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trusting in him he says that: trusting in you without my own power, I hope to see, that is, the good things. But Symmachus has rendered it thus: _b_e_c_a_u_s_e_ _I_ _h_a_v_e_ _u_n_d_e_r_t_a_k_e_n_ _a_n_ _u_t_t_e_r_a_n_c_e_ _t_o_w_a_r_d_ _G_o_d_,_ I will not refrain from speaking freely, you make it plain to me. And what Symmachus understood is this: since I have taken up the utterance on behalf of God, says Elihu, I am not holding back, but I am proceeding with my speech without hindrance. And if I do not speak well, you clarify, which means: refute the argument. 34, 32 if I have committed injustice, I will not do it again. Say then, he says, Job, if I speak unjustly, and I will add no more to what has been said. 34, 33 Shall he repay it from you, because you reject it? Are you going to pay the penalty for my words? Therefore do not reject, but refute what has been said. 34, 33 because you shall choose and not I. For it is yours to choose and to discern, whether I have spoken well or badly, not mine who has spoken. 34, 33 and what you have known, speak. If then you know anything more, answer. 297 34, 34 Therefore the understanding of heart will say these things, and a wise man has heard my word. Since Job was silent, Elihu confirms his own words and says that: These things, which I have said to you, other understanding men will also say to you, and, if any man is wise and praiseworthy, he hears my words. 34, 35 But Job did not speak his words with understanding, not with knowledge. There is knowledge in words, when someone, paying attention to what he is about to say, brings forth his words with understanding, making his inquiries and answers in a praiseworthy manner. You, therefore, he says, have spoken without understanding and without knowledge, rashly and at random. 34, 3637 But nevertheless learn, Job, do not give an answer again like the foolish, so that we may not add to our sins, and lawlessness will be reckoned to us for speaking many words before the Lord. Since sin will not be escaped through a multitude of words, Elihu advises Job not to speak much, nor like his friends to at one time contradict, and at another to agree and to make many and rambling discourses about the same things. For this is characteristic of the foolish, and especially one must not say these things when speaking about God. For I, he says, am cautious in my words, lest for what we speak we should also render an account 298 to the righteous judge and to the sins from works add those from words; and if we have also transgressed in words, let us not say the same things again, so that we do not add second sins to the first. For he seems to say this to Job: You have once spoken incorrectly; do not bring forth such words again, so that we may not add to our sins. 299 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH Beginning of the passage: And Elihu answered and said: What is this you think in judgment? Who are you that you said: I am righteous before God? Introduction to the chapter Having previously discussed the discipline of God which turns back sinners, and then also the punishment which destroys the unjust, Elihu now introduces the discourse concerning the long-suffering and magnificence of God, censuring Job for