< Ἰώβ 13 >
1 ἰδοὺ ταῦτα ἑώρακέν μου ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ ἀκήκοέν μου τὸ οὖς
“Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything [that you have seen], and I have heard and understood all [that you have said].
2 καὶ οἶδα ὅσα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε καὶ οὐκ ἀσυνετώτερός εἰμι ὑμῶν
What you know, I also know; I do (not know less than/know as much as) you.
3 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ πρὸς κύριον λαλήσω ἐλέγξω δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐὰν βούληται
But I would like to speak to Almighty God, [not to you]; I would like to argue with him [and prove that I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong]).
4 ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε ἰατροὶ ἄδικοι καὶ ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες
As for you, you do not allow people to know the truth about me, like someone covers [up a bad surface of a wall] with whitewash [MET]. You are all like doctors [MET] [that give people] useless [medicines].
5 εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι καὶ ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς σοφίαν
I wish/desire that you would be silent; that would be the wisest thing that you [could do].
6 ἀκούσατε ἔλεγχον στόματός μου κρίσιν δὲ χειλέων μου προσέχετε
Listen to what I will say to you now; listen while I am saying [what is true about myself].
7 πότερον οὐκ ἔναντι κυρίου λαλεῖτε ἔναντι δὲ αὐτοῦ φθέγγεσθε δόλον
Are you telling lies about me to prove God [is just in causing me to suffer]? Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?
8 ἦ ὑποστελεῖσθε ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὶ κριταὶ γένεσθε
Are you trying to defend him? Are you trying to prove [as you would] in a court that he is innocent?
9 καλόν γε ἐὰν ἐξιχνιάσῃ ὑμᾶς εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ποιοῦντες προστεθήσεσθε αὐτῷ
If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good? Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?
10 οὐθὲν ἧττον ἐλέγξει ὑμᾶς εἰ δὲ καὶ κρυφῇ πρόσωπα θαυμάσετε
If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you, he will surely rebuke you.
11 πότερον οὐχὶ δεινὰ αὐτοῦ στροβήσει ὑμᾶς φόβος δὲ παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπιπεσεῖται ὑμῖν
He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness; you will become extremely afraid.
12 ἀποβήσεται δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ ἀγαυρίαμα ἴσα σποδῷ τὸ δὲ σῶμα πήλινον
The things that you say [that you think are] wise are [as useless as] [MET] as ashes; what you say to defend your opinions is no better than [MET] clay [that quickly crumbles].
13 κωφεύσατε ἵνα λαλήσω καὶ ἀναπαύσωμαι θυμοῦ
“So, be quiet and allow me to speak, and then it will not matter what happens to me.
14 ἀναλαβὼν τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ψυχὴν δέ μου θήσω ἐν χειρί
I am ready to endure anything; I am [even] willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] [for what I will say].
15 ἐάν με χειρώσηται ὁ δυνάστης ἐπεὶ καὶ ἦρκται ἦ μὴν λαλήσω καὶ ἐλέγξω ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ
If God kills me, then I will not have anyone else whom I can confidently expect to help me, but I am going to defend my behavior in his presence [anyway].
16 καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν οὐ γὰρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ δόλος εἰσελεύσεται
No wicked/godless person would dare to stand in the presence of God, [but because I say that I have not done things that are wrong], perhaps, if I can prove that to God, he will save me.”
17 ἀκούσατε ἀκούσατε τὰ ῥήματά μου ἀναγγελῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων
“God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].
18 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐγγύς εἰμι τοῦ κρίματός μου οἶδα ἐγὼ ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι
I am ready to prove that I am innocent, and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.
19 τίς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κριθησόμενός μοι ὅτι νῦν κωφεύσω καὶ ἐκλείψω
I certainly do not think [RHQ] that [you or anyone else] will say that what I say is not true; if anyone did that, I would (be silent/stop talking) and die.
20 δυεῖν δέ μοι χρήσῃ τότε ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου οὐ κρυβήσομαι
“I am requesting you to do two things for me; if you do them, I will (not hide from you/come and stand in front of you) [LIT].
21 τὴν χεῖρα ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἀπέχου καὶ ὁ φόβος σου μή με καταπλησσέτω
[The first thing that I request is that you] stop punishing [IDM] me; and [the second thing that I request is that you] stop causing me to be very terrified.
22 εἶτα καλέσεις ἐγὼ δέ σοι ὑπακούσομαι ἢ λαλήσεις ἐγὼ δέ σοι δώσω ἀνταπόκρισιν
You speak [first], and then I will reply; or allow me to speak first, and [then] you reply.
23 πόσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου καὶ αἱ ἀνομίαι μου δίδαξόν με τίνες εἰσίν
What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed? Show me how I have disobeyed you.
24 διὰ τί ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ κρύπτῃ ἥγησαι δέ με ὑπεναντίον σοι
Why (do you refuse to be friendly with/have you abandoned) me [IDM]? Why do you (act toward me as though I am/consider me to be) your enemy?
25 ἦ ὡς φύλλον κινούμενον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου εὐλαβηθήσῃ ἢ ὡς χόρτῳ φερομένῳ ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἀντίκεισαί μοι
I am [as insignificant as] [MET] a leaf that is blown by the wind; why are you trying to cause me to be afraid [RHQ]? Why are you pursuing me? Am I [useless, nothing more than a bit of] dry chaff [RHQ]?
26 ὅτι κατέγραψας κατ’ ἐμοῦ κακά περιέθηκας δέ μοι νεότητος ἁμαρτίας
[It seems that] you are writing things to accuse me [of doing things that are wrong], even recalling bad things that I did when I was young.
27 ἔθου δέ μου τὸν πόδα ἐν κωλύματι ἐφύλαξας δέ μου πάντα τὰ ἔργα εἰς δὲ ῥίζας τῶν ποδῶν μου ἀφίκου
[It is as though] you have fastened my feet with chains [to prevent me from walking], and you watch me wherever I walk; [It is as though] you even look closely at my footprints [to see where I have gone].
28 ὃ παλαιοῦται ἴσα ἀσκῷ ἢ ὥσπερ ἱμάτιον σητόβρωτον
[As a result], my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood, like a piece of cloth that is eaten by [larvae of] moths.”