1
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר
Then Job answered and said:
Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ, λέγει,
Then Job answered and said,
2
גַּם־הַיּוֹם מְרִי שִׂחִי יָדִי כָּבְדָה עַל־אַנְחָתִי
Even to-day is my complaint bitter; my hand is become heavy because of my groaning.
Καὶ δὴ οἶδα ὅτι ἐκ χειρός μου ἡ ἔλεγξίς ἐστι, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖα γέγονεν ἐπʼ ἐμῷ στεναγμῷ.
Yea, I know that pleading is out of my reach; And his hand has been made heavy upon my groaning.
3
מִי־יִתֵּן יָדַעְתִּי וְאֶמְצָאֵהוּ אָבוֹא עַד־תְּכוּנָתוֹ
Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!
Τίς δʼ 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
אֶעֶרְכָה לְפָנָיו מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי אֲמַלֵּא תוֹכָחוֹת
I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
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
אֵדְעָה מִלִּים יַעֲנֵנִי וְאָבִינָה מַה־יֹּאמַר לִי
I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto me.
Γνοίην δὲ ἰάματα ἅ μοι ἐρεῖ, αἰσθοίμην δὲ 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
הַבְּרָב־כֹּחַ יָרִיב עִמָּדִי לֹא אַךְ־הוּא יָשִׂם בִּי
Would He contend with me in His great power? Nay; but He would give heed unto me.
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
שָׁם יָשָׁר נוֹכָח עִמּוֹ וַאֲפַלְּטָה לָנֶצַח מִשֹּׁפְטִי
There the upright might reason with Him; so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.
Ἀλήθεια γὰρ καὶ ἔλεγχος παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ἐξαγάγοι δὲ εἰς τέλος τὸ κρίμα μου.
For truth and reproof are from him; And he would bring forth my judgment to an end.
8
הֵן קֶדֶם אֶהֱלֹךְ וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְאָחוֹר וְלֹא־אָבִין לוֹ
Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
Εἰ γὰρ πρῶτος πορεύσομαι, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι εἰμὶ, τὰ δὲ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτοις, τί οἶδα;
For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, Still what do I know [concerning] the latter end?
9
שְׂמֹאול בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְלֹא־אָחַז יַעְטֹף יָמִין וְלֹא אֶרְאֶה
On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him, He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.
Ἀριστερὰ ποιήσαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ κατέσχον, περιβαλεῖ δεξιὰ καὶ οὐκ ὄψομαι·
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
כִּי־יָדַע דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי בְּחָנַנִי כַּזָּהָב אֵצֵא
For He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Οἶδε γὰρ ἤδη ὁδόν μου· διέκρινε δέ με ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον.
For he knows already my way; And he has tried me as gold.
11
בַּאֲשֻׁרוֹ אָחֲזָה רַגְלִי דַּרְכּוֹ שָׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא־אָט
My foot hath held fast to His steps, His way have I kept, and turned not aside.
Ἐξελεύσομαι δὲ ἐν ἐντάλμασιν αὐτοῦ, ὁδοὺς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐφύλαξα, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκκλίνω ἀπὸ ἐνταλμάτων αὐτοῦ,
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
מִצְוַת שְׂפָתָיו וְלֹא אָמִישׁ מֵחֻקִּי צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרֵי־פִיו
I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθω, ἐν δὲ κόλπῳ μου ἔκρυψα ῥήματα αὐτοῦ.
Neither shall I transgress; But I have hidden his words in my bosom.
13
וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ
But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth.
Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινεν οὕτως, τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντειπὼν αὐτῷ; ὁ 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
כִּי יַשְׁלִים חֻקִּי וְכָהֵנָּה רַבּוֹת עִמּוֹ
For He will perform that which is appointed for me; and many such things are with Him.
15
עַל־כֵּן מִפָּנָיו אֶבָּהֵל אֶתְבּוֹנֵן וְאֶפְחַד מִמֶּנּוּ
Therefore am I affrighted at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.
Διὰ τοῦτο ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἐσπούδακα· νουθετούμενος δὲ, ἐφρόντισα αὐτοῦ. 15aἘπὶ τούτῳ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατασπουδασθῶ· κατανοήσω, καὶ πτοηθήσομαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ.
Therefore am I troubled at him; And when I was reproved, I thought of him.
16
וְאֵל הֵרַךְ לִבִּי וְשַׁדַּי הִבְהִילָנִי
Yea, G-d hath made my heart faint, and the Almighty hath affrighted me;
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
כִּי־לֹא נִצְמַתִּי מִפְּנֵי־חֹשֶׁךְ וּמִפָּנַי כִּסָּה־אֹפֶל
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did He cover the thick darkness from my face.
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.