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from the hand of enemies or from the hand of the powerful to rescue me? And yet, he says, in nothing have I become burdensome to you; I have not asked for money from you, nor any assistance; and why have you attacked me so vehemently and mercilessly? He makes the argument common, directing his words toward those of Eliphaz: 6, 24-25 Teach me, and I will be silent; if I have been deceived in any way, tell me. But as it seems, the words of a true man are worthless. But behold, he says, I am quiet; teach me if I ask for death in a deceived and mistaken way. Are not my calamities heavy and unbearable? Is it not desirable to be delivered from pains? But as it seems you have suffered the same as the many—for the truth is always burdensome to the many, and for this reason you disparage the words of my truth. 6, 25-27 For I do not ask strength from you; nor will your refutation stop me with words, for I will not endure the sound of a word from you. Except that you fall upon an orphan, and you leap upon your friend. But do not even condescend to me, he says, nor, as if wishing to strengthen me, speak things to please me; but refute me with boldness. For I do not fear your refutations, but I even hope to win by contradicting every single word. Except this I know, that you thus strike me with bitter 74 reproaches, considering neither my calamity nor our friendship, as one truly orphaned of God's help. 6, 28-30 But now having looked into your face I will not lie. Sit then and let there be no injustice, and again come together for what is just. For there is no injustice on my tongue; or does not my throat meditate understanding? I will speak with boldness, and without blushing before you or preferring you to the truth, I ask you yourselves to sit as judges for me and to cast just votes. For I believe I will say nothing unjust nor bring forth foolish or nonsensical arguments. And he says these things, summoning them to the examination. 7, 1-2 Is not the life of man on earth a trial, and his life like that of a day-laborer? Or like a servant fearing his lord and having obtained shadow, or like a hired hand awaiting his wages. As if having already seated them as judges, he begins to plead for his own words and to show that he is not worthy of blame for desiring to depart this life. And from these two causes he constructs his desire as reasonable: first, that in general this mortal life is full of dangers, and then, that in addition to the general and common fears and struggles, he himself is especially enveloped in incurable calamities. For the time being he rehearses the general wretchedness of life and says: Does it not seem to you that the life of all 75 men is filled with temptations and circumstances? And how every man is like a day-laborer, who toils all day long in order to earn some small thing, or like a servant fearing his own master and scarcely ever obtaining a little rest, or simply like a hired hand, even if not a day-laborer, in order that after many toils he might receive some wage? And he said these things showing that our life is filled with temptations and fears. And even if someone should seem to do well, having obtained some small enjoyment, he spends all his time in toils. And having shown that life in general is wretched, he moves on to the things that have happened to him specifically and says: 7, 3-6 Thus I also have endured empty months, and nights of pains have been given to me. If I lie down to sleep, I say, When will it be day? And when I rise up again, When will it be evening? And I become full of pains from evening until morning. And my body is covered in the filth of worms, and I scrape off clods of earth from the discharge. And my life is swifter than a runner, and it has perished in empty hope. And so I too have become one of those drawing up this grievous life, and for a long time now I am tested in hardships; for this is what 'empty months' signifies. But if you wish to learn the specific things that have happened to me, they are these: nights were arranged for rest for men, but I am in pain during them and I pray to see the sun, if perhaps in the day I might find some comfort, but when day dawns, being struck with similar pains I long for evening, and of this

