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THE OLD TESTAMENT SEPTUAGINT GREEK / ENGLISH JOB CHAPTERS 31-40
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ΙΩΒ 31 ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗΝ ἐθέμην τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου καὶ οὐ συνήσω ἐπὶ παρθένον. 2 καὶ τί ἐμέρισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἄνωθεν καὶ κληρονομία ἱκανοῦ ἐξ ὑψίστων;
3 οὐχὶ ἀπώλεια τῷ ἀδίκῳ καὶ ἀπαλλοτρίωσις τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἀνομίαν; 4 οὐχὶ αὐτὸς ὄψεται ὁδόν μου καὶ πάντα τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐξαριθμήσεται; 5 εἰ δὲ ἤμην πεπορευμένος μετὰ γελοιαστῶν, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐσπούδασεν ὁ πούς μου εἰς δόλον· 6 ἕσταμαι γὰρ ἐν ζυγῷ δικαίῳ, οἶδε δὲ ὁ Κύριος τὴν ἀκακίαν μου. 7 εἰ ἐξέκλινεν ὁ πούς μου ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ, εἰ δὲ καὶ τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ ἐπηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου, εἰ δὲ καὶ ταῖς χερσί μου ἡψάμην δώρων, 8 σπείραιμι ἄρα καὶ ἄλλοι φάγοισαν, ἄρριζος δὲ γενοίμην ἐπὶ γῆς. 9 εἰ ἐξηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου γυναικὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑτέρου, εἰ καὶ ἐγκάθετος ἐγενόμην ἐπὶ θύραις αὐτῆς, 10 ἀρέσαι ἄρα καὶ ἡ γυνή μου ἑτέρῳ, τὰ δὲ νήπιά μου ταπεινωθείη· 11 θυμὸς γὰρ ὀργῆς ἀκατάσχετος τὸ μιᾶναι ἀνδρὸς γυναῖκα· 12 πῦρ γάρ ἐστι καιόμενον ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν μερῶν, οὗ δ᾿ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ ἐκ ριζῶν ἀπώλεσεν. 13 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐφαύλισα κρίμα θεράποντός μου ἢ θεραπαίνης, κρινομένων αὐτῶν πρός με, 14 τί γὰρ ποιήσω, ἐὰν ἔτασίν μου ποιῆται ὁ Κύριος; ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπισκοπήν, τίνα ἀπόκρισιν ποιήσομαι; 15 πότερον οὐχ ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἐγενόμην ἐν γαστρί, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασι; γεγόναμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κοιλίᾳ. 16 ἀδύνατοι δὲ χρείαν, ἥν ποτε εἶχον, οὐκ ἀπέτυχον, χήρας δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα. 17 εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν ψωμόν μου ἔφαγον μόνος καὶ οὐχὶ ὀρφανῷ μετέδωκα· 18 ὅτι ἐκ νεότητός μου ἐξέτρεφον ὡς πατήρ, καὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου ὡδήγησα· 19 εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπερεῖδον γυμνὸν ἀπολλύμενον καὶ οὐκ ἠμφίασα αὐτόν, 20 ἀδύνατοι δὲ εἰ μὴ εὐλόγησάν με, ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς ἀμνῶν μου ἐθερμάνθησαν οἱ ὦμοι αὐτῶν·
21 εἰ ἐπῇρα ὀρφανῷ χεῖρα, πεποιθὼς ὅτι πολλή μοι βοήθεια περίεστιν, 22 ἀποσταίη ἄρα ὁ ὦμός μου ἀπὸ τῆς κλειδός, ὁ δὲ βραχίων μου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγκῶνος συντριβείη. 23 φόβος γὰρ Κυρίου συνέσχε με, ἀπὸ τοῦ λήμματος αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑποίσω. 24 εἰ ἔταξα χρυσίον εἰς χοῦν μου, εἰ δὲ καὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ ἐπεποίθησα, 25 εἰ δὲ καὶ εὐφράνθην πολλοῦ πλούτου μοι γενομένου, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀναριθμήτοις ἐθέμην χεῖρά μου· 26 ἦ οὐχ ὁρῶ μὲν ἥλιον τὸν ἐπιφαύσκοντα ἐκλείποντα, σελήνην δὲ φθίνουσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. 27 καὶ εἰ ἠπατήθη λάθρᾳ ἡ καρδία μου, εἰ δὲ χεῖρά μου ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα, 28 καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη, ὅτι ἐψευσάμην ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ ῾Υψίστου.
29 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιχαρὴς ἐγενόμην πτώματι ἐχθρῶν μου καὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου· εὖγε, 30 ἀκούσαι ἄρα τὸ οὖς μου τὴν κατάραν μου, θρυλληθείην δὲ ἄρα ὑπὸ λαοῦ μου κακούμενος. 31 εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλάκις εἶπον αἱ θαράπαιναί μου· τίς ἂν δῴη ἡμῖν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ πλησθῆναι; λίαν μου χρηστοῦ ὄντος· 32 ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος, ἡ δὲ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἀνέῳκτο. 33 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτὼν ἀκουσίως ἔκρυψα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου, 34 οὐ γὰρ διετράπην πολυοχλίαν πλήθους τοῦ μὴ ἐξαγορεῦσαι ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν· εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴασα ἀδύνατον ἐξελθεῖν θύραν μου κόλπῳ κενῷ,
35 τίς δῴη ἀκούοντά μου; χεῖρα δὲ Κυρίου εἰ μὴ ἐδεδοίκειν, συγγραφὴν δέ, ἣν εἶχον κατά τινος,
36 ἐπ᾿ ὤμοις ἂν περιθέμενος στέφανον ἀνεγίνωσκον, 37 καὶ εἰ μὴ ρήξας αὐτὴν ἀπέδωκα, οὐθὲν λαβὼν παρὰ χρεωφειλέτου· 38 εἰ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοί ποτε ἡ γῆ ἐστέναξεν, εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ αὔλακες αὐτῆς ἔκλαυσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν, 39 εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἔφαγον μόνος ἄνευ τιμῆς, εἰ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴν κυρίου τῆς γῆς ἐκβαλὼν ἐλύπησα, 40 ἀντὶ πυροῦ ἄρα ἐξέλθοι μοι κνίδη, ἀντὶ δὲ κριθῆς βάτος. καὶ ἐπαύσατο ᾿Ιὼβ ρήμασιν.
ΗΣΥΧΑΣΑΝ δὲ καὶ οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι αὐτοῦ ἔτι ἀντειπεῖν ᾿Ιώβ, ἦν γὰρ ᾿Ιὼβ δίκαιος ἐναντίον αὐτῶν. 2 ὠργίσθη δὲ ᾿Ελιοὺς ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιὴλ ὁ Βουζίτης ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας Ρὰμ τῆς Αὐσίτιδος χώρας· ὠργίσθη δὲ τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ σφόδρα, διότι ἀπέφηνεν ἑαυτὸν δίκαιον ἐναντίον Κυρίου. 3 καὶ κατὰ τῶν τριῶν δὲ φίλων ὠργίσθη σφόδρα, διότι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν ἀποκριθῆναι ἀντίθετα ᾿Ιὼβ καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν εἶναι ἀσεβῆ. 4 ᾿Ελιοὺς δὲ ὑπέμεινε δοῦναι ἀπόκρισιν ᾿Ιώβ, ὅτι πρεσβύτεροι αὐτοῦ εἰσιν ἡμέραις. 5 καὶ εἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπόκρισις ἐν στόματι τῶν τριῶν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ.