what he said: If I have sinned, what can I do to you? and for his wish to be judged by God. The phrases 35, 2 What is this you think in judgment? Or does he mean this: What have you considered concerning the judgments of God? As if you were able to comprehend these things? Or: What did you consider, wanting to be judged by God. 35, 2 Who are you that you said: I am righteous before the Lord? How did you dare to declare yourself righteous before God? So Elihu understood Job to have spoken thus; but he in no way declared himself sinless, but that according to all his power he kept righteousness. For concerning the sins in transgressions and unintentional ones 300 he himself confesses to be guilty of these, saying in one place: But I have marked if I unwillingly transgressed anything, and in another: But if, sinning willingly, I have hidden my sin. 35, 3 Or will you say: What shall I do, having sinned? But you ought not, he says, to have said: What shall I do, having sinned? For you knew what you ought to do: to abstain from sin, to weep, to repent, to beseech God to grant you amnesty for your transgressions. Elihu, therefore, according to his own understanding, counsels Job well, but the blessed Job spoke with a better understanding: But if also

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πεποιθὼς αὐτῷ λέγει ὅτι· χωρὶς τῆς ἐμῆς δυνάμεώς σοι πιστεύων ἐλπίζω ὄψεσθαι, δηλονότι τὰ ἀγαθά. ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐκδέδωκεν· _ὅ_τ_ι_ _π_ρ_ὸ_ς_ _θ_ε_ὸ_ν_ _ῥ_ῆ_σ_ι_ν_ _ἀ_ν_έ_λ_α_β_ο_ν_,_ οὐκ ἐφέξω ἀκωλύτως, σὺ διασάφησόν μοι. ὃ δὲ ἐνόησεν ὁ Σύμμαχος, τοῦτό ἐστιν· ἐπειδὴ τὴν ὑπὲρ θεοῦ ῥῆσιν ἀνέλαβον, φησὶν ὁ Ἐλιούς, οὐκ ἐπέχω, ἀλλὰ ἀκωλύτως ἐπεξέρχομαι τῷ λόγῳ. εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς λέγω, σὺ διασάφησον, ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἔλεγξον τὸν λόγον. 34, 32 εἰ ἀδικίαν εἰργασάμην, οὐ μὴ προσθήσω. εἰπὲ οὖν, φησίν, Ἰώβ, εἰ ἀδίκως λαλῶ, καὶ οὐ προσθήσω τοῖς εἰρημένοις. 34, 33 μὴ παρὰ σοῦ ἀποτίσει αὐτήν, ὅτι σὺ ἀπώσῃ; μὴ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων σὺ τὰς δίκας ἀποτῖσαι μέλλεις; οὐκοῦν μὴ ἀπώσῃ, ἀλλὰ διέλεγξον τὰ εἰρημένα. 34, 33 ὅτι σὺ ἐκλέξῃ καὶ οὐκ ἐγώ. σὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἐκλέξασθαι καὶ διευκρινῆσαι, πότερον καλῶς ἢ κακῶς ἐλάλησα, οὐκ ἐμοῦ τοῦ εἰρηκότος. 34, 33 καὶ τί ἔγνως, λάλησον. εἰ οὖν τι πλέον γνωρίζεις, ἀπόκριναι. 297 34, 34 διὸ συνετοὶ καρδίας ἐροῦσι ταῦτα, ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἀκήκοέ μου τὸ ῥῆμα. ὡς τοῦ Ἰὼβ σιωπήσαντος κυροῖ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ λόγους ὁ Ἐλιοὺς καί φησιν ὅτι· ταῦτα, ἅπερ εἶπον πρὸς σέ, καὶ ἄλλοι συνετοὶ λέξουσί σοι καί, εἴ τις ἀνὴρ σοφὸς ἐπαινετός, τῶν ἐμῶν ἀκούει λόγων. 34, 35 Ἰὼβ δὲ οὐκ ἐν συνέσει ἐλάλησε τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ. ἔστιν ἐν λόγοις ἐπιστήμη, ὅταν τις ἐφιστὰς οἷς μέλλει λέγειν μετὰ συνέσεως προφέρῃ τοὺς λόγους, ἐπαινετῶς τὰς πεύσεις καὶ ἀποκρίσεις ποιούμενος. σὺ οὖν, φησίν, ἀσυνέτως καὶ ἀνεπιστημόνως, εἰκῇ καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε λελάληκας. 