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«I will suffer nothing like you, but I will persist in acknowledging the master. For you indeed complain bitterly, 71 but I will persist in calling upon God and not despairing. For he knows always how to turn matters to the opposite. I am in troubles, but he is able to make me be in good things as well, just as he led me from those things into this.» And 'the Lord,' he says, 'the Almighty,' that is: the one who has power over all things, both times and places and matters. Then he recounts his power on both sides and speaks first in general terms, then specifically: 5,9a Who does great and unsearchable things, 9b glorious and wonderful things, of which there is no number, 5,10a Who gives rain upon the face of the earth, 10b Who sends water upon the land under heaven. Which is the first proof of his beneficence and the sustainer of our life and an indicator of the change of season. 5,11a Who sets the humble on high 11b and raises up the lost in salvation. This, in the particular case, is partly clear, and partly unclear. But this is the more fitting example: 5,12a Who frustrates the plans of the crafty, 12b and their hands shall not accomplish anything true. That is: changing, altering the counsels of the crafty who do nothing true. And this is a work of God's power and providence, to be able to apprehend craftiness and render it useless. For just as it is the work of God to overcome strong bodies, so too a deceitful soul. 5,13a He who catches the wise in their own craftiness. That is: overcoming, overpowering. 72 5,13b and the counsel of the cunning he has thwarted. Instead of: he has made them invalid. These things he hints at to this man as one who boasts and is ambitious. Then he says, with what sort of evils he surrounds them: 5,14a In the daytime, he says, darkness will meet them, 14b and at noon they will grope as in the night. 5,15a And may they perish in war. And that he does the opposite for the powerless: 5,15b But the powerless man, he says, may escape from the hand of the mighty, 5,16a and may there be hope for the powerless, 16b and may the mouth of the unjust be stopped. God does these things, so that the powerless man might hope for good things and that man might not be arrogant. For since he said above, that 'Call, if anyone will answer you,' so that one might not think things are without providence because one is not heard, 'Not so,' he says, 'but although he is not seen, God does many things,' and he is lengthy in moving the argument on his behalf so as to strike this man. For if it is his custom to lift the powerless on high and to humble the lofty, and to convict the deceitful, see the conclusion. Then, so that he might not make the argument burdensome and assail him altogether, he says, that 'this is not the manner of punishment, that only the wicked are chastised, but there are times when it also happens for the benefit of those being disciplined.' Rather, he does not say this, but that 'even if they are utterly wicked, those who are chastised are benefited.' 5,17a But blessed is the man, he says, whom the Lord has reproved upon the earth, 17b and do not refuse the admonition of the Almighty. For this reason also the friends obtained pardon, even if they said most things off the mark, because they also mixed in some such things. 73 Then he speaks of the power over opposites, that both through punishment he benefits and again he changes the pain, when it has done its work. For lest someone say: 'Even if the medicine is beneficial, it is bitter, and I cannot bear it,' for this reason he says: 'But it is not perpetual; when it does its own work, it is taken away. For he does not leave you in need of another physician; understand that it is he himself who is healing. And if it is he himself who is healing, it is clear that even now by healing he causes pain.' 5,18a For he himself, he says, causes pain and again restores; 18b he will strike, and his hands will heal. If it is he who resolves terrible things and transforms them to their opposites and makes one enjoy deep peace, he does not do these things from a different purpose, but from the same one. 5,19a Six times he will deliver you from necessities, 19b and in the seventh, no evil will touch you. That is: he does not always do the same things, but at first he allows one to be tested, but after these things, not even a test. 5,20a In famine he will deliver from death, 20b and in war from the hand of

