Ἰώβ 6

1 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ιωβ λέγει

Then Job spoke again, saying [to Eliphaz],

2 εἰ γάρ τις ἱστῶν στήσαι μου τὴν ὀργήν τὰς δὲ ὀδύνας μου ἄραι ἐν ζυγῷ ὁμοθυμαδόν

“If all my troubles and misery could be put on a scale and weighed,

3 καὶ δὴ ἄμμου παραλίας βαρυτέρα ἔσται ἀλλ’ ὡς ἔοικεν τὰ ῥήματά μού ἐστιν φαῦλα

they would be heavier than all the sands [on the shores] of the oceans. That is why I spoke (very rashly/without thinking clearly) [about the day that I was born].

4 βέλη γὰρ κυρίου ἐν τῷ σώματί μού ἐστιν ὧν ὁ θυμὸς αὐτῶν ἐκπίνει μου τὸ αἷμα ὅταν ἄρξωμαι λαλεῖν κεντοῦσί με

[It is as though] Almighty [God] has shot me with arrows. [It is as though] those arrows had poison on their tips, and that poison has gone into my spirit. The things that God has done to me have terrified me.

5 τί γάρ μὴ διὰ κενῆς κεκράξεται ὄνος ἄγριος ἀλλ’ ἢ τὰ σῖτα ζητῶν εἰ δὲ καὶ ῥήξει φωνὴν βοῦς ἐπὶ φάτνης ἔχων τὰ βρώματα

Just like a wild donkey does not [complain by] braying when it has plenty of grass to eat, and an ox does not [complain by] bellowing when it has food to eat [MET], [I would not complain if you were really helping/comforting me].

6 εἰ βρωθήσεται ἄρτος ἄνευ ἁλός εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν γεῦμα ἐν ῥήμασιν κενοῖς

People complain [RHQ] when they must eat food which has no salt or other tasteless food [MET], [and that is what your words are like, Eliphaz].

7 οὐ δύναται γὰρ παύσασθαί μου ἡ ψυχή βρόμον γὰρ ὁρῶ τὰ σῖτά μου ὥσπερ ὀσμὴν λέοντος

Just like I do not want to eat food [like that], and I loathe/detests that kind of food [MET], [I do not appreciate what you have said to me].

8 εἰ γὰρ δῴη καὶ ἔλθοι μου ἡ αἴτησις καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα μου δῴη ὁ κύριος

“I wish that God would do for me what I have requested from him [DOU].

9 ἀρξάμενος ὁ κύριος τρωσάτω με εἰς τέλος δὲ μή με ἀνελέτω

I wish that he would crush me [and let me die]. I wish that he would reach out his hand and take away my life.

10 εἴη δέ μου πόλις τάφος ἐφ’ ἧς ἐπὶ τειχέων ἡλλόμην ἐπ’ αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ φείσωμαι οὐ γὰρ ἐψευσάμην ῥήματα ἅγια θεοῦ μου

If he would do that, I would be comforted by knowing that in spite of the great pain that I have suffered, I have always obeyed what [God, ] the Holy One, has commanded.

11 τίς γάρ μου ἡ ἰσχύς ὅτι ὑπομένω ἢ τίς μου ὁ χρόνος ὅτι ἀνέχεταί μου ἡ ψυχή

But now I do not have [RHQ] enough strength to endure all these things. And since I have nothing [to hope for] in (the future/this life), it is difficult for me to be patient now [RHQ].

12 μὴ ἰσχὺς λίθων ἡ ἰσχύς μου ἢ αἱ σάρκες μού εἰσιν χάλκειαι

I am not [RHQ] strong like rocks are, and my body is not made of bronze.

13 ἦ οὐκ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἐπεποίθειν βοήθεια δὲ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἄπεστιν

So I am not able to help myself, and [it seems that] there is no one to rescue me.”

14 ἀπείπατό με ἔλεος ἐπισκοπὴ δὲ κυρίου ὑπερεῖδέν με

“When a man has many troubles, his friends should be kind to him, even if he stops revering Almighty [God].

