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if ever the earth groaned because of me, 38b or if its furrows wept together with one accord, 31,39a if I alone ate its strength without payment, 39b or if I have vexed the soul of the owner of the land by casting it out, 31,40a let nettles grow for me instead of wheat, 40b and a thornbush instead of barley. “I made,” he says, “each of those in need my house-mate, I offered them to share my roof, not simply †seeing† them in the marketplace. I held my house in common, my table in common, all things in common. I considered myself to be a steward for those who were in need, not thinking my things my own, but my things the master's. The Lord has given, therefore let it be distributed to my fellow servants.” It was a measured portion of grain; for he did not just serve them by receiving them, but also provided provisions against subsequent poverty, so that they might not only be pleased by the present comfort, 166 but also delight in the hope of future things. But we drive them away, even those in authority. And behold, he does not say what he gave, but even in his necessity he conceals his good deeds, he restrains his praises. He did not go out, he says, from my door with an empty bosom. If I had not feared the hand of the Lord. “I was not doing these things simply, but looking to God, not by nature,” he says, “being simply merciful, but because of the fear of God. No one can say that while I was succeeding in these things, I was lifted up and was confident, but just as those who are conscious of their own sins, so I always feared and trembled before God.” “Every unjust bond I have torn apart. I did not adorn myself, but I tore the bond”—but the phrase *putting it on my shoulders* alludes to certain people who adorn themselves with others’ misfortunes— “and I did not simply give it back, but first made it void by tearing it. Every,” he says, “unjust bond I have torn apart.” Or if ever the earth groaned because of me or its furrows wept together with one accord. And yet the earth neither groans nor weeps. What then does he say? Not that it groans, but that even inanimate things are sensible of injustices, just as the prophet also says: *the earth was astonished and shuddered*. And the earth groans when we do injustice to its fruits. 31,40c And Job, he says, ceased from speaking, 32,1a and his three friends were also silent. To these things they said nothing. Job indeed was silent, giving them opportunity to speak; but since he had called God as a witness and cursed himself, they were silenced. 167

32,1a Job, he says, spoke further: 1b for he was righteous in their sight.

They changed the verdict which they previously held, so as to be compelled henceforth to condemn God and vote against him. See the excess of both; they condemned both this man and God and they voted against them both. But God says nothing on his own behalf, but on behalf of Job; he lets go of what is his own—for he attended to the thought—but concerning Job he says, that “you have not spoken well against my servant,” and yet God himself is the one most wronged of all. But he does not put forward his own cause, but that on behalf of that man, and says that they must make propitiation and offer sacrifices. 32,2a But Elihu, he says, the son of Barachel the Buzite, was angry with wrath, 2b of the kindred of Aram of the country of Ausitis, 2c and he was angry with wrath against Job, 2d because he declared himself righteous before the Lord. 32,3a And he was exceedingly angry against his three friends, 3b because they were not able to answer in opposition to Job 3c and they had supposed him to be impious. He was not angry because he declared himself righteous, but because it was before the Lord, since he called him as a witness, or because he was pleading his case as if against God. For to justify oneself is no great thing, but to do this as one pleading one's case against God, this is out of place. Do not justify, it says, yourself before the Lord. And yet these also were angry for this reason and said: For shall a mortal be righteous before the Lord? What more then did this man have? For they too were making the same charge. But if this is true, it is the utmost impiety of Job, if he considered himself to be more righteous than God. What then happened? He did not think this. For Elihu supposed this, but not with such

