Job 29

1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

١ وَاسْتَطْرَدَ أَيُّوبُ فِي ضَرْبِ مَثَلِهِ:

2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

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

3 When his candle shined on my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

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

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was on my tabernacle;

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

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

٥ وَالْقَدِيرُ مَا بَرِحَ مَعِي، وَأَوْلادِي مَازَالُوا حَوْلِي.

6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

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

7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

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

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

٨ فَيَرَانِي الشُّبَّانُ وَيَتَوَارَوْنَ، وَيَقِفُ الشُّيُوخُ احْتِرَاماً لِي.

9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

٩ يَمْتَنِعُ الْعُظَمَاءُ عَنِ الْكَلامِ وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ.

10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

١٠ يَتَلاشَى صَوْتُ النُّبَلاءِ، وَتَلْتَصِقُ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِأَحْنَاكِهِمْ.

11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

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

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

١٢ لأَنِّي أَنْقَذْتُ الْبَائِسَ الْمُسْتَغِيثَ، وَأَجَرْتُ الْيَتِيمَ طَالِبَ الْعَوْنِ،

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came on me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

١٤ ارْتَدَيْتُ الْبِرَّ فَكَسَانِي، وَكَجُبَّةٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَ عَدْلِي.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

١٥ كُنْتُ عُيُوناً لِلأَعْمَى، وَأَقْدَاماً لِلأَعْرَجِ،

16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

١٦ وَكُنْتُ أَباً لِلْمِسْكِينِ، أَتَقَصَّى دَعْوَى مَنْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْهُ.

17 And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

١٧ هَشَّمْتُ أَنْيَابَ الظَّالِمِ وَمِنْ بَيْنِ أَسْنَانِهِ نَزَعْتُ الْفَرِيسَةَ،

18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

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

19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.

١٩ سَتَمْتَدُّ أُصُولِي إِلَى الْمِيَاهِ، وَالطَّلُّ يَبِيتُ عَلَى أَغْصَانِي.

20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

٢٠ يَتَجَدَّدُ مَجْدِي دَائِماً، وَقَوْسِي أَبَداً جَدِيدَةٌ فِي يَدِي.

21 To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

٢١ يَسْتَمِعُ النَّاسُ لِي وَيَنْتَظِرُونَ، وَيَصْمُتُونَ مُنْصِتِينَ لِمَشُورَتِي.

22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped on them.

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

23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

٢٣ يَتَرَقَّبُونَنِي كَالْغَيْثِ، وَيَفْتَحُونَ أَفْوَاهَهُمْ كَمَنْ يَنْهَلُ مِنْ مَطَرِ الرَّبِيعِ

24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

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

25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelled as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.

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