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«οὐδὲν πείσομαι ἐγὼ οἷον σύ, ἀλλ' ἐπιμενῶ τὸν δεσπότην ἐπιγινώσκων. σὺ μὲν γὰρ σχετλιάζεις, 71 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπιμενῶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλῶν καὶ οὐκ ἀπελπίζων. οἶδε γὰρ ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον τὰ πράγματα μεταστρέφειν. ἐν κακοῖς εἰμι, ἀλλὰ δύναταί με ποιῆσαι καὶ ἐν ἀγαθοῖς εἶναι, ὡσπεροῦν ἐξ ἐκείνων εἰς τοῦτο ἤγαγεν.» κύριον δέ, φησίν, τὸν παντοκράτορα, τουτέστιν· πάντων, καὶ καιρῶν καὶ τόπων καὶ πραγμάτων, κρατοῦντα. εἶτα διηγεῖται περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐφ' ἑκάτερα καὶ λέγει πρῶτον κατὰ γένος, εἶτα ἰδικῶς· 5,9a τὸν ποιοῦντα τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστα, 9b ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός, 5,10a τὸν διδόντα ὑετὸν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, 10b τὸν ἀποστέλλοντα ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν. ὃ πρῶτον τῆς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ τεκμήριον καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν συνεκτικὸν καὶ μεταβολῆς καιροῦ δηλωτικόν. 5,11a τὸν ποιοῦντα ταπεινοὺς εἰς ὕψος 11b καὶ ἀπολωλότας ἐξεγείροντα ἐν σωτηρίᾳ. τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ μέρος τὸ μὲν δῆλον, τὸ δὲ ἄδηλον. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οἰκειότερον τὸ παράδειγμα· 5,12a τὸν διαλλάσσοντα βουλὰς πανούργων, 12b καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσωσιν αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν ἀληθές. τουτέστιν· μεταβάλλοντα, μεταλλάττοντα τῶν πανούργων τὰς βουλὰς τῶν μὴ ποιούντων τι ἀληθές. καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ οἰκονομίας ἔργον δύνασθαι καταλαμβάνειν πανουργίαν καὶ ποιεῖν ἀνόνητον. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σωμάτων ἰσχυρῶν περιγενέσθαι οὕτω καὶ ψυχῆς δολερᾶς ἔργον θεοῦ. 5,13a ὁ καταλαμβάνων σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ φρονήσει αὐτῶν. τουτέστιν· περιγινόμενος, κρατῶν. 72 5,13b βουλὰς δὲ πολυπλόκων ἐξέστησεν. ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀκύρους ἐποίησεν. ταῦτα πρὸς τοῦτον αἰνίττεται ὡς καυχώμενον καὶ φιλοτιμούμενον. εἶτα λέγει, οἵοις περιβάλλει κακοῖς· 5,14a ἐν ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῖς, φησίν, συναντήσεται σκότος, 14b τὸ δὲ μεσημβρινὸν ψηλαφήσειαν ἴσα νυκτί. 5,15a ἀπόλοιντο δὲ ἐν πολέμῳ. καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἐναντία ποιεῖ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων· 5,15b ἀδύνατος δέ, φησίν, ἐξέλθοι ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου, 5,16a καὶ εἴη ἀδυνάτῳ ἐλπίς, 16b καὶ ἀδίκου στόμα ἐμφραχθείη. ταῦτα ποιεῖ ὁ θεός, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἀδύνατος ἐλπίζῃ τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὴ ἐπαίρηται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ἀνωτέρω, ὅτι ἐπικάλεσαι, εἴ τίς σοι ὑπακούσεται, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ ἀπρονόητα εἶναι διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀκούεσθαι, «οὐχί», φησίν, «ἀλλὰ καίτοι μὴ ὁρώμενος πολλὰ ποιεῖ ὁ θεὸς πράγματα», καὶ πολύς ἐστι τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ λόγον κινῶν ὥστε τοῦτον βαλεῖν. εἰ γὰρ ἔθος αὐτῷ τοὺς ἀδυνάτους ἐπαίρειν εἰς ὕψος καὶ τοὺς ὑψηλοὺς ταπεινοῦν, τοὺς δὲ δολεροὺς ἐλέγχειν, ὅρα τὸ συναγόμενον. εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ ποιήσῃ φορτικὸν τὸν λόγον καὶ πάνυ αὐτοῦ καθάψηται, φησίν, ὅτι «οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος τῆς τιμωρίας, μόνον τὸ πονηροὺς εἶναι τοὺς κολαζομένους, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅπου καὶ ἐπὶ χρησίμῳ γίνεται τῶν παιδευομένων». μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι «κἂν παμπόνηροι ὦσιν, ὠφελοῦνται οἱ κολαζόμενοι». 5,17a μακάριος δὲ ἄνθρωπος, φησίν, ὃν ἤλεγξεν κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, 17b νουθέτημα δὲ παντοκράτορος μὴ ἀπαναίνου. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συγγνώμης ἔτυχον οἱ φίλοι, εἰ καὶ τὰ πλείονα ἔλεγον ἀπὸ τοῦ σκοποῦ, ὅτι καὶ ἀνέμιξαν τοιαῦτά τινα. 73 εἶτα λέγει τὴν ἰσχὺν τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἐναντία, ὅτι καὶ διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας ὠφελεῖ καὶ πάλιν μεταβάλλει τὴν ἀλγηδόνα, ἐπειδὰν τὸ αὐτῆς ἐργάσηται. ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις· «εἰ καὶ ὠφέλιμον τὸ φάρμακον, ἀλλὰ πικρόν, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι φέρειν», διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· «ἀλλ' οὐ διηνεκές ἐστιν· ἐπειδὰν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ποιῇ, ἀφαιρεῖται αὐτό. μὴ γὰρ ἀφίησί σε ἑτέρου δεηθῆναι ἰατροῦ· ἐννόησον, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεραπεύων. εἰ δὲ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεραπεύων, δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ νῦν θεραπεύων ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ.» 5,18a αὐτὸς γάρ, φησίν, ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ καὶ πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησιν, 18b πατάξει, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἰάσονται. εἰ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ λύων τὰ δεινὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία μετάγων καὶ ποιῶν ἀπολαῦσαι βαθείας εἰρήνης, οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἀπὸ γνώμης ἑτέρας ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς. 5,19a ἑξάκις ἐξ ἀναγκῶν ἐξελεῖταί σε, 19b ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ οὐχ ἅψεταί σου κακόν. τουτέστιν· οὐκ ἀεὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν πρώτοις ἀφίησι πεῖραν λαβεῖν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐδὲ πεῖραν. 5,20a ἐν λιμῷ ῥύσεται ἐκ θανάτου, 20b καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ ἐκ χειρὸς