أَيُّوبَ 29

١ 1 وَعَادَ أَيُّوبُ يَنْطِقُ بِمَثَلِهِ فَقَالَ:

And Job continued his discourse:

٢ 2 «يَا لَيْتَنِي كَمَا فِي ٱلشُّهُورِ ٱلسَّالِفَةِ وَكَٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلَّتِي حَفِظَنِي ٱللهُ فِيهَا،

“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,

٣ 3 حِينَ أَضَاءَ سِرَاجَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَبِنُورِهِ سَلَكْتُ ٱلظُّلْمَةَ.

when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,

٤ 4 كَمَا كُنْتُ فِي أَيَّامِ خَرِيفِي، وَرِضَا ٱللهِ عَلَى خَيْمَتِي،

when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

٥ 5 وَٱلْقَدِيرُ بَعْدُ مَعِي وَحَوْلِي غِلْمَانِي،

when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

٦ 6 إِذْ غَسَلْتُ خَطَوَاتِي بِٱللَّبَنِ، وَٱلصَّخْرُ سَكَبَ لِي جَدَاوِلَ زَيْتٍ.

when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

٧ 7 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى ٱلْبَابِ فِي ٱلْقَرْيَةِ، وَأُهَيِّئُ فِي ٱلسَّاحَةِ مَجْلِسِي.

When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,

٨ 8 رَآنِي ٱلْغِلْمَانُ فَٱخْتَبَأُوا، وَٱلْأَشْيَاخُ قَامُوا وَوَقَفُوا.

the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.

٩ 9 ٱلْعُظَمَاءُ أَمْسَكُوا عَنِ ٱلْكَلَامِ، وَوَضَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ.

The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

١٠ 10 صَوْتُ ٱلشُّرَفَاءِ ٱخْتَفَى، وَلَصِقَتْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِأَحْنَاكِهِمْ.

The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

١١ 11 لِأَنَّ ٱلْأُذُنَ سَمِعَتْ فَطَوَّبَتْنِي، وَٱلْعَيْنَ رَأَتْ فَشَهِدَتْ لِي،

For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

١٢ 12 لِأَنِّي أَنْقَذْتُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ ٱلْمُسْتَغِيثَ وَٱلْيَتِيمَ وَلَا مُعِينَ لَهُ.

because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.

١٣ 13 بَرَكَةُ ٱلْهَالِكِ حَلَّتْ عَلَيَّ، وَجَعَلْتُ قَلْبَ ٱلْأَرْمَلَةِ يُسَرُّ.

The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

١٤ 14 لَبِسْتُ ٱلْبِرَّ فَكَسَانِي. كَجُبَّةٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَ عَدْلِي.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.

١٥ 15 كُنْتُ عُيُونًا لِلْعُمْيِ، وَأَرْجُلًا لِلْعُرْجِ.

I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.

١٦ 16 أَبٌ أَنَا لِلْفُقَرَاءِ، وَدَعْوَى لَمْ أَعْرِفْهَا فَحَصْتُ عَنْهَا.

I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

١٧ 17 هَشَّمْتُ أَضْرَاسَ ٱلظَّالِمِ، وَمِنْ بَيْنِ أَسْنَانِهِ خَطَفْتُ ٱلْفَرِيسَةَ.

I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

١٨ 18 فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي فِي وَكْرِي أُسَلِّمُ ٱلرُّوحَ، وَمِثْلَ ٱلسَّمَنْدَلِ أُكَثِّرُ أَيَّامًا.

So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.

١٩ 19 أَصْلِي كَانَ مُنْبَسِطًا إِلَى ٱلْمِيَاهِ، وَٱلطَّلُّ بَاتَ عَلَى أَغْصَانِي.

My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.

٢٠ 20 كَرَامَتِي بَقِيَتْ حَدِيثَةً عِنْدِي، وَقَوْسِي تَجَدَّدَتْ فِي يَدِي.

My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

٢١ 21 لِي سَمِعُوا وَٱنْتَظَرُوا، وَنَصَتُوا عِنْدَ مَشُورَتِي.

Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

٢٢ 22 بَعْدَ كَلَامِي لَمْ يُثَنُّوا، وَقَوْلِي قَطَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.

٢٣ 23 وَٱنْتَظَرُونِي مِثْلَ ٱلْمَطَرِ، وَفَغَرُوا أَفْوَاهَهُمْ كَمَا لِلْمَطَرِ ٱلْمُتَأَخِّرِ.

They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.

٢٤ 24 إِنْ ضَحِكْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا، وَنُورَ وَجْهِي لَمْ يُعَبِّسُوا.

If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

٢٥ 25 كُنْتُ أَخْتَارُ طَرِيقَهُمْ وَأَجْلِسُ رَأْسًا، وَأَسْكُنُ كَمَلِكٍ فِي جَيْشٍ، كَمَنْ يُعَزِّي ٱلنَّائِحِينَ.

I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.