أيُّوب 29

١ 1 وَاسْتَطْرَدَ أَيُّوبُ فِي ضَرْبِ مَثَلِهِ:

And Job continued and said in his parable,

٢ 2 «يَا لَيْتَنِي مَازِلْتُ كَمَا كُنْتُ فِي الشُّهُورِ الْغَابِرَةِ، فِي الأَيَّامِ الَّتِي حَفِظَنِي فِيهَا اللهُ،

Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!

٣ 3 كَانَ مِصْبَاحُهُ يُضِيءُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي، فَأَسْلُكُ عَبْرَ الظُّلْمَةِ فِي نُورِهِ.

As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.

٤ 4 يَوْمَ كُنْتُ فِي رَيعَانِ قُوَّتِي وَرِضَى اللهِ مُخَيِّماً فَوْقَ بَيْتِي.

[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

٥ 5 وَالْقَدِيرُ مَا بَرِحَ مَعِي، وَأَوْلادِي مَازَالُوا حَوْلِي.

When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

٦ 6 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَغْسِلُ خَطْوَاتِي بِاللَّبَنِ، وَالصَّخْرُ يَفِيضُ لِي أَنْهَاراً مِنَ الزَّيْتِ.

when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

٧ 7 حِينَ كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى بَوَّابَةِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَأَحْتَلُّ فِي السَّاحَةِ مَجْلِسِي،

When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.

٨ 8 فَيَرَانِي الشُّبَّانُ وَيَتَوَارَوْنَ، وَيَقِفُ الشُّيُوخُ احْتِرَاماً لِي.

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.

٩ 9 يَمْتَنِعُ الْعُظَمَاءُ عَنِ الْكَلامِ وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ.

And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

١٠ 10 يَتَلاشَى صَوْتُ النُّبَلاءِ، وَتَلْتَصِقُ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِأَحْنَاكِهِمْ.

And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

١١ 11 إِذَا سَمِعَتْ لِيَ الأُذُنُ تُطَوِّبُنِي، وَإذَا شَهِدَتْنِي الْعَيْنُ تُثْنِي عَلَيَّ،

For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

١٢ 12 لأَنِّي أَنْقَذْتُ الْبَائِسَ الْمُسْتَغِيثَ، وَأَجَرْتُ الْيَتِيمَ طَالِبَ الْعَوْنِ،

For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

١٣ 13 فَحَلَّتْ عَلَيَّ بَرَكَةُ الْمُشْرِفِ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَجَعَلْتُ قَلْبَ الأَرْمَلَةِ يَتَهَلَّلُ فَرَحاً.

Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yea, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

١٤ 14 ارْتَدَيْتُ الْبِرَّ فَكَسَانِي، وَكَجُبَّةٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَ عَدْلِي.

Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.

١٥ 15 كُنْتُ عُيُوناً لِلأَعْمَى، وَأَقْدَاماً لِلأَعْرَجِ،

I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.

١٦ 16 وَكُنْتُ أَباً لِلْمِسْكِينِ، أَتَقَصَّى دَعْوَى مَنْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْهُ.

I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

١٧ 17 هَشَّمْتُ أَنْيَابَ الظَّالِمِ وَمِنْ بَيْنِ أَسْنَانِهِ نَزَعْتُ الْفَرِيسَةَ،

And I broke the jaw-teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.

١٨ 18 ثُمَّ حَدَّثْتُ نَفْسِي: إِنِّي سَأَمُوتُ فِي خَيْمَتِي وَتَتَكَاثَرُ أَيَّامِي كَحَبَّاتِ الرَّمْلِ.

And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm-tree; I shall live a long while.

١٩ 19 سَتَمْتَدُّ أُصُولِي إِلَى الْمِيَاهِ، وَالطَّلُّ يَبِيتُ عَلَى أَغْصَانِي.

[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.

٢٠ 20 يَتَجَدَّدُ مَجْدِي دَائِماً، وَقَوْسِي أَبَداً جَدِيدَةٌ فِي يَدِي.

My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.

٢١ 21 يَسْتَمِعُ النَّاسُ لِي وَيَنْتَظِرُونَ، وَيَصْمُتُونَ مُنْصِتِينَ لِمَشُورَتِي.

[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.

٢٢ 22 بَعْدَ كَلامِي لَا يُثَنُّونَ عَلَى أَقْوَالِي، وَحَدِيثِي يَقْطُرُ عَلَيْهِمْ كَالنَّدَى.

At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.

٢٣ 23 يَتَرَقَّبُونَنِي كَالْغَيْثِ، وَيَفْتَحُونَ أَفْوَاهَهُمْ كَمَنْ يَنْهَلُ مِنْ مَطَرِ الرَّبِيعِ

As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.

٢٤ 24 إِنِ ابْتَسَمْتُ لَهُمْ لَا يُصَدِّقُونَ، وَنُورُ وَجْهِي لَمْ يَطْرَحُوهُ عَنْهُمْ بَعِيداً.

Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.

٢٥ 25 أَخْتَارُ لَهُمْ طَرِيقَهُمْ وَأَتَصَدَّرُ مَجْلِسَهُمْ، وَأَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمْ كَمَلِكٍ بَيْنَ جُيُوشِهِ، وَكَالْمُعَزِّي بَيْنَ النَّائِحِينَ.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.