أيُّوب 15

١ 1 فَقَالَ أَلِيفَازُ التَّيْمَانِيُّ:

Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

٢ 2 «أَلَعَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ يُجِيبُ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةٍ بَاطِلَةٍ وَيَنْفُخُ بَطْنَهُ بِرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ،

Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?

٣ 3 فَيَحْتَجَّ بِكَلامٍ أَجْوَفَ وَبِأَقْوَالٍ خَرْقَاءَ؟

Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?

٤ 4 أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَإِنَّكَ تَطْرَحُ جَانِباً مَخَافَةَ اللهِ وَتَنْقُضُ عِبَادَتَهُ.

But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.

٥ 5 كَلامُكَ يُقِرُّ بِإِثْمِكَ، وَأَنْتَ تُؤْثِرُ أُسْلُوبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ.

For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.

٦ 6 فَمُكَ يَدِينُكَ، لَا أَنَا، شَفَتَاكَ تَشْهَدَانِ عَلَيْكَ.

Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.

٧ 7 أَلَعَلَّكَ وُلِدْتَ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ، أَوْ كُوِّنْتَ قَبْلَ التِّلالِ؟

The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?

٨ 8 هَلْ تَنَصَّتَّ فِي مَجْلِسِ اللهِ، فَقَصَرْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ؟

In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?

٩ 9 أَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَعْرِفُهُ وَنَحْنُ نَجْهَلُهُ؟ وَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَفْهَمُهُ وَنَحْنُ لَا نَمْلِكُ إِدْرَاكَهُ؟

What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?

١٠ 10 رُبَّ شَيْخٍ وَأَشْيَبَ بَيْنَنَا أَكْبَرَ سِنّاً مِنْ أَبِيكَ.

Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!

١١ 11 أَيَسِيرَةٌ عَلَيْكَ تَعْزِيَاتُ اللهِ؟ حَتَّى هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتُ الَّتِي خُوطِبْتَ بِها بِرِفْقٍ؟

Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?

١٢ 12 لِمَاذَا يَسْتَهْوِيكَ قَلْبُكَ وَتَتَوَهَّجُ عَيْنَاكَ،

How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!

١٣ 13 حَتَّى تَنْفُثَ غَضَبَكَ ضِدَّ اللهِ، وَيَصْدُرَ عَنْ فَمِكَ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ الأَقْوَالِ؟

For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!

١٤ 14 مَنْ هُوَ الإِنْسَانُ حَتَّى يَزْكُوَ أَوْ مَوْلُودُ الْمَرْأَةِ حَتَّى يَتَبَرَّرَ؟

What is a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?

١٥ 15 فَإِنْ كَانَ اللهُ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ قِدِّيسِيهِ، وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ غَيْرَ طَاهِرَةٍ لَدَيْهِ،

Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:

١٦ 16 فَكَمْ بِالأَحْرَى يَكُونُ الإِنْسَانُ الشَّارِبُ الإِثْمَ كَالْمَاءِ مَكْرُوهاً وَفَاسِداً!

How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.

١٧ 17 دَعْنِي أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ، وَاسْمَعْ لِي لأُحَدِّثَكَ بِمَا رَأَيْتُهُ،

I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.

١٨ 18 وَبِمَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ حُكَمَاءُ عَنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَكْتُمُوهُ،

Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.

١٩ 19 الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ وُهِبَتِ الأَرْضُ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ بَيْنَهُمْ غَرِيبٌ.

To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:

٢٠ 20 يَتَلَوَّى الشِّرِّيرُ أَلَماً كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهِ، وَمَعْدُودَةٌ هِيَ سِنُو الْجَائِرِ.

All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;

٢١ 21 يَضِجُّ صَوْتٌ مُرْعِبٌ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ، وَفِي أَوَانِ السَّلامِ يُفَاجِئُهُ الْمُخَرِّبُ.

A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;

٢٢ 22 لَا يَأْمُلُ الرُّجُوعَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ، وَمَصِيرُهُ الْهَلاكُ بِالسَّيْفِ.

He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;

٢٣ 23 يَهِيمُ بَحْثاً عَنْ لُقْمَةِ الْعَيْشِ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ يَوْمَ الظُّلْمَةِ آتٍ وَشِيكاً.

A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;

٢٤ 24 يُرْهِبُهُ الضِّيقُ وَالضَّنْكُ، وَيَطْغَيَانِ عَلَيْهِ كَمَلِكٍ مُتَأَهِّبٍ لِلْحَرْبِ.

Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:

٢٥ 25 لأَنَّهُ هَزَّ قَبْضَتَهُ مُتَحَدِّياً اللهَ، وَعَلَى الْقَدِيرِ يَتَجَبَّرُ،

Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;

٢٦ 26 وَأَغَارَ عَلَيْهِ بِعِنَادٍ مُتَصَلِّفٍ، بِمَجَانٍّ غَلِيظَةٍ مَتِينَةٍ.

He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;

٢٧ 27 وَمَعَ أَنَّهُ كَسَا وَجْهَهُ سَمْناً، وَغَشَّى الشَّحْمُ كُلْيَتَيْهِ.

For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;

٢٨ 28 فَإِنَّهُ يُقِيمُ فِي مُدُنٍ خَرِبَةٍ وَبُيُوتٍ مَهْجُورَةٍ عَتِيدَةٍ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ رُكَاماً.

And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.

٢٩ 29 يَفْقِدُ غِنَاهُ، وَتَتَبَخَّرُ ثَرْوَتُهُ، وَلا يَثْبُتُ لَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ مُقْتَنىً.

He shall not be rich, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on the earth;

٣٠ 30 تَكْتَنِفُهُ دَائِماً الظُّلْمَةُ، وتُيَبِّسُ النَّارُ أَغْصَانَهُ، وَتُزِيلُهُ نَفْخَةٌ مِنْ فَمِ الرَّبِّ.

He shall not depart out of darkness, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!

٣١ 31 لَا يَخْدَعَنَّ نَفْسَهُ بِاتِّكَالِهِ عَلَى السُّوءِ، لأَنَّ السُّوءَ يَكُونُ جَزَاءَهُ.

Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;

٣٢ 32 يَسْتَوْفِيهِ كَامِلاً قَبْلَ يَوْمِهِ، وَتَكُونُ (حَيَاتُهُ) كَسُعُفٍ يَابِسَةٍ.

Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;

٣٣ 33 وَكَكَرْمَةٍ تَسَاقَطَتْ عَنَاقِيدُ حِصْرِمِهَا، وَتَنَاثَرَ زَهْرُهَا كَالزَّيْتُونِ،

He shall wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.

٣٤ 34 لأَنَّ جَمَاعَةَ الْفُجَّارِ عَقِيمُونَ، وَالنَّارُ تَلْتَهِمُ خِيَامَ الْمُرْتَشِينَ.

For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;

٣٥ 35 حَبِلُوا شَقَاوَةً وَأَنْجَبُوا إِثْماً، وَوَلَدَتْ بُطُونُهُمْ غِشّاً».

Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.