1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, 2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; 3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; 6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. 9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 11 When the ear heard me , then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me , it gave witness to me: 12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. 17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. 20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. 21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. 22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. 23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. 24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. 25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
1 Ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς Ιωβ εἶπεν τῷ προοιμίῳ
2 Τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν, ὧν με ὁ θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν;
3 ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου, ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει·
4 ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοῖς, ὅτε ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου·
5 ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν, κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες·
6 ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βουτύρῳ, τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι·
7 ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει, ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος.
8 ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν, πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν·
9 ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι.
10 οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με,* καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη·
11 ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐμακάρισέν με,‡ ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινεν.
12 διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ, ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός, ἐβοήθησα·
13 εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι,‡ στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησεν.
14 δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνεδεδύκειν, ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι.
15 ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν, ποὺς δὲ χωλῶν.
16 ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων, δίκην δέ, ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἐξιχνίασα·
17 συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων, ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα.
18 εἶπα δέ Ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει, ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω·
19 ἡ ῥίζα μου διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος,* καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου·
20 ἡ δόξα μου καινὴ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ,* καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται.‡
21 ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον, ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ·
22 ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο, περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο, ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν·
23 ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν, οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν.
24 ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν,* καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν·
25 ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων* καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν.‡