6 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ᾿Ελιοὺς ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιὴλ ὁ Βουζίτης εἶπε· νεώτερος μέν εἰμι τῷ χρόνῳ, ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε πρεσβύτεροι· διὸ ἡσύχασα φοβηθεὶς τοῦ ὑμῖν ἀναγγεῖλαι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιστήμην. 7 εἶπα δὲ ὅτι οὐχ ὁ χρόνος ἐστὶν ὁ λαλῶν, ἐν πολλοῖς δὲ ἔτεσι οἴδασι σοφίαν, 8 ἀλλὰ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἐν βροτοῖς, πνοὴ δὲ Παντοκράτορός ἐστιν ἡ διδάσκουσα· 9 οὐχ οἱ πολυχρόνιοί εἰσι σοφοί, οὐδ᾿ οἱ γέροντες οἴδασι κρίμα. 10 διὸ εἶπα· ἀκούσατέ μου, καὶ ἀναγγελῶ ὑμῖν ἃ οἶδα. 11 ἐνωτίζεσθέ μου τὰ ρήματα· ἐρῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων, ἄχρις οὗ ἐτάσητε λόγους,
12 καὶ μέχρι ὑμῶν συνήσω. καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ ἐλέγχων ἀνταποκρινόμενος ρήματα αὐτοῦ ἐξ ὑμῶν, 13 ἵνα μὴ εἴπητε· εὕρομεν σοφίαν Κυρίῳ προσθέμενοι· 14 ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ ἐπετρέψατε λαλῆσαι τοιαῦτα ρήματα. 15 ἐπτοήθησαν, οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν ἔτι, ἐπαλαίωσαν ἐξ αὐτῶν λόγους. 16 ὑπέμεινα, οὐ γὰρ ἐλάλησαν· ὅτι ἔστησαν, οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν. 17 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ᾿Ελιοὺς λέγει· πάλιν λαλήσω· 18 πλήρης γάρ εἰμι ρημάτων, ὀλέκει γάρ με τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς γαστρός· 19 ἡ δὲ γαστήρ μου ὥσπερ ἀσκὸς γλεύκους ζέων δεδεμένος ἢ ὥσπερ φυσητὴρ χαλκέως ἐρρηγώς. 20 λαλήσω, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι ἀνοίξας τὰ χείλη·
21 ἄνθρωπον γὰρ οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ, ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ βροτὸν οὐ μὴ ἐντραπῶ· 22 οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι θαυμάσαι πρόσωπα· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ ἐμὲ σῆτες ἔδονται.
ΟΥ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ ἄκουσον, ᾿Ιώβ, τὰ ρήματά μου καὶ λαλιὰν ἐνωτίζου μου· 2 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, καὶ ἐλάλησεν ἡ γλῶσσά μου. 3 καθαρά μου ἡ καρδία ρήμασι, 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 ὠσί μου, φωνὴν ρημάτων σου ἀκήκοα,
9 διότι λέγεις· καθαρός εἰμι οὐχ ἁμαρτών, ἄμεμπτός εἰμι, οὐ γὰρ ἠνόμησα. 10 μέμψιν δὲ κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ εὗρεν, ἥγηται δέ με ὥσπερ ὑπεναντίον· 11 ἔθετο δὲ ἐν ξύλῳ τὸν πόδα μου, ἐφύλαξε δέ μου πάσας τὰς ὁδούς· 12 πῶς γὰρ λέγεις· δίκαιός εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπακήκοέ μου; αἰώνιος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐπάνω βροτῶν.
13 λέγεις δέ· διατί τῆς δίκης μου οὐκ ἐπακήκοέ μου πᾶν ρῆμα; 14 ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἅπαξ λαλῆσαι ὁ Κύριος, ἐν δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ 15 ἐνύπνιον, ἢ ἐν μελέτῃ νυκτερινῇ, ὡς ὅταν ἐπιπίπτῃ δεινὸς φόβος ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ νυσταγμάτων ἐπὶ κοίτης. 16 τότε ἀνακαλύπτει νοῦν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν εἴδεσι φόβου τοιούτοις αὐτοὺς ἐξεφόβησεν 17 ἀποστρέψαι ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ 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 ἐπὶ μαλακίᾳ ἐπὶ κοίτης καὶ πλῆθος ὀστῶν αὐτοῦ ἐνάρκησε· 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 ἤγγισε δὲ εἰς θάνατον ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ᾅδη. 23 ἐὰν ὦσι χίλιοι ἄγγελοι θανατηφόροι, εἷς αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ τρώσῃ αὐτόν· ἐὰν νοήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπιστραφῆναι πρὸς Κύριον, ἀναγγείλῃ δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μέμψιν, τὴν δὲ ἄνοιαν αὐτοῦ δείξῃ, 24 ἀνθέξεται τοῦ μὴ πεσεῖν 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 προσώπῳ ἱλαρῷ σὺν ἐξηγορίᾳ· ἀποδώσει δὲ ἀνθρώποις δικαιοσύνην.
27 εἶτα τότε ἀπομέμψεται ἄνθρωπος αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ λέγον· οἷα συνετέλουν καὶ οὐκ ἄξια ἤτασέ με ὧν ἥμαρτον. 28 σῶσον ψυχήν μου τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς διαφθοράν, καὶ ἡ ζωή μου φῶς ὄψεται. 29 ἰδοὺ ταῦτα πάντα ἐργᾶται ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ὁδοὺς τρεῖς μετὰ ἀνδρός. 30 καὶ ἐρρύσατο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ θανάτου, ἵνα ἡ ζωή μου ἐν φωτὶ αἰνῇ αὐτόν. 31 ἐνωτίζου, ᾿Ιώβ, καὶ ἄκουέ μου· κώφευσον, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι λαλήσω. 32 εἰ εἰσί σοι λόγοι, ἀποκρίθητί μοι· λάλησον, θέλω γὰρ δικαιωθῆναί σε. 33 εἰ μή, σὺ ἄκουσόν μου· κώφευσον καὶ διδάξω σε σοφίαν.
ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ δὲ ᾿Ελιοὺς λέγει· 2 ἀκούσατέ μου, σοφοί· ἐπιστάμενοι, ἐνωτίζεσθε τὸ καλόν· 3 ὅτι οὖς λόγους δοκιμάζει, καὶ λάρυγξ γεύεται βρῶσιν. 4 κρίσιν ἑλώμεθα ἑαυτοῖς, γνῶμεν ἀνὰ μέσον ἑαυτῶν ὅ,τι καλόν. 5 ὅτι εἴρηκεν ᾿Ιώβ· δίκαιός εἰμι, ὁ Κύριος ἀπήλλαξέ μου τὸ κρίμα, 6 ἐψεύσατο δὲ τῷ κρίματί μου, βίαιον τὸ βέλος μου ἄνευ ἀδικίας. 7 τίς ἀνὴρ ὥσπερ ᾿Ιώβ, πίνων μυκτηρισμὸν ὥσπερ ὕδωρ, 8 οὐχ ἁμαρτὼν οὐδὲ ἀσεβήσας ἢ ὁδοῦ κοινωνήσας μετὰ ποιούντων τὰ ἄνομα τοῦ πορευθῆναι μετὰ ἀσεβῶν; 9 μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔσται ἐπισκοπὴ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ αὐτῷ παρὰ Κυρίου.
10 διό, συνετοὶ καρδίας ἀκούσατέ μου· μή μοι εἴη ἔναντι Κυρίου ἀσεβῆσαι καὶ ἔναντι Παντοκράτορος ταράξαι τὸ δίκαιον· 11 ἀλλὰ ἀποδιδοῖ ἀνθρώπῳ καθὰ ποιεῖ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τρίβῳ ἀνδρὸς εὑρήσει αὐτόν. 12 οἴει δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἄτοπα ποιήσειν; ἢ ὁ Παντοκράτωρ ταράξει κρίσιν, ὃς ἐποίησε τὴν γῆν;
13 τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν καὶ τὰ ἐνόντα πάντα; 14 εἰ γὰρ βούλοιτο συνέχειν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα παρ᾿ αὐτῷ κατασχεῖν, 15 τελευτήσει πᾶσα σάρξ ὁμοθυμαδόν, πᾶς δὲ βροτὸς εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσεται, ὅθεν καὶ ἐπλάσθη.
