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Do we teach the Master how he ought to manage our life? He has the authority of his own decrees, he arranges our affairs as he wishes; and he is wise, and he measures out what is profitable to his servants. Do not pry into the Master's judgment, love only the things dispensed by his wisdom; whatever he may give you, this 64.569 receive with pleasure, show in painful things, that you were also worthy of the joy that came before. Job, by saying these things, repelled also this attack of the devil, and brought upon him the complete shame of defeat. He showed through his glance the greatest zeal against sin (for nature knew the eye to be an accuser of hidden things), and he who bore such an assault from the evil one gently and philosophically, did not endure the exhortation to wickedness, considering evil hearing greater than the darts to the body, and he rebuked his wife. For just as, he says, we cheerfully accepted the treatment, so also let us bear the discipline with self-control; for by "good things" he means the things that bring joy, and by "evil things," the trials. But the phrase, "you have spoken as one of the foolish women," some have taken to refer to Eve; "You have imitated," he says, "that first woman who received the cloud of sin, and with similar counsels deceived that man honored with the image of God, and free from all wickedness." For this blessed man, being struck from all sides, stood more securely, and receiving countless darts, did not give in, but he emptied the devil's quiver, while he himself did not fall, nor was he tripped up; but just as an excellent pilot, neither when the sea was raging and the waves were stirred up, was he submerged, nor when there was a calm did he become more careless, but in each different kind of circumstance, he maintained his skill equally. And neither did wealth puff him up, nor did poverty humble him, nor when things were going with the flow was he supine and reclining, nor when almost his entire house was overturned, and complete destruction occurred, was he disturbed and his manliness disgraced. Let the rich hear, let the poor hear, for to both the story is useful, and for all men a profitable history, both for those in prosperity and for those in misfortune. For having handled both weapons, the champion of piety, the crown-winner of the world, in both he set up a trophy, and against every kind of war, when that demon attacked, he drew up in battle against all, and in all he was proclaimed victor. And just like a noble soldier, who knows how to fight by night, to fight at the walls, to fight on foot, to fight at sea, and to shoot with the bow, and to brandish a spear and to use slings, and javelins, and in every manner of battle to overcome his enemies, and everywhere to prevail; so indeed that noble man also bore every trial with much courage, that from poverty, that from famine, that from disease, that from pain, that from the loss of his children, that from friends, that from enemies, that from his wife, that from his servants. For there was no human misfortune which was not emptied out upon his body, but nevertheless he was carried above all the nets, and became higher than the devil's snares; and 64.572 what is indeed more wonderful, is that all things came upon him, and all with excess, and all at once. For do not see this, that he suffered so many things, but add, that it was not little by little, nor at intervals, but at once and together; and this is no small addition to the trials. For of other men, each one, first of all, no one would be found who endured all things together, but even if he struggles with poverty, he nevertheless enjoys health; and if he is beset by both poverty and disease, yet he has often enjoyed a wife who consoles him in his troubles, and who becomes a harbor for him; and if he did not enjoy such a wife, yet not one so counseling destructive things, and if she did so counsel destructive things, yet not also the

