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he was harsher; he had nothing calm in his mind. "The cause," he says, "is from the wrath of God coming." See how he laments the things concerning the soul more than the terrible things of the body, as if it were wasting away more and was more disturbed and suffering58 terrible things. Thus it is good for us also to be disposed, to consider all things temporary, both the good and the not so good. Thus we shall neither feel the terribleness of those things, nor shall we be able to be lifted up by these, but through all these irregularities we shall enjoy calm and peace. And the wondrous thing is that with a pure life and an irreproachable existence he expected the opposite things, and not only expected but feared them, considering the former things, such as the things concerning Abraham. But we, living with wickedness every day, should we suspect nothing contrary? See how even before the trial he was philosophizing. For the one expecting a change after a good life was not like a hireling, so that his great virtue is shown to us by his saying: the fear which I dreaded has come upon me.

4,1 THEN ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE ANSWERED AND SAID: 4,2a Have you not often been

spoken to in trouble; 2b but who will bear the force of your words? He did well to anticipate and speak of all the evils that had befallen him and the addition of terrible things, since they wanted to trample on him and leap upon him as he lay there. For not everyone knows how to adapt in such misfortunes, but many have often made the wound harsher, some out of malice, others out of foolishness. For indeed, the one who has undertaken the word of exhortation requires no less skill than the physicians who cut wounds. Rightly then were they called physicians of evils, aggravating the wound; and they suffer this from malice. Of how much wickedness would it be to be malicious in so great a storm and to envy one who is laid low, and to surround the one worthy of pity with countless terrible things. For see how their words not only refrain from consolation, but also instill great 59 despondency and draw out long speeches of accusation. Therefore someone says: Do not further disturb an exasperated soul. But let us see what he says, and let us flee from imitation of it. What then does he mean by "have you not often been spoken to in trouble?"? Scripture knows to call sin "trouble," as when it says: under his tongue is trouble and pain. He did not say: "Have you done something evil," but: have you not been spoken to. For since his life shone everywhere and he had many memorials of his virtue throughout the earth, he says, "Do not say this, that your deeds are noble and good; for it happens that sin has occurred in words." but who will bear the force of your words? And see, the "have you not often been spoken to" is not a dispute and doubt from one showing restraint, but from one not being able to refute clearly. but who will bear the force of your words? For what did he say? He prayed to die and be delivered from the present life. For did he not say, "Being righteous and having achieved great things, I suffer such things"? But, he says, "I wished to depart with the ungodly, with the servants, with the untimely births, to obtain the same things as the ungodly." He did not say: "I who am such and so great." 4,3a For if you have admonished many 3b and comforted the hands of the weak, 4,4a and have raised up the weak with words, 4b and have given courage to failing knees. See, for now he speaks of his help and assistance in words, showing that this too is not a small thing. For if he had said: "If you comforted with money, how can you not comfort yourself?", he could have spoken of his poverty. "But if you comforted many with words," he says, 60 "and raised up others who were in misfortunes, how has the medicine become weak in your case? You who relieve the necessities of others through exhortation and counsel in words, how have you not made use of the method of therapy for your own evils?" 4,5a But now, he says, trouble has come upon you and has touched you, 5b and you have made haste. What is "you have made haste"? you are agitated, you are disturbed, you are dizzy, you are eager to lay it aside, you cannot contain yourself. 4,6a Is not your fear in folly 6b and your hope and the wickedness of your way? truly

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χαλεπώτερος ἦν· οὐδὲν γαληνὸν εἶχε κατὰ διάνοιαν. «τὸ δὲ αἴτιον», φησίν, «ἀπὸ τοῦ τὴν ὀργὴν ἐλθεῖν τοῦ θεοῦ.» ὅρα, πῶς τῶν σωματικῶν δεινῶν τὰ κατὰ ψυχὴν πλέον πενθεῖ ὡς ἐκείνης μᾶλλον τηκομένης καὶ τεθορυβημένης καὶ δεινὰ πασ58 χούσης. οὕτω καὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι καλόν, πρόσκαιρα πάντα νομίζειν καὶ τὰ καλὰ καὶ τὰ μὴ τοιαῦτα. οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐκείνων αἰσθησόμεθα τῆς δεινότητος οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τούτων ἐπαρθῆναι δυνησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς ἐν ταῖς ἀνωμαλίαις ταύταις γαλήνης ἀπολαύσομεν καὶ εἰρήνης. καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστόν, ὅτι μετὰ βίου καθαροῦ καὶ ζωῆς ἀλήπτου τὰ ἐναντία προσεδόκα καὶ οὐ προσεδόκα μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐφοβεῖτο ἐννοῶν τὰ πρότερα οἷον τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραάμ. ἡμεῖς δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν πονηρίᾳ συζῶντες οὐδὲν ὑποπτεύσωμεν ἐναντίον; ὅρα, πῶς καὶ πρὸ τῆς πείρας ἐφιλοσόφει. ὁ γὰρ προσδοκῶν μεταβολὴν μετὰ βίου καλοῦ οὐχ ὡς μισθωτὸς ἦν, ὥστε πολλὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν δείκνυσιν ἡμῖν τὸ λέγειν· φόβος ὃν ηὐλαβούμην ἦλθέ μοι.

