1 E lihu proceeded and said,

ثُمَّ أضافَ ألِيهُو:

2 B ear with me and wait a little longer, and I will show you, for I have something still to say on God’s behalf.

«فَاصْبِرْ عَلَيَّ قَلِيلاً فَأشْرَحَ لَكَ، لأنَّهُ ما يَزالُ هُناكَ كَلامٌ يُقالُ دِفاعاً عَنِ اللهِ.

3 I will bring my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

سَأجلِبُ مَعرِفَتِي مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، وَسَأُبَيِّنُ أنَّ خالِقِي عَلَى حَقٍّ.

4 F or truly my words shall not be false; He Who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

حَقّاً لَيسَ فِي كَلامِي زَيْفٌ، وَأنتَ تَعلَمُ هَذا تَمامَ العِلمِ.

5 B ehold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

«اللهُ قَدِيرٌ حقّاً وَلا يَحتَقِرُ النّاسَ. هُوَ قَدِيرٌ وَغَنِيٌّ فِي المَعرِفَةِ وَالحِكْمَةِ.

6 H e does not prolong the life of the wicked, but gives the needy and afflicted their right.

لا يَدَعُ الشِّرِّيرَ يَحيا، لَكِنَّهُ يُنصِفُ المَضطَهَدِينَ.

7 H e withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted.

لا يُحَوِّلُ عَينَيهِ عَنِ الأبرِياءِ، يُجلِسُهُمْ مَعَ المُلُوكِ عَلَى العُرُوشِ إلَى الأبَدِ فَيَرتَفِعُونَ.

8 A nd if they are bound in fetters and held by cords of affliction,

وَإنْ كانَ بَعضُهُمْ مُقَيَّدِينَ بِسَلاسِلَ، أوْ إذا أسَرَتْهُمْ قُيُودٌ ألِيمَةٌ،

9 T hen He shows to them their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly.

فَإنَّهُ يُخبِرُهُمْ بِما فَعَلُوهُ، وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ عَنْ جَرائِمِهِمْ عِندَما يَتَكَبَّرُونَ.

10 H e also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.

يَفتَحُ آذانَهُمْ عَلَى تَعلِيمِهِ وَتَحْذِيرِهِ، لِكَي يَرْجِعُوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ.

11 I f they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.

فَإنِ استَمَعُوا إلَيهِ وَخَدَمُوهُ، يُمضُونَ بَقِيَّةَ حَياتِهِمْ فِي خَيرٍ، وَسَنَواتِهِمْ بِالمَسَّرّاتِ.

12 B ut if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die in ignorance of true knowledge.

وَإذا لَمْ يَسمَعُوا، فَسَيَضرِبُهُمْ سَهمٌ، فَيَنهارُونَ وَهُمْ لا يَعلَمُونَ ما أصابَهُمْ!

13 B ut the godless and profane in heart heap up anger; they do not cry to Him when He binds them.

«أمّا فاسِدُو القَلبِ فَيَتَمَسَّكُونَ بِالغَضَبِ وَالمَرارَةِ، وَلا يَصرُخُونَ إلَى اللهِ حِينَ يُقَيِّدُهُمْ.

14 T hey die in youth, and their life perishes among the unclean (those who are sodomites).

يَمُوتُونَ فِي شَبابِهِمْ مَعَ مَنْ يُبِيحُونَ أجسادَهُمْ فِي عِبادَةِ آلِهَتِهِمْ.

15 H e delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears in adversity.

يَنشِلُ المُحبَطِينَ مِنْ ضِيقَتِهِمْ، وَفِي الإحْباطِ يَفتَحُ آذانَهُمْ، وَيَجْعَلُهُمْ يَسْتَيْقِظُونَ.

16 I ndeed, God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness.

«كَما يُخَلِّصُكَ مِنْ فَمِ الضِّيقِ، إلَى مَكانٍ رَحْبٍ غَيرِ مَحصُورٍ عِوَضاً عَنهُ. وَتَمتَلِئُ مائِدَتُكَ طَعاماً.

