أيُّوب 31

١ 1 أَبْرَمْتُ عَهْداً مَعَ عَيْنَيَّ، فَكَيْفَ أَرْنُو إِلَى عَذْرَاءَ؟

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

٢ 2 وَمَاذَا يَكُونُ نَصِيبِي عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَمَا هُوَ إِرْثِي مِنْ عِنْدِ الْقَدِيرِ فِي الأَعَالِي؟

For what portion of God [is there] from above? and [what] inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

٣ 3 أَلَيْسَتِ الْبَلِيَّةُ مِنْ حَظِّ الشِّرِّيرِ، وَالْكَارِثَةُ مِنْ نَصِيبِ فَاعِلِي الإِثْمِ؟

[Is] not destruction to the wicked? and a strange [punishment] to the workers of iniquity?

٤ 4 أَلا يَرَى اللهُ طُرُقِي وَيُحْصِي كُلَّ خَطْوَاتِي؟

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

٥ 5 إِنْ سَلَكْتُ فِي ضَلالٍ وَأَسْرَعَتْ قَدَمِي لاِرْتِكَابِ الْغِشِّ،

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

٦ 6 فَلأُوزَنْ فِي قِسْطَاسِ الْعَدْلِ، وَلْيَعْرِفِ اللهُ كَمَالِي.

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

٧ 7 إِنْ حَادَتْ خَطْوَاتِي عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَغَوَى قَلْبِي وَرَاءَ عَيْنَيَّ، وَعَلِقَتْ بِيَدِي لَطْخَةُ عَارٍ،

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

٨ 8 فَلأَزْرَعْ أَنَا وَآخَرُ يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُسْتَأْصَلْ مَحْصُولِي.

[Then] let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

٩ 9 إِنْ هَامَ قَلْبِي وَرَاءَ امْرَأَةٍ، أَوْ طُفْتُ عِنْدَ بَابِ جَارِي،

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or [if] I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

١٠ 10 فَلْتَطْحَنْ زَوْجَتِي لِآخَرَ، وَلْيُضَاجِعْهَا آخَرُونَ.

[Then] let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

١١ 11 لأَنَّ هَذِهِ رَذِيلَةٌ وَإِثْمٌ يُعَاقِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُضَاةُ،

For this [is] an heinous crime; yea, it [is] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges.

١٢ 12 وَنَارٌ مُلْتَهِمَةٌ تُفْضِي إِلَى الْهَلاكِ وَتَقْضِي عَلَى غَلَّاتِي.

For it [is] a fire [that] consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

١٣ 13 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ تَنَكَّرْتُ لِحَقِّ خَادِمِي وَأَمَتِي عِنْدَمَا اشْتَكَيَا عَلَيَّ،

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

١٤ 14 فَمَاذَا أَصْنَعُ عِنْدَمَا يَقُومُ اللهُ (لِمُحَاكَمَتِي)؟ وَبِمَاذَا أُجِيبُ عِنْدَمَا يَتَقَصَّى (لِيُحَاسِبَنِي)؟

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

١٥ 15 أَلَيْسَ الَّذِي كَوَّنَنِي فِي الرَّحِمِ كَوَّنَهُ أَيْضاً؟ أَوَ لَيْسَ الَّذِي شَكَّلَنَا فِي الرَّحِمِ وَاحِدٌ؟

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

١٦ 16 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ مَنَعْتُ عَنِ الْمِسْكِينِ مَا يَطْلُبُهُ، أَوْ أَوْهَنْتُ عَيْنَيِ الأَرْمَلَةِ مِنْ فَرْطِ الْبُكَاءِ،

If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

١٧ 17 أَوْ أَكَلْتُ كِسْرَةَ خُبْزِي وَحْدِي وَلَمْ أَتَقَاسَمْهَا مَعَ الْيَتِيمِ،

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

١٨ 18 إِذْ مُنْذُ حَدَاثَتِي رَعَيْتُهُ كَأَبٍ، وَهَدَيْتُهُ مِنْ رَحِمِ أُمِّهِ.

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as [with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb; )

١٩ 19 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَحَداً مُشْرِفاً عَلَى الْهَلاكِ مِنَ الْعُرْيِ، أَوْ مِسْكِيناً مِنْ غَيْرِ كِسَاءٍ،

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

٢٠ 20 إِنْ لَمْ تُبَارِكْنِي حَقَوَاهُ الْمُسْتَدْفِئَتَانِ بِجَزَّةِ غَنَمِي!

