1 « لِماذا لا يَخفَى شَيءٌ مِنَ الأزمِنَةِ عَلَى القَدِيرِ؟ بَينَما الَّذِينَ يَعرِفُونَهُ لا يَرَوْنَ ماذا سَيَحدُثُ؟

“ Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see His days?

2 « يُغَيِّرُ النّاسُ حُدُودَ أراضِي الآخَرِينَ، يَسرِقُونَ المَواشِيَ وَيُطلِقُونَها فِي مَراعِيهِمْ.

“ Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks.

3 ي َسُوقُونَ حِمارَ اليَتِيمِ، وَيُصادِرُونَ ثَوْرَ الأرمَلَةِ رَهْناً.

“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4 ي ُبعِدُونَ المُحتاجِينَ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ، فَيَختَبِئُ مِنهُمْ كُلُّ فُقَراءِ الأرْضِ.

“They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

5 « كَالحَيواناتِ البَرِّيَّةِ يَخْرُجُونَ إلَى عَمَلِهِمْ فِي البَرِّيَّةِ، يُبَكِّرُونَ فِي سَعيِهِمْ إلَى الخُبزِ مِنْ أجلِ صِغارِهِمْ فِي الأرْضِ المُقفِرَةِ.

“Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, As bread for their children in the desert.

6 ي َحصُدُ الفُقَراءُ عَلَفَ الشِّرِّيرِ فِي الحَقلِ، وَيَجمَعُونَ البَواقِي مِنْ كَرمِهِ.

“They harvest their fodder in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

7 ي َبِيتُونَ عُراةً مِنْ غَيرِ كِساءٍ، وَلَيسَ لَهُمْ ما يَحْميهُمْ مِنَ البَرْدِ.

“ They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.

8 ت ُبُلِّلهُمْ أمطارُ الجِبالِ. فَيَلتَصِقُونَ بِصَخْرَةٍ يَحْتَمُونَ بِها.

“They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

9 ي َخْطَفُ الأشْرارُ اليَتِيمَ عَنْ ثَديِ أُمِّهِ، وَيَأخُذُونَ ثِيابَ المَساكِينِ رَهناً.

“ Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

10 ف َيَمشِي المَساكِينُ عُراةً دُونَ كِساءٍ، وَيَحمِلُ الجِياعُ حَفنَةَ حُبُوبٍ.

“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 ي َعصِرُونَ الزَّيتَ بَينَ أتلامِ الأشرارِ. وَيَدُوسُونَ مَعاصِرَ الخَمرِ وَهُمْ عِطاشٌ.

“Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst.

12 ف ِي المَدِينَةِ يَئِنُّ النّاسُ، وَحَناجِرُ المَجرُوحِينَ تَستَغِيثُ صارِخَةً، لَكِنَّ اللهَ لا يَنتَبِهُ إلَى صَلاتِهِمْ.

“From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

13 « هَؤلاءِ مُتَمَرِّدُونَ عَلَى النُّورِ وَلا يَعتَرِفُونَ بِطُرُقِهِ، وَلا يَسكُنُونَ فِي مَسالِكِهِ.

“ Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

14 ي َقُومُ القاتِلُ فَجراً، وَيَقتُلُ الضَّعِيفَ وَالمِسكِينَ، وَفِي اللَّيلِ يُصبِحُ لِصّاً.

“The murderer arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as a thief.

15 ع َينُ الزّانِي تَتَرَقَّبُ حُلُولَ المَساءِ وَتَقُولُ: ‹لَنْ تَرانِي عَينٌ!› وَعَلَى وَجهِهِ يَضَعُ قِناعاً.

“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ And he disguises his face.

16 ي َسْطُونَ عَلَى البُيُوتِ لَيلاً، وَفِي النَّهارِ يُغلِقُونَ عَلَى أنفُسِهِمْ، لأنَّهُمْ غَيرُ مُتَصالِحِينَ مَعَ النُّورِ.

“In the dark they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light.

17 ل أنَّ الظُلمَةَ العَمِيقَةَ عِنْدَهُمْ كَالصُّبْحِ، غَيرَ أنَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَ أهْوالَ الظُّلمَةِ العَمِيقَةِ.

“For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

18 « تَقُولُ: ‹إنَّ الشِّرِّيرَ كَالقَشَّةِ تَجْرُفُها المياهُ، وَمُمتَلَكاتِهِ مَلعُونَةٌ عَلَى الأرْضِ، فَلا يَعْمَلُ أحَدٌ فِي كُرُومِهِ.

“They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth. They do not turn toward the vineyards.

19 ف َكَما يَسرِقُ الجَفافُ وَالحَرُّ مِياهَ الثُّلُوجِ الذّائِبَةِ، كَذَلِكَ تَسرِقُ الهاوِيَةُ الخُطاةَ.

“Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol those who have sinned.

20 ي َنساهُ البَطنُ الَّذِي وَلَدَهُ، وَيَستَحلِيهِ الدُّودُ. لا يَعُودُ يُذكَرُ، وَيَنكَسِرُ الشَّرُّ كَالعَصا.

“A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree.

21 ا لشِّرِّيرُ يَأكُلُ المَرأةَ العاقِرَ، وَلا يُحسِنُ إلَى الأرمَلَةِ.

“He wrongs the barren woman And does no good for the widow.

22 ي ُزِيلُ بِقُوَّتِهِ الأشْرافَ الأشِدّاءَ. وَرُبَّما يَتَقَدَّمُ، لَكِنَّهُ لا يَثِقُ بِالحَياةِ.

“But He drags off the valiant by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

23 ر ُبَّما يَشعُرُ بِالأمانِ وَالثَّباتِ، وَيُرِيدُ أنْ يَتبَعَ طُرُقَهُمْ نَحْوَ القُوَّةِ،

“He provides them with security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways.

24 ل َكِنَّهُ مِثلُهُمْ، يَرْتَفِعُ قَلِيلاً، ثُمَّ يَمضِي. يُقْطَعُ كَرُؤُوسِ السَّنابِلِ كَغَيرِهِ مِنَ النّاسِ.›

“They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

25 « فَإنْ لَمْ تَكُنِ الأُمُورُ هَكَذا، فَمَنْ يُبَرْهِنُ كَذِبِي، وَيُبَيِّنُ أنَّ كَلامِي باطِلٌ.»

“Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?”