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χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἢ ἐκ χειρὸς δυναστῶν ῥύσασθαί με; καίτοιγε, φησίν, κατ' οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἐπαχθὴς γέγονα, οὐ χρήματα ᾔτησα παρ' ὑμῶν, οὐκ ἐπικουρίαν τινά· καὶ διὰ τί σφοδρῶς οὕτω καὶ ἀνηλεῶς ἐπέθεσθέ μοι; κοινοποιεῖ δὲ τὸν λόγον πρὸς τὰ τοῦ Ἐλιφὰζ ἀποτεινόμενος ῥήματα· 6, 2425 διδάξατέ με, ἐγὼ δὲ κωφεύσω· εἴ τι πεπλάνημαι, φράσατέ μοι. ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικεν, φαῦλα ἀληθινοῦ ῥήματα. ἀλλ' ἰδού, φησίν, ἡσυχάζω· διδάξατέ με, εἰ πεπλανημένως καὶ ἐσφαλμένως αἰτῶ τὸν θάνατον. οὐ βαρεῖαι καὶ ἀνύποιστοι αἱ συμφοραί; οὐκ ἐπιθυμητὸν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῶν ἀλγηδόνων; ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικε ταὐτὸν τοῖς πολλοῖς πεπόνθατεφορτικὸν γὰρ ἀεὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἐμῆς ἀληθείας ἐκφαυλίζετε τὰ ῥήματα. 6, 2527 οὐ γὰρ παρ' ὑμῶν ἰσχὺν αἰτοῦμαι· οὐδὲ ὁ ἔλεγχος ὑμῶν ῥήμασί με παύσει, οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν φθέγμα ῥήματος ἀνέξομαι. πλὴν ὅτι ἐπ' ὀρφανῷ ἐπιπίπτετε, ἐνάλλεσθε δὲ ἐπὶ φίλῳ ὑμῶν. ἀλλὰ μηδὲ συγκαταβῆτέ μοι, φησίν, μηδὲ ὡς ἐπιρρῶσαι βουλόμενοι τὰ πρὸς χάριν λαλήσητε· ἐλέγξατε δέ με μετὰ παρρησίας. οὐ γὰρ δέδοικα ὑμῶν τοὺς ἐλέγχους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἕκαστον ἀντιλέγων ῥῆμα νικήσειν ἐλπίζω. πλὴν ἐκεῖνο οἶδα, ὅτι οὕτω με βάλλετε πικροῖς 74 τοῖς ὀνείδεσι μὴ τὴν συμφοράν, μὴ τὴν φιλίαν λογιζόμενοι ὡς ὄντως ἀπορφανισθέντα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείας. 6, 2830 νυνὶ δὲ ἐμβλέψας εἰς πρόσωπον ὑμῶν οὐ ψεύσομαι. καθίσατε δὴ καὶ μὴ εἴη ἄδικον, καὶ πάλιν τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐν γλώσσῃ μου ἄδικον· ἢ οὐχὶ ὁ λάρυγξ μου μελετᾷ σύνεσιν; σὺν παρρησίᾳ λαλήσω, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς ἐρυθριάσας οὐδὲ προκρίνας τῆς ἀληθείας ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς αἰτῶ καθίσαι μοι δικαστὰς καὶ δικαίας ἐξοῖσαι τὰς ψήφους. πιστεύω γάρ, μηδὲν ἄδικον λέξειν μηδὲ ἀσυνέτους ἢ φλυάρους προάξειν λόγους. ταῦτα δέ φησιν προκαλούμενος αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐξέτασιν. 7, 12 πότερον οὐχὶ πειρατήριόν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὥσπερ μισθίου αὐθημερινοῦ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἢ ὥσπερ θεράπων δεδοικὼς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ καὶ τετευχὼς σκιᾶς, ἢ ὥσπερ μισθωτὸς ἀναμένων τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ. ὥσπερ ἤδη καθίσας αὐτοὺς δικαστὰς ἄρχεται συνηγορεῖν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ λόγοις καὶ δεικνύναι, ὡς οὐ μέμψεως ἄξιός ἐστι ποθῶν μεταλλάξαι τὸν βίον. ἐκ δύο δὲ τούτων αἰτιῶν εὔλογον ἑαυτοῦ κατασκευάζει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, μιᾶς μὲν ὅτι καθόλου κινδύνων μεστὸς ὁ ἐπίκηρος οὗτος βίος, ἔπειτα ὅτι πρὸς τῷ καθόλου καὶ τοῖς γενικοῖς φόβοις τε καὶ ἀγωνίαις αὐτὸς διαφερόντως ταῖς ἀνηκέστοις περιβέβληται συμφοραῖς. γυμνάζει δὲ τέως τὸ καθόλου τοῦ βίου μοχθηρὸν καί φησιν· ἆρα ὑμῖν οὐ δοκεῖ πειρασμῶν ἐμπεπλῆσθαι καὶ περιστάσεων πάντων ἀνθρώ 75 πων ὁ βίος; καὶ ὡς πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἔοικεν αὐθημερινῷ μισθωτῷ, ὃς δι' ὅλης ἡμέρας κάμνει, ἵνα μικρόν τι κομίσηται, ἢ θεράποντι δεδοικότι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δεσπότην καὶ μόλις ποτὲ μικρᾶς ἀναπαύσεως τυγχάνοντι, ἢ ἁπλῶς μισθωτῷ, εἰ καὶ μὴ αὐθημερινῷ, ἵνα μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς καμάτους λάβῃ τινὰ μισθόν; ταῦτα δὲ ἔφη δεικνύς, ὡς πειρασμῶν μὲν καὶ φόβων ἐμπέπλησται ἡμῶν ὁ βίος. εἰ δὲ καί τις εὖ πράττειν δόξει, ὀλίγης τινὸς ἀπολαύσεως τυχὼν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐν μόχθοις διάγει. δείξας δέ, ὡς καθόλου μοχθηρὸς ὁ βίος, ἐπὶ τὰ ἰδικῶς ἑαυτῷ συμβεβηκότα μετέρχεται καί φησιν· 7, 36 οὕτως καὶ ἐγὼ ὑπέμεινα μῆνας κενούς, νύκτες δὲ ὀδυνῶν δεδομέναι μοί εἰσιν. ἐὰν κοιμηθῶ, λέγω· πότε ἡμέρα; ὡς δ' ἂν ἀναστῶ πάλιν· πότε ἑσπέρα; πλήρης δὲ γίνομαι ὀδυνῶν ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωί. φύρεται δέ μου τὸ σῶμα ἐν σαπρίᾳ σκωλήκων, τήκω δὲ βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξύων. ὁ δὲ βίος μού ἐστιν ἐλαφρότερος δρομέως, ἀπόλωλε δὲ ἐν κενῇ ἐλπίδι. κἀγὼ τοιγαροῦν εἷς γέγονα τῶν τὸν ἀνιαρὸν τοῦτον ἀντλούντων βίον, καὶ πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἐν ταλαιπωρίαις ἐξετάζομαι· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ μῆνας κενούς. εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε τὰ ἴδια μοι συμβεβηκότα μαθεῖν, εἰσὶ ταῦτα· αἱ νύκτες εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ᾠκονομήθησαν, ἐγὼ δὲ παρὰ ταύτας ὀδυνῶμαι καὶ τὸν ἥλιον ἰδεῖν ἐπεύχομαι, εἰ ἴσως ἐν ἡμέρᾳ παραμυθίας τύχω τινός, ἡμέρας δὲ διαλαμψάσης ταῖς ὁμοίαις ὀδύναις βαλλόμενος τὴν ἑσπέραν ποθῶ, καὶ ταύτης