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of yours, that these things are not so.” 135 21,3a Bear with me, and I will speak; 3b then do not mock me. 21,4a For what? Is my reproof from a man? 4b And why shall I not be angry? 21,5a Look upon me and be astonished 5b and lay your hand upon your mouth. 21,6a For if I remember, I am troubled, 6b and pains seize my flesh. “For let us suppose,” he says, “that I am both wicked and impious, yet I reap nothing from these things. And I know indeed that you will mock, but I do not hold back.” For what? he says, Is my reproof from a man? That is: “No one can reprove me, my contest is not with man.” For if I remember, I am troubled, and pains seize my flesh. See everywhere how he defends himself, how he puts forward his pains, how he states the cause of the terrible things that will be said, that he utters these things not from his own home nor from any settled state, but from a troubled soul and darkened reasonings. 21,7a Why, he says, do the impious live, 7b and grow old, and also in wealth? This is addressed to his friend, because he had said: the joy of the impious is destruction, and that: if their gifts go up to heaven, they will be overturned. 21,7a Why do the impious live, 7b and grow old, and also in wealth? 21,8a Their seed is according to their soul, 8b and their children are before their eyes, 21,9a their houses prosper, and fear is nowhere, 9b and a scourge from the Lord is not upon them. 21,10a Their cow has not miscarried, 10b but she that was with young has been preserved and has not failed. 21,11a And they remain like eternal sheep, 11b and their little children play before them 21,12a taking up 136 psaltery and lyre, 12b and they rejoice at the voice of a psalm. 21,13a They have completed, he says, their life in good things, 13b and in the rest of Hades they have fallen asleep. Do you see how he does not say that it is not to the end? And the terrible thing is that: 21,14a the impious man says to the Lord: Depart from me, 14b I do not wish to know your ways. 21,15a What is sufficient, that we should serve him? 15b And what is the profit, that we should meet him? 21,16a In their hands were their good things, 16b but he does not oversee the works of the impious. “One should not only marvel at this,” he says, “that for their wickedness they receive such rewards, but that their very prosperity makes them worse.” For, he says, he says to the Lord: Depart from me. Why? Because in their hands were their good things. 21,17a Nevertheless the lamp of the impious shall be put out. And this happens again. 21,17b But destruction shall come upon them, 17c and pangs shall seize them from wrath. 21,18a And they shall be as chaff before the wind 18b or as dust, which a whirlwind has carried away. “Just as,” he says, “they enjoy prosperity, so also the opposites.” 21,19a May his substance not fail his sons, he says, 19b He will repay him, and he will know. 21,20a May his own eyes see his own slaughter, 20b and may he not be saved by the Lord, 21,21a because his will is in his house after him, 21b and the number of his months has been divided. 21,22a Is it not, he says, the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge? 137 For since the one who had spoken before him said that these things have happened since man was placed upon the earth, and accused him as one who was ignorant of what is clear and plain, “You said,” he says, “that these things happen; but also the opposites, so that let no one think he knows the ineffable reason of God, according to which all things happen. For tell me: are they not impious? Why are they not punished? But one is in famine, another in wealth, while the wickedness is the same.” Then he says: 21,22b But he himself will judge the wise. 21,23a This one will die in the strength of his folly, 23b but another suffering well and prospering; 21,24a and his inwards are full of fat, 24b and his marrow is diffused. 21,25a But another dies in bitterness of soul 25b having eaten nothing good; 21,26a and with one accord his sons sleep on the earth, 26b and rottenness has covered them on the earth. 21,27 So I know you, he says, that you press upon me with boldness, 21,28a so that you will say: Where is the house of the ruler 28b and where is the shelter of the tents of the impious? “Was it not from wise reasonings,” he says, “or from a right mind that you ought to have examined these things? You have not, then, come to comfort me.”

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ὑμῶν, ὅτι οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει ταῦτα.» 135 21,3a βαστάσατέ με, ἐγὼ δὲ λαλήσω· 3b εἶτα μή μου καταγελᾶτε. 21,4a τί γάρ; μὴ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἔλεγξίς μου; 4b καὶ διὰ τί οὐ θυμωθήσομαι; 21,5a ἐμβλέψαντες εἰς ἐμὲ θαυμάσατε 5b χεῖρα θέντες ἐπὶ στόμα. 21,6a ἐάν τε γὰρ μνησθῶ, ἐσπούδακα, 6b ἔχουσι δέ μου τὰς σάρκας ὀδύναι. «θῶμεν γάρ», φησίν, «εἶναί με καὶ πονηρὸν καὶ ἀσεβῆ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τούτων καρποῦμαι. καὶ οἶδα μέν, ὅτι καταγελάσεσθε, πλὴν οὐ φείδομαι.» τί γάρ; φησίν, μὴ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἔλεγξίς μου; τουτέστιν· «οὐδεὶς δύναταί με ἐλέγξαι, οὐκ ἔστι μοι πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ὁ ἀγών.» ἐὰν γὰρ μνησθῶ, ἐσπούδακα, ἔχουσι δέ μου τὰς σάρκας ὀδύναι. ὅρα πανταχοῦ, πῶς ἀπολογεῖται, πῶς τὰς ὀδύνας προτίθησιν, πῶς λέγει τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ῥηθησομένων δεινῶν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴκοθεν οὐδὲ ἀπὸ καταστάσεώς τινος, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ ταραχώδους ψυχῆς καὶ ἐσκοτισμένων λογισμῶν ταῦτα φθέγγεται. 21,7a διὰ τί, φησίν, ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσιν, 7b πεπαλαίωνται δὲ καὶ πλούτῳ; τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν φίλον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἔλεγεν· χαρμονὴ ἀσεβῶν ἀπώλεια καὶ ὅτι· ἐὰν ἀνέλθῃ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὰ δῶρα αὐτῶν, καταστραφήσονται. 21,7a διὰ τί ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσιν, 7b πεπαλαίωνται δὲ καὶ πλούτῳ; 21,8a ὁ σπόρος αὐτῶν κατὰ ψυχήν, 8b τὰ δὲ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν, 21,9a οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν, φόβος δὲ οὐδαμοῦ, 9b μάστιξ δὲ παρὰ κυρίου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς. 21,10a ἡ βοῦς αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠμοτόκησεν, 10b διεσώθη δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα καὶ οὐκ ἔσφαλεν. 21,11a μένουσι δὲ ὥσπερ πρόβατα αἰώνια, 11b τὰ δὲ παιδία αὐτῶν προσπαίζει αὐτοῖς 21,12a ἀνα136 λαμβάνοντα ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν, 12b καὶ εὐφραίνονται φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ. 21,13a συνετέλεσαν, φησίν, ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τὸν βίον αὐτῶν, 13b ἐν δὲ ἀναπαύσει ᾅδου ἐκοιμήθησαν. ὁρᾷς, πῶς οὐ λέγει, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος; καὶ τὸ δεινόν, ὅτι· 21,14a λέγει ὁ ἀσεβὴς τῷ κυρίῳ· ἀπόστα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, 14b τὰς ὁδούς σου εἰδέναι οὐ βούλομαι. 21,15a τί ἱκανόν, ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ; 15b καὶ τίς ὠφέλεια, ὅτι ἀπαντήσομεν αὐτῷ; 21,16a ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν ἦν τὰ ἀγαθά, 16b ἔργα δὲ ἀσεβῶν οὐκ ἐφορᾷ. «οὐ τοῦτο μόνον θαυμάσαι χρή», φησίν, «ὅτι ἀντὶ πονηρίας τοιαύτας λαμβάνουσι τὰς ἀμοιβάς, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ εὐπραγία χείρους αὐτοὺς ποιεῖ.» λέγει γάρ, φησίν, τῷ κυρίῳ· ἀπόστα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. διὰ τί; ὅτι ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν ἦν τὰ ἀγαθά. 21,17a οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ ἀσεβῶν λύχνος σβεσθήσεται. καὶ τοῦτο γίνεται πάλιν. 21,17b ἐπελεύσεται δὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ καταστροφή, 17c καὶ ὠδῖνες αὐτοὺς ἕξουσιν ἀπὸ ὀργῆς. 21,18a ἔσονται δὲ ὥσπερ ἄχυρα πρὸ ἀνέμου 18b ἢ ὥσπερ κονιορτός, ὃν ὑφείλετο λαῖλαψ. «ὥσπερ», φησίν, «εὐπραγίας ἀπολαύουσιν, οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων.» 21,19a μὴ ἐκλείποι, φησίν, υἱοὺς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ, 19b ἀνταποδώσει πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ γνώσεται. 21,20a ἴδοιεν δὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σφαγήν, 20b καὶ ὑπὸ κυρίου μὴ διασωθείη, 21,21a ὅτι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ἐν οἴκῳ μετ' αὐτόν, 21b καὶ ἀριθμοὶ μηνῶν αὐτοῦ διῃρέθησαν. 21,22a πότερον, φησίν, οὐχὶ ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; 137 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγεν ὁ πρὸ αὐτοῦ εἰρηκώς, ὅτι ἀφ' οὗ ἐτέθη ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ταῦτα γίνεται, καὶ ἐνεκάλει αὐτῷ ὡς τὰ σαφῆ καὶ δῆλα ἀγνοοῦντι, «εἶπες», φησίν, «ὅτι γίνεται ταῦτα· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία, ὥστε μηδεὶς νομιζέτω εἰδέναι τὸν ἀπόρρητον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον, καθ' ὃν ἅπαντα γίνεται. εἰπὲ γάρ μοι· ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἀσεβεῖς; διὰ τί οὐ κολάζονται; ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν λιμῷ, ὁ δὲ ἐν πλούτῳ τῆς αὐτῆς οὔσης τῆς πονηρίας.» εἶτά φησιν· 21,22b αὐτὸς δὲ σοφοὺς διακρινεῖ. 21,23a οὗτος ἀποθανεῖται ἐν κράτει ἀφροσύνης αὐτοῦ, 23b ἄλλος δὲ εὐπαθῶν καὶ εὐθηνῶν· 21,24a τὰ δὲ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ πλήρης στέατος, 24b ὁ δὲ μυελὸς αὐτοῦ διαχεῖται. 21,25a ὁ δέ γε τελευτᾷ πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς 25b οὐ φαγὼν οὐδὲν ἀγαθόν· 21,26a ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς κοιμῶνται, 26b σαπρία δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐκάλυψεν ἐπὶ γῆς. 21,27 ὥστε οἶδα ὑμᾶς, φησίν, ὅτι τόλμῃ ἐπίκεισθέ μοι, 21,28a ὥστε ἐρεῖτε· ποῦ ἐστιν οἶκος ἄρχοντος 28b καὶ ποῦ ἐστι σκέπη τῶν σκηνωμάτων τῶν ἀσεβῶν; «οὐκ ἀπὸ λογισμῶν», φησίν, «συνετῶν οὐδὲ ἀπὸ διανοίας ὀρθῆς ἐπὶ ταῦτα ἐξετάζειν ὑμᾶς ἐχρῆν; οὐκ ἄρα παρακαλέσαι ἤλθετε.»