3-4:1
Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ὧδε. εἰ ὕστερον, ἔφης, πεποίηται ὁ κόσμος, πρότερον ὤν, μεταβάλλειν ἀνάγκη τὸν ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον θεόν· τὸν γὰρ ποιοῦντα πρότερον μηδέν, ὕστερον δέ, ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ποιεῖν εἰς τὸ Ποιεῖν μεταβάλλειν καὶ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι ἀνάγκη. Ἔλεγον γάρ. Πέπαυται δὲ τοῦ ποιεῖν ποτε τὸν κόσμον ὁ θεός, ἢ οὔ; Πέπαυται. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν τετελειωμένος ἄν. Ἀληθές
也當這樣思想。你說，世界若是後來才被造的，而祂卻先已存在，那麼那不受苦、不改變的神便必須改變了；因為那起先什麼都不造、後來卻造的，便必然從不造變為造，必然改易了。——我是這麼說的。——但神在某時是否曾停止造這世界呢，還是沒有？——祂已停止了。——因為不然，世界就尚未完成了。——不錯。
Consider it also in this way. If the world, you said, was made later, while He existed before, the impassible and unchangeable God must change; for the one who first makes nothing, and afterward makes, must of necessity change and be altered, from not making to making. — Yes, I said. — But has God at some time ceased from making the world, or not? — He has ceased. — For otherwise it would not yet be completed. — True.
3-4:2
Εἰ οὐν τὸ ποιεῖν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ποιεῖν ἀλλοίωσιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταψηφίζεται, οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ποιεῖν; Ἀνάγκη. Ἠλλοιῶσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν φαίης μὴ ποιοῦντα σήμερον παρ' ὃ ὅτε ἐποίει; Οὐδαμῶς. Οὐδ' ἄρα ὅτ ἐποίει τὸν κόσμον, ἠλλοιῶσθαι αὐτὸν ἀνάγκη παρ ὃ ἠν ὅτε οὐκ ἐποίει· καὶ οὔτε ἀνάγκη συνυπάρχειν αὐτῷ τὸ πᾶν δεῖν λέγειν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀναγκάζεσθαι λέγειν ἠλλοιῶσθαι, οὔτε συναΐδιον δι αὐτὸ τοῦτο
——那麼，造（相對於不造）若把改易之罪歸於神，難道不造（相對於造）豈不也照樣麼？——必然如此。——但你會說，祂如今因不造，比起祂從前造的時候，乃是改易了麼？——絕不會。——那麼，祂從前造世界的時候，也就不必然比起祂不造時的光景有所改易了；這樣，我們既不必然說宇宙必須與祂同存——因我們並未被迫說祂改易了——也不必為這同一緣故說它是與祂同永的。
— If, then, making, as opposed to not making, condemns God of alteration, does not also not making, as opposed to making? — Necessarily. — But would you say that He has been altered today by not making, in comparison with when He was making? — By no means. — Then neither, when He was making the world, is it necessary that He was altered in comparison with what He was when He was not making; and so neither is it necessary to say that the universe must coexist with Him—on the ground of not being compelled to say He was altered—nor that it is coeternal for this very reason.