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their fathers, and they did not hide it among themselves.” 119 and a foreigner did not come upon them. That is: the wise and those enjoying peace, handing down to their descendants, neither endured war nor saw battle nor were driven from their homes, but they stood nobly and bravely and prevailed and held on to strength and power, enjoying the greatness of much peace. The whole life of the ungodly, he says, is in anxiety. And when they have made peace, their conscience is such. But numbered years are given to rulers. To the unjust, he says; for tyrants are short-lived. When he thinks he is at peace, then his destruction will come. So that one may learn that the war is from above, nor will there be for him a change from his troubles. And he is set for food for vultures, he is appointed for hands of iron. See, even death is pitiful, not according to the common law of nature, but by violence and war and battle, and after death, neither burial nor funeral rites, and not only unburied, but also food for vultures, he says. But he knows in himself that a fall awaits him. This conscience is more grievous, when it prophesies and foretells such things to him. 15,23c A dark day will whirl him about, 15,24a and necessity and affliction will hold him. 24b Like a general, he says, a front-rank fighter who has fallen, 15,25a because he has lifted up his hands against the Lord, 25b and against the Lord Almighty he has been defiant, 15,26a and he has run against him with insolence 26b with the thick boss of his shield, 15,27a because he has covered his face with his fat. Just as that man is brilliant and conspicuous, but standing in a dangerous 120 place he will perish at once, just as that one, ruling others, will fall before the others, so also will this one. See what kind of example he has given: “What does his generalship and his rule profit him,” he says, “since he has lifted up his hands against the Lord?” Then he utters certain curses which will surely befall the ungodly. For having said: 15,27b and he has made folds of fat on his thighs, but his praise is insolence. 15,28a May he lodge in desolate cities 28b and enter into uninhabited houses. 28c What he has prepared, others will carry away. 15,29a Neither may he become rich, nor may his possessions remain, 29b nor may he cast a shadow upon the earth, 15,30a nor may he escape darkness. 30b May the wind wither his branch 30c and may his flower fall off. 15,31a Let him not believe that he will endure; 31b for vain things will be his lot. Then he added: 15,32a His palm-branch will be destroyed before its time, 32b and his bough will not be thick; 15,33a may he be gathered like an unripe grape before its time, 33b and may he fall off like the flower of an olive tree. 15,34a For the testimony of an ungodly man is death, 34b and fire will burn down the houses of those who accept bribes, 15,35a and in the womb they will conceive pains. 35b But vain things will be his lot, 35c and his belly will bear toil. Everywhere he presents what is untimely and unfulfilled. For the testimony of an ungodly man is death, that is: a refutation, an accusation, a testimony to other men, that all must suffer thus. And again, the testimony of an ungodly man is death, that is: clear, manifest, unknown to no one. 121

16,1 THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID: 16,2a I have heard many such things, 2b

miserable comforters are you all. Since he says this as something exceptional and recounts it like an ancient tale and brings down the story from of old, “For are these things not unclear,” he says. “But since you speak simply and utter whatever comes to you and do not measure your words, you will not be angry with me either for speaking what is in my soul. 16,3a For what? Is there no order, he says, in words of wind? 3b Or what has provoked you, that you answer? 16,4a I also could speak as you do, 4b if your soul were in my soul's stead. 4c Then I would heap up words against you, 4d and would shake my head at you. 16,5a There would be strength in my mouth 5b and the movement of my lips I would not spare. “I would wish,” he says, “that your state were mine and that you were in my place; and I would be able to both shake my head and do these things which you do. Then you would know not to philosophize in the midst of others' troubles. But even now I will speak; for the matter brings me comfort. For if I speak, I am comforted,” he says, “but if I am silent, in this way nothing

