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they speak against me; 19,19a But those who saw me abhorred me, 19b and those whom I loved rose up against me. 19,20a In my skin my flesh rotted, 20b and my bones are held in pains. 19,21a Draw near to me, have mercy, O friends, have mercy on me; 21b for the hand of the Lord is what has touched me. 19,22a But why do you persecute me just as the Lord does, 22b and are not sated with my flesh? 19,23a But who would grant that my words be written? Either those of my misfortune or those of my life, the things in virtues, which bore witness for him, that he was not wicked. And this comes from being intensely conscious of himself. "For I am so confident," he says, "having wronged no one, that I wished even after these things for the events of my misfortune to be written, since this too brings some comfort." 130 19,23b And that they be placed in a book forever, 19,24a with an iron stylus and lead, 24b or be engraved in rocks? Behold, it was written not with an iron stylus, but much more than what he asked for. For those things, even if they had happened, time would have consumed, but these things were written in a greater way. 19,25 For I know, he says, that he who is to release me upon the earth is eternal. That is: "God who is to deliver me to the earth." And what of this? If God is immortal, why do you want your words to be written and to remain forever as an immortal memorial? See what a passion it is for those in misfortune; they want not only those present and seeing, but also those who will come later to be witnesses of their own misfortunes, so as to hunt, as it were, for some sympathy from every side. This, indeed, it seems to me, the rich man also experienced then, wishing to teach those above the earth his own evils and in what circumstances the one who lives in luxury before this finds himself. 19,26a And he will raise up my body that endures these things; 26b for from the Lord these things have been accomplished for me. Did he then know about resurrection? It seems to me he also knew about the resurrection of bodies, unless someone should say that resurrection is the release from the terrible things that hold him. So that "I want," he says, "even after the release for the terrible things to be immortal." This is the greatest instruction and philosophy of God, to always have punishments before one's eyes, even past ones. This at least he himself contrived in the case of the bronze plates, this also in the case of 131 the Sodomites, this also in the case of the bronze serpent, this also in the case of the places that receive their name from the punishments, such as Emek-achor. ... he says also concerning the days before. For from the Lord these things, he says, were accomplished for me, speaking well of a reasonable cause for the change; he himself, he says, struck, he himself will heal. 19,27a things which I am conscious of in myself, 27b which my eyes have seen and not another. 27c But all things have been accomplished for me in my bosom. "For the insolence," he says, "is not human. For even the things that happened concerning the flocks I know from the things that happened to my body are a blow from God." For this reason he says: things which I am conscious of in myself; "I have a sufficient teacher that the blow is sent from God in these things that have happened to me." As when he says: For I see my food as filth, this is not of a natural disease; the body would have given up long ago. So that they might not think that he says these things from a wicked conscience, 19,27d I have kept, he says, your commandment. "But if you are not persuaded," he says, "but contradict, fear the uncertainty of the future; for by all means he who is in wickedness must perish. For if I, being in wickedness, suffer these things, you too ought to fear and dread the same things. 19,28a But if you should say: What shall we say against him? 28b And shall we find a root of the matter in him? 19,29a But be cautious 132 and you also of judgment. 29b For wrath will come upon the lawless, 29c and then they will know that their strength will be nowhere.

20,1 THEN ZOPHAR THE MINAEAN ANSWERED AND SAID: 20,2a I did not suppose thus

that you were and that you would contradict these things. See again a rebuke. 20,2b and not understand more than I. That is: "I did not think you were ignorant of what is and what I know, things which are so clear and keep their own law so as not to be perverted." 20,3a I will hear the instruction of your shame, 3b and the spirit from your understanding answers me. 20,4a