16 εἰ δὲ μὴ νουθετῇ, ἄκουε ταῦτα, ἐνωτίζου φωνὴν ρημάτων. 17 ἰδὲ σὺ τὸν μισοῦντα ἄνομα καὶ τὸν ὀλλύντα τοὺς πονηροὺς ὄντα αἰώνιον δίκαιον. 18 ἀσεβὴς ὁ λέγων βασιλεῖ· παρανομεῖς, ἀσεβέστατε, τοῖς ἄρχουσιν· 19 ὃς οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη πρόσωπον ἐντίμου, οὐδὲ οἶδε τιμὴν θέσθαι ἁδροῖς θαυμασθῆναι πρόσωπα αὐτῶν.
20 κενὰ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀποβήσεται τὸ κεκραγέναι καὶ δεῖσθαι ἀνδρός· ἐχρήσαντο γὰρ παρανόμως ἐκκλινομένων ἀδυνάτων. 21 αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁρατής ἐστιν ἔργων ἀνθρώπων, λέληθε δὲ αὐτὸν οὐδὲν ὧν πράσσουσιν, 22 οὐδὲ ἔσται τόπος τοῦ κρυβῆναι τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὰ ἄνομα· 23 ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ᾿ ἄνδρα θήσει ἔτι· 24 ὁ γὰρ Κύριος πάντας ἐφορᾷ ὁ καταλαμβάνων ἀνεξιχνίαστα, ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός· 25 ὁ γνωρίζων αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα καὶ στρέψει νύκτα καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται. 26 ἔσβεσε δὲ ἀσεβεῖς, ὁρατοὶ δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ,
27 ὅτι ἐξέκλιναν ἐκ νόμου Θεοῦ, δικαιώματα δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν 28 τοῦ ἐπαγαγεῖν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν κραυγὴν πενήτων, καὶ κραυγὴν πτωχῶν εἰσακούσεται. 29 καὶ αὐτὸς ἡσυχίαν παρέξει, καὶ τίς καταδικάσεται; καὶ κρύψει πρόσωπον, καὶ τίς ὄψεται αὐτόν; καὶ κατὰ ἔθνους καὶ κατὰ ἀνθρώπου ὁμοῦ 30 βασιλεύων ἄνθρωπον ὑποκριτὴν ἀπὸ δυσκολίας λαοῦ. 31 ὅτι πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν ὁ λέγων· εἴληφα, οὐκ ἐνεχυράσω· 32 ἄνευ ἐμαυτοῦ ὄψομαι, σὺ δεῖξόν μοι, εἰ ἀδικίαν εἰργασάμην, οὐ μὴ προσθήσω. 33 μὴ παρὰ σοῦ ἀποτίσει αὐτήν; ὅτι ἀπώσῃ, ὅτι σὺ ἐκλέξῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγώ· καὶ τί ἔγνως, λάλησον.
34 διὸ συνετοὶ καρδίας ἐροῦσι ταῦτα, ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἀκήκοέ μου τὸ ρῆμα. 35 ᾿Ιὼβ δὲ οὐκ ἐν συνέσει ἐλάλησε, τὰ ρήματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ. 36 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μάθε, ᾿Ιώβ, μὴ δῷς ἔτι ἀνταπόκρισιν, ὥσπερ οἱ ἄφρονες, 37 ἵνα μὴ προσθῶμεν ἐφ᾿ ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, ἀνομία δὲ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν λογισθήσεται, πολλὰ λαλούντων ρήματα ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου.
ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ δὲ ᾿Ελιοὺς λέγει· 2 τί τοῦτο ἡγήσω ἐν κρίσει; σὺ τίς εἶ ὅτι εἶπας· δίκαιός εἰμι ἔναντι Κυρίου;
3 ἐγώ σοι δώσω ἀπόκρισιν καὶ τοῖς τρισὶ φίλοις σου. 4 ἀνάβλεψον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἰδέ, κατάμαθε δὲ νέφη ὡς ὑψηλὰ ἀπὸ σοῦ. 5 εἰ ἥμαρτες, τί πράξεις; εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλὰ ἠνόμησας, τί δύνασαι ποιῆσαι;
7 ἐπεὶ δὲ οὖν δικαιος εἶ, τί δώσεις αὐτῷ; ἢ τί ἐκ χειρός σου λήψεται; 8 ἀνδρὶ τῷ ὁμοίῳ σου ἡ ἀσέβειά σου, καὶ υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου. 9 ἀπὸ πλήθους συκοφαντούμενοι κεκράξονται, βοήσονται ἀπὸ βραχίονος πολλῶν.
10 καὶ οὐκ εἶπε· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας με, ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτερινάς, 11 ὁ διορίζων με ἀπὸ τετραπόδων γῆς, ἀπὸ δὲ πετεινῶν οὐρανοῦ; 12 ἐκεῖ κεκράξονται, καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσακούσῃ καὶ ἀπὸ ὕβρεως πονηρῶν. 13 ἄτοπα γὰρ οὐ βούλεται ἰδεῖν ὁ Κύριος, αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Παντοκράτωρ 14 ὁρατής ἐστι τῶν συντελούντων τὰ ἄνομα καὶ σώσει με. κρίθητι δὲ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, εἰ δύνασαι αὐτὸν αἰνέσαι, ὥς ἐστι. 15 καὶ νῦν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπισκεπτόμενος ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω παράπτωμά τι σφόδρα· 16 καὶ ᾿Ιὼβ ματαίως ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ ρήματα βαρύνει.
ΠΡΟΣΘΕΙΣ δὲ ἔτι ᾿Ελιοὺς λέγει· 2 μεῖνόν με μικρὸν ἔτι, ἵνα διδάξω σε· ἔτι γὰρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι λέξις. 3 ἀναλαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστήμην μου μακράν, ἔργοις δέ μου δίκαια ἐρῶ ἐπ᾿ ἀληθείας 4 καὶ οὐκ ἄδικα ρήματα ἀδίκως συνιεῖς.
5 γίνωσκε δὲ ὅτι ὁ Κύριος οὐ μὴ ἀποποιήσηται τὸν ἄκακον. δυνατὸς ἰσχύϊ καρδίας 6 ἀσεβῆ οὐ μὴ ζωοποιήσει καὶ κρίμα πτωχῶν δώσει. 7 οὐκ ἀφελεῖ ἀπὸ δικαίου ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ· καὶ μετὰ βασιλέων εἰς θρόνον καὶ καθιεῖ αὐτοὺς εἰς νῖκος, καὶ ὑψωθήσονται. 8 καὶ οἱ πεπεδημένοι ἐν χειροπέδαις συσχεθήσονται ἐν σχοινίοις πενίας, 9 καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἰσχύσουσιν. 10 ἀλλὰ τοῦ δικαίου εἰσακούσεται· καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐξ ἀδικίας. 11 ἐὰν ἀκούσωσι καὶ δουλεύσωσι, συντελέσουσι τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτῶν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τὰ ἔτη αὐτῶν ἐν εὐπρεπείαις. 12 ἀσεβεῖς δὲ οὐ διασῴζει παρὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι τὸν Κύριον καὶ διότι νουθετούμενοι ἀνήκοοι ἦσαν. 13 καὶ ὑποκριταὶ καρδίᾳ τάξουσι θυμόν· οὐ βοήσονται, ὅτι ἔδησεν αὐτούς.
