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In everything give thanks; He said that Blessed are the poor in spirit. Consider then what great favor you will enjoy, having shown these things through your deeds. For only one thing is sought from us, to give thanks to God for all things, and we have everything with abundance. For example: You lost ten thousand 63.147 pounds of gold; give thanks immediately to God, and you will have acquired ten myriads through that voice and thanksgiving. For tell me, when do you bless Job? when he had so many camels and the flocks and the herds, or when he uttered that voice, The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away? For the devil inflicts loss on us for this reason, not only to take away our money—for he knows that it is nothing—but so that through these things he may compel us to say something blasphemous. Thus also in the case of the blessed Job he was zealous for this, not only to make him poor, but to show him to be a blasphemer. When, therefore, he had stripped him of everything, see what he says to him through his wife: Say some word against the Lord, and die. And yet, you wretch, you have stripped him of everything. But this is not what I was zealous for, he says; for that for which I did everything, I have not yet accomplished; for I was zealous to strip him of God's help; for this reason I also stripped him of his money. This is what I want; that is nothing; if this is not added for me, not only has he not been harmed at all, but he has even been benefited. 4. Do you see that even that wicked demon knows how great the loss of the matter is? For this reason also you see him stitching together the plot through the wife. Hear, all you men who have wives who are lovers of money, and who compel you to blaspheme God; remember Job. But let us see, if you please, his great reasonableness, and how he silenced her. Why, he says, have you spoken like one of the foolish women? Truly Evil company corrupts good habits; they always corrupt, then, but especially in misfortunes; then those who advise evil things have strength. For if the soul is ready for despair even on its own, how much more so when there is also an advisor? Is it not also pushed into a chasm? A wife is a great good, just as she is also a great evil. And see from where he attempted to undermine the strong wall. For since the removal of his money did not take him, nor did the loss of these things accomplish anything great, but he was also refuted in vain for saying, Surely he will bless you to your face, for this reason he arms the wife against him. Do you see where he blew? But nothing more resulted for him even from this device. If, therefore, we too bear things with thanksgiving, we will receive these things back, and even if 63.148 we do not receive them back, our reward will be greater. Thus it also happened in the case of that man of adamant; for when he had contended nobly, then He gave these things back to him; when he showed the devil that it was not for these things that he served Him, then He also gave them to him. For such is God; when He sees us not nailed to the things of this life, then He gives them to us; when He sees us preferring spiritual things, then He also provides carnal things; but He does not give them before, lest we be torn away from spiritual things. Therefore, sparing us, He does not give carnal things, so that He may keep us from them even against our will. No, he says; but if I receive, I am filled, and I give more thanks. You lie, O man; for then you will be most indolent. Why then, he says, does He give to many? And from where is it clear that He Himself gives? But who else, he says, gives? Their greed, their plunder. How then does He allow these things to happen? Just as He allows murders and thefts and acts of violence. What then will you say, he says, to those who receive an inheritance from their fathers, who are full of countless evils? how, he says, does God permit them to enjoy these things? Just as He also permits thieves, and murderers, and the other evildoers; for now is not the time for judgment, but for the best manner of life. And what I have already said, this I also say now: that they will pay a greater penalty, when even after enjoying all good things, they do not even so become better. For not all will be punished in the same way, but those who remained evil even with benefaction will be punished more severely; but those in poverty, not so. And that this is true,

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Ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε· εἶπεν ὅτι Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι. Ἐννόει τοίνυν ὅσης εὐνοίας ἀπολαύσεις, ταῦτα διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιδειξαμένη. Ἓν γὰρ μόνον ζητεῖται παρ' ἡμῶν, τὸ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πάντα ἔχομεν μετὰ δαψιλείας. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ἀπώλεσας χρυσοῦ λίτρας 63.147 μυρίας, εὐχαρίστησον εὐθέως τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ δέκα μυριάδας ἐκτήσω διὰ τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης καὶ τῆς εὐχαριστίας. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, πότε μακαρίζεις τὸν Ἰώβ; ὅτε εἶχε τοσαύτας καμήλους καὶ τὰ ποίμνια καὶ τὰ βουκόλια, ἢ ὅτε ἐκείνην τὴν φωνὴν ἀφῆκεν, Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος διὰ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ζημιοῖ, οὐχ ἵνα τὰ χρήματα μόνον ἀφέληται· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν· ἀλλ' ἵνα διὰ τούτων ἀναγκάσῃ εἰπεῖν τι βλάσφημον. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰὼβ τοῦτο ἐσπούδαζεν, οὐ πένητα αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ βλάσφημον ἀποφῆναι. Ὅτε γοῦν πάντων αὐτὸν ἐγύμνωσεν, ὅρα τί φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς γυναικός· Εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Καίτοι, ὦ μιαρὲ, πάντων αὐτὸν ἐγύμνωσας. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο ἐσπούδαζον, φησί· δι' ὃ γὰρ πάντα ἐποίησα, οὐδέπω ἤνυσα· ἐσπούδασα γὰρ αὐτὸν γυμνῶσαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἐγύμνωσα. Τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ βούλομαι· ἐκεῖνο οὐδέν ἐστιν· ἂν τοῦτό μοι μὴ προσῇ, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἠδικήθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφελήθη. δʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οἶδε καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος, ὅση τοῦ πράγματός ἐστιν ἡ ζημία; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ βλέπεις αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ῥάπτοντα. Ἀκούετε, ὅσοι γυναῖκας ἄνδρες ἔχετε χρημάτων ἐρώσας, καὶ ἀναγκαζούσας ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖν τὸν Θεόν· ἀναμνήσθητε τοῦ Ἰώβ. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦτὴν πολλὴν, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἐπιείκειαν, καὶ ὅπως αὐτὴν ἐπεστόμισεν. Ἵνα τί, φησὶν, ὥσπερ μία τῶν ἀφρόνων γυναικῶν οὕτως ἐλάλησας; Ἀληθῶς Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί· ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν φθείρουσι, μάλιστα δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν συμφορῶν· τότε οἱ τὰ φαῦλα παραινοῦντες ἔχουσιν ἰσχύν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς ἡ ψυχὴ πρὸς ἀποδυσπέτησίν ἐστιν ἕτοιμος, πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ὅταν καὶ ὁ συμβουλεύων ᾖ; οὐχὶ καὶ πρὸς βάραθρον ὠθεῖται; Μέγα ἀγαθὸν γυνὴ, ὡσπεροῦν καὶ κακὸν μέγα. Καὶ ὅρα πόθεν ὀρύξαι τὸ τεῖχος ἐπεχείρησε τὸ ἰσχυρόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐχ εἷλεν αὐτὸν ἡ τῶν χρημάτων ἀφαίρεσις, οὐδὲ μέγα τι εἰργάσατο ἡ τούτων ζημία, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάτην ἠλέγχθη εἰπών· Ἦ μὴν εἰς πρόσωπόν σε εὐλογήσει, διὰ τοῦτο ἐφοπλίζει αὐτῷ τὴν γυναῖκα. Ὁρᾷς ποῦ ἔπνευσεν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον ὑπῆρξε καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς μηχανῆς. Ἂν τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐχαρίστως φέρωμεν, καὶ ταῦτα ἀποληψόμεθα, κἂν 63.148 μὴ ἀπολάβωμεν, μείζων ἔσται ἡμῖν ὁ μισθός. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδάμαντος ἐκείνου γέγονεν· ὅτε γὰρ ἤθλησε γενναίως, τότε αὐτῷ καὶ ταῦτα ἀπέδωκεν· ὅτε ἔδειξε τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὅτι οὐ διὰ ταῦτα αὐτὸν θεραπεύει, τότε καὶ αὐτὰ αὐτῷ ἔδωκε. Τοιοῦτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός· ὅταν ἴδῃ ἡμᾶς μὴ προσηλωμένους τοῖς βιωτικοῖς, τότε ἡμῖν αὐτὰ δίδωσιν· ὅταν ἴδῃ τὰ πνευματικὰ προτιμῶντας, τότε καὶ τὰ σαρκικὰ παρέχεται· οὐ πρότερον δὲ δίδωσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἀποῤῥαγῶμεν τῶν πνευματικῶν. Φειδόμενος οὖν ἡμῶν οὐ δίδωσι τὰ σαρκικὰ, ἵνα καὶ ἄκοντας ἀποστήσῃ τούτων. Οὒ, φησίν· ἀλλ' ἐὰν λάβω, ἐμπίπλαμαι, καὶ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστῶ. Ψεύδῃ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε· τότε γὰρ μάλιστα ἔσῃ ῥᾴθυμος. Τί οὖν ὅτι, φησὶ, πολλοῖς δίδωσι; Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον, ὅτι αὐτὸς δίδωσιν; Ἀλλὰ τίς, φησὶν, ἕτερος δίδωσιν; Ἡ πλεονεξία αὐτῶν, ἡ ἁρπαγή. Πῶς οὖν συγχωρεῖ γίνεσθαι ταῦτα; Ὥσπερ καὶ φόνους καὶ κλοπὰς καὶ βίας. Τί οὖν ἐρεῖς, φησὶ, πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ πατέρων διαδεχομένους κλῆρον, τοὺς μυρίων γέμοντας κακῶν; πῶς αὐτοὺς ἐᾷ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἀπολαύειν τούτων; Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ κλέπτας ἀφίησι, καὶ φονέας, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς κακούργους· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ καιρὸς τῆς κρίσεως νῦν, ἀλλὰ τῆς πολιτείας τῆς ἀρίστης. Ὅπερ δὲ καὶ ἤδη εἶπον, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν λέγω· ὅτι μείζονα δώσουσι δίκην, ὅταν καὶ πάντων ἀπολαύσαντες τῶν ἀγαθῶν, μηδὲ οὕτω βελτίους γίνωνται. Οὐ γὰρ πάντες ὁμοίως κολασθήσονται, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν καὶ μετὰ τῆς εὐεργεσίας μείναντες κακοὶ, μειζόνως τιμωρηθήσονται· οἱ δὲ μετὰ πενίας, οὐχ οὕτω. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς,