أيُّوب 29

١ 1 وَاسْتَطْرَدَ أَيُّوبُ فِي ضَرْبِ مَثَلِهِ:

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

٢ 2 «يَا لَيْتَنِي مَازِلْتُ كَمَا كُنْتُ فِي الشُّهُورِ الْغَابِرَةِ، فِي الأَيَّامِ الَّتِي حَفِظَنِي فِيهَا اللهُ،

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

٣ 3 كَانَ مِصْبَاحُهُ يُضِيءُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي، فَأَسْلُكُ عَبْرَ الظُّلْمَةِ فِي نُورِهِ.

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

٤ 4 يَوْمَ كُنْتُ فِي رَيعَانِ قُوَّتِي وَرِضَى اللهِ مُخَيِّماً فَوْقَ بَيْتِي.

As I was in the days of my youth, when the friendship and counsel of God was upon my tabernacle;

٥ 5 وَالْقَدِيرُ مَا بَرِحَ مَعِي، وَأَوْلادِي مَازَالُوا حَوْلِي.

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

٦ 6 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَغْسِلُ خَطْوَاتِي بِاللَّبَنِ، وَالصَّخْرُ يَفِيضُ لِي أَنْهَاراً مِنَ الزَّيْتِ.

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

٧ 7 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى بَوَّابَةِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَأَحْتَلُّ فِي السَّاحَةِ مَجْلِسِي،

When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

٨ 8 فَيَرَانِي الشُّبَّانُ وَيَتَوَارَوْنَ، وَيَقِفُ الشُّيُوخُ احْتِرَاماً لِي.

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

٩ 9 يَمْتَنِعُ الْعُظَمَاءُ عَنِ الْكَلامِ وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ.

The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

١٠ 10 يَتَلاشَى صَوْتُ النُّبَلاءِ، وَتَلْتَصِقُ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِأَحْنَاكِهِمْ.

The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

١١ 11 إِذَا سَمِعَتْ لِيَ الأُذُنُ تُطَوِّبُنِي، وَإذَا شَهِدَتْنِي الْعَيْنُ تُثْنِي عَلَيَّ،

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

١٢ 12 لأَنِّي أَنْقَذْتُ الْبَائِسَ الْمُسْتَغِيثَ، وَأَجَرْتُ الْيَتِيمَ طَالِبَ الْعَوْنِ،

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

١٣ 13 فَحَلَّتْ عَلَيَّ بَرَكَةُ الْمُشْرِفِ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَجَعَلْتُ قَلْبَ الأَرْمَلَةِ يَتَهَلَّلُ فَرَحاً.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

١٤ 14 ارْتَدَيْتُ الْبِرَّ فَكَسَانِي، وَكَجُبَّةٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَ عَدْلِي.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

١٥ 15 كُنْتُ عُيُوناً لِلأَعْمَى، وَأَقْدَاماً لِلأَعْرَجِ،

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

١٦ 16 وَكُنْتُ أَباً لِلْمِسْكِينِ، أَتَقَصَّى دَعْوَى مَنْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْهُ.

I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

١٧ 17 هَشَّمْتُ أَنْيَابَ الظَّالِمِ وَمِنْ بَيْنِ أَسْنَانِهِ نَزَعْتُ الْفَرِيسَةَ،

And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

١٨ 18 ثُمَّ حَدَّثْتُ نَفْسِي: إِنِّي سَأَمُوتُ فِي خَيْمَتِي وَتَتَكَاثَرُ أَيَّامِي كَحَبَّاتِ الرَّمْلِ.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

١٩ 19 سَتَمْتَدُّ أُصُولِي إِلَى الْمِيَاهِ، وَالطَّلُّ يَبِيتُ عَلَى أَغْصَانِي.

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

٢٠ 20 يَتَجَدَّدُ مَجْدِي دَائِماً، وَقَوْسِي أَبَداً جَدِيدَةٌ فِي يَدِي.

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

٢١ 21 يَسْتَمِعُ النَّاسُ لِي وَيَنْتَظِرُونَ، وَيَصْمُتُونَ مُنْصِتِينَ لِمَشُورَتِي.

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

٢٢ 22 بَعْدَ كَلامِي لَا يُثَنُّونَ عَلَى أَقْوَالِي، وَحَدِيثِي يَقْطُرُ عَلَيْهِمْ كَالنَّدَى.

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

٢٣ 23 يَتَرَقَّبُونَنِي كَالْغَيْثِ، وَيَفْتَحُونَ أَفْوَاهَهُمْ كَمَنْ يَنْهَلُ مِنْ مَطَرِ الرَّبِيعِ

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

٢٤ 24 إِنِ ابْتَسَمْتُ لَهُمْ لَا يُصَدِّقُونَ، وَنُورُ وَجْهِي لَمْ يَطْرَحُوهُ عَنْهُمْ بَعِيداً.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

٢٥ 25 أَخْتَارُ لَهُمْ طَرِيقَهُمْ وَأَتَصَدَّرُ مَجْلِسَهُمْ، وَأَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمْ كَمَلِكٍ بَيْنَ جُيُوشِهِ، وَكَالْمُعَزِّي بَيْنَ النَّائِحِينَ.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king among his troops, as one that comforteth the mourners.