Gregory the Dialogist

Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

“He will look on men, and will say, I have sinned. He would not know himself to be a sinner, if he had not righteousness. For no one detects his own deformity, except when he has begun to be upright.”

He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’

“For he hath delivered his soul from going onwards to destruction. Because when Divine Grace goes before us in good works, our free will follows it, we, who yield our consent to God Who delivers us, are said to deliver ourselves; and hence Paul when…”

to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

“That he may recal their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living. For that is the light of the dying which we behold with our bodily eyes.”

Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

“Eliu has uttered great and very powerful words. But it is a characteristic of every boastful person, that, while giving utterance to truths and mysteries, he suddenly blends with them, through pride of heart, some foolish and proud expressions.”

Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.

“Let us choose to us judgment, and let us see among ourselves what is the best. But we easily learn, by considering the words which follow, whether he sought for this judgment from humility of heart.”

For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice. Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

“For Job hath said, I am just, and God hath subverted my judgment. For in judging me there is falsehood: and mine arrow is violent without any sin. He complains that Job had spoken these things, [See chap.”

For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’

“For he hath said, A man will not please God, even though he run with Him. But that he never said so, every one acknowledges who reads the words of blessed Job.”

Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.

“Let unmercifulness ['impietas'] be far from God, and iniquity from the Almighty: for the work of a man shall He render unto him, and will restore to them according to the ways of every man.”

Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.

“For truly God will not condemn without cause, nor will the Almighty subvert judgment. The Lord said to the devil, Thou hast moved Me against him to afflict him without cause. [Job 2, 3] But Eliu says, That the Lord will not condemn without cause.”

If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,

“If he hath directed his heart towards Him, He will gather to Himself his spirit, and his breath. The heart is crooked, when it seeks for things below. It is made straight when it is raised to things above.”

Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,

“Can he be healed that loveth not judgment? How dost thou so much condemn him that is just? He uttered a proper sentiment, but it ought not to have been uttered to blessed Job.”

They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

“Suddenly shall they die, and the people shall bow down at midnight, and pass away. However long it be before the ungodly are taken out of this life, they are taken away suddenly, and at an instant, since they know not how to foresee their…”

For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.

“For His eyes are over the ways of men, and He considers all their steps. For He was then believed not to observe them, while this man of violence was committing, unpunished, all the wickedness he could.”

There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.

“There is no darkness, and there is no shadow of death, where they who work iniquity may be hid. What did he intend to designate by darkness but ignorance, and what by the shadow of death, except oblivion?”

They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.

“That they might cause the cry of the needy to come to Him, and that He might hear the voice of the poor. For when these men are proud, they who are oppressed by their pride, cry aloud to God.”

Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say: ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’

“Let men of understanding speak to me, and let a wise man hear me. But Job hath spoken foolishly, and his words sound not of discipline.”

If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.

“My Father, let Job be tried even to the end. Lo! how he lifts up even in words of cursing, that which he had before conceived of the swellings of arrogance.”

For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”

“Who hath added blasphemy upon his sins. He accuses him of having deserved scourges for his sins, and of having sinned after the scourges.”

And Elihu went on to say:

“Eliu therefore spake these words again. Every one, who says many things, is anxious to be always beginning, in his speech, in order, by this very beginning, to keep his hearers in suspense, so that they may be the more attentively silent, the more they…”

“Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am more righteous than God.’

“Doth thy thought seem right to thee, that thou saidst, I am more righteous than God. Every one observes, who reads the text of the history, that blessed Job did not say that he was more righteous than God.”

For you ask, ‘What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain apart from sin?’

“For thou saidst, that which is right doth not please thee, or what will it profit thee, if I shall have sinned. If the whole course of the book is attended to, blessed Job is proved to have said none of these things.”

I will reply to you and to your friends as well.

“I will therefore answer thy words, and thy friends with thee. In his former saying, he mentioned culpable words, as if those of blessed Job, and derived from them matter for his remarks.”

Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only a son of man.

“Thine iniquity will hurt a man, who is like thee, and thy righteousness will profit the son of man. The iniquity of man hurts him, whom it pollutes by perversion. And, again, our righteousness profits him, whom it converts from his wickedness.”

There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

“There they will cry, and He will not hear, because of the pride of evil men. There; namely, in tribulation: as it is written on the other hand of joy, The children of thy servants shall inhabit there. [Ps.”

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

“For God will not hear without reason, and the Almighty will behold the causes of men one by one.”