Ἰώβ 36
1 προσθεὶς δὲ Ελιους ἔτι λέγει
Elihu continued speaking.
2 μεῖνόν με μικρὸν ἔτι ἵνα διδάξω σε ἔτι γὰρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν λέξις
“Be patient with me just a little while longer and let me explain. I still have something to say on God's behalf.
3 ἀναλαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστήμην μου μακρὰν ἔργοις δέ μου δίκαια ἐρῶ
I will share my extensive knowledge, and I will prove my Creator is in the right.
4 ἐπ’ ἀληθείας καὶ οὐκ ἄδικα ῥήματα ἀδίκως συνίεις
I assure you that what I'm saying are not lies, for I am a man whose knowledge is of the highest order.
5 γίγνωσκε δὲ ὅτι ὁ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσηται τὸν ἄκακον δυνατὸς ἰσχύι καρδίας
God is mighty, but doesn't despise anyone; he is powerful in strength and understanding.
6 ἀσεβῆ οὐ μὴ ζωοποιήσει καὶ κρίμα πτωχῶν δώσει
He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives justice to the oppressed.
7 οὐκ ἀφελεῖ ἀπὸ δικαίου ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ βασιλέων εἰς θρόνον καὶ καθιεῖ αὐτοὺς εἰς νεῖκος καὶ ὑψωθήσονται
He always pays attention those who do right, and places them on thrones with kings, honoring them eternally.
8 καὶ εἰ πεπεδημένοι ἐν χειροπέδαις συσχεθήσονται ἐν σχοινίοις πενίας
If they are bound in chains, tied down by ropes of suffering,
9 καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν ὅτι ἰσχύσουσιν
then he explains to them what they've done—their arrogant sins.
10 ἀλλὰ τοῦ δικαίου εἰσακούσεται καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐξ ἀδικίας
He makes them pay attention and orders them to stop sinning.
11 ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ δουλεύσωσιν συντελέσουσιν τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτῶν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τὰ ἔτη αὐτῶν ἐν εὐπρεπείαις
If they listen and do what God says they will live out their lives in happiness.
12 ἀσεβεῖς δὲ οὐ διασῴζει παρὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς τὸν κύριον καὶ διότι νουθετούμενοι ἀνήκοοι ἦσαν
But if they do not listen they will die a violent death, ignorant of God.
13 καὶ ὑποκριταὶ καρδίᾳ τάξουσιν θυμόν οὐ βοήσονται ὅτι ἔδησεν αὐτούς
Those who reject God hold on to their bitterness. Even when he disciplines them they do not cry out to him for help.
14 ἀποθάνοι τοίνυν ἐν νεότητι ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν ἡ δὲ ζωὴ αὐτῶν τιτρωσκομένη ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων
They die in their youth; their lives end among the male temple prostitutes.
15 ἀνθ’ ὧν ἔθλιψαν ἀσθενῆ καὶ ἀδύνατον κρίμα δὲ πραέων ἐκθήσει
Through suffering God saves those who suffer; he gets their attention through their troubles.
16 καὶ προσέτι ἠπάτησέν σε ἐκ στόματος ἐχθροῦ ἄβυσσος κατάχυσις ὑποκάτω αὐτῆς καὶ κατέβη τράπεζά σου πλήρης πιότητος
God is trying to rescue you from the jaws of trouble to a place of freedom and safety, filling your table full of the very best food.
17 οὐχ ὑστερήσει δὲ ἀπὸ δικαίων κρίμα
But you are preoccupied with the fate of the wicked; judgment and justice fill your mind.
18 θυμὸς δὲ ἐπ’ ἀσεβεῖς ἔσται δῑ ἀσέβειαν δώρων ὧν ἐδέχοντο ἐπ’ ἀδικίαις
But be careful that your anger doesn't seduce you into mockery; and don't let the size of the ‘bribe’ lead you into sin.
19 μή σε ἐκκλινάτω ἑκὼν ὁ νοῦς δεήσεως ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ὄντων ἀδυνάτων καὶ πάντας τοὺς κραταιοῦντας ἰσχύν
Will your cry for help sustain you when troubles come?
20 μὴ ἐξελκύσῃς τὴν νύκτα τοῦ ἀναβῆναι λαοὺς ἀντ’ αὐτῶν
Do not long for the night when people are suddenly taken away.
21 ἀλλὰ φύλαξαι μὴ πράξῃς ἄτοπα ἐπὶ τοῦτον γὰρ ἐξείλω ἀπὸ πτωχείας
Watch out that you don't turn to evil! For it's because of this that you are being tested through suffering.
22 ἰδοὺ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς κραταιώσει ἐν ἰσχύι αὐτοῦ τίς γάρ ἐστιν κατ’ αὐτὸν δυνάστης
Look how much power God has! What teacher is like him?
23 τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἐτάζων αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ἢ τίς ὁ εἴπας ἔπραξεν ἄδικα
Who has instructed him what to do? Who can say to him ‘You have done wrong’?
24 μνήσθητι ὅτι μεγάλα ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ὧν ἦρξαν ἄνδρες
Instead you should praise him for what he has done, as people have done in song.
25 πᾶς ἄνθρωπος εἶδεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὅσοι τιτρωσκόμενοί εἰσιν βροτοί
Everyone has seen God's creation, though only from a distance.
26 ἰδοὺ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς πολύς καὶ οὐ γνωσόμεθα ἀριθμὸς ἐτῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέραντος
See how great God is—more than we can understand! No one can count his years.
27 ἀριθμηταὶ δὲ αὐτῷ σταγόνες ὑετοῦ καὶ ἐπιχυθήσονται ὑετῷ εἰς νεφέλην
He draws up the water and distils it into the dew and the rain.
28 ῥυήσονται παλαιώματα ἐσκίασεν δὲ νέφη ἐπὶ ἀμυθήτων βροτῶν ὥραν ἔθετο κτήνεσιν οἴδασιν δὲ κοίτης τάξιν ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν οὐκ ἐξίσταταί σου ἡ διάνοια οὐδὲ διαλλάσσεταί σου ἡ καρδία ἀπὸ σώματος
The clouds pour down rain, falling plentifully on humankind.
29 καὶ ἐὰν συνῇ ἀπεκτάσεις νεφέλης ἰσότητα σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ
Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out, or how thunder roars from where he lives?
30 ἰδοὺ ἐκτείνει ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ηδω καὶ ῥιζώματα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκάλυψεν
See how he scatters lightning around him, and covers the depths of the sea in darkness.
31 ἐν γὰρ αὐτοῖς κρινεῖ λαούς δώσει τροφὴν τῷ ἰσχύοντι
By these actions he rules the people, he provides abundant food.
32 ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἐκάλυψεν φῶς καὶ ἐνετείλατο περὶ αὐτῆς ἐν ἀπαντῶντι
He holds lightning in his hands and commands where it should strike.
33 ἀναγγελεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ φίλον αὐτοῦ κτῆσις καὶ περὶ ἀδικίας
Thunder declares his presence—even cattle know when a storm is coming.
