أَيُّوبَ 31

١ 1 «عَهْدًا قَطَعْتُ لِعَيْنَيَّ، فَكَيْفَ أَتَطَلَّعُ فِي عَذْرَاءَ؟

I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

٢ 2 وَمَا هِيَ قِسْمَةُ ٱللهِ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَنَصِيبُ ٱلْقَدِيرِ مِنَ ٱلْأَعَالِي؟

Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?

٣ 3 أَلَيْسَ ٱلْبَوَارُ لِعَامِلِ ٱلشَّرِّ، وَٱلنُّكْرُ لِفَاعِلِي ٱلْإِثْمِ؟

Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

٤ 4 أَلَيْسَ هُوَ يَنْظُرُ طُرُقِي، وَيُحْصِي جَمِيعَ خَطَوَاتِي؟

Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

٥ 5 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ سَلَكْتُ مَعَ ٱلْكَذِبِ، أَوْ أَسْرَعَتْ رِجْلِي إِلَى ٱلْغِشِّ،

But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

٦ 6 لِيَزِنِّي فِي مِيزَانِ ٱلْحَقِّ، فَيَعْرِفَ ٱللهُ كَمَالِي.

(for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )

٧ 7 إِنْ حَادَتْ خَطَوَاتِي عَنِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ، وَذَهَبَ قَلْبِي وَرَاءَ عَيْنَيَّ، أَوْ لَصِقَ عَيْبٌ بِكَفِّي،

if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands;

٨ 8 أَزْرَعْ وَغَيْرِي يَأْكُلْ، وَفُرُوعِي تُسْتَأْصَلْ.

then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

٩ 9 «إِنْ غَوِيَ قَلْبِي عَلَى ٱمْرَأَةٍ، أَوْ كَمَنْتُ عَلَى بَابِ قَرِيبِي،

If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

١٠ 10 فَلْتَطْحَنِ ٱمْرَأَتِي لِآخَرَ، وَلْيَنْحَنِ عَلَيْهَا آخَرُونَ.

then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

١١ 11 لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ رَذِيلَةٌ، وَهِيَ إِثْمٌ يُعْرَضُ لِلْقُضَاةِ.

For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.

١٢ 12 لِأَنَّهَا نَارٌ تَأْكُلُ حَتَّى إِلَى ٱلْهَلَاكِ، وَتَسْتَأْصِلُ كُلَّ مَحْصُولِي.

For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

١٣ 13 «إِنْ كُنْتُ رَفَضْتُ حَقَّ عَبْدِي وَأَمَتِي فِي دَعْوَاهُمَا عَلَيَّ،

And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

١٤ 14 فَمَاذَا كُنْتُ أَصْنَعُ حِينَ يَقُومُ ٱللهُ؟ وَإِذَا ٱفْتَقَدَ، فَبِمَاذَا أُجِيبُهُ؟

what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?

١٥ 15 أَوَلَيْسَ صَانِعِي فِي ٱلْبَطْنِ صَانِعَهُ، وَقَدْ صَوَّرَنَا وَاحِدٌ فِي ٱلرَّحِمِ؟

Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.

١٦ 16 إِنْ كُنْتُ مَنَعْتُ ٱلْمَسَاكِينَ عَنْ مُرَادِهِمْ، أَوْ أَفْنَيْتُ عَيْنَيِ ٱلْأَرْمَلَةِ،

But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

١٧ 17 أَوْ أَكَلْتُ لُقْمَتِي وَحْدِي فَمَا أَكَلَ مِنْهَا ٱلْيَتِيمُ.

And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;

١٨ 18 بَلْ مُنْذُ صِبَايَ كَبِرَ عِنْدِي كَأَبٍ، وَمِنْ بَطْنِ أُمِّي هَدَيْتُهَا.

(for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)

١٩ 19 إِنْ كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُ هَالِكًا لِعَدَمِ ٱللِّبْسِ أَوْ فَقِيرًا بِلَا كِسْوَةٍ،

And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

٢٠ 20 إِنْ لَمْ تُبَارِكْنِي حَقَوَاهُ وَقَدِ ٱسْتَدْفَأَ بِجَزَّةِ غَنَمِي.

and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

٢١ 21 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ هَزَزْتُ يَدِي عَلَى ٱلْيَتِيمِ لَمَّا رَأَيْتُ عَوْنِي فِي ٱلْبَابِ،

if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:

٢٢ 22 فَلْتَسْقُطْ عَضُدِي مِنْ كَتِفِي، وَلْتَنْكَسِرْ ذِرَاعِي مِنْ قَصَبَتِهَا،

let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

٢٣ 23 لِأَنَّ ٱلْبَوَارَ مِنَ ٱللهِ رُعْبٌ عَلَيَّ، وَمِنْ جَلَالِهِ لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ.

For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden.

٢٤ 24 «إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ جَعَلْتُ ٱلذَّهَبَ عَمْدَتِي، أَوْ قُلْتُ لِلْإِبْرِيزِ: أَنْتَ مُتَّكَلِي.

If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

٢٥ 25 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ فَرِحْتُ إِذْ كَثُرَتْ ثَرْوَتِي وَلِأَنَّ يَدِي وَجَدَتْ كَثِيرًا.

and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:

٢٦ 26 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ حِينَ ضَاءَ، أَوْ إِلَى ٱلْقَمَرِ يَسِيرُ بِٱلْبَهَاءِ،

(do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )

٢٧ 27 وَغَوِيَ قَلْبِي سِرًّا، وَلَثَمَ يَدِي فَمِي،

and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

٢٨ 28 فَهَذَا أَيْضًا إِثْمٌ يُعْرَضُ لِلْقُضَاةِ، لِأَنِّي أَكُونُ قَدْ جَحَدْتُ ٱللهَ مِنْ فَوْقُ.

let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.

٢٩ 29 «إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ فَرِحْتُ بِبَلِيَّةِ مُبْغِضِي أَوْ شَمِتُّ حِينَ أَصَابَهُ سُوءٌ.

And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

٣٠ 30 بَلْ لَمْ أَدَعْ حَنَكِي يُخْطِئُ فِي طَلَبِ نَفْسِهِ بِلَعْنَةٍ.

let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.

٣١ 31 إِنْ كَانَ أَهْلُ خَيْمَتِي لَمْ يَقُولُوا: مَنْ يَأْتِي بِأَحَدٍ لَمْ يَشْبَعْ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ؟

And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

٣٢ 32 غَرِيبٌ لَمْ يَبِتْ فِي ٱلْخَارِجِ. فَتَحْتُ لِلْمُسَافِرِ أَبْوَابِي.

for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )

٣٣ 33 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ كَتَمْتُ كَٱلنَّاسِ ذَنْبِي لِإِخْفَاءِ إِثْمِي فِي حِضْنِي.

or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

٣٤ 34 إِذْ رَهِبْتُ جُمْهُورًا غَفِيرًا، وَرَوَّعَتْنِي إِهَانَةُ ٱلْعَشَائِرِ، فَكَفَفْتُ وَلَمْ أَخْرُجْ مِنَ ٱلْبَابِ.

(for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them: ) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom:

٣٥ 35 مَنْ لِي بِمَنْ يَسْمَعُنِي؟ هُوَذَا إِمْضَائِي. لِيُجِبْنِي ٱلْقَدِيرُ. وَمَنْ لِي بِشَكْوَى كَتَبَهَا خَصْمِي،

(Oh that I had a hearer, ) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and [as to] the written charge which I had against any one,

٣٦ 36 فَكُنْتُ أَحْمِلُهَا عَلَى كَتِفِي. كُنْتُ أُعْصِبُهَا تَاجًا لِي.

I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

٣٧ 37 كُنْتُ أُخْبِرُهُ بِعَدَدِ خَطَوَاتِي وَأَدْنُو مِنْهُ كَشَرِيفٍ.

And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

٣٨ 38 إِنْ كَانَتْ أَرْضِي قَدْ صَرَخَتْ عَلَيَّ وَتَبَاكَتْ أَتْلَامُهَا جَمِيعًا.

If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

٣٩ 39 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ أَكَلْتُ غَلَّتَهَا بِلَا فِضَّةٍ، أَوْ أَطْفَأْتُ أَنْفُسَ أَصْحَابِهَا،

and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [aught] from [him]:

٤٠ 40 فَعِوَضَ ٱلْحِنْطَةِ لِيَنْبُتْ شَوْكٌ، وَبَدَلَ ٱلشَّعِيرِ زَوَانٌ». تَمَّتْ أَقْوَالُ أَيُّوبَ.

then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.