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you may repent. 11, 18 And you will be confident that there is hope for you. And you will be encouraged henceforth, as having your hope in God and being helped by him. 115 11, 18 And out of anxiety and care peace will appear to you. A certain calm and peaceful state will succeed the anxieties and painful cares that now possess you. 11, 19 For you will be at rest, and there will be no one to make war on you. And you will enjoy such deep peace as to live out the rest of your time without war. 11, 19 But when you change, many will entreat you, but salvation will abandon them; for their hope will be destroyed. But the eyes of the ungodly will waste away. And those who now look down on you because of your misfortunes and trample on you will later entreat you, when salvation from God leaves them and they have no hope. Then, yes then, their eyes will also waste away at your prosperity, clearly because of envy. And from these words it is possible to understand that, in addition to all the evils, the devil also persuaded some to laugh and trample upon Job's misfortunes. 11, For with him are wisdom and power. Some of the copies have this verse, but some do not. At any rate, according to those in which the saying is found, Zophar concluded his speech on the wisdom and power of God, as if to say: it is therefore difficult to oppose the only wise and powerful God. 116 And these things, spoken to another who was being punished for sin, would have been well said. For the words of Job's friends are not to be rejected, if another person is being admonished and they are spoken with the proper distinction. But the righteous man is all the more grieved, being conscious of no wrong in himself, yet being admonished as an ungodly man to repentance. 117 NINTH CHAPTER. Beginning of the saying: And Job answering says: Are you then men, or will wisdom die with you? Preface to the chapter. Since Zophar used stronger words and tried through the wisdom and power of God on the one hand to frighten the righteous man, and on the other to teach that he does not suffer unjustly what he suffers, Job scoffs at Zophar for wishing to establish by proofs what is acknowledged by all, that is, the acknowledged wisdom and power of God. Then he himself also magnificently explains the things concerning the wisdom and power of God, showing that he is more understanding than they are concerning divine matters. And he blames his friends for not being able to speak healing words; but he himself gladly speaks of the just God's attributes, trusting greatly in God's just judgment. And he blames his friends for undertaking the justification on behalf of God contrary to what is just, and says: Even if you should seem to speak for God ten thousand times, yet you speak with deceit and contrary to what is just, the God who loves truth will not accept you. On the contrary, he himself hopes to obtain salvation and acceptance, as one who discusses what he thinks without deceit and purely, with boldness before God 118 speaking; and he says: I know that I will appear righteous before a true and just God, speaking with truth. Then he also turns to a request to God and asks to receive forgiveness, if he has sinned in any way, and he puts forward the weakness of nature in supplication, saying that no man is pure, even if he has passed one day in his life. And he shows by comparison that man is even more feeble than plants. And as a prophet he makes mention of the end and of the resurrection; and again he beseeches God as creator, to spare his own creation, and asks not to come to strict scrutinies. And these things again, in his own person, he asks of God on behalf of us all; for the saints, having assumed their own persons from their own circumstances, supplicate God on behalf of the common good of humanity, as can be seen from many places, and not least from the inspired and harmonious melody of the Psalms. Observe again what opinions the blessed Job held concerning God and from what love and purity he speaks with boldness. And it is worthy of wonder how in so many and so great misfortunes and torments he was not dismayed, he did not fall, how nothing him

