Job 38

1

And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],

ΜΕΤΑ δὲ τὸ παύσασθαι ᾿Ελιοὺν τῆς λέξεως εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ ᾿Ιὼβ διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν·

2

Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?

τίς οὗτος ὁ κρύπτων με βουλήν, συνέχων δὲ ῥήματα ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἐμὲ δὲ οἴεται κρύπτειν;

3

Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.

ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι.

4

Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge,

ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; ἀπάγγειλον δέ μοι εἰ ἐπίστῃ σύνεσιν.

5

who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?

τίς ἔθετο τὰ μέτρα αὐτῆς, εἰ οἶδας; ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς;

6

On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?

ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασι; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς;

7

When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.

ὅτε ἐγενήθησαν ἄστρα, ᾔνεσάν με φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου.

8

And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother’s womb.

ἔφραξα δὲ θάλασσαν πύλαις, ὅτε ἐμαιοῦτο ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτῆς ἐκπορευομένη.

9

And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.

ἐθέμην δὲ αὐτῇ νέφος ἀμφίασιν, ὁμίχλῃ δὲ αὐτὴν ἐσπαργάνωσα.

10

And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.

ἐθέμην δὲ αὐτῇ ὅρια, περιθεὶς κλεῖθρα καὶ πύλας.

11

And I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but thou shalt not go beyond, but thy waves shall be confined within thee.

εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ· μέχρι τούτου ἐλεύσῃ καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβήσῃ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν σεαυτῇ συντριβήσεταί σου τὰ κύματα.

12

Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;

ἦ ἐπὶ σοῦ συντέταχα φέγγος πρωϊνόν; ἑωσφόρος δὲ εἶδε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν

13

to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?

ἐπιλαβέσθαι πτερύγων γῆς, ἐκτινάξαι ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ αὐτῆς;

14

Or didst thou take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?

ἦ σὺ λαβὼν γῆν πηλὸν ἔπλασας ζῷον καὶ λαλητὸν αὐτὸν ἔθου ἐπ‘Ι γῆς;

15

And hast thou removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?

ἀφεῖλες δὲ ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν τὸ φῶς, βραχίονα δὲ ὑπερηφάνων συνέτριψας;

16

Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?

ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ πηγὴν θαλάσσης, ἐν δὲ ἴχνεσιν ἀβύσσου περιεπάτησας;

17

And do the gates of death open to thee for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw thee?

ἀνοίγονταί δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν;

18

And hast thou been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?

νενουθέτησαι δὲ τὸ εὖρος τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν; ἀνάγγειλον δή μοι, πόση τίς ἐστι;

19

And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?

ἐν ποίᾳ δὲ γῇ αὐλίζεται τὸ φῶς; σκότους δὲ ποῖος ὁ τόπος;

20

If thou couldest bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also thou knowest their paths;

εἰ ἀγάγοις με εἰς ὅρια αὐτῶν; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπίστασαι τρίβους αὐτῶν;

21

I know then that thou wert born at that time, and the number of thy years is great.

οἶδας ἄρα ὅτι τότε γεγέννησαι, ἀριθμὸς δὲ ἐτῶν σου πολύς;

22

But hast thou gone to the treasures of snow? and hast thou seen the treasures of hail?

ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ θησαυροὺς χιόνος, θησαυροὺς δὲ χαλάζης ἑώρακας;

23

And is there a store [of them], for thee against the time of [thine] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?

ἀπόκειται δέ σοι εἰς ὥραν ἐχθρῶν εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμων καὶ μάχης;

24

And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?

πόθεν δὲ ἐκπορεύεται πάχνη ἢ διασκεδάννυται νότος εἰς τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν;

25

And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;

τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασεν ὑετῷ λάβρῳ ρύσιν, ὁδὸν δὲ κυδοιμῶν

26

to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],

τοῦ ὑετίσαι ἐπὶ γῆν, οὗ οὐκ ἀνήρ, ἔρημον, οὗ οὐχ ὑπάρχει ἄνθρωπος ἐν αὐτῇ,

27

and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?

τοῦ χορτάσαι ἄβατον καὶ ἀοίκητον καὶ τοῦ ἐκβλαστῆσαι ἔξοδον χλόης;

28

Who is the rain’s father? and who has generated the drops of dew?

τίς ἐστιν ὑετοῦ πατήρ; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ τετοκὼς βώλους δρόσου,

29

And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,

ἐκ γαστρὸς δέ τίνος ἐκπορεύεται ὁ κρύσταλλος; πάχνην δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ τίς τέτοκεν,

30

which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?

ἣ καταβαίνει ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ρέον; πρόσωπον ἀσεβοῦς τίς ἔπληξε;

31

And dost thou understand the band of Pleias, and hast thou opened the barrier of Orion?

συνῆκας δὲ δεσμὸν Πλειάδος καὶ φραγμὸν ᾿Ωρίωνος ἤνοιξας;

32

Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Wilt thou guide them?

ἦ διανοίξεις μαζουρὼθ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ῞Εσπερον ἐπὶ κόμης αὐτοῦ ἄξεις αὐτά;

33

And knowest thou the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?

ἐπίστασαι δὲ τροπὰς οὐρανοῦ ἢ τὰ ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν γινόμενα;

34

And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with a violent shower of much rain?

καλέσεις δὲ νέφος φωνῇ, καὶ τρόμῳ ὕδατος λάβρου ὑπακούσεταί σου;

35

And wilt thou send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to thee, What is [thy pleasure]?

ἀποστελεῖς δὲ κεραυνοὺς καὶ πορεύσονται; ἐροῦσι δέ σοι· τί ἐστι;

36

And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?

τίς δὲ ἔδωκε γυναιξὶν ὑφάσματος σοφίαν ἢ ποικιλτικὴν ἐπιστήμην;

37

And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?

τίς δὲ ὁ ἀριθμῶν νέφη σοφίᾳ, οὐρανὸν δὲ εἰς γῆν ἔκλινε;

38

For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.

κέχυται δὲ ὥσπερ γῆ κονία, κεκόλληκα δὲ αὐτὸν ὥσπερ λίθῳ κύβον.

39

And wilt thou hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?

θηρεύσεις δὲ λέουσι βοράν, ψυχὰς δὲ δρακόντων ἐμπρήσεις;

40

For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.

δεδοίκασι γὰρ ἐν κοίταις αὐτῶν, κάθηνται δὲ ἐν ὕλαις ἐνεδρεύοντες.

41

And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.

τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασε κόρακι βοράν; νεοσσοὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Κύριον κεκράγασι πλανώμενοι, τὰ σῖτα ζητοῦντες.