أيُّوب 31

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

I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?

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

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

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

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

٤ 4 أَلا يَرَى اللهُ طُرُقِي وَيُحْصِي كُلَّ خَطْوَاتِي؟

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

٥ 5 إِنْ سَلَكْتُ فِي ضَلالٍ وَأَسْرَعَتْ قَدَمِي لاِرْتِكَابِ الْغِشِّ،

If I have walked with vanity, and 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 spot hath cleaved to mine hands:

٨ 8 فَلأَزْرَعْ أَنَا وَآخَرُ يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُسْتَأْصَلْ مَحْصُولِي.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

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

If mine heart have been enticed unto a woman, and 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 that were an heinous crime; yea, it were 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 unto 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 alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

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

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide 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 that the needy had no 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, because I saw my help in the gate:

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

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

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

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.

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

If I have made gold my hope, and 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, and 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 judges: for I should have lied to 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.

(Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )

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

If the men of my tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?

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 like Adam I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom;

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

Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so 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 I had one to hear me! (lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me; ) and [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

٣٦ 36 فَأَحْمِلَهَا عَلَى كَتِفِي وَأَعْصِبَهَا تَاجاً لِي،

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

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 out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;

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.