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I might be delivered? Is not the time of my life short? Considering the time of immortal life and comparing it with the present life, he says: Is not the time of my life short, so that it were betteṛ not to have been born? But these things ... ... says ... ...as not ... cause of the birth here. Let me rest a little before I go whence I shall not return. He utters these things in the manner of a prayer. For the afflictions laid upon him were not small, nor did he bear the pains without feeling. For this was not courage_6_e6ous, 290 if he did not feel it. But he teaches that he endured by the power of God, through which things he prays thankfully. Paul also says these things: "not I, but the grace with me." But he wishes to be let alone "before I go whence I shall not return". Therefore, not on account of himself ..., but in order to instruct his friends he prayed these things, who considered those who endure hardships to be wicked, but those who are delivered, to be good. He wished to be fully assured ... the judgment concerning him. One must not think tḥat Job denies the rẹsurrection of the dead, but thụs ... .. "whence I shall not retur.." ...... concerning mọrtal life; for he knows that he will be raised incorruptible. to a la_6_e6nd dark and gloomy, to a land of everlasting darkness, where «there is no» light, nor to see the life of mortals. And being in pains the m»o»st courageous man preached concerning the age to come; thu»s» not denying the resurrection, he said, "before I go whence I shall not return." But a gloomy and dark land of eternal darkness, where there is no light nor life of mortals, he calls it, firṣt, the saint giving to himself the lesser things; for it was not fitting for him to say: 291 before I am in the "kingdom of the heavens" and in the land of yọur promises, O God ... .. he was ...less..... being. Then he wishes the hearers to ḅe taught concerning the judgment, that a correction for their deeds had not yet happened. But it should be not»e»d that the name of earth often also means a wicked mind. Aṇd by this is indicated "you have gone deep in your sitting" and "they shall go into the lower parts of the earth." .... they called the ..... .. upon the earthly. And this is fitting for those "who bear the image of the earthy." And the soul is often called earth, but when it has virtue, it is good, but when it is rocky and thorny, it is bad. But to those who love the pleasure in this life he says the striking words: "there is no light, nor to see the life of mortals." But Zophar the Minaean, taking him up, says: He that speaks much shall also hear in repl»y», or does the fine talker think he is righteous? Not having the proper reverence for the saint, they behaved more rashly toward him than was fitting, thinking that he spoke much, since they were ignorant of the 292 purpose of the things being announced. But speaking much is not judged from the mụltitude ọf words; for it happens that ... ... of the matters ... ... has; but when things are saịd in different ways which happens ... with fiv.. word ... ..... ...s. But using invective against him as one who speaks much, he adds also, "or does «the» fine talker think he is righteous," this being plausịble. For many of those who sin, stringing words from words, think to hide their sins by the plausibility of their words, wishing to conceal the gravity of what they have done; but such was not the righteous Job, who was borne witness to by God. Therefore, not rightly, as was said, did they behave towaṛd him, because they considered sịn to be the cause of the hardships brought upon him; on account of which error ... .. he hints to him that even if ... ..he went through the words ... ..., not fọr this reason is he righteous. Blessed is one born of a woman, of few days. He uses a plausible argument now, but he is lacking in the proper knowledge of the man. He says, therefore, that even if someone is a fine talker and through the plausibility of the words uttered by him 293 thinks himself to be righteous, yet he must know that he is of few days. And if ... ..... ..s someone

