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He is eternal who is about to release me upon the earth. He prays that his own affairs be committed to indelible writing. And he said this by way of comparison, from the custom of those who, wanting what was written down to last for the longest possible time, set the letters with an iron pen on lead upon steles or even carve them on tablets. For I know, he says, that even if I am released, that is, I die, yet God remains forever, who is able, even after my death, by His own judgment to make my affairs known to all, which indeed also happened according to the request of the righteous man. And the most holy churches were not deprived of so great an example in trials, but the story of the blessed Job was written down, whether by one of the prophets, or even by some holy man, yet through the cooperation and inspiration of God, so that one of the apostles even says to us: you have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord. From where have we heard or from where have we seen, if not from this writing that came about according to the request of the righteous man and the cooperation of God? 170 19, 26 to raise up my skin that is enduring these things. May it be, he says, that God also raise up my skin that is enduring these things. And from this we are taught a most excellent ecclesiastical dogma, that the very body which endures the trials and torments is raised together with the soul, so that with it, it may also enjoy the eternal goods. For this reason he said 'that is enduring these things'; for it is not just for one thing to suffer, and another to be raised. 19, 2627 For from the Lord these things have been accomplished for me, which I know in myself, which my eye has seen and not another; and all things have been accomplished for me in my bosom. And all these things that I have asked, God alone is able to do, he who has brought such things upon me, which my soul alone knows. For no one is so aware of the evils nor is able to look upon them as I who am suffering. For in a way I have taken all the terrible things to my bosom and it is as if they have been joined to me and have clung to me. For 'bosom' is taken to mean that which is inseparable. For this reason also the only-begotten is said to be in the bosom of the Father because of the inseparability and consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. 171 19, 2829 But if you should say: what shall we say against him? and we shall find a root of the matter in him; But be you also ware of a covering, for wrath shall come upon the lawless, and then they shall know where their substance is. But you, he says, instead of words of comfort, consider among yourselves what contradictions you may find, and like those seeking roots you track my words, to see where you can catch me. Therefore be careful and do not, under the pretext of wishing to advocate for God, condemn me. For this is what 'of a covering' signifies, so that he might say: knowing nothing against me, you pretend to advocate for God. Be careful, therefore, lest the impartial God be justly angered against you, and then you will know that your substance is nothing. And by 'substance' he seems to mean either the mass of their words or their well-being from every side and the abundance of their wealth. For if, he says, God becomes angry, you will quickly be in no better state than I am. 172 CHAPTER FOURTEEN Beginning of the saying: But Zophar the Minaean, taking it up, says: I did not suppose that you would speak against these things in this way, and you do not understand more than I also. Preface to the chapter. Since Zophar himself had spoken many fine doctrines and the other friends had also spoken, he hoped that Job would no longer say anything in opposition. But when he saw him confident in his own righteousness and defending himself against all their words, being contrary to what was expected, he says: 'I did not suppose that you would speak against these things in this way.' Then he also says to his friends that: 'You do not understand what is said by yourselves and by Job as accurately as I do.' Nevertheless, I will say whatever my understanding dictates. Then he recounts the things concerning the impious, both what they do and what they suffer according to divine justice, and that their prosperity is no different from dreams, and that nothing goes with them from this life except their impiety. And having said many things that will happen to the impious, he said that this is the portion of the

