Ἰώβ 15
1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ελιφας ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 πότερον σοφὸς ἀπόκρισιν δώσει συνέσεως πνεύματος καὶ ἐνέπλησεν πόνον γαστρὸς
“Would a wise man answer with such empty ‘knowledge’ that is just a lot of hot air?
3 ἐλέγχων ἐν ῥήμασιν οἷς οὐ δεῖ ἐν λόγοις οἷς οὐδὲν ὄφελος
He wouldn't argue with unprofitable speeches using words that do no good.
4 οὐ καὶ σὺ ἀπεποιήσω φόβον συνετελέσω δὲ ῥήματα τοιαῦτα ἔναντι τοῦ κυρίου
But you are doing away with the fear of God, and destroying communion with him.
5 ἔνοχος εἶ ῥήμασιν στόματός σου οὐδὲ διέκρινας ῥήματα δυναστῶν
It's your sins that are doing the talking, and you are choosing deceptive words.
6 ἐλέγξαι σε τὸ σὸν στόμα καὶ μὴ ἐγώ τὰ δὲ χείλη σου καταμαρτυρήσουσίν σου
Your own mouth is condemning you, not me; your own lips are testifying against you.
7 τί γάρ μὴ πρῶτος ἀνθρώπων ἐγενήθης ἢ πρὸ θινῶν ἐπάγης
Were you the very first person to be born? Were you born before the hills were created?
8 ἦ σύνταγμα κυρίου ἀκήκοας εἰς δὲ σὲ ἀφίκετο σοφία
Were you there listening in God's council? Does wisdom only belong to you?
9 τί γὰρ οἶδας ὃ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ἢ τί συνίεις ὃ οὐχὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς
What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that we don't?
10 καί γε πρεσβύτης καί γε παλαιὸς ἐν ἡμῖν βαρύτερος τοῦ πατρός σου ἡμέραις
We have among us old, gray-haired people much older than your father!
11 ὀλίγα ὧν ἡμάρτηκας μεμαστίγωσαι μεγάλως ὑπερβαλλόντως λελάληκας
Are the comforts God provides too little for you? Are God's gentle words not enough for you?
12 τί ἐτόλμησεν ἡ καρδία σου ἢ τί ἐπήνεγκαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου
Why do you let yourself be carried away by your emotions?
13 ὅτι θυμὸν ἔρρηξας ἔναντι κυρίου ἐξήγαγες δὲ ἐκ στόματος ῥήματα τοιαῦτα
Why do your eyes flash in anger that you turn against God and let yourself speak this way?
14 τίς γὰρ ὢν βροτός ὅτι ἔσται ἄμεμπτος ἢ ὡς ἐσόμενος δίκαιος γεννητὸς γυναικός
Who can say they are clean? Which human being can say that they do what is right?
15 εἰ κατὰ ἁγίων οὐ πιστεύει οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρὸς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ
Look, God doesn't even trust his angels—even the heavenly beings are not pure in his sight!
16 ἔα δὲ ἐβδελυγμένος καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἀνὴρ πίνων ἀδικίας ἴσα ποτῷ
How much less pure are those who are unclean and corrupt, drinking in sin like water!
17 ἀναγγελῶ δέ σοι ἄκουέ μου ἃ δὴ ἑώρακα ἀναγγελῶ σοι
If you are ready to listen to me, I will show you. I will explain my insights.
18 ἃ σοφοὶ ἐροῦσιν καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψαν πατέρας αὐτῶν
This is what wise men have said, confirmed by their ancestors,
19 αὐτοῖς μόνοις ἐδόθη ἡ γῆ καὶ οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἀλλογενὴς ἐπ’ αὐτούς
those who to whom alone the land was given before foreigners ever were there.
20 πᾶς ὁ βίος ἀσεβοῦς ἐν φροντίδι ἔτη δὲ ἀριθμητὰ δεδομένα δυνάστῃ
The wicked writhe in pain all their lives, through all the years these oppressors survive.
21 ὁ δὲ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὠσὶν αὐτοῦ ὅταν δοκῇ ἤδη εἰρηνεύειν ἥξει αὐτοῦ ἡ καταστροφή
Terrifying sounds fill their ears; even when they think they're safe, the destroyer will attack them.
22 μὴ πιστευέτω ἀποστραφῆναι ἀπὸ σκότους ἐντέταλται γὰρ ἤδη εἰς χεῖρας σιδήρου
They don't believe they will escape the darkness—they know a sword is waiting for them.
23 κατατέτακται δὲ εἰς σῖτα γυψίν οἶδεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὅτι μένει εἰς πτῶμα ἡμέρα δὲ αὐτὸν σκοτεινὴ στροβήσει
They wander around looking for food, asking ‘Where is it?’ They know that their day of darkness is close at hand.
24 ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ θλῖψις αὐτὸν καθέξει ὥσπερ στρατηγὸς πρωτοστάτης πίπτων
Misery and torment overwhelm them like a king preparing for battle.
25 ὅτι ἦρκεν χεῖρας ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου ἔναντι δὲ κυρίου παντοκράτορος ἐτραχηλίασεν
They shake their fists in God's face, defiantly challenging the Almighty,
26 ἔδραμεν δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὕβρει ἐν πάχει νώτου ἀσπίδος αὐτοῦ
insolently attacking him with their shields.
27 ὅτι ἐκάλυψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν στέατι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν περιστόμιον ἐπὶ τῶν μηρίων
They have become fat in their rebellion, their bellies bloated with fat.
28 αὐλισθείη δὲ πόλεις ἐρήμους εἰσέλθοι δὲ εἰς οἴκους ἀοικήτους ἃ δὲ ἐκεῖνοι ἡτοίμασαν ἄλλοι ἀποίσονται
But their cities will become desolate; they will live in abandoned houses that are crumbling into ruins.
29 οὔτε μὴ πλουτισθῇ οὔτε μὴ μείνῃ αὐτοῦ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα οὐ μὴ βάλῃ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν σκιὰν
They will lose their riches, their wealth will not endure, their possessions will not spread over the earth.
30 οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκφύγῃ τὸ σκότος τὸν βλαστὸν αὐτοῦ μαράναι ἄνεμος ἐκπέσοι δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄνθος
They will not escape from the darkness. Like a tree whose shoots are burned up in a forest fire, the breath of God will blow him away.
31 μὴ πιστευέτω ὅτι ὑπομενεῖ κενὰ γὰρ ἀποβήσεται αὐτῷ
They should not trust in things that are worthless, for their reward will be worthless.
32 ἡ τομὴ αὐτοῦ πρὸ ὥρας φθαρήσεται καὶ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ πυκάσῃ
This will be paid in full before their time has come. They are like tree branches that wither,
33 τρυγηθείη δὲ ὥσπερ ὄμφαξ πρὸ ὥρας ἐκπέσοι δὲ ὡς ἄνθος ἐλαίας
like vines that lose their unripe grapes, or olive trees that lose their flowers.
34 μαρτύριον γὰρ ἀσεβοῦς θάνατος πῦρ δὲ καύσει οἴκους δωροδεκτῶν
For those who reject God are barren, and fire will burn up the homes of those who love bribes.
35 ἐν γαστρὶ δὲ λήμψεται ὀδύνας ἀποβήσεται δὲ αὐτῷ κενά ἡ δὲ κοιλία αὐτοῦ ὑποίσει δόλον
They plan trouble and produce evil, giving birth to deception.”
