أيُّوب 31

١ 1 أَبْرَمْتُ عَهْداً مَعَ عَيْنَيَّ، فَكَيْفَ أَرْنُو إِلَى عَذْرَاءَ؟

I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

٢ 2 وَمَاذَا يَكُونُ نَصِيبِي عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَمَا هُوَ إِرْثِي مِنْ عِنْدِ الْقَدِيرِ فِي الأَعَالِي؟

Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?

٣ 3 أَلَيْسَتِ الْبَلِيَّةُ مِنْ حَظِّ الشِّرِّيرِ، وَالْكَارِثَةُ مِنْ نَصِيبِ فَاعِلِي الإِثْمِ؟

Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

٤ 4 أَلاَ يَرَى اللهُ طُرُقِي وَيُحْصِي كُلَّ خَطَوَاتِي؟

Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

٥ 5 إِنْ سَلَكْتُ فِي ضَلاَلٍ وَأَسْرَعَتْ قَدَمِي لاِرْتِكَابِ الْغِشِّ،

But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

٦ 6 فَلأُوزَنْ فِي قِسْطَاسِ الْعَدْلِ، وَلْيَعْرِفِ اللهُ كَمَالِي.

(for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )

٧ 7 إِنْ حَادَتْ خَطَوَاتِي عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَغَوَى قَلْبِي وَرَاءَ عَيْنَيَّ، وَعَلِقَتْ بِيَدِي لَطْخَةُ عَارٍ،

if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands;

٨ 8 فَلأَزْرَعْ أَنَا وَآخَرُ يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُسْتَأْصَلْ مَحْصُولِي.

then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

٩ 9 إِنْ هَامَ قَلْبِي وَرَاءَ امْرَأَةٍ، أَوْ طُفْتُ عِنْدَ بَابِ جَارِي،

If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

١٠ 10 فَلْتَطْحَنْ زَوْجَتِي لِآخَرَ، وَلْيُضَاجِعْهَا آخَرُونَ.

then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

١١ 11 لأَنَّ هَذِهِ رَذِيلَةٌ وَإِثْمٌ يُعَاقِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُضَاةُ،

For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.

١٢ 12 وَنَارٌ مُلْتَهِمَةٌ تُفْضِي إِلَى الْهَلاكِ وَتَقْضِي عَلَى غَلاَّتِي.

For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

١٣ 13 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ تَنَكَّرْتُ لِحَقِّ خَادِمِي وَأَمَتِي عِنْدَمَا اشْتَكَيَا عَلَيَّ،

And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

١٤ 14 فَمَاذَا أَصْنَعُ عِنْدَمَا يَقُومُ اللهُ (لِمُحَاكَمَتِي)؟ وَبِمَاذَا أُجِيبُ عِنْدَمَا يَتَقَصَّى (لِيُحَاسِبَنِي)؟

what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?

١٥ 15 أَلَيْسَ الَّذِي كَوَّنَنِي فِي الرَّحِمِ كَوَّنَهُ أَيْضاً؟ أَوَ لَيْسَ الَّذِي شَكَّلَنَا فِي الرَّحِمِ وَاحِدٌ؟

Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.

١٦ 16 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ مَنَعْتُ عَنِ الْمِسْكِينِ مَا يَطْلُبُهُ، أَوْ أَوْهَنْتُ عَيْنَيِ الأَرْمَلَةِ مِنْ فَرْطِ الْبُكَاءِ،

But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

١٧ 17 أَوْ أَكَلْتُ كِسْرَةَ خُبْزِي وَحْدِي وَلَمْ أَتَقَاسَمْهَا مَعَ الْيَتِيمِ،

And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;

١٨ 18 إِذْ مُنْذُ حَدَاثَتِي رَعَيْتُهُ كَأَبٍ، وَهَدَيْتُهُ مِنْ رَحِمِ أُمِّهِ.

(for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)

١٩ 19 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَحَداً مُشْرِفاً عَلَى الْهَلاكِ مِنَ الْعُرْيِ، أَوْ مِسْكِيناً مِنْ غَيْرِ كِسَاءٍ،

And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

٢٠ 20 إِنْ لَمْ تُبَارِكْنِي حَقَوَاهُ الْمُسْتَدْفِئَتَانِ بِجَزَّةِ غَنَمِي!

and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

٢١ 21 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ رَفَعْتُ يَدِي ضِدَّ الْيَتِيمِ، مُسْتَغِلاً نُفُوذِي فِي الْقَضَاءِ،

if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:

٢٢ 22 فَلْيَسْقُطْ عَضُدِي مِنْ كَتِفِي، وَلْتَنْكَسِرْ ذِرَاعِي مِنْ قَصَبَتِهَا.

let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

٢٣ 23 لأَنَّنِي أَرْتَعِبُ مِنْ نِقْمَةِ اللهِ، وَمَا كُنْتُ أَقْوَى عَلَى مُوَاجَهَةِ جَلاَلِهِ.