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ἀέναός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκλύειν με μέλλων ἐπὶ γῆς. εὔχεται τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀνεξαλείπτῳ παραδοθῆναι γραφῇ. ὁμοιωματικῶς δὲ αὐτὸ εἶπεν ἀπὸ τοῦ τοὺς βουλομένους ὡς ὅτι μάλιστα ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διαμένειν τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα διὰ γραφίδος σιδηρᾶς ἐπὶ μολίβδου ἐντιθέναι τὰ γράμματα ταῖς στήλαις ἢ καὶ ταῖς πλαξὶν ἐγκολάπτειν. οἶδα γάρ, φησίν, ὅτι κἂν ἐγὼ ἐκλυθῶ, τουτέστιν τελευτήσω, ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς ἀεὶ διαμένει ὁ δυνάμενος καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν τελευτὴν δι' οἰκείας ἐπικρίσεως γνώριμα πᾶσι τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ καταστῆσαι, ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονε κατὰ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου αἴτησιν. καὶ οὐκ ἐστερήθησαν αἱ ἁγιώταται ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ τηλικούτου ἐν πειρασμοῖς παραδείγματος, ἀλλὰ ἀνεγράφη τὰ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Ἰώβ, εἴτε ὑπό τινος τῶν προφητῶν, ἢ καὶ ἁγίου τινὸς ἀνδρός, κατὰ θεοῦ μέντοι συνεργίαν καὶ ἐπίπνοιαν, ὡς καί τινα τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγειν ἡμῖν· τὴν ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε. πόθεν ἠκούσαμεν ἢ πόθεν εἴδομεν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου αἴτησιν καὶ θεοῦ συνεργίαν γενομένης συγγραφῆς; 170 19, 26 ἀναστήσαι τὸ δέρμα μου τὸ ἀναντλοῦν ταῦτα. γένοιτο δέ, φησίν, καὶ ἀναστῆσαι θεὸν τὸ δέρμα μου τὸ ἀναντλοῦν ταῦτα. δόγμα δὲ ἐντεῦθεν διδασκόμεθα ἐκκλησιαστικὸν καὶ κάλλιστον, ὅτι τὸ σῶμα τὸ καὶ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς ὑπομένον καὶ τὰς βασάνους αὐτὸ συνανίσταται τῇ ψυχῇ, ἵνα καὶ σὺν αὐτῇ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀπολαύσῃ καλῶν. διὰ τοῦτο εἶπε τὸ ἀναντλοῦν ταῦτα· οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον ἄλλο μὲν πάσχειν, ἄλλο δὲ ἀνίστασθαι. 19, 2627 παρὰ γὰρ κυρίου ταῦτά μοι συνετελέσθη, ἃ ἐγὼ ἐμαυτῷ συνεπίσταμαι, ἃ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακε καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος· πάντα δέ μοι συντετέλεσται ἐν κόλπῳ. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἃπερ ᾔτησα θεὸς καὶ μόνος δύναται ποιεῖν ὁ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτά μοι ἐπαγαγών, ἃ μόνη οἶδεν ἡ ἐμὴ ψυχή. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως συναισθάνεται τῶν κακῶν οὐδὲ ἐπιδεῖν δύναται ὡς ὁ πάσχων ἐγώ. πάντα γὰρ τὰ δεινὰ τρόπον τινὰ ἐνεκολπισάμην καὶ οἷον συνήνωνταί μοι καὶ συνεκολλήθησαν. ὁ γὰρ κόλπος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀχωρίστου λαμβάνεται. διὸ καὶ ὁ μονογενὴς ἐν κόλποις εἶναι λέγεται τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τὸ ἀχώριστον καὶ ὁμοούσιον υἱοῦ πρὸς πατέρα. 171 19, 2829 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐρεῖτε· τί ἐροῦμεν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ; καὶ ῥίζαν λόγου εὑρήσομεν ἐν αὐτῷ· εὐλαβήθητε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπὸ ἐπικαλύμματος, θυμὸς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνόμους ἐπελεύσεται, καὶ τότε γνώσονται, ποῦ ἐστιν αὐτῶν ἡ ὕλη. ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς, φησίν, ἀντὶ παρακλητικῶν λόγων κατ' ἰδίαν σκοπεῖτε, ποίας ἀντιλογίας εὕρητε, καὶ ὡς οἱ τὰς ῥίζας ἐπιζητοῦντες ἀνιχνεύετέ μου τοὺς λόγους, πόθεν μου λάβησθε. διὸ εὐλαβήθητε καὶ μὴ ἐν προσχήματι τοῦ θέλειν θεῷ συνηγορεῖν καταψηφίζεσθέ μου. τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ἀπὸ ἐπικαλύμματος, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· οὐδέν μοι συνειδότες σχηματίζεσθε θεῷ συνηγορεῖν. εὐλαβήθητε οὖν, μὴ ὁ ἀπροσωπόληπτος θεὸς δικαίως ὀργισθῇ καθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ τότε γνώσεσθε, ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἡ ὕλη. ὕλην δὲ ἔοικε λέγειν ἢ τὸν ὄχλον τῶν αὐτῶν ῥημάτων ἢ τὴν πανταχόθεν εὐπάθειαν καὶ τοῦ πλούτου τὴν περιουσίαν. ἐὰν γάρ, φησίν, θεὸς ὀργισθῇ, οὐδὲν κρεῖττον ἐμοῦ ταχέως διακείσεσθε. 172 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΤΕΣΣΑΡΕΣΚΑΙ∆ΕΚΑΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Σωφὰρ ὁ Μηναῖος λέγει· οὐχ οὕτως ὑπελάμβανον ἀντερεῖν σε ταῦτα καὶ οὐχὶ συνίετε μᾶλλον ἢ καὶ ἐγώ. Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου ὡς πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ δόγματα αὐτός τε εἰπὼν ὁ Σωφὰρ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν φίλων εἰρηκότων ἤλπιζε μὲν μηδὲν ἔτι τὸν Ἰὼβ ἀντιλέγειν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδεν αὐτὸν θαρροῦντα τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δικαίοις καὶ πάντας αὐτῶν τοὺς λόγους ἀμυνόμενον ἔξω τῶν ἐλπισθέντων γεγονὼς οὐχ οὕτως, φησίν, ὑπελάμβανον ἀντερεῖν σε ταῦτα. εἶτα καὶ πρὸς τοὺς φίλους φησὶν ὅτι· οὐχ οὕτως ἀκριβῶς κατανοεῖτε τοῖς ὑφ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν λεγομένοις καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ὥσπερ ἐγώ. πλὴν ἐρῶ, ὅσα ἡ σύνεσις ὑπαγορεύει. εἶτα καταλέγει τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, ἅ τε δρῶσι καὶ ἃ ὑπομένουσι κατὰ θείαν δίκην, καὶ ὅτι ὀνείρων τὰ κατὰ τὴν αὐτῶν εὐπραγίαν οὐδὲν διαφέρει καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς συνεξέρχεται ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ βίου, εἰ μὴ ἡ αὐτῶν ἀσέβεια. πολλὰ δὲ εἰρηκὼς τὰ τοῖς ἀσεβέσι συμβησόμενα ταῦτα ἔφη μερίδα εἶναι τῶν