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And I, that God is not unjust, but also in punishing the impious, he punishes according to the principle of justice. And showing that he holds this doctrine firm in himself, he confirms his word as if with an oath, saying: In truth I know that it is so. Thus he began his subsequent words, taking precaution, so that when he says: I am judged gladly by God, no one might suppose that he says this as one suffering unjustly, but that, trusting in the just judgment of God and in his own righteousness and in his love for God, he utters his words. That he is therefore conscious of no sin in himself is quite clear from his own 90 words; but knowing that in relation to divine exactitude no one is sinless, he adds and says: 9, 24 For how shall a mortal be righteous before the Lord? For if he should wish to be judged with him, he will not answer him, so as not to speak against one of his words out of a thousand. For he is wise in thought, and mighty, and great. But I also know this, he says, that no one is righteous in relation to divine exactitude, unless He should wish to justify him by grace alone; but if not, it is not possible to stand up to him. For if God should wish to be judged with a man, the man is at a complete loss to answer and to open his mouth. For he is not able, when God speaks a thousand words, to speak against even one single one, that it was poorly spoken. For it is impossible for Wisdom itself not to know all things, even those that escape our notice, and it is impossible for it to say anything unwise or reprehensible. And along with wisdom, He also has omnipotence and the majesty of His nature. Again, it should be noted that the just man said these things beforehand, all but saying the words of the blessed David: And enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no one living shall be justified, so that, if we should hear him wishing to be judged by God, we might not suppose that he is saying: I suffer unjustly and, being judged by God, I can convict him of not acting justly—away with it, for these things are far from the high-mindedness of the great and God-loving Job, but so that we might learn that he flees judgments among men, as from those speaking either in ignorance or for someone's favor, which indeed his friends have suffered, having been mistaken about the principles of providence and thinking 91 to offer a defense for God by condemning the just man, but he deems it right and beseeches that the truthful God himself should stand with him in judgment, so that through the truth of God it might be shown that he is not being punished for sins. 9, 4 Who, having been hard against him, has endured? But no one who becomes harsh against God, he says, goes away unpunished. Again, he has set this down as a precaution, so that we may know that he is nowhere harsh, but beseeching and trusting in the truth of God he utters his words. For he who knows it is not beneficial to appear hard against God would not himself have become harsh, although not much time has passed, but in these very subsequent words .... Having thus begun and having sufficiently secured our opinion, he explains the power of God, as if through these things admonishing each one not to dare at all to speak against one who is so great in power, so great in strength and majesty, and who does not tolerate justice to be disturbed in any way. 9, 5 Who makes mountains old and they know it not, who overturns them in wrath. Literally: He also makes the mountains disappear, he says, with ease. David also said something similar: Who touches the mountains, and they smoke. But according to the sense: He who removes the exceeding plots of the evil one from men, even while they are ignorant. 9, 6 Who shakes the world under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars are shaken. 92 By pillars he means the supports; for it is in the power of him who founded and supported it, as he himself knows, also to shake it. Similar is that in the Psalms: Who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble. 9, 7 Who speaks to the sun, and it does not rise, and seals up the stars. Seals up instead of: shuts away. He is able, he says, both to command the sun to remain in its place and not to rise, and to shut away the stars, so that they do not give light. 9, 8 Who alone stretched out the heaven but also the heaven, he says, with

