63

what the all-powerful God will bring upon us, they obtained divine assistance and later their houses were filled with good things. But he says this, hinting that: you too, if you were righteous, you will not fail to receive God's help. Alternatively: Have you not known from the beginning about the ways of the wicked, which 196 ways of the wicked righteous men have trodden down? But these wicked ones also ended their life prematurely and have fallen from their foundations as if shaken down by a flood. For they were saying: What can God do to us? and yet, having received abundant good things from him, and though they should have given thanks, they uttered words of ingratitude. And in this sense, he strikes Job as one who has become ungrateful toward God and is for this reason being punished. 22, 18 But the counsel of the wicked is far from him. The counsels of these wicked men distance God from them, since the things they plan are far from God. 22, 19 The righteous saw and laughed, and the blameless one mocked them. If their substance has not vanished, even their remnant a fire shall consume. Seeing what did the righteous laugh? And at what did the blameless one mock? It is clear that it was the counsel of the wicked and the things that will happen to them, both the vanishing of their substance and the consumption by fire of what was left to them. 22, 21 But be hard, if you endure; then will your fruit be in good things? But if, he says, you harden your heart and plan defiant things against God, you will learn by experience how irresistible divine justice is, and you will not even have the fruit that comes in the enjoyment of good things, that is: children or those from them. 197 22, 22 But bring forth from his mouth a declaration, and take up his words in your heart. This means that: if you are righteous and worthy, be instructed by God and receive divine words in your heart, as later Jeremiah happened to hear: Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. Or he calls the declaration "confession," urging Job to repentance. Confess, therefore, he says, being taught this by God and making his words heartfelt. 22, 23 But if you turn back and humble yourself before the Lord, you have put injustice far from your dwelling. But if, he says, you repent and become humble before God, you have driven away all injustice from yourself. 22, 24 You will be placed on the ground upon a rock, and in a rock of the torrent of Sophir. Repenting, he says, you will be placed upon the earth in safety, which means: you will dwell safely on the earth. For this is what "on the ground upon a rock" signifies. And so also gold will flow to you, as you lie in safety, like a torrent of gold flowing from Souphir. Now Souphir is a place in which the finest gold and precious stones are found; and when translated into the Greek language, Souphir is interpreted as "most beautiful." And some have said that Souphir is Africa. Scripture uses this place when it speaks about wealth. 198 22, 25 Therefore the Almighty will be your helper against enemies, and he will render you pure like silver tried by fire. And after the cleansing through torments and the trial by fire through them and the confession, you will also have divine assistance; and you will shine forth, having become pure and unmixed with any evil, just like silver purified by fire. 22, 26 Then you will have confidence before the Lord, looking up to heaven cheerfully. that is, after the cleansing and the confession, having received help from God. 22, 27 And when you have prayed to him, he will hear you; and he will grant to you to pay your vows. But also God, becoming obedient to you, will himself strengthen you to bring your vows to completion. And by vows he means the promises to God; for whether we shall promise money to God, or fasting, or chastity, or whatever it may be, if he himself does not strengthen us, we are unable to bring the vows to completion. 22, 28 And he will restore to you a dwelling of righteousness, and upon your ways there will be light. And he will give back to you the way of life befitting a righteous person, and all your ways will be made prosperous, as you are guided by the divine light. 22, 29 And the reason is, that he humbled himself, and he will say: He acted proudly.