14 ἀποθάνοι τοίνυν ἐν νεότητι ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ αὐτῶν τιτρωσκομένη ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων, 15 ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ἔθλιψαν ἀσθενῆ καὶ ἀδύνατον, κρίμα δὲ πρᾳέων ἐκθήσει. 16 καὶ προσέτι ἠπάτησέ σε ἐκ στόματος ἐχθροῦ· ἄβυσσος, κατάχυσις ὑποκάτω αὐτῆς, καὶ κατέβη τράπεζά σου πλήρης πιότητος. 17 οὐχ ὑστερήσει δὲ ἀπὸ δικαίων κρίμα, 18 θυμὸς δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἀσεβεῖς ἔσται δι᾿ ἀσέβειαν δώρων, ὧν ἐδέχοντο ἐπ᾿ ἀδικίαις.
19 μή σε ἐκκλινάτω ἑκὼν ὁ νοῦς δεήσεως ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ὄντων ἀδυνάτων, καὶ πάντας τοὺς κραταιοῦντας ἰσχύν. 20 μὴ ἐξελκύσῃς τὴν νύκτα τοῦ ἀναβῆναι λαοὺς ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν· 21 ἀλλὰ φύλαξαι μὴ πράξῃς ἄτοπα· ἐπὶ τούτων γὰρ ἐξείλω ἀπὸ πτωχείας. 22 ἰδοὺ ὁ ᾿Ισχυρὸς κραταιώσει ἐν ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ· τίς γάρ ἐστι κατ᾿ αὐτὸν δυνάστης; 23 τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἐτάζων αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα; ἢ τίς ὁ εἰπών· ἔπραξεν ἄδικα; 24 μνήσθητι, ὅτι μεγάλα ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα, ὧν ἦρξαν ἄνδρες. 25 πᾶς ἄνθρωπος εἶδεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὅσοι τιτρωσκόμενοί εἰσι βροτοί. 26 ἰδοὺ ὁ ᾿Ισχυρὸς πολύς, καὶ οὐ γνωσόμεθα· ἀριθμὸς ἐτῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέραντος. 27 ἀριθμηταὶ δὲ αὐτῷ σταγόνες ὑετοῦ, καὶ ἐπιχυθήσονται ὑετῷ εἰς νεφέλην· 28 ρυήσονται παλαιώματα, ἐσκίασε δὲ νέφη ἐπὶ ἀμυθήτων βροτῶν. 28α ὥραν ἔθετο κτήνεσιν, οἴδασι δὲ κοίτης τάξιν.
28β ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν οὐκ ἐξίσταταί σου ἡ διάνοια οὐδὲ διαλλάσσεταί σου ἡ καρδία ἀπὸ σώματος; 29 καὶ ἐὰν συνῇ ἀπεκτάσεις νεφέλης, ἰσότητα σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ,
30 ἰδοὺ ἐκτενεῖ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἠδὼ καὶ ριζώματα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκάλυψεν· 31 ἐν γὰρ αὐτοῖς κρινεῖ λαούς, δώσει τροφὴν τῷ ἰσχύοντι. 32 ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἐκάλυψε φῶς καὶ ἐνετείλατο περὶ αὐτῆς ἐν ἀπαντῶντι· 33 ἀναγγελεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ φίλον αὐτοῦ Κύριος, κτῆσις καὶ περὶ ἀδικίας.
ΚΑΙ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐταράχθη ἡ καρδία μου καὶ ἀπερρύη ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς. 2 ἄκουε ἀκοὴν ἐν ὀργῇ θυμοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ μελέτη ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται. 3 ὑποκάτω παντὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πτερύγων τῆς γῆς. 4 ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ βοήσεται φωνῇ, βροντήσει ἐν φωνῇ ὕβρεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀνταλλάξει αὐτούς, ὅτι ἀκούσει φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
5 βροντήσει ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν φωνῇ αὐτοῦ θαυμάσια· ἐποίησε γὰρ μεγάλα ἃ οὐκ ᾔδειμεν,
6 συντάσσων χιόνι· γίνου ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ χειμὼν ὑετός, καὶ χειμὼν ὑετῶν δυναστείας αὐτοῦ.
7 ἐν χειρὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου κατασφραγίζει, ἵνα γνῷ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀσθένειαν. 8 εἰσῆλθε δὲ θηρία ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην, ἡσύχασαν δὲ ἐπὶ κοίτης. 9 ἐκ ταμιείων ἐπέρχονται ὀδύναι, ἀπὸ δὲ ἀκρωτηρίων ψῦχος, 10 καὶ ἀπὸ πνοῆς ἰσχυροῦ δώσει πάγος, οἰακίζει δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ ὡς ἐὰν βούληται·
11 καὶ ἐκλεκτὸν καταπλάσσει νεφέλη, διασκορπιεῖ νέφος φῶς αὐτοῦ. 12 καὶ αὐτὸς κυκλώματα διαστρέψει, ἐν θεεβουλαθὼθ εἰς ἔργα αὐτῶν. πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐντείληται αὐτοῖς, ταῦτα συντέτακται παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, 13 ἐὰν εἰς παιδείαν, ἐὰν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν εἰς ἔλεος εὑρήσει αὐτόν.
14 ἐνωτίζου ταῦτα, ᾿Ιώβ· στῆθι νουθετούμενος δύναμιν Κυρίου. 15 οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἔθετο ἔργα αὐτοῦ φῶς ποιήσας ἐκ σκότους. 16 ἐπίσταται δὲ διάκρισιν νεφῶν, ἐξαίσια δὲ πτώματα πονηρῶν. 17 σοῦ δὲ ἡ στολὴ θερμή, ἡσυχάζεται δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 18 στερεώσεις μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰς παλαιώματα, ἰσχυραὶ ὡς ὅρασις ἐπιχύσεως. 19 διατί; δίδαξόν με, τί ἐροῦμεν αὐτῷ· καὶ παυσώμαθε πολλὰ λέγοντες. 20 μὴ βίβλος ἢ γραμματεύς μοι παρέστηκεν, ἵνα ἄνθρωπον ἑστηκὼς κατασιωπήσω; 21 πᾶσι δὲ οὐχ ὁρατὸν τὸ φῶς, τηλαυγές ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς παλαιώμασιν, ὥσπερ τὸ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ νεφῶν. 22 ἀπὸ βορρᾶ νέφη χρυσαυγοῦντα· ἐπὶ τούτοις μεγάλη ἡ δόξα καὶ τιμὴ Παντοκράτορος.
23 καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν ἄλλον ὅμοιον τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ· ὁ τὰ δίκαια κρίνων, οὐκ οἴει ἐπακούειν αὐτόν; 24 διὸ φοβηθήσονται αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, φοβηθήσονται δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ σοφοὶ καρδίᾳ.
ΜΕΤΑ δὲ τὸ παύσασθαι ᾿Ελιοὺν τῆς λέξεως εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν·
2 τίς οὗτος ὁ κρύπτων με βουλήν, συνέχων δὲ ρήματα ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἐμὲ δὲ οἴεται κρύπτειν;
3 ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. 4 ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; ἀπάγγειλον δέ μοι εἰ ἐπίστῃ σύνεσιν. 5 τίς ἔθετο τὰ μέτρα αὐτῆς, εἰ οἶδας; ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς; 6 ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασι; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς; 7 ὅτε ἐγενήθησαν ἄστρα, ᾔνεσάν με φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου. 8 ἔφραξα δὲ θάλασσαν πύλαις, ὅτε ἐμαιοῦτο ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτῆς ἐκπορευομένη. 9 ἐθέμην δὲ αὐτῇ νέφος ἀμφίασιν, ὁμίχλῃ δὲ αὐτὴν ἐσπαργάνωσα. 10 ἐθέμην δὲ αὐτῇ ὅρια, περιθεὶς κλεῖθρα καὶ πύλας. 11 εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ· μέχρι τούτου ἐλεύσῃ καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβήσῃ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν σεαυτῇ συντριβήσεταί σου τὰ κύματα. 12 ἦ ἐπὶ σοῦ συντέταχα φέγγος πρωϊνόν; ἑωσφόρος δὲ εἶδε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν 13 ἐπιλαβέσθαι πτερύγων γῆς, ἐκτινάξαι ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ αὐτῆς; 14 ἦ σὺ λαβὼν γῆν πηλὸν ἔπλασας ζῷον καὶ λαλητὸν αὐτὸν ἔθου ἐπί γῆς;
15 ἀφεῖλες δὲ ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν τὸ φῶς, βραχίονα δὲ ὑπερηφάνων συνέτριψας; 16 ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ πηγὴν θαλάσσης, ἐν δὲ ἴχνεσιν ἀβύσσου περιεπάτησας; 17 ἀνοίγονταί δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν; 18 νενουθέτησαι δὲ τὸ εὖρος τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν; ἀνάγγειλον δή μοι, πόση τίς ἐστι;
19 ἐν ποίᾳ δὲ γῇ αὐλίζεται τὸ φῶς; σκότους δὲ ποῖος ὁ τόπος; 20 εἰ ἀγάγοις με εἰς ὅρια αὐτῶν; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπίστασαι τρίβους αὐτῶν; 21 οἶδας ἄρα ὅτι τότε γεγέννησαι, ἀριθμὸς δὲ ἐτῶν σου πολύς; 22 ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ θησαυροὺς χιόνος, θησαυροὺς δὲ χαλάζης ἑώρακας; 23 ἀπόκειται δέ σοι εἰς ὥραν ἐχθρῶν εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμων καὶ μάχης; 24 πόθεν δὲ ἐκπορεύεται πάχνη ἢ διασκεδάννυται νότος εἰς τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν;
25 τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασεν ὑετῷ λάβρῳ ρύσιν, ὁδὸν δὲ κυδοιμῶν 26 τοῦ ὑετίσαι ἐπὶ γῆν, οὗ οὐκ ἀνήρ, ἔρημον, οὗ οὐχ ὑπάρχει ἄνθρωπος ἐν αὐτῇ,
27 τοῦ χορτάσαι ἄβατον καὶ ἀοίκητον καὶ τοῦ ἐκβλαστῆσαι ἔξοδον χλόης; 28 τίς ἐστιν ὑετοῦ πατήρ; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ τετοκὼς βώλους δρόσου, 29 ἐκ γαστρὸς δέ τίνος ἐκπορεύεται ὁ κρύσταλλος; πάχνην δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ τίς τέτοκεν, 30 ἣ καταβαίνει ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ρέον; πρόσωπον ἀσεβοῦς τίς ἔπληξε; 31 συνῆκας δὲ δεσμὸν Πλειάδος καὶ φραγμὸν ᾿Ωρίωνος ἤνοιξας; 32 ἦ διανοίξεις μαζουρὼθ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ῞Εσπερον ἐπὶ κόμης αὐτοῦ ἄξεις αὐτά; 33 ἐπίστασαι δὲ τροπὰς οὐρανοῦ ἢ τὰ ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν γινόμενα; 34 καλέσεις δὲ νέφος φωνῇ, καὶ τρόμῳ ὕδατος λάβρου ὑπακούσεταί σου; 35 ἀποστελεῖς δὲ κεραυνοὺς καὶ πορεύσονται; ἐροῦσι δέ σοι· τί ἐστι; 36 τίς δὲ ἔδωκε γυναιξὶν ὑφάσματος σοφίαν ἢ ποικιλτικὴν ἐπιστήμην; 37 τίς δὲ ὁ ἀριθμῶν νέφη σοφίᾳ, οὐρανὸν δὲ εἰς γῆν ἔκλινε; 38 κέχυται δὲ ὥσπερ γῆ κονία, κεκόλληκα δὲ αὐτὸν ὥσπερ λίθῳ κύβον. 39 θηρεύσεις δὲ λέουσι βοράν, ψυχὰς δὲ δρακόντων ἐμπρήσεις; 40 δεδοίκασι γὰρ ἐν κοίταις αὐτῶν, κάθηνται δὲ ἐν ὕλαις ἐνεδρεύοντες. 41 τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασε κόρακι βοράν; νεοσσοὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Κύριον κεκράγασι πλανώμενοι, τὰ σῖτα ζητοῦντες.
ΕΙ ἔγνως καιρὸν τοκετοῦ τραγελάφων πέτρας, ἐφύλαξας δὲ ὠδῖνας ἐλάφων;
2 ἠρίθμησας δὲ μῆνας αὐτῶν πλήρεις τοκετοῦ αὐτῶν, ὠδῖνας δὲ αὐτῶν ἔδυσας;
3 ἐξέθρεψας δὲ αὐτῶν τὰ παιδία ἔξω φόβου; ὠδῖνας δὲ αὐτῶν ἐξαποστελεῖς; 4 ἀπορρήξουσι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν, πληθυνθήσονται ἐν γεννήματι· ἐξελεύσονται, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀνακάμψουσιν αὐτοῖς. 5 τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἀφεὶς ὄνον ἄγριον ἐλεύθερον, δεσμοὺς δὲ αὐτοῦ τίς ἔλυσεν; 6 ἐθέμην δὲ τὴν δίαιταν αὐτοῦ ἔρημον, καὶ τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ ἁλμυρίδα· 7 καταγελῶν πολυοχλίας πόλεως, μέμψιν δὲ φορολόγου οὐκ ἀκούων, 8 κατασκέψεται ὄρη νομὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀπίσω παντὸς χλωροῦ ζητεῖ. 9 βουλήσεται δέ σοι μονόκερως δουλεῦσαι ἢ κοιμηθῆναι ἐπὶ φάτνης σου; 10 δήσεις δὲ ἐν ἱμᾶσι ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ ἑλκύσει σου αὔλακας ἐν πεδίῳ; 11 πέποιθας δὲ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ, ὅτι πολλὴ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, ἐπαφήσεις δὲ αὐτῷ τὰ ἔργα σου; 12 πιστεύσεις δὲ ὅτι ἀποδώσει σοι τὸν σπόρον, εἰσοίσει δέ σου τὸν ἅλωνα; 13 πτέρυξ τερπομένων νεέλασα, ἐὰν συλλάβῃ ἀσίδα καὶ νέσσα· 14 ὅτι ἀφήσει εἰς γῆν τὰ ὠὰ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπὶ χοῦν θάλψει 15 καὶ ἐπελάθετο ὅτι ποὺς σκορπιεῖ καὶ θηρία ἀγροῦ καταπατήσει· 16 ἀπεσκλήρυνε τὰ τέκνα ἑαυτῆς, ὥστε μὴ ἑαυτήν, εἰς κενὸν ἐκοπίασεν ἄνευ φόβου·
17 ὅτι κατεσιώπησεν αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς σοφίαν καὶ οὐκ ἐπεμέρισεν αὐτῇ ἐν τῇ συνέσει. 18 κατὰ καιρὸν ἐν ὕψει ὑψώσει, καταγελάσεται ἵππου καὶ τοῦ ἐπιβάτου αὐτοῦ. 19 ἦ σὺ περιέθηκας ἵππῳ δύναμιν, ἐνέδυσας δὲ τραχήλῳ αὐτοῦ φόβον; 20 περιέθηκας δὲ αὐτῷ πανοπλίαν, δόξαν δὲ στηθέων αὐτοῦ τόλμῃ; 21 ἀνορύσσων ἐν πεδίῳ γαυριᾷ, ἐκπορεύεται δὲ εἰς πεδίον ἐν ἰσχύϊ· 22 συναντῶν βασιλεῖ καταγελᾷ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ ἀπὸ σιδήρου· 23 ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ γαυριᾷ τόξον καὶ μάχαιρα, 24 καὶ ὀργῇ ἀφανιεῖ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσει, ἕως ἂν σημάνῃ σάλπιγξ· 25 σάλπιγγος δὲ σημαινούσης λέγει· εὖγε. πόρρωθεν δὲ ὀσφραίνεται πολέμου σὺν ἅλματι καὶ κραυγῇ. 26 ἐκ δὲ τῆς σῆς ἐπιστήμης ἕστηκεν ἱέραξ, ἀναπετάσας τὰς πτέρυγας, ἀκίνητος, καθορῶν τὰ πρὸς νότον; 27 ἐπὶ δὲ σῷ προστάγματι ὑψοῦται ἀετός, γὺψ δὲ ἐπὶ νοσσιᾶς αὐτοῦ καθεσθεὶς αὐλίζεται 28 ἐπ᾿ ἐξοχῇ πέτρας καὶ ἀποκρύφῳ; 29 ἐκεῖσε ὢν ζητεῖ τὰ σῖτα, πόρρωθεν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ σκοπεύουσι· 30 νεοσσοὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ φύρονται ἐν αἵματι, οὗ δ᾿ ἂν ὦσι τεθνεῶτες, παραχρῆμα εὑρίσκονται.
