1
מַדּוּעַ מִשַׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנוּ עִתִּים וידעו וְיֹדְעָיו לֹא־חָזוּ יָמָיו
Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
Διατί δὲ Κύριον ἔλαθον ὧραι,
But why have the seasons been hidden from the Lord,
2
גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִּׂיגוּ עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ וַיִּרְעוּ
There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
ἀσεβεῖς δὲ ὅριον ὑπερέβησαν, ποίμνιον σὺν ποιμένι ἁρπάσαντες;
While the ungodly have passed over the bound, Carrying off the flock with the shepherd?
3
חֲמוֹר יְתוֹמִים יִנְהָגוּ יַחְבְּלוּ שׁוֹר אַלְמָנָה
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
Ὑποζύγιον ὀρφανῶν ἀπήγαγον, καὶ βοῦν χήρας ἠνεχύρασαν.
They have led away the ass of the fatherless, And taken the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4
יַטּוּ אֶבְיוֹנִים מִדָּרֶךְ יַחַד חֻבְּאוּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָרֶץ
They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
Ἐξέκλιναν ἀδυνάτους ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας, ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ ἐκρύβησαν πρᾳεῖς γῆς.
They have turned aside the weak from the right way: And the meek of the earth have hidden themselves together.
5
הֵן פְּרָאִים בַּמִּדְבָּר יָצְאוּ בְּפָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵי לַטָּרֶף עֲרָבָה לוֹ לֶחֶם לַנְּעָרִים
Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; the desert yieldeth them bread for their children.
Ἀπέβησαν δὲ ὥσπερ ὄνοι ἐν ἀγρῷ, ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἐξελθόντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν τάξιν· ἡδύνθη αὐτῷ ἄρτος εἰς νεωτέρους.
And they have departed like asses in the field, Having gone forth on my account according to their own order: His bread is sweet to [his] little ones.
6
בַּשָּׂדֶה בְּלִילוֹ יקצירו יִקְצוֹרוּ וְכֶרֶם רָשָׁע יְלַקֵּשׁוּ
They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
Ἀγρὸν πρὸ ὥρας οὐκ αὐτῶν ὄντα ἐθέρισαν· ἀδύνατοι ἀμπελῶνας ἀσεβῶν ἀμισθὶ καὶ ἀσιτὶ εἰργάσαντο.
They have reaped a field that was not their own before the time: The poor have labored in the vineyards of the ungodly without pay and without food.
7
עָרוֹם יָלִינוּ מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת בַּקָּרָה
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
Γυμνοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκοίμισαν ἄνευ ἱματίων, ἀμφίασιν δὲ ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ἀφείλαντο.
They have caused many naked to sleep without clothes, And they have taken away the covering of their body.
8
מִזֶּרֶם הָרִים יִרְטָבוּ וּמִבְּלִי מַחְסֶה חִבְּקוּ־צוּר
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
Ἀπὸ ψεκάδων ὀρέων ὑγραίνονται· παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἑαυτοὺς σκέπην, πέτραν περιεβάλοντο.
They are wet with the drops of the mountains: They have embraced the rock, because they had no shelter.
9
יִגְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁד יָתוֹם וְעַל־עָנִי יַחְבֹּלוּ
There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
Ἥρπασαν ὀρφανὸν ἀπὸ μαστοῦ, ἐκπεπτωκότα δὲ ἐταπείνωσαν·
They have snatched the fatherless from the breast, And have afflicted the outcast.
10
עָרוֹם הִלְּכוּ בְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וּרְעֵבִים נָשְׂאוּ עֹמֶר
So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
Γυμνοὺς δὲ ἐκοίμισαν ἀδίκως, πεινώντων δὲ τὸν ψωμὸν ἀφείλαντο.
And they have wrongfully caused [others] to sleep without clothing, And taken away the morsel of the hungry.
11
בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ יְקָבִים דָּרְכוּ וַיִּצְמָאוּ
They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Ἐν στενοῖς ἀδίκως ἐνήδρευσαν, ὁδὸν δὲ δικαίαν οὐκ ᾔδεισαν.
They have unrighteously laid wait in narrow places, And have not known the righteous way.
12
מֵעִיר מְתִים יִנְאָקוּ וְנֶפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִים תְּשַׁוֵּעַ וֶאֱלוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׂים תִּפְלָה
From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet G-d imputeth it not for unseemliness.
Οἳ ἐκ πόλεως καὶ οἴκων ἰδίων ἐξεβάλοντο, ψυχὴ δὲ νηπίων ἐστέναξε μέγα.
Who have cast forth [the] poor from the city and their own houses, And the soul of the children has groaned aloud.
13
הֵמָּה הָיוּ בְּמֹרְדֵי־אוֹר לֹא־הִכִּירוּ דְרָכָיו וְלֹא יָשְׁבוּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָיו
These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Αὐτὸς δὲ διατί τούτων ἐπισκοπὴν οὐ πεποίηται; ἐπὶ γῆς ὄντων αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν, ὁδὸν δὲ δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, οὐδὲ ἀτραποὺς αὐτῶν ἐπορεύθησαν.
Why then has he not visited these? Forasmuch as they were upon the earth, and took no notice, And they knew not the way of righteousness, Neither have they walked in their [appointed] paths?
