1 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ ἄκουσον, Ιωβ, τὰ ῥήματά μου καὶ λαλιὰν ἐνωτίζου μου·
2 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, καὶ ἐλάλησεν ἡ γλῶσσά μου.
3 καθαρά μου ἡ καρδία ῥήμασιν, σύνεσις δὲ χειλέων μου καθαρὰ νοήσει.
4 πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ ποιῆσάν με, πνοὴ δὲ παντοκράτορος ἡ διδάσκουσά με.
5 ἐὰν δύνῃ, δός μοι ἀπόκρισιν πρὸς ταῦτα· ὑπόμεινον, στῆθι κατ᾽ ἐμὲ καὶ ἐγὼ κατὰ σέ.
6 ἐκ πηλοῦ διήρτισαι σὺ ὡς καὶ ἐγώ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ διηρτίσμεθα.
7 οὐχ ὁ φόβος μού σε στροβήσει, οὐδὲ ἡ χείρ μου βαρεῖα ἔσται ἐπὶ σοί.
8 πλὴν εἶπας ἐν ὠσίν μου,‡ φωνὴν ῥημάτων σου ἀκήκοα·
9 διότι λέγεις Καθαρός εἰμι οὐχ ἁμαρτών, ἄμεμπτος δέ εἰμι, οὐ γὰρ ἠνόμησα·
10 μέμψιν δὲ κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ εὗρεν, ἥγηται δέ με ὥσπερ ὑπεναντίον·
11 ἔθετο δὲ ἐν ξύλῳ τὸν πόδα μου, ἐφύλαξεν δέ μου πάσας τὰς ὁδούς.
12 πῶς γὰρ λέγεις Δίκαιός εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπακήκοέν μου; αἰώνιος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐπάνω βροτῶν.
13 λέγεις δέ Διὰ τί τῆς δίκης μου οὐκ ἐπακήκοεν πᾶν ῥῆμα;
14 ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἅπαξ λαλήσαι ὁ κύριος, ἐν δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἐνύπνιον,
15 ἢ ἐν μελέτῃ νυκτερινῇ, ὡς ὅταν ἐπιπίπτῃ δεινὸς φόβος ἐπ᾽ ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ νυσταγμάτων ἐπὶ κοίτης·
16 τότε ἀνακαλύπτει νοῦν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν εἴδεσιν φόβου τοιούτοις αὐτοὺς ἐξεφόβησεν
17 ἀποστρέψαι ἄνθρωπον ἐξ ἀδικίας, τὸ δὲ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πτώματος ἐρρύσατο.
18 ἐφείσατο δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ θανάτου καὶ μὴ πεσεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολέμῳ.
19 πάλιν δὲ ἤλεγξεν αὐτὸν ἐν μαλακίᾳ ἐπὶ κοίτης* καὶ πλῆθος ὀστῶν αὐτοῦ ἐνάρκησεν,‡
20 πᾶν δὲ βρωτὸν σίτου οὐ μὴ δύνηται προσδέξασθαι* καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ βρῶσιν ἐπιθυμήσει,‡
21 ἕως ἂν σαπῶσιν αὐτοῦ αἱ σάρκες καὶ ἀποδείξῃ τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ κενά·
22 ἤγγισεν δὲ εἰς θάνατον ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ᾅδῃ.
23 ἐὰν ὦσιν χίλιοι ἄγγελοι θανατηφόροι, εἷς αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ τρώσῃ αὐτόν· ἐὰν νοήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπιστραφῆναι ἐπὶ κύριον, ἀναγγείλῃ δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μέμψιν, τὴν δὲ ἄνοιαν αὐτοῦ δείξῃ,
24 ἀνθέξεται τοῦ μὴ πεσεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς θάνατον, ἀνανεώσει δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ὥσπερ ἀλοιφὴν ἐπὶ τοίχου, τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπλήσει μυελοῦ·
25 ἁπαλυνεῖ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰς σάρκας ὥσπερ νηπίου, ἀποκαταστήσει δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνδρωθέντα ἐν ἀνθρώποις.
26 εὐξάμενος δὲ πρὸς κύριον, καὶ δεκτὰ αὐτῷ ἔσται, εἰσελεύσεται δὲ προσώπῳ καθαρῷ σὺν ἐξηγορίᾳ· ἀποδώσει δὲ ἀνθρώποις δικαιοσύνην.
27 εἶτα τότε ἀπομέμψεται ἄνθρωπος αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ λέγων Οἷα συνετέλουν, καὶ οὐκ ἄξια ἤτασέν με ὧν ἥμαρτον.
28 σῶσον ψυχήν μου τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς διαφθοράν,* καὶ ἡ ζωή μου φῶς ὄψεται.
29 ἰδοὺ πάντα ταῦτα ἐργᾶται ὁ ἰσχυρὸς* ὁδοὺς τρεῖς μετὰ ἀνδρός.‡
30 ἀλλ᾽ ἐρρύσατο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ θανάτου, ἵνα ἡ ζωή μου ἐν φωτὶ αἰνῇ αὐτόν.
31 ἐνωτίζου, Ιωβ, καὶ ἄκουέ μου·* κώφευσον, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι λαλήσω.
32 εἰ εἰσὶν λόγοι, ἀποκρίθητί μοι·* λάλησον, θέλω γὰρ δικαιωθῆναί σε.
33 εἰ μή, σὺ ἄκουσόν μου·* κώφευσον, καὶ διδάξω σε σοφίαν.‡
1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words. 2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. 3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly. 4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. 5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up. 6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. 7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying , 9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. 10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy, 11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. 12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. 13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: 20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. 21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. 22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. 23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: 24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. 25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: 26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness. 27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; 28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. 31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak. 32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee. 33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.