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ἀπηλλάγην; ἦ οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐστὶν ὁ χρόνος τοῦ βίου μου; τὸν τῆς ἀθανάτου ζωῆς χρόνον ἐννοῶν καὶ τοῦτον συνκρίνων τῇ παρούσῃ ζωῇ φησιν· οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐστὶν ὁ χρόνος τοῦ βίου μου, ὥστε βέλτιον̣ ἦν μὴ γεννηθῆναι; ταῦτα δὲ δ····· ···ν λέγει πα···ων····· ····ας μὴ ἐνδου̣··· αἰτια· τῆς ἐνταῦθα γενέσ̣εως. ἔασόν με ἀναπαύσασθαι μικρὸν πρὸ τοῦ με πορευθῆναι, ὅθεν οὐκ ἀναστρέφω. εὐχῆς τρόπῳ ταῦτα προφέρει. οὐ γὰρ αἱ ἐπικείμεναι ἀνίαι μικραὶ ἐτύγχανον οὐδ' ἀναισθήτως ἔφερεν τὰς ἀλγηδόνας. τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἀνδρ_6_ε6ῖον, 290 εἰ οὐκ ᾐσθάνετο. διδάσκει δέ, ὅτι θεοῦ δυνάμει ὑπέμεινεν, δι' ὧν εὔχεται εὐχαρίστως. ταῦτα καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· "οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις σὺν ἐμοί." θέλει δ' ἀνεθῆναι "πρὸ τοῦ πορευθῆναι, ὅθεν οὐκ ἀναστρέφει". οὔκουν διὰ τὸ ἑαυτὸν ····· ··, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ τοὺς φίλους παιδεῦσα̣ι̣ ταῦτα ηὔχετο, οἳ τοὺς μὲν ὑφισταμένους τὰ ἐπίπονα φαύλους ἐτίθεντο, τοὺς δ' ἀπαλλαττομένους σπουδαίους. ἐβούλετο πληροφορηθῆναι ······ τὸ περὶ α̣ὐτοῦ κρίμα. οὐ δεῖ λογίζεσθαι, ὅτ̣ι̣ ἀνα´̣στασιν νεκρῶν ἀναιρεῖ ὁ Ἰώβ, ἀλλ' οὕτ̣ω ····· ·· "ὅθεν οὐκ ἀναστρεφ··" ······ω̣ ι̣ν κατ' ἐ πίκηρον ζωήν· οἶδεν γάρ, ὅτι ἄφθαρτος ἀναστήσεται. εἰς γῆν σκοτ_6_ε6ινὴν καὶ γνοφεράν, εἰς γῆν σκότους αἰωνίου, οὗ «οὐ»κ ἔστιν φέγγος οὐδὲ ὁρᾶν ζωὴν βροτῶν. καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀλγηδόσιν τυγχάνων ὁ ἀνδρ»ε»ιότατος ἐκήρυττεν περὶ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος· οὕτω»ς» οὐκ ἀναιρῶν ἀνάστασιν ἔλεγεν τὸ "πρὸ τοῦ με πορευθῆναι, ὅθεν οὐκ ἀναστρέφω". γνοφερὰν δὲ καὶ σκοτεινὴν γῆν τοῦ σκότους αἰωνίου, ἔνθα φέγγος οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲ ζωὴ βροτῶν, φησὶν αὐτὴν πρῶτ̣ον μὲν τὰ ἐλάττονα διδοὺς ἑαυτῷ ὁ ἅγιος· οὐ γὰρ ἥρμοζεν λέγειν αὐτόν· 291 πρίν με εἶναι ἐν τῇ "βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν" καὶ τῇ ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις σ̣ου τοῦ θεοῦ γῇ ····· ·· ἐτύγχανεν ἐλαττ····· ····υτων τυγχάνουσιν̣. ἔπειτα βούλεται τοὺς ἀκούοντας π̣αιδευθῆναι περὶ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι οὔπω συνέβαινεν διόρθωσις ταῖς πράξεσιν. σημ»ε»ιωτέον δέ, ὅτι τὸ γῆς ὄνομα πολλάκις καὶ γνώμην τὴν φαύλην φησίν. του´̣τῳ δὲ δηλοῦται τὸ "ἐ βαθύνατε εἰς τὴν κάθισιν" καὶ τὸ "εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς". ···· ἐπεκαλεσαν το τα···ν̣····· ··ν ἐπὶ τῶν γεώδων. τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς "φοροῦσι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ" ἁρμόζει. λέγεται δὲ πολλάκις γῆ καὶ ἡ ψυχή, ἀλλ' ὅτε μὲν ἀρετὴν ἔχει, ἀγαθή, ὅτε δέ ἐστιν πετρώδης καὶ ἀκανθοφόρος, κακή. πρὸς τοὺς φιλοῦντας δὲ τὴν ἐν τῷ βίωι τούτῳ ἡδονὴν λέγει τὸ πληκτικόν· "οὐκ ἔστιν φέγγος οὐδὲ ὁρᾶν ζωὴν βροτῶν." ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Σωφὰρ ὁ Μιναῖος λέγει· ὁ τὰ πολλὰ λέγων καὶ ἀντακούσε»ται», ἢ καὶ ὁ εὔλαλος οἴεται εἶναι δίκαιος. οὐ τὴν καθήκουσαν εὐλάβειαν περὶ τὸν ἅγιον ἔχοντες θρασύτερον ἢ προσῆκεν αὐτῷ προσεφέροντο, πολλὰ λέγειν αὐτὸν οἰόμενοι, ἐπεὶ τὸν 292 σκοπὸν τῶν π̣ροσαγγελλομένων ἠγνόουν. κρίνεται δὲ τὸ πολλὰ λέγειν οὐκ ἐκ τ̣οῦ πλήθους τῶν̣ λόγων· ἔστιν γὰρ ὅτε ····· ······ τῶν πραγμάτων ····· ····· ἔχει· ἀλλ' ὅτε ἀλληνάλλως λεγο´̣μενα ὅπερ συμβαίνει ····· ··πεντε ῥήματι ασ····· ····· ·σιν. καταδρομῇ δὲ χρώμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς πολλὰ λέγοντα ἐπιφέρει καὶ τὸ "ἢ «ὁ» εὔλαλος οἴεται εἶναι δίκαιος", πιθα̣νὸν τυγχάνον. πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων λόγους ἐκ λόγων ἐξάπτ̣οντες οἴονται κρύπτειν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῇ πιθανότητι τῶν λόγων, ὑποκλέπτειν θέλοντες τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτοῖς τὴν χαλεπότητα· ἀλλ' οὐ τοιοῦτος ὁ δίκαιος Ἰὼβ πρὸς θεοῦ μαρτυρούμενος. οὐ καθηκόντως οὖν, ὡς ἐλέχθη, αὐτῷ προσεφ̣έροντο διὰ τὸ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ἐπαγομένων αὐτῷ ἐπιπόνων ἁμαρτίαν̣ λογίζεσθαι· δι' ἣν πλάνην ····· αἰνίττεται αὐτῷ, ὅτι εἰ καὶ ····· διεξε··· τοὺς λόγους ····· ··ι̣, οὐ δι̣ὰ τοῦτο δίκαιός ἐστιν. εὐλογημένος γεννητὸς γυναικὸς ὀλιγόβιος. πιθανῷ μὲν χρῆται λόγῳ νῦν, τῆς δὲ καθηκούσης γνώσεως τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀπολείπεται. λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι κἂν εὔλαλός τις ᾖ καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν λόγων τῶν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ προφερομένων πιθανότητος οἴ293 ηται δίκαιος εἶναι, ἀλλά γε γιγνώσκειν δεῖ αὐτόν, ὅτι ὀλιγόβιός ἐστιν. κἂν ····· ····· ·οις τις