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Job, and because he was sober, he prevailed. And yet how much better is paradise than a dunghill! but the excellence of the place did not profit the inhabitant. since he betrayed himself; just as, therefore, the meanness of the place did not harm the one fortified on all sides with virtue. Let us, therefore, secure our soul; for if a loss of money comes upon us, or death, let no one take away our piety, we are more blessed than all. This Christ also commanded, saying: Be therefore wise as serpents. For just as it gives up the rest of its whole body, so as to save its head; so you too, if you must give up money, or body, or the present life, or everything, so as to preserve piety, do not be disheartened. For if you depart possessing that, God will restore all things to you with greater splendor, and will raise up the body again with greater glory, and instead of money, the good things that surpass all power of speech. Did not Job sit naked on the dunghill, enduring a life more grievous than ten thousand deaths? But since he did not cast off his piety, all his former things returned to him with greater abundance: health and beauty of body, the whole company of his children, his possessions, and what is greatest of all, the glorious crown of his endurance. For just as it happens with trees, if someone takes away the fruit with the leaves, and if he cuts off all the branches, as long as the root remains, the tree rises up whole and with greater comeliness; so also with us, if the root of piety remains, even if wealth is taken away, even if the body is destroyed, all things will return to us again with greater glory. Therefore, casting out all anxiety of the soul and superfluous care, let us return to ourselves, and let us adorn the body and the soul with the ornament of virtue, making the members of our body instruments of righteousness, and not instruments of sin; and first of all, let us discipline the tongue to be a minister of the grace of the Spirit, casting out all venom and wickedness from the mouth, and the practice of shameful words. For we are 49.67 masters to make each of our members an instrument both of wickedness and of righteousness. Listen, then, how some made the tongue a weapon of sin, others of righteousness. Their tongue is a sharp sword. But another says, concerning his own tongue: My tongue is the pen of a ready scribe. That one worked murder, this one wrote a divine law; for this reason that one was a sword, and this one a pen, not according to its own nature, but according to the choice of those who used them. For the nature of the tongue, both of this one and of that one, was one, but the work was not one. And concerning the mouth, again, it is possible to see this same thing likewise; for some had a mouth full of rottenness and wickedness; for this reason the accuser said: Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; but his was not such, but, My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. And others again had hands filled with iniquity, and accusing these again he said: In their hands are iniquities, and their right hand is full of bribes; but he himself had hands trained for nothing else than to be lifted up to heaven; wherefore he also said concerning these: The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. And concerning the heart, it is possible to see this same thing again; for their heart was vain, but his was true; wherefore he also says concerning them: Their heart is vain; but concerning his own: My heart has uttered a good word. And concerning hearing, one might see this same thing; for some had the hearing of wild beasts, relentless and unforgiving, and reproaching them he spoke thus: Like a deaf asp that stops its ears; but his hearing was a receptacle of the divine sayings. And this very thing he again showed, saying: I will incline my ear to a parable, I will open my problem on the psaltery.

6. Knowing these things, therefore, let us fortify ourselves on all sides with virtue, and thus we will ward off the wrath of God; and the members of our body instruments

