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12,2a Are you, he says, the only men, 2b or will wisdom die with you? 12,3 I too have a heart as you have; 12,4 but a just and blameless man has become a mockery. 12,5a For at the appointed time I was prepared to fall at the hands of others, 5b and for my houses to be plundered by the lawless. "Is it because I have fallen into misfortune," he says, "that I have also lost my understanding?" Here he calls himself just, not testifying to his own perfect virtue, but to having wronged no one, that no one else has a complaint against him. and for my houses to be plundered by the lawless. "Thus it had to be, this was decreed from above. However," he says, "do not suppose that these things will stop with me. For if I, having done no wrong, suffer such things, how much more the wicked man." 12,6a Yet indeed, he says, let no one who is wicked trust that he will be unpunished. 6b all who provoke the Lord, 6c how shall there not be an examination of them? "This is evident," he says, "and acknowledged and clear to all, that the wicked man must certainly be examined by God. But this," he says, "is evident not only to men, but also to irrational creatures and to the unfeeling earth itself;" 12,7a But indeed, ask the four-footed beasts, he says, if they might tell you, 7b or the birds of the air, if they might declare to you. 12,8a Relate it to the earth, if it might speak to you, 8b and if the fish of the sea will explain to you, 12,9a that who has not known in all these things, 9b that the hand of the Lord has done these things, 12,10a that in his hand is the soul of all living things 10b and the spirit of all mankind? he says. 107 "Why then are you so disposed, as if you have discovered something great and marvelous? For such a one must certainly perish, and no one is ignorant of this, and we all know this, that in his hand is the soul of all men." Do you see how he testifies not only to the creative but also to the providential power, that he holds together and controls all things, both the life and the soul of men, so that he is able, whenever he wishes, to chastise and punish. 12,11a For the mind discerns words, 11b and the throat tastes food. That is: "if the irrational creatures know these things, how much more we who have a mind, not only a throat to eat like them." Or this, that "I am not foolish, I know these things; for just as God gave us a throat to distinguish foods, so also a mind for decrees and time to find knowledge;" 12,12a for in much time, he says, wisdom is found, 12b and in a long life, knowledge. Here he indicates that understanding is natural for men, just like eating. And in the beginning he says this: Are you the only men? "As long as I am a man," he says, "I am able to understand the same things as you." In much time, he says, wisdom is found. It seems to me that he is rebuking them. "For do not think," he says, "that you have found everything. For even if we have a discerning mind, still we need much time to find." 108 12,13a With him are wisdom, he says, and power, 13b with him are counsel and understanding. "For all wisdom," he says, "is with God, it is there all at once and without time; for these things are natural, to discern and to taste with the mind and the throat, but to find wisdom is a matter of time. Is it that, because we know these things, we know everything? We know that the wicked are punished, but behold, I who am just am also punished, so that time is needed to learn these things from the one who brings many such examples." Do you see how great is the experience of the scriptures? What the old have from the experience of affairs, this you, the young person, have in great abundance from the narration of affairs; they have suffered many things, they have seen many things; and you will see many things, if you are willing to approach the scriptures with much attention. Therefore someone said: Be willing to hear every divine narrative. And again: Do not overlook the narrative of the elders; for they themselves learned from their fathers. You have no need of time; for if he himself wishes to give, there is no need of time. Then he discusses his power, that of chastising and punishing: 12,14a If he pulls down, he says, who will build? 14b And if he shuts up a man, who will open? 12,15a If he withholds the water, he will dry up the earth, 15b and if he lets it loose,