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πατέρες αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψαν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς.» 119 καὶ οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἀλλογενὴς ἐπ' αὐτούς. τουτέστιν· οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ εἰρήνης ἀπολαύοντες ἐκγόνοις παραδιδόντες οὐδὲ πόλεμον ὑπέμειναν οὐδὲ μάχην εἶδον οὐδὲ ἀνάστατοι γεγόνασιν, ἀλλ' ἔστησαν γενναίως καὶ ἀνδρείως καὶ περιεγένοντο καὶ ἐκράτησαν ἰσχύος καὶ δυνάμεως μεγέθους πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντες εἰρήνης. πᾶς ὁ βίος ἀσεβῶν, φησίν, ἐν φροντίδι. καὶ ὅταν κατειρηνεύσωσιν, τὸ συνειδὸς αὐτῶν τοιοῦτον. ἔτη δὲ ἀριθμητὰ δεδομένα δυνάσταις. τοῖς ἀδίκοις, φησίν· οἱ γὰρ τύραννοι ὀλιγοχρόνιοι. ὅταν δοκῇ εἰρηνεύειν, τότε ἥξει ἡ καταστροφὴ αὐτοῦ. ὥστε μαθεῖν, ὅτι ἄνωθεν ὁ πόλεμος, οὐδὲ ἔσται αὐτῷ μεταβολὴ τῶν δεινῶν. καὶ κατατέτακται εἰς σῖτα γυψίν, ἐντέταλται εἰς χεῖρας σιδήρου. ὅρα, καὶ ὁ θάνατος ἐλεεινός, οὐ κατὰ τὸν κοινὸν νόμον τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλὰ βίᾳ καὶ πολέμῳ καὶ μάχῃ, καὶ μετὰ θάνατον οὐδὲ ταφὴ οὐδὲ κηδεία, καὶ οὐ μόνον τὸ ἄταφον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σῖτα γυψίν, φησίν. οἶδε δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι μένει αὐτὸν πτῶμα. τοῦτο χαλεπώτερον τὸ συνειδός, ὅταν αὐτῷ τοιαῦτα μαντεύηται καὶ προλέγῃ. 15,23c ἡμέρα σκοτεινὴ στροβήσει αὐτόν, 15,24a ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ θλῖψις αὐτὸν καθέξει. 24b ὥσπερ στρατηγός, φησίν, πρωτοστάτης πεπτωκώς, 15,25a ὅτι ἦρκεν χεῖρας ἔναντι κυρίου, 25b ἔναντι δὲ κυρίου παντοκράτορος ἐτραχηλίασεν, 15,26a ἔδραμεν δὲ ἔναντι αὐτοῦ ὕβρει 26b ἐν πάχει νώτου ἀσπίδος αὐτοῦ, 15,27a ὅτι ἐκάλυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν στέατι αὐτοῦ. καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος λαμπρός ἐστι καὶ περιφανής, εἰς δὲ ἐπικίνδυ120 νον τόπον στὰς εὐθέως ἀπολεῖται, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ἑτέρων ἄρχων πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πεσεῖται, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος. ὅρα παράδειγμα οἷον ἔδωκεν· «τί αὐτὸν ὠφελεῖ», φησίν, «ἡ στρατηγία καὶ ἡ ἀρχή, ὅτι ἦρκε χεῖρας ἔναντι κυρίου;» εἶτα λέγει ἀράς τινας τὰς πάντως ἀποβησομένας τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν. εἰπὼν γάρ· 15,27b καὶ ἐποίησε περιστόμιον ἐπὶ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, αἶνος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὕβρις. 15,28a αὐλισθείη δὲ πόλεις ἐρήμους 28b καὶ εἰσέλθοι εἰς οἴκους ἀοικήτους. 28c ἃ δὴ ἐκεῖνος ἡτοίμασεν, ἄλλοι ἀποίσονται. 15,29a οὔτε μὴ πλουτισθῇ, οὔτε μὴ μείνῃ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ, 29b οὐδὲ μὴ βάλῃ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν σκιάν, 15,30a οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκφύγῃ σκότος. 30b τὸν βλαστὸν αὐτοῦ μαράναι ἄνεμος 30c καὶ ἐκπέσοι αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄνθος. 15,31a μὴ πιστευέτω, ὅτι ὑπομενεῖ· 31b κενὰ γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀποβήσεται. τότε ἐπήγαγεν· 15,32a ἡ τομὴ αὐτοῦ πρὸ ὥρας φθαρήσεται, 32b καὶ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ πυκάσῃ· 15,33a τρυγηθείη δὲ ὥσπερ ὄμφαξ πρὸ ὥρας, 33b καὶ ἐκπέσοι ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἐλαίας. 15,34a μαρτύριον γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς θάνατος, 34b πῦρ δὲ κατακαύσει οἴκους δωροδεκτῶν, 15,35a καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ λήψονται ὀδύνας. 35b ἀποβήσεται δὲ αὐτῷ κενά, 35c ἡ δὲ κοιλία αὐτοῦ ὑποίσει πόνον. πανταχοῦ τὸ ἄωρον καὶ ἀτέλεστον παρίστησιν. μαρτύριον γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς θάνατος, τουτέστιν· ἔλεγχος, κατηγορία, μαρτύριον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις, ὅτι οὕτω δεῖ παθεῖν πάντας. καὶ πάλιν μαρτύριον ἀσεβοῦς θάνατος, τουτέστιν· δῆλος, καταφανής, οὐδενὶ ἄγνωστος. 121

16,1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΙΩΒ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 16,2a ἀκήκοα τοιαῦτα πολλά, 2b

παρακλήτορες κακῶν πάντες. ἐπειδὴ ὥσπερ τι ἐξαίρετον τοῦτό φησιν καὶ ὥσπερ διήγημα παλαιὸν διηγεῖται καὶ ἄνωθεν κατάγει τὴν ἱστορίαν, «μὴ γὰρ ἄδηλα ταῦτα», φησίν. «πλὴν ἐπειδὴ ἁπλῶς φθέγγεσθε καὶ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα λαλεῖτε καὶ οὐ μετρεῖτε τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν ῥήματα, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ νεμεσήσετε τὰ κατὰ ψυχὴν λέγοντι. 16,3a τί γάρ; μὴ τάξις ἐστίν, φησίν, ἐν ῥήμασι πνεύματος; 3b ἢ τί παρενοχλήσει σοι, ὅτι ἀποκρίνῃ; 16,4a καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ καθ' ὑμᾶς λαλήσω, 4b εἴ γε ὑπέκειτο ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ἀντὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς. 4c εἶτα ἐναλοῦμαι ὑμῖν λόγοις, 4d κινήσω δὲ καθ' ὑμῶν κεφαλήν. 16,5a εἴη δὲ ἰσχὺς ἐν τῷ στόματί μου 5b καὶ κίνησιν χειλέων οὐ φείσομαι. «ἐβουλόμην», φησίν, «ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς εἶναι τὰ ὑμέτερα καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντ' ἐμοῦ εἶναι· καὶ εἶχον ἂν καὶ κινεῖν κεφαλὴν καὶ ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἅπερ ὑμεῖς. τότε ἔγνωτε μὴ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις κακοῖς. πλὴν καὶ νῦν ἐρῶ· καὶ γὰρ φέρει μοι τὸ πρᾶγμα παραμυθίαν. ἂν γὰρ εἴπω, παραμυθοῦμαι», φησίν, «ἂν δὲ σιωπήσω, οὐδὲν ταύτῃ τὰ