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asking to be delivered from the terrible things, and also desiring to learn for what reason he is being punished. 105 10, 47 Or do you see just as a mortal sees, or as a man sees, will you look, or is your life human, or are your years a man's? That you have sought out my iniquities and searched out my sins. For you know that I have not been impious, but who is he that can deliver out of your hands? Do you judge matters in a human way, he says? Can anything escape your exactness as it does with humans? Are your years few and you are ignorant of the things that happened before your own beginning and you have need to seek and examine the things that have been done so that you may know that I have not been impious at all? And he says these things, presenting God as a witness of his own righteousness, while at the same time asking to enjoy the goodness of God; for men seek equal things, but God by his goodness examines a few things out of many. But even if I have not been impious, he says, at least to my knowledge, I know that it is not possible to escape your will, which is to say: even if I am not conscious of anything against myself, but let your will prevail, which knows our affairs better than us. And the blessed Job utters all these things, teaching us in temptations to do nothing else than to take refuge in God and to supplicate him as the good one to spare his own creation. Therefore he adds: 10, 8 Your hands have fashioned me and made me. You see how he also acknowledges God as maker and beseeches him to have mercy upon his own creation. 10, 8 Afterwards having changed you have struck me. After making me, he says, and establishing me in prosperity, you have changed my circumstances into afflic- 106 tions and scourges. 10, 9 Remember that you fashioned me out of clay, and to earth you are turning me back again. And I beseech you to remember also the insignificance and short duration of my nature. 10, 10 Did you not pour me out like milk? That is, from the dust because it is very fine, or because of the spermatic principle, he says. 10, 10 And you curdled me like cheese. Either because of the coagulation of the formation from the beginning or also because of the constitution in the womb. 10, 11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and with bones and sinews you have knit me together. The word "knit me together" instead of "sewed me together." 10, 12 And you have granted me life and mercy. And your visitation has preserved my spirit. And only through loving-kindness and mercy, he says, you have brought us from non-being into being and life. And your providence for us preserves our constitution. 10, 13 Having these things in myself, I know that you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you. These doctrines, he says, having them firmly fixed within myself, that you are able both to bring forth from non-being into being, and the flu- 107 id and milky substance, that is, the dust from the earth, as one who is wise and powerful you work into the constitution of man, and that you are merciful and the giver of life, and that you take great providence for our affairs, I beseech and I know, that you are able also to deliver your creation from the present pains. You see how reverently he remembers the Creator and gives thanks for creation and for his providence over us, which are indeed the marks of a pious and very thankful person and befitting the piety of the blessed Job? 10, 14 For if I sin, you watch me, and you have not made me guiltless from iniquity. It is fitting, he says, to your loving-kindness, to grant some pardon to your creation and not very exactly, as one who knows all things, to watch all my actions and transgressions. And again the saint, having assumed his own person, supplicates God on behalf of us all. 10, 15 For if I am wicked, woe is me; and if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. For if, he says, I am found wicked, this to me is the worst of all. But if I should dare to say that I am righteous, there is no benefit to me from this. 10, 15-16 for I am full of dishonor; for I am hunted like a lion for slaughter. But one thing I know, he says, that my dishonor is poured out, and like a lion 108 being hunted for slaughter, so I am struck from all sides with punishments. And it seems that he compared himself to a lion because of his former prosperity. 10, 16-17 And again, having changed, you destroy me terribly, renewing your attack against me. But neither do the terrible things leave me, he says, but the evil even increases more and is always made new, so that he might say that: with various