34, 3637 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μάθε, Ἰώβ, μὴ δῷς ἔτι ἀνταπόκρισιν ὥσπερ οἱ ἄφρονες, ἵνα μὴ προσθῶμεν ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, ἀνομία δὲ ἐφ' ἡμῖν λογισθήσεται πολλὰ λαλούντων ῥήματα ἐναντίον κυρίου. ἐπειδὴ ἐκ πολυλογίας οὐκ ἐκφεύξεται ἁμαρτία, συμβουλεύει τῷ Ἰὼβ ὁ Ἐλιοὺς μὴ πολυλογεῖν μηδὲ ὥσπερ οἱ φίλοι ποτὲ μὲν ἀντιλέγειν, ποτὲ δὲ συντίθεσθαι καὶ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν πολλὰς ποιήσασθαι τὰς διαλέξεις καὶ πεπλανημένας. τοῦτο γὰρ ἀφρόνων ἴδιον, καὶ μάλιστα οὐ χρὴ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν, ὅταν περὶ θεοῦ τις λαλῇ. ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, εὐλαβοῦμαι ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, μὴ καὶ περὶ ὧν λαλοῦμεν λόγον 298 ὑφέξωμεν τῷ δικαίῳ κριτῇ καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐξ ἔργων ἁμαρτίας τὰς ἐκ λόγων προσθήσωμεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν λόγοις ἐπλημμελήσαμεν, μὴ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ φθεγξώμεθα, ἵνα μὴ ταῖς προτέραις καὶ δευτέρας προσθήσωμεν ἁμαρτίας. τοῦτο γὰρ ἔοικε λέγειν τῷ Ἰὼβ ὅτι· ἅπαξ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐλάλησας· μὴ καὶ εἰσαῦθις τοιούτους ἐπαγάγῃς λόγους, ἵνα μὴ προσθήσωμεν ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν. 299 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΕΙΚΟΣΤΟΝ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἐλιοὺς λέγει· τί τοῦτο ἡγήσω ἐν κρίσει; σὺ τίς εἶ ὅτι εἶπας· δίκαιός εἰμι ἔναντι τοῦ θεοῦ; Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου προδιεξελθὼν ὁ Ἐλιοὺς περὶ παιδείας θεοῦ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐπιστρεφούσης, εἶτα καὶ κολάσεως ὀλοθρευούσης τοὺς ἀδίκους, νῦν τὸν περὶ μακροθυμίας τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον εἰσάγει καὶ μεγαλοπρεπείας μεμφόμενος τῷ Ἰὼβ ἐφ' οἷς ἔλεγεν· εἰ ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον, τί σοι δύναμαι ποιῆσαι καὶ ἐφ' οἷς ἠθέλησε κριθῆναι πρὸς θεόν. Αἱ λέξεισ 35, 2 τί τοῦτο ἡγήσω ἐν κρίσει; ἢ τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι· τί ἐλογίσω περὶ τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ; ἆρα ὡς δυνάμενος ταῦτα καταλαβεῖν; ἢ ὅτι· τί ἐλογίσω πρὸς θεὸν θέλων κριθῆναι. 35, 2 σὺ τίς εἶ ὅτι εἶπας· δίκαιός εἰμι ἔναντι κυρίου; πῶς ἐτόλμησας δίκαιον σαυτὸν ἀποφῆναι ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ; ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἐλιοὺς οὕτως ὑπέλαβεν εἰρηκέναι τὸν Ἰώβ· οὐδαμῶς δὲ ἀπεφήνατο ἑαυτὸν ἀναμάρτητον, ἀλλ' ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην ἐφύλαξεν. περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐν παραπτώμασιν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ ἀκουσίων 300 καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμολογεῖ τούτοις ἔνοχος εἶναι, ποῖ μὲν λέγων· ἐπεσημήνω δέ, εἴ τι ἄκων παρέβην, ποῖ δέ· εἰ δὲ ἁμαρτὼν ἑκουσίως ἔκρυψα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου. 35, 3 ἢ ἐρεῖς· τί ποιήσω ἁμαρτών; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὤφειλες, φησίν, εἰπεῖν· τί ποιήσω ἁμαρτών; οἶδας γάρ, ὃ ποιεῖν ὤφειλες· ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δακρύειν, μετανοεῖν, ἱκετεύειν τὸν θεὸν ἀμνηστίαν σοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων παρασχεῖν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἐλιοὺς πρὸς τὴν διάνοιαν ἑαυτοῦ καλῶς συμβουλεύει τῷ Ἰώβ, ὁ δὲ μακάριος Ἰὼβ κρείττονι διανοίᾳ ἔλεγεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