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ἐπ' ἐμοί ποτε ἡ γῆ ἐστέναξεν, 38b εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ αὔλακες αὐτῆς ἔκλαυσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν, 31,39a εἰ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἔφαγον ἄνευ τιμῆς μόνος, 39b εἰ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴν κυρίου τῆς γῆς ἐκβαλὼν ἐλύπησα, 31,40a ἀντὶ πυροῦ ἐξέλθοι μοι κνίδη, 40b ἀντὶ δὲ κριθῆς βάτος. «ὁμωρόφιον», φησίν, «ἐποιούμην ἕκαστον τῶν δεομένων, τῆς στέγης κοινωνεῖν παρεῖχον οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς †ὁρῶν†. κοινὴν ἐκεκτήμην τὴν οἰκίαν, κοινὴν τὴν τράπεζαν, ἅπαντα κοινά. οἰκονόμος τις εἶναι ἐνόμιζον τῶν ἐν χρείᾳ καθεστηκότων, οὐκ ἐμὰ τὰ ἐμὰ ἡγούμενος, ἀλλὰ δεσποτικὰ τὰ ἐμά. ὁ κύριος ἔδωκεν, οὐκοῦν διανεμέσθω τοῖς συνδούλοις.» σιτομέτριον ἦν· οὐ γὰρ ἐθεράπευεν αὐτοὺς ὑποδεχόμενος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφόδια τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα πενίας παρεῖχεν, ὥστε μὴ τῇ παρούσῃ μόνον ἡσθῆναι παραμυθίᾳ, 166 ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδι τρυφᾶν. ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ προϊσταμένους ἀπελαύνομεν. καὶ ὅρα, οὐ λέγει, ὅπερ ἐδίδου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ συγκρύπτει τὰ κατορθώματα, περιστέλλει τὰ ἐγκώμια. οὐκ ἐξῆλθεν, φησίν, τὴν θύραν μου κόλπῳ κενῷ. χεῖρα δὲ κυρίου εἰ μὴ ἐδεδοίκειν. «οὐχ ἁπλῶς ταῦτα ἐποίουν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὁρῶν, οὐχὶ φύσει», φησίν, «ἁπλῶς ἐλεήμων ὤν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον. οὐκ ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν κατώρθουν, ἐπαιρόμενος δὲ ἤμην καὶ ἐθάρρουν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς ἁμαρτήματα οὕτως ἀεὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐφοβούμην καὶ ἔτρεμον.» «πᾶσαν συγγραφὴν ἄδικον διέσπασα. οὐκ ἐκαλλωπιζόμην, ἀλλὰ διέρρησσον τὴν συγγραφὴν»-τὸ δὲ περιθέμενος ἐπ' ὤμων αἰνίττεταί τινας ταῖς ἀλλοτρίαις ἐγκαλλωπιζομένους συμφοραῖς- «καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀπεδίδουν, ἀλλὰ πρότερον ποιῶν ἐξησθενημένην τῷ διαρρῆξαι. πᾶσαν», φησίν, «συγγραφὴν ἄδικον διέσπασα.» εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπ' ἐμοί ποτε ἡ γῆ ἐστέναξεν ἢ οἱ αὔλακες αὐτῆς ἔκλαυσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν. καὶ μὴν οὔτε στενάζει ἡ γῆ οὔτε κλαίει. τί οὖν φησιν; οὐχ ὡς ἐκείνης στεναζούσης, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις καὶ τῶν ἀψύχων αἰσθανομένων, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησίν· ἡ γῆ ἐξέστη καὶ ἔφριξεν. στενάζει δὲ ἡ γῆ, ὅταν ἀδικῶμεν αὐτῆς τοὺς καρπούς. 31,40c καὶ ἐπαύσατο, φησίν, ˉ̓Ιὼβ ῥήμασιν, 32,1a ἡσύχασαν δὲ καὶ οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι αὐτοῦ. πρὸς ταῦτα οὐδὲν εἶπον ἐκεῖνοι. ἡσύχασε μὲν ὁ Ἰὼβ διδοὺς αὐτοῖς λόγον εἰπεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐκάλεσε μάρτυρα καὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐπηράσατο, ἐπεστομίσθησαν. 167

32,1a ἔτι ἀντεῖπεν, φησίν, ˉ̓Ιώβ· 1b ἦν γὰρ δίκαιος ἐναντίον αὐτῶν.

μετέθεντο τὴν ψῆφον, ἣν πρότερον εἶχον, ὡς ἀναγκασθῆναι λοιπὸν καταδικάσαι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ καταψηφίσασθαι. ὅρα ἑκατέραν ἀμετρίαν· καὶ τοῦτον καὶ τὸν θεὸν κατεδίκασαν καὶ ἀμφοτέρων κατεψηφίσαντο. ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ μὲν ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν φησιν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ Ἰώβ· τὸ μὲν ἑαυτοῦ ἀφίησιν-τῇ γὰρ διανοίᾳ προσέσχεν-περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἰώβ φησιν, ὅτι «οὐ καλῶς ἐφθέγξασθε κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου», καίτοι ὁ μάλιστα πάντων ἠδικημένος αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεός. ἀλλ' οὐ τίθησι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου, καί φησι δεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐξιλεώσασθαι καὶ θυσίας προσενεγκεῖν. 32,2a ὠργίσθη δέ, φησίν, θυμῷ ˉ̓Ελιοῦς ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιὴλ ὁ τοῦ Βουζὶ 2b ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας ˉ̓Αρὰμ τῆς Αὐσίτιδος χώρας, 2c καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ τῷ ˉ̓Ιώβ, 2d διότι ἀπέφηνεν ἑαυτὸν δίκαιον ἔναντι κυρίου. 32,3a καὶ κατὰ τῶν τριῶν δὲ αὐτοῦ φίλων ὠργίσθη σφόδρα, 3b διότι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν ἀποκριθῆναι ἀντίθετα τῷ Ἰὼβ 3c καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν εἶναι ἀσεβῆ. οὐχ ὅτι ἀπέφηνεν ἑαυτὸν δίκαιον ὠργίσθη, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἔναντι κυρίου, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸν ἐκάλει μάρτυρα, ἢ ὅτι ὡς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν δικαζόμενος. τὸ μὲν γὰρ δικαιῶσαι ἑαυτὸν οὐδὲν μέγα, τὸ δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν δικαζόμενον τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, τοῦτο ἄτοπον. μὴ δικαιοῦ, γάρ φησιν, σεαυτὸν ἔναντι κυρίου. καὶ μὴν καὶ οὗτοι διὰ τοῦτο ὠργίζοντο καὶ ἔλεγον· μὴ γὰρ ἔσται βροτὸς δίκαιος ἔναντι κυρίου; τί οὖν οὗτος πλέον ἔσχεν; καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τὸ αὐτὸ ἐνεκάλουν. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀληθές, ἐσχάτης ἀσεβείας τοῦ Ἰώβ, εἰ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιότερον ἑαυτὸν ἐνόμισεν εἶναι. τί οὖν ἐγένετο; οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἐνόμιζεν. τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ὑπέλαβεν Ἐλιοῦς, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τοιαύτῃ