أَيُّوبَ 29

١ 1 وَعَادَ أَيُّوبُ يَنْطِقُ بِمَثَلِهِ فَقَالَ:

Job went on speaking.

٢ 2 «يَا لَيْتَنِي كَمَا فِي ٱلشُّهُورِ ٱلسَّالِفَةِ وَكَٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلَّتِي حَفِظَنِي ٱللهُ فِيهَا،

“I wish I was back in the old days when God looked after me!

٣ 3 حِينَ أَضَاءَ سِرَاجَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَبِنُورِهِ سَلَكْتُ ٱلظُّلْمَةَ.

His light shone above me and lit my way through the darkness.

٤ 4 كَمَا كُنْتُ فِي أَيَّامِ خَرِيفِي، وَرِضَا ٱللهِ عَلَى خَيْمَتِي،

When I was young and strong, God was my friend and spoke to me in my home.

٥ 5 وَٱلْقَدِيرُ بَعْدُ مَعِي وَحَوْلِي غِلْمَانِي،

The Almighty was still with me and I was surrounded with my children.

٦ 6 إِذْ غَسَلْتُ خَطَوَاتِي بِٱللَّبَنِ، وَٱلصَّخْرُ سَكَبَ لِي جَدَاوِلَ زَيْتٍ.

My herds produced much milk, and oil flowed freely from my olive presses.

٧ 7 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى ٱلْبَابِ فِي ٱلْقَرْيَةِ، وَأُهَيِّئُ فِي ٱلسَّاحَةِ مَجْلِسِي.

I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square.

٨ 8 رَآنِي ٱلْغِلْمَانُ فَٱخْتَبَأُوا، وَٱلْأَشْيَاخُ قَامُوا وَوَقَفُوا.

The young men saw me and moved out of the way; the elders would stand up for me.

٩ 9 ٱلْعُظَمَاءُ أَمْسَكُوا عَنِ ٱلْكَلَامِ، وَوَضَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ.

The leaders remained silent and covered their mouths with their hands.

١٠ 10 صَوْتُ ٱلشُّرَفَاءِ ٱخْتَفَى، وَلَصِقَتْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِأَحْنَاكِهِمْ.

The voices of the officials were hushed; they held their tongues in my presence.

١١ 11 لِأَنَّ ٱلْأُذُنَ سَمِعَتْ فَطَوَّبَتْنِي، وَٱلْعَيْنَ رَأَتْ فَشَهِدَتْ لِي،

Everyone who listened to me praised me; whoever saw me commended me,

١٢ 12 لِأَنِّي أَنْقَذْتُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ ٱلْمُسْتَغِيثَ وَٱلْيَتِيمَ وَلَا مُعِينَ لَهُ.

because I gave to the poor who called out to me and the orphans who had no one to help them.

١٣ 13 بَرَكَةُ ٱلْهَالِكِ حَلَّتْ عَلَيَّ، وَجَعَلْتُ قَلْبَ ٱلْأَرْمَلَةِ يُسَرُّ.

Those who were about to die blessed me; I made the widow sing for joy.

١٤ 14 لَبِسْتُ ٱلْبِرَّ فَكَسَانِي. كَجُبَّةٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَ عَدْلِي.

Being true and acting right were what I wore for clothing.

١٥ 15 كُنْتُ عُيُونًا لِلْعُمْيِ، وَأَرْجُلًا لِلْعُرْجِ.

I was like eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.

١٦ 16 أَبٌ أَنَا لِلْفُقَرَاءِ، وَدَعْوَى لَمْ أَعْرِفْهَا فَحَصْتُ عَنْهَا.

I was like a father to the poor, and I defended the rights of strangers.

١٧ 17 هَشَّمْتُ أَضْرَاسَ ٱلظَّالِمِ، وَمِنْ بَيْنِ أَسْنَانِهِ خَطَفْتُ ٱلْفَرِيسَةَ.

I broke the jaw of the wicked and made them drop their prey from their teeth.

١٨ 18 فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي فِي وَكْرِي أُسَلِّمُ ٱلرُّوحَ، وَمِثْلَ ٱلسَّمَنْدَلِ أُكَثِّرُ أَيَّامًا.

I thought I would die at home, after many years.

١٩ 19 أَصْلِي كَانَ مُنْبَسِطًا إِلَى ٱلْمِيَاهِ، وَٱلطَّلُّ بَاتَ عَلَى أَغْصَانِي.

Like a tree my roots spread out to the water; the dew rests on my branches overnight.

٢٠ 20 كَرَامَتِي بَقِيَتْ حَدِيثَةً عِنْدِي، وَقَوْسِي تَجَدَّدَتْ فِي يَدِي.

Fresh honors were always being given to me; my strength was renewed like an unfailing bow.

٢١ 21 لِي سَمِعُوا وَٱنْتَظَرُوا، وَنَصَتُوا عِنْدَ مَشُورَتِي.

People listened carefully to what I had to say; they kept quiet as they listened to my advice.

٢٢ 22 بَعْدَ كَلَامِي لَمْ يُثَنُّوا، وَقَوْلِي قَطَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

Once I had spoken they had nothing else to say; what I said was enough.

٢٣ 23 وَٱنْتَظَرُونِي مِثْلَ ٱلْمَطَرِ، وَفَغَرُوا أَفْوَاهَهُمْ كَمَا لِلْمَطَرِ ٱلْمُتَأَخِّرِ.

They waited for me like people waiting for rain; their mouths wide open for the spring rain.

٢٤ 24 إِنْ ضَحِكْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا، وَنُورَ وَجْهِي لَمْ يُعَبِّسُوا.

When I smiled at them they could hardly believe it; my approval meant all the world to them.

٢٥ 25 كُنْتُ أَخْتَارُ طَرِيقَهُمْ وَأَجْلِسُ رَأْسًا، وَأَسْكُنُ كَمَلِكٍ فِي جَيْشٍ، كَمَنْ يُعَزِّي ٱلنَّائِحِينَ.

I decided the way forward as their leader, living like a king among his soldiers, and when they were sad I comforted them.