Ἰώβ 29
1 ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς Ιωβ εἶπεν τῷ προοιμίῳ
And Job again took up his measure, and said,
2 τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν ὧν με ὁ θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν
Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;
3 ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει
When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;
4 ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοῖς ὅτε ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου
As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;
5 ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες
While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;
6 ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βουτύρῳ τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι
When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:
7 ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος
When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,
8 ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν
Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;
9 ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι
Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
10 οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη
The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;
11 ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐμακάρισέν με ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινεν
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
12 διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός ἐβοήθησα
Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;
13 εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησεν
The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;
14 δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνεδεδύκειν ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι
Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;
15 ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν ποὺς δὲ χωλῶν
Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!
16 ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων δίκην δέ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν ἐξιχνίασα
A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
17 συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα
And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
18 εἶπα δέ ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω
Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:
19 ἡ ῥίζα μου διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου
My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
20 ἡ δόξα μου καινὴ μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται
Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
21 ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ
To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;
22 ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν
After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
23 ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν
And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;
24 ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν
I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
25 ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν
I chose out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
