Ἰώβ 5
1 ἐπικάλεσαι δέ εἴ τίς σοι ὑπακούσεται ἢ εἴ τινα ἀγγέλων ἁγίων ὄψῃ
“Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 καὶ γὰρ ἄφρονα ἀναιρεῖ ὀργή πεπλανημένον δὲ θανατοῖ ζῆλος
For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
3 ἐγὼ δὲ ἑώρακα ἄφρονας ῥίζαν βάλλοντας ἀλλ’ εὐθέως ἐβρώθη αὐτῶν ἡ δίαιτα
I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
4 πόρρω γένοιντο οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ σωτηρίας κολαβρισθείησαν δὲ ἐπὶ θύραις ἡσσόνων καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος
His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
5 ἃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι συνήγαγον δίκαιοι ἔδονται αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐκ κακῶν οὐκ ἐξαίρετοι ἔσονται ἐκσιφωνισθείη αὐτῶν ἡ ἰσχύς
The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῆς γῆς κόπος οὐδὲ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀναβλαστήσει πόνος
For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
7 ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωπος γεννᾶται κόπῳ νεοσσοὶ δὲ γυπὸς τὰ ὑψηλὰ πέτονται
Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ ἐγὼ δεηθήσομαι κυρίου κύριον δὲ τὸν πάντων δεσπότην ἐπικαλέσομαι
However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—
9 τὸν ποιοῦντα μεγάλα καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστα ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός
the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
10 τὸν διδόντα ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἀποστέλλοντα ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπ’ οὐρανόν
He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
11 τὸν ποιοῦντα ταπεινοὺς εἰς ὕψος καὶ ἀπολωλότας ἐξεγείροντα
He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
12 διαλλάσσοντα βουλὰς πανούργων καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν ἀληθές
He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
13 ὁ καταλαμβάνων σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ φρονήσει βουλὴν δὲ πολυπλόκων ἐξέστησεν
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
14 ἡμέρας συναντήσεται αὐτοῖς σκότος τὸ δὲ μεσημβρινὸν ψηλαφήσαισαν ἴσα νυκτί
They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
15 ἀπόλοιντο δὲ ἐν πολέμῳ ἀδύνατος δὲ ἐξέλθοι ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου
He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
16 εἴη δὲ ἀδυνάτῳ ἐλπίς ἀδίκου δὲ στόμα ἐμφραχθείη
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
17 μακάριος δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὃν ἤλεγξεν ὁ κύριος νουθέτημα δὲ παντοκράτορος μὴ ἀπαναίνου
Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
18 αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ καὶ πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησιν ἔπαισεν καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἰάσαντο
For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.
19 ἑξάκις ἐξ ἀναγκῶν σε ἐξελεῖται ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ οὐ μὴ ἅψηταί σου κακόν
He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
20 ἐν λιμῷ ῥύσεταί σε ἐκ θανάτου ἐν πολέμῳ δὲ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου λύσει σε
In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
21 ἀπὸ μάστιγος γλώσσης σε κρύψει καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπὸ κακῶν ἐρχομένων
You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.
22 ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνόμων καταγελάσῃ ἀπὸ δὲ θηρίων ἀγρίων οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇς
You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 θῆρες γὰρ ἄγριοι εἰρηνεύσουσίν σοι
For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 εἶτα γνώσῃ ὅτι εἰρηνεύσει σου ὁ οἶκος ἡ δὲ δίαιτα τῆς σκηνῆς σου οὐ μὴ ἁμάρτῃ
You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
25 γνώσῃ δὲ ὅτι πολὺ τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰ δὲ τέκνα σου ἔσται ὥσπερ τὸ παμβότανον τοῦ ἀγροῦ
You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.
26 ἐλεύσῃ δὲ ἐν τάφῳ ὥσπερ σῖτος ὥριμος κατὰ καιρὸν θεριζόμενος ἢ ὥσπερ θιμωνιὰ ἅλωνος καθ’ ὥραν συγκομισθεῖσα
You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
27 ἰδοὺ ταῦτα οὕτως ἐξιχνιάσαμεν ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ ἀκηκόαμεν σὺ δὲ γνῶθι σεαυτῷ εἴ τι ἔπραξας
Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.”
