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And perhaps he was hinting at this, that through their own sins their iniquity was sent into their hand, alluding to the fall by which his children perished. But he mentions a son, making his argument from the noblest part; for Job also had daughters. He would show, therefore, that since the sons sinned, who also had great benefit from Job, it is clear that the daughters also sinned. And these things must again be understood according to him and his assumption. But you, rise early to the Lord Almighty, praying; if you are pure and true, he will hearken to your prayer, and he will restore to you the habitation of righteousness. He says contradictory things in these statements as well. For after saying 213 that "he sent «in» the hand of the iniquity of your sons," he says to him_6_6; "you, rise early to the Lord; if you are pure, he will even hearken to your prayer." For how is he pure, about whom he assumed that he is afflicted because of sin? -Especially, because he adds: "and he will restore to you the habitation of righteousness," instead of: he will give you, as one who is pure, pleasant things again, restoring them. And we have the meaning of 'pure' instead of 'virtuous', as has also been said: "blessed are the pure in heart"; as has been said, for they are pure for this reason, that they do not have the impurity from vice; «as has been said» concerning the wicked: "but it is shattered through impurity of soul"; and further concerning someone: "her impurity is at her feet." Such are also those whose "feet run to wickedness." But if righteousness is restored to him, he does not have it now; and if he does not have it now, how is he pure? Or how does he doubt that he is pure, being disposed to think that one who falls into trials is a sinner? But this contradiction of theirs followed from their positing a flawed principle, which is a consequence for every heresy. For by saying to the one in misfortune: "if you are pure and true, he will hearken to your prayer and restore to you the habitation of righteousness," he shows that it was possible 214 for the good and true man to fall into these things; from which it necessarily follows that not everyone who is in trials is wicked and in sin; your first state, therefore, will be little, but your last state will be immeasurable. Again, even now, he contradicts his own principle; for he takes it as a consequence that to the pure man after pains God restores pleasant things many times over. For through these things he seems to introduce the manner of the bringing on of afflictions, which he did not previously set forth, through which he says "his last state will be immeasurable," clearly as of one who has nobly endured, unless perhaps someone should say that he says these things happen to him upon repenting, as a result of his prayer to God; but saying "if you are pure" does «not» allow this, although the statement "but you, rise early to the Lord Almighty" was said by way of contrast. For ask the first generation, and search out according to the lineage of the fathers. He wants to confirm his own argument from the men of old or from writings which contained their lives. For it is not at all unlikely that there were also writings, especially since it is said: "Who will grant that my words be written?" and what follows; and besides, there were also laws, according to which these men also ruled, I mean the friends. 215 For we are of yesterday and do not know, for our life on earth is a shadow. For one must understand "for we are of yesterday" wisely, that he says this with respect to human generation, especially because he says: "For ask the first generation." For one must hear what is said about man prudently, for example—that we may speak from the scriptures—it is often said of David that he was "ruddy, with beautiful eyes." And this we understand not of the soul, but of the body. But when he himself says "the unseen and hidden things of my heart you have revealed to me," we take this to be about the soul. And so we understand "of yesterday" not according to the soul, but according to man's having come into being. And so it is connected: "for our life on earth is a shadow." Therefore he says concerning life on earth, that it is a shadow. But since this word has been mentioned, it is necessary for us to discuss it. The shadow, then, is said

