1 ولكن اسمع الآن يا ايوب اقوالي واصغ الى كل كلامي. | 1 So, Job, please listen to my words and attend to al I have to say. |
2 هانذا قد فتحت فمي. لساني نطق في حنكي. | 2 Now as I open my mouth, and my tongue shapes words against my palate, |
3 استقامة قلبي كلامي ومعرفة شفتيّ هما تنطقان بها خالصة. | 3 I shal utter words of wisdom from the heart, my lips will speak in all sincerity. |
4 روح الله صنعني ونسمة القدير احيتني. | 4 God's was the spirit that made me, Shaddai's the breath that gave me life. |
5 ان استطعت فاجبني. احسن الدعوى امامي. انتصب. | 5 Refute me, if you can. Prepare yourself, take up your position! |
6 هانذا حسب قولك عوضا عن الله انا ايضا من الطين تقرصت. | 6 Look, I am your equal, not some god, like you I was moulded out of clay. |
7 هوذا هيبتي لا ترهبك وجلالي لا يثقل عليك | 7 No fear of me, therefore, need affright you, my hand wil not lie heavy over you. |
8 انك قد قلت في مسامعي وصوت اقوالك سمعت. | 8 How could you say in my hearing -- for the sound of your words did not escape me- |
9 قلت انا بريء بلا ذنب. زكي انا ولا اثم لي. | 9 'I am clean, and sinless, I am pure, without fault. |
10 هوذا يطلب عليّ علل عداوة. يحسبني عدوا له. | 10 But he keeps inventing excuses against me and regards me as his enemy. |
11 وضع رجليّ في المقطرة. يراقب كل طرقي | 11 He puts me in the stocks, he watches my every path'? |
12 ها انك في هذا لم تصب. انا اجيبك. لان الله اعظم من الانسان. | 12 In saying so, I tel you, you are wrong: for God is greater than any human being. |
13 لماذا تخاصمه. لان كل اموره لا يجاوب عنها. | 13 Why then quarrel with him for not replying to you, word for word? |
14 لكن الله يتكلم مرة وباثنتين لا يلاحظ الانسان. | 14 God speaks first in one way, and then in another, although we do not realise it. |
15 في حلم في رؤيا الليل عند سقوط سبات على الناس في النعاس على المضجع | 15 In dreams and in night-visions, when slumber has settled on humanity and people are asleep in bed, |
16 حينئذ يكشف آذان الناس ويختم على تاديبهم. | 16 he speaks in someone's ear, frightens him with apparitions |
17 ليحول الانسان عن عمله ويكتم الكبرياء عن الرجل | 17 to turn him from what he is doing and to put an end to his pride. |
18 ليمنع نفسه عن الحفرة وحياته من الزوال بحربة الموت. | 18 And thus he preserves his soul from the abyss, his life from passing down the Canal. |
19 ايضا يؤدب بالوجع على مضجعه ومخاصمة عظامه دائمة | 19 Or again, he corrects by the sufferings of the sick-bed, when someone's bones tremble continuously |
20 فتكره حياته خبزا ونفسه الطعام الشهي. | 20 and the thought of food revolts him, however tasty it is, |
21 فيبلى لحمه عن العيان وتنبري عظامه فلا ترى | 21 and his flesh rots away while you watch it and the bones beneath begin to show, |
22 وتقرب نفسه الى القبر وحياته الى المميتين. | 22 and his soul is drawing nearer to the abyss and his life to the dwel ing of the dead. |
23 ان وجد عنده مرسل وسيط واحد من الف ليعلن للانسان استقامته | 23 Then, if there is an Angel near him, a Mediator, one in a thousand, to remind him where his duty lies, |
24 يترءاف عليه ويقول اطلقه عن الهبوط الى الحفرة قد وجدت فدية. | 24 to take pity on him and to say, 'Spare him from going down to the abyss: I have found the ransom forhis life,' |
25 يصير لحمه اغض من لحم الصبي ويعود الى ايام شبابه. | 25 his flesh wil recover its childhood freshness, he wil return to the days of his youth. |
26 يصلّي الى الله فيرضى عنه ويعاين وجهه بهتاف فيرد على الانسان بره. | 26 He wil pray to God who has restored him to favour, and wil come into his presence with joy. He wiltel others how he has received saving justice |
27 يغني بين الناس فيقول قد اخطأت وعوجت المستقيم ولم أجاز عليه. | 27 and sing this hymn before his companions, 'I sinned and left the path of right, but God has notpunished me as my sin deserved. |
28 فدى نفسي من العبور الى الحفرة فترى حياتي النور | 28 He has spared my soul from going down to the abyss and is making my life see the light.' |
29 هوذا كل هذه يفعلها الله مرتين وثلاثا بالانسان | 29 All this is what God keeps doing again and yet again for human beings, |
30 ليرد نفسه من الحفرة ليستنير بنور الاحياء. | 30 to snatch souls back from the abyss and to make the light of the living stil shine. |
31 فاصغ يا ايوب واستمع لي. انصت فانا اتكلم. | 31 Pay attention, Job, listen to me: keep quiet, I have more to say. |
32 ان كان عندك كلام فاجبني. تكلم. فاني اريد تبريرك. | 32 If you have anything to say, refute me, speak out, for I would gladly accept that you are upright. |
33 والا فاستمع انت لي. انصت فاعلمك الحكمة | 33 If not, then listen to me: keep quiet, and I wil teach you wisdom. |