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with lilies." And that the soul does not have this belly which is commonly spoken of is clear, concerning which it is said: "foods for the belly and the belly for foods," but that one concerning which it is written: "your law in the midst of my belly," and: "from fear of you we have conceived in the womb and have been in travail and have brought forth." This very soul also has a "navel," the very center of the mind, which is mixed 158 according to the "wine mixed by wisdom," the divine and transcendent thoughts. And since it was not possible for these things to be conceived by men, they were mixed with human words, so that thus they might be able to take of the "mixture," being unable to hear the naked things of wisdom. And the incarnation can also be signified by the mixing bowl, but also to be said to the...: you have the old and new scripture, which is a mixing bowl, in the very center of your ruling faculty. You also have a "belly" like a heap of wheat, "fenced in with lilies." For since through the color of the lily it has whiteness on the outside, but on the inside something like the color of a dead body, it would signify that the perfect soul becomes white according to the word, concerning which it is said: "my kinsman is white," being put to death by the deadness that comes from ascetic practice. "Behold, these things we have thus tracked out, these are the things we have heard. But you, know for yourself if you have done anything." The aforementioned is confirmed, that being intelligent and having perhaps heard from the holy ones of old, who taught divine things without writing, he was led to say something rational, 159 similar things to which we have adduced, finding them in the divine scriptures. For through "we have tracked out" he shows his own intelligence, and through "we have heard," instruction from others, unless one should say that by 'hearing' he means, as it were, experience and knowledge of the matters. Furthermore, following the same principle and being disposed to think that he suffered on account of sin, he added: "But you, know for yourself if you have done anything," so that by this he might also indicate that: ... what I have said concerning sinners; ... for I do not think it just to be punished. But I do not know each of the sins. "But you, know," that is: having known, repent, which was again the disposition of one speaking about a sinner. For he thought there was one cause of the afflictions. "And Job answered and said: For if one weighing would weigh my anger, and lift my pains in a balance together. And indeed it will be heavier than the sand of the sea." Just as from all the other things, so also from the preceding, the magnanimity of Job is shown, bearing his circumstances nobly and very courageously indeed. For many, when they are in difficult and grievous circumstances, 160 consider those who comfort them to be superfluous and blame.... But this man is prepared also for a response ... of the circumstances.... He might then say the preceding things in response to what was said by Eliphaz: "but now pain has come upon you and has touched you, and you were troubled" for a proof at the same time that he was not enduring these things apart from sins in addition to these things, and of moderation, supposing himself to be in doubt although the scriptural spirit testifies of him that he was "blameless." He says, therefore, that: if someone should wish to weigh as in a balance our stumblings and the wrath brought upon us, he will find it heavier than our stumblings. For the holy man knew that he was enduring these things not on account of sins but of a contest, seeing that in what follows he said: "I know that I will be shown to be righteous." Therefore he hastened to lead his friends to such knowledge. But if "to weigh" also signifies "to stop," consider this as well. And it might also be understood thus: a yoke is said to be placed on the neck of suffering animals. He might then be saying: if someone should be willing to pull the yoke of sufferings with me, 161 so as to lighten them for me by the fellowship. But see whether this, being unworthy of the holy man, leads us back to the first interpretation. And he used "sand of the sea" because it is wetter. "But as it seems, my words are worthless. For the arrows of the Lord are in

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κρίνοις." καὶ ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ οὐκ ἔχει ταύτην τὴν συνήθως λεγομένην κοιλίαν δῆλον, περὶ ἧς λέγεται· "τὰ βρώματα τῇ κοιλίᾳ καὶ ἡ κοιλία τοῖς βρώμασιν", ἀλλὰ ἐκείνην περὶ ἧς γέγραπται· "τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου", καί· "ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ τετόκαμεν." αὐτὴ δ' αὕτη ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ "ὀμφαλὸν" ἔχει τὸ τῆς διανοίας μεσαίτατον, ὅπερ κέκραται 158 κατὰ τὸν "ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας κερασθέντα οἶνον" τὰ θεῖα νοήματα καὶ ὑπεραναβεβηκότα. καὶ ἐπε̣ὶ οὐχ οἷά τε ἦν ταῦτα διανοηθῆναι ἀνθρώποις, ἀνθρωπίναις λέξεσιν συνεκεράσθησαν, ἵν' οὕτως ἐφίκωνται τοῦ "κράματος" λαβέσθαι γυμ̣νῶν ἀκούειν τῶν τῆς σοφίας μὴ δυνάμενοι. δύναται δὲ καὶ τὴν̣ ἐανανθρώ πησιν δηλοῦσθαι διὰ τοῦ κρατῆρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ τ·····ῃ λέγεσθαι ὅτι· παλαιὰν κα̣ὶ καινὴν γραφήν, ὅ ἐστιν κρατήρ, ἔχεις ἐν τῷ μεσαιτάτῳ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ σου. ἔχεις δὲ καὶ "κοιλίαν" θημωνιᾷ ἐοικυῖαν "πεφραγμένην ἐν κρίνοις". ἐπεὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ κρίνου λευκότης μὲν ἔξωθεν, ἔσωθεν δὲ νεκρῷ χρώματι ὅμοιον ἔχει, εἴη ἂν δηλοῦν, ὅτι ἡ τελεία ψυχὴ λευκὴ κατὰ τὸν λόγον γίνεται, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· "ἀδελφιδός μου λευκός", ἐκ τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀσκήσεως νεκρότητος θανατωμένη. "ἰδοὺ ταῦτα οὕτως ἐξιχνιάσαμεν, ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ ἀκηκόαμεν. σὺ δὲ γνῶθι σεαυτῷ εἴ τι ἔπραξας." βεβαιοῦται τὸ προειρημένον, ὅτι συνετὸς ὢν καὶ ἐκ παλαιῶν ἴσως ἀκούσας ἁγίων, οἳ ἀγράφως θεῖα ἐπαίδευον, ἐνήγετο εἰς τὸ λέγειν τινὰ λό 159 γον ἔχο̣ντα̣, ὧν καὶ παραπλήσια ἐν τοῖς θείοις γράμμασιν εὑρίσκοντες παρεθέμεθα. διὰ γὰρ τοῦ "ἐξιχνιάσαμεν" τὸ συνετὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδείκνυται, διὰ δὲ τοῦ "ἀκηκόαμεν" τὴν παρ' ἑτέρων παίδευσιν, εἰ μή τις λέγοι, ὅτι τὴν ἀκοὴν λέγει τὴν ὡσανεὶ ε᾿̣μπειρ̣ίαν καὶ γνῶσιν τῶν πραγμάτων. ἔτι δὲ τῇ αὐτῆι ἑπόμενος ἀρχῇ καὶ διακείμενος, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πέπονθεν, ἐπήγαγεν· "σὺ δὲ γνῶθι σεαυτῷ εἴ τι ἔπραξας", ἵνα ᾖ καὶ διὰ τούτου ἐμφαίνων ὅτι· επ···ν ἃ εἶπον περὶ ἁμαρτανόντων· ε᾿̣γὼ οὐ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι δίκαιον τιμωρεῖσθαι. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ τὸ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. "σὺ δὲ γνῶθι", ὅ ἐστιν ὅτι· γνοὺς μετανόησον, ὅπερ πάλιν διακειμένου ὡς περὶ ἁμαρτόντος ἦν. μίαν γὰρ αἰτίαν τῶν ἐπαγωγῶν ᾤετο. "ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ λέγει· εἰ γάρ τις ἱστῶν στήσαι μου τὴν ὀργήν, τὰς δὲ ὀδύνας μου ἄραι ἐν ζυγῷ ὁμοθυμαδόν. καὶ δὴ ἄμμου παραλίας βαρυτέρα ἔσται." ὥσπερ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων οὕτω καὶ ἐκ τῶν προκειμένων τὸ μεγαλόψυχον τοῦ Ἰὼβ δείκνυται, γενναίως καὶ πάνυ γε ἀνδρείως φέροντος τὰς περιστάσεις. πολλοὶ γάρ, ὅταν ἐν περιστατικοῖς καὶ ἀνιαροῖς γένωνται, 160 ὡς περιττοὺς ἡγοῦνται τοὺς παρακαλοῦντας καὶ κατα·····α̣ν αἰτιῶνται. οὗτος δὲ παρεσκεύασται καὶ πρὸς ἀπόκρισιν ·υτ·····μ̣αυτω τῶν περιστάσεων ·····ν̣. λέγοι ἂν οὖν τὰ προκείμενα πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἐλιφὰζ εἰρημένα· "νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου, σὺ δὲ ἐσπούδασας" πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν ἅμα τοῦ μὴ ἔξω τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ταῦτα ὑφίστασθαι̣ πρὸς τούτων καὶ μετριότητος, ὑποτιθεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἀμφιβάλλειν καίτοι τοῦ συγγραφικοῦ πνεύματος μαρτυροῦντος αὐτῷ ὡς "ἄμεμπτος" εἴη. λέγει οὖν ὅτι· εἴ τις καθάπερ ἐν ζυγῷ στῆσαι τὰ ἡμέτερα θελήσοι πταίσματα καὶ τὴν ἐπαχθεῖσαν ὀργήν, βαρυτέραν αὐτὴν εὑρήσει τῶν ἡμετέρων πταισμάτων. ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ ἅγιος ὡς οὐχ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα ὑφίστατο ἀλλ' ἀγωνίσματος, ὅπου γε ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ἔφασκεν· "οἶδα ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι." διόπερ τοὺς φίλους ἐναγαγεῖν εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην γνῶσιν ἐσπούδαξεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ "στῆσαι" τὴν παῦλαν σημαίνει, συνεπίσκεψαι. νοηθείη δὲ καὶ οὕτως· λέγεται ζυγὸς ἐπικείμενος τῷ αὐχένι τῶν παθόντων ζῴων. εἴη ἂν οὖν λέγων· εἴ τις ἐθέλοι σὺν ἐμοὶ ἑλκύσαι τὸν τῶν παθημάτων ζυγόν, 161 ὥστε κουφίσαι με ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῆι κοινωνίᾳ. ἀλλ' ὅρα, μὴ τοῦτο ἀνάξιον ὂν τοῦ ἁγίου ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην ἀπόδοσιν ἡμᾶς ἀνάγειν. παράλιον δὲ ἄμμον παρείληφεν διὰ τὸ ὑγροτέραν εἶναι. "ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικεν τὰ ῥήματά μού ἐστιν φαῦλα. βέλη γὰρ κυρίου ἐν