ΚΑΙ ἀπεκρίθη Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ καὶ εἶπε· 2 μὴ κρίσιν μετὰ ἱκανοῦ ἐκκλινεῖ, ἐλέγχων δὲ Θεὸν ἀποκριθήσεται αὐτήν;
3 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ᾿Ιὼβ λέγει τῷ Κυρίῳ· 4 τί ἔτι ἐγὼ κρίνομαι, νουθετούμενος καὶ ἐλέγχων Κύριον, ἀκούων τοιαῦτα οὐθὲν ὤν; ἐγὼ δὲ τίνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶ πρὸς ταῦτα; χεῖρα θήσω ἐπὶ στόματί μου· 5 ἅπαξ λελάληκα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ προσθήσω. 6 ἔτι δὲ ὑπολαβὼν ὁ Κύριος εἶπε τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ ἐκ τοῦ νέφους· 7 μή, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι· 8 μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρίμα. οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος;
9 ἦ βραχίων σοί ἐστι κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἢ φωνῇ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν βροντᾷς; 10 ἀνάλαβε δὴ ὕψος καὶ δύναμιν, δόξαν δὲ καὶ τιμὴν ἀμφίασαι. 11 ἀπόστειλον δὲ ἀγγέλους ὀργῇ, πάντα δὲ ὑβριστὴν ταπείνωσον· 12 ὑπερήφανον δὲ σβέσον, σῆψον δὲ ἀσεβεῖς παραχρῆμα, 13 κρύψον δὲ εἰς γῆν ὁμοθυμαδόν, τὰ δὲ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ἀτιμίας ἔμπλησον· 14 ὁμολογήσω ὅτι δύναται ἡ δεξιά σου σῶσαι.
15 ἀλλὰ δὴ ἰδοὺ θηρία παρά σοι, χόρτον ἴσα βουσὶν ἐσθίουσιν. 16 ἰδοὺ δὴ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾿ ὀσφύϊ, ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾿ ὀμφαλοῦ γαστρός· 17 ἔστησεν οὐρὰν ὡς κυπάρισσον, τὰ δὲ νεῦρα αὐτοῦ συμπέπλεκται· 18 αἱ πλευραὶ αὐτοῦ πλευραὶ χάλκειαι, ἡ δὲ ράχις αὐτοῦ σίδηρος χυτός. 19 τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν ἀρχὴ πλάσματος Κυρίου, πεποιημένον ἐγκαταπαίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. 20 ἐπελθὼν δὲ ἐπ᾿ ὄρος ἀκρότομον ἐποίησε χαρμονὴν τετράποσιν ἐν τῷ ταρτάρῳ. 21 ὑπὸ παντοδαπὰ δένδρα κοιμᾶται, παρὰ πάπυρον καὶ κάλαμον καὶ βούτομον. 22 σκιάζονται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ δένδρα μεγάλα σὺν ραδάμνοις καὶ κλῶνες ἀγροῦ. 23 ἐὰν γένηται πλήμμυρα, οὐ μὴ αἰσθηθῇ· πέποιθεν ὅτι προσκρούσει ὁ ᾿Ιορδάνης εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. 24 ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ αὐτοῦ δέξεται αὐτόν, ἐνσκολιευόμενος τρήσει ρῖνα. 25 ἄξεις δὲ δράκοντα ἐν ἀγκίστρῳ, περιθήσεις δὲ φορβαίαν περὶ ρῖνα αὐτοῦ; 26 εἰ δήσεις κρίκον ἐν τῷ μυκτῆρι αὐτοῦ, ψελλίῳ δὲ τρυπήσεις τὸ χεῖλος αὐτοῦ; 27 λαλήσει δέ σοι δεήσει, ἱκετηρίᾳ μαλακῶς;
28 θήσεται δὲ μετὰ σοῦ διαθήκην; λήψῃ δὲ αὐτὸν δοῦλον αἰώνιον; 29 παίξῃ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ ὥσπερ ὀρνέῳ ἢ δήσεις αὐτὸν ὥσπερ στρουθίον παιδίῳ; 30 ἐνσιτοῦνται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔθνη, μεριτεύονται δὲ αὐτὸν Φοινίκων ἔθνη; 31 πᾶν δὲ πλωτὸν συνελθὸν οὐ μὴ ἐνέγκωσι βύρσαν μίαν οὐρᾶς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν πλοίοις ἁλιέων κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.
32 ἐπιθήσεις δὲ αὐτῷ
χεῖρα μνησθεὶς πόλεμον τὸν γινόμενον ἐν σώματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ μηκέτι γινέσθω.
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JOB 31 I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin. 2 Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance given of the Mighty One from the highest? 3 Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity. 4 Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?
5 But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit: 6 (for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence:) 7 if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands; 8 then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth. 9 If my heart has gone forth after another man’s wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;
10 then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low. 11 For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, in the case of defiling another man’s wife. 12 For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys. 13 And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or my handmaid, when they pleaded with me; 14 what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?
15 Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.
16 But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail. 17 And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart of it to the orphan; 18 (for I nourished them as a father from my youth and guided them from my mother’s womb.) 19 And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him; 20 and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs; 21 if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior to his: 22 let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow. 23 For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden. 24 If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone; 25 and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable treasures: 26 (do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not power to continue:)
27 and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it: 28 let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I should have lied against the Lord Most High. 29 And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha! 30 let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction. 31 And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind: 32 for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came:) 33 or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin; 34 (for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them:) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom: 35 (Oh that I had a hearer,) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and as to the written charge which I had against any one, 36 I would place it as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it. 37 And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor: 38 If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together; 39 and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking aught from him: 40 then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking. 32 And his three friends also ceased any longer to answer Job: for Job was righteous before them.
2 Then Elius the son of Barachiel, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, of the country of Ausis, was angered: and he was very angry with Job, because he justified himself before the Lord. 3 And he was also very angry with his three friends, because they were not able to return answers to Job, yet set him down for an ungodly man. 4 But Elius had forborne to give an answer to Job, because they were older than he. 5 And Elius saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men; and he was angered in his wrath. 6 And Elius the Buzite the son of Barachiel answered and said, I am younger in age, and ye are elder, wherefore I kept silence, fearing to declare to you my own knowledge. 7 And I said, It is not time that speaks, though in many years men know wisdom: 8 but there is a spirit in mortals; and the inspiration of the Almighty is that which teaches. 9 The long-lived are not wise as such; neither do the aged know judgment. 10 Wherefore I said, Hear me, and I will tell you what I know. 11 Hearken to my words; for I will speak in your hearing, until ye shall have tried the matter with words: 12 and I shall understand as far as you; and, behold, there was no one of you that answered Job his words in argument, 13 lest ye should say, We have found that we have added wisdom to the Lord. 14 And ye have commissioned a man to speak such words. 15 They were afraid, they answered no longer; they gave up their speaking. 16 I waited, (for I had not spoken,) because they stood still, they answered not. 17 And Elius continued, and said, I will again speak, 18 for I am full of words, for the spirit of my belly destroys me. 19 And my belly is as a skin of sweet wine, bound up and ready to burst; or as a brazier’s labouring bellows. 20 I will speak, that I may open my lips and relieve myself. 21 For truly I will not be awed because of man, nor indeed will I be confounded before a mortal. 22 For I know not how to respect persons: and if otherwise, even the moths would eat me.
