< Ἰώβ 12 >
Then Job answered and said,
2 εἶτα ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἄνθρωποι ἦ μεθ’ ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία
No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 κἀμοὶ μὲν καρδία καθ’ ὑμᾶς ἐστιν
But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who does not know such things as these?
4 δίκαιος γὰρ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἄμεμπτος ἐγενήθη εἰς χλεύασμα
I am as a man who is a laughing-stock to his neighbor. I who called upon God, and he answered. The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.
5 εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοίμαστο πεσεῖν ὑπὸ ἄλλους οἴκους τε αὐτοῦ ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνόμων
In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for calamity. It is ready for those whose foot slips.
6 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς πεποιθέτω πονηρὸς ὢν ἀθῷος ἔσεσθαι ὅσοι παροργίζουσιν τὸν κύριον ὡς οὐχὶ καὶ ἔτασις αὐτῶν ἔσται
The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure. Into whose hand God brings abundantly.
7 ἀλλὰ δὴ ἐπερώτησον τετράποδα ἐάν σοι εἴπωσιν πετεινὰ δὲ οὐρανοῦ ἐάν σοι ἀπαγγείλωσιν
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee.
8 ἐκδιήγησαι δὲ γῇ ἐάν σοι φράσῃ καὶ ἐξηγήσονταί σοι οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare to thee.
9 τίς οὐκ ἔγνω ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ὅτι χεὶρ κυρίου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα
Who does not know in all these, that the hand of Jehovah has wrought this,
10 εἰ μὴ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων τῶν ζώντων καὶ πνεῦμα παντὸς ἀνθρώπου
in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
11 οὖς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρίνει λάρυγξ δὲ σῖτα γεύεται
Does not the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
12 ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία ἐν δὲ πολλῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη
With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
13 παρ’ αὐτῷ σοφία καὶ δύναμις αὐτῷ βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις
With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
14 ἐὰν καταβάλῃ τίς οἰκοδομήσει ἐὰν κλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπων τίς ἀνοίξει
Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again. He shuts up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 ἐὰν κωλύσῃ τὸ ὥδωρ ξηρανεῖ τὴν γῆν ἐὰν δὲ ἐπαφῇ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὴν καταστρέψας
Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 παρ’ αὐτῷ κράτος καὶ ἰσχύς αὐτῷ ἐπιστήμη καὶ σύνεσις
With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 διάγων βουλευτὰς αἰχμαλώτους κριτὰς δὲ γῆς ἐξέστησεν
He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes judges fools.
18 καθιζάνων βασιλεῖς ἐπὶ θρόνους καὶ περιέδησεν ζώνῃ ὀσφύας αὐτῶν
He loosens the bond of kings, and he binds their loins with a belt.
19 ἐξαποστέλλων ἱερεῖς αἰχμαλώτους δυνάστας δὲ γῆς κατέστρεψεν
He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
20 διαλλάσσων χείλη πιστῶν σύνεσιν δὲ πρεσβυτέρων ἔγνω
He removes the speech of the trustworthy, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
21 ἐκχέων ἀτιμίαν ἐπ’ ἄρχοντας ταπεινοὺς δὲ ἰάσατο
He pours contempt upon rulers, and weakens the strength of the strong.
22 ἀνακαλύπτων βαθέα ἐκ σκότους ἐξήγαγεν δὲ εἰς φῶς σκιὰν θανάτου
He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
23 πλανῶν ἔθνη καὶ ἀπολλύων αὐτά καταστρωννύων ἔθνη καὶ καθοδηγῶν αὐτά
He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
24 διαλλάσσων καρδίας ἀρχόντων γῆς ἐπλάνησεν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁδῷ ᾗ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν
He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 ψηλαφήσαισαν σκότος καὶ μὴ φῶς πλανηθείησαν δὲ ὥσπερ ὁ μεθύων
They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.