For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden.

٢٤ 24 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ جَعَلْتُ الذَّهَبَ مُتَّكَلِي، أَوْ قُلْتُ لِلإِبْرِيزِ أَنْتَ مُعْتَمَدِي،

If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

٢٥ 25 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدِ اغْتَبَطْتُ بِعُظْمِ ثَرْوَتِي، أَوْ لأَنَّ يَدَيَّ فَاضَتَا بِوَفْرَةِ الْكَسْبِ،

and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:

٢٦ 26 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ حِينَ أَضَاءَتْ، أَوْ إِلَى الْقَمَرِ السَّائِرِ بِبَهَاءٍ،

(do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )

٢٧ 27 فَغَوِيَ قَلْبِي سِرّاً وَقَبَّلْتُ يَدَيَّ تَوْقِيراً لَهُمَا،

and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

٢٨ 28 فَإِنَّ هَذَا أَيْضاً إِثْمٌ يُعَاقِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُضَاةُ، لأَنِّي أَكُونُ قَدْ جَحَدْتُ اللهَ الْعَلِيَّ.

let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.

٢٩ 29 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ فَرِحْتُ بِدَمَارِ مُبْغِضِي أَوْ شَمِتُّ حِينَ أَصَابَهُ شَرٌّ،

And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

٣٠ 30 لاَ! لَمْ أَدَعْ لِسَانِي يُخْطِئُ بالدُّعَاءِ عَلَى حَيَاتِهِ بِلَعْنَةٍ.

let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.

٣١ 31 إِنْ كَانَ أَهْلُ خَيْمَتِي لَمْ يَقُولُوا: أَهُنَاكَ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْبَعْ مِنْ طَعَامِ أَيُّوبَ؟

And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

٣٢ 32 فَالْغَرِيبُ لَمْ يَبِتْ فِي الشَّارِعِ لأَنِّي فَتَحْتُ أَبْوَابِي لِعَابِرِي السَّبِيلِ.

for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )

٣٣ 33 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ كَتَمْتُ آثَامِي كَبَقِيَّةِ النَّاسِ، طَاوِياً ذُنُوبِي فِي حِضْنِي،

or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

٣٤ 34 رَهْبَةً مِنَ الْجَمَاهِيرِ الْغَفِيرَةِ، وَخَوْفاً مِنْ إِهَانَةِ الْعَشَائِرِ، وصَمَتُّ وَاعْتَصَمْتُ دَاخِلَ الأَبْوَابِ.

(for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them: ) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom:

٣٥ 35 آهِ، مَنْ لِي بِمَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ لِي! هُوَذَا تَوْقِيعِي، فَلْيُجِبْنِي الْقَدِيرُ. لَيْتَ خَصْمِي يَكْتُبُ شَكْوَاهُ ضِدِّي،

(Oh that I had a hearer, ) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and [as to] the written charge which I had against any one,

٣٦ 36 فَأَحْمِلَهَا عَلَى كَتِفِي وَأَعْصِبَهَا تَاجاً لِي،

I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

٣٧ 37 لَكُنْتُ أُقَدِّمُ لَهُ حِسَاباً عَنْ كُلِّ خَطَوَاتِي، وَأَدْنُو مِنْهُ كَمَا أَدْنُو مِنْ أَمِيرٍ.

And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

٣٨ 38 إِنْ كَانَتْ أَرْضِي قَدِ احْتَجَّتْ عَلَيَّ وَتَبَاكَتْ أَتْلاَمُهَا جَمِيعاً،

If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

٣٩ 39 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ أَكَلْتُ غَلاَّتِهَا بِلاَ ثَمَنٍ، أَوْ سَحَقْتُ نُفُوسَ أَصْحَابِهَا،

and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [aught] from [him]:

٤٠ 40 فَلْيَنْبُتْ فِيهَا الشَّوْكُ بَدَلَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَالزَّوَانُ بَدَلَ الشَّعِيرِ» تَمَّتْ هُنَا أَقْوَالُ أَيُّوبَ.

then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.