Ἰώβ 31
1 διαθήκην ἐθέμην τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου καὶ οὐ συνήσω ἐπὶ παρθένον
A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what — do I attend to a virgin?
2 καὶ τί ἐμέρισεν ὁ θεὸς ἀπάνωθεν καὶ κληρονομία ἱκανοῦ ἐξ ὑψίστων
And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
3 οὐχὶ ἀπώλεια τῷ ἀδίκῳ καὶ ἀπαλλοτρίωσις τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἀνομίαν
Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
4 οὐχὶ αὐτὸς ὄψεται ὁδόν μου καὶ πάντα τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐξαριθμήσεται
Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?
5 εἰ δὲ ἤμην πεπορευμένος μετὰ γελοιαστῶν εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐσπούδασεν ὁ πούς μου εἰς δόλον
If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,
6 ἱσταίη με ἄρα ἐν ζυγῷ δικαίῳ οἶδεν δὲ ὁ κύριος τὴν ἀκακίαν μου
He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.
7 εἰ ἐξέκλινεν ὁ πούς μου ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ εἰ δὲ καὶ τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ ἐπηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου εἰ δὲ καὶ ταῖς χερσίν μου ἡψάμην δώρων
If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,
8 σπείραιμι ἄρα καὶ ἄλλοι φάγοισαν ἄρριζος δὲ γενοίμην ἐπὶ γῆς
Let me sow — and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.
9 εἰ ἐξηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου γυναικὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑτέρου εἰ καὶ ἐγκάθετος ἐγενόμην ἐπὶ θύραις αὐτῆς
If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,
10 ἀρέσαι ἄρα καὶ ἡ γυνή μου ἑτέρῳ τὰ δὲ νήπιά μου ταπεινωθείη
Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.
11 θυμὸς γὰρ ὀργῆς ἀκατάσχετος τὸ μιᾶναι ἀνδρὸς γυναῖκα
For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
12 πῦρ γάρ ἐστιν καιόμενον ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν μερῶν οὗ δ’ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ ἐκ ῥιζῶν ἀπώλεσεν
For a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,
13 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐφαύλισα κρίμα θεράποντός μου ἢ θεραπαίνης κρινομένων αὐτῶν πρός με
If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
14 τί γὰρ ποιήσω ἐὰν ἔτασίν μου ποιήσηται ὁ κύριος ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπισκοπήν τίνα ἀπόκρισιν ποιήσομαι
Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?
15 πότερον οὐχ ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἐγενόμην ἐν γαστρί καὶ ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασιν γεγόναμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κοιλίᾳ
Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.
16 ἀδύνατοι δὲ χρείαν ἥν ποτ’ εἶχον οὐκ ἀπέτυχον χήρας δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα
If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,
17 εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν ψωμόν μου ἔφαγον μόνος καὶ οὐχὶ ὀρφανῷ μετέδωκα
And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,
18 ὅτι ἐκ νεότητός μου ἐξέτρεφον ὡς πατὴρ καὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου ὡδήγησα
(But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)
19 εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπερεῖδον γυμνὸν ἀπολλύμενον καὶ οὐκ ἠμφίασα
If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,
20 ἀδύνατοι δὲ εἰ μὴ εὐλόγησάν με ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς ἀμνῶν μου ἐθερμάνθησαν οἱ ὦμοι αὐτῶν
If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,
21 εἰ ἐπῆρα ὀρφανῷ χεῖρα πεποιθὼς ὅτι πολλή μοι βοήθεια περίεστιν
If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in [him] the gate of my court,
22 ἀποσταίη ἄρα ὁ ὦμός μου ἀπὸ τῆς κλειδός ὁ δὲ βραχίων μου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγκῶνός μου συντριβείη
My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.
23 φόβος γὰρ κυρίου συνέσχεν με καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ λήμματος αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑποίσω
For a dread unto me [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency I am not able.
24 εἰ ἔταξα χρυσίον ἰσχύν μου εἰ δὲ καὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ ἐπεποίθησα
If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,'
25 εἰ δὲ καὶ εὐφράνθην πολλοῦ πλούτου μοι γενομένου εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπ’ ἀναριθμήτοις ἐθέμην χεῖρά μου
If I rejoice because great [is] my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,
26 ἦ οὐχ ὁρῶ μὲν ἥλιον τὸν ἐπιφαύσκοντα ἐκλείποντα σελήνην δὲ φθίνουσαν οὐ γὰρ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς ἐστιν
If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,
27 καὶ εἰ ἠπατήθη λάθρᾳ ἡ καρδία μου εἰ δὲ καὶ χεῖρά μου ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα
And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,
28 καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη ὅτι ἐψευσάμην ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ ὑψίστου
It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.
29 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιχαρὴς ἐγενόμην πτώματι ἐχθρῶν μου καὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου εὖγε
If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
30 ἀκούσαι ἄρα τὸ οὖς μου τὴν κατάραν μου θρυληθείην δὲ ἄρα ὑπὸ λαοῦ μου κακούμενος
Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
31 εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλάκις εἶπον αἱ θεράπαιναί μου τίς ἂν δῴη ἡμῖν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ πλησθῆναι λίαν μου χρηστοῦ ὄντος
If not — say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'
32 ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος ἡ δὲ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἀνέῳκτο
In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.
33 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτὼν ἀκουσίως ἔκρυψα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου
If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,
34 οὐ γὰρ διετράπην πολυοχλίαν πλήθους τοῦ μὴ ἐξαγορεῦσαι ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴασα ἀδύνατον ἐξελθεῖν θύραν μου κόλπῳ κενῷ
Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.
35 τίς δῴη ἀκούοντά μου χεῖρα δὲ κυρίου εἰ μὴ ἐδεδοίκειν συγγραφὴν δέ ἣν εἶχον κατά τινος
Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.
36 ἐπ’ ὤμοις ἂν περιθέμενος στέφανον ἀνεγίνωσκον
If not — on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.
37 καὶ εἰ μὴ ῥήξας αὐτὴν ἀπέδωκα οὐθὲν λαβὼν παρὰ χρεοφειλέτου
The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
38 εἰ ἐπ’ ἐμοί ποτε ἡ γῆ ἐστέναξεν εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ αὔλακες αὐτῆς ἔκλαυσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν
If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,
39 εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἔφαγον μόνος ἄνευ τιμῆς εἰ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴν κυρίου τῆς γῆς ἐκβαλὼν ἐλύπησα
If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
40 ἀντὶ πυροῦ ἄρα ἐξέλθοι μοι κνίδη ἀντὶ δὲ κριθῆς βάτος καὶ ἐπαύσατο Ιωβ ῥήμασιν
Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.