If his loins have not blessed me, and [if] he were [not] warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

٢١ 21 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ رَفَعْتُ يَدِي ضِدَّ الْيَتِيمِ، مُسْتَغِلاً نُفُوذِي فِي الْقَضَاءِ،

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

٢٢ 22 فَلْيَسْقُطْ عَضُدِي مِنْ كَتِفِي، وَلْتَنْكَسِرْ ذِرَاعِي مِنْ قَصَبَتِهَا.

[Then] let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

٢٣ 23 لأَنَّنِي أَرْتَعِبُ مِنْ نِقْمَةِ اللهِ، وَمَا كُنْتُ أَقْوَى عَلَى مُوَاجَهَةِ جَلالِهِ.

For destruction [from] God [was] a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

٢٤ 24 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ جَعَلْتُ الذَّهَبَ مُتَّكَلِي، أَوْ قُلْتُ لِلإِبْرِيزِ أَنْتَ مُعْتَمَدِي،

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

٢٥ 25 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدِ اغْتَبَطْتُ بِعُظْمِ ثَرْوَتِي، أَوْ لأَنَّ يَدَيَّ فَاضَتَا بِوَفْرَةِ الْكَسْبِ،

If I rejoiced because my wealth [was] great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

٢٦ 26 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ حِينَ أَضَاءَتْ، أَوْ إِلَى الْقَمَرِ السَّائِرِ بِبَهَاءٍ،

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking [in] brightness;

٢٧ 27 فَغَوِيَ قَلْبِي سِرّاً وَقَبَّلْتُ يَدَيَّ تَوْقِيراً لَهُمَا،

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

٢٨ 28 فَإِنَّ هَذَا أَيْضاً إِثْمٌ يُعَاقِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُضَاةُ، لأَنِّي أَكُونُ قَدْ جَحَدْتُ اللهَ الْعَلِيَّ.

This also [were] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judge: for I should have denied the God [that is] above.

٢٩ 29 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ فَرِحْتُ بِدَمَارِ مُبْغِضِي أَوْ شَمِتُّ حِينَ أَصَابَهُ شَرٌّ،

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

٣٠ 30 لا! لَمْ أَدَعْ لِسَانِي يُخْطِئُ بالدُّعَاءِ عَلَى حَيَاتِهِ بِلَعْنَةٍ.

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

٣١ 31 إِنْ كَانَ أَهْلُ خَيْمَتِي لَمْ يَقُولُوا: أَهُنَاكَ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْبَعْ مِنْ طَعَامِ أَيُّوبَ؟

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

٣٢ 32 فَالْغَرِيبُ لَمْ يَبِتْ فِي الشَّارِعِ لأَنِّي فَتَحْتُ أَبْوَابِي لِعَابِرِي السَّبِيلِ.

The stranger did not lodge in the street: [but] I opened my doors to the traveller.

٣٣ 33 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ كَتَمْتُ آثَامِي كَبَقِيَّةِ النَّاسِ، طَاوِياً ذُنُوبِي فِي حِضْنِي،

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

٣٤ 34 رَهْبَةً مِنَ الْجَمَاهِيرِ الْغَفِيرَةِ، وَخَوْفاً مِنْ إِهَانَةِ الْعَشَائِرِ، وصَمَتُّ وَاعْتَصَمْتُ دَاخِلَ الأَبْوَابِ.

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, [and] went not out of the door?

٣٥ 35 آهِ، مَنْ لِي بِمَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ لِي! هُوَذَا تَوْقِيعِي، فَلْيُجِبْنِي الْقَدِيرُ. لَيْتَ خَصْمِي يَكْتُبُ شَكْوَاهُ ضِدِّي،

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire [is, that] the Almighty would answer me, and [that] mine adversary had written a book.

٣٦ 36 فَأَحْمِلَهَا عَلَى كَتِفِي وَأَعْصِبَهَا تَاجاً لِي،

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, [and] bind it [as] a crown to me.

٣٧ 37 لَكُنْتُ أُقَدِّمُ لَهُ حِسَاباً عَنْ كُلِّ خَطْوَاتِي، وَأَدْنُو مِنْهُ كَمَا أَدْنُو مِنْ أَمِيرٍ.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

٣٨ 38 إِنْ كَانَتْ أَرْضِي قَدِ احْتَجَّتْ عَلَيَّ وَتَبَاكَتْ أَتْلامُهَا جَمِيعاً،

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

٣٩ 39 إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ أَكَلْتُ غَلّاتِهَا بِلا ثَمَنٍ، أَوْ سَحَقْتُ نُفُوسَ أَصْحَابِهَا،

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

٤٠ 40 فَلْيَنْبُتْ فِيهَا الشَّوْكُ بَدَلَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَالزَّوَانُ بَدَلَ الشَّعِيرِ». تَمَّتْ هُنَا أَقْوَالُ أَيُّوبَ.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.