أَيُّوبَ 30

١ 1 «وَأَمَّا ٱلْآنَ فَقَدْ ضَحِكَ عَلَيَّ أَصَاغِرِي أَيَّامًا، ٱلَّذِينَ كُنْتُ أَسْتَنْكِفُ مِنْ أَنْ أَجْعَلَ آبَاءَهُمْ مَعَ كِلَابِ غَنَمِي.

“But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.

٢ 2 قُوَّةُ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَيْضًا مَا هِيَ لِي. فِيهِمْ عَجِزَتِ ٱلشَّيْخُوخَةُ.

They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]

٣ 3 فِي ٱلْعَوَزِ وَٱلْمَحْلِ مَهْزُولُونَ، عَارِقُونَ ٱلْيَابِسَةَ ٱلَّتِي هِيَ مُنْذُ أَمْسِ خَرَابٌ وَخَرِبَةٌ.

They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.

٤ 4 ٱلَّذِينَ يَقْطِفُونَ ٱلْمَلَّاحَ عِنْدَ ٱلشِّيحِ، وَأُصُولُ ٱلرَّتَمِ خُبْزُهُمْ.

They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.

٥ 5 مِنَ ٱلْوَسَطِ يُطْرَدُونَ. يَصِيحُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ كَمَا عَلَى لِصٍّ.

Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].

٦ 6 لِلسَّكَنِ فِي أَوْدِيَةٍ مُرْعِبَةٍ وَثُقَبِ ٱلتُّرَابِ وَٱلصُّخُورِ.

They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.

٧ 7 بَيْنَ ٱلشِّيحِ يَنْهَقُونَ. تَحْتَ ٱلْعَوْسَجِ يَنْكَبُّونَ.

In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.

٨ 8 أَبْنَاءُ ٱلْحَمَاقَةِ، بَلْ أَبْنَاءُ أُنَاسٍ بِلَا ٱسْمٍ، سِيطُوا مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ.

They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].

٩ 9 «أَمَّا ٱلْآنَ فَصِرْتُ أُغْنِيَتَهُمْ، وَأَصْبَحْتُ لَهُمْ مَثَلًا!

“And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.

١٠ 10 يَكْرَهُونَنِي. يَبْتَعِدُونَ عَنِّي، وَأَمَامَ وَجْهِي لَمْ يُمْسِكُوا عَنِ ٱلْبَصْقِ.

They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.

١١ 11 لِأَنَّهُ أَطْلَقَ ٱلْعِنَانَ وَقَهَرَنِي، فَنَزَعُوا ٱلزِّمَامَ قُدَّامِي.

Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.

١٢ 12 عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ ٱلْفُرُوخُ يَقُومُونَ يُزِيحُونَ رِجْلِي، وَيُعِدُّونَ عَلَيَّ طُرُقَهُمْ لِلْبَوَارِ.

(Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.

١٣ 13 أَفْسَدُوا سُبُلِي. أَعَانُوا عَلَى سُقُوطِي. لَا مُسَاعِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).

١٤ 14 يَأْتُونَ كَصَدْعٍ عَرِيضٍ. تَحْتَ ٱلْهَدَّةِ يَتَدَحْرَجُونَ.

[It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.

١٥ 15 اِنْقَلَبَتْ عَلَيَّ أَهْوَالٌ. طَرَدَتْ كَٱلرِّيحِ نِعْمَتِي، فَعَبَرَتْ كَٱلسَّحَابِ سَعَادَتِي.

I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.

١٦ 16 «فَٱلْآنَ ٱنْهَالَتْ نَفْسِي عَلَيَّ، وَأَخَذَتْنِي أَيَّامُ ٱلْمَذَلَّةِ.

“And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.

١٧ 17 ٱللَّيْلَ يَنْخَرُ عِظَامِي فِيَّ، وَعَارِقِيَّ لَا تَهْجَعُ.

My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.

١٨ 18 بِكَثْرَةِ ٱلشِّدَّةِ تَنَكَّرَ لِبْسِي. مِثْلَ جَيْبِ قَمِيصِي حَزَمَتْنِي.

[It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.

١٩ 19 قَدْ طَرَحَنِي فِي ٱلْوَحْلِ، فَأَشْبَهْتُ ٱلتُّرَابَ وَٱلرَّمَادَ.

He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.

٢٠ 20 إِلَيْكَ أَصْرُخُ فَمَا تَسْتَجِيبُ لِي. أَقُومُ فَمَا تَنْتَبِهُ إِلَيَّ.

“I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.

٢١ 21 تَحَوَّلْتَ إِلَى جَافٍ مِنْ نَحْوِي. بِقُدْرَةِ يَدِكَ تَضْطَهِدُنِي.

He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.

٢٢ 22 حَمَلْتَنِي، أَرْكَبْتَنِي ٱلرِّيحَ وَذَوَّبْتَنِي تَشَوُّهًا.

He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.

٢٣ 23 لِأَنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ إِلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ تُعِيدُنِي، وَإِلَى بَيْتِ مِيعَادِ كُلِّ حَيٍّ.

I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.

٢٤ 24 وَلَكِنْ فِي ٱلْخَرَابِ أَلَا يَمُدُّ يَدًا؟ فِي ٱلْبَلِيَّةِ أَلَا يَسْتَغِيثُ عَلَيْهَا؟

“When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.

٢٥ 25 «أَلَمْ أَبْكِ لِمَنْ عَسَرَ يَوْمُهُ؟ أَلَمْ تَكْتَئِبْ نَفْسِي عَلَى ٱلْمِسْكِينِ؟

[That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.

٢٦ 26 حِينَمَا تَرَجَّيْتُ ٱلْخَيْرَ جَاءَ ٱلشَّرُّ، وَٱنْتَظَرْتُ ٱلنُّورَ فَجَاءَ ٱلدُّجَى.

But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].

٢٧ 27 أَمْعَائِي تَغْلِي وَلَا تَكُفُّ. تَقَدَّمَتْنِي أَيَّامُ ٱلْمَذَلَّةِ.

I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.

٢٨ 28 اِسْوَدَدْتُ لَكِنْ بِلَا شَمْسٍ. قُمْتُ فِي ٱلْجَمَاعَةِ أَصْرُخُ.

I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.

٢٩ 29 صِرْتُ أَخًا لِلذِّئَابِ، وَصَاحِبًا لِرِئَالِ ٱلنَّعَامِ.

My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.

٣٠ 30 حَرِشَ جِلْدِي عَلَيَّ وَعِظَامِي ٱحْتَرَّتْ مِنَ ٱلْحَرَارَةِ فِيَّ.

My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.

٣١ 31 صَارَ عُودِي لِلنَّوْحِ، وَمِزْمَارِي لِصَوْتِ ٱلْبَاكِينَ.

Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”