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Ἰὼβ, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἔνηφεν, ἐκράτει. Καίτοι πόσῳ βελτίων παράδεισος κοπρίας! ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὠφέλησεν ἡ ἀρετὴ τοῦ χωρίου τὸν ἐνοικοῦντα. ἐπειδὴ προὔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνος· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲν ἔβλαψεν ἡ εὐτέλεια τοῦ τόπου τὸν ἀρετῇ πάντοθεν τετειχισμένον. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀσφαλισώμεθα τὴν ἡμετέραν· κἂν γὰρ ζημία χρημάτων ἐπίῃ, κἂν θάνατος, τὴν δὲ εὐσέβειαν μηδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἀφέληται, μακαριώτεροι πάντων ἐσμέν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπέταξεν εἰπών· Γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τὸ λοιπὸν προΐεται ἅπαν σῶμα, ὥστε διασῶσαι τὴν κεφαλήν· οὕτω καὶ σὺ, κἂν χρήματα, κἂν σῶμα, κἂν τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν, κἂν πάντα προέσθαι δέῃ, ὥστε διατηρῆσαι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, μὴ ἀθύμει. Ἂν γὰρ ἐκείνην ἔχων ἀπέλθῃς, πάντα σοι μετὰ πλείονος ἀποδώσει τῆς λαμπρότητος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα μετὰ μείζονος δόξης ἀναστήσει πάλιν, καὶ ἀντὶ χρημάτων τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνοντα λόγου δύναμιν. Οὐχὶ γυμνὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο ὁ Ἰὼβ, μυρίων θανάτων χαλεπωτέραν ὑπομένων ζωήν; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐκ ἀπέβαλε, πάντα μετὰ πλείονος αὐτῷ ἐπανῆλθε τῆς περιουσίας τὰ πρότερα, σώματος ὑγεία καὶ κάλλος, τῶν παίδων ὁ χορὸς ἅπας, τὰ κτήματα, καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον ἁπάντων, ὁ λαμπρὸς τῆς ὑπομονῆς στέφανος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν δένδρων γίνεται, κἂν τὸν καρπόν τις ἀφέληται μετὰ τῶν φύλλων, κἂν τοὺς κλάδους πάντας ἐκκόψῃ, τῆς ῥίζης μενούσης, ὁλόκληρον καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ἀνίσταται τῆς εὐπρεπείας τὸ δένδρον· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν, ἐὰν ἡ ῥίζα μένῃ τῆς εὐσεβείας, κἂν ὁ πλοῦτος ἀφαιρεθῇ, κἂν τὸ σῶμα διαφθαρῇ, πάντα πάλιν μετὰ μείζονος ἡμῖν ἐπάνεισι τῆς δόξης. Πᾶσαν τοίνυν μέριμναν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβαλόντες καὶ φροντίδα περιττὴν, πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπανέλθωμεν, καὶ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καλλωπίσωμεν τῷ κόσμῳ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὅπλα ἁμαρτίας τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν κατασκευάζοντες· καὶ πρῶτον ἁπάντων τὴν γλῶτταν παιδεύσωμεν εἶναι διάκονον τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος χάριτος, πάντα ἰὸν καὶ πονηρίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκβάλλοντες, καὶ ῥημάτων αἰσχρῶν μελέτην. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν 49.67 κύριοι καὶ πονηρίας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ὄργανον ἕκαστον τῶν ἡμετέρων ποιῆσαι μελῶν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν πῶς τὴν γλῶτταν οἱ μὲν ἁμαρτίας, οἱ δὲ δικαιοσύνης ἐποίησαν ὅπλον. Ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν μάχαιρα ὀξεῖα. Ἕτερος δέ τίς φησι, περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γλώσσης· Ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφου. Ἐκείνη φόνον εἰργάσατο, αὕτη νόμον ἔγραφε θεῖον· διὰ τοῦτο μάχαιρα μὲν ἐκείνη, κάλαμος δὲ ἦν αὕτη, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν χρωμένων. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ φύσις τῆς γλώττης καὶ ταύτης κἀκείνης ἦν μία, ἡ δὲ ἐργασία οὐ μία. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ στόματος δὲ πάλιν ὁμοίως τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἶχον τὸ στόμα σηπεδόνος γέμον καὶ πονηρίας· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κατηγορῶν ἔλεγε· Τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει· τὸ δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν. Ἕτεροι δὲ πάλιν χεῖρας εἶχον ἀνομίας ἐμπεπλησμένας, καὶ τούτων κατηγορῶν πάλιν ἔλεγεν· Ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν ἐπλήσθη δώρων· αὐτὸς δὲ χεῖρας εἶχεν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνατείνεσθαι μεμελετηκυίας· διὸ καὶ περὶ τούτων ἔλεγεν· Ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἡ καρδία ματαία ἦν, τούτου δὲ ἀληθής· διὸ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων φησίν· Ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ματαία· περὶ δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ· Ἐξηρεύξατο ἡ καρδία μου λόγον ἀγαθόν. Καὶ ἐπὶ ἀκοῆς δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἄν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἶχον θηρίων ἀκοὴν ἀμείλικτον καὶ ἀσύγγνωστον, καὶ κακίζων αὐτοὺς οὕτως ἔλεγεν· Ὡσεὶ ἀσπίδος κωφῆς καὶ βυούσης τὰ ὦτα αὐτῆς· ἡ δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀκοὴ δοχεῖον τῶν θείων ῥημάτων ἦν. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· Κλινῶ εἰς παραβολὴν τὸ οὖς μου, ἀνοίξω ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ πρόβλημά μου.

ςʹ. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, πάντοθεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀρετῇ τειχίσωμεν, καὶ οὕτως ἀποκρουσόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν· καὶ τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν ὅπλα