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evils? but if anything good were to happen to him after death, this indeed he neither knows nor will know, but only that his flesh was in pain and his soul mourned over him.”

15,1 THEN ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE ANSWERED AND SAID: 15,2a What response then will a wise man

give of the spirit of understanding? 2b and will he fill his belly with pain 15,3a refuting me with empty words, 3b with speeches in which there is no profit. This is the most terrible thing of all, that under the pretext of pious words and in the manner of consolation the devil armed them to wound him. And see how they use speech contemptuously, mocking him for his foolishness. For since he said that I too have a heart and wisdom will not die with you and I understand and though 117 younger than you I am not less intelligent than you, from these words he immediately attacks him and says: What speech then will a wise man give of the spirit of understanding? “Behold,” he says, “the wise man who claims to know everything, what sort of things he answers.” He has filled his belly with pain. That is: “The words were spoken to him for consolation and are full of passion. There is nothing sound,” he says, “in this defense; all things are indiscriminate,” he says, “and rash, and you will be able to bring ruin on yourself.” Do you see how ambitious he is and what he aims at? For since he said: wisdom will not die with you, he wishes to turn this back and show that he knows nothing more than they do. 15,4a For you also, he says, have cast off fear, 4b you have accomplished such words before the Lord, 15,5a for you are guilty by the words of your mouth 5b and you have not discerned the words of the mighty. 15,6a Let your own mouth convict you, and not I, 6b and let your lips testify against you. 15,7a For what? he says, Were you the first man to be born, 7b or were you formed before the hills? 15,8a Or have you heard the counsel of the Lord, 8b or has wisdom come to you? 15,9a For what do you know that we do not know? 9b Or what do you understand, that we do not also? 15,10a And indeed there is among us an elder and an ancient, 10b more weighty than your father in days. 15,11a You have been scourged for a few of the things in which you have sinned, 11b you have spoken greatly and exceedingly. As if to say: “For are you indeed before all, that you might learn from a long time? Or have you heard something from God? You have no advantage over us in knowing, since you said that in a long time wisdom is found; therefore you are caught. For you are not indeed of a long time, nor were you born before the world.” But he said that because they were arrogant. 118 For a few, he says, of the things in which you have sinned have you been scourged. Since he said: 118 What are my iniquities, teach me, this one says with another exaggeration: “You have not paid even the smallest part.” Then again he simply fights. For did he not say, “I am blameless before God”? And yet he says, “You have written down my iniquities,” that “You have held my sins in memory.” 15,12a What has your heart dared, he says, 12b or what have your eyes endured, 15,13a that you have poured out wrath before the Lord, 13b and brought forth such words from your mouth? 15,14a For what mortal being shall be blameless, 14b or how shall one born of woman be righteous? 15,15a If he does not trust his holy ones, there is blame. 15b and heaven is not pure before him, and the stars are not blameless. Then he says: 15,16a How much less one abominable and unclean, 16b a man who drinks iniquity like water. Do you see how he struck him, how he shows that wickedness is by nature? 15,17a I will tell you, then, and you listen to me; 17b what I have seen, I will declare to you, 15,18a what wise men declare 18b and did not hide from their fathers. 15,19a To them alone was the land given, 19b and no stranger came upon them. 15,20a The whole life of the wicked is in care, 20b and numbered years are given to the powerful, 15,21a and fear of him is in his ears. 21b When he thinks he is already at peace, 21c then his destruction will come. 15,22a Let him not believe that he will turn away from darkness; 22b for he has already been delivered into the hands of iron, 22c and he falls to be wiped out 15,23a and he is appointed as food for vultures. 23b And he knows in himself that he remains for a fall. Since he said: in a long time wisdom is found, “what,” he says, “the

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κακά; εἰ δέ τι μέλλοι χρηστὸν αὐτῷ συμβαίνειν μετὰ τὴν τελευτήν, τοῦτο δὴ οὔτε οἶδεν οὔτε εἴσεται, ἀλλ' ὅτι μόνον αἱ σάρκες αὐτοῦ ἤλγησαν καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐπένθησεν.»

15,1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΕΛΙΦΑΖ Ο ΘΑΙΜΑΝΙΤΗΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 15,2a τίνα ἄρα σοφὸς

