1 A nd Job again took up his parable, and said,

وَعادَ أيُّوبُ وَطَرَحَ دَعْواهُ:

2 O h that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

«لَيتَ حَياتِي كانَتْ كَالشُّهُورِ السّابِقَةِ، قَبلَ مَجِيءِ الضِّيقِ. كَتِلكَ الأيّامِ الَّتِي حَمانِي اللهُ فِيها،

3 W hen his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

عِندَما أضاءَ نُورُهُ فَوْقَ رَأسِي، وَكُنتُ أمشِي فِي الظُّلمَةِ بِنُورِهِ.

4 A s I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

عِندَما كُنتُ بَعْدُ فِي قُوَّتِي، وَكانَتْ صَداقَةُ اللهِ تُظَلِّلُ خَيمَتِي.

5 W hen the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;

عِندَما كانَ القَدِيرُ بَعْدُ مَعِي، وَصِغارِي يُحِيطُونَ بِي.

6 W hen my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!

عِندَما كُنتُ أغسِلُ قَدَمَيَّ بِالحَلِيبِ! وَكانَتِ المَعاصِرُ الصَّخرِيَّةُ تَسكُبُ لِيَ جَداوِلَ زَيتٍ.

7 W hen I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,

«عِندَما كُنتُ أخرُجُ إلَى بَوّابَةِ المَدِينَةِ، وَأتَّخِذُ مَجلِسِي فِي ساحَتِها.

8 T he young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;

كانَ الشَّبابُ يَرَوْنَنِي فَيَنْسَحِبُونَ، وَالكِبارُ يَقُومُونَ وَيَقِفُونَ.

9 T he princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

كانَ الوُجَهاءُ يَتَوَقَّفُونَ عَنِ الكَلامِ، وَيَضَعُونَ أيدِيهِمْ عَلَى أفواهِهِمْ.

10 T he voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

كانَتْ أصواتُ الأُمَراءِ تَخْرَسُ، فَلا يَنْطِقُونَ بِحَرْفٍ.

11 F or when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me:

كانُوا يَمتَدِحُونَ كُلَّ ما أقُولُ، وَيَستَحسِنُونَ كُلَّ ما أفعَلُ.

12 B ecause I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

لأنِّي أنقَذتُ المِسكِينَ المُستَغِيثَ، وَاليَتِيمَ الَّذِي لا سَنَدَ لَهُ.

13 T he blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

حَتَّى المُشَرَّدُونَ كانُوا يَسْألُونَ لِيَ البَرَكَةَ، وَأدْخَلْتُ الفَرَحَ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الأرامِلِ.

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

لَبِسْتُ البِرَّ فَكَسانِي كَثَوبٍ. وَلَبِسْتُ العَدلَ رِداءً وَعِمامَةً،

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

كُنتُ لِلأعمَى عَينَينِ، وَلِلكَسِيحِ قَدَمَينِ.

16 I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

كُنتُ أباً لِلمُحتاجِ، أدْرُسُ قَضايا أُناسٍ لا أعرِفُهُمْ، لِأُساعِدَهُمْ فِي المَحكَمَةِ.

17 A nd I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

كَسَّرْتُ قُوَّةَ الظّالِمِ، وَجَعَلتُهُ يُسقِطُ فَرِيسَتَهُ مِنْ فَمِهِ.

18 T hen I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:

«ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: سَأمُوتُ فِي سِنٍّ مُتَقَدِّمَةٍ، وَسَتُضاعَفُ أيّامُ حَياتِي لِتَكُونَ كَعَدَدِ الرَّملِ،

19 M y root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;

وَسَتَمتَدُّ إلَى الماءِ جُذُورِي، وَيَبِيتُ النَّدَى عَلَى أغصانِي.

20 M y glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

وَتَتَجَدَّدُ عَلَى الدَوامِ قُوَّتِي، وَتَرجِعُ قَوسِي شابَّةً فِي يَدِي.

21 U nto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

«كانَ النّاسُ يَنتَظِرُونَ لِيَسمَعُونِي، وَيَصمُتُونَ لِسَماعِ نَصِيحَتِي.

22 A fter my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.

بَعدَ أنْ أتَكَلَّمَ، لا يَبقَى لِلآخَرِينَ شَيءٌ يَقُولُونَهُ، وَيَنزِلُ عَلَيهِمْ كَلامِي كَالمَطَرِ.

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

فَكانُوا يَنْتَظِرُونَنِي كَما يَنْتَظِرُونَ المَطَرَ، وَيَفتَحُونَ أفواهَهُمْ كَما للِمَطَرِ المُتَأخِّرِ.

24 I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

إذا ابتَسَمْتُ لَهُمْ لا يُصَدِّقُونَ مِنَ الفَرَحِ، وَوَجْهِي البَشُوشُ يُشَجِّعُهُمْ.

25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.

اختَرتُ أنْ أكُونَ مَعَهُمْ، رَغْمَ أنِّي كُنتُ قائِدَهُمْ. جَلَستُ مَعَهُمْ كَما يَجلِسُ مَلِكٌ بَينَ قُوّاتِهِ، وَكَمَنْ يُعَزِّي النّائِحِينَ.