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καὶ τοῦτο τυχὸν ὑπέκρουεν, ὅτι διὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἁμαρτίας ἀπεστάλη ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν ἀνομία, αἰνιττόμενος τὰ τῆς πτώσεως καθ' ἣν τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ ἀπώλοντο. υἱοῦ δὲ μνημονεύει ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρίστου μέρους τὸν λόγον ποιούμενος· εἶχεν γὰρ καὶ θυγατέρας Ἰώβ. ἐμφαίνοι οὖν, ὅτι υἱῶν ἁμαρτόντων καὶ πολλὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐκ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐχόντων δῆλον, ὡς καὶ θυγατέρες ἥμαρτον. κατ' αὐτὸν δὲ πάλιν καὶ τὴν διάλημψιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῦτα ἐκλημπτέον. σὺ δὲ ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον παντοκράτορα δεόμενος· εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ καὶ ἀληθινός, δεήσεως ἐπακούσεταί σου, ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης. μαχόμενα καὶ ἐν τούτοις λέγει. εἰπὼν 213 γὰρ ὅτι "ἀπέστειλεν «ἐν» χειρὶ ἀνομίας τῶν υἱῶν σου", αὐτῷ φησι_6_ν6· "σὺ ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον· εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ, δεήσεως καὶ ἐπακούσεταί σου". πῶς γὰρ καθαρός, περὶ οὗ διελάμβανεν, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας ἀνιᾶται; -μάλιστα, ὅτι ἐπάγει· "ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης", ἀντὶ τοῦ· δώσει σοι ὡς καθαρῷ πάλιν τὰ ἡδέα ἀποκαθιστὰς αὐτά. ἔχομεν δὲ τὸ καθαρὸν σημαινόμενον ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐναρέτου, καθὸ καὶ εἴρηται· "μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ"· καθὸ εἴρηται διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καθαροί εἰσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσι τὴν ἐκ κακίας ἀκαθαρσίαν· «καθὸ εἴρηται» περὶ τῶν φαύλων· "συντρίβεται δὲ δι' ἀκαθαρσίαν ψυχῆς"· καὶ ἔτι περί τινος· "ἀκαθαρσία αὐτῆς πρὸς ποδῶν αὐτῆς." τοιοῦτοι δέ εἰσιν καὶ ὧν "οἱ πόδες ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν". εἰ δὲ ἀποκαθίσταται αὐτῷ ἡ δικαιοσύνη, νῦν οὐκ ἔχει αὐτήν· εἰ δὲ νῦν οὐκ ἔχει, πῶς καθαρός ἐστιν; ἢ πῶς ἀμφιβάλλει, ὅτι καθαρός ἐστιν, διακείμενος, ὅτι περιπίπτων περιστάσεσιν ἁμαρτωλὸς ὑπάρχει; αὕτη δὲ ἡ ἐναντιότης αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησεν ἐκ τοῦ ἐσφαλ μένην ἀρχὴν θεῖναι, ὅπερ πάσῃ αἱρέσει ἕπεται. λέγων γὰρ τῷ ἐν κακοπραγίᾳ· "εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ καὶ ἀληθινός, δεήσεως ἐπακούσεταί σου καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης", δείκνυσιν, ὅτι ἐνεχώρει 214 τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἀληθινὸν ὑποπεσεῖν τούτοις· ᾧ ἀναγκαίως ἕπεται, ὅτι οὐ πᾶς ὁ ἐν περιστάσεσιν ὢν φαῦλός ἐστιν καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις· ἔσται οὖν τὰ μὲν πρῶτά σου ὀλίγα, τὰ δὲ ἔσχατά σου ἀμύθητα. πάλιν καὶ νῦν τῇ ἀρχῇ ἑαυτοῦ μάχεται· ὡς γὰρ ἑπόμενον λαμβάνει, ὅτι τῷ καθαρῷ μετὰ ἀλγηδόνας ὁ θεὸς ἀποκαθίστησιν τὰ ἡδέα πολυπλασίως. φαίνεται γὰρ διὰ τούτων εἰσάγειν τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐπ̣αγωγῆς τῶν ἀνιαρῶν, ὃν οὐ πρότερον ἐτίθετο, δι' ὧν φησιν εἶναι "τὰ ἔσχατα αὐτοῦ ἀμύθητα" δηλονότι ὡς γενναίως ὑπομείναντος, εἰ μή πού τις λέγοι, ὅτι μετανοήσαντι αὐτῷ ταῦτα λέγει συμβῆναι ἐκ τῆς πρὸς θεὸν εὐχῆς· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο «οὐ» συνχωρεῖ τὸ λέγειν· "εἰ καθαρὸς εἶ", καίτοι πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τὸ εἰρημένον τό· "σὺ δὲ ὄρθριζε πρὸς κύριον παντοκράτορα." ἐπερώτησον γὰρ γενεὰν πρώτην, ἐξιχνίασον δὲ κατὰ γένος πατέρων. βεβαιῶσαι βούλεται τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λόγον ἐκ τῶν προτέρων ἀνδρῶν ἢ συγγραμμάτων, ἃ περιεῖχεν τοὺς βίους αὐτῶν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπεικὸς καὶ γράμματα εἶναι, μάλιστα διὰ τὸ λέγεσθαι· "τίς ἂν δῴη γραφῆναι τὰ ῥήματά μου;" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ἄλλως τε καὶ νόμοι ὑπῆρχον, καθ' οὓς καὶ οὗτοι ἦρχον, οἱ φίλοι φημί. 215 χθιζοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν, σκιὰ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. συνετῶς γὰρ δεῖ ἀκούειν τοῦ "χθιζοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν", ὅτι ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην γένεσιν τοῦτό φησιν, μάλιστα ὅτι λέγει· "ἐπερώτησον γὰρ γενεὰν πρώτην". δεῖ γὰρ τὰ λεγόμενα περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φρονίμως ἀκούειν, οἷον-ἵνα ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν εἴπωμεν-περὶ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ εἴρηται πολλάκις, ὅτι "πυρράκης μετὰ κάλλους ὀφθαλμῶν" ἐτύγχανεν. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ σώματος ἀκούομεν. ὅταν δ' αὐτὸς "τὰ ἄδηλα" λέγῃ "καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς καρδίας μου ἐδήλωσάς μοι", περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦτο ἐκλαμβάνομεν. καὶ τὸ "χθιζοὶ" οὖν μὴ κατὰ τὴν ψυχήν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι ἀκούομεν. οὕτω καὶ συνῆπται· "σκιὰ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." περὶ τοῦ βίου οὖν τοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς φησιν, ὅτι σκιὰ τυγχάνει. ἅπαξ δὲ ἐπεὶ τῆς λέξεως ταύτης μνήμη γέγονεν, ἀναγκαῖον ἡμᾶς περὶ αὐτῆς διαλαβεῖν. λέγεται τοίνυν ἡ σκιὰ