1 ف َأجابَ ألِيفازُ التَّيْمانِيُّ:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 « هَلْ يَنفَعُ الإنسانُ اللهَ؟ إنَّما يَنفَعُ الحَكِيمُ نَفسَهُ.

“Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

3 ه َلْ تُفِيدُ القَدِيرَ إنْ كُنْتَ بارّاً، أمْ تَعُودُ عَلَيهِ طُرُقُكَ المُستَقِيمَةُ بِالرِّبحِ؟

“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

4 ه َلْ يُوَّبِّخُكَ بِسَبَبِ تَقواكَ، فَيَدخُلَ مَعَكَ فِي مُحاكَمَةٍ؟

“Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you?

5 أ لَيسَ شَرُّكَ عَظِيماً؟ ألَيسَتْ آثامُكَ بِلا حَدٍّ؟

“Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?

6 ل أنَّكَ تَطلُبُ رَهناً مِنْ إخْوَتِكَ بِلا داعٍ، وَتَنْزِعُ ثِيابَ العُراةِ.

“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

7 ل ا تُعطِي المُتعَبَ ماءً لِيَشرَبَ، وَتَمنَعُ الطَعامَ عَنِ الجِياعِ.

“To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

8 ا لأرْضُ لِلقَوِيِّ، وَالثَرِيُّ يَسكُنُ فِيها.

“But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it.

9 ت ُرسِلُ الأرامِلَ فارِغاتِ الأيدِي، وَتَسحَقُ قُوَّةَ اليَتامَى.

“You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

10 ل ِهَذا تُحِيطُ بِكَ الفِخاخُ، وَيَستَولِي عَلَيكَ خَوفٌ مُفاجِئٌ،

“Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you,

11 و َظُلمَةٌ فَلا تَرَى، وَفَيَضانٌ يَغمُرُكَ.

Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you.

12 « ألَيسَ اللهُ هُوَ العَلِيُّ فِي السَّماواتِ؟ ألَيسَ هُوَ أعلَى مِنَ النُّجُومِ؟

“Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

13 و َأنتَ تَقُولُ: ‹ما الَّذِي يَعرِفُهُ اللهُ؟ أيَدِينُ مِنْ خَلفِ سَحابَةٍ سَوداءَ؟

“You say, ‘ What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

14 ت َحجُبُهُ سُحُبٌ سَوداءُ فَلا يَرانا، بَينَما يَمْشِي عَلَى قُبَّةِ السَّماواتِ.›

‘ Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.’

15 « أتَنوِي أنْ تُواصِلَ الطَّرِيقَ القَدِيمَ الَّذِي سَلَكَهُ الأشرارُ،

“Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod,

16 ا لَّذِينَ أُختُطِفُوا قَبلَ أوانِهِمْ، وَجُرِفُوا كَبَيتٍ جَرَفَهُ فَيَضانٌ مِنْ أساسِهِ؟

Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

17 ي َقُولُونَ للهِ: ‹دَعنا! ماذا سَيَفعَلُ القَدِيرُ لَنا؟›

“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

18 م َعَ أنَّ القَدِيرَ مَلأ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالخَيراتِ. لِتَبتَعِدْ عَنِّي نَصائِحُ الأشرارِ.

“Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 ي َرَى الأبرارُ مَتاعِبَ الأشرارِ وَيَبتَهِجُونَ، وَالأنقِياءُ يَهزَأُونَ بِهِمْ.

“The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them,

20 و َيَقُولُونَ: ‹دُمِّرَ مُقاوِمُونا، وَها هِيَ النّارُ تَلتَهِمُ ثَروَتَهُمْ.›

Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

21 « تَصالَحْ مَعَ اللهِ وَاطمَئِنّْ، بِذَلِكَ يَأتِيكَ خَيرٌ.

“ Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you.

22 ا قبَلِ التَّعلِيمَ الّذِي مِنْ فَمِ اللهِ، وَضَعْ أقوالَهُ فِي قَلبِكَ

“Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart.

23 إ نْ عُدْتَ إلَى القَدِيرِ يَبنِي بَيتَكَ. إنْ أزَلْتَ الشَّرَّ مِنْ بَيتِكَ،

“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

24 إ نْ ألقَيْتَ الذَّهَبَ عَلَى التُّرابِ، وَذَهَبَ أُوفِيرَ فِي قاعِ الوادِي.

And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

25 إ نْ كانَ القَدِيرُ هُوَ ذَهَبَكَ، وَأغلَى فِضَّةٍ عِندَكَ،

Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you.

26 ح ِينَئِذٍ تَتَلَذَّذُ فِي القَدِيرِ، وَتَرفَعُ وَجهَكَ أمامَهُ.

“For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God.

27 ت ُصَلِّي إلَيهِ فَيَسمَعُكَ، وَتُوفِي كُلَّ نُذُورِكَ لَهُ.

“You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.

28 ح ِينَئِذٍ، تُقَرِّرُ أمراً فَيَكُونَ لَكَ، وَتُنارُ لَكَ الدُّرُوبُ.

“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways.

29 ح ِينَ يَكتَئِبُ الآخَرُونَ تَقُولُ لَهُمُ ابتَهِجُوا، وَيُخَلِّصُ القَدِيرُ المُتَّضِعَ.

“When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save.

30 ح َتَّى إنَّ المُذنِبَ يُطلَقُ، فَيَتَحَرَّرُ، وَيُنَجِّيهِ اللهُ بِسَبَبِ عَمَلِ يَدَيكَ.»

“He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”