Ἰώβ 21
1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ιωβ λέγει
Then answered Job, and said,
2 ἀκούσατε ἀκούσατέ μου τῶν λόγων ἵνα μὴ ᾖ μοι παρ’ ὑμῶν αὕτη ἡ παράκλησις
Hear, O hear my speech, and let this be wherewith you give consolations.
3 ἄρατέ με ἐγὼ δὲ λαλήσω εἶτ’ οὐ καταγελάσετέ μου
Bear with me that I may indeed speak: and after my speaking, then canst thou mock.
4 τί γάρ μὴ ἀνθρώπου μου ἡ ἔλεγξις ἢ διὰ τί οὐ θυμωθήσομαι
As for me, —is against man my complaint? and if this be so, why should my spirit not be impatient?
5 εἰσβλέψαντες εἰς ἐμὲ θαυμάσατε χεῖρα θέντες ἐπὶ σιαγόνι
Turn yourselves unto me, and be astounded, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 ἐάν τε γὰρ μνησθῶ ἐσπούδακα ἔχουσιν δέ μου τὰς σάρκας ὀδύναι
Yea, when I think of it, I am terrified, and shuddering seizeth hold of my flesh.
7 διὰ τί ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσιν πεπαλαίωνται δὲ καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ
Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, grow strong in power?
8 ὁ σπόρος αὐτῶν κατὰ ψυχήν τὰ δὲ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς
Their seed is firmly established in their presence with them. their offspring are before their eyes.
9 οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν φόβος δὲ οὐδαμοῦ μάστιξ δὲ παρὰ κυρίου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς
Their houses are at peace without any dread, and no rod of God [cometh] over them.
10 ἡ βοῦς αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠμοτόκησεν διεσώθη δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα καὶ οὐκ ἔσφαλεν
The bull of each one gendereth, and disappointeth not: the cow of each one calveth, and casteth not her young.
11 μένουσιν δὲ ὡς πρόβατα αἰώνια τὰ δὲ παιδία αὐτῶν προσπαίζουσιν
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children skip about [with joy].
12 ἀναλαβόντες ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν καὶ εὐφραίνονται φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ
They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
They wear out their days in happiness, and in a moment they go down to the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
14 λέγει δὲ κυρίῳ ἀπόστα ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ὁδούς σου εἰδέναι οὐ βούλομαι
And yet they say unto God, “Depart from us; and the knowledge of thy ways we desire not.
15 τί ἱκανός ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ καὶ τίς ὠφέλεια ὅτι ἀπαντήσομεν αὐτῷ
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit shall we have, if we entreat him urgently?”
16 ἐν χερσὶν γὰρ ἦν αὐτῶν τὰ ἀγαθά ἔργα δὲ ἀσεβῶν οὐκ ἐφορᾷ
Lo, not in their hand doth their happiness rest! The counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
17 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσεβῶν λύχνος σβεσθήσεται ἐπελεύσεται δὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ καταστροφή ὠδῖνες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἕξουσιν ἀπὸ ὀργῆς
How often is the lamp of the wicked quenched? and how often cometh over them their calamity? and doth [God] distribute their lot in his anger?
18 ἔσονται δὲ ὥσπερ ἄχυρα πρὸ ἀνέμου ἢ ὥσπερ κονιορτός ὃν ὑφείλατο λαῖλαψ
Are they as straw before the wind, and as chaff which the stealeth away?
19 ἐκλίποι υἱοὺς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ ἀνταποδώσει πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ γνώσεται
Should God lay up for his children his wrong-doing? it were better that he reward him, that he might know it himself.
20 ἴδοισαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σφαγήν ἀπὸ δὲ κυρίου μὴ διασωθείη
His own eyes ought to see his downfall, and from the wrath of the Almighty ought he to drink.
21 ὅτι τί θέλημα αὐτοῦ ἐν οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτόν καὶ ἀριθμοὶ μηνῶν αὐτοῦ διῃρέθησαν
For what care hath he for his household after him, when the number of his months is all apportioned to him?
22 πότερον οὐχὶ ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην αὐτὸς δὲ φόνους διακρινεῖ
Is this fitting God, who teacheth knowledge? him who judgeth those that are highest?
23 οὗτος ἀποθανεῖται ἐν κράτει ἁπλοσύνης αὐτοῦ ὅλος δὲ εὐπαθῶν καὶ εὐθηνῶν
That this one dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet;
24 τὰ δὲ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ πλήρη στέατος μυελὸς δὲ αὐτοῦ διαχεῖται
His vessels being full of healthy fluid, and the marrow of his bones being well moistened:
25 ὁ δὲ τελευτᾷ ὑπὸ πικρίας ψυχῆς οὐ φαγὼν οὐδὲν ἀγαθόν
While this other dieth with an embittered soul, and hath never partaken of any happiness;
26 ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ ἐπὶ γῆς κοιμῶνται σαπρία δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐκάλυψεν
[And yet] together they must lie down in the dust, and the worms will cover them?
27 ὥστε οἶδα ὑμᾶς ὅτι τόλμῃ ἐπίκεισθέ μοι
Behold, I know your thoughts, and the opinions which ye wrongfully devise against me.
28 ὅτι ἐρεῖτε ποῦ ἐστιν οἶκος ἄρχοντος καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ σκέπη τῶν σκηνωμάτων τῶν ἀσεβῶν
For ye say, Where is the house of the noble-minded? and where is the tent of the dwelling-places of the wicked?
29 ἐρωτήσατε παραπορευομένους ὁδόν καὶ τὰ σημεῖα αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀπαλλοτριώσετε
Have ye not asked the wayfarers? surely their token ye cannot disregard,
30 ὅτι εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπωλείας κουφίζεται ὁ πονηρός εἰς ἡμέραν ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπαχθήσονται
That the bad man is reserved for the day of calamity, [that the wicked] are carried forward to the day of wrath.
31 τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ ἐπὶ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν τίς ἀνταποδώσει αὐτῷ
[But] who will tell him to his face of his way? and who will repay him what he hath done?
32 καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τάφους ἀπηνέχθη καὶ ἐπὶ σορῷ ἠγρύπνησεν
Yea he will indeed be carried to the grave, and men will quickly think of his monument:
33 ἐγλυκάνθησαν αὐτῷ χάλικες χειμάρρου καὶ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἀπελεύσεται καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἀναρίθμητοι
Sweet are to him the clods of the valley; and after him succeedeth every man, as those that were before him are without number.
34 πῶς δὲ παρακαλεῖτέ με κενά τὸ δὲ ἐμὲ καταπαύσασθαι ἀφ’ ὑμῶν οὐδέν
How then will ye comfort me with vanity? and of your answers there remaineth only deception.
