1 Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ιωβ λέγει
2 Εἰ γάρ τις ἱστῶν στήσαι μου τὴν ὀργήν,
τὰς δὲ ὀδύνας μου ἄραι ἐν ζυγῷ ὁμοθυμαδόν,
3 καὶ δὴ ἄμμου παραλίας βαρυτέρα ἔσται·
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἔοικεν, τὰ ῥήματά μού ἐστιν φαῦλα.
4 βέλη γὰρ κυρίου ἐν τῷ σώματί μού ἐστιν,
ὧν ὁ θυμὸς αὐτῶν ἐκπίνει μου τὸ αἷμα·
ὅταν ἄρξωμαι λαλεῖν, κεντοῦσί με.
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;
6 εἰ βρωθήσεται ἄρτος ἄνευ ἁλός;
εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν γεῦμα ἐν ῥήμασιν κενοῖς;
7 οὐ δύναται γὰρ παύσασθαί μου ἡ ψυχή·
βρόμον γὰρ ὁρῶ τὰ σῖτά μου ὥσπερ ὀσμὴν λέοντος.
8 εἰ γὰρ δῴη, καὶ ἔλθοι μου ἡ αἴτησις,
καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα μου δῴη ὁ κύριος.
9 ἀρξάμενος ὁ κύριος τρωσάτω με,
εἰς τέλος δὲ μή με ἀνελέτω.
10 εἴη δέ μου πόλις τάφος, ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἐπὶ τειχέων ἡλλόμην ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς, οὐ μὴ φείσωμαι·
οὐ γὰρ ἐψευσάμην ῥήματα ἅγια θεοῦ μου.
11 τίς γάρ μου ἡ ἰσχύς, ὅτι ὑπομένω;
ἢ τίς μου ὁ χρόνος, ὅτι ἀνέχεταί μου ἡ ψυχή;
12 μὴ ἰσχὺς λίθων ἡ ἰσχύς μου;
ἢ αἱ σάρκες μού εἰσιν χάλκειαι;
13 ἦ οὐκ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἐπεποίθειν;
βοήθεια δὲ ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἄπεστιν.
14 ἀπείπατό με ἔλεος,
ἐπισκοπὴ δὲ κυρίου ὑπερεῖδέν με.
15 οὐ προσεῖδόν με οἱ ἐγγύτατοί μου· ὥσπερ χειμάρρους ἐκλείπων
ἢ ὥσπερ κῦμα παρῆλθόν με·
16 οἵτινές με διευλαβοῦντο, νῦν ἐπιπεπτώκασίν μοι
ὥσπερ χιὼν ἢ κρύσταλλος πεπηγώς·
17 καθὼς τακεῖσα θέρμης γενομένης οὐκ ἐπεγνώσθη ὅπερ ἦν,
18 οὕτως κἀγὼ κατελείφθην ὑπὸ πάντων,
ἀπωλόμην δὲ καὶ ἔξοικος ἐγενόμην.
19 ἴδετε ὁδοὺς Θαιμανων,
ἀτραποὺς Σαβων, οἱ διορῶντες·
20 καὶ αἰσχύνην ὀφειλήσουσιν
οἱ ἐπὶ πόλεσιν καὶ χρήμασιν πεποιθότες.
21 ἀτὰρ δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπέβητέ μοι ἀνελεημόνως,
ὥστε ἰδόντες τὸ ἐμὸν τραῦμα φοβήθητε.
22 τί γάρ; μή τι ὑμᾶς ᾔτησα
ἢ τῆς παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἰσχύος ἐπιδέομαι
23 ὥστε σῶσαί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν
ἢ ἐκ χειρὸς δυναστῶν ῥύσασθαί με;
24 διδάξατέ με, ἐγὼ δὲ κωφεύσω·
εἴ τι πεπλάνημαι, φράσατέ μοι.
25 ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἔοικεν, φαῦλα ἀληθινοῦ ῥήματα,
οὐ γὰρ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἰσχὺν αἰτοῦμαι·
26 οὐδὲ ὁ ἔλεγχος ὑμῶν ῥήμασίν με παύσει,
οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν φθέγμα ῥήματος ἀνέξομαι.
27 πλὴν ὅτι ἐπ᾽ ὀρφανῷ ἐπιπίπτετε,
ἐνάλλεσθε δὲ ἐπὶ φίλῳ ὑμῶν.
28 νυνὶ δὲ εἰσβλέψας εἰς πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ ψεύσομαι.
29 καθίσατε δὴ καὶ μὴ εἴη ἄδικον,
καὶ πάλιν τῷ δικαίῳ συνέρχεσθε.
30 οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν γλώσσῃ μου ἄδικον·
ἢ ὁ λάρυγξ μου οὐχὶ σύνεσιν μελετᾷ;
1 But Job answered and said, 2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? 6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.
8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! 10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. 11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? 13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; 16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. 19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. 20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. 21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance? 23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy’s hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty? 24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? 26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? 27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. 28 Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie. 29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. 30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?