1 ف َأجابَ ألِيفازُ التَّيْمانِيُّ:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 « أيُجِيبُ الحَكِيمُ بِكَلامٍ فارِغٍ؟ بَطنُهُ مَلِيءٌ بِالهَواءِ.

“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?

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

Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?

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

Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.

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

For your iniquity 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. Yes, your own lips testify against you.

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

“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?

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

Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you 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 don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?

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

With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder 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 that is gentle toward you?

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

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

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

That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

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

What is man, that he should be clean? What is 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. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

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

how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!

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

“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:

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

(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;

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

to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):

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

the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

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

A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.

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

He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.

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

He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24 ي ُرعِبُهُ البَلاءُ وَالضِّيقُ، وَيُرْهَبانِهِ كَمَلِكٍ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلهُجُومِ.

Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

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

Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;

26 ب ِعِنادٍ هَاجَمَهُ، وَبِدِرْعٍ تَقَدَّمَ ضِدَّهُ.

he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;

27 ف َمَعْ أنَّهُ تَغَطَّى وَجْهُهُ وَخَاصِرَتاهِ مِنَ الشَّحْمِ،

because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.

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

He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.

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

He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.

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

He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God’s mouth shall he 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 shall be his reward.

32 و َسَيَمُوتُ قَبلَ وَقتِهِ، كَشَجَرَةٍ اصفَرَّتْ قِمَّتُها.

It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.

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

He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.

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

For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

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

They conceive mischief, and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”