17 B ut if you are filled with the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice will keep hold on you.

لَكِنَّ دَعْواكَ مَلأى بِالذُّنُوبِ، لِذَلِكَ تُمْسِكُ بِكَ الدَّعوَى وَالعَدلُ، فَتُعاقَبُ.

18 F or let not wrath entice you into scorning chastisements; and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

لا تَسْمَحْ لغَيظِكَ بِأنْ يَجْذِبَكَ إلَى الشَّكِّ، وَلا تَتَراجَعْ بِسَبِبِ عِظَمِ فِدْيَتِكَ.

19 W ill your cry be sufficient to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength do it?

هَلْ يُمكِنُ لِتَوَسُّلاتِكَ فِي وَقتِ الضِّيقِ، أوْ تَوَسُّلاتِ كُلِّ أصْحابِ النُّفُوذِ، أنْ تُعِيدَ الأُمُورَ إلَى وَضْعِها؟

20 D esire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their places;

لا تَلْهَثْ وَراءَ الظُّلمَةِ الَّتِي تُغَطِّي الآخَرِينَ.

21 T ake heed, turn not to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

احرِصْ عَلَى أنْ لا تَلتَفِتَ إلَى الشَّرِّ، فَيَبدُو أنَّكَ اخْتَرْتَ ذَلِكَ بِسَبَبِ ألَمِكَ.

22 B ehold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

«حَقّاً يَتَعالَى اللهُ فِي قُوَّتِهِ، أيُّ مُعَلِّمٍ مِثلُهُ؟

23 W ho has appointed God His way? Or who can say, You have done unrighteousness?

مَنْ حَدَّدَ لَهُ طَرِيقَهُ؟ وَمَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ: ‹قَدْ أخطَأتَ؟›

24 R emember that you magnify God’s work, of which men have sung.

تَذَكَّرْ أنَّ عَلَيكَ أنْ تُمَجِّدَ أعمالَهُ الَّتِي يَتَرَنَّمُ بِها النّاسُ.

25 A ll men have looked upon God’s work; man may behold it afar off.

الجَمِيعُ يُرِيدُونَ أنْ يُبصِرُوا اللهَ، لَكِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ.

26 B ehold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable.

حَقّاً إنَّ اللهَ عَظِيمٌ، وَلا نَسْتَوعِبُ عَظَمَتَهُ. وَسَنَواتُ وُجُودِهِ لا يُمكِنُ أنْ تُحصَى.

27 F or He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain from His vapor,

«لأنَّهُ يَجذِبُ قَطَراتِ الماءِ مِنَ الأرْضِ، وَيُنْزِلُ المَطَرَ عَبْرَ الضَّبابِ.

28 W hich the skies pour down and drop abundantly upon mankind.

هُوَ الَّذِي يَجعَلُ الغُيُومَ تَقْطُرُ، وَيُرسِلُ ماءً كَثِيراً عَلَى النّاسِ.

29 N ot only that, but can anyone understand the spreadings of the clouds or the thunderings of His pavilion?

حقّاً مَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَفهَمَ كَيفَ تَنتَشِرُ الغُيُومُ، وَكَيفَ يَهْدِرُ الرَّعدُ مِنْ مَسكَنِهِ فِي السَّماءِ؟

30 B ehold, He spreads His lightning against the dark clouds and covers the roots of the sea.

ها إنَّهُ يَنْشُرُ بَرقَهُ حَولَهُ، وَيُغَطِّي قاعَ البَحرِ.

31 F or by God executes judgment upon the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

لأنَّهُ هَكَذا يَقضِي بَينَ النّاسِ، وَيُعطِيهِمْ طَعاماً حَتَّى الفَيْضِ.

32 H e covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.

يَقبِضُ عَلَى البَرْقِ بِيَدِهِ، وَيَأمُرُهُ لِكَي يُصِيبَ هَدَفَهُ.

33 H is thunderings speak concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.

يُعلِنُ الرَّعْدُ قُدُومَ العاصِفَةِ. فَحَتَّى المَواشِي تَعْرِفُ أنَّها آتِيَةٌ.