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ἐξαιτῶν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῶν δεινῶν, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ μαθεῖν ἐπιποθῶν, δι' ἣν αἰτίαν κολάζεται. 105 10, 47 ἢ ὥσπερ βροτὸς ὁρᾷ καθορᾷς, ἢ ὣς ὁρᾷ ἄνθρωπος βλέψῃ, ἢ ὁ βίος σου ἀνθρώπινός ἐστιν, ἢ τὰ ἔτη σου ἀνδρός; ὅτι ἀνεζήτησας τὰς ἀνομίας μου καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου ἐξιχνίασας. οἶδας γάρ, ὅτι οὐκ ἠσέβησα, ἀλλὰ τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐξαιρούμενος; μὴ ἀνθρωπίνως, φησίν, τὰ πράγματα κρίνεις; μὴ δύναταί τι διαλαθεῖν τὴν σὴν ἀκρίβειαν ὥσπερ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους; μὴ τὰ ἔτη σου ὀλίγα τυγχάνουσι καὶ ἀγνοεῖς τὰ πρὸ τῆς σαυτοῦ ἀρχῆς γεγονότα καὶ χρεία σοί ἐστι ζητεῖν καὶ ἐξετάζειν τὰ πεπραγμένα ὥστε γνῶναι, ὅτι μηδὲν ἠσέβησα; ταῦτα δὲ λέγει μάρτυρα τὸν θεὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δικαιοσύνης παρεχόμενος ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐξαιτῶν ἀγαθότητος ἀπολαῦσαι θεοῦ· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὰ ἴσα ζητοῦσιν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῇ ἀγαθότητι ἀπὸ πολλῶν ὀλίγα ἐτάζει. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μὴ ἠσέβησα, φησίν, τό γε εἰς ἐμὴν γνῶσιν, οἶδα, ὅτι τὴν σὴν βουλὴν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀποφυγεῖν, ἀντὶ τοῦ· κἂν μὴ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, ἀλλ' ἡ σὴ κρατείτω βουλὴ ἡ κρεῖττον ἡμῶν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπισταμένη. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ φθέγγεται ἡμᾶς διδάσκων ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς μηδὲν ἕτερον ποιεῖν ἢ ἐπὶ θεὸν καταφεύγειν καὶ ἱκετεύειν ὡς ἀγαθὸν φείσασθαι τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ποιήματος. διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· 10, 8 αἱ χεῖρές σου ἔπλασάν με καὶ ἐποίησάν με. ὁρᾷς, ὡς καὶ ποιητὴν ἐπιγινώσκει θεὸν καὶ παρακαλεῖ φειδῶ ποιήσασθαι τοῦ ἰδίου δημιουργήματος. 10, 8 μετὰ ταῦτα μεταβαλών με ἔπαισας. μετὰ τὸ ποιῆσαί με, φησίν, καὶ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ καταστῆσαι εἰς θλί 106 ψεις καὶ μάστιγας μετέβαλες τὰ κατ' ἐμέ. 10, 9 μνήσθητι, ὅτι πηλόν με ἔπλασας, εἰς δὲ γῆν με πάλιν ἀποστρέφεις. ἱκετεύω δὲ μνησθῆναί σε καὶ τοῦ τῆς φύσεως εὐτελοῦς καὶ ὀλιγοχρονίου. 10, 10 ἦ οὐχ ὥσπερ γάλα με ἤμελξας; ἤτοι ἀπὸ χοὸς διὰ τὸ λεπτότατον ἢ διὰ τὸν σπερματικὸν λόγον φησίν. 10, 10 ἐτύρωσας δέ με ἴσα τυρῷ. ἢ διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τῆς πλάσεως σύμπηξιν ἢ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ σύστασιν. 10, 11 δέρμα καὶ κρέας με ἐνέδυσας, ὀστέοις δὲ καὶ νεύροις με ἐνεῖρας. τὸ ἐνεῖρας ἀντὶ τοῦ συνέρραψας. 10, 12 ζωὴν δὲ καὶ ἔλεος ἔθου παρ' ἐμοί. ἡ δὲ ἐπισκοπή σου ἐφύλαξέν μου τὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ διὰ μόνην, φησίν, φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ ἔλεον ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ εἶναι καὶ ζῆν παρήγαγες. ἡ δὲ σὴ περὶ ἡμᾶς πρόνοια τὴν ἡμετέραν διατηρεῖ σύστασιν. 10, 13 ταῦτα ἔχων ἐν ἐμαυτῷ οἶδα ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν. ταῦτα, φησίν, τὰ δόγματα παρ' ἐμαυτῷ πάγια κεκτημένος, ὅτι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγεῖν δυνατὸς εἶ καὶ τὴν ῥευ 107 στὴν καὶ γαλακτώδη οὐσίαν ἤτοι τὸν ἀπὸ γῆς χοῦν ὡς σοφὸς καὶ δυνατὸς εἰς ἀνθρώπου σύστασιν ἐργάζῃ, καὶ ὅτι ἐλεήμων εἶ καὶ ζωῆς χορηγός, καὶ ὅτι πολλὴν τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ποιῇ πρόνοιαν, ἱκετεύω καὶ οἶδα, ὅτι δυνατὸς εἶ καὶ τῶν παρόντων ἀλγεινῶν τὸ σὸν ἀπαλλάξαι ποίημα. ὁρᾷς, πῶς σεβασμίως μέμνηται τοῦ δημιουργοῦ καὶ χάριν ὁμολογεῖ τῆς ποιήσεως καὶ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς προνοίας, ἅπερ ἐστὶν ὄντως εὐσεβοῦς καὶ λίαν εὐχαρίστου καὶ τῇ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰὼβ πρέποντα θεοσεβείᾳ; 10, 14 ἐάν τε γὰρ ἁμάρτω, φυλάσσεις με, ἀπὸ δὲ ἀνομίας οὐκ ἀθῶόν με πεποίηκας. πρέπει, φησίν, τῇ σῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, νεῖμαί τι καὶ συγγνώμης τῷ σῷ ποιήματι καὶ μὴ σφόδρα ἀκριβῶς ὡς πάντα ἐπιστάμενον πάσας τὰς πράξεις μου καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα ἐπιτηρεῖν. ταῦτα δὲ πάλιν ὁ ἅγιος τὸ οἰκεῖον πρόσωπον ὑποστησάμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων ἱκετεύει θεόν. 10, 15 ἐάν τε γὰρ ἀσεβήσω, οἶμοι· ἐάν τε ὦ δίκαιος, οὐ δύναμαι ἀνακύψαι. εἴτε γάρ, φησίν, ἀσεβὴς εὑρεθῶ, τοῦτό μοι πάντων τὸ χείριστον. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τολμήσω εἰπεῖν, ὅτι δίκαιός εἰμι, οὐδέν μοι ἐντεῦθεν ὄφελος. 10, 1516 πλήρης γὰρ ἀτιμίας εἰμί· ἀγρεύομαι γὰρ ὥσπερ λέων εἰς σφαγήν. ἓν δὲ οἶδα, φησίν, ὅτι ἀτιμία μου κατακέχυται, καὶ ὥσπερ λέων 108 εἰς σφαγὴν ἀγρευόμενος οὕτως πανταχόθεν ταῖς τιμωρίαις βάλλομαι. ἔοικε δὲ λέοντι ἑαυτὸν παρεικάσαι διὰ τὴν προτέραν εὐδαιμονίαν. 10, 1617 πάλιν δὲ μεταβαλὼν δεινῶς με ὀλέκεις ἐπανακαινίζων ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν ἔτασίν σου. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀνίησί με, φησίν, τὰ δεινά, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον αὔξεται καὶ ἀεὶ καινοποιεῖται τὸ κακόν, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· ποικίλαις