος ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὴν πρώτην ἀκοὴν ὁ δίκαιος οὐκ ἐταράχθη, ἀλλὰ γενναίᾳ ψυχῇ τὴν ἀγγελίαν ἤνεγκε καὶ τὴν πεῖραν τοῦ δυσμενοῦς ἀπεκρούσατο, εὐθὺς ἕτερος τοῦ διαβόλου δορυφόρος ἐπέστη οὐκέτι μὲν αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πολεμεῖσθαι λέγων, οὐρανόθεν δὲ κεραυνωθῆναι τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τοὺς ποιμένας, τὸν θεὸν αὐτῷ παραδηλῶν πολέμιον γεγονέναι τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ σεβόμενον. 1, 17 ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος ἦλθεν ἕτερος ἄγγελος καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Ἰώβ· οἱ ἱππεῖς ἐποίησαν ἡμῖν κεφαλὰς τρεῖς, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἠχμαλώτευσαν αὐτὰς καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀπέκτειναν ἐν μαχαίραις· ἐσώθην δὲ ἐγὼ μόνος καὶ ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. 22 πάλιν κάτωθεν ἡ ἀγγελία τοῦ πολέμου, ὡς ἂν ἀπείπῃ καὶ ὑπὸ θεοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων πολεμούμενος. τὸ δὲ κεφαλὰς τρεῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ· διέταξαν ἑαυτοὺς οἱ πολέμιοι εἰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τάγματα τρία. σῴζεσθαι δὲ πάλιν μόνος φησὶν ὁ τῶν συμφορῶν ἀγγελιαφόρος· προσέθηκεν δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἀναίρεσιν, ἐφ' ᾗ μάλιστα ἀλγοῦσιν οἱ δίκαιοι. 1, 1819 ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος ἄγγελος ἄλλος ἔρχεται λέγων τῷ Ἰώβ· τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων παρὰ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῶν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ ἐξαίφνης πνεῦμα μέγα ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν· ἐσώθην δὲ ἐγὼ μόνος καὶ ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. θεώρει κἀνταῦθα τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν πικρίαν, πῶς ὀνομαστὶ τῆς γονῆς μέμνηται τῶν υἱῶν σου λέγων καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου, μονονουχὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν τοῦ δικαίου πλήττων. σεμνύνει καὶ τὸ συμπόσιον παρὰ μὲν τῷ ἀδελφῷ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ λέγων γίνεσθαι, αὐτοὺς δὲ κατευφραίνεσθαι καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἐλθεῖν πνεῦμα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἄλλης μὲν οἰκίας μὴ ἅψασθαι, μόνην δὲ ἐκείνην ἔνθα οἱ παῖδες εὐωχοῦντο κατασεῖσαι. καὶ πάλιν ἐπισημαίνου τὸ πικρὸν τῆς ἀγγελίας· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἔνδον, καίτοιγε πάντας ἀπέκτεινεν, ἐξ ὧν αὐτός, φησίν, ἐσώθην δὲ ἐγὼ μόνος, ἀλλ' ἰδικῶς φησιν· καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου τῆς φύσεως ἀναμιμνήσκων καὶ καιρίας αὐτῷ διδοὺς τὰς πληγάς. 23 πάλιν δὲ θεήλατον ἔπλασεν τὴν συμφορὰν δύο μὲν πολεμίων σχηματίσας ἐφόδους, δύο δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ, τήν τε τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἀνέμου. τελευταίαν δὲ τὴν τῶν παίδων ἀναίρεσιν ἐπαγαγὼν καὶ μόνων τῶν σῳζομένων ἀγγέλων τὸ παράδοξον εἰς ἀμηχανίαν καὶ σύγχυσιν καὶ τὴν κατὰ θεοῦ βλασφημίαν ὑπερεθίζει τὸν δίκαιον. 1, οὕτως ἀναστὰς Ἰὼβ διερρήξατο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκείρατο τὴν κόμην τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ. ἐπὶ μὲν ταῖς προτέραις ἀγγελίαις σύννους ἦν ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ ἐθαύμαζε τὰ γινόμενα. ὡς δὲ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν καὶ ὡραίων παίδων ἀθρόαν ἤκουσε τελευτήν, ἵνα μή τις ἀνάλγητος εἶναι δόξῃ καὶ ἀσυμπαθής, ἀποδίδωσι τῇ φύσει τὸ χρέος καὶ διαρρήσσει μὲν τὴν ἐσθῆτα, κείρεται δὲ τὴν κόμην πενθικῶς. οἷς μὲν γὰρ τὸ κομᾶν πρὸς κόσμον νενόμιστο, οὗτοι ἐπὶ τοῖς πένθεσιν ἐκείροντο· οἷς δὲ τὸ κείρεσθαι εὐπρεπὲς ἐδόκει, οὗτοι ἐπὶ τοῖς πένθεσιν ἐκόμων τοῦ τῶν τριχῶν ἀνεχόμενοι βάρους. ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἀφιλόσοφον τὸ συμπαθές, δείκνυσι μὲν καὶ Παῦλος λέγων ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν· τί κλαίετε καὶ συνθρύπτετέ μου τὴν καρδίαν; δείκνυσι δὲ καὶ ∆αυὶδ οὐ τῶν παίδων τὸν πειθήνιον, ἀλλὰ τὸν πολεμιώτατον ὀλοφυρόμενος καὶ μετὰ πικρᾶς οἰμωγῆς ἀναστένων καὶ λέγων· υἱέ μου Ἀβεσσαλώμ, υἱέ μου. δακρύει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σωτὴρ συμπαθῶς, εἴτε διὰ τὸν Λάζαρον εἴτε διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπώλειαν, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἀληθέστερον εἰπεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ μὴ πάσχειν ἡ νίκη, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ πάσχοντα καρτερεῖν. 24 εἴποι δ' ἄν τις γλαφυρώτερον ἐξηγούμενος, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴν τῷ διαβόλῳ τὴν ἐσθῆτα προσέρριψεν οἷά τις ἀθλητὴς εἰς πάλην ἀποδυόμενος, ὡς ἂν