Job 29

ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς Ιωβ εἶπεν τῷ προοιμίῳ

And Job continued and said in his parable,

τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν ὧν με ὁ θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν

Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!

ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει

As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.

ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοῖς ὅτε ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου

As when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες

When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βουτύρῳ τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι

when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος

When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.

ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.

ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι

And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη

And they that heard me blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐμακάρισέν με ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινεν

For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός ἐβοήθησα

For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησεν

Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yea, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνεδεδύκειν ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι

Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.

ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν ποὺς δὲ χωλῶν

I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.

ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων δίκην δέ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν ἐξιχνίασα

I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα

And I broke the jaw-teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.

εἶπα δέ ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω

And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm-tree; I shall live a long while.

ἡ ῥίζα μου διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου

My root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.

ἡ δόξα μου καινὴ μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow prospered in his hand.

ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ

Men heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.

ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν

At my word they spoke not again, and they were very glad whenever I spoke to them.

ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν

As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they waited for my speech.

ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν

Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe it; and the light of my face has not failed.

ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.