أيُّوب 4

١ 1 فَأَجَابَ أَلِيفَازُ التَّيْمَانِيُّ:

Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,

٢ 2 «إِنْ جَازَفَ أَحَدٌ وَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْكَ كَلِمَةً فَهَلْ يَشُقُّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ؟ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ الامْتِنَاعَ عَنِ الْكَلامِ؟

If we essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain from speaking?

٣ 3 لَكَمْ أَرْشَدْتَ كَثِيرِينَ وَشَدَّدْتَ أَيَادِيَ مُرْتَخِيَةً.

Behold, thou hast [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.

٤ 4 وَلَكَمْ أَنْهَضَ كَلامُكَ الْعَاثِرَ، وَثَبَّتَّ الرُّكَبَ الْمُرْتَعِشَةَ!

Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.

٥ 5 وَالآنَ إِذْ دَاهَمَكَ الْكَرْبُ اعْتَرَاكَ السَّأَمُ، وَإِذْ مَسَّكَ سَاوَرَكَ الرُّعْبُ.

Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied: it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified.

٦ 6 أَلَيْسَتْ تَقْوَاكَ هِيَ مُعْتَمَدُكَ، وَكَمَالُ طُرُقِكَ هُوَ رَجَاؤُكَ؟

Is not then thy fear of God still thy confidence, thy hope equal to the integrity of thy ways?

٧ 7 اذْكُرْ. هَلْ هَلَكَ أَحَدٌ وَهُوَ بَرِيءٌ؟ أَوْ أَيْنَ أُبِيدَ الصَّالِحُونَ؟

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous destroyed?

٨ 8 بَلْ كَمَا شَاهَدْتَ فَإِنَّ الْحَارِثِينَ إِثْماً، وَالزَّارِعِينَ شَقَاوَةً، هُمْ يَحْصُدُونَهُمَا،

Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.

٩ 9 وَبِنَسَمَةِ اللهِ يَفْنَوْنَ وَبِعَاصِفَةِ غَضَبِهِ يَهْلِكُونَ.

Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.

١٠ 10 قَدْ يَزْأَرُ الأَسَدُ وَيُزَمْجِرُ اللَّيْثُ، وَلَكِنْ أَنْيَابُ الأَشْبَالِ تَهَشَّمَتْ.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

١١ 11 يَهْلِكُ اللَّيْثُ لِتَعَذُّرِ وُجُودِ الْفَرِيسَةِ، وَتَتَشَتَّتُ أَشْبَالُ اللَّبُؤَةِ.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.

١٢ 12 ذَاتَ مَرَّةٍ أُسِرَّ إِلَيَّ بِكَلِمَةٍ، فَتَلَقَّفَتْ أُذُنِي مِنْهَا هَمْساً

But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.

١٣ 13 فَفِي غَمْرَةِ الْهَوَاجِسِ، فِي رُؤَى اللَّيْلِ، عِنْدَمَا طَغَى السُّبَاتُ عَلَى النَّاسِ،

In intense thoughts out of visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:

١٤ 14 انْتَابَنِي رُعْبٌ وَرَعْدَةٌ أَرْجَفَا عِظَامِي،

Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.

١٥ 15 وَخَطَرَتْ رُوحٌ أَمَامَ وَجْهِي، فَاقْشَعَرَّ شَعْرُ جَسَدِي.

Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body stood up:

١٦ 16 ثُمَّ وَقَفَتْ، غَيْرَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَتَبَيَّنْ مَلامِحَهَا. تَمَاثَلَ لِي شَكْلٌ مَا، وَبَعْدَ صَمْتٍ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتاً مُنْخَفِضاً يَقُولُ:

It stood still, but I could not recognize its form; a figure was before my eyes, a slight whisper, then a [louder] voice I heard, saying,

١٧ 17 أَيُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الإِنْسَانُ أَبَرَّ مِنَ اللهِ، أَمِ الرَّجُلُ أَطْهَرَ مِنْ خَالِقِهِ؟

Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can a man be more pure than his Maker?

١٨ 18 هَا إِنَّهُ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ عَبِيدَهُ، وَإِلَى مَلائِكَتِهِ يَنْسِبُ حَمَاقَةً،

Behold, in his servants he putteth no trust, and his angels he chargeth with folly:

١٩ 19 فَكَمْ بِالْحَرِيِّ الْمَخْلُوقُونَ مِنْ طِينٍ، الَّذِينَ أَسَاسُهُمْ فِي التُّرَابِ، وَيُسْحَقُونَ مِثْلَ الْعُثِّ؟

How much less in those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed till they come to be eaten by the moth?

٢٠ 20 يَتَحَطَّمُونَ بَيْنَ صَبَاحٍ وَمَسَاءٍ، وَيَبِيدُونَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْتَبِهَ لَهُمْ أَحَدٌ.

From morning to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.

٢١ 21 أَلا تُنْتَزَعُ مِنهُمْ حِبَالُ خِيَامِهِمْ وَيَمُوتُون مِنْ غَيْرِ حِكْمَةٍ؟

Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.