14
לָאוֹר יָקוּם רוֹצֵחַ יִקְטָל־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וּבַלַּיְלָה יְהִי כַגַּנָּב
The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.
Γνοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς σκότος, καὶ νυκτὸς ἔσται ὡς κλέπτης.
But having known their works, he delivered them into darkness: And in the night one will be as a thief:
15
וְעֵין נֹאֵף שָׁמְרָה נֶשֶׁף לֵאמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עָיִן וְסֵתֶר פָּנִים יָשִׂים
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; and he putteth a covering on his face.
Καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς μοιχοῦ ἐφύλαξε σκότος, λέγων, οὐ προνοήσει με ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ ἀποκρυβὴν προσώπου ἔθετο.
And the eye of the adulterer has watched [for] the darkness, Saying, Eye shall not perceive me, and he puts a covering on his face.
16
חָתַר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ בָּתִּים יוֹמָם חִתְּמוּ־לָמוֹ לֹא־יָדְעוּ אוֹר
In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
Διώρυξεν ἐν σκότει οἰκίας, ἡμέρας ἐσφράγισαν ἑαυτοὺς, οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν φῶς.
In darkness he digs through houses: By day they conceal themselves securely: They know not the light.
17
כִּי יַחְדָּו בֹּקֶר לָמוֹ צַלְמָוֶת כִּי־יַכִּיר בַּלְהוֹת צַלְמָוֶת
For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.
Ὅτι ὁμοθυμαδὸν αὐτοῖς τὸ πρωῒ σκιὰ θανάτου, ὅτι ἐπιγνώσεται τάραχος σκιᾶς θανάτου.
For the morning is to them all [as] the shadow of death, For [each] will be conscious of the terror of the shadow of death.
18
קַל־הוּא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ לֹא־יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ כְּרָמִים
He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
Ἐλαφρός ἐστιν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ὕδατος, καταραθείη ἡ μερὶς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ γῆς,
He is swift on the face of the water: Let his portion be cursed on the earth; And let their plants be laid bare.
19
צִיָּה גַם־חֹם יִגְזְלוּ מֵימֵי־שֶׁלֶג שְׁאוֹל חָטָאוּ
Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned.
ἀναφανείη δὲ τὰ φυτὰ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ξηρά· ἀγκαλίδα γὰρ ὀρφανῶν ἥρπασαν.
[Let them be] withered upon the earth; For they have plundered the sheaves of the fatherless.
20
יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה עוֹד לֹא־יִזָּכֵר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָה
The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree.
Εἶτʼ ἀνεμνήσθη αὐτοῦ ἡ ἁμαρτία· ὥσπερ δὲ ὁμίχλη δρόσου ἀφανὴς ἐγένετο· ἀποδοθείη δὲ αὐτῷ ἃ ἔπραξε, συντριβείη δὲ πᾶς ἄδικος ἶσα ξύλῳ ἀνιάτῳ.
Then is his sin brought to remembrance, And he vanishes like a vapor of dew: But let what he has done be recompensed to him, And let every unrighteous one be crushed like rotten wood.
21
רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה לֹא תֵלֵד וְאַלְמָנָה לֹא יְיֵטִיב
He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
Στείραν δὲ οὐκ εὖ ἐποίησε, καὶ γύναιον οὐκ ἠλέησε.
For he has not treated the barren woman well, And has had no pity on a feeble woman.
22
וּמָשַׁךְ אַבִּירִים בְּכֹחוֹ יָקוּם וְלֹא־יַאֲמִין בַּחַיִּין
He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
Θυμῷ δὲ κατέστρεψεν ἀδυνάτους· ἀναστὰς τοιγαροῦν, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσῃ κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς.
And in wrath he has overthrown the helpless: Therefore when he has arisen, [a man] will not feel secure of his own life.
23
יִתֶּן־לוֹ לָבֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵן וְעֵינֵיהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶם
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
Μαλακισθεὶς, μὴ ἐλπιζέτω ὑγιασθῆναι, ἀλλὰ πεσεῖται νόσῳ.
When he has fallen sick, let him not hope to recover: but let him perish by disease.
24
רוֹמּוּ מְּעַט וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְהֻמְּכוּ כַּכֹּל יִקָּפְצוּן וּכְרֹאשׁ שִׁבֹּלֶת יִמָּלוּ
They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, and wither as the tops of the ears of corn.
Πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐκάκωσε τὸ ὕψωμα αὐτοῦ, ἐμαράνθη δὲ ὥσπερ μολόχη ἐν καύματι, ἢ ὥσπερ στάχυς ἀπὸ καλάμης αὐτόματος ἀποπεσών.
For his exaltation has hurt many; But he has withered as mallows in the heat, Or as an ear of corn falling off of itself from the stalk.
25
וְאִם־לֹא אֵפוֹ מִי יַכְזִיבֵנִי וְיָשֵׂם לְאַל מִלָּתִי
And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
Εἰ δὲ μὴ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ φάμενος ψευδῆ με λέγειν, καὶ θήσει εἰς οὐδὲν τὰ ῥήματά μου;
But if not, who is he that says I speak falsely, And will make my words of no account?