4,1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΕΛΙΦΑΖ Ο ΘΑΙΜΑΝΙΤΗΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 4,2a Μὴ πολλάκις σοι

λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ· 2b ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει; καλῶς προλαβὼν εἶπε τὰ κατειληφότα αὐτὸν πάντα κακὰ καὶ τὴν προσθήκην τῶν δεινῶν, ἐπειδὴ ἐβούλοντο αὐτῷ ἐπεμβαίνειν καὶ ἐνάλλεσθαι κειμένῳ. οὐ γάρ ἐστι πάντων εἰδέναι ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἁρμόζεσθαι συμφοραῖς, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ πολλάκις τὸ τραῦμα χαλεπώτερον ἐποίησαν, οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ βασκανίας, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ ἀφροσύνης. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῶν ἰατρῶν τῶν τεμνόντων τὰ τραύματα ἐλάττονος δεῖται τέχνης ὁ τὸν παρακλητικὸν ἀναδεδεγμένος λόγον. καλῶς οὖν ἰατροὶ κακῶν ἐκλήθησαν ἐπιτρίβοντες τὸ τραῦμα· πάσχουσι δὲ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ βασκανίας. πόσης δὲ πονηρίας ἂν εἴη ἐν τοσούτῳ βασκαίνειν χειμῶνι καὶ κειμένῳ φθονεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἄξιον ἐλεεῖσθαι, τοῦτον μυρίοις περιβάλλειν δεινοῖς. ὅρα γάρ, πῶς οὐ μόνον παραμυθίας ἀπέχει τὰ ῥήματα τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν τὴν 59 ἀθυμίαν ἐντίθησι καὶ κατηγορίας μακροὺς ἀποτείνει λόγους. διὸ καί τίς φησιν· ψυχὴν παρωργισμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς. ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν, τί φησιν, καὶ φύγωμεν τὴν μίμησιν. τί οὖν λέγει μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ; "κόπον" οἶδεν ἡ γραφὴ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λέγειν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ κόπος καὶ πόνος. οὐκ εἶπεν· «μὴ ἔπραξάς τι πονηρόν», ἀλλά· μὴ λελάληταί σοι. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλαμπεν ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ καὶ πολλὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπομνήματα πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς εἶχεν, «μὴ τοῦτο», φησίν, «εἴπῃς, ὅτι αἱ πράξεις σου καλαὶ καὶ ἀγαθαί· συμβαίνει γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασι γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν.» ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει; καὶ ὅρα, τὸ μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται οὐχὶ φειδομένου ἐστὶν ἀμφισβήτησις καὶ ἀμφιβολία, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἔχοντος ἐλέγξαι σαφῶς. ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει; τί γὰρ εἶπεν; ηὔξατο ἀποθανεῖν καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς. μὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι «δίκαιος ὢν καὶ μεγάλα κατωρθωκὼς τοιαῦτα πάσχω»; ἀλλ' «ἐβουλόμην», φησίν, «μετὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, μετὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν, μετὰ τῶν ἐκτρωμάτων ἀπελθεῖν, τῶν αὐτῶν τυχεῖν ὧν καὶ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς.» οὐκ εἶπεν· «ἐγὼ ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ τοσοῦτος.» 4,3a εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς 3b καὶ χεῖρας ἀσθενούντων παρεκάλεσας, 4,4a ἀσθενοῦντας δὲ ἐξανέστησας ῥήμασιν, 4b γόνασι δὲ ἀδυνατοῦσι περιέθηκας θάρσος. ὅρα, τέως τὴν ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασιν αὐτοῦ λέγει βοήθειαν καὶ συμμαχίαν δεικνύς, ὅτι οὐδὲ τοῦτο μικρόν. εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν· «εἰ σὺ παρεκάλεσας χρήμασιν, πῶς σαυτὸν οὐ δύνασαι παρακαλέσαι;», ἐνῆν εἰπεῖν τὴν πενίαν. «εἰ δὲ λόγοις πολλοὺς παρεκάλεσας», φησίν, 60 «καὶ ἑτέρους ὄντας ἐν συμφοραῖς ἀνέστησας, πῶς ἐπὶ σοῦ τὸ φάρμακον γέγονεν ἀσθενές; ὁ τὰς ἑτέρων λύων ἀνάγκας διὰ τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις παραινέσεως καὶ συμβουλῆς, πῶς οὐκ ἀποκέχρησαι τῇ μεθόδῳ τῆς θεραπείας ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν;» 4,5a νυνὶ δέ, φησίν, ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου, 5b σὺ δὲ ἐσπούδασας. τί ἐστιν ἐσπούδακας; ταράττῃ, θορυβῇ, ἰλιγγιᾷς, σπεύδεις ἀποθέσθαι, οὐκ ἔχεις σαυτόν. 4,6a πότερον οὐχὶ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ 6b καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ κακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου; ὄντως