Ἰώβ 22

1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ελιφας ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

2 πότερον οὐχὶ ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην

Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?

3 τί γὰρ μέλει τῷ κυρίῳ ἐὰν σὺ ἦσθα τοῖς ἔργοις ἄμεμπτος ἢ ὠφέλεια ὅτι ἁπλώσῃς τὴν ὁδόν σου

Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

4 ἦ λόγον σου ποιούμενος ἐλέγξει σε καὶ συνεισελεύσεταί σοι εἰς κρίσιν

Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?

5 πότερον οὐχ ἡ κακία σού ἐστιν πολλή ἀναρίθμητοι δέ σού εἰσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι

Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?

6 ἠνεχύραζες δὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου διὰ κενῆς ἀμφίασιν δὲ γυμνῶν ἀφείλου

For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 οὐδὲ ὕδωρ διψῶντας ἐπότισας ἀλλὰ πεινώντων ἐστέρησας ψωμόν

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8 ἐθαύμασας δέ τινων πρόσωπον ᾤκισας δὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,

9 χήρας δὲ ἐξαπέστειλας κενάς ὀρφανοὺς δὲ ἐκάκωσας

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 τοιγαροῦν ἐκύκλωσάν σε παγίδες καὶ ἐσπούδασέν σε πόλεμος ἐξαίσιος

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,

11 τὸ φῶς σοι σκότος ἀπέβη κοιμηθέντα δὲ ὕδωρ σε ἐκάλυψεν

Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

12 μὴ οὐχὶ ὁ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ναίων ἐφορᾷ τοὺς δὲ ὕβρει φερομένους ἐταπείνωσεν

Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!

13 καὶ εἶπας τί ἔγνω ὁ ἰσχυρός ἦ κατὰ τοῦ γνόφου κρινεῖ

And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

14 νέφη ἀποκρυφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐχ ὁραθήσεται καὶ γῦρον οὐρανοῦ διαπορεύσεται

Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

15 μὴ τρίβον αἰώνιον φυλάξεις ἣν ἐπάτησαν ἄνδρες ἄδικοι

Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 οἳ συνελήμφθησαν ἄωροι ποταμὸς ἐπιρρέων οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτῶν

Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;

17 οἱ λέγοντες κύριος τί ποιήσει ἡμῖν ἢ τί ἐπάξεται ἡμῖν ὁ παντοκράτωρ

Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?

18 ὃς δὲ ἐνέπλησεν τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἀγαθῶν βουλὴ δὲ ἀσεβῶν πόρρω ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ

Yet He filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 ἰδόντες δίκαιοι ἐγέλασαν ἄμεμπτος δὲ ἐμυκτήρισεν

The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

20 εἰ μὴ ἠφανίσθη ἡ ὑπόστασις αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν καταφάγεται πῦρ

'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'

21 γενοῦ δὴ σκληρός ἐὰν ὑπομείνῃς εἶτ’ ὁ καρπός σου ἔσται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.

22 ἔκλαβε δὲ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐξηγορίαν καὶ ἀνάλαβε τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ σου

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.

23 ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιστραφῇς καὶ ταπεινώσῃς σεαυτὸν ἔναντι κυρίου πόρρω ἐποίησας ἀπὸ διαίτης σου τὸ ἄδικον

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,

24 θήσῃ ἐπὶ χώματι ἐν πέτρᾳ καὶ ὡς πέτρᾳ χειμάρρους Ωφιρ

And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

25 ἔσται οὖν σου ὁ παντοκράτωρ βοηθὸς ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν καθαρὸν δὲ ἀποδώσει σε ὥσπερ ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον

And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;

26 εἶτα παρρησιασθήσῃ ἔναντι κυρίου ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἱλαρῶς

Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 εὐξαμένου δέ σου πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰσακούσεταί σου δώσει δέ σοι ἀποδοῦναι τὰς εὐχάς

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

28 ἀποκαταστήσει δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης ἐπὶ δὲ ὁδοῖς σου ἔσται φέγγος

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 ὅτι ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐρεῖς ὑπερηφανεύσατο καὶ κύφοντα ὀφθαλμοῖς σώσει

When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.

30 ῥύσεται ἀθῷον καὶ διασώθητι ἐν καθαραῖς χερσίν σου

He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.