< Ἰώβ 23 >
2 καὶ δὴ οἶδα ὅτι ἐκ χειρός μου ἡ ἔλεγξίς ἐστιν καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖα γέγονεν ἐπ’ ἐμῷ στεναγμῷ
“Today I am again complaining bitterly/strongly [to God]; I [continue] groaning, but he [SYN] [continues to] (punish me/cause me to suffer).
3 τίς δ’ ἄρα γνοίη ὅτι εὕροιμι αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλθοιμι εἰς τέλος
I (wish that I knew/want to know) where I could meet/talk with him, so that I could go to the place where he lives.
4 εἴποιμι δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ κρίμα τὸ δὲ στόμα μου ἐμπλήσαιμι ἐλέγχων
If I could do that, I would tell him why [I know that] I am innocent; I would tell [MTY] to him all my (arguments/evidence [to show that I have not done what is evil]).
5 γνῴην δὲ ῥήματα ἅ μοι ἐρεῖ αἰσθοίμην δὲ τίνα μοι ἀπαγγελεῖ
Then I would find out what he would reply to me [DOU].
6 καὶ εἰ ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύι ἐπελεύσεταί μοι εἶτα ἐν ἀπειλῇ μοι οὐ χρήσεται
Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would listen to me carefully.
7 ἀλήθεια γὰρ καὶ ἔλεγχος παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξαγάγοι δὲ εἰς τέλος τὸ κρίμα μου
I am (an honest/a righteous) man; so I would be able to discuss things with him [fairly], and then he would declare that I am innocent, [and that decision would endure] forever.
8 εἰς γὰρ πρῶτα πορεύσομαι καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμί τὰ δὲ ἐπ’ ἐσχάτοις τί οἶδα
“But, I have gone to the east, and he is not there; I have gone to the west, but I have not found him there.
9 ἀριστερὰ ποιήσαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ κατέσχον περιβαλεῖ δεξιά καὶ οὐκ ὄψομαι
I have gone north and I have gone south, but I have not seen him anywhere.
10 οἶδεν γὰρ ἤδη ὁδόν μου διέκρινεν δέ με ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον
But he knows how I have conducted my life; and when he has finished testing me, [he] will [see that] I [am] as pure as [SIM] gold [whose impurities have all been burned out].
11 ἐξελεύσομαι δὲ ἐν ἐντάλμασιν αὐτοῦ ὁδοὺς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐφύλαξα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκκλίνω
I [SYN] have faithfully walked on the path that he showed me; I have not stopped [obeying] him.
12 ἀπὸ ἐνταλμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθω ἐν δὲ κόλπῳ μου ἔκρυψα ῥήματα αὐτοῦ
I have always obeyed what he [SYN] commanded; I have treasured the words that he has spoken.
13 εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινεν οὕτως τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντειπὼν αὐτῷ ὃ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἠθέλησεν καὶ ἐποίησεν
“He never changes. There is no one who can [RHQ] stop him [from doing what he desires]. Whatever he wants to do, he does.
And he will finish doing for me the things that he has planned for me; [and I am sure that] he has thought about doing many things for me.
15 διὰ τοῦτο ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἐσπούδακα νουθετούμενος δὲ ἐφρόντισα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατασπουδασθῶ κατανοήσω καὶ πτοηθήσομαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ
So I am terrified in his presence; when I think [about what he can do], I am very afraid [DOU].
16 κύριος δὲ ἐμαλάκυνεν τὴν καρδίαν μου ὁ δὲ παντοκράτωρ ἐσπούδασέν με
Almighty God has caused me [SYN] to feel terrified [DOU].
17 οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἐπελεύσεταί μοι σκότος πρὸ προσώπου δέ μου ἐκάλυψεν γνόφος
[It is as though] there is only thick darkness in front of me, but it is God that I am afraid of, not the darkness.”