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to the victory-giver, it is inscribed. Therefore, he says, I wanted to learn what God was going to say to me, and if he was going to punish me likewise. He says these things, not as one condemning God of injustice, but as one refuting friends who did not have a sound opinion concerning him. Do you see how he obtained what he prayed for? for this happened at the end of the book, and he obtained divine conversation and a response. "But if he himself judged so, who is it that contradicts him? For he himself willed, and he did it." He knows, he says, my way, and that I have always striven to obey him; but who, when he judges, will speak against him? For what I am conscious of in myself, is this; kra 64.625 but nevertheless, let what seems good to God prevail, and let no one oppose his judgments. For even if he condemned me while I was acting justly, and deemed that I should suffer these things, who could contradict? Surely no one; for he has power that concurs with his will, and what seems good to him comes to pass. Do not demand from me reasons for divine providence; one thing I know, that I am conscious of nothing in myself; but if I am tested in terrible things, I do not question the economy of God, but being ignorant of the reason, I say that what he willed, he did, and bowing down I worship, investigating nothing further. "On this account I will be hastened from his presence; I will understand, and I will be terrified of him." I have not sinned, he says; and what of that? For it is possible for God to punish not only for sins, but also without them. "But the Lord has softened my heart, and the Almighty has hastened me; for I did not know that darkness would come upon me, but before my face he has covered the gloom." For this has not happened according to human consequence, he says, the evil was unexpected; I reckon the blow to be from the hand of God. And he said well, Before my face; for the darkness is not common, but belongs to my own despondency.

CHAP. 25 "Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, What then is the beginning or fear from him?" From this point, he says, I will begin my speech, and I will make my preface. All things are full of fear and trembling, and there is no one who will be able to escape that hand. Moreover, in response to what Job had said, "For who would know that I will go to him?" he says that before all things even to remember God is fearful. "How then shall a mortal be just before the Lord? Or who that is born of woman can cleanse him?" For since Job was saying, "I wished to come to judgment," and, "Even if I did not sin, yet I am punished," in response to this he in turn says that there is no one just among men, nor anyone pure at all, so that you seek judgment and examination in vain.

CHAP. 26

"Then Job answered and said, To whom are you attached, or whom are you about to help? Is it not to him who has great strength, and whose arm is mighty?" Nor do I, he says, complain that you have taken God's part; for so it was necessary; however, you should not have condemned me; for it is possible both to speak on behalf of God, 64.628 and not to allow this one to become liable to accusations. Having said these things to him mockingly, as to one wishing to appear as a new advocate for God, about whom all have the opinion of being wise and powerful, he turns his argument to the power of God, showing how he glorifies the things concerning God's strength better than him, and says:

