أيُّوب 15

١ 1 فَقَالَ أَلِيفَازُ التَّيْمَانِيُّ:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

٢ 2 «أَلَعَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ يُجِيبُ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةٍ بَاطِلَةٍ وَيَنْفُخُ بَطْنَهُ بِرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ،

“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?

٣ 3 فَيَحْتَجَّ بِكَلامٍ أَجْوَفَ وَبِأَقْوَالٍ خَرْقَاءَ؟

Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?

٤ 4 أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَإِنَّكَ تَطْرَحُ جَانِباً مَخَافَةَ اللهِ وَتَنْقُضُ عِبَادَتَهُ.

But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.

٥ 5 كَلامُكَ يُقِرُّ بِإِثْمِكَ، وَأَنْتَ تُؤْثِرُ أُسْلُوبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ.

For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.

٦ 6 فَمُكَ يَدِينُكَ، لَا أَنَا، شَفَتَاكَ تَشْهَدَانِ عَلَيْكَ.

Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.

٧ 7 أَلَعَلَّكَ وُلِدْتَ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ، أَوْ كُوِّنْتَ قَبْلَ التِّلالِ؟

Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?

٨ 8 هَلْ تَنَصَّتَّ فِي مَجْلِسِ اللهِ، فَقَصَرْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ؟

Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

٩ 9 أَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَعْرِفُهُ وَنَحْنُ نَجْهَلُهُ؟ وَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَفْهَمُهُ وَنَحْنُ لَا نَمْلِكُ إِدْرَاكَهُ؟

What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

١٠ 10 رُبَّ شَيْخٍ وَأَشْيَبَ بَيْنَنَا أَكْبَرَ سِنّاً مِنْ أَبِيكَ.

Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.

١١ 11 أَيَسِيرَةٌ عَلَيْكَ تَعْزِيَاتُ اللهِ؟ حَتَّى هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتُ الَّتِي خُوطِبْتَ بِها بِرِفْقٍ؟

Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?

١٢ 12 لِمَاذَا يَسْتَهْوِيكَ قَلْبُكَ وَتَتَوَهَّجُ عَيْنَاكَ،

Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,

١٣ 13 حَتَّى تَنْفُثَ غَضَبَكَ ضِدَّ اللهِ، وَيَصْدُرَ عَنْ فَمِكَ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ الأَقْوَالِ؟

as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?

١٤ 14 مَنْ هُوَ الإِنْسَانُ حَتَّى يَزْكُوَ أَوْ مَوْلُودُ الْمَرْأَةِ حَتَّى يَتَبَرَّرَ؟

What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

١٥ 15 فَإِنْ كَانَ اللهُ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ قِدِّيسِيهِ، وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ غَيْرَ طَاهِرَةٍ لَدَيْهِ،

If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,

١٦ 16 فَكَمْ بِالأَحْرَى يَكُونُ الإِنْسَانُ الشَّارِبُ الإِثْمَ كَالْمَاءِ مَكْرُوهاً وَفَاسِداً!

how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?

١٧ 17 دَعْنِي أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ، وَاسْمَعْ لِي لأُحَدِّثَكَ بِمَا رَأَيْتُهُ،

Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,

١٨ 18 وَبِمَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ حُكَمَاءُ عَنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَكْتُمُوهُ،

what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,

١٩ 19 الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ وُهِبَتِ الأَرْضُ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ بَيْنَهُمْ غَرِيبٌ.

to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.

٢٠ 20 يَتَلَوَّى الشِّرِّيرُ أَلَماً كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهِ، وَمَعْدُودَةٌ هِيَ سِنُو الْجَائِرِ.

A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.

٢١ 21 يَضِجُّ صَوْتٌ مُرْعِبٌ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ، وَفِي أَوَانِ السَّلامِ يُفَاجِئُهُ الْمُخَرِّبُ.

Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.

٢٢ 22 لَا يَأْمُلُ الرُّجُوعَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ، وَمَصِيرُهُ الْهَلاكُ بِالسَّيْفِ.

He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.

٢٣ 23 يَهِيمُ بَحْثاً عَنْ لُقْمَةِ الْعَيْشِ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ يَوْمَ الظُّلْمَةِ آتٍ وَشِيكاً.

He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

٢٤ 24 يُرْهِبُهُ الضِّيقُ وَالضَّنْكُ، وَيَطْغَيَانِ عَلَيْهِ كَمَلِكٍ مُتَأَهِّبٍ لِلْحَرْبِ.

Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.

٢٥ 25 لأَنَّهُ هَزَّ قَبْضَتَهُ مُتَحَدِّياً اللهَ، وَعَلَى الْقَدِيرِ يَتَجَبَّرُ،

For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,

٢٦ 26 وَأَغَارَ عَلَيْهِ بِعِنَادٍ مُتَصَلِّفٍ، بِمَجَانٍّ غَلِيظَةٍ مَتِينَةٍ.

rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.

٢٧ 27 وَمَعَ أَنَّهُ كَسَا وَجْهَهُ سَمْناً، وَغَشَّى الشَّحْمُ كُلْيَتَيْهِ.

Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,

٢٨ 28 فَإِنَّهُ يُقِيمُ فِي مُدُنٍ خَرِبَةٍ وَبُيُوتٍ مَهْجُورَةٍ عَتِيدَةٍ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ رُكَاماً.

he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.

٢٩ 29 يَفْقِدُ غِنَاهُ، وَتَتَبَخَّرُ ثَرْوَتُهُ، وَلا يَثْبُتُ لَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ مُقْتَنىً.

He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.

٣٠ 30 تَكْتَنِفُهُ دَائِماً الظُّلْمَةُ، وتُيَبِّسُ النَّارُ أَغْصَانَهُ، وَتُزِيلُهُ نَفْخَةٌ مِنْ فَمِ الرَّبِّ.

He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.

٣١ 31 لَا يَخْدَعَنَّ نَفْسَهُ بِاتِّكَالِهِ عَلَى السُّوءِ، لأَنَّ السُّوءَ يَكُونُ جَزَاءَهُ.

Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.

٣٢ 32 يَسْتَوْفِيهِ كَامِلاً قَبْلَ يَوْمِهِ، وَتَكُونُ (حَيَاتُهُ) كَسُعُفٍ يَابِسَةٍ.

It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.

٣٣ 33 وَكَكَرْمَةٍ تَسَاقَطَتْ عَنَاقِيدُ حِصْرِمِهَا، وَتَنَاثَرَ زَهْرُهَا كَالزَّيْتُونِ،

He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

٣٤ 34 لأَنَّ جَمَاعَةَ الْفُجَّارِ عَقِيمُونَ، وَالنَّارُ تَلْتَهِمُ خِيَامَ الْمُرْتَشِينَ.

For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.

٣٥ 35 حَبِلُوا شَقَاوَةً وَأَنْجَبُوا إِثْماً، وَوَلَدَتْ بُطُونُهُمْ غِشّاً».

They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”