Ἰώβ 13
1 ἰδοὺ ταῦτα ἑώρακέν μου ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ ἀκήκοέν μου τὸ οὖς
“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
2 καὶ οἶδα ὅσα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε καὶ οὐκ ἀσυνετώτερός εἰμι ὑμῶν
What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
3 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ πρὸς κύριον λαλήσω ἐλέγξω δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐὰν βούληται
“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
4 ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε ἰατροὶ ἄδικοι καὶ ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες
But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
5 εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι καὶ ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς σοφίαν
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
6 ἀκούσατε ἔλεγχον στόματός μου κρίσιν δὲ χειλέων μου προσέχετε
Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 πότερον οὐκ ἔναντι κυρίου λαλεῖτε ἔναντι δὲ αὐτοῦ φθέγγεσθε δόλον
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
8 ἦ ὑποστελεῖσθε ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὶ κριταὶ γένεσθε
Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
9 καλόν γε ἐὰν ἐξιχνιάσῃ ὑμᾶς εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ποιοῦντες προστεθήσεσθε αὐτῷ
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
10 οὐθὲν ἧττον ἐλέγξει ὑμᾶς εἰ δὲ καὶ κρυφῇ πρόσωπα θαυμάσετε
He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
11 πότερον οὐχὶ δεινὰ αὐτοῦ στροβήσει ὑμᾶς φόβος δὲ παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπιπεσεῖται ὑμῖν
Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
12 ἀποβήσεται δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ ἀγαυρίαμα ἴσα σποδῷ τὸ δὲ σῶμα πήλινον
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defences are defences of clay.
13 κωφεύσατε ἵνα λαλήσω καὶ ἀναπαύσωμαι θυμοῦ
“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
14 ἀναλαβὼν τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ψυχὴν δέ μου θήσω ἐν χειρί
Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
15 ἐάν με χειρώσηται ὁ δυνάστης ἐπεὶ καὶ ἦρκται ἦ μὴν λαλήσω καὶ ἐλέγξω ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
16 καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν οὐ γὰρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ δόλος εἰσελεύσεται
This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
17 ἀκούσατε ἀκούσατε τὰ ῥήματά μου ἀναγγελῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων
Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
18 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐγγύς εἰμι τοῦ κρίματός μου οἶδα ἐγὼ ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι
See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
19 τίς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κριθησόμενός μοι ὅτι νῦν κωφεύσω καὶ ἐκλείψω
Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
20 δυεῖν δέ μοι χρήσῃ τότε ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου οὐ κρυβήσομαι
“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 τὴν χεῖρα ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἀπέχου καὶ ὁ φόβος σου μή με καταπλησσέτω
withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
22 εἶτα καλέσεις ἐγὼ δέ σοι ὑπακούσομαι ἢ λαλήσεις ἐγὼ δέ σοι δώσω ἀνταπόκρισιν
Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 πόσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου καὶ αἱ ἀνομίαι μου δίδαξόν με τίνες εἰσίν
How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
24 διὰ τί ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ κρύπτῃ ἥγησαι δέ με ὑπεναντίον σοι
Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?
25 ἦ ὡς φύλλον κινούμενον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου εὐλαβηθήσῃ ἢ ὡς χόρτῳ φερομένῳ ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἀντίκεισαί μοι
Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
26 ὅτι κατέγραψας κατ’ ἐμοῦ κακά περιέθηκας δέ μοι νεότητος ἁμαρτίας
For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 ἔθου δέ μου τὸν πόδα ἐν κωλύματι ἐφύλαξας δέ μου πάντα τὰ ἔργα εἰς δὲ ῥίζας τῶν ποδῶν μου ἀφίκου
You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
28 ὃ παλαιοῦται ἴσα ἀσκῷ ἢ ὥσπερ ἱμάτιον σητόβρωτον
though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
