Ἰώβ 4
1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ελιφας ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει
Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει
If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?
3 εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς καὶ χεῖρας ἀσθενοῦς παρεκάλεσας
Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble hands;
4 ἀσθενοῦντάς τε ἐξανέστησας ῥήμασιν γόνασίν τε ἀδυνατοῦσιν θάρσος περιέθηκας
Thy words have upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength to feeble knees.
5 νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου σὺ δὲ ἐσπούδασας
But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded!
6 πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ ἀκακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου
Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?
7 μνήσθητι οὖν τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where have the righteous been cut off?
8 καθ’ ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς
According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.
9 ἀπὸ προστάγματος κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται
By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.
10 σθένος λέοντος φωνὴ δὲ λεαίνης γαυρίαμα δὲ δρακόντων ἐσβέσθη
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 μυρμηκολέων ὤλετο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βοράν σκύμνοι δὲ λεόντων ἔλιπον ἀλλήλους
The fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.
12 εἰ δέ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου οὐθὲν ἄν σοι τούτων κακὸν ἀπήντησεν πότερον οὐ δέξεταί μου τὸ οὖς ἐξαίσια παρ’ αὐτοῦ
A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.
13 φόβοι δὲ καὶ ἠχὼ νυκτερινή ἐπιπίπτων φόβος ἐπ’ ἀνθρώπους
Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,
14 φρίκη δέ μοι συνήντησεν καὶ τρόμος καὶ μεγάλως μου τὰ ὀστᾶ συνέσεισεν
A fear and a horror came upon me, Which made all my bones to shake.
15 καὶ πνεῦμα ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπῆλθεν ἔφριξαν δέ μου τρίχες καὶ σάρκες
Then a spirit passed before my face, The hair of my flesh rose on end;
16 ἀνέστην καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνων εἶδον καὶ οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου ἀλλ’ ἢ αὔραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον
It stood still, but its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:
17 τί γάρ μὴ καθαρὸς ἔσται βροτὸς ἐναντίον κυρίου ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἄμεμπτος ἀνήρ
“Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall man be more pure than his Maker?
18 εἰ κατὰ παίδων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει κατὰ δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησεν
Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.
19 τοὺς δὲ κατοικοῦντας οἰκίας πηλίνας ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἐσμεν ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον
What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!
20 καὶ ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας οὐκέτι εἰσίν παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῆσαι ἀπώλοντο
Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.
21 ἐνεφύσησεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν ἀπώλοντο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σοφίαν
The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise.”