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νικοποιῷ, ἐπιγράφεται. Ἤθελον οὖν, φησὶ, μαθεῖν, τί μοι ἔμελλεν ἐρεῖν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ εἰ ἔμελλέ με ὁμοίως κολάζειν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, οὐχ ὡς καταγινώσκων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικίαν, ἀλλ' ὡς φίλους ἐλέγχων, οὐχ ὑγιῆ τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὑπόληψιν ἔχοντας. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπέτυχεν οὗπερ ηὔχετο· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔσχατον γέγονεν ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ, καὶ θείας ἔτυχεν ὁμιλίας καὶ ἀποκρίσεως. «Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινεν οὕτως, τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντειπὼν αὐτῷ; ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἠθέλησε, καὶ ἐποίησεν.» Οἶδε, φησὶ, τὴν ὁδόν μου, καὶ ὅτι ἀεὶ ἐσπούδασα ὑπακούειν αὐτῷ· ἀλλὰ τίς, ὅταν κρίνῃ, ἀντερεῖ αὐτῷ; Ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, ταῦτά ἐστι· κρα 64.625 τείτω δὲ ὅμως τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, καὶ μηδεὶς τοῖς αὐτοῦ κρίμασιν ἀντιπιπτέτω. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ δικαιοπραγοῦντά με κατέκρινε, καὶ ταῦτά με παθεῖν ἐδοκίμασε, τίς ἂν ἀντειπεῖν ἔχοι; ἦ πάντως οὐδείς· συντρέχουσαν γὰρ ἔχει τῇ θελήσει τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὸ δόξαν αὐτῷ γίνεται. Μὴ ἀπαίτει με λόγους τῆς θείας προνοίας· ἓν οἶδα, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα· εἰ δὲ ἐν δεινοῖς ἐξετάζομαι, οὐκ ἀνακρίνω τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκονομίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸν λόγον ἀγνοῶν, φημὶ, ὅτι ὃ ἠθέλησεν ἐποίησε, καὶ κάτω κύπτων προσκυνῶ, μηδὲν πλέον περιεργαζόμενος. «Ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατασπουδασθῶ, κατανοήσω, καὶ πτοηθήσομαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ.» Οὐχ ἥμαρτον, φησί· καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐ γὰρ μόνον δι' ἁμαρτήματα ἔξεστι κολάζειν Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων χωρίς. «Κύριος δὲ ἐμαλάκυνε τὴν καρδίαν μου, ὁ δὲ παντοκράτωρ ἐσπούδασέ με· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἐπελεύσεταί μοι σκότος, πρὸ προσώπου δέ μου ἐκάλυψε γνόφος.» Οὐ γὰρ κατ' ἀκολουθίαν ἀνθρωπίνην γέγονε τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἀπροσδόκητον τὸ κακόν· στοχάζομαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χειρὸς εἶναι τὴν πληγήν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Πρὸ προσώπου μου· οὐ γὰρ κοινὸν τὸ σκότος ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀθυμίας.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΕʹ «Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Βαλδὰδ ὁ Σαυχίτης, λέγει· Τί γὰρ προοίμιον ἢ φόβος παρ'

αὐτοῦ;» Ἐντεῦθεν ἄρξομαι, φησὶ, τοῦ λόγου, καὶ προοιμιάσομαι. Πάντα φόβου γέμει καὶ τρόμου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς ὃς δυνήσεται τὴν χεῖρα ἐκείνην διαφυγεῖν. Πρός γε μὴν εἰρηκέναι τὸν Ἰώβ· Τίς γὰρ ἂν γνοίη ὅτι πορεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτόν; φησὶν, ὅτι πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὸ μνησθῆναι Θεοῦ φοβερόν. «Πῶς γὰρ ἔσται δίκαιος βροτὸς ἔναντι Κυρίου; ἢ τίς ἂν ἀποκαθαρίσαι αὐτὸν γεννητὸς γυναικός;» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Ἰὼβ ἔλεγεν· Ἐβουλόμην ἐλθεῖν εἰς κρίσιν· καὶ, ὅτι Εἰ καὶ μὴ ἥμαρτον, ἀλλ' ὅμως κολάζομαι· πρὸς τοῦτο πάλιν οὗτός φησιν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος οὐδεὶς ἐν ἀνθρώποις, οὐδὲ καθαρὸς καθόλου, ὥστε περιττῶς ζητεῖς τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὴν ἐξέτασιν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΣΤʹ

«Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ, λέγει· Τίνι πρόσκεισαι, ἢ τίνι μέλλεις βοηθεῖν; πότερον οὐχ

ᾧ πολλὴ ἰσχὺς, καὶ ᾧ βραχίων κραταιός ἐστι;» Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐγκαλῶ, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ μέρος ἀνεδέξω· καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἔδει· οὐ μὴν ἐμὲ καταδικάζειν ἐχρῆν· καὶ γὰρ ἔστι καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Θεοῦ 64.628 λόγον εἰπεῖν, καὶ τοῦτον μὴ ἀφεῖναι γενέσθαι ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπεύθυνον. Ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκεῖνον σκωπτικῶς εἰρηκὼς, ὡς καινότερον θέλοντα φαίνεσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ συνήγορον, περὶ οὗ πάντες διάληψιν ὡς σοφοῦ καὶ δυνατοῦ ἔχουσι, τρέπει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν, δεικνὺς ὡς ἄμεινον αὐτὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς ἰσχύος δοξάζει τοῦ Θεοῦ, καί φησιν·