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κατ' ἐμοῦ λαλοῦσιν· 19,19a ἐβδελύξαντο δέ με οἱ ἰδόντες με, 19b καὶ οὓς ἠγάπων, ἐπανέστησάν μοι. 19,20a ἐν δέρματί μου ἐσάπησαν αἱ σάρκες μου, 20b τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ μου ἐν ὀδύναις ἔχεται. 19,21a ἐγγίσατέ μοι, ἐλεήσατε, ὦ φίλοι, ἐλεήσατέ με· 21b χεὶρ γὰρ κυρίου ἐστὶν ἡ ἁψαμένη μου. 19,22a διὰ τί δέ με διώκετε ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ κύριος, 22b ἀπὸ δὲ σαρκῶν μου οὐκ ἐμπίπλασθε; 19,23a τίς δὲ ἂν δῴη γραφῆναι τὰ ῥήματά μου; ἤτοι τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς ἤτοι τὰ τοῦ βίου, τὰ ἐν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς, ἃ ἐμαρτύρει αὐτῷ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν πονηρός. γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ σφόδρα συνειδέναι ἑαυτῷ. «οὕτω γὰρ θαρρῶ», φησίν, «οὐδένα ἠδικηκώς, ὥστε ἐβουλόμην καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα γραφῆναι τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς, ἐπειδὴ φέρει τινὰ καὶ τοῦτο παραμυθίαν.» 130 19,23b τεθῆναι δὲ αὐτὰ ἐν βίβλῳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, 19,24a ἐν γραφείῳ σιδηρῷ καὶ μολίβῳ 24b ἢ ἐν πέτραις ἐγγλυφῆναι; ἰδού, ἐγράφη οὐκ ἐν γραφείῳ σιδηρῷ, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὗ ᾔτησεν. ἐκεῖνα μὲν γάρ, εἰ καὶ ἐγένετο, χρόνος ἀνάλωσεν, ταῦτα δὲ μειζόνως ἐγράφη. 19,25 οἶδα γάρ, φησίν, ὅτι ἀέναός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκλύειν με μέλλων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. τουτέστιν· «ὁ μέλλων με παραπέμπειν τῇ γῇ θεός.» καὶ τί τοῦτο; εἰ ἀθάνατός ἐστιν ὁ θεός, διὰ τί βούλει τὰ ῥήματά σου γραφῆναι καὶ μένειν διὰ παντὸς εἰς μνήμην ἀθάνατον; ὅρα, οἷον πάθος τοῖς ἐν δυσπραγίαις ἐστίν· οὐ τοὺς παρόντας μόνον καὶ ὁρῶντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὕστερον ἐσομένους βούλονται μάρτυρας εἶναι τῶν οἰκείων συμφορῶν, ὥστε πάντοθεν οἷον θηρᾶσθαί τινα συμπάθειαν. ὃ δή μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ πλούσιος τότε πεπονθέναι τοὺς ὑπὲρ γῆς βουλόμενος τὰ οἰκεῖα διδάξαι κακὰ καὶ ἐν τίσιν ἐστὶν ὁ τρυφῶν πρὸ τούτου. 19,26a ἀναστήσει δέ μου τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀναντλοῦν ταῦτα· 26b παρὰ γὰρ κυρίου ταῦτά μοι συνετελέσθη. ἆρα ᾔδει περὶ ἀναστάσεως; ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ καὶ περὶ ἀναστάσεως σωμάτων, εἰ μή τις λέγοι ἀνάστασιν εἶναι τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κατεχόντων αὐτὸν δεινῶν. ὥστε «βούλομαι», φησίν, «καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τὰ δεινὰ ἀθάνατα εἶναι.» μεγίστη αὕτη παίδευσις καὶ φιλοσοφία τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς τιμωρίας ἀεὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχειν καὶ τὰς παρελθούσας. τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμηχανήσατο ἐπὶ τῶν λεπίδων τοῦ χαλκοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ 131 τῶν Σοδομιτῶν, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄφεως τοῦ χαλκοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων τῶν λαμβανόντων προσηγορίαν ἀπὸ τῶν τιμωριῶν, ὡς τὸ Ἐμεκαχώρ. ... φησὶ καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς ἔμπροσθεν. παρὰ γὰρ κυρίου ταῦτά μοι, φησίν, συνετελέσθη, καλῶς ὡς αἰτίαν εὔλογον λέγων τῆς μεταβολῆς· αὐτός, φησίν, ἔπληξεν, αὐτὸς ἰάσεται. 19,27a ἃ ἐγὼ ἐμαυτῷ συνεπίσταμαι, 27b ἃ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἑωράκασι καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος. 27c πάντα δέ μοι συντετέλεσται ἐν κόλπῳ. «οὐ γάρ ἐστιν», φησίν, «ἀνθρωπίνη ἡ ἐπήρεια. καὶ γὰρ τὰ συμβάντα περὶ τὰ θρέμματα ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὸ σῶμά μοι συμβάντων οἶδα θεοῦ πληγῆς ὄντα.» διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· ἃ ἐγὼ ἐμαυτῷ συνεπίσταμαι· «ἱκανὸν ἔχω διδάσκαλον τοῦ θεήλατον εἶναι τὴν πληγὴν τὰ συμβάντα μοι ταῦτα.» οἷον ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· βρῶμον γὰρ ὁρῶ τὰ σῖτά μου, οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα νόσου φυσικῆς· πάλαι ἂν ἀπηγόρευσε τὸ σῶμα. ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν, ὅτι ἀπὸ συνειδότος ταῦτα λέγει πονηροῦ, 19,27d ἐφύλαξα, φησίν, ἐντολήν σου. «εἰ δὲ οὐ πείθεσθε», φησίν, «ἀλλ' ἀντερεῖτε, φοβήθητε τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον· πάντως γὰρ τὸν ἐν πονηρίᾳ ἀπολέσθαι δεῖ. εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἐν πονηρίᾳ ὢν ταῦτα πάσχω, καὶ ὑμεῖς ταὐτὰ φοβεῖσθαι ὀφείλετε καὶ δεδοικέναι. 19,28a εἰ δὲ ἐρεῖτε· τί ἐροῦμεν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ; 28b καὶ ῥίζαν λόγου εὑρήσομεν ἐν αὐτῷ; 19,29a εὐλαβήθητε δὲ 132 καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπὸ κρίματος. 29b θυμὸς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνόμους ἐπελεύσεται, 29c καὶ τότε γνώσονται, ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ αὐτῶν ἡ ἰσχὺς ἔσται.

20,1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΣΩΦΑΡ Ο ΜΙΝΑΙΟΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 20,2a οὐχ οὕτως ὑπελάμβανόν

σε εἶναι καὶ ἀντερεῖν σε ταῦτα. ὅρα πάλιν ἐπίπληξιν. 20,2b καὶ οὐχὶ συνιέναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἐμέ. τουτέστιν· «οὐκ ᾤμην ἀγνοεῖν σε ἅπερ ἔστι καὶ ἐπίσταμαι ἐγώ, ἅπερ οὕτω δῆλά ἐστι καὶ φυλάττει νόμον οἰκεῖον ὡς μὴ παραχαράττοντα.» 20,3a παιδείαν ἐντροπῆς σου ἀκούσομαι, 3b καὶ πνεῦμα ἐκ τῆς συνέσεώς σου ἀποκρίνεταί μοι. 20,4a