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διδάσκομεν τὸν ∆εσπότην ὅπως χρὴ διεξάγειν τὸν ἡμέτερον βίον; Αὐτὸς τῶν οἰκείων ψήφων ἔχει τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὅπως βούλεται τάττει τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς· σοφὸς δέ ἐστι, καὶ τὸ λυσιτελοῦν ἐπιμετρεῖ τοῖς οἰκέταις. Μὴ περιεργάζου ∆εσπότου τὴν κρίσιν, ἀγάπα μόνον τὰ παρὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σοφίας οἰκονομούμενα· ὅπερ ἂν δῷ σοι, τοῦτο 64.569 δέχου μεθ' ἡδονῆς, δεῖξον ἐν τοῖς ἀλγεινοῖς, ὡς καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης ἄξια τῆς πρόσθεν ἐτύγχανες. Ταῦτα ὁ Ἰὼβ λέγων, ἀπεκρούσατο καὶ ταύτην τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν προσβολὴν, καὶ τελείαν αὐτῷ τὴν τῆς ἥττης αἰσχύνην ἐπήγαγεν. Ἔδειξε διὰ τοῦ βλέμματος, τὸν κατὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μέγιστον ζῆλον (ὀφθαλμὸν γὰρ κατήγορον τῶν κρυπτομένων ἡ φύσις ἐγνώριζε), καὶ ὁ τὴν τοιαύτην ἔφοδον τοῦ πονηροῦ πράως καὶ φιλοσόφως διενεγκὼν, τὴν πρὸς κακίαν παράκλησιν οὐχ ὑπέμεινε, μείζονα τῶν τοῦ σώματος βελῶν τὴν πονηρὰν ἀκοὴν ἡγησάμενος, καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ ἐπετίμησεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν θεραπείαν εὐθύμως προσηκάμεθα, οὕτω καὶ τὴν παιδείαν σωφρόνως ἐνέγκωμεν· ἀγαθὰ γὰρ λέγει, τὰ εὐφραίνοντα, κακὰ δὲ, τοὺς πειρασμούς. Τὸ δὲ, ὥσπερ μία τῶν ἀφρόνων ἐλάλησας, τινὲς εἰς τὴν Εὔαν ἐξέλαβον· Ἐκείνην, φησὶν, ἐμιμήσω τὴν πρώτην δεξαμένην τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸ νέφος, καὶ συμβουλαῖς ὁμοίαις παρακρουσαμένην, τὸν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ τετιμημένον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ πάσης κακίας ἐλεύθερον. Ὁ γὰρ μακάριος οὗτος πανταχόθεν βαλλόμενος ἀσφαλέστερον ἵστατο, καὶ μυρία βέλη δεχόμενος οὐκ ἐνεδίδου, ἀλλ' ἐκένωσε μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν βελοθήκην, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ κατέπεσεν, οὐδὲ ὑπεσκελίσθη· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης, οὔτε μαινομένης τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων διεγειρομένων, κατεποντίζετο, οὔτε γαλήνης οὔσης ῥᾳθυμώτερος ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν διαφορᾷ, ἴσην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τέχνην διετήρησε. Καὶ οὔτε πλοῦτος αὐτὸν ἐφύσησεν, οὔτε πενία ἐταπείνωσεν, οὔτε κατὰ ῥοῦν τῶν πραγμάτων φερομένων ὕπτιος ἦν, καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὼς, οὔτε ὅλης σχεδὸν τῆς οἰκίας ἀνατραπείσης, καὶ πανολεθρίας γενομένης διεταράχθη, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἤλεγξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν πλούσιοι, ἀκουέτωσαν πένητες, ἑκατέροις γὰρ τὸ διήγημα χρήσιμον, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἱστορία λυσιτελὴς, καὶ τοῖς ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν συμφοραῖς. Ἑκάτερα γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα μεταχειρίσας, ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης στεφανίτης, ἐν ἑκατέροις τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησε, καὶ πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος πολέμου, τοῦ δαίμονος ἐπελθόντος ἐκείνου, πρὸς ἅπαντα παρετάξατο, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνεκηρύττετο. Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιώτης γενναῖος, καὶ εἰδὼς νυκτομαχεῖν, τειχομαχεῖν, πεζομαχεῖν, ναυμαχεῖν, καὶ τοξεύειν, καὶ δόρυ σείειν καὶ σφενδόναις, καὶ ἀκοντίοις, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ μάχης περιγίνεσθαι τῶν ἐναντίων, καὶ πανταχοῦ κρατεῖν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἅπαντα πειρασμὸν μετὰ πολλῆς ἤνεγκε τῆς ἀνδρείας, τὸν ἀπὸ πενίας, τὸν ἀπὸ λιμοῦ, τὸν ἀπὸ νόσου, τὸν ἐξ ὀδύνης, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν παίδων ἀπωλείας, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἀνθρωπίνη συμφορὰ, ἣ μὴ εἰς τὸ σῶμα ἐξεκενώθη ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἁπάντων ὑπερηνέχθη τῶν δικτύων, καὶ ὑψηλότερος γέγονε τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου καλάμων· καὶ 64.572 τὸ δὴ θαυμαστότερον, ὅτι καὶ πάντα αὐτῷ, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, καὶ πάντα ὑφ' ἕν. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἔπαθεν, ἀλλὰ πρόσθες, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν, οὐδὲ ἐκ διαστήματος, ἀλλ' ὑφ' ἓν καὶ ὁμοῦ· οὐ μικρὰ δὲ αὐτὴ πειρασμῶν προσθήκη. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων ἕκαστος ἀνθρώπων, πρῶτον μὲν οὐδεὶς ἂν εὑρεθείη πάντα ὑπομείνας ὁμοῦ, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πενίᾳ παλαίει, ὅμως ὑγιείας ἀπολαύει· εἰ δὲ καὶ πενίᾳ, καὶ νόσῳ περιεπάρη, ἀλλὰ γυναικὸς πολλάκις ἀπήλαυσε παραμυθουμένης τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ ἀντὶ λιμένος αὐτῷ γινομένης· εἰ δὲ μὴ γυναικὸς ἀπήλαυσε τοιαύτης, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτω συμβουλευούσης ὀλέθρια, εἰ δὲ καὶ οὕτω συμβουλευούσης ὀλέθρια, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ τοὺς