Ἰώβ 20
1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Σωφαρ ὁ Μιναῖος λέγει
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 οὐχ οὕτως ὑπελάμβανον ἀντερεῖν σε ταῦτα καὶ οὐχὶ συνίετε μᾶλλον ἢ καὶ ἐγώ
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
3 παιδείαν ἐντροπῆς μου ἀκούσομαι καὶ πνεῦμα ἐκ τῆς συνέσεως ἀποκρίνεταί μοι
I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
4 μὴ ταῦτα ἔγνως ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔτι ἀφ’ οὗ ἐτέθη ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
5 εὐφροσύνη γὰρ ἀσεβῶν πτῶμα ἐξαίσιον χαρμονὴ δὲ παρανόμων ἀπώλεια
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
6 ἐὰν ἀναβῇ εἰς οὐρανὸν αὐτοῦ τὰ δῶρα ἡ δὲ θυσία αὐτοῦ νεφῶν ἅψηται
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
7 ὅταν γὰρ δοκῇ ἤδη κατεστηρίχθαι τότε εἰς τέλος ἀπολεῖται οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐροῦσιν ποῦ ἐστιν
he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
8 ὥσπερ ἐνύπνιον ἐκπετασθὲν οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἔπτη δὲ ὥσπερ φάσμα νυκτερινόν
He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
9 ὀφθαλμὸς παρέβλεψεν καὶ οὐ προσθήσει καὶ οὐκέτι προσνοήσει αὐτὸν ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ
The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
10 τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ὀλέσαισαν ἥττονες αἱ δὲ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ πυρσεύσαισαν ὀδύνας
His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
11 ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ ἐνεπλήσθησαν νεότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ χώματος κοιμηθήσεται
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
12 ἐὰν γλυκανθῇ ἐν στόματι αὐτοῦ κακία κρύψει αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
13 οὐ φείσεται αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὴν καὶ συνέξει αὐτὴν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λάρυγγος αὐτοῦ
though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
14 καὶ οὐ μὴ δυνηθῇ βοηθῆσαι ἑαυτῷ χολὴ ἀσπίδος ἐν γαστρὶ αὐτοῦ
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
15 πλοῦτος ἀδίκως συναγόμενος ἐξεμεσθήσεται ἐξ οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἐξελκύσει αὐτὸν ἄγγελος
He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
16 θυμὸν δὲ δρακόντων θηλάσειεν ἀνέλοι δὲ αὐτὸν γλῶσσα ὄφεως
He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
17 μὴ ἴδοι ἄμελξιν νομάδων μηδὲ νομὰς μέλιτος καὶ βουτύρου
He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 εἰς κενὰ καὶ μάταια ἐκοπίασεν πλοῦτον ἐξ οὗ οὐ γεύσεται ὥσπερ στρίφνος ἀμάσητος ἀκατάποτος
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
19 πολλῶν γὰρ ἀδυνάτων οἴκους ἔθλασεν δίαιταν δὲ ἥρπασεν καὶ οὐκ ἔστησεν
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.
20 οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ σωτηρία τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ αὐτοῦ οὐ σωθήσεται
Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
21 οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπόλειμμα τοῖς βρώμασιν αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνθήσει αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀγαθά
Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
22 ὅταν δὲ δοκῇ ἤδη πεπληρῶσθαι θλιβήσεται πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐπελεύσεται
In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 εἴ πως πληρώσαι γαστέρα αὐτοῦ ἐπαποστείλαι ἐπ’ αὐτὸν θυμὸν ὀργῆς νίψαι ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ὀδύνας
When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
24 καὶ οὐ μὴ σωθῇ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου τρώσαι αὐτὸν τόξον χάλκειον
Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
25 διεξέλθοι δὲ διὰ σώματος αὐτοῦ βέλος ἀστραπαὶ δὲ ἐν διαίταις αὐτοῦ περιπατήσαισαν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ φόβοι
It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.
26 πᾶν δὲ σκότος αὐτῷ ὑπομείναι κατέδεται αὐτὸν πῦρ ἄκαυστον κακώσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπήλυτος τὸν οἶκον
Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
27 ἀνακαλύψαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ οὐρανὸς τὰς ἀνομίας γῆ δὲ ἐπανασταίη αὐτῷ
The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
28 ἑλκύσαι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεια εἰς τέλος ἡμέρα ὀργῆς ἐπέλθοι αὐτῷ
The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
29 αὕτη ἡ μερὶς ἀνθρώπου ἀσεβοῦς παρὰ κυρίου καὶ κτῆμα ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου
This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”
