Ἰώβ 16

1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ιωβ λέγει

Then Job answered:

2 ἀκήκοα τοιαῦτα πολλά παρακλήτορες κακῶν πάντες

“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.

3 τί γάρ μὴ τάξις ἐστὶν ῥήμασιν πνεύματος ἢ τί παρενοχλήσει σοι ὅτι ἀποκρίνῃ

Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?

4 κἀγὼ καθ’ ὑμᾶς λαλήσω εἰ ὑπέκειτό γε ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ἀντὶ τῆς ἐμῆς εἶτ’ ἐναλοῦμαι ὑμῖν ῥήμασιν κινήσω δὲ καθ’ ὑμῶν κεφαλήν

I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

5 εἴη δὲ ἰσχὺς ἐν τῷ στόματί μου κίνησιν δὲ χειλέων οὐ φείσομαι

But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.

6 ἐὰν γὰρ λαλήσω οὐκ ἀλγήσω τὸ τραῦμα ἐὰν δὲ καὶ σιωπήσω τί ἔλαττον τρωθήσομαι

Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

7 νῦν δὲ κατάκοπόν με πεποίηκεν μωρόν σεσηπότα

Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

8 καὶ ἐπελάβου μου εἰς μαρτύριον ἐγενήθη καὶ ἀνέστη ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸ ψεῦδός μου κατὰ πρόσωπόν μου ἀνταπεκρίθη

You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

9 ὀργῇ χρησάμενος κατέβαλέν με ἔβρυξεν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας βέλη πειρατῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ ἔπεσεν

His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.

10 ἀκίσιν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐνήλατο ὀξεῖ ἔπαισέν με εἰς σιαγόνα ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ κατέδραμον ἐπ’ ἐμοί

They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

11 παρέδωκεν γάρ με ὁ κύριος εἰς χεῖρας ἀδίκου ἐπὶ δὲ ἀσεβέσιν ἔρριψέν με

God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.

12 εἰρηνεύοντα διεσκέδασέν με λαβών με τῆς κόμης διέτιλεν κατέστησέν με ὥσπερ σκοπόν

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

13 ἐκύκλωσάν με λόγχαις βάλλοντες εἰς νεφρούς μου οὐ φειδόμενοι ἐξέχεαν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν χολήν μου

His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

14 κατέβαλόν με πτῶμα ἐπὶ πτώματι ἔδραμον πρός με δυνάμενοι

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

15 σάκκον ἔρραψα ἐπὶ βύρσης μου τὸ δὲ σθένος μου ἐν γῇ ἐσβέσθη

I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.

16 ἡ γαστήρ μου συγκέκαυται ἀπὸ κλαυθμοῦ ἐπὶ δὲ βλεφάροις μου σκιά

My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;

17 ἄδικον δὲ οὐδὲν ἦν ἐν χερσίν μου εὐχὴ δέ μου καθαρά

yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.

18 γῆ μὴ ἐπικαλύψῃς ἐφ’ αἵματι τῆς σαρκός μου μηδὲ εἴη τόπος τῇ κραυγῇ μου

O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

19 καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁ μάρτυς μου ὁ δὲ συνίστωρ μου ἐν ὑψίστοις

Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

20 ἀφίκοιτό μου ἡ δέησις πρὸς κύριον ἔναντι δὲ αὐτοῦ στάζοι μου ὁ ὀφθαλμός

My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.

21 εἴη δὲ ἔλεγχος ἀνδρὶ ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ

Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!

22 ἔτη δὲ ἀριθμητὰ ἥκασιν ὁδῷ δέ ᾗ οὐκ ἐπαναστραφήσομαι πορεύσομαι

For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.