1 ف َأجابَ ألِيفازُ التَّيْمانِيُّ:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 « أيُجِيبُ الحَكِيمُ بِكَلامٍ فارِغٍ؟ بَطنُهُ مَلِيءٌ بِالهَواءِ.

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?

3 ه َلْ يُجادِلُ بِكَلامٍ لا يُفِيدُ، وَبِأقوالٍ لا تَنفَعُ؟

“Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

4 ف َإنَّكَ تُبعِدُ النّاسَ عَنِ مَخافَةِ اللهِ، وَتُعِيقُ التَّأمُّلَ فِي حَضْرَتِهِ.

“Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God.

5 ف َمُكَ يُظهِرُ ذَنبَكَ، لأنَّ لِسانَكَ يَختارُ الكَلِماتِ بِاحتِيالٍ.

“For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.

6 ف َمُكَ يُدِينُكَ، لا أنا. إذْ تَشهَدُ عَلَيكَ شَفَتاكَ.

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.

7 « أأنْتَ أوَّلُ المَولُودِينَ مِنَ البَشَرِ؟ هَلْ خُلِقْتَ قَبلَ التِّلالِ؟

“Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?

8 ه َلْ كُنتَ حاضِراً تَسمَعُ مَشُورَةَ اللهِ؟ هَلِ الحِكْمَةُ مَقصُورَةٌ عَلَيكَ؟

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?

9 م ا الَّذِي تَعرِفهُ أنتَ وَلا نَعرِفُهُ نَحْنُ، ما الَّذِي تَفهَمهُ أنتَ وَلا نَفهَمهُ نَحنُ؟

“ What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?

10 ب َيْنَنا الأشيَبُ وَالعَجُوزُ، وَهُوَ أكبَرُ سِنّاً مِنْ أبِيكَ.

“Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.

11 ه َلْ تَسْتَخِفُّ بِتَعزِياتِ اللهِ لَكَ، وَالكَلِماتِ الرَّفِيقَةِ بِكَ؟

“Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word spoken gently with you?

12 ل ِماذا تَسمَحُ لِقَلبِكَ بِأنْ يَأخُذَكَ بَعِيداً، حَتَّى إنَّ عَينَيكَ تُظهِرانِ ذَلِكَ؟

“Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,

13 إ نَّكَ تَنقَلِبُ عَلَى اللهِ، وَتُطلِقُ مِثلَ هَذِهِ الأقوالَ مِنْ فَمِكَ.

That you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?

14 « ما هُوَ الإنسانُ لِيَكُونَ طاهِراً، أوِ المَولُودُ مِنَ المَرأةِ لِيَكُونَ بارّاً،

“What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15 ف َاللهُ لا يَتَّكِلُ عَلَى مَلائِكَتِهِ المُقَدَّسِينَ، حَتَّى السَّماوَتُ غَيرُ طاهِرَةٍ فِي عَينَيهِ.

“Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

16 ف َكَمْ بِالحِرِيِّ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ الإنسانُ المَكرُوهُ الفاسِدُ، الَّذِي يَشرَبُ الإثمَ كَالماءِ.

How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water! What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

17 « سَأُفْهِمُكَ قَصدِي، فَاسْتَمِعْ إلَيَّ. لَقَدْ رَأيتُ هَذا، فَدَعْنِي أُخبِرْكَ عَنهُ.

“I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

18 ه ُوَ شَيءٌ قالَهُ الحُكَماءُ، وَلَمْ يُخْفِهِ آباؤُهُمْ عَنهُمْ.

What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,

19 أ ُعطِيَتِ الأرْضُ لَهُمْ وَحدَهُمْ. وَلَمْ يَعبُرْ غَرِيبٌ طَرِيقَهُمْ.

To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.

20 ي َتَلَوَّى الشِّرِّيرُ طَوالَ حَياتِهِ ألَماً، كَذلِكَ الظّالِمُ يُعانِي كُلَّ حَياتِهِ.

“The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.

21 ي َتَخَيَّلُ أصْواتَ الرُّعبِ فِي أُذُنَيهِ، وَفِي وَقتِ سَلامِهِ، يَأتِيهِ الغُزاةُ.

“ Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

22 ل ا رَجاءَ لَهُ فِي أنْ يَعُودَ مِنَ الظُّلمَةِ، وَهُناكَ سَيْفٌ بِانْتِظارِهِ.

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

23 س َيُلقَى بِهِ طَعاماً للِنُّسُورِ، وَهُوَ يَعرِفُ أنَّ يَومَ الظُلمَةِ قَرِيبٌ.

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

24 ي ُرعِبُهُ البَلاءُ وَالضِّيقُ، وَيُرْهَبانِهِ كَمَلِكٍ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلهُجُومِ.

“Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

25 ل أنَّهُ مَدَّ يَدَهُ ضِدَّ اللهِ، وَواجَهَ القَدِيرَ بِوَقاحَةٍ.

Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

26 ب ِعِنادٍ هَاجَمَهُ، وَبِدِرْعٍ تَقَدَّمَ ضِدَّهُ.

“He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.

27 ف َمَعْ أنَّهُ تَغَطَّى وَجْهُهُ وَخَاصِرَتاهِ مِنَ الشَّحْمِ،

“For he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

28 س َيَسكُنُ مُدُنَ الأشْباحِ، فِي بُيُوتٍ مَهجُورَةٍ مَصِيرُها أكْوامٌ مِنْ حُطامٍ.

“He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.

29 ل ِهَذا لَنْ يَكُونَ الشِّرِّيرُ غَنِيّاً فِيما بَعْدُ، وَقُوَّتُهُ لَنْ تَدُومَ، وَمَمتَلَكاتُهُ لَنْ تَمتَدَّ فِي الأرْضِ.

“He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

30 ل َنْ يَجِدَ مَهرَباً مِنَ الظُلمَةِ، وَيَكُونُ كَشَجَرَةٍ يَبَّسَ المَرَضُ أغْصانَها، وَطَيَّرَتِ الرِّياحُ أوْراقَها.

“He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

31 ل ا يَنبَغِي أنْ يَتَّكِلَ عَلَى أُمُورٍ فارِغَةٍ، فَيَخدَعَ نَفسَهُ. لأنَّ الفَراغَ سَيَكُونُ مُكافَأتَهُ.

“Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

32 و َسَيَمُوتُ قَبلَ وَقتِهِ، كَشَجَرَةٍ اصفَرَّتْ قِمَّتُها.

“It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

33 و َيَكُونُ كَكَرمَةٍ تَفقِدُ عِنَبَها قَبلَ نُضْجِهِ، أوْ كَزَيتُونَةٍ تُسْقِطُ بَراعِمَها.

“He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

34 ل أنَّ الأشرارَ الفاسِدِينَ عَقِيمونَ لا ثَمَرَ لَهُمْ، وَالنّارَ تَأكُلُ المُتَعامِلِينَ بِالرِّشوَةِ.

“For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

35 ل أنَّهُمْ يَحبَلُونَ ضِيقاً، وَيَلِدُونَ شَرّاً، وَبُطُونُهُمْ تَلِدُ خِداعاً.»

“They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.”