Ἰώβ 30
1 νυνὶ δὲ κατεγέλασάν μου ἐλάχιστοι νῦν νουθετοῦσίν με ἐν μέρει ὧν ἐξουδένουν πατέρας αὐτῶν οὓς οὐχ ἡγησάμην εἶναι ἀξίους κυνῶν τῶν ἐμῶν νομάδων
“But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.
2 καί γε ἰσχὺς χειρῶν αὐτῶν ἵνα τί μοι ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἀπώλετο συντέλεια
They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]
3 ἐν ἐνδείᾳ καὶ λιμῷ ἄγονος οἱ φεύγοντες ἄνυδρον ἐχθὲς συνοχὴν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν
They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
4 οἱ περικλῶντες ἅλιμα ἐπὶ ἠχοῦντι οἵτινες ἅλιμα ἦν αὐτῶν τὰ σῖτα ἄτιμοι δὲ καὶ πεφαυλισμένοι ἐνδεεῖς παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ οἳ καὶ ῥίζας ξύλων ἐμασῶντο ὑπὸ λιμοῦ μεγάλου
They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
5 ἐπανέστησάν μοι κλέπται
Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
6 ὧν οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν ἦσαν τρῶγλαι πετρῶν
They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
7 ἀνὰ μέσον εὐήχων βοήσονται οἳ ὑπὸ φρύγανα ἄγρια διῃτῶντο
In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
8 ἀφρόνων υἱοὶ καὶ ἀτίμων ὄνομα καὶ κλέος ἐσβεσμένον ἀπὸ γῆς
They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
9 νυνὶ δὲ κιθάρα ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμὲ θρύλημα ἔχουσιν
“And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
10 ἐβδελύξαντο δέ με ἀποστάντες μακράν ἀπὸ δὲ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἐφείσαντο πτύελον
They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.
11 ἀνοίξας γὰρ φαρέτραν αὐτοῦ ἐκάκωσέν με καὶ χαλινὸν τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐξαπέστειλαν
Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.
12 ἐπὶ δεξιῶν βλαστοῦ ἐπανέστησαν πόδα αὐτῶν ἐξέτειναν καὶ ὡδοποίησαν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ τρίβους ἀπωλείας αὐτῶν
(Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
13 ἐξετρίβησαν τρίβοι μου ἐξέδυσεν γάρ μου τὴν στολήν
They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
14 βέλεσιν αὐτοῦ κατηκόντισέν με κέχρηταί μοι ὡς βούλεται ἐν ὀδύναις πέφυρμαι
[It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.
15 ἐπιστρέφονται δέ μου αἱ ὀδύναι ᾤχετό μου ἡ ἐλπὶς ὥσπερ πνεῦμα καὶ ὥσπερ νέφος ἡ σωτηρία μου
I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.
16 καὶ νῦν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐκχυθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἔχουσιν δέ με ἡμέραι ὀδυνῶν
“And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
17 νυκτὶ δέ μου τὰ ὀστᾶ συγκέκαυται τὰ δὲ νεῦρά μου διαλέλυται
My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
18 ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύι ἐπελάβετό μου τῆς στολῆς ὥσπερ τὸ περιστόμιον τοῦ χιτῶνός μου περιέσχεν με
[It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
19 ἥγησαι δέ με ἴσα πηλῷ ἐν γῇ καὶ σποδῷ μου ἡ μερίς
He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.
20 κέκραγα δὲ πρὸς σὲ καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούεις μου ἔστησαν καὶ κατενόησάν με
“I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.
21 ἐπέβης δέ μοι ἀνελεημόνως χειρὶ κραταιᾷ με ἐμαστίγωσας
He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
22 ἔταξας δέ με ἐν ὀδύναις καὶ ἀπέρριψάς με ἀπὸ σωτηρίας
He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.
23 οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι θάνατός με ἐκτρίψει οἰκία γὰρ παντὶ θνητῷ γῆ
I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
24 εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον δυναίμην ἐμαυτὸν χειρώσασθαι ἢ δεηθείς γε ἑτέρου καὶ ποιήσει μοι τοῦτο
“When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.
25 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ παντὶ ἀδυνάτῳ ἔκλαυσα ἐστέναξα δὲ ἰδὼν ἄνδρα ἐν ἀνάγκαις
[That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
26 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπέχων ἀγαθοῖς ἰδοὺ συνήντησάν μοι μᾶλλον ἡμέραι κακῶν
But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].
27 ἡ κοιλία μου ἐξέζεσεν καὶ οὐ σιωπήσεται προέφθασάν με ἡμέραι πτωχείας
I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
28 στένων πεπόρευμαι ἄνευ φιμοῦ ἕστηκα δὲ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ κεκραγώς
I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
29 ἀδελφὸς γέγονα σειρήνων ἑταῖρος δὲ στρουθῶν
My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
30 τὸ δὲ δέρμα μου ἐσκότωται μεγάλως τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ μου ἀπὸ καύματος
My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.
31 ἀπέβη δὲ εἰς πάθος μου ἡ κιθάρα ὁ δὲ ψαλμός μου εἰς κλαυθμὸν ἐμοί
Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
