Job 23
Ἰώβ
1 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ δὲ Ἰὼβ λέγει·
Then Job answered and said,
2 καὶ δὴ οἶδα ὅτι ἐκ χειρός μου ἡ ἔλεγξίς ἐστι, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖα γέγονεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμῷ στεναγμῷ.
Yes, I know that pleading is out of my reach; and his hand has been made heavy upon my groaning.
3 τίς δ᾿ ἄρα γνοίη ὅτι εὕροιμι αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλθοιμι εἰς τέλος;
Who would then know that I might find him, and come to an end [of the matter]?
4 εἴποιμι δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ κρίμα, τὸ δὲ στόμα μου ἐμπλήσαι ἐλέγχων·
And I would plead my own cause, and he would fill my mouth with arguments.
5 γνοίην δὲ ἰάματα, ἅ μοι ἐρεῖ, αἰσθοίμην δέ τίνα μοι ἀπαγγελεῖ.
And I would know the remedies which he would speak to me, and I would perceive what he would tell me.
6 καὶ ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύϊ ἐπελεύσεταί μοι, εἶτα ἐν ἀπειλῇ μοι οὐ χρήσεται·
Though he should come on me in [his] great strength, then he would not threaten me;
7 ἀλήθεια γὰρ καὶ ἔλεγχος παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ἐξαγάγοι δὲ εἰς τέλος τὸ κρίμα μου·
for truth and reproof are from him; and he would bring forth my judgement to an end.
8 εἰς γὰρ πρῶτα πορεύσομαι καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμί· τὰ δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτοις τί οἶδα;
For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, still what do I know [concerning] the latter end?
9 ἀριστερὰ ποιήσαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ κατέσχον· περιβαλεῖ δεξιά, καὶ οὐκ ὄψεται.
When he wrought on the left hand, then I observed [it] not: his right hand shall encompass me but I shall not see [it].
10 εἶδε γὰρ ἤδη ὁδόν μου, διέκρινε δέ με ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον.
For he knows already my way; and he has tried me as gold.
11 ἐξελεύσομαι δὲ ἐν ἐντάλμασιν αὐτοῦ, ὁδοὺς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐφύλαξα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκκλίνω
And I will go forth according to his commandments, for I have kept his ways; and I shall not turn aside from his commandments,
12 ἀπὸ ἐνταλμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθω, ἐν δὲ κόλπῳ μου ἔκρυψα ρήματα αὐτοῦ.
neither shall I transgress; but I have hid his words in my bosom.
13 εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινεν οὕτως, τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντειπὼν αὐτῷ; ὃ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἠθέλησε, καὶ ἐποίησε.
And if too he has thus judged, who is he that has contradicted, for he has both willed [a thing] and done it.
14 διὰ τοῦτο ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἐσπούδακα, νουθετούμενος δὲ ἐφρόντισα αὐτοῦ.
Therefore am I troubled at him; and when I was reproved, I thought of him. Therefore let me take good heed before him: I will consider, and be afraid of him. (verse 15 in Brenton's English)
15 ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατασπουδασθῶ· κατανοήσω καὶ πτοηθήσομαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ.
This verse is not in Brenton's English, which follows another reading of the Greek.
16 Κύριος δὲ ἐμαλάκυνε τὴν καρδίαν μου, ὁ δὲ Παντοκράτωρ ἐσπούδασέ με·
But the Lord has softened my heart, and the Almighty has troubled me.
17 οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἐπελεύσεταί μοι σκότος, πρὸ προσώπου δέ μου ἐκάλυψε γνόφος.
For I knew not that darkness would come upon me, and thick darkness has covered [me] before my face.
Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.