Chapter III.
In the contest of words, which is generally considered no less difficult, the victor is declared. How beautiful it is to laugh and remain silent in the face of accusations; and how, after responding gently, the same person has repelled more forcefully those who calumniate with more importunity.
And he remained silent while laughing. He taught why one should remain silent, saying: I will cry out, but there is no judgment (Job 19:7-8). He himself said that he wanted to endure these things. Like enclosed by wall-like temptations, I cannot escape until it pleases God to destroy the heights of my temptations. For now, if I cry out, there is still no judgment. I am still in the struggle, still wrestling, still the fight remains for me, for the crown has not yet been won. But no one is crowned unless they have legitimately fought.
He was faced with a third battle: he had lost everything he had, that is, his inheritance with his sons; his flesh was enduring wounds; he remained to conquer the temptations of words. No ordinary battle. Adam was deceived by speech, Samson was overcome by words. For nothing penetrates the soul like deceitful speech, and nothing bites as hard as harsh words. Many, after overcoming physical torment, could not endure the harshness of words. Job suffered, but endured, and carried the burden of wounds alongside the burden of words. His agonothetes saw him struggling in the cloud and whirlwind and gave him a helping hand, and declared that those struggling had fallen with a heavy fall, but he declared himself the victor and brought back the crown.
9. But what is more beautiful than laughing when we are spoken ill of? For we should rejoice if things said against us are untrue. First, because an enemy, desiring to say something against us to accuse us, did not find what is true, but composed falsehoods as if they were true. Secondly, because the Lord Himself said in the Gospel about such false accusations brought against the innocent for the sake of righteousness: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12). Therefore, the one who recognizes the object should remain silent, so as not to worsen the wound and cause the scar to split open. And the one who does not recognize it should also remain silent, for they are hearing someone else's accusation, not their own crime. If they repeat it, they make it their own; if they keep silent, they turn it back and wound the accuser. The one who presumes upon the mentioned reward should also remain silent. For they do not suffer prejudice if there is no judgment. And even if there is prejudice in the world, there will be none in God's judgment. Finally, so that you may know that the insult does not harm a good conscience, listen to holy Job saying, a richer witness indeed than if he had attained the power of the Roman empire: Now I will be silent and depart: if there is harm to me now, then I will not hide from your face (Job 13:19-20).
10. Therefore, in the beginning, he responded more sparingly, in order to remind them of God's judgment and to make them turn away from insolence and fury as a good physician would make them repent. But after he noticed that they persisted in their insults, he repeated more forcefully and struck them as with a stronger fist, those who were throwing stones of their words at the innocent. Hear, he said, hear my words, let me not seek consolation from you: bear with me, for I will speak more forcefully: the weight of my words will be heavy (Job. XXI, 1 et seq.). I will also speak according to your opinion; because many abound in the successes of this world, while others are burdened. They are in distress, and it seems that this is deserved according to the merit of their sins. And even if I say this, do not laugh as if I agree with you; and if I am a sinner, I am not guilty before man, for he himself is also under sin and claims authority over himself concerning me. Or if I am judged as a man, that is common, I should not be reproached: it is the weakness of the condition, not a special wickedness.