to pass the verdict of punishments, it was possible to find him. "Would that it were possible to go to law," he says, "and to meet with him, and to learn what he was about to say to me in response to these things which I was about to say." Do you see how he obtained what he prayed for? For this has happened at the end of the book. I wished to learn what he was about to say to me, and if he was about to punish me in the same way. But I said these things, not as condemning injustice. CH. 24. Verse 1. Their bread became sweet for younger men. "It is sweet," he says, "for the impious to nourish young men, so that through them they may be able to work insolent acts." CH. 27. Verse 2. As the Lord lives, who has thus judged me. The devil received authority over Job, and he tested him night and day, first through external things, later through his body itself, after this also through his friends. For when he tested him through his wife, and Job was not conquered, the devil brought three friends, not enemies, not having treacherous opinions, but words of truth, yet not well nor uttered at the right time. And the devil planned through these friends to make Job utter something against Providence, to be impious on account of his labors, to lose heart on account of his pains. But the truly courageous man, the steadfast one, see what he says after the speeches of the three. When Eliphaz finished three discourses, Zophar two discourses; for when these were finished, and they had fallen silent, see what he answers after the preface spoken by him, so named 17.89 from Scripture. What does he answer? Let us attend to the text. Verse 1. And Job again taking up, said in his discourse; Verse 2. As the Lord lives, who has thus judged me, and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, and so forth. I know from where you have been moved to provoke me. But I swear to you, and I swear by the living Lord himself, who judged me to suffer these things, himself who delivered me to these circumstances, who gave authority to the devil for me to be tested with such examinations, and to be tormented. I swear by the Lord, and I say, that as the Lord lives, who has thus judged me, and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul. Verse 5. Far be it from me to declare you righteous, until I die. If we should agree with what you say, that you have understood why I have suffered these things, I would have declared you righteous until I die. Verse 5. For I will not remove my innocence. I will not cease to attend to righteousness; I will always remember to cling to it. Verse 2. For I am not conscious in myself of having done anything amiss. Great is his confidence both concerning his former life and concerning the things at the time of the circumstance, so that he said: I am not conscious in myself of having done anything amiss. CH. 28. Verse 12. But what is the place of knowledge? Knowledge is the comprehension of things that are always the same in theory; but understanding is discernment. Verse 15. And silver shall not be weighed out in exchange for it. Nothing is of equal value to wisdom. If you understand more simply silver and gold, Job will immediately say that nothing is worthy of wisdom. Verse 10. With precious onyx and sapphire. Not even with precious onyx will wisdom be compared; nor even with sapphire will it be equaled. Verse 18. High things and crystal shall not be mentioned. Neither the high things are worthy of wisdom, nor crystal. But it seems to be applied to powerful things, as if gigantic. But some say that `gabis` is said of that which projects over the rim of the medimnus, which is called a `commoulaton`. Verse 18. And draw forth wisdom above the innermost things. The innermost things are about India, or about the country beyond, where there are precious stones. And that country brings these things to men, considered by the rich to be marvelous. Therefore, beyond those innermost things, draw wisdom to yourself. Or, above the innermost things, the exceedingly secret inner holy mysteries 17.92 of God; above all things which are many, draw forth wisdom. Verse 21. It is hidden from every man. It is hidden from every man, even if he is a prophet, even if an apostle. CH. 29. Verse 2. When my ways flowed with butter. We have said before concerning the ways of Job, which he traveled, that they were virtues. Therefore his ways flowed with butter, he traveled the way of self-control, and self-control, as it were, flowed, so that many were nourished, even of the infants, from the self-control of Job,