63

τί ἐπάξει ἡμῖν ὁ πάντα ἰσχύων θεός, ἔτυχον τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας καὶ ὕστερον ἐνεπλήσθησαν οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν ἀγαθῶν. λέγει δὲ τοῦτο αἰνιττόμενος ὅτι· καὶ σὺ ἐὰν ἦς δίκαιος, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείας οὐκ ἀποτεύξει. ἄλλως· μὴ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς περὶ τῶν ὁδῶν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἔγνως, ἅστινας 196 ὁδοὺς τῶν ἀσεβῶν κατεπάτησαν οἱ δίκαιοι ἄνδρες; οὗτοι δὲ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ἄωροι τὸν βίον ἐτελεύτησαν καὶ ἐκ θεμελίων καταπεπτώκασιν ὡς ὑπὸ πλημύρας κατασεισθέντες. ἔλεγον γάρ· τί ἡμῖν δύναται ποιῆσαι ὁ θεός; καίτοιγε ἀφθόνων ἀγαθῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχόντες καὶ δέον εὐχαριστεῖν ἀχαριστίας ἐφθέγγοντο ῥήματα. καὶ κατὰ ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἔννοιαν πλήττει τὸν Ἰὼβ ὡς ἀχάριστον πρὸς θεὸν γενόμενον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τιμωρούμενον. 22, 18 βουλὴ δὲ ἀσεβῶν πόρρω αὐτοῦ. τούτων τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὰ βουλεύματα μακρύνουσιν ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὸν θεόν, ἐπειδὴ μακράν εἰσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἃ βουλεύονται. 22, 19 ἰδόντες δίκαιοι ἐγέλασαν, ἄμεμπτος δὲ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτούς. εἰ μὴ ἠφάνισται ἡ ὑπόστασις αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν καταφάγεται πῦρ. τί ἰδόντες οἱ δίκαιοι κατεγέλασαν; τί δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄμεμπτος ἐμυκτήρισεν; εὔδηλον ὅτι τὴν βουλὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ τὰ αὐτοῖς συμβησόμενα τόν τε ἀφανισμὸν τῆς αὐτῶν ὑποστάσεως καὶ τὴν διὰ πυρὸς δαπάνην τῶν αὐτοῖς ὑπολελειμμένων. 22, 21 γενοῦ δὲ σκληρός, ἐὰν ὑπομείνῃς· εἶτα ὁ καρπός σου ἔσται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς; εἰ δὲ καί, φησίν, σκληρύνεις τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ ἀντίτυπα βουλεύσῃ πρὸς θεόν, τῇ πείρᾳ μαθήσῃ, ὡς ἀνυπόστατος ἡ θεία δίκη καὶ οὐδὲ καρπὸν ἕξεις ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσει γινόμενον, τουτέστιν· παῖδας ἢ τοὺς ἀπ' ἐκείνων. 197 22, 22 ἔκβαλε δὲ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐξηγορίαν, καὶ ἀνάλαβε τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου. τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος εἶ καὶ ἄξιος, ὑπαγορεύθητι παρὰ θεοῦ καὶ δέξαι θεῖα ῥήματα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὡς ὕστερον τυχὸν Ἰερεμίας ἤκουσεν· ἰδοὺ δέδωκα τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὸ στόμα σου. ἢ ἐξηγορίαν τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν λέγει προτρέπων εἰς μετάνοιαν τὸν Ἰώβ. ἐξομολόγησαι, τοίνυν φησίν, τοῦτο παρὰ θεοῦ διδασκόμενος καὶ ἐγκαρδίους τοὺς αὐτοῦ ποιούμενος λόγους. 22, 23 ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιστραφῇς καὶ ταπεινώσῃς σαυτὸν ἔναντι κυρίου, πόρρω ἐποίησας ἀπὸ διαίτης σου τὸ ἄδικον. ἐὰν δέ, φησίν, μετανοήσῃς καὶ γένῃ ταπεινὸς ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀπεδίωξας ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν. 22, 24 θήσεις ἐπὶ χώματι ἐν πέτρᾳ, καὶ ἐν πέτρᾳ χειμάρρου Σωφείρ. μετανοῶν, φησίν, τεθήσει ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ, ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀσφαλῶς οἰκήσεις τὴν γῆν. τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ἐπὶ χώματι ἐν πέτρᾳ. οὕτω δὲ καὶ χρυσὸς ἐπιρρεύσει σοι, κειμένῳ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀσφαλείᾳ, ὡς χείμαρρος χρυσοῦ ῥέων ἐκ Σουφείρ. Σουφεὶρ δέ ἐστι τόπος, ἐν ᾧ χρυσὸς κάλλιστος καὶ λίθοι τίμιοι γίνονται· καὶ μεταβαλλόμενον δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν τὸ Σουφεὶρ κάλλιστον ἑρμηνεύεται. τινὲς δὲ εἶπαν Σουφεὶρ τὴν Ἀφρικὴν εἶναι. κέχρηται τῷ τόπῳ ἡ γραφή, ὅτε περὶ πλούτου διαλέγεται. 198 22, 25 ἔσται οὖν σοι ὁ παντοκράτωρ βοηθὸς ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν, καθαρὸν δὲ ἀποδώσει σε ὥσπερ ἄργυρον πεπυρωμένον. μετὰ δὲ τὴν διὰ τῶν βασάνων κάθαρσιν καὶ τὴν δι' αὐτῶν πύρωσιν καὶ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ἕξεις καὶ τὴν θείαν ἐπικουρίαν· ἐκλάμψεις δὲ καθαρὸς γεγονὼς καὶ πάσης κακίας ἀμιγὴς ἴσα καὶ ἀργύρῳ διὰ πυρὸς κεκαθαρμένῳ. 22, 26 εἶτα παρρησιασθήσει ἔναντι κυρίου ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἱλαρῶς. μετὰ δὲ τὴν κάθαρσιν δηλονότι καὶ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ βοήθειαν λαβών. 22, 27 εὐξαμένου δέ σου πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰσακούσεταί σου· δώσει δέ σοι ἀποδοῦναι τὰς εὐχάς. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπήκοός σοι γινόμενος ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸς ἐνισχύσει σε εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν σου τὰς εὐχάς. εὐχὰς δὲ λέγει τὰς πρὸς θεὸν ὑποσχέσεις· καὶ γὰρ εἴτε χρήματα τῷ θεῷ ταξόμεθα εἴτε νηστείαν εἴτε ἁγνείαν εἴτε ὅτι δήποτε, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐνισχύσει, ἀδυνατοῦμεν εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τὰς εὐχάς. 22, 28 ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης, ἐπὶ δὲ ὁδοῖς σου ἔσται φῶς. καὶ ἀποδώσει σοι τὴν δικαίῳ πρέπουσαν διαγωγήν, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοί σου κατευοδωθήσονται ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου φωτὸς ποδηγουμένῳ. 22, 29 ἡ δὲ αἰτία, ὅτι ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν, καὶ ἐρεῖ· ὑπερηφανεύσατο.