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μετανοήσῃς. 11, 18 πεποιθώς τε ἔσῃ ὅτι ἔστι σοι ἐλπίς. καὶ θαρρήσεις λοιπὸν ὡς ἔχων εἰς θεὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βοηθούμενος. 115 11, 18 ἐκ δὲ μερίμνης καὶ φροντίδος ἀναφανεῖταί σοι εἰρήνη. τὰς δὲ νῦν συνεχούσας σε μερίμνας καὶ ἐπωδύνους φροντίδας γαληναία τις καὶ εἰρηνικὴ κατάστασις διαδέξεται. 11, 19 ἡσυχάσεις γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ πολεμῶν σοι. οὕτω δὲ βαθείας ἀπολαύσεις εἰρήνης, ὡς ἀπολέμητον τὸν κατάλοιπον διαβιῶναι χρόνον. 11, 19 μεταβαλλομένου δέ σου πολλοί σου δεηθήσονται, σωτηρία δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπολείψει· ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται. ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ ἀσεβῶν τακήσονται. οἱ δὲ νῦν περιορῶντές σε διὰ τὰς συμφορὰς καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντές σοι ὕστερόν σου δεηθήσονται, ὅταν αὐτοὺς ἡ παρὰ θεοῦ σωτηρία καταλίπῃ καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐλπίδα ἔχωσιν. τότε δὴ τότε καὶ τακήσονται αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐημερίᾳ, ὑπὸ τοῦ φθόνου δὲ δηλονότι. ἐκ δὲ τούτων τῶν λόγων ἔστι συνιδεῖν, ὅτι πρὸς πᾶσι τοῖς κακοῖς καί τινας ἔπεισεν ὁ διάβολος ἐπιγελᾶν καὶ ἐπεμβαίνειν ταῖς τοῦ Ἰὼβ συμφοραῖς. 11, παρ' αὐτῷ γὰρ σοφία καὶ δύναμις. τινὰ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχουσι καὶ τοῦτον τὸν στίχον, τινὰ δὲ οὔ. κατὰ γοῦν τὰ ἐν οἷς κεῖται τὸ ῥητὸν εἰς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίαν τε καὶ δύναμιν περιέκλεισεν ὁ Σωφὰρ τὸν λόγον μονονουχὶ λέγων ὅτι· χαλεπὸν οὖν ἀντιπράττειν τῷ μόνῳ σοφῷ καὶ δυνατῷ θεῷ. 116 καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς ἕτερον λεγόμενα διὰ ἁμαρτίας κολαζόμενον καλῶς ἐλέγετο. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπόβλητοι τῶν φίλων τοῦ Ἰὼβ οἱ λόγοι, ἐὰν ἕτερον ᾖ πρόσωπον τὸ νουθετούμενον καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης λέγωνται διαιρέσεως. ὁ δὲ δίκαιος καὶ μᾶλλον ἀλγεῖ οὐδὲν μὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδώς, ὡς ἀσεβὴς δὲ νουθετούμενος εἰς μετάνοιαν. 117 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΕΝΑΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ λέγει· εἶτα ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἄνθρωποι ἢ μεθ' ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία. Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου σφοδρότερον τοῦ Σωφὰρ χρησαμένου τοῖς λόγοις καὶ διὰ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας καὶ δυνάμεως πειραθέντος τοῦτο μὲν φοβῆσαι τὸν δίκαιον, τοῦτο δὲ διδάξαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀδίκως πάσχει ἃ πάσχει, ὡς πᾶσιν οὔσης ὡμολογημένης τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας καὶ δυνάμεως χλευάζει ὁ Ἰὼβ τὸν Σωφὰρ ὡς τὰ ὡμολογημένα δι' ἀποδείξεων βουληθέντα κατασκευάσαι. εἶτα καὶ αὐτὸς μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἐξηγεῖται τὰ περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας καὶ δυνάμεως δεικνύς, ὅτι συνετώτερος αὐτῶν ἐστι περὶ τὰ θεῖα. καὶ μέμφεται μὲν τοὺς φίλους ὡς οὐ δυνηθέντας θεραπευτικοὺς λόγους εἰπεῖν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαίου θεοῦ ἡδέως λέγει τὰ προσόντα αὐτῷ σφόδρα θαρρῶν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοκρισίᾳ. καὶ μέμφεται τοῖς φίλοις ὡς παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον τὴν ὑπὲρ θεοῦ δικαιολογίαν ἀναλαβοῦσι καί φησιν ὅτι· κἂν μυριάκις δόξητε ὑπὲρ θεοῦ λαλεῖν, λαλῆτε δὲ μετὰ δόλου καὶ παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον, οὐκ ἀποδέξεται ὑμᾶς ὁ φιλαλήθης θεός. τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτὸς σωτηρίας ἐλπίζει τεύξασθαι καὶ ἀποδοχῆς ὡς ἀδόλως καὶ καθαρῶς, ἃ φρονεῖ, μετὰ παρρησίας ἐπὶ θεοῦ διαλεγόμε 118 νος· καί φησιν ὅτι· οἶδα ἐγώ, ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι πρὸς θεὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ δίκαιον σὺν ἀληθείᾳ φθεγγόμενος. εἶτα τρέπεται καὶ εἰς αἴτησιν πρὸς θεὸν καὶ παρακαλεῖ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, εἴ τι καὶ ἥμαρτεν, καὶ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀσθενὲς εἰς ἱκεσίαν προβάλλεται φάσκων μηδένα ἄνθρωπον εἶναι καθαρόν, κἂν μίαν ἡμέραν εἰς τὸν βίον παρέλθῃ. δείκνυσι δὲ κατὰ παράθεσιν, ὡς καὶ τῶν φυτῶν ἀδρανέστερός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. μέμνηται δὲ ὡς προφήτης καὶ συντελείας καὶ ἀναστάσεως· καὶ πάλιν ἱκετεύει τὸν θεὸν ὡς ποιητήν, φείσασθαι τοῦ ἰδίου δημιουργήματος, καὶ ἀξιοῖ μὴ πρὸς ἀκριβεῖς ἐλθεῖν ἐλεγμούς. ταῦτα δὲ πάλιν ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ προσώπῳ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἡμῶν ἐξαιτεῖ τὸν θεόν· οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι τὰ οἰκεῖα ὑποστησάμενοι πρόσωπα ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος τὸν θεὸν λιτανεύουσιν, ὡς πολλαχόθεν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐκ τῆς ἐνθέου καὶ ἐναρμονίου τῶν Ψαλμῶν μελωδίας. ἐπιτήρει δὲ πάλιν, ποίας ἔχων τὰς περὶ θεοῦ δόξας ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ καὶ ἐκ ποίας ἀγάπης καὶ καθαρότητος σὺν παρρησίᾳ διαλέγεται. θαυμάσαι δὲ ἄξιον, πῶς ἐν τοσαύταις καὶ τηλικαύταις συμφοραῖς καὶ βασάνοις οὐκ ἐξεπλάγη, οὐ κατέπεσεν, πῶς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν