42. A faint-hearted man, seeing this, is
disturbed in mind, and turns his attention away from it. Holy
Job, when about to speak in the words of such a one, began thus,
saying: “Bear with me, I also will speak; then laugh at
me. For if I am found fault with, I am found fault with as a
man. Bear, therefore, the burden of my words.” Job xxi. 2–4, differing, however, widely from both
the Hebrew and Greek text. For I am going to say (he means)
what I do not approve; but I shall utter wrong words to refute
you. Or, to translate it in another way: “How
now? Am I found fault with by a man?” That is:
a man cannot find fault with me because I have sinned, although I
deserve to be found fault with; for ye do not find fault with me on the
ground of an open sin, but estimate what I deserve for my offences by
the extent of my misfortunes. Thus the faint-hearted man, seeing
that the wicked succeed and prosper, whilst he himself is crushed by
misfortune, says to the Lord: “Depart from me, I desire not
the knowledge of Thy ways. Job xxi. 14. What good is
it that we serve Him, or what use to hasten to Him? In the hands
of the wicked are all good things, but He sees not their
works.”