ἀπόκρισιν δώσει συνέσεως πνεύματος; 2b ἐμπλήσει δὲ πόνον γαστρὸς 15,3a ἐλέγχων με ἐν ῥήμασι κενοῖς, 3b ἐν λόγοις οἷς οὐδὲν ὄφελος. τὸ πάντων δεινότατον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐν προσχήματι λόγων εὐσεβῶν καὶ τάξει παραμυθίας ὥπλισεν αὐτοὺς ὁ διάβολος τιτρώσκειν αὐτόν. καὶ ὅρα, πῶς καταφορικῶς κέχρηνται τῷ λόγῳ εἰς ἄνοιαν αὐτὸν σκώπτοντες. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι καὶ ἐμοὶ καρδία ἐστι καὶ οὐ μεθ' ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία καὶ ἐγὼ ἐπίσταμαι καί γε 117 νεώτερος ὑμῶν οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀσυνετώτερος ὑμῶν, ἀπὸ τούτων εὐθέως αὐτὸν βάλλει τῶν ῥημάτων καί φησιν· τίνα ἄρα σοφὸς λόγον δώσει συνέσεως πνεύματος; «ἰδού», φησίν, «ὁ σοφὸς καὶ λέγων πάντα εἰδέναι οἷα ἀποκρίνεται.» ἐνέπλησε δὲ πόνον γαστρός. τουτέστιν· «πρὸς παραμυθίαν αὐτῷ τὰ ῥήματα εἴρηται καὶ πάθους γέμει. οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἔχει», φησίν, «ἡ δικαιολογία αὕτη· ἀδιάκριτα πάντα», φησίν, «καὶ τολμηρά, καὶ σὺ σαυτῷ περιπαρῆναι δυνήσῃ.» ὁρᾷς, πῶς ἐστι φιλότιμος καὶ πρὸς τί ἵσταται; ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν· οὐ μεθ' ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία, τοῦτο βούλεται ἀντιστρέψαι καὶ δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐδὲν πλέον οἶδεν αὐτῶν. 15,4a ὅτι καὶ σύ, φησίν, ἀπεποιήσω φόβον, 4b συνετελέσω ῥήματα τοιαῦτα ἐναντίον κυρίου, 15,5a ὅτι ἔνοχος εἶ ῥήμασι στόματός σου 5b καὶ οὐ διέκρινας ῥήματα δυναστῶν. 15,6a ἐλέγξαι σε τὸ σὸν στόμα καὶ μὴ ἐγώ, 6b τὰ δὲ χείλη σου καταμαρτυρήσει σου. 15,7a τί γάρ; φησίν, μὴ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐγεννήθης, 7b ἢ πρὸ θινῶν ἐπάγης; 15,8a ἢ σύνταγμα κυρίου ἀκήκοας, 8b ἢ εἰς σὲ ἀφίκετο σοφία; 15,9a τί γὰρ οἶδας, ὃ οὐκ οἴδαμεν; 9b ἢ τί συνίεις, ὃ οὐχὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς; 15,10a καί γε πρεσβύτης καί γε παλαιὸς ἐν ἡμῖν 10b βαρύτερος τοῦ πατρός σου ἡμέραις. 15,11a ὀλίγα ὧν ἡμάρτηκας μεμαστίγωσαι, 11b μεγάλως ὑπερβαλλόντως λελάληκας. μονονουχὶ λέγων· «μὴ γὰρ δὴ πρὸ πάντων αὐτὸς εἶ, ἵνα ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου τοῦ μακροῦ μάθῃς. ἢ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τι ἀκήκοας; οὐδὲν ἡμῶν πλεονάζεις κατὰ τὸ εἰδέναι, ἐπειδὴ εἶπες, ὅτι ἐν μακρῷ χρόνῳ σοφία εὑρίσκεται· οὐκοῦν ἑάλως. οὐ γὰρ δὴ σὺ μακροῦ χρόνου εἶ οὐδὲ πρὸ τοῦ κόσμου γέγονας.» ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν, ἐπειδὴ οὗτοι μέγα ἐφρόνουν. 118 ὀλίγα, φησίν, ὧν ἡμάρτηκας μεμαστίγωσαι. ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν· 118 τίνες εἰσὶν αἱ ἀνομίαι μου, δίδαξόν με, οὗτος ἐξ ἄλλης ὑπερβολῆς φησιν· «οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος ἀπέτισας.» εἶτα πάλιν ἁπλῶς μάχεται. μὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι «ἄμεμπτός εἰμι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ»; καὶ μὴν λέγει, ὅτι «τὰς ἀνομίας μου κατέγραψας», ὅτι «τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου ἐν μνήμῃ ἔλαβες». 15,12a τί ἐτόλμησεν, φησίν, ἡ καρδία σου, 12b ἢ τί ὑπήνεγκαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, 15,13a ὅτι θυμὸν ἔρρηξας ἔναντι κυρίου, 13b ἐξήγαγες δὲ ἐκ στόματος ῥήματα τοιαῦτα; 15,14a τίς γὰρ ὢν βροτὸς ἔσται ἄμεμπτος 14b ἢ ὡς ἐσόμενος δίκαιος γεννητὸς γυναικός; 15,15a εἰ κατὰ ἁγίων οὐ πιστεύει, μέμψις. 15b οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρὸς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ἄστρα δὲ οὐκ ἄμεμπτα. εἶτά φησιν· 15,16a ἔα δὲ ἐβδελυγμένος καὶ ἀκάθαρτος 16b ἀνὴρ πίνων ἀδικίας ἴσα ποτῷ. ὁρᾷς, πῶς αὐτὸν ἔπληττεν, πῶς κατὰ φύσιν δείκνυσι τὴν κακίαν οὖσαν; 15,17a ἀναγγελῶ οὖν σοι, σὺ δὲ ἄκουέ μου· 17b ἃ δὴ ἑώρακα, ἀναγγελῶ σοι, 15,18a ἃ σοφοὶ ἀναγγελοῦσι 18b καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψαν πατέρας αὐτῶν. 15,19a αὐτοῖς μόνοις ἐδόθη ἡ γῆ, 19b καὶ οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἀλλογενὴς ἐπ' αὐτούς. 15,20a πᾶς ὁ βίος ἀσεβῶν ἐν φροντίδι, 20b ἔτη δὲ ἀριθμητὰ δεδομένα δυνάστῃ, 15,21a ὁ δὲ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὠσὶν αὐτοῦ. 21b ὅταν δοκῇ ἤδη εἰρηνεῦσαι, 21c τότε ἥξει ἡ καταστροφὴ αὐτοῦ. 15,22a μὴ πιστευέτω ἀποστραφῆναι ἀπὸ σκότους· 22b ἐντέταλται γὰρ ἤδη εἰς χεῖρας σιδήρου, 22c καταπίπτει δὲ εἰς ἐξάλειψιν 15,23a καὶ κατατέτακται εἰς σῖτα γυψίν. 23b οἶδεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι μένει εἰς πτῶμα. ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν· ἐν μακρῷ χρόνῳ σοφία εὑρίσκεται, «ἃ εἶπον», φησίν, «οἱ