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he says according to, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." For when they were darkness, being in ignorance, they were a shadow of death. But when he enlightened them after they repented, then from the shadow of death he brought them out, so that it might be said of them, "among whom you shine like lights in the world," who, "putting away falsehood," which is "darkness," "speak the truth," which #6is light. misleading nations and destroying #6them. "Deceit" is a homonym. For deception is also called deceit, and lawlessness is also called so, according to what is said: "and they became wanderers among the nations." But God misleads, not doing this unprofitably, but drawing one away from wickedness. 335 And if he calls "to give them over to a depraved mind" misleading, he does not do this unprofitably either, as one can hear the Lord saying: "behold, I will mislead her," which is: since she turns to evil things, caring for her salvation he turns her aside, instead of the soul that prospers in evils. But he turns her aside by instilling in her a useful delusion. In the same way also, it is said that he destroys the wicked, either by subjecting the evil person to punishment or by destroying through conversion his inclination toward evil. In both ways, therefore, God destroys the nations, either by punishing them or by destroying their wickedness. Thus also "he has come to seek and to save that which was lost#6". Subduing nations and guiding #6them. Among those who posit providence and say God governs all things, a difference is brought forth: for some say that God governs the universal, but not the particulars; but we say this as well. And they use such an example: the market inspector, they say, provides for the city, makes the goods for sale plentiful, but the other administration he does not provide 336 ... ... ... to the people of the city. ... and concerning the creator, they say that he creates the genera of beings, but not the particulars. But we say this too, hearing, "for you created me" and "your hands have formed me and made me" and "before I formed you in the womb, I knew you," which they apply to the manner of creation, not to this or that person, being mistaken. "To subdue," therefore, indicates this; for this word is also used for those enrolled in the state. what he says is that by God's providence all things are ... well and in an orderly manner, and he does this for the particulars; for this is especially indicated by "guiding them." But indeed, I will speak to the Lord, and I will argue before him, #6if he wishes. Having accused them as being mistaken, he says, "I will speak to the Lord," showing his own confidence. And "I argue before him" instead of "I prove my own case, if he hypothetically wished it; for I know that he himself knows the cause of the affliction." Similar to this is, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?" and "but it is the Lord who judges me." 337 Not of a small ... ... ... but of a perfect man and as God testified in the beginning, "righteous and blameless," is the saying "I will speak to the Lord" and "I will argue before him, if he wishes." For without his will to do such #6a thing is not lawful. But you are worthless #6physicians, and healers of evil, all of you. A worthless physician, in the common sense, is one who applies other remedies to the sick than those that are beneficial. And this happens in two ways, either from the physician's inexperience or from malice. But these men who are being refuted said to Job out of ignorance rather than wickedness, "You suffer because of sins," thinking they were offering words of comfort, being worthless, therefore, because of their ignorance of the cause. And "healers of evil, all of you" he might be #6saying against those who think great things of themselves as being able to heal the circumstantial things that happen to others. Would that you were deaf, and it will be#6come wisdom for you. He prays for them to have knowledge of the right times when they ought to speak and when they ought to be silent, having recognized that they are mistaken; for this will become for them a beginning and prelude of wisdom. For if they were to learn that it is also possible to be afflicted in another way for the sake of