15 οὐ προσεῖδόν με οἱ ἐγγύτατοί μου ὥσπερ χειμάρρους ἐκλείπων ἢ ὥσπερ κῦμα παρῆλθόν με

But [you, ] my friends, are not dependable. You are like streams: They spill over their banks [in the spring]

16 οἵτινές με διευλαβοῦντο νῦν ἐπιπεπτώκασίν μοι ὥσπερ χιὼν ἢ κρύσταλλος πεπηγώς

when [the melting] ice and snow make those streams overflow,

17 καθὼς τακεῖσα θέρμης γενομένης οὐκ ἐπεγνώσθη ὅπερ ἦν

but when the dry season comes, there is no water flowing [in those streams], and the channels dry up.

18 οὕτως κἀγὼ κατελείφθην ὑπὸ πάντων ἀπωλόμην δὲ καὶ ἔξοικος ἐγενόμην

[The caravans of merchants] turn off the path [to search for some water], but there is no water, so they die [in the desert].

19 ἴδετε ὁδοὺς Θαιμανων ἀτραποὺς Σαβων οἱ διορῶντες

The men in those caravans search [for some water] because they are sure that they will find some.

20 καὶ αἰσχύνην ὀφειλήσουσιν οἱ ἐπὶ πόλεσιν καὶ χρήμασιν πεποιθότες

But they do not find any, so they are very disappointed.

21 ἀτὰρ δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπέβητέ μοι ἀνελεημόνως ὥστε ἰδόντες τὸ ἐμὸν τραῦμα φοβήθητε

Similarly, you friends have not helped me at all! You have seen that terrible things have happened to me, and you are afraid [that God might do similar things to you].

22 τί γάρ μή τι ὑμᾶς ᾔτησα ἢ τῆς παρ’ ὑμῶν ἰσχύος ἐπιδέομαι

[After I lost all my wealth, ] did I ask any of you for money? [RHQ] Did I plead with any of you to spend some of your money to help me [RHQ]?

23 ὥστε σῶσαί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ἢ ἐκ χειρὸς δυναστῶν ῥύσασθαί με

Have I asked any of you to rescue me from my enemies [RHQ]? Have I asked you to save me from those who (oppressed me/treated me badly) [RHQ]? [No!]”

24 διδάξατέ με ἐγὼ δὲ κωφεύσω εἴ τι πεπλάνημαι φράσατέ μοι

“Answer me [now, and then] I will be quiet; tell me what wrong things I have done!

25 ἀλλ’ ὡς ἔοικεν φαῦλα ἀληθινοῦ ῥήματα οὐ γὰρ παρ’ ὑμῶν ἰσχὺν αἰτοῦμαι

When people speak what is true, that will not hurt the person who hears it, but what you say, criticizing me, [is not true, so your saying it] proves nothing [RHQ]!

26 οὐδὲ ὁ ἔλεγχος ὑμῶν ῥήμασίν με παύσει οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν φθέγμα ῥήματος ἀνέξομαι

I am a man who has nothing to hope for, but you try to correct me, and you think what I say is nothing but wind [RHQ]!

27 πλὴν ὅτι ἐπ’ ὀρφανῷ ἐπιπίπτετε ἐνάλλεσθε δὲ ἐπὶ φίλῳ ὑμῶν

You do not sympathize with me at all [for all that I am suffering]. [You are heartless!] You would even gamble to see who gets an orphan [as a prize]!

28 νυνὶ δὲ εἰσβλέψας εἰς πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ ψεύσομαι

Please look at me! I will not [RHQ] lie to you.

29 καθίσατε δὴ καὶ μὴ εἴη ἄδικον καὶ πάλιν τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε

Stop [saying that I have sinned, and] stop criticizing me unjustly! You should realize that I have not done things that are wrong.

30 οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν γλώσσῃ μου ἄδικον ἢ ὁ λάρυγξ μου οὐχὶ σύνεσιν μελετᾷ

Do you think that I am lying? No, I am not lying, because I know what is right and what is wrong [RHQ].”