1 ف َأجابَ صُوفَرُ النَّعْماتِيُّ:

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2 « ها إنَّ أفكارِي المُضطَرِبَةَ تَجعَلُنِي أُجِيبُكَ، بِسَبَبِ هَياجٍ فِي داخِلِي.

Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.

3 أ سمَعُ فِي كَلامِكَ لنا إهانَةً. سَأرُدُّ عَلَيكَ بِرُوحِ فَهمِي.

I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

4 « أما عَلِمْتَ أنَّ الأُمُورَ هِيَ هَكَذا مُنذُ القَدِيمِ، مُنذُ أنْ وُجِدَ الإنسانُ عَلَى الأرْضِ؟

Knowest thou not this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,

5 أ ما عَلِمْتَ أنَّ هُتافَ انتِصارِ الأشرارِ لا يَدُومُ، وَأنَّ فَرَحَ الفاسِدِينَ إلَى حِينٍ؟

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?

6 ح َتَّى لَوِ ارتَفَعَ كِبرِياؤُهُ إلَى السَّماواتِ وَرَأسُهُ إلَى السَّحابِ،

Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;

7 ف َسَيَتَلاشَى إلَى الأبَدِ كَما تَتَلاشَى فَضَلاتُهُ. فَيَسألُ الَّذِينَ رَأُوهُ: «أينَ هُوَ؟»

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8 ك َحُلمٍ يَطِيرُ، فَلا تَجِدُونَهُ، وَكَطَيفِ اللَّيلِ يُطرَدُ.

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

9 ل ا يَعُودُ يَراهُ مَنْ يَنظُرُ إلَيهِ، وَلا يُرَى مَكانُهُ فِيما بَعْدُ.

The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 ي َستَجدِي أبناؤُهُ الفُقَراءُ، وَتَرُدُّ يَداهُ ما جَمَعَهُ مِنْ ثَرْوَةٍ.

His children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.

11 ك انَتْ عِظامُهُ مَلِيئَةً بِرُوحِ الشَّبابِ، لَكِنَّها سَتَضطَجِعُ مَعَهُ فِي التُّرابِ.

His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.

12 « فِي فَمِهِ، يَحلُو مَذاقُ الشَّرِّ، فَيُخفِيهِ تَحتَ لِسانِهِ لِيَستَمتِعَ بِهِ.

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

13 ي َتَمَسَّكُ بِهِ وَلا يُفلِتُهُ، وَيُبقِيهِ فِي حَنَكِهِ،

Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;

14 ل َكِنَّ طَعمَهُ يَنقَلِبُ مُرّاً فِي مَعِدَتِهِ، وَيَكُونُ كَسُّمِّ الأفاعِي فِي جَوْفِهِ.

Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

15 ي َبتَلِعُ الثَّروَةَ ثُمَّ يَتَقَيّأُها، وَيَطرُدُها اللهُ مِنْ مَعِدَتِهِ.

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly.

16 ي َرضَعُ سُمَّ الأفاعِي، فَيَقتُلُهُ لِسانُ الأفعَى.

He shall suck the poison of asps: The viper's tongue shall slay him.

17 ل ا يَتَمَتَّعُ بِما يَرَى مِنْ أوْدِيَةٍ تَفِيضُ لَبَناً وَعَسَلاً.

He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter.

18 ي َرُدُّ ثِمارَ تَعَبِهِ، لأنَّهُ لا يَقوَى عَلَى ابتِلاعِها، فَلا يَفرَحُ بِنَجاحِ تِجارَتِهِ.

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.

19 ل أنَّهُ سَحَقَ المَساكِينَ وَتَرَكَهُمْ، وَاغتَصَبَ بَيتاً لَمْ يَبْنِهِ.

For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

20 « لأنَّ جُوعَهُ لَيسَ لَهُ حَدٌّ، وَلا تُخَلِّصُهُ مُشتَهَياتُهُ.

Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

21 ل َمْ يَتَبَقَّ فُتاتٌ بَعْدَ أنْ أكَلَ. لِهَذا لا يَدُومُ نَجاحُهُ.

There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

22 ف ِي قِمَّةِ اكتِفائِهِ يَتَضايَقُ، وَتَأتِيهِ كُلُّ تَعاسَةٍ.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

23 و َيُرسِلُ اللهُ عَلَيهِ غَضَبَهُ لِيَملأَ بِهِ بَطنَهُ، وَيُمطِرُ الغَضَبَ عَلَيهِ طَعاماً.

When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, And will rain it upon him while he is eating.

24 إ نْ هَرَبَ مِنْ سِلاحِ الحَدِيدِ، يَختَرِقُهُ سَهمٌ مِنْ نُحاسٍ.

He shall flee from the iron weapon, And the bow of brass shall strike him through.

25 ي ُسحَبُ السَّهمُ مِنْ ظَهرِهِ، وَرَأسُ السَّهمِ اللّامِعِ كَالبَرقِ مِنْ مَرارَتِهِ، وَيَهُزُّهُ الرُعْبُ.

He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall: Terrors are upon him.

26 ل ا تَرَى كُنُوزُهُ ضَوْءَ النَّهارِ، وَتَلتَهِمُهُ نارٌ لَمْ يُضْرِمْها بَشَرٌ. فَتُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ ما تَبَقَّى مِنْ بَيتِهِ.

All darkness is laid up for his treasures: A fire not blown by man shall devour him; It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

27 ت َكشِفُ السَّماواتُ إثمَهُ، وَتَقُومُ الأرْضُ ضِدَّهُ.

The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.

28 ت ُجرَفُ كُلُّ مُقتَنَياتِ بَيتِهِ حِينَ يَفِيضُ غَضَبُ اللهِ.

The increase of his house shall depart; His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

29 ه َذا نَصِيبُ الشِّرِيرِ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللهِ، وَمِيراثُهُ الَّذِي حَدَّدَهُ اللهُ.»

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the heritage appointed unto him by God.