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philosophy. And yet who would not have lamented, but nowhere in his words do you see him saying this, but rather bearing his pains. But these men remind him of the disaster and bitterly, saying not only that they died, but also that it was because of sins. For was it not enough for him to say this to himself after these things: "In vain and for nothing were so many sacrifices"? Lest, he says, in their thought they conceived some evil against God. See how their death wasted away him who was so provident for their soul's virtue. Again, a conjecture. God is just. For is it not possible both to be just and not to give punishment for sins, but testing, as in his case? For are punishments only for sins? 8,5 But you, he says, rise early to pray to the Lord Almighty. He shows that they sinned more grievously than he. And see how they advise and admonish him, which is itself a heavy thing. 8,6a If you are pure, he says, and true, he will hearken to your prayer. If he is pure, for what reason was he suffering these things? Do you not know, then, that it is possible to suffer these things even while being pure? But he will not in every case hearken to the prayer of the pure and true; for there are times when he asks for things that are inexpedient. For since he was saying: My time is short, he says: 8,7a Therefore your first things will be few, 7b but your last things will be innumerable. That is: "He is able to place you in greater prosperity than before." Then the burdensome things again: 8,8a Inquire of the first generation, 8b and search out the generation of the fathers. 8,9a For we are of yesterday and we know not; 9b for our life upon the earth is a shadow. 8,10a Will they not teach you words and announce to you the understanding of wisdom 10b and teach you words from the heart? 8,11a Does a papyrus flourish without water, 11b or will the rush grow high without drink 8,12a while it is still on its root? And will it not be harvested 12b before any herb drinks? but if it does not drink, it withers. But what he says is this: "Since we are short-lived, let us ask the aged, and they themselves will report that just as it is impossible for grass to grow without moisture, so it is impossible for anything to endure without righteousness; thus," he says, "neither will the ungodly endure." 91 8,13a So therefore will be, he says, the last things of all who forget God; 13b for the hope of the ungodly will perish. 8,14a And his house will be uninhabited, his house and his way, 14b and his tent will become a spider's web. 8,15a If he should lean on his house, it will not stand, 15b and if he takes hold of it, it will not endure. 8,16a For he is moist before the sun, 16b and out of his decay his branch will go forth. 8,17a He sleeps on a heap of stones, 17b and he will live in the midst of gravel. 8,18a But if it should swallow him down, the place will deny him. 18b Have you not seen such things, 8,19a that the overthrow of the ungodly is such? 19b And from the earth he will cause another to sprout up; 8,20a For the Lord will not reject the guileless man, 20b but every gift, he says, of the ungodly he will not accept. See here too how he struck him, since it was likely he was confident in his sacrifices. But observe for me how they strike under the guise of exhortation. For those who said, "Hope in God," are these who say that there is not even hope. 8,21a But the mouth of the truthful, he says, he will fill with laughter, 21b and their lips with exultation. 8,22a But their enemies will be clothed with shame, 22b and the dwelling of the ungodly will not be. Which was the case with Job. Than how many wounds is it not more grievous, than how much sickness, than how much wasting away, to hear that he is ungodly, that he is full of countless evils, that if this were not so, he would not have suffered these things. A fine consolation, indeed. 92

9,1 THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID: 9,2a Of a truth I know that it is so. Of how much

philosophy are these words. "I know," he says, "that the ungodly perish, but the just do not." Do you see how he nowhere convicts God of injustice? Of a truth I know, he says, that it is so, and with a conscience agreeing with what is said. 9,2b For how shall a mortal be just with God? Not only in regard to this, but also in regard to his purpose, he does not make a defense. For the one said that the just man is saved, but the other

