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to blaspheme him, so that he knows this and he himself would not have suffered these things, so that, even if it is permitted for a short time, yet he will not endure it. Then he speaks about his power and the unseen: 9,14a But if he would hear me 14b and examine my words with him, 9,15a For even if I am righteous, he will not hear me. 15b I will plead for his judgment. What he says is something like this: "If, having heard, he should make an examination of my words"—for this is what `examine` means: "should test and demand an account"—"I am not found worthy even of being heard, even if I am righteous. And if he should test my words, even if I am righteous, I am not worthy to be heard by him." 9,16a And if I call and he should hear, 16b I do not believe that he has heard my voice. "But if in loving-kindness I should seek to be saved, I do not know"—that is: I do not believe—,"that he has heard my voice." 9,17a Lest he crush me in darkness. Perhaps what he says, `in darkness`, is something like this, that great is the authority with him, and whatever he might do, there is no one who opposes, but not even knowing how he is being destroyed. This is what he says: since they were saying constantly: Rise early to the Lord and he will hear you, "How so?" he says. "If I am righteous, he will not hear, and if he examines my words, I do not know that I am righteous, and if I call upon him, I do not know if he has heard me. For from my present circumstances, I do not know how to conjecture these things." 96 9,17b And he has made my bruisings many for no reason. But you said to destroy his possessions for no reason. Why then are you amazed if he himself also says what God said? Or does `for no reason` not mean that he did not sin, but that nothing more will come from his punishment and being chastised. 9,18a For he does not let me take breath. That is: "I am full of many terrible things." 9,18b And he has filled me with bitterness. 9,19a For because he prevails by strength, 19b who then will stand against his judgment? He does not mean this, that he simply prevails by strength, but that he is able to do whatever he wishes. 9,20a For if I am righteous, my mouth will be impious. "For I am being judged before God." 9,20b And if I am blameless, I shall prove crooked. 9,21a For whether I have acted impiously, I do not know in my soul, 21b except that my life has been taken away from me. Do you see how great an abundance he speaks of, of God's righteousness and our weakness, we who are not even able to perceive our sins? 9,22 Therefore I said: wrath destroys the great and the mighty, 9, 23a and the wicked will perish in a terrible death, 23b but the righteous are mocked; 9,24a for they are delivered into the hands of an impious man. That is: before God everyone is unrighteous, but there is some difference: the mighty one is caught by him, the wicked and evil one perishes, the righteous one, whenever he wishes to examine him, is mocked, as one not only suffering terrible things, but also being convicted through punishments. What he says is something like this: whenever God stirs himself and wishes to come forth, 97 righteousness does not stand before him, wickedness does not withstand him, not might, nor anything else. For they are delivered into the hands of an impious man. Often he does this: not by punishment, but also by handing them over to an impious man he makes them objects of ridicule. 9,24b The faces, he says, of its judges he covers; 24c and if not, it is he himself. 9,25a And my life is swifter than a runner. Do you see? He continually takes refuge in the brevity of life. Then he also compares how short human life is, so that it does not even appear. For in all of eternity it is like this: before it even appeared, it vanished. 9,25b It has fled, he says, and I did not see it. 9,26a Or is there a trace of a path for ships 26b or of an eagle flying, seeking its prey? 9,27a For if I should say, I will forget to speak. That is: "Even my memory has perished, nor do I know that I am speaking; such great pain is in me. In the midst of speaking I forget, so great is the storm, so great the temptation." But for me, when you hear him saying something bold, see the extremity of the storm and of the shipwreck. Then are you amazed, if from a despondent soul something grievous was said in this way, and you compare yourself to that man? For so that no one may condemn these things of his, for this reason both in the prologues and after the end the verdict of God stands forth, not only acquitting him of charges, but also bestowing the dignity of a righteous man. 9,28b