33 Howbeit hear, Job, my words, and hearken to my speech. 2 For behold, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken. 3 My heart shall be found pure by my words; and the understanding of my lips shall meditate purity. 4 The Divine Spirit is that which formed me, and the breath of the Almighty that which teaches me. 5 If thou canst, give me an answer: wait therefore; stand against me, and I will stand against thee. 6 Thou art formed out of the clay as also I: we have been formed out of the same substance. 7 My fear shall not terrify thee, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. 8 But thou hast said in mine ears, (I have heard the voice of thy words;) because thou sayest, I am pure, not having sinned; 9 I am blameless, for I have not transgressed. 10 Yet he has discovered a charge against me, and he has reckoned me as an adversary. 11 And he has put my foot in the stocks, and has watched all my ways. 12 For how sayest thou, I am righteous, yet he has not hearkened to me? for he that is above mortals is eternal. 13 But thou sayest, Why has he not heard every word of my cause? 14 For when the Lord speaks once, or a second time,
15 sending a dream, or in the meditation of the night; (as when a dreadful alarm happens to fall upon men, in slumberings on the bed:) 16 then opens he the understanding of men: he scares them with such fearful visions: 17 to turn a man from unrighteousness, and he delivers his body from a fall. 18 He spares also his soul from death, and suffers him not to fall in war. 19 And again, he chastens him with sickness on his bed, and the multitude of his bones is benumbed. 20 And he shall not be able to take any food, though his soul shall desire meat;
21 until his flesh shall be consumed, and he shall shew his bones bare. 22 His soul also draws nigh to death, and his life is in Hades. 23 Though there should be a thousand messengers of death, not one of them shall wound him: if he should purpose in his heart to turn to the Lord, and declare to man his fault, and shew his folly;
24 he will support him, that he should not perish, and will restore his body as fresh plaster upon a wall; and he will fill his bones with morrow. 25 And he will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and he will restore him among men in his full strength. 26 And he shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted of him; he shall enter with a cheerful countenance, with a full expression of praise: for he will render to men their due. 27 Even then a man shall blame himself, saying, What kind of things have I done? and he has not punished me according to the full amount of my sins. 28 Deliver my soul, that it may not go to destruction, and my life shall see the light. 29 Behold, all these things, the Mighty One works in a threefold manner with a man. 30 And he has delivered my soul from death, that my life may praise him in the light. 31 Hearken, Job, and hear me: be silent, and I will speak. 32 If thou hast words, answer me: speak, for I desire thee to be justified. 33 If not, do thou hear me: be silent, and I will teach thee.
34 And Elius continued, and said, 2 Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge. 3 For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat.
4 Let us choose judgment to ourselves: let us know amount ourselves what is right. 5 For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment. 6 And he has erred in my judgment: my wound is severe without unrighteousness of mine. 7 What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water?
8 saying, I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly. 9 For thou shouldest not say, There shall be no visitation of a man, whereas there is a visitation on him from the Lord. 10 Wherefore hear me, ye that are wise in heart: far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and to pervert righteousness before the almighty. 11 Yea, he renders to a man accordingly as each of them does, and in a man’s path he will find him. 12 And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment? 13 And who is he that made the whole world under heaven, and all things therein? 14 For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself; 15 all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed. 16 Take heed lest he rebuke thee: hear this, hearken to the voice of words. 17 Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just. 18 He is ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, that says to princes, O most ungodly one. 19 Such a one as would not reverence the face of an honourable man, neither knows how to give honour to the great, so as that their persons should be respected. 20 But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being turned aside from their right. 21 For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him. 22 Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves. 23 For he will not lay upon a man more than right. 24 For the Lord looks down upon all men, who comprehends unsearchable things, glorious also and excellent things without number. 25 Who discovers their works, and will bring night about upon them, and they shall be brought low. 26 And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him. 27 Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances, 28 so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor. 29 And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man also: 30 causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people. 31 For there is one that says to the Mighty One, I have received blessings; I will not take a pledge: 32 I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do so any more. 33 Will he take vengeance for it on thee, whereas thou wilt put it far from thee? for thou shalt choose, and not I; and what thou knowest, speak thou. 34 Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word. 35 But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not uttered with knowledge. 36 Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish: 37 that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if we speak many words before the Lord.
35 And Elius resumed and said, 2 What is this that thou thinkest to be according to right? who art thou that thou hast said, I am righteous before the Lord? 3 I will answer thee, and thy three friends.
4 Look up to the sky and see; and consider the clouds, how high they are above thee. 5 If thou hast sinned, what wilt thou do?and if too thou hast transgressed much, what canst thou perform? 7 And suppose thou art righteous, what wilt thou give him? or what shall he receive of thy hand? 8 Thy ungodliness may affect a man who is like to thee; or thy righteousness a son of man. 9 They that are oppressed of a multitude will be ready to cry out; they will call for help because of the arm of many. 10 But none said, Where is God that made me, who appoints the night-watches; 11 who makes me to differ from the four-footed beasts of the earth, and from the birds of the sky? 12 There they shall cry, and none shall hearken, even because of the insolence of wicked men. 13 For the Lord desires not to look on error, for he is the Almighty One. 14 He beholds them that perform lawless deeds, and he will save me: and do thou plead before him, if thou canst praise him, as it is possible even now. 15 For he is not now regarding his wrath, nor has he noticed severely any trespass. 16 Yet Job vainly opens his mouth, in ignorance he multiplies words.
36 And Elius further continued, and said, 2 Wait for me yet a little while, that I may teach thee: for there is yet speech in me. 3 Having fetched my knowledge from afar, and according to my works, 4 I will speak just things truly, and thou shalt not unjustly receive unjust words. 5 But know that the Lord will not cast off an innocent man: being mighty in strength of wisdom, 6 he will not by any means save alive the ungodly: and he will grant the judgment of the poor. 7 He will not turn away his eyes from the righteous, but they shall be with kings on the throne: and he will establish them in triumph, and they shall be exalted. 8 But they that are bound in fetters shall be holden in cords of poverty. 9 And he shall recount to them their works, and their transgressions, for such will act with violence. 10 But he will hearken to the righteous: and he has said that they shall turn from unrighteousness. 11 If they should hear and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in honour.
12 But he preserves not the ungodly; because they are not willing to know the Lord, and because when reproved they were disobedient. 13 And the hypocrites in heart will array wrath against themselves; they will not cry, because he has bound them. 14 Therefore let their soul die in youth, and their life be wounded by messengers of death. 15 Because they afflicted the weak and helpless: and he will vindicate the judgment of the meek. 16 And he has also enticed thee out of the mouth of the enemy: there is a deep gulf and a rushing stream beneath it, and thy table came down full of fatness. 17 Judgment shall not fail from the righteous; 18 but there shall be wrath upon the ungodly, by reason of the ungodliness of the bribes which they received for iniquities. 19 Let not thy mind willingly turn thee aside from the petition of the feeble that are in distress.
