Chapter VIII.
But responding, Baldad the Shuhite, said: How long will you speak such things, and the multiplicity of words from your mouth? Baldad was offended by the words of the holy Job. First, because he had spoken rashly to God; secondly, because he had said that he had been more outstanding than other kings in his reign, and that he was suffering this punishment unjustly. And Baldad himself notes that he was speaking not with a free and sober mind, but rather driven by some unknown spirit.
Does God pervert justice, or does the Almighty overthrow what is right? This is said because you suffer the justice that you deserve.
Even if your sons have sinned against him and he has handed them over to the power of their iniquity, if you rise early in the morning and implore the Almighty, if you walk in righteousness, he will immediately watch over you and restore the dwelling place of your righteousness, to the point that if your former things were small, your latter things will be greatly multiplied. He says, if your sons, doing evil, are dismissed by God so that the power given to destroy them because of their wickedness has an effect, it will not be able to harm you in any way. However, if you yourself still lie in the darkness of foolishness, if you rise in the morning to the recognition of divine justice and implore God, who can grant all things, for your errors and sins. The one who seemed to be almost asleep, not by hearing you, of course, nor seeing, will immediately wake up to you and will strive to prepare your happiness. So much so that if your previous things were small, your last things will be multiplied too much. Therefore, if you turn to God, he said, from the injustices for which you now suffer punishment, and through satisfaction you want to reconcile him, who is very angry with you because of your merits: you will immediately possess such great grace from him that it can suddenly compensate for the comparison of your last goods, your previous ones will be considered small and minimal enough. The son of that sinner, as mentioned in the Gospel, who, living a life of pleasure, squandered his inheritance like a prostitute with her riches, is killed as a penitent calf, Christ: the ring of faith, by which all promises are confirmed with a reliable seal, is given to him in his hand: and he receives protection for his steps, so that he may walk securely over snakes and scorpions: he is also given the eternal robe of immortality.
For inquire of the former generation, and diligently investigate the memory of the fathers. For we are of yesterday, and we know not: for our days upon earth are but a shadow: and they themselves shall teach thee. Speak to thee, and utter words out of their heart. This is to say, that we are of yesterday, inquire of the ancient, and thou shalt find others in the flood, others in Sodom, or in different places having received diverse judgments for their sins.
Can a bulrush grow without moisture, or can a sedge grow without water? This is to say: just as a bulrush or sedge cannot live without water, so you could not at all remain in your former happiness without the nourishment and moisture of justice.
While it is still in bloom and not yet plucked by hand, it withers before all other plants: thus are the ways of all who forget God. Holy Job says that he flourished like the grass: before he could reach the maturity of established glory, he was thrown into such great evils, so that in his own time, like a kingdom in its fullness of days, when the hand of God's power, on which all kingdoms rely, is withdrawn from the world. Therefore, because you did not act in peace, devoting all your time to your grave, you were dried up before all the herbs, that is, before all the sinners who are often called by the name of herbs; that is, when you yielded to unfaithful afflictions in your heart. And as for what he says, you dry up before all the herbs: whoever is burdened with many injustices, like you are, begins to pay the punishment before the rest of the sinners.
And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish. The hypocrite feigns sanctity of life: but here, according to God's testimony, he was simple, upright, and innocent: If I have walked in vanity.
He will not be pleased with his madness, and his confidence is like the webs of spiders. Truly, great madness is to pretend and deceive before God, for it will not lead to prosperity, as He is the searcher of hearts and minds. Such people are rebuked in the Gospels: those who are adorned outwardly with the appearance of holiness, but are full of the rottenness of sin inside, like tombs of the dead.
It will be built upon its own house, and it will not stand. Trusting in oneself, and strengthening the flesh of its arm, it will not be able to stand: but rather it will fall by pride. For all flesh is grass.
He supports her, and she will not rise. She tries to stand by her own strength, but she will never be able to rise: because the Lord is not her strength. Those who lean on him are held very securely.
He seems moist before the sun comes. The happiness of a successful man is said to be this: when he is struck by the heat of affliction, he is broken by adversity, and all the greenness of his former joy is consumed, dried up by sadness.
And from its rising, its shoots will come forth. In the beginning, he says, the sinner seems to prosper in his happiness, but it will not last, like green grass: this is sudden joy, as in the psalm: When sinners have sprung up like grass, and have appeared: that is, like grass emerging into the greenness of present joy: soon they will perish when the heat comes. But the righteous will not flourish like grass: to whom, as I said, the glory of sinners is compared: but he will flourish like a palm tree, says the prophet. Which is so firmly rooted in the deep, that it fears neither storms nor the heat of the sun. And when it reaches a hundred knots under the sacred number, by which its height is securely contained, then it will bear the sweetest fruits of charity, namely at the pinnacle of perfection, in which it boasts to have ascended through the growth of virtues, as if through the ages of many years.
On the pile of rocks its roots will be crowded, and it will dwell among the stones. For its roots are set deep in solid ground, to bear the fruit of patience, not planted, but rather squeezed tightly on the pile of rocks, lacking moisture of life there: dying certainly, it will first be dried by aridity.
And he will dwell among stones. Metaphorically: stones can be understood here as the faithless and hard-hearted, among whom each sinner will dwell in a likeness of life, who do not perceive God like dull metals. Or certainly, he called sins stones. Hence the prophet says: Remove stones from the path: that is, take away sins from the path of holy conversation.
If he has absorbed him from his place, he will deny him, and say: I do not know you. When he is about to be transferred from this life to the filthy places of the underworld: he will be denied to be worthy of the sight of God. The place of a man can be said to be the quality of his conversation; where it stands either by way of life or by way of mind: that is, the discipline or grace which he has received or chosen to follow.
For this is the joy of his way: 'Ironicωs' is said: this is the joy of his way: as if he were saying: Thus he walked in good works, pleasing to God, while he lived: so that he would attain to eternal hardships.
So that others may sprout forth from the earth once again. Indeed, God, like a just judge, excluded the unbelieving Jews from the promises that are in Christ because of their unfaithfulness, and admitted the Gentiles because of their obedience. Whether appointing Matthew in place of Judas or declaring his righteous judgments.
God does not reject the innocent, nor does He extend His hand to the wicked. He says this: it does not please Him to favor those who practice iniquity, and yet He extends His hand of mercy to convert sinners to repentance.
May your laughter be filled with joy, and your lips with jubilation. In laughter, understand the happiness of the heart. In jubilation, listen to the voice of the exultant.
Those who hate you will be clothed in confusion. When you are such as I have described above, those who hate you will rightly be confounded.
And the tent of the wicked will not stand. Some say this about Job, but they are mistaken. For it is clear that the tent of the wicked will perish forever: that is, the devil and his ministers, or even the present age.