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possible. But even if a wise man speaks plausible words, he is completely unable to find any truth. CHAPTER 9. "For I have given all this to my heart, and my heart saw all this, that the just and the wise, and their works are in the hand of God." He said of what things the knowledge is hidden, so that he might prevent us from laboring in vain over such inquiries; he says now, what the eye of the wise man has been fully assured of, that the just and the wise, and their deeds happen to be under the protection of God's hand; not being permitted to be harmed by their spiteful enemies. For the virtuous, and the works according to virtue are protected by God; but concerning the impious it is written: And they were cast out from your hand. "And yet man knows not love or hate: all things are before his face; vanity in all things." Symmachus, instead of, "vanity in all things," has rendered it, "all things before them are uncertain;" instead of, "man does not know," whether the one he hates, he will find a benefactor, and the one he loves, a plotter. But according to a higher meaning, he who is still a man, and not yet become God's, does not know what is worthy of love, or what is worthy of hatred. For laborious virtue is worthy of love; but pleasure in sensible things, of hatred. But he who understands things erroneously and backwards. has all things vain before his face, understanding things not as the truth is, but as pleasure suggests. 93.585 "There is one event to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the evil, to the pure and to the impure, to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice: as is the good, so is the sinner, as is he who swears, so is he who fears an oath. This is an evil thing in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all." It has often been stated in the preceding sections that morally indifferent things, like sickness and health, wealth and poverty, and similar things, happen to be common to both the just and the sinner, inasmuch as all are mortal creatures; for inasmuch as they are rational, they have a difference; according to which some do well, and others are impious by their own free choice. But note that he also ranked the one who swears with the sinners. And he called the matter of common occurrences evil, as from the perspective of those who are mistaken, and because of common occurrences do not think that the just man has more than the impious, or is toilsome. For both toil in common, as long as they are under the sun; but after the departure from here, to each is given what is according to his worth. "And the heart of the sons of man is filled with evil; and madness is in their heart, and after that, they go to the dead. For who is joined to all the living?" The heart of the sons of man is filled with evil, wandering hither and thither; and they toil until they themselves also overtake the dead; for no one can have perpetual fellowship with the living. For the common end certainly awaits him. Otherwise: The sons of man, that is, the common herd, seeing the common occurrences of the just, are filled with wickedness, and their heart wanders in toil, until being dead in their deeds they are counted among the dead, having no fellowship with those who have lived in virtue, who are also properly called living, enjoying eternal life. "There is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion." The poor man, who lives according to God, has a good hope, more than the proud and arrogant man who has been made dead by sin. Otherwise: The people from the gentiles, formerly a dog and unclean, but having come to the faith, and been made alive, has a good hope, more than the royal people of the Jews. "The living will know that they will die; but the dead know nothing." Those who have vital moisture in their own mind, considering the temporary nature of the present life, live in virtue because of the hopes to come; but those who are deadened by sin, being held by ignorance, live their lives like irrational beasts. "And there is no longer any reward for them, because their memory 93.588 is finished." For what reward is there for sinners. whom God is said not even to remember? For the Lord knows only those who are His. And understand this also in regard to the

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δυνατόν. Ἀλλὰ κἂν εἴπῃ σοφὸς λόγους πιθανοὺς, τινὰ ἀλήθειαν παντελῶς ἀδυνατεῖ τοῦ εὑρεῖν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Θʹ. "Ὅτι σύμπαν τοῦτο ἔδωκα εἰς καρδίαν μου, καὶ καρδία μου σύμπαν εἶδε τοῦτο, ὅτι οἱ δίκαιοι καὶ οἱ σοφοὶ, καὶ ἐργασίαι αὐτῶν ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ." Εἶπε τίνων ἡ γνῶσις ἀποκέκρυπται, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἀποκωλύσῃ τοῦ ματαιοπονεῖν περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ζητήσεις· λέγει νῦν, τί ἀκριβῶς πεπληροφόρηται ὁ τοῦ σοφοῦ ὀφθαλμὸς, ὅτι οἱ δίκαιοι καὶ οἱ σοφοὶ, καὶ αἱ τούτων πράξεις ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τυγχάνουσιν· οὐ συγχωρουμένου ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ἐχθρῶν καταβλάπτεσθαι. Οἱ γὰρ ἐνάρετοι, καὶ αἱ κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐργασίαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ σκέπονται· περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀσεβῶν γέγραπται· Καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου ἀπώσθησαν. "Καί γε ἀγάπην καὶ μῖσος οὐκ ἔστιν εἰδὼς ἄνθρωπος· τὰ πάντα πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· ματαιότης ἐν πᾶσι." Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐν τοῖς πᾶσι ματαιότης, τὰ πάντα ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν ἄδηλα, ἐκδέδωκε· ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐκ οἶδε ἄνθρωπος, εἰ ὃν μισεῖ, εὐεργέτην ἄξει, καὶ ὃν ἀγαπᾷ, ἐπίβουλον. Κατὰ δὲ ὑψηλοτέραν διάνοιαν, ὁ ἔτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν, καὶ οὔπω γεγονὼς Θεοῦ, οὐκ οἶδε τί τὸ ἀγάπης ἄξιον, ἢ τί τὸ μίσους ἄξιον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐπίπονος ἀρετὴ ἀγάπης ἀξία· ἡ δὲ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἡδονὴ, μίσους. Ὁ δὲ πεπλανημένως καὶ ἀντιστρόφως νοῶν τὰ πράγματα. πάντα μάταια πρὸ προσώπου ἔχει, μὴ ὡς τὸ ἀληθὲς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ ἡδονὴ ὑποβάλλει, τὰ ὄντα νοῶν. 93.585 "Συνάντημα ἒν τῷ δικαίῳ, καὶ τῷ ἀσεβεῖ, τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ τῷ κακῷ, τῷ καθαρῷ καὶ τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ, τῷ θυσιάζοντι καὶ τῷ μὴ θυσιάζοντι, ὡς ὁ ἀγαθὸς, ὡς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, ὡς ὁ ὀμνύων, ὡς ὁ τὸν ὅρκον φοβούμενος. Τοῦτο πονηρὸν ἐν παντὶ πεποιημένῳ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι συνάντημα ἓν τοῖς πᾶσι." Πολλάκις ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω τέτακται, ὡς τὰ μέσα ἀδιάφορα, νόσος καὶ ὑγεία, πλοῦτος καὶ πενία, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, κοινὰ τυγχάνουσι τῷ τε δικαίῳ καὶ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, ᾗ ζῶα θνητὰ πάντες· ᾗ γὰρ λογικὰ, διαφορὰν ἔχουσι· καθ' ὃ οἱ μὲν εὖ ποιοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβοῦσιν αὐτεξουσίῳ προαιρέσει, Σημειοῦ δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὸν ὀμνύοντα μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἔταξε. Πονηρὸν δὲ ἐκάλεσε τὸ τῶν κοινῶν συμπτωμάτων, ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τῶν σφαλλομένων, καὶ διὰ τὰ κοινὰ συμπτώματα μὴ νομιζόντων πλέον ἔχειν τὸν δίκαιον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς, ἢ ἐπίπονον. Κοινῶς γὰρ πονοῦσιν ἑκάτεροι, ἕως εἰσὶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἤλιον· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημίαν, ἑκάστῳ τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀποδίδοται. "Καί γε καρδία υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπληρώθη πονηροῦ· καὶ περιφέρεια ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν, καὶ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τοὺς νεκρούς. Ὅτι τίς κοινωνεῖ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ζῶντας;" Ἡ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καρδία πεπλήρωται πονηροῦ, τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περιφερομένη· καὶ μοχθοῦσι μέχρις ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς καταλάβωσιν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται κοινωνίαν ἔχειν διηνεκῆ μετὰ τῶν ζώντων. Πάντως γὰρ αὐτὸν τὸ κοινὸν διαδέχεται τέλος. Ἄλλως· Υἱοὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀντὶ τοῦ, οἱ ἀγελαῖοι, ὁρῶντες τὰ κοινὰ συμπτώματα τῶν δικαίων, πληροῦνται πονηρίας, καὶ περιφέρεται ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ἐν μόχθοις, ἕως ἂν νεκροὶ ὄντες ταῖς πράξεσι συγκατατελῶσι τοῖς νεκροῖς, μηδεμίαν ἔχοντες κοινωνίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἐν ἀρετῇ ζήσαντας, οἵτινες καὶ κυρίως ζῶντες καλοῦνται, τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ἀπολαύοντες. "Ἔστιν ἐλπὶς, ὅτι ὁ κύων ὁ ζῶν αὐτὸς ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ τὸν λέοντα τὸν τεθνηκότα." Ὁ πτωχὸς, καὶ ζῶν κατὰ Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ τὸν γαῦρον καὶ ἀλαζόνα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας νεκρωθέντα, ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἀγαθήν. Ἄλλως· Ὁ ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸς, ὁ πάλαι κύων καὶ ἀκάθαρτος, προσελθὼν δὲ τῇ πίστει, καὶ ζωοποιηθεὶς ὑπὲρ τὸν βασιλικὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἀγαθήν. "Οἱ ζῶντες γνώσονται ὅτι ἀποθανοῦνται· καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ οὐκ εἰσὶ, γινώσκοντες οὐδέν." Οἱ ἔχοντες ἰκμάδα ζωτικὴν ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῶν διανοίᾳ, τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς τὸ πρόσκαιρον λογιζόμενοι, ἐν ἀρετῇ ζῶσι διὰ τὰς μελλούσας ἐλπίδας· οἱ δὲ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ νεκρωθέντες, ἀγνωσίᾳ συνεχόμενοι ἀλόγων δίκην βιοτεύουσι. "Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς ἔτι μισθὸς, ὅτι ἐτελέσθη ἡ 93.588 μνήμη αὐτῶν." Ποῖος γὰρ μισθὸς τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς. ὧν οὐδὲ μνημονεύειν λέγεται ὁ Θεός; Μόνους γὰρ ἔγνω Κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐκλάμβανε καὶ εἰς τὸν