20 And draw not forth all the mighty men by night, so that the people should go up instead of them. 21 But take heed lest thou do that which is wrong: for of this thou has made choice because of poverty. 22 Behold, the Mighty One shall prevail by his strength: for who is powerful as he is? 23 And who is he that examines his works? or who can say, he has wrought injustice? 24 Remember that his works are great beyond those which men have attempted. 25 Every man has seen in himself, how many mortals are wounded. 26 Behold, the Mighty One is great, and we shall not know him: the number of his years is even infinite. 27 And the drops of rain are numbered by him, and shall be poured out in rain to form a cloud. 28 The ancient heavens shall flow, and the clouds overshadow innumerable mortals: 28a he has fixed a time to cattle, and they know the order of rest. 28b Yet by all these things thy understanding is not astonished, neither is thy mind disturbed in thy body. 29 And though one should understand the outspreadings of the clouds, or the measure of his tabernacle; 30 behold he will stretch his bow against him, and he covers the bottom of the sea. 31 For by them he will judge the nations: he will give food to him that has strength. 32 He has hidden the light in his hands, and given charge concerning it to the interposing cloud. 33 The Lord will declare concerning this to his friend: but there is a portion also for unrighteousness.
37 At this also my heart is troubled, and moved out of its place. 2 Hear thou a report by the anger of the Lord’s wrath, and a discourse shall come out of his mouth. 3 His dominion is under the whole heaven, and his light is at the extremities of the earth. 4 After him shall be a cry with a loud voice; he shall thunder with the voice of his excellency, yet he shall not cause men to pass away, for one shall hear his voice. 5 The Mighty One shall thunder wonderfully with his voice: for he has done great things which we knew not; 6 commanding the snow, Be thou upon the earth, and the stormy rain, and the storm of the showers of his might. 7 He seals up the hand of every man, that every man may know his own weakness. 8 And the wild beasts come in under the covert, and rest in their lair. 9 Troubles come on out of the secret chambers, and cold from the mountain-tops. 10 And from the breath of the Mighty One he will send frost; and he guides the water in whatever way he pleases. 11 And if a cloud obscures what is precious to him, his light will disperse the cloud. 12 And he will carry round the encircling clouds by his governance, to perform their works: whatsoever he shall command them,
13 this has been appointed by him on the earth, whether for correction, or for his land, or if he shall find him an object for mercy. 14 Hearken to this, O Job: stand still, and be admonished of the power of the Lord. 15 We know that god has disposed his works, having made light out of darkness. 16 And he knows the divisions of the clouds, and the signal overthrows of the ungodly. 17 But thy robe is warm, and there is quiet upon the land. 18 Wilt thou establish with him foundations for the ancient heavens? they are strong as a molten mirror. 19 Wherefore teach me, what shall we say to him? and let us cease from saying much. 20 Have I a book or a scribe my me, that I may stand and put man to silence? 21 But the light is not visible to all: it shines afar off in the heavens, as that which is from him in the clouds.
22 From the north come the clouds shining like gold: in these great are the glory and honour of the Almighty; 23 and we do not find another his equal in strength: as for him that judges justly, dost thou not think that he listens? 24 Wherefore men shall fear him; and the wise also in heart shall fear him.
38 And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, saying, 2 Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in his heart, and thinks to conceal them from me? 3 Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me. 4 Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge, 5 who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it? 6 On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it? 7 When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice. 8 And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother’s womb. 9 And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist. 10 And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates. 11 And I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but thou shalt not go beyond, but thy waves shall be confined within thee. 12 Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and did the morning star then first see his appointed place; 13 to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it? 14 Or didst thou take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth? 15 And hast thou removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud? 16 Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep? 17 And do the gates of death open to thee for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw thee? 18 And hast thou been instructed in the breadth of the whole earth under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it? 19 And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness? 20 If thou couldest bring me to their utmost boundaries, and if also thou knowest their paths; 21 I know then that thou wert born at that time, and the number of thy years is great. 22 But hast thou gone to the treasures of snow? and hast thou seen the treasures of hail? 23 And is there a store of them, for thee against the time of thine enemies, for the day of wars and battle? 24 And whence proceeds the frost? or whence is the south wind dispersed over the whole world under heaven? 25 And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders; 26 to rain upon the land where there is no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited land, 27 and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
28 Who is the rain’s father? and who has generated the drops of dew? 29 And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky, 30 which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly? 31 And dost thou understand the band of Pleias, and hast thou opened the barrier of Orion? 32 Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Wilt thou guide them? 33 And knowest thou the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven? 34 And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with a violent shower of much rain? 35 And wilt thou send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to thee, What is thy pleasure? 36 And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery? 37 And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven down to the earth? 38 For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another. 39 And wilt thou hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents? 40 For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods. 41 And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.
39 Say if thou knowest the time of the bringing forth of the wild goats of the rock, and if thou hast marked the calving of the hinds: 2 and if thou has hast numbered the full months of their being with young, and if thou hast relieved their pangs: 3 and hast reared their young without fear; and wilt thou loosen their pangs? 4 Their young will break forth; they will be multiplied with offspring: their young will go forth, and will not return to them. 5 And who is he that sent forth the wild ass free? and who loosed his bands? 6 whereas I made his habitation the wilderness, and the salt land his coverts. 7 He laughs to scorn the multitude of the city, and hears not the chiding of the tax-gatherer. 8 He will survey the mountains as his pasture, and he seeks after every green thing. 9 And will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or to lie down at thy manger? 10 And wilt thou bind his yoke with thongs, or will he plough furrows for thee in the plain? 11 And dost thou trust him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou commit thy works to him? 12 And wilt thou believe that he will return to thee thy seed, and bring it in to thy threshing-floor? 13 The peacock has a beautiful wing: if the stork and the ostrich conceive, it is worthy of notice, 14 for the ostrich will leave her eggs in the ground, and warm them on the dust, 15 and has forgotten that the foot will scatter them, and the wild beasts of the field trample them. 16 She has hardened herself against her young ones, as though she bereaved not herself: she labours in vain without fear. 17 For God has withholden wisdom from her, and not given her a portion in understanding. 18 In her season she will lift herself on high; she will scorn the horse and his rider. 19 Hast thou invested the horse with strength, and clothed his neck with terror? 20 And hast thou clad him in perfect armour, and made his breast glorious with courage? 21 He paws exulting in the plain, and goes forth in strength into the plain. 22 He laughs to scorn a king as he meets him, and will by no means turn back from the sword. 23 The bow and sword resound against him; 24 and his rage will swallow up the ground: and he will not believe until the trumpet sounds. 25 And when the trumpet sounds, he says, Aha! and afar off he smells the war with prancing and neighing.
26 And does the hawk remain steady by thy wisdom, having spread out her wings unmoved, looking toward the region of the south? 27 And does the eagle rise at thy command, and the vulture remain sitting over his nest, 28 on a crag of a rock, and in a secret place? 29 Thence he seeks food, his eyes observe from far.
30 And his young ones roll themselves in blood, and wherever the carcasses may be, immediately they are found. 40 And the Lord God answered Job, and said, 2 Will any one pervert judgment with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer. 3 And Job answered and said to the Lord, 4 Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these arguments? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. 5 I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time. 6 And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, saying, 7 Nay, gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me. 8 Do not set aside my judgment: and dost thou think that I have dealt with thee in any other way, than that thou mightest appear to be righteous? 9 Hast thou an arm like the Lord’s? or dost thou thunder with a voice like his? 10 Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe thyself with glory and honour. 11 And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one. 12 Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly. 13 And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame. 14 Then will I confess that thy right hand can save thee. 15 But now look at the wild beasts with thee; they eat grass like oxen. 16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together. 18 His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is as cast iron. 19 This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.
20 And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep. 21 He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush. 22 And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and so do the bushes of the field. 23 If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trust that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.
24 Yet one shall take him in his sight; one shall catch him with a cord, and pierce his nose. 25 But wilt thou catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose? 26 Or wilt thou fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp? 27 Will he address thee with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant? 28 And will he make a covenant with thee? and wilt thou take him for a perpetual servant? 29 And wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child? 30 And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phoenicians share him? 31 And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither shall they carry his head in fishing-vessels. 32 But thou shalt lay thy hand upon him once, remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.
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