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κἀγώ, ὅτι οὐκ ἄδικος ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολάζων τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου κολάζει λόγον. δεικνὺς δέ, ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ δόγμα παρ' ἑαυτῷ πάγιον ἔχει, οἱονεὶ μεθ' ὅρκου πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον φήσας· ἐπ' ἀληθείας οἶδα, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστίν. οὕτω δὲ προοιμιάσατο τοὺς ἐφεξῆς ἑαυτοῦ λόγους προασφαλιζόμενος, ἵνα ὅταν λέγῃ· ἡδέως κρίνομαι πρὸς θεόν, μή τις ὑπολάβῃ, ὅτι ὡς ἄδικα πάσχων τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι θαρρῶν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοκρισίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ τῇ περὶ θεὸν ἀγάπῃ τοὺς λόγους προφέρει. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ σύνοιδεν ἁμάρτημα, πρόδηλον ἐκ τῶν ἑαυ 90 τοῦ λόγων· ἐπιστάμενος δέ, ὡς πρὸς τὴν θείαν ἀκρίβειαν οὐδείς ἐστιν ἀναμάρτητος, ἐπιφέρει καί φησιν· 9, 24 πῶς γὰρ ἔσται δίκαιος βροτὸς παρὰ κυρίῳ; ἐὰν γὰρ βούληται κριθῆναι αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ ὑπακούσῃ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἀντείπῃ πρὸς ἕνα λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐκ χιλίων. σοφὸς γάρ ἐστι διανοίᾳ κραταιός τε καὶ μέγας. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο οἶδα, φησίν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς πρὸς τὴν θείαν ἀκρίβειαν δίκαιος, εἰ μὴ γὰρ μόνον κατὰ χάριν ἐθελήσῃ δικαιῶσαι· εἰ δὲ μή, οὐκ ἔστι πρὸς αὐτὸν διᾶραι. ἐὰν γὰρ ἐθελήσῃ ὁ θεὸς κρίνεσθαι μετὰ ἀνθρώπου, ἀμηχανεῖ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅλως ὑπακοῦσαι καὶ διᾶραι τὸ στόμα. οὐ γὰρ δύναται χιλίους λόγους λέγοντος τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς ἕνα γοῦν καὶ μόνον ἀντειπεῖν, ὅτι κακῶς ἐρρέθη. τὴν γὰρ αὐτοσοφίαν ἀμήχανον μὴ πάντα εἰδέναι καὶ τὰ ἡμᾶς διαλανθάνοντα, ἀμήχανον δὲ καὶ ἄσοφόν τι λαλῆσαι ἢ ἐπιλήψιμον. μετὰ δὲ τοῦ σοφοῦ ἔχει καὶ τὸ παντοδύναμον καὶ τὸ τῆς φύσεως μεγαλεῖον. πάλιν δὲ σημειωτέον, ὡς ταῦτα προεῖπεν ὁ δίκαιος μονονουχὶ λέγων τὸ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αυίδ· καὶ μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν, ἵνα, ἐὰν ἀκούσωμεν αὐτοῦ βουλομένου κρίνεσθαι πρὸς θεόν, μὴ ὑπολάβωμεν, ὅτι φησίν· ἄδικα πάσχω καὶ δύναμαι κρινόμενος πρὸς θεὸν ἀπελέγξαι αὐτὸν οὐ δίκαια ποιοῦνταἄπαγε, πόρρω γὰρ ταῦτα τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ φιλοθέου Ἰὼβ μεγαλονοίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθωμεν, ὅτι τὰς μὲν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις κρίσεις φεύγει οἷα ἢ κατὰ ἄγνοιαν λαλούντων ἢ πρὸς χάριν τινός, ὃ δὴ πεπόνθασιν οἱ αὐτοῦ φίλοι πεπλανημένοι περὶ τοὺς τῆς προνοίας λόγους καὶ οἰόμενοι 91 θεῷ συνηγορίαν νέμειν διὰ τοῦ καταψηφίζεσθαι τοῦ δικαίου, ἀξιοῖ δὲ καὶ ἱκετεύει, αὐτὸν αὐτῷ καταστῆναι τὸν ἀψευδῆ θεὸν εἰς κρίσιν, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀληθείας ἀποδειχθῇ μὴ δι' ἁμαρτήματα κολαζόμενος. 9, 4 τίς σκληρὸς γενόμενος ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὑπέμεινεν; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τραχυνόμενός τις, φησίν, κατὰ θεοῦ ἀτιμώρητος ἀπέρχεται. πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο προασφαλιζόμενος τέθεικεν, ἵνα γνῶμεν, ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ τραχυνόμενος, ἀλλ' ἱκετεύων καὶ θαρρῶν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀληθείᾳ τοὺς λόγους προφέρει. ὁ γὰρ εἰδὼς μὴ συμφέρον εἶναι σκληρὸν φαίνεσθαι κατὰ θεοῦ οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐτραχύνετο, καίτοι μηδὲ πολλοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐφεξῆς λόγοις .... οὕτω δὲ προοιμιασάμενος καὶ ἱκανῶς ἡμῶν τὴν γνώμην ἀσφαλισάμενος τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν ἐξηγεῖται, ὡς ἂν ἑκάστῳ διὰ τούτων παραινῶν, μηδ' ὅλως τολμᾶν ἀντιφθέγγεσθαι τῷ τοσούτῳ μὲν τὴν δύναμιν, τοσούτῳ δὲ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὴν μεγαλειότητα καὶ μὴ ἀνεχομένῳ κατὰ μηδὲν ταράξαι τὸ δίκαιον. 9, 5 ὁ παλαιῶν ὄρη καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν, ὁ καταστρέφων αὐτὰ ὀργῇ. πρὸς μὲν ῥητόν· ὁ καὶ τὰ ὄρη, φησίν, ἐξαφανίζων μετ' εὐκολίας. τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἔφη· ὁ ἁπτόμενος τῶν ὀρέων καὶ καπνίζονται. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ὁ παραφέρων τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς τὰς ὑπερεχούσας τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀγνοούντων αὐτῶν. 9, 6 ὁ σείων τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ἐκ θεμελίων, οἱ δὲ στῦλοι αὐτῆς σαλεύονται. 92 στύλους τὰ στηρίγματά φησιν· ἐν αὐτῷ γάρ ἐστι τῷ θεμελιώσαντι καὶ στηρίξαντι, ὡς αὐτὸς οἶδεν, καὶ σαλεῦσαι. ὅμοιον τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· ὁ ἐπιβλέπων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὴν τρέμειν. 9, 7 ὁ λέγων τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνατέλλει, κατὰ δὲ τῶν ἄστρων κατασφραγίζει. κατασφραγίζει ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀποκλείει. δύναται, φησίν, καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ ἐπιτάττειν, κατὰ χώραν μένειν καὶ μὴ ἀνατέλλειν, καὶ τὰ ἄστρα ἀποκλείειν, ὥστε μὴ φωτίζειν αὐτά. 9, 8 ὁ τανύσας τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν, φησίν, μετ'