τιμωριῶν τὴν ψῆφον φέρεσθαι, ἦν εὑρεῖν αὐτόν. Εἴθε ἐνῆν δικάσασθαι, φησὶ, καὶ ἐντυχεῖν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μαθεῖν, τίνα ἦν ἃ ἤμελλέ μοι πρὸς ταῦτα ἐρεῖν, ἃ ἤμελλον λέγειν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπέτυχεν ὅπερ ηὔχετο; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔσχατον γέγονεν ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ. Ἤθελον μαθεῖν τί μοι ἤμελλεν ἐρεῖν, καὶ εἰ ἔμελλέ μοι ὁμοίως κο λάζειν. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, οὐχ ὡς καταγινώσκων ἀδι κίαν. ΚΕΦ. Κ∆ʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ἡδύνθη αὐτῶν ἄρτος εἰς νεωτέ ρους. Ἡδὺ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἀσεβέσι τὸ τρέφειν νεανίσκους, ἐφ' ᾧ δύνασθαι δι' αὐτῶν τὰς ἐπηρείας ἐργάζε σθαι. ΚΕΦ. ΚΖʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με ἔκρινε. Ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ Ἰὼβ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἤτασεν αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, πρότερον διὰ τῶν ἐκτὸς, ὕστερον δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος, μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τῶν φίλων. Ὅτε γὰρ αὐτὸ ἐδοκίμασε διὰ τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ οὐ νενίκηται ὁ Ἰὼβ, τρεῖς φίλους ἤνεγ κεν ὁ διάβολος, οὐκ ἐχθροὺς, οὐκ ἐπίβουλα δόγματα ἔχοντας, ἀλλ' ἀληθείας μὲν λόγους, οὐ καλῶς δὲ, οὐδὲ ἐν καιρῷ προφερομένους. Καὶ ἐβουλεύετο ὁ διά βολος διὰ τῶν φίλων τούτων ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἰὼβ φθέγ ξασθαί τι κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας, ἀσεβῆσαι διὰ τοὺς πόνους, ἐκκακῆσαι διὰ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἀλη θῶς ἀνδρεῖος, ὁ καρτερικὸς, ὅρα τί λέγει μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν τριῶν. Ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ τρεῖς διαλέξεις, ὁ Σωφὰρ δύο διαλέξεις· τούτων γὰρ τετελεσμένων, σιωπησάντων ἐκείνων, ὅρα τί ἀποκρί νεται μετὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἀπ' αὐτοῦ προοίμιον, οὕτως 17.89 ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ὠνομασμένον. Τί ἀποκρίνεται; πρόσχωμεν τῇ λέξει. Στίχ. αʹ. Ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς ὁ Ἰὼβ εἶπε τῷ προ οιμίῳ· Στίχ. βʹ. Ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με κέκρικε, καὶ ὁ Παντοκράτωρ, ὁ παραπικράνας μου ψυ χὴν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οἶδα πόθεν κεκίνησθε εἰς τὸ ἐρεθίσαι με. Ὄμνυμι δὲ ὑμῖν, καὶ ὄμνυμι κατὰ τοῦ ζῶντος Κυρίου αὐτοῦ, κρίναντός με ταῦτα παθεῖν, αὐτοῦ τοῦ παραδόντος με ταύταις περιστάσεσι, τοῦ δόντος ἐξουσίαν τῷ διαβόλῳ τοιούτοις με ἐξετασμοῖς ἐξετάζεσθαι, καὶ βασανίζεσθαι. Ὄμνυμι κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καί φημι, ὅτι ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με κέκρικε, καὶ ὁ Παντο κράτωρ, ὁ παραπικράνας μου τὴν ψυχήν. Στίχ. εʹ. Μή μοι εἴη δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀποφῆναι, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνω. Ἐὰν συγκαταθῶμεν οἷς λέγετε, ὅτι νενοήκατε διὰ τί ταῦτα πέπονθα, δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀπεφηνάμην ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνω. Στίχ. εʹ. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπαλλάξω τὴν ἀκακίαν μου. Οὐκ ἀφήσω τὸ προσέχειν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ· μεμνή σομαι ἀεὶ περιέχεσθαι αὐτῆς. Στίχ. ʹ. Οὐ γὰρ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ ἄτοπα πρᾶξαι. Πολλὴ ἡ παῤῥησία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ προτέρῳ βίῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς περιστάσεως, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν· Οὐ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ ἄτοπα πρᾶξαι. ΚΕΦ. ΚΗʹ. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Ποῖος δὲ τόπος ἐστὶν ἐπιστήμης; Ἐπιστήμη ἡ περιοχὴ τῶν ὡσαύτως ἐχόντων θεω ρίᾳ· σύνεσις δὲ ἡ διάκρισις. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Καὶ οὐ σταθήσεται ἀργύριον ἀντάλ λαγμα αὐτῆς. Οὐδὲν ἀντάξιόν ἐστιν τῆς σοφίας. Ἐὰν ἁπλούστε ρον νοῇς τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, εὐθέως ἐρεῖ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄξιόν ἐστι τῆς σοφίας. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἐν ὄνυχι τιμίῳ καὶ σαπφείρῳ. Οὐδὲ ὄνυχι τιμίῳ ἡ σοφία παραβληθήσεται· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐν σαπφείρῳ ἰσωθήσεται αὕτη. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Μετέωρα καὶ γάβεις οὐ μνησθήσεται. Οὐδὲ τὰ μετέωρα ἄξιά ἐστι τῆς σοφίας, οὐδὲ γά βις. Ἔοικε δὲ ἐπὶ δυναμένων τάχθαι, οἱονεὶ γι γαρτικῶν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, ὅτι γάβις λέγεται τὸ ὑπερέχον τοῦ χείλους τοῦ μεδίμνου, ὃ καλεῖται κομ μουλᾶτον. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Καὶ ἕλκυσον σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσώτατα. Τὰ ἐσώτατα περὶ τὴν Ἰνδίαν, ἢ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἐπέκεινα χώραν, ἔνθα εἰσὶ τίμιοι λίθοι. Φέρει δὲ ἐκείνη ἡ χώρα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ταῦτα, νομιζόμενα παρὰ τοῖς πλουσίοις εἶναι θαυμαστά. Παρ' ἐκεῖνα οὖν τὰ ἐσώτατα ἕλκυσον εἰς σαυτὸν τὴν σοφίαν. Ἢ, ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσώτατα, ὑπεραπόῤῥητα τὰ ἔνδον μυστήρια 17.92 τὰ ἅγια τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὑπὲρ πάντα πολλὰ ὄντα, ἕλκυσον τὴν σοφίαν. Στίχ. καʹ. Λέληθε πάντα ἄνθρωπον. Λέληθε πάντα ἄνθρωπον, κἂν προφήτης ᾖ, κἂν ἀπόστολος. ΚΕΦ. ΚΘʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βούτυρον. Προειρήκαμεν περὶ τῶν ὁδῶν τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἃς ὥδευ σεν, ὅτι ἀρεταὶ ἦσαν. Ἐχέοντο οὖν αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ βουτύρῳ, ὥδευε τὴν σωφροσύνην, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐχεῖτο ἡ σωφροσύνη, ὡς πολλοὺς τρέφεσθαι καὶ τῶν νηπίων ἀπὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης τοῦ Ἰὼβ,