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λέγει κατὰ τὸ "ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν κυρίῳ". ὅτε γὰρ σκότος ἦσαν ἐν ἀγνοία ὄντες, σκιὰ θανάτου ἐτύγχανον. ὅτε δὲ μεταγνόντας ἐφώτισεν, τότε ἀπὸ τῆς σκιᾶς τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοὺς ἐξήγαγεν, ἵνα λεχθῇ περὶ αὐτῶν· "ἐν οἷς ἐστε ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ," οἵτινες "ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος", ὅ ἐστιν «σκότος», "ἀλήθειαν λαλοῦσιν", ὅπερ #6ὑπάρχει φῶς. πλανῶν ἔθνη καὶ ἀπολλύων #6αὐτά. ἡ πλάνη ὁμώνυμός ἐστιν. λέγεται γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη πλάνη, λέγεται καὶ ἡ ἀνομία, κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον· "καὶ ἐγένοντο πλανῆται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν." πλανᾷ δὲ θεὸς οὐκ ἀσυμφόρως τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας ἀποσπῶν. 335 εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ "π̣αραδοῦναι εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν" πλανᾶν λέγει, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀσυμφόρως ποιεῖ, ὡς ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι λε´̣γοντος τοῦ κυρίου· "ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πλανῶ αὐτήν", ὅ ἐστιν· ἐπεὶ ἐπὶ τὰ κακ̣ὰ τρέπεται, τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιμελούμενος αὐτῆς διαστρέφει α̣ὐτήν, ἀντὶ τοῦ τὴν εὐοδουμένην ἐν κακοῖς ψυχήν. διαστρέφει̣ δὲ πλάνην χρησίμην αὐτῇ ἐντιθείς. τῷ δ' αὐτῷ τρόπῳ καὶ α̣ὐτὸν τὸν φαῦλον ἢ κολάσει ὑπ̣ο̣βάλλων ἢ διὰ ἐπιστροφ̣ῆς ἀπο̣λλύων τὴν ἐπὶ κακὰ αὐτοῦ ἕξ̣ιν ἀπολλύειν τοὺς φαύλους λέγεται. ἑκατέρως οὖν ὁ θεὸς ἀπόλλυσιν τὰ ἔθνη ἢ τ̣ιμ̣ωρούμενος αὐτὰ ἢ ἀπολλύων τὴν κακίαν αὐτῶν. οὕτω καὶ "ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολω#6λὸς ἐλήλυθεν". καταστρωννύων ἔθνη καὶ καθοδηγῶν #6αὐτά. τῶν τιθεμένων πρόνο̣ι̣αν καὶ λεγόντων θ̣εὸν διοικεῖν τὰ ὅλα διαφορὰ φε´̣ρεται· οἱ μὲν γὰρ λέγουσι τὸ καθόλου διοικεῖν θεόν, οὐ μὴν τὰ καθ' ἕκαστα· ἡ μεῖς δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγομεν. χρῶνται δὲ καὶ παραδείγματι τοιούτῳ· ὁ ἀγορανόμος, φασίν, προνοεῖται τῆς πόλεως, τὰ ὤνια δαψιλῆ ποιεῖ, τὴν ἄλλην διοίκησιν οὐ μέντοι φερε 336 ····· ····· ···· τῷ δήμῳ τῆς πόλεως. ····· και`̣ περὶ δημιουργοῦ φασιν ἐκεῖνοι, ὅτι τὰ γένη τῶν ὄντων δημιουργεῖ, οὐ μέντοι τὰ καθ' ἕκαστα. ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγομεν ἀκούοντες τοῦ "ὅτι σὺ ἐποίησάς με" καὶ "αἱ χεῖρές σου ἔπλασάν με καὶ ἐποίησάν με" καὶ "πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε", ὃ ἐκεῖνοι φέρουσι̣ν ἐπ̣ὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς πλάσεως̣, οὐ μὴν τόνδε ἢ τόνδε σφαλλόμενοι. τὸ «καταστρωννύειν» οὖν τοῦτο δηλοῖ· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ λέξις καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐνγραφομένων τῇ πολιτείᾳ παραλαμβάνεται. ὃ λέγει ἐστὶν ὅτι προνοίᾳ θεου῀̣ εὖ καὶ τεταγμένως ἅπαντα ···εῖται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστα τοῦτο ποιῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῦται μάλιστα ἐκ τοῦ "καθοδηγῶν αὐτά". οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλ' ἐγὼ πρὸς κύριον λαλήσω, ἐλέγξω δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, #6ἐὰν βούληται. αἰτιασάμενος αὐτοὺς ὡς σφαλλομένους φησὶν ὅτι "πρὸς κύριον λαλήσω" τὸ εὐπαρησίαστον ἑαυτοῦ δεικνύς. τὸ δὲ "ἐλέγχω ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ" ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἀποδείκνυμι τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτόν, εἰ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ἤθελεν· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι αὐτὸς τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς κακώσεως ἐπίσταται». ὅμοιον τούτῳ τὸ "ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω ἢ θεόν;" καὶ τὸ "ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με κύριός ἐστιν". 337 οὐ μικροῦ δὲ ····· ····· ····· ἀλλὰ τελείου καὶ ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐμαρτύρησεν "δικαίου καὶ ἀμέμπτου" τὸ λέγειν "πρὸς κύριον λαλήσω" καὶ τὸ "ἐλέγξω δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν βούληται". χωρὶς γὰρ τῆς αὐτοῦ βουλήσεως ποιῆσαι τοιοῦτό #6τι οὐ θεμιτόν. ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε ἰατροὶ #6ἄδικοι καὶ ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες. ἄδικος ἰατρός ἐστι κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον ὁ ἄλλα βοηθήματα παρὰ τὰ συμφέροντα προσάγων τοῖς κάμνουσιν. διττῶς δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται, ἢ ἐξ ἀπειρίας τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἢ κακοηθείας. οὗτοι δὲ οἱ ἐλεγχόμενοι ἔλεγον ἐξ ἀμαθίας μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκ κακουργίας τῷ Ἰὼβ ὅτι «δι' ἁμαρτήματα πάσχεις», οἰόμενοι παρακλήσεως προσάγειν λόγους, ἄδικοι οὖν κατὰ τὸ ἀγνοεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν. τὸ δὲ "ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες" εἴη ἂν #6λέγων κατὰ τῶν οἰομένων μεγάλα περὶ ἑαυτῶν ὡς δυναμένων ἰάσασθαι τὰ περιστατικῶς ἑτέροις συμβαίνοντα. εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι, καὶ ἀπο#6βήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς σοφίαν. εὔχεται αὐτοὺς καιρῶν ἐπιστήμην ἔχειν ὅτε δεῖ λαλοῦντας καὶ ὅτε δεῖ σιωπῶντας, ἐγνωκότας ὅτι σφάλλονται· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῖς σοφίας ἀρχὴ καὶ προοίμιον γενήσεται. εἰ γὰρ μάθοιεν, ὅτι ἔστι καὶ ἑτέρως θλίβεσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