< Ἰώβ 9 >
And Job answereth and saith: —
2 ἐπ’ ἀληθείας οἶδα ὅτι οὕτως ἐστίν πῶς γὰρ ἔσται δίκαιος βροτὸς παρὰ κυρίῳ
Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?
3 ἐὰν γὰρ βούληται κριθῆναι αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ ὑπακούσῃ αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ ἀντείπῃ πρὸς ἕνα λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐκ χιλίων
If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.
4 σοφὸς γάρ ἐστιν διανοίᾳ κραταιός τε καὶ μέγας τίς σκληρὸς γενόμενος ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὑπέμεινεν
Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
5 ὁ παλαιῶν ὄρη καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν ὁ καταστρέφων αὐτὰ ὀργῇ
Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
6 ὁ σείων τὴν ὑπ’ οὐρανὸν ἐκ θεμελίων οἱ δὲ στῦλοι αὐτῆς σαλεύονται
Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
7 ὁ λέγων τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνατέλλει κατὰ δὲ ἄστρων κατασφραγίζει
Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
8 ὁ τανύσας τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος καὶ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπ’ ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
9 ὁ ποιῶν Πλειάδα καὶ ἕσπερον καὶ ἀρκτοῦρον καὶ ταμίεια νότου
Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
10 ὁ ποιῶν μεγάλα καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστα ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός
Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
11 ἐὰν ὑπερβῇ με οὐ μὴ ἴδω καὶ ἐὰν παρέλθῃ με οὐδ’ ὧς ἔγνων
Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
12 ἐὰν ἀπαλλάξῃ τίς ἀποστρέψει ἢ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ τί ἐποίησας
Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'
13 αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀπέστραπται ὀργήν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐκάμφθησαν κήτη τὰ ὑπ’ οὐρανόν
God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
14 ἐὰν δέ μου ὑπακούσηται ἦ διακρινεῖ τὰ ῥήματά μου
How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
15 ἐάν τε γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος οὐκ εἰσακούσεταί μου τοῦ κρίματος αὐτοῦ δεηθήσομαι
Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
16 ἐάν τε καλέσω καὶ ὑπακούσῃ οὐ πιστεύω ὅτι εἰσακήκοέν μου
Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.
17 μὴ γνόφῳ με ἐκτρίψῃ πολλὰ δέ μου τὰ συντρίμματα πεποίηκεν διὰ κενῆς
Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
18 οὐκ ἐᾷ γάρ με ἀναπνεῦσαι ἐνέπλησεν δέ με πικρίας
He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
19 ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἰσχύι κρατεῖ τίς οὖν κρίματι αὐτοῦ ἀντιστήσεται
If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
20 ἐὰν γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος τὸ στόμα μου ἀσεβήσει ἐάν τε ὦ ἄμεμπτος σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι
If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
21 εἴτε γὰρ ἠσέβησα οὐκ οἶδα τῇ ψυχῇ πλὴν ὅτι ἀφαιρεῖταί μου ἡ ζωή
Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
22 διὸ εἶπον μέγαν καὶ δυνάστην ἀπολλύει ὀργή
It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'
23 ὅτι φαῦλοι ἐν θανάτῳ ἐξαισίῳ ἀλλὰ δίκαιοι καταγελῶνται
If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
24 παραδέδονται γὰρ εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς πρόσωπα κριτῶν αὐτῆς συγκαλύπτει εἰ δὲ μὴ αὐτός τίς ἐστιν
Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?
25 ὁ δὲ βίος μού ἐστιν ἐλαφρότερος δρομέως ἀπέδρασαν καὶ οὐκ εἴδοσαν
My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
26 ἦ καὶ ἔστιν ναυσὶν ἴχνος ὁδοῦ ἢ ἀετοῦ πετομένου ζητοῦντος βοράν
They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
27 ἐάν τε γὰρ εἴπω ἐπιλήσομαι λαλῶν συγκύψας τῷ προσώπῳ στενάξω
Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'
28 σείομαι πᾶσιν τοῖς μέλεσιν οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἀθῷόν με ἐάσεις
I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
29 ἐπειδὴ δέ εἰμι ἀσεβής διὰ τί οὐκ ἀπέθανον
I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
30 ἐὰν γὰρ ἀπολούσωμαι χιόνι καὶ ἀποκαθάρωμαι χερσὶν καθαραῖς
If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
31 ἱκανῶς ἐν ῥύπῳ με ἔβαψας ἐβδελύξατο δέ με ἡ στολή
Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
32 οὐ γὰρ εἶ ἄνθρωπος κατ’ ἐμέ ᾧ ἀντικρινοῦμαι ἵνα ἔλθωμεν ὁμοθυμαδὸν εἰς κρίσιν
But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
33 εἴθε ἦν ὁ μεσίτης ἡμῶν καὶ ἐλέγχων καὶ διακούων ἀνὰ μέσον ἀμφοτέρων
If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
34 ἀπαλλαξάτω ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ τὴν ῥάβδον ὁ δὲ φόβος αὐτοῦ μή με στροβείτω
He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
35 καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθῶ ἀλλὰ λαλήσω οὐ γὰρ οὕτω συνεπίσταμαι
I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.