Ἰώβ 12
1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ιωβ λέγει
Then Iob answered, and sayde,
2 εἶτα ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἄνθρωποι ἦ μεθ’ ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία
In deede because that ye are the people onely, wisedome must dye with you.
3 κἀμοὶ μὲν καρδία καθ’ ὑμᾶς ἐστιν
But I haue vnderstanding aswel as you, and am not inferior vnto you: yea, who knoweth not such things?
4 δίκαιος γὰρ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἄμεμπτος ἐγενήθη εἰς χλεύασμα
I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth vpon God, and he heareth him: the iust and the vpright is laughed to scorne.
5 εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοίμαστο πεσεῖν ὑπὸ ἄλλους οἴκους τε αὐτοῦ ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνόμων
Hee that is readie to fall, is as a lampe despised in the opinion of the riche.
6 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς πεποιθέτω πονηρὸς ὢν ἀθῷος ἔσεσθαι ὅσοι παροργίζουσιν τὸν κύριον ὡς οὐχὶ καὶ ἔτασις αὐτῶν ἔσται
The tabernacles of robbers doe prosper, and they are in safetie, that prouoke God, whome God hath enriched with his hand.
7 ἀλλὰ δὴ ἐπερώτησον τετράποδα ἐάν σοι εἴπωσιν πετεινὰ δὲ οὐρανοῦ ἐάν σοι ἀπαγγείλωσιν
Aske now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the foules of the heauen, and they shall tell thee:
8 ἐκδιήγησαι δὲ γῇ ἐάν σοι φράσῃ καὶ ἐξηγήσονταί σοι οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης
Or speake to the earth, and it shall shewe thee: or the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare vnto thee.
9 τίς οὐκ ἔγνω ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ὅτι χεὶρ κυρίου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα
Who is ignorant of all these, but that the hande of the Lord hath made these?
10 εἰ μὴ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων τῶν ζώντων καὶ πνεῦμα παντὸς ἀνθρώπου
In whose hande is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.
11 οὖς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρίνει λάρυγξ δὲ σῖτα γεύεται
Doeth not the eares discerne the words? and the mouth taste meate for it selfe?
12 ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία ἐν δὲ πολλῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη
Among the ancient is wisedome, and in the length of dayes is vnderstanding.
13 παρ’ αὐτῷ σοφία καὶ δύναμις αὐτῷ βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις
With him is wisedome and strength: he hath counsell and vnderstanding.
14 ἐὰν καταβάλῃ τίς οἰκοδομήσει ἐὰν κλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπων τίς ἀνοίξει
Beholde, he will breake downe, and it can not be built: he shutteth a man vp, and he can not be loosed.
15 ἐὰν κωλύσῃ τὸ ὥδωρ ξηρανεῖ τὴν γῆν ἐὰν δὲ ἐπαφῇ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὴν καταστρέψας
Beholde, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy the earth.
16 παρ’ αὐτῷ κράτος καὶ ἰσχύς αὐτῷ ἐπιστήμη καὶ σύνεσις
With him is strength and wisedome: hee that is deceiued, and that deceiueth, are his.
17 διάγων βουλευτὰς αἰχμαλώτους κριτὰς δὲ γῆς ἐξέστησεν
He causeth the counsellers to goe as spoyled, and maketh the iudges fooles.
18 καθιζάνων βασιλεῖς ἐπὶ θρόνους καὶ περιέδησεν ζώνῃ ὀσφύας αὐτῶν
He looseth the collar of Kings, and girdeth their loynes with a girdle.
19 ἐξαποστέλλων ἱερεῖς αἰχμαλώτους δυνάστας δὲ γῆς κατέστρεψεν
He leadeth away the princes as a pray, and ouerthroweth the mightie.
20 διαλλάσσων χείλη πιστῶν σύνεσιν δὲ πρεσβυτέρων ἔγνω
He taketh away the speach from the faithfull counsellers, and taketh away the iudgement of the ancient.
21 ἐκχέων ἀτιμίαν ἐπ’ ἄρχοντας ταπεινοὺς δὲ ἰάσατο
He powreth contempt vpon princes, and maketh the strength of the mightie weake.
22 ἀνακαλύπτων βαθέα ἐκ σκότους ἐξήγαγεν δὲ εἰς φῶς σκιὰν θανάτου
He discouereth the deepe places from their darkenesse, and bringeth foorth the shadowe of death to light.
23 πλανῶν ἔθνη καὶ ἀπολλύων αὐτά καταστρωννύων ἔθνη καὶ καθοδηγῶν αὐτά
He increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
24 διαλλάσσων καρδίας ἀρχόντων γῆς ἐπλάνησεν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁδῷ ᾗ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν
He taketh away the heartes of the that are the chiefe ouer the people of the earth, and maketh them to wander in the wildernes out of the way.
25 ψηλαφήσαισαν σκότος καὶ μὴ φῶς πλανηθείησαν δὲ ὥσπερ ὁ μεθύων
They grope in the darke without light: and he maketh the to stagger like a drunken man.
