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to be judged, when you are not even able to praise him worthily? 35, 15 and now he is not visiting his anger and he did not know very much about the transgression. For this reason, therefore, since he does not continually visit with the anger owed to the unjust, but as if one who is ignorant does not severely punish our transgressions, men take his forbearance and long-suffering for contempt. But to say "and now" showed that even if he does not punish immediately, yet he will one day render to each what is deserved. 35, 16 And Job opens his mouth in vain, in ignorance he makes his words heavy. 304 Not understanding, he says, Job the majesty of God and his long-suffering and his incomprehensible judgments, and that a man is not even able to praise God worthily, much less to be judged by him, he utters heavy and unseemly words. And Elihu well neither condemns Job as suffering {indeed} because of impiety, but also rightly esteems the things concerning God's magnificence and forbearance, yet he neither understood the mind from which Job brought forth his words, nor did he know the cause of the incurable evils into which the just man has fallen. 305 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH Beginning of the saying: And Elihu added, saying further: Wait for me a little longer, that I may teach you; for there is yet speech in me. Preface to the chapter here Elihu teaches about the justice of God which allots to each according to his worth, and about magnificent power and incomprehensible wisdom; and he frames his argument concerning His incomprehensible wisdom from the things that happen in the air, both storms and thunder, and from the wild beasts and the cattle, how some work by day, and have the night for rest, while others have been allotted the day for keeping quiet, so that they do not run upon men, but at night wander about seeking food; and that God uses the waters sometimes for the chastisement of men, and sometimes for their benefit; and that out of darkness He makes light, and from the departure of the light He makes night. and he says that it is easy for all to grasp from creation how incomprehensible is the wisdom of God; and having magnificently gone through the things concerning the incomprehensible wisdom and providence of God, he concludes his discourse on the necessity of fearing God. Therefore, by declaring God to be just and a helper to the just, he offered consolation to Job, so that as a just man expecting to find a good and just God, he might recover himself, but by portraying him as great and 306 strong and incomprehensible, he tried to bring the just man to fear, so that he would no longer say anything in opposition, but in silence yield to the incomprehensible judgments of God. Thus, when Elihu had wonderfully, especially toward the end, expounded on the wisdom and magnificence of God, Job said nothing in reply, and God was in agreement with such words of his, as can be learned from the divine utterance that follows. The Sayings 36, 23 Wait for me a little longer, that I may teach you; for there is yet speech in me. taking up my knowledge from afar. Since I still have something to say about God and I wish to take up the discourse at greater length and go through it with science and knowledge, receive also what is now said by me. 36, 34 To my works I will speak just things in truth and not unjust words, unjustly understanding. the "my" refers to "just things," so that it might say that: my justification, which I now speak, I confirm by the works of God, showing that what I know I understand with truth, and I do not utter unjust words, having thought something unjust. 36, 5 But know that the Lord will not reject the guileless. Know therefore, that God never leaves outside of his own oversight one who lives with guilelessness. 307 36, 5 The mighty in strength of heart will not give life to the impious. A soul is given life by partaking of divine knowledge, but the death of a rational soul is ignorance {and punishments}. Therefore, the mighty and strong God, he says, will not give life to the souls of the impious because they have chosen to live in ignorance. 36, 6 And he will give the judgments of the poor. And punishing the impious according to his just judgments, he defends the poor who are wronged.

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κριθῆναι, ὅπουγε μηδὲ πρὸς ἀξίαν αὐτὸν ὑμνολογῆσαι οἷός τε εἶ; 35, 15 καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπισκεπτόμενος ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω παραπτώματι σφόδρα. διὰ τοῦτο τοιγαροῦν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ συνεχῶς ἐπισκέπτεται τῇ ἐποφειλομένῃ ἀδίκοις ὀργῇ, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις ἀγνοῶν οὐ σφόδρα τιμωρεῖται τὰ ἡμέτερα παραπτώματα, τὴν ἀνοχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ μακροθυμίαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἰς καταφρόνησιν λαμβάνουσιν. τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ νῦν ἔδειξεν, ὅτι κἂν παραχρῆμα μὴ τιμωρῆται, ἀλλ' οὖν ἀποδώσει ποτὲ ἑκάστῳ τὰ κατ' ἀξίαν. 35, 16 καὶ Ἰὼβ ματαίως ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ ῥήματα βαρύνει. 304 μὴ κατανοῶν, φησίν, ὁ Ἰὼβ τὸ μεγαλεῖον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸ μακρόθυμον καὶ τὰ ἀκατάληπτα αὐτοῦ κρίματα, καὶ ὅτι ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲ αἰνέσαι κατ' ἀξίαν τὸν θεὸν δύναται, μήτιγε κριθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν, βαρέα καὶ ἀπρεπῆ φθέγγεται ῥήματα. καὶ καλῶς μὲν ὁ Ἐλιοὺς οὐδὲ τὸν Ἰὼβ ὡς δι' ἀσεβείας πάσχοντα {μὲν} καταδικάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς θεοῦ μεγαλοπρεπείας καὶ ἀνοχῆς ὀρθῶς δοξάζει, οὔτε δὲ τὴν γνώμην, ἐξ ἧς τοὺς λόγους προέφερεν ὁ Ἰώβ, κατενόησεν οὔτε τὴν αἰτίαν ἐγνώρισε τῶν ἀνηκέστων κακῶν, οἷς περιπέπτωκεν ὁ δίκαιος. 305 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΕΙΚΟΣΤΟΝ ΠΕΜΠΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· προσθεὶς δὲ Ἐλιοὺς ἔτι λέγει· μεῖνόν με μικρὸν ἔτι, ἵνα διδάξω σε· ἔτι γὰρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι λέξις. Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου ἐνταῦθα περὶ δικαιοσύνης θεοῦ διδάσκει ὁ Ἐλιοὺς τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ ἀπονεμούσης καὶ περὶ δυνάμεως μεγαλοπρεποῦς καὶ σοφίας ἀκαταλήπτου· συνίστησι δὲ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου σοφίας αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὸν ἀέρα γινομένων χειμώνων τε καὶ βροντῶν καὶ τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν, πῶς τὰ μὲν μεθ' ἡμέραν ἐργάζεται, τὴν δὲ νύκτα εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχει, τὰ δὲ τὴν μὲν ἡμέραν εἰς τὸ ἡσυχάζειν ἀπεκληρώσατο, ἵνα μὴ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιτρέχωσι, τὴν δὲ νύκτα περινοστοῦντα ζητοῦσι τροφήν· καὶ ὅτι τοῖς ὕδασιν ὁ θεὸς ποτὲ μὲν εἰς ἀνθρώπων παιδείαν, ποτὲ δὲ εἰς εὐεργεσίαν χρῆται· καὶ ὅτι ἐκ μὲν σκότους φῶς, ἐκ δὲ τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἀναχωρήσεως νύκτα ἐργάζεται. φησὶ δέ, ὅτι πᾶσίν ἐστιν εὔληπτον τὸ ἐκ τῆς δημιουργίας καταλαμβάνειν, ὡς ἀκατάληπτός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ· μεγαλοπρεπῶς δὲ διεξελθὼν τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου σοφίας τε καὶ προνοίας τοῦ θεοῦ συμπεραίνει τὸν λόγον εἰς τὸ δεῖν φοβεῖσθαι τὸν θεόν. διὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦ δίκαιον ἀποφῆναι θεὸν καὶ τοῖς δικαίοις ἐπαμύνοντα παράκλησιν εἰργάσατο τῷ Ἰώβ, ἵνα ὡς δίκαιος ἀγαθοῦ καὶ δικαίου θεοῦ τεύξεσθαι προσδοκῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀνακτήσηται, διὰ δὲ τοῦ μέγαν καὶ ἰσ 306 χυρὸν καὶ ἀκατάληπτον εἰς φόβον ἐνάγειν ἐπειράθη τὸν δίκαιον, ἵνα μηκέτι μηδὲν ἀντείπῃ, ἀλλὰ τῇ σιωπῇ παραχωρήσῃ τοῖς ἀκαταλήπτοις τοῦ θεοῦ κρίμασιν. θαυμασίως οὖν τοῦ Ἐλιοὺς μάλιστα πρὸς τῷ τέλει περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας τε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπείας ἐξηγησαμένου ὁ μὲν Ἰὼβ οὐδὲν ἀντεῖπεν, σύμψηφος δὲ θεὸς τοῖς τοιούτοις αὐτοῦ γέγονε λόγοις, ὡς ἐφεξῆς ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς θείας ῥήσεως καταμαθεῖν. Αἱ λέξεισ 36, 23 μεῖνόν με μικρὸν ἔτι, ἵνα διδάξω σε· ἔτι γὰρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι λέξις. ἀναλαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστήμην μου μακράν. ἐπειδήπερ ἔτι περὶ θεοῦ λέγειν ἔχω καὶ βούλομαι μακρότερον ἀναλαβὼν τὸν λόγον μετ' ἐπιστήμης καὶ γνώσεως διεξελθεῖν, ἔκδεξαι καὶ τὰ νῦν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ λεγόμενα. 36, 34 ἔργοις δέ μου δίκαια ἐρῶ ἐπ' ἀληθείας καὶ οὐκ ἄδικα ῥήματα ἀδίκως συνιείς. τὸ μου πρὸς τὸ δίκαια, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· τὴν δικαιολογίαν μου, ἣν νῦν ἐρῶ, τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ θεοῦ πιστοῦμαι δεικνύς, ὡς ἃ γινώσκω μετὰ ἀληθείας συνίημι καὶ οὐκ ἄδικόν τι νοήσας ἄδικα φθέγγομαι ῥήματα. 36, 5 γίνωσκε δέ, ὅτι ὁ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσηται τὸν ἄκακον. ἴσθι τοιγαροῦν, ὡς οὐδέποτε θεὸς ἔξω τῆς οἰκείας ἐπισκοπῆς τὸν ἀκακίᾳ συζῶντα καταλιμπάνει. 307 36, 5 δυνατὸς ἰσχύι καρδίας ἀσεβῶν οὐ μὴ ζωοποιήσει. ζωοποιεῖται ψυχὴ θείας γνώσεως μεταλαμβάνουσα, θάνατος δὲ λογικῆς ψυχῆς ἡ ἀγνωσία {καὶ αἱ κολάσεις}. ὁ δυνατὸς οὖν, φησίν, θεὸς καὶ ἰσχυρὸς τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀσεβῶν οὐ μὴ ζωοποιήσει διὰ τὸ ἑλέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ διάγειν. 36, 6 καὶ κρίματα πτωχῶν δώσει. κολάζων δὲ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς κατὰ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ τὰ δίκαια τοῖς πένησιν ἀδικουμένοις ἐπαμύνει.