¹

ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗΝ ἐθέμην τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου καὶ οὐ συνήσω ἐπὶ παρθένον.

¹

I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

²

καὶ τί ἐμέρισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἄνωθεν καὶ κληρονομία ἱκανοῦ ἐξ ὑψίστων;

²

Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance given of the Mighty One from the highest?

³

οὐχὶ ἀπώλεια τῷ ἀδίκῳ καὶ ἀπαλλοτρίωσις τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἀνομίαν;

³

Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

⁴

οὐχὶ αὐτὸς ὄψεται ὁδόν μου καὶ πάντα τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐξαριθμήσεται;

⁴

Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

⁵

εἰ δὲ ἤμην πεπορευμένος μετὰ γελοιαστῶν, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐσπούδασεν ὁ πούς μου εἰς δόλον·

⁵

But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

⁶

ἕσταμαι γὰρ ἐν ζυγῷ δικαίῳ, οἶδε δὲ ὁ Κύριος τὴν ἀκακίαν μου.

⁶

(for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence:)

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,

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

σπείραιμι ἄρα καὶ ἄλλοι φάγοισαν, ἄρριζος δὲ γενοίμην ἐπὶ γῆς.

⁸

then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

⁹

εἰ ἐξηκολούθησεν ἡ καρδία μου γυναικὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑτέρου, εἰ καὶ ἐγκάθετος ἐγενόμην ἐπὶ θύραις αὐτῆς,

⁹

If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

¹⁰

ἀρέσαι ἄρα καὶ ἡ γυνή μου ἑτέρῳ, τὰ δὲ νήπιά μου ταπεινωθείη·

¹⁰

then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

¹¹

θυμὸς γὰρ ὀργῆς ἀκατάσχετος τὸ μιᾶναι ἀνδρὸς γυναῖκα·

¹¹

For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, in the case of defiling another man's wife.

¹²

πῦρ γάρ ἐστι καιόμενον ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν μερῶν, οὗ δ᾿ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ ἐκ ριζῶν ἀπώλεσεν.

¹²

For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

¹³

εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐφαύλισα κρίμα θεράποντός μου ἢ θεραπαίνης, κρινομένων αὐτῶν πρός με,

¹³

And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or my handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

¹⁴

τί γὰρ ποιήσω, ἐὰν ἔτασίν μου ποιῆται ὁ Κύριος; ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπισκοπήν, τίνα ἀπόκρισιν ποιήσομαι;

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

πότερον οὐχ ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἐγενόμην ἐν γαστρί, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασι; γεγόναμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κοιλίᾳ.

¹⁵

Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.

¹⁶

ἀδύνατοι δὲ χρείαν, ἥν ποτε εἶχον, οὐκ ἀπέτυχον, χήρας δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα.

¹⁶

But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

¹⁷

εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν ψωμόν μου ἔφαγον μόνος καὶ οὐχὶ ὀρφανῷ μετέδωκα·

¹⁷

And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart of it to the orphan;

¹⁸

ὅτι ἐκ νεότητός μου ἐξέτρεφον ὡς πατήρ, καὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου ὡδήγησα·

¹⁸

(for I nourished them as a father from my youth, and guided them from my mother's womb.)

¹⁹

εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπερεῖδον γυμνὸν ἀπολλύμενον καὶ οὐκ ἠμφίασα αὐτόν,

¹⁹

And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

²⁰

ἀδύνατοι δὲ εἰ μὴ εὐλόγησάν με, ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς ἀμνῶν μου ἐθερμάνθησαν οἱ ὦμοι αὐτῶν·

²⁰

and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

²¹

εἰ ἐπῇρα ὀρφανῷ χεῖρα, πεποιθὼς ὅτι πολλή μοι βοήθεια περίεστιν,

²¹

if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior to his:

²²

ἀποσταίη ἄρα ὁ ὦμός μου ἀπὸ τῆς κλειδός, ὁ δὲ βραχίων μου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγκῶνος συντριβείη.

²²

let then my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

²³

φόβος γὰρ Κυρίου συνέσχε με, ἀπὸ τοῦ λήμματος αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑποίσω.

²³

For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden.

²⁴

εἰ ἔταξα χρυσίον εἰς χοῦν μου, εἰ δὲ καὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ ἐπεποίθησα,

²⁴

If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

²⁵

εἰ δὲ καὶ εὐφράνθην πολλοῦ πλούτου μοι γενομένου, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀναριθμήτοις ἐθέμην χεῖρά μου·

²⁵

and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable treasures:

²⁶

ἦ οὐχ ὁρῶ μὲν ἥλιον τὸν ἐπιφαύσκοντα ἐκλείποντα, σελήνην δὲ φθίνουσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἐστιν.

²⁶

(do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not power to continue:)

²⁷

καὶ εἰ ἠπατήθη λάθρᾳ ἡ καρδία μου, εἰ δὲ χεῖρά μου ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα,

²⁷

and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

²⁸

καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη, ὅτι ἐψευσάμην ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ ῾Υψίστου.

²⁸

let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I should have lied against the Lord Most High.

²⁹

εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιχαρὴς ἐγενόμην πτώματι ἐχθρῶν μου καὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου· εὖγε,

²⁹

And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

³⁰

ἀκούσαι ἄρα τὸ οὖς μου τὴν κατάραν μου, θρυλληθείην δὲ ἄρα ὑπὸ λαοῦ μου κακούμενος.

³⁰

let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a by-word among my people in my affliction.

³¹

εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλάκις εἶπον αἱ θαράπαιναί μου· τίς ἂν δῴη ἡμῖν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ πλησθῆναι; λίαν μου χρηστοῦ ὄντος·

³¹

And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

³²

ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος, ἡ δὲ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἀνέῳκτο.

³²

for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came:)

³³

εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτὼν ἀκουσίως ἔκρυψα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου,

³³

or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

³⁴

οὐ γὰρ διετράπην πολυοχλίαν πλήθους τοῦ μὴ ἐξαγορεῦσαι ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν· εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴασα ἀδύνατον ἐξελθεῖν θύραν μου κόλπῳ κενῷ,

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

τίς δῴη ἀκούοντά μου; χεῖρα δὲ Κυρίου εἰ μὴ ἐδεδοίκειν, συγγραφὴν δέ, ἣν εἶχον κατά τινος,

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

ἐπ᾿ ὤμοις ἂν περιθέμενος στέφανον ἀνεγίνωσκον,

³⁶

I would place it as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

³⁷

καὶ εἰ μὴ ρήξας αὐτὴν ἀπέδωκα, οὐθὲν λαβὼν παρὰ χρεωφειλέτου·

³⁷

And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

³⁸

εἰ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοί ποτε ἡ γῆ ἐστέναξεν, εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ αὔλακες αὐτῆς ἔκλαυσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν,

³⁸

If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

³⁹

εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἔφαγον μόνος ἄνευ τιμῆς, εἰ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴν κυρίου τῆς γῆς ἐκβαλὼν ἐλύπησα,

³⁹

and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if too I grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking aught from him:

⁴⁰

ἀντὶ πυροῦ ἄρα ἐξέλθοι μοι κνίδη, ἀντὶ δὲ κριθῆς βάτος. καὶ ἐπαύσατο ᾿Ιὼβ ρήμασιν.

⁴⁰

then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.