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12,2a μὴ ὑμεῖς ἐστε, φησίν, ἄνθρωποι μόνοι, 2b ἢ μεθ' ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία; 12,3 καὶ ἐμοὶ μὲν καθ' ὑμᾶς καρδία ἐστίν· 12,4 δίκαιος δὲ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἄμεμπτος ἐγένετο εἰς χλευασμόν. 12,5a εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοίμασταί μοι πεσεῖν ὑπὸ ἄλλων 5b οἴκους τέ μου ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνόμων. «μὴ γάρ, ἐπειδὴ συμφορᾷ περιέπεσον», φησίν, «καὶ τὸ φρονεῖν ἀπώλεσα;» δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν ἐνταῦθα λέγει οὐχὶ τὴν τελείαν ἀρετὴν ἑαυτῷ μαρτυρῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μηδένα ἠδικηκέναι, τὸ μηδένα τῶν ἄλλων ἔχειν ἐγκαλεῖν αὐτῷ. οἴκους τέ μου ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνόμων. «οὕτως ἔδει γενέσθαι, τοῦτο ἄνωθεν τετύπωτο. πλήν», φησίν, «μὴ νομίζετε μέχρις ἐμοῦ ταῦτα στήσεσθαι. εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ μηδὲν ἠδικηκὼς τοιαῦτα πάσχω, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ πονηρός.» 12,6a οὐ μὴν δὲ, φησίν, ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς πεποιθέτω πονηρὸς ὢν ἀθῷος ἔσεσθαι. 6b ὅσοι παροργίζουσι τὸν κύριον, 6c πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ ἔτασις αὐτῶν ἔσται; «δῆλον τοῦτο», φησίν, «καὶ ὡμολογημένον καὶ ἅπασι σαφές, ὅτι τὸν πονηρὸν παρὰ τῷ θεῷ πάντως ἐξετασθῆναι δεῖ. τοῦτο δέ», φησίν, «οὐκ ἀνθρώποις δῆλον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλόγοις καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ ἀναισθήτῳ γῇ·» 12,7a ἀλλὰ δὴ ἐπερώτησον τετράποδα, φησίν, ἐάν σοι εἴπῃ, 7b ἢ πετεινὰ οὐρανοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἀναγγείλῃ. 12,8a ἐκδιήγησαι δὲ γῇ, ἐάν σοι φράσῃ, 8b καὶ εἰ ἐξηγήσονταί σοι οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης, 12,9a ὅτι τίς οὐκ ἔγνω ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις, 9b ὅτι χεὶρ κυρίου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα, 12,10a ὅτι ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων τῶν ζώντων 10b καὶ πνεῦμα παντὸς ἀνθρώπου; φησίν. 107 «τί τοίνυν ὡς μέγα τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εὑρηκότες οὕτω διάκεισθε; δεῖ γὰρ πάντως τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀπολέσθαι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο δὲ πάντες ἴσμεν, ὅτι ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων ἀνθρώπων.» ὁρᾷς, πῶς οὐχὶ τὸ δημιουργικὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ προνοητικὸν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ, ὅτι πάντα συνέχει καὶ διακρατεῖ, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὥστε δύναται, ὅτε βούλεται, κολάσαι καὶ τιμωρήσασθαι. 12,11a νοῦς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρίνει, 11b λάρυγξ δὲ σῖτα γεύεται. τουτέστιν· «εἰ τὰ ἄλογα οἶδε ταῦτα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς οἱ νοῦν ἔχοντες, οὐχὶ λάρυγγα μόνον ὥστε ἐσθίειν καθάπερ ἐκεῖνα.» ἢ τοῦτο, ὅτι «οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀνόητος, οἶδα ταῦτα· καθάπερ γὰρ λάρυγγα ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς ὥστε διακρίνειν τὰ σῖτα οὕτω καὶ νοῦν ὡς πρὸς τὰ ψηφίσματα καὶ τὸν χρόνον ὥστε εὑρίσκειν τὴν ἐπιστήμην·» 12,12a ἐν πολλῷ, γάρ φησιν, χρόνῳ σοφία εὑρίσκεται, 12b ἐν δὲ μακρῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη. ἐνταῦθα κατὰ φύσιν εἶναι τὸ φρόνιμον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις σημαίνει ὥσπερ τὸ ἐσθίειν. καὶ ἀρχόμενος τοῦτό φησιν· μὴ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἄνθρωποι μόνοι; «ἕως ἂν ὦ ἄνθρωπος», φησίν, «δύναμαι ταὐτὰ συνιδεῖν ἃ καὶ ὑμεῖς.» ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ, φησίν, σοφία εὑρίσκεται. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ καθάπτεσθαι αὐτῶν. «μὴ γὰρ νομίζετε», φησίν, «τὸ πᾶν εὑρηκέναι. εἰ γὰρ καὶ νοῦν ἔχομεν διακρίνοντα, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ χρόνου δεόμεθα πολλοῦ ὥστε εὑρεῖν.» 108 12,13a παρ' αὐτῷ σοφία, φησίν, καὶ δύναμις, 13b παρ' αὐτῷ βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις. «ἡ γὰρ πᾶσα σοφία», φησίν, «παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν, ἀθρόως καὶ χωρὶς χρόνων ἐκεῖ ἐστιν· ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, τὸ διακρίνειν καὶ γεύεσθαι τῷ νῷ καὶ τῷ λάρυγγι, τὸ δὲ εὑρεῖν σοφίαν χρόνου ἐστίν. μὴ γάρ, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἴσμεν, τὸ πᾶν ἴσμεν; οἴδαμεν, ὅτι πονηροὶ κολάζονται, ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ καὶ ἐγὼ δίκαιος ὢν κολάζομαι, ὥστε χρόνου δεῖ ὥστε μαθεῖν ταῦτα τοῦ πολλὰ παραδείγματα τοιαῦτα φέροντος.» ὁρᾷς, πόσον ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν γραφῶν ἐμπειρία; ὅπερ ἔχουσιν οἱ γέροντες ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας τῶν πραγμάτων, τοῦτο σὺ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας, ὁ νέος, ἀπὸ τῆς διηγήσεως τῶν πραγμάτων· πολλὰ ἔπαθον ἐκεῖνοι, πολλὰ εἶδον· καὶ σὺ πολλὰ ὄψει, ἐὰν θέλῃς τὰς γραφὰς ἐπιέναι μετὰ ἐπιστασίας πολλῆς. διὸ καί τις ἔλεγεν· πᾶσαν διήγησιν θείαν θέλε ἀκροᾶσθαι. καὶ πάλιν· διήγημα πρεσβυτέρων μὴ παρίδῃς· καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἔμαθον παρὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν. οὐ χρεία σοι χρόνου· ἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς θέλῃ δοῦναι, οὐδὲ χρόνου χρεία. εἶτα περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ διαλέγεται τῆς κολαστικῆς καὶ τιμωρητικῆς· 12,14a ἐὰν καταστρέψῃ, φησίν, τίς οἰκοδομήσει; 14b ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀποκλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπου, τίς ἀνοίξει; 12,15a ἐὰν κωλύσῃ τὸ ὕδωρ, ξηρανεῖ τὴν γῆν, 15b ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπαφῇ,