أيُّوب 17

١ 1 تَلِفَتْ رُوحِي وَانْطَفَأَتْ أَيَّامِي، وَالْقَبْرُ مُعَدٌّ لِي.

“My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.

٢ 2 الْمُسْتَهْزِئُونَ يُحَاصِرُونَنِي، الَّذِينَ تَشْهَدُ عَيْنِي مُشَاجَرَاتِهِمْ.

Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”

٣ 3 كُنْ لِي ضَامِناً عِنْدَ نَفْسِكَ، إِذْ مَنْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ كَفِيلِي؟

“God, [it is as though I am in prison; ] please pay the money in order that I may be released, because there is certainly no one else who will help me.

٤ 4 فَأَنْتَ حَجَبْتَ الْفِطْنَةَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ، لِذَلِكَ لَنْ تُظْفِرَهُمْ،

You have prevented my friends from understanding [what is true about me]; do not allow them to triumph over me, [saying that I have done things that are wrong].

٥ 5 وَلْتَتْلَفْ عُيُونُ أَبْنَاءِ مَنْ يَشِي بِأَصْحَابِهِ طَمَعاً فِي أَمْلاكِهِمْ.

[Our ancestors often said, ‘It often happens that] when someone betrays his friends in order to get some of their property, it is that person’s children who will be punished for it;’ [so I desire/hope that will be true of these friends of mine who are lying about me].

٦ 6 لَقَدْ جَعَلَنِي مَثَلاً لِلأُمَمِ، وَصَارَ وَجْهِي مَبْصَقَةً.

“But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].

٧ 7 كَلَّتْ عَيْنَايَ حُزْناً وَأَصْبَحَتْ أَعْضَائِي كَالظِّلِّ،

(My sight has become dim/I cannot see well) because I am extremely sad, and my arms and legs are [very thin, with the result that they almost do not cast] [MET] a shadow.

٨ 8 فَزِعَ الْمُسْتَقِيمُونَ مِنْ هَذَا، وَثَارَ الْبَرِيءُ عَلَى الْفَاجِرِ،

Those who [say that they] are good/righteous are shocked [when they see what has happened to me], and people who [say that they] (are innocent/have not done anything that is wrong) say that I am wicked/godless and should be punished.

٩ 9 أَمَّا الصِّدِّيقُ فَيَتَمَسَّكُ بِطَرِيقِهِ، وَيَزْدَادُ الطَّاهِرُ الْيَدَيْنِ قُوَّةً.

Those who [claim that they] are righteous will continue to do what [they think] is right, and those [who say] they have not sinned will continue to become stronger.

١٠ 10 وَلَكِنِ ارْجِعُوا جَمِيعُكُمْ، تَعَالَوْا كُلُّكُمْ، فَلا أَجِدُ فِيكُمْ حَكِيماً.

“But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.

١١ 11 قَدْ عَبَرَتْ أَيَّامِي، وَتَمَزَّقَتْ مَآرِبِي الَّتِي هِيَ رَغْبَاتُ قَلْبِي.

My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have not been able to do the things that I confidently expected to do; [I have not been able to accomplish] anything that I [SYN] desired.

١٢ 12 يَجْعَلُونَ اللَّيْلَ نَهَاراً، وَعَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنَ الظُّلْمَةِ يَقُولُونَ:’إِنَّ النُّورَ قَرِيبٌ!‘

My friends do not know when it is night and when it is day; when it is night, they claim that it is daylight; when it is becoming dark, they claim it is becoming light.

١٣ 13 إِذَا رَجَوْتُ أَنْ تَكوُنَ الْهَاوِيَةُ مَقَرّاً لِي، وَمَهَّدْتُ فِي الظَّلامِ فِرَاشِي، (Sheol h7585)

If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol h7585)

١٤ 14 وَإِنْ قُلْتُ لِلْقَبْرِ أَنْتَ أَبِي، وَلِلدُّودِ أَنْتَ أُمِّي أَوْ أُخْتِي،

I may say to the grave, ‘You will be [like] a father to me,’ and say to the maggots [that will eat my body], ‘You will be [like] a mother or younger sisters to me [because you will be where I will always be].’

١٥ 15 فَأَيْنَ إِذاً آمَالِي؟ وَمَنْ يُعَايِنُ رَجَائِي؟

But if I say those things, (will there be anything good that I can confidently expect to happen to me?/there will be nothing good that I can confidently expect to happen to me.) [RHQ] (Is there anyone who knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave?/No one knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave.) [RHQ]

١٦ 16 أَلا تَنْحَدِرُ إِلَى مَغَالِيقِ الْهَاوِيَةِ، وَنَسْتَقِرُّ مَعاً فِي التُّرَابِ؟» (Sheol h7585)

After I descend to the place where the dead are, (will I be able to confidently expect anything good there?/I certainly will not be able to confidently expect anything good there.) [RHQ] [It will be as though] [RHQ] I and the things I hope for will descend with me into the dust [where the dead are].” (Sheol h7585)