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φιλοσοφίαν· καίτοι τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐθρήνησεν, ἀλλ' οὐδαμοῦ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν τοῦτο λέγοντα, ἀλλ' οὐ φέροντα τὰς ὀδύνας. οὗτοι δὲ τῆς συμφορᾶς ἀναμιμνῄσκουσι καὶ πικρῶς, οὐχ ὅτι ἐτελεύτησαν μόνον λέγοντες, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ δι' ἁμαρτίας. οὐ γὰρ ἤρκει ἑαυτῷ τοῦτο λέγειν μετὰ ταῦτα· «εἰκῇ καὶ περιττῶς αἱ θυσίαι αἱ τοσαῦται»; μήποτε, φησίν, ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν ἐνενόησάν τι κακὸν πρὸς τὸν θεόν. ὅρα, πῶς αὐτὸν ἔτηκεν τὸν οὕτω προνοοῦντα τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτῶν τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἡ τούτων τελευτή. πάλιν στοχασμός. δίκαιός ἐστιν ὁ θεός. μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι καὶ δίκαιον εἶναι καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτημάτων διδόναι τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ πειρά90 ζοντα καθάπερ ἐπὶ τούτου; μὴ γὰρ δι' ἁμαρτήματα μόνον εἰσὶν αἱ τιμωρίαι; 8,5 σὺ δὲ, φησίν, ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον παντοκράτορα δεόμενος. δείκνυσιν, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι χαλεπώτερα τούτου ἥμαρτον. καὶ ὅρα, πῶς αὐτῷ παραινοῦσι καὶ νουθετοῦσιν αὐτόν, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ βαρύ. 8,6a εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ, φησίν, καὶ ἀληθινός, δεήσεως εἰσακούσεταί σου. εἰ καθαρός ἐστιν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα ἔπασχεν; οὔκουν ἴστε, ὅτι καὶ καθαρὸν ὄντα ταῦτα πάσχειν ἔστιν; οὐ πάντως δὲ τοῦ καθαροῦ καὶ ἀληθινοῦ τῆς δεήσεως εἰσακούσεται· ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε καὶ ἀσύμφορα αἰτεῖ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγεν· ὀλίγος μου ὁ χρόνος, φησίν· 8,7a ἔσται οὖν τὰ μὲν πρῶτά σου ὀλίγα, 7b τὰ δὲ ἔσχατά σου ἀμύθητα. τουτέστιν· «δύναταί σε ἐν μείζονι ποιῆσαι εὐπραγίᾳ τῆς προτέρας.» εἶτα τὰ φορτικὰ πάλιν· 8,8a ἐπερώτησον γενεὰν πρώτην, 8b ἐξιχνίασον δὲ κατὰ γένος πατέρων. 8,9a χθιζοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν· 9b σκιὰ γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῶν ὁ βίος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 8,10a ἦ οὐχ οὗτοί σε διδάξουσι ῥήματα καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσί σοι σύνεσιν σοφίας 10b καὶ ἐκ καρδίας σε διδάξουσι ῥήματα; 8,11a μὴ θάλλει πάπυρος ἄνευ ὕδατος, 11b ἢ ὑψωθήσεται βούτομον ἄνευ ποτοῦ 8,12a ἔτι ὂν ἐπὶ ῥίζης; καὶ οὐ μὴ θερισθῇ 12b πρὸ τοῦ πιεῖν πᾶσα βοτάνη· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πίῃ, ξηραίνεται. ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· «ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς ὀλιγοχρόνιοί ἐσμεν, τοὺς γεγηρακότας ἐρωτήσωμεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀπαγγελοῦσιν, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἀδύνατον ἄνευ νοτίδος χόρτον ἀνελθεῖν, οὕτως ἄνευ δικαιοσύνης διαμεῖναί τι· οὕτω», φησίν, «οὐδὲ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς διαμενοῦσιν.» 91 8,13a οὕτω τοίνυν ἔσται, φησίν, τὰ ἔσχατα πάντων τῶν ἐπιλανθανομένων τοῦ θεοῦ· 13b ἐλπὶς γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς ὀλεῖται. 8,14a ἀοίκητος δὲ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ ἔσται, ὁ οἶκος καὶ ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ, 14b ἡ δὲ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ ἀράχνη ἀποβήσεται. 8,15a ἐὰν ὑπερείσῃ τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ στῇ, 15b ἐπιλαβομένου δὲ αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνῃ. 8,16a ὑγρὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἀπὸ ἡλίου, 16b καὶ ἐκ σαπρίας αὐτοῦ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται. 8,17a ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν λίθων κοιμᾶται, 17b εἰς δὲ μέσον χαλίκων ζήσεται. 8,18a ἐὰν δὲ συγκαταπίῃ, αὐτὸν ὁ τόπος ψεύσεται. 18b οὐχ ἑώρακας τοιαῦτα, 8,19a ὅτι καταστροφὴ ἀσεβοῦς τοιαύτη; 19b ἐκ δὲ γῆς ἄλλον ἀναβλαστήσει· 8,20a ὁ γὰρ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσεται τὸν ἄκακον, 20b πᾶν δέ, φησίν, δῶρον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ δέξεται. ὅρα καὶ ἐνταῦθα πῶς αὐτὸν ἔβαλεν, ἐπειδὴ ταῖς θυσίαις εἰκὸς αὐτὸν ἦν θαρρεῖν. σὺ δέ μοι θέα, πῶς ἐν τάξει παραινέσεως πλήττουσιν. οἱ γὰρ εἰπόντες, ὅτι «ἔλπιζε ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν», οὗτοί φασιν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐλπίς ἐστιν. 8,21a ἀληθινῶν δὲ στόμα, φησίν, ἐμπλήσει γέλωτος 21b καὶ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν ἀγαλλιάσεως. 8,22a οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐνδύσονται αἰσχύνην, 22b καὶ δίαιτα ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἔσται. ὅπερ ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. πόσων τραυμάτων οὐ χαλεπώτερον, πόσης νόσου, πόσης τηκεδόνος, ἀκούειν, ὅτι ἀσεβής ἐστιν, ὅτι μυρίων γέμων κακῶν, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα ἔπαθεν. καλή γε ἡ παράκλησις. 92

9,1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΙΩΒ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 9,2a ἐπ' ἀληθείας οἶδα, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστίν. πόσης

φιλοσοφίας ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα. «οἶδα», φησίν, «ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἀσεβεῖς ἀπόλλυνται, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι οὐχί.» ὁρᾶς, πῶς οὐδαμοῦ καταγινώσκει τοῦ θεοῦ ἀδικίαν; ἐπ' ἀληθείας οἶδα, φησίν, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστίν, καὶ μετὰ συνειδότος συντιθεμένου τοῖς λεγομένοις. 9,2b πῶς γὰρ ἔσται βροτὸς δίκαιος παρὰ θεῷ; οὐχὶ πρὸς τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπολογεῖται. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος σῴζεται, ὁ δὲ