أَيُّوبَ 23

١ 1 فَأَجَابَ أَيُّوبُ وَقَالَ:

Job replied,

٢ 2 «ٱلْيَوْمَ أَيْضًا شَكْوَايَ تَمَرُّدٌ. ضَرْبَتِي أَثْقَلُ مِنْ تَنَهُّدِي.

“Just the same, my complaints today remain bitter. In spite of my groaning he is still punishing me.

٣ 3 مَنْ يُعْطِينِي أَنْ أَجِدَهُ، فَآتِيَ إِلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ،

If only I knew where I could find him so I could go to where he sits in judgment.

٤ 4 أُحْسِنُ ٱلدَّعْوَى أَمَامَهُ، وَأَمْلَأُ فَمِي حُجَجًا،

There I would lay out my case before him and present all my arguments in full.

٥ 5 فَأَعْرِفُ ٱلْأَقْوَالَ ٱلَّتِي بِهَا يُجِيبُنِي، وَأَفْهَمُ مَا يَقُولُهُ لِي؟

I would discover how he would answer me and learn what he has to say to me.

٦ 6 أَبِكَثْرَةِ قُوَّةٍ يُخَاصِمُنِي؟ كَّلَّا! وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْتَبِهُ إِلَيَّ.

Would he fight against me using his mighty power? No, he would pay attention to what I have to say.

٧ 7 هُنَالِكَ كَانَ يُحَاجُّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمُ، وَكُنْتُ أَنْجُو إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ مِنْ قَاضِيَّ.

There a good person could reason with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

٨ 8 هَأَنَذَا أَذْهَبُ شَرْقًا فَلَيْسَ هُوَ هُنَاكَ، وَغَرْبًا فَلَا أَشْعُرُ بِهِ.

If I go to the east, he's not there; if I go the west, I don't find him.

٩ 9 شِمَالًا حَيْثُ عَمَلُهُ فَلَا أَنْظُرُهُ. يَتَعَطَّفُ ٱلْجَنُوبَ فَلَا أَرَاهُ.

If he's working in the north, I don't perceive him; if he's moving south, I don't see him.

١٠ 10 «لِأَنَّهُ يَعْرِفُ طَرِيقِي. إِذَا جَرَّبَنِي أَخْرُجُ كَٱلذَّهَبِ.

Yet he always knows where I'm going. When he has proved me, I will come out shining like gold.

١١ 11 بِخَطَوَاتِهِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَتْ رِجْلِي. حَفِظْتُ طَرِيقَهُ وَلَمْ أَحِدْ.

I have kept in step with him; I have followed his way without turning aside.

١٢ 12 مِنْ وَصِيَّةِ شَفَتَيْهِ لَمْ أَبْرَحْ. أَكْثَرَ مِنْ فَرِيضَتِي ذَخَرْتُ كَلَامَ فِيهِ.

I have not neglected his commands, for I value what he has told me to do more than the food I eat every day.

١٣ 13 أَمَّا هُوَ فَوَحْدَهُ، فَمَنْ يَرُدُّهُ؟ وَنَفْسُهُ تَشْتَهِي فَيَفْعَلُ.

But God is unchangeable—who can turn him from his purposes? He does whatever he wants to do.

١٤ 14 لِأَنَّهُ يُتَمِّمُ ٱلْمَفْرُوضَ عَلَيَّ، وَكَثِيرٌ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ عِنْدَهُ.

So he will finish whatever he has planned for me—and he has many plans for me.

١٥ 15 مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ أَرْتَاعُ قُدَّامَهُ. أَتَأَمَّلُ فَأَرْتَعِبُ مِنْهُ.

That's why I'm terrified at meeting him; when I think of him I tremble with fear.

١٦ 16 لِأَنَّ ٱللهَ قَدْ أَضْعَفَ قَلْبِي، وَٱلْقَدِيرَ رَوَّعَنِي.

God has made me faint-hearted; the Almighty has scared me to death.

١٧ 17 لِأَنِّي لَمْ أُقْطَعْ قَبْلَ ٱلظَّلَامِ، وَمِنْ وَجْهِي لَمْ يُغَطِّ ٱلدُّجَى.

Yet I'm still here despite the dark—even though I can't see through the utter darkness.