Ἰώβ 17
1 ὀλέκομαι πνεύματι φερόμενος δέομαι δὲ ταφῆς καὶ οὐ τυγχάνω
“My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.
2 λίσσομαι κάμνων καὶ τί ποιήσας
Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”
3 ἔκλεψαν δέ μου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἀλλότριοι τίς ἐστιν οὗτος τῇ χειρί μου συνδεθήτω
“God, [it is as though I am in prison; ] please pay the money in order that I may be released, because there is certainly no one else who will help me.
4 ὅτι καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔκρυψας ἀπὸ φρονήσεως διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μὴ ὑψώσῃς αὐτούς
You have prevented my friends from understanding [what is true about me]; do not allow them to triumph over me, [saying that I have done things that are wrong].
5 τῇ μερίδι ἀναγγελεῖ κακίας ὀφθαλμοὶ δέ μου ἐφ’ υἱοῖς ἐτάκησαν
[Our ancestors often said, ‘It often happens that] when someone betrays his friends in order to get some of their property, it is that person’s children who will be punished for it;’ [so I desire/hope that will be true of these friends of mine who are lying about me].
6 ἔθου δέ με θρύλημα ἐν ἔθνεσιν γέλως δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀπέβην
“But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].
7 πεπώρωνται γὰρ ἀπὸ ὀργῆς οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου πεπολιόρκημαι μεγάλως ὑπὸ πάντων
(My sight has become dim/I cannot see well) because I am extremely sad, and my arms and legs are [very thin, with the result that they almost do not cast] [MET] a shadow.
8 θαῦμα ἔσχεν ἀληθινοὺς ἐπὶ τούτῳ δίκαιος δὲ ἐπὶ παρανόμῳ ἐπανασταίη
Those who [say that they] are good/righteous are shocked [when they see what has happened to me], and people who [say that they] (are innocent/have not done anything that is wrong) say that I am wicked/godless and should be punished.
9 σχοίη δὲ πιστὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδόν καθαρὸς δὲ χεῖρας ἀναλάβοι θάρσος
Those who [claim that they] are righteous will continue to do what [they think] is right, and those [who say] they have not sinned will continue to become stronger.
10 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ πάντες ἐρείδετε καὶ δεῦτε δή οὐ γὰρ εὑρίσκω ἐν ὑμῖν ἀληθές
“But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.
11 αἱ ἡμέραι μου παρῆλθον ἐν βρόμῳ ἐρράγη δὲ τὰ ἄρθρα τῆς καρδίας μου
My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have not been able to do the things that I confidently expected to do; [I have not been able to accomplish] anything that I [SYN] desired.
12 νύκτα εἰς ἡμέραν ἔθηκαν φῶς ἐγγὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου σκότους
My friends do not know when it is night and when it is day; when it is night, they claim that it is daylight; when it is becoming dark, they claim it is becoming light.
If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol h7585)
14 θάνατον ἐπεκαλεσάμην πατέρα μου εἶναι μητέρα δέ μου καὶ ἀδελφὴν σαπρίαν
I may say to the grave, ‘You will be [like] a father to me,’ and say to the maggots [that will eat my body], ‘You will be [like] a mother or younger sisters to me [because you will be where I will always be].’
15 ποῦ οὖν μου ἔτι ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλπίς ἦ τὰ ἀγαθά μου ὄψομαι
But if I say those things, (will there be anything good that I can confidently expect to happen to me?/there will be nothing good that I can confidently expect to happen to me.) [RHQ] (Is there anyone who knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave?/No one knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave.) [RHQ]
After I descend to the place where the dead are, (will I be able to confidently expect anything good there?/I certainly will not be able to confidently expect anything good there.) [RHQ] [It will be as though] [RHQ] I and the things I hope for will descend with me into the dust [where the dead are].” (Sheol h7585)