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βλασφημεῖν αὐτόν, ὥστε οἶδε τοῦτο καὶ οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα αὐτὸς ἔπαθεν, ὥστε, κἂν πρὸς βραχὺ συγχωρηθῇ, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπομενεῖ. εἶτα περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ λέγει καὶ τοῦ ἀοράτου· 9,14a ἐὰν δέ μου εἰσακούσῃ 14b καὶ διακρίνῃ μου τὰ ῥήματα μετ' αὐτοῦ, 9,15a ἐάν τε γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος, οὐκ εἰσακούσεταί μου. 15b τοῦ κρίματος αὐτοῦ δεηθήσομαι. ὃ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· «ἐὰν τῶν ῥημάτων ἐξέτασιν ποιήσηται τῶν ἐμῶν ἀκούσας» -τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι διακρίνῃ· "βασανίσῃ καὶ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτήσῃ"-»οὐδὲ τοῦ ἀκούεσθαι εὑρίσκομαι ἄξιος ὤν, κἂν ὦ δίκαιος. ἐάν τε βασανίσῃ μου τὰ ῥήματα, κἂν ὦ δίκαιος, οὐκ ἄξιός εἰμι ἀκούεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ.» 9,16a ἐάν τε καλέσω καὶ εἰσακούσῃ, 16b οὐ πιστεύω, ὅτι ἐπακήκοέ μου τῆς φωνῆς. «ἐὰν δὲ ἐν φιλανθρωπίᾳ ζητήσω σωθῆναι, οὐκ οἶδα» -τουτέστιν· οὐ πιστεύω-, «ὅτι ἐπακήκοέ μου τῆς φωνῆς.» 9,17a μὴ ἐν γνόφῳ με ἐκτρίψῃ. μήποτε τὸ ἐν γνόφῳ ὃ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλὴ ἡ ἐξουσία παρ' αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν πράξῃ, οὐδείς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντιπίπτων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἰδώς, ὅπως ἀπόλλυται. τοῦτ' ἐστιν, ὃ λέγει· ἐπειδὴ ἔλεγον διὰ παντός· ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον καὶ ἐπακούσεταί σου, «πόθεν;» φησίν. «ἂν μὲν ὦ δίκαιος, οὐκ εἰσακούσεται, ἂν δὲ ἐξετάσῃ τὰ ῥήματά μου, οὐκ οἶδα, ὅτι δίκαιός εἰμι, ἄν τε ὡς ἐπικαλῶμαι, οὐκ οἶδα, εἰ ἀκήκοέ μου. ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν παρόντων οὐκ οἶδα ταῦτα στοχάζεσθαι.» 96 9,17b πολλὰ δέ μου τὰ συντρίμματα πεποίηκε διὰ κενῆς. σὺ δὲ εἶπας ἀπολέσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διὰ κενῆς. τί οὖν θαυμάζεις, εἰ, ὃ θεὸς εἶπεν, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς λέγει; ἢ τὸ διὰ κενῆς οὐχ, ὅτι οὐχ ἥμαρτεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲν ἔσται πλέον ἀπὸ τῆς τιμωρίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ κολάζεσθαι. 9,18a οὐκ ἐᾷ γάρ με ἀναπνεῦσαι. τουτέστιν· «πολλῶν πλήρης εἰμὶ δεινῶν.» 9,18b ἐνέπλησε δέ με πικρίας. 9,19a ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἰσχύι κρατεῖ, 19b τίς οὖν κρίματι αὐτοῦ ἀντιστήσεται; οὐ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ἁπλῶς ἰσχύι κρατεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅτι δυνατός ἐστι ποιῆσαι, ὅσαπερ ἂν θέλῃ. 9,20a ἐάν τε γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος, τὸ στόμα μου ἀσεβήσει. «πρὸς θεὸν κρίνομαι γάρ.» 9,20b ἐάν τε ὦ ἄμεμπτος, σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι. 9,21a εἴτε γὰρ ἠσέβησα, οὐκ οἶδα τῇ ψυχῇ, 21b πλὴν ὅτι ἀφῄρηταί μου ἡ ζωή. ὁρᾷς, πόσην λέγει περιουσίαν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀσθενείας, οἳ μηδὲ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα συνιδεῖν δυνάμεθα; 9,22 διὸ εἶπον· μέγαν καὶ δυνάστην ἀπολλύει ὀργή, 9, 23a καὶ φαῦλοι ἐν θανάτῳ ἐξαισίῳ ἀπολοῦνται, 23b ἀλλὰ δίκαιοι καταγελῶνται· 9,24a παραδέδονται γὰρ εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς. τουτέστιν· παρὰ τῷ θεῷ πᾶς ἄδικός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἔστι τις διαφορά· ὁ δυνάστης ἁλίσκεται παρ' αὐτοῦ, ὁ φαῦλος καὶ πονηρὸς ἀπόλλυται, ὁ δίκαιος, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐξετάσαι θελήσῃ, καταγελᾶται ὡς οὐ μόνον δεινὰ πάσχοντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλεγχομένου διὰ τῶν τιμωριῶν. ὃ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὅταν ἑαυτὸν ὁ θεὸς κινήσῃ καὶ ἐπεξελ97 θεῖν βουληθῇ, οὐ δικαιοσύνη προΐσταται, οὐ φαυλότης ἀνθίσταται, οὐ δυναστεία, οὐδὲν ἄλλο. παραδέδονται γὰρ εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς. πολλάκις οὕτω ποιεῖ· οὐχὶ τιμωρίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ παραδιδόναι ἀσεβεῖ ποιεῖ καταγελάστους. 9,24b πρόσωπα, φησίν, κριτῶν αὐτῆς συγκαλύπτει· 24c εἰ δὲ μή, αὐτός ἐστιν. 9,25a ὁ δὲ βίος μου ἐλαφρότερος δρομέως. ὁρᾷς; συνεχῶς ἐπὶ τὸ ὀλιγοχρόνιον καταφεύγει. εἶτα καὶ παραβάλλει, πῶς ὀλιγοχρόνιος ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη ζωὴ ὡς μηδὲ φαίνεσθαι. ἐν γὰρ τῷ παντὶ αἰῶνι τοιαύτη ἐστίν· πρὶν ἢ φανῆναι ἠφανίσθη. 9,25b ἀπέδρα, φησίν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον. 9,26a εἰ καὶ ἔστι ναυσὶν ἴχνος ὁδοῦ 26b ἢ ἀετοῦ πετομένου ζητοῦντος βοράν; 9,27a ἐάν τε γὰρ εἴπω, ἐπιλήσομαι λαλῶν. τουτέστιν· «καὶ τὰ τῆς μνήμης μοι διόλωλεν, οὐδὲ ὅτι φθέγγομαι οἶδα· τοσαύτη ὀδύνη ἐστὶν ἐν ἐμοί. μεταξὺ λαλῶν ἐπιλανθάνομαι, τοσοῦτός ἐστιν ὁ χειμών, τοσοῦτος ὁ πειρασμός.» σὺ δέ μοι, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τολμηρόν τι λέγοντος, τὴν ὑπερβολὴν ὅρα τοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ τοῦ ναυαγίου. εἶτα θαυμάζεις, εἰ παρὰ ψυχῆς ἀθυμούσης οὕτως ἐλέχθη τι φορτικόν, καὶ σαυτὸν ἐκείνῳ παρεξετάζεις; ἵνα γὰρ μηδεὶς ταῦτα καταγνῷ αὐτοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν προοιμίοις καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ψῆφος ἕστηκε προϊσταμένη καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον ἀπαλλάττουσα ἐγκλημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ δικαίου περιτιθεῖσα ἀξίωμα. 9,28b