أَيُّوبَ 23

١ 1 فَأَجَابَ أَيُّوبُ وَقَالَ:

Then Job answered and said,

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

“Even today my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy because of my groaning.

٣ 3 مَنْ يُعْطِينِي أَنْ أَجِدَهُ، فَآتِيَ إِلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ،

Oh, that I knew where I might find him! Oh, that I might come to his place!

٤ 4 أُحْسِنُ ٱلدَّعْوَى أَمَامَهُ، وَأَمْلَأُ فَمِي حُجَجًا،

I would lay my case in order before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

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

I would learn the words with which he would answer me and would understand what he would say to me.

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

Would he argue against me in the greatness of his power? No, he would pay attention to me.

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

There the upright person might argue with him. In this way I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

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

See, I go eastward, but he is not there, and westward, but I cannot perceive him.

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

To the north, where he is at work, but I cannot see him, and to the south, where he hides himself so that I cannot see him.

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

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.

١١ 11 بِخَطَوَاتِهِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَتْ رِجْلِي. حَفِظْتُ طَرِيقَهُ وَلَمْ أَحِدْ.

My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept to his way and turned not aside.

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

I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

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

But he is one of a kind, who can turn him back? What he desires, he does.

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

For he carries out his decree against me; there are many like them.

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

Therefore, I am terrified in his presence; when I think about him, I am afraid of him.

١٦ 16 لِأَنَّ ٱللهَ قَدْ أَضْعَفَ قَلْبِي، وَٱلْقَدِيرَ رَوَّعَنِي.

For God has made my heart weak; the Almighty has terrified me.

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

I have not been brought to an end by darkness, because of the thick darkness that covers the gloom of my face.