1 ث ُمَّ تابَعَ ألِيهُو فَقالَ:

Then Elihu said,

2 « استَمِعُوا أيُّها الحُكَماءُ إلَى كَلامِي، وَأصغُوا إلَيَّ يا أصحابَ المَعرِفَةِ.

“Hear my words, you wise men. Listen to me, you who know.

3 ل أنَّ الأُذُنَ تَتَفَحَّصُ الكَلامَ، كَما يَذُوقُ اللِّسانُ الطَعامَ.

For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.

4 ف َلْنُقَرِّرْ لِأنفُسَنا ما هُوَ العَدلُ، وَلِنَكْتَشِفْ مَعاً ما هُوَ صالِحٌ.

Let us choose for ourselves what is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 ل أنَّ أيُّوبَ يَقُولُ: ‹أنا بَرِيءٌ، وَقَد ظَلَمَنِي القَدِيرُ.

For Job has said, ‘I am right and good, but God has taken away my right.

6 أ ُدعَى كاذِباً رُغْمَ حَقِّي. وَلا شِفاءَ لِجُرحِي مَعَ أنِّي لَمْ أقتَرِفْ ذَنباً.›

Would I lie about my right? I have been hurt so that I cannot be healed, but I have done no wrong.’

7 « فَأيُّ إنسانٍ كَأيُّوبَ؟ يَشرَبُ السُّخْرِيَةَ كَالماءِ!

What man is like Job, who drinks up words against him like water?

8 و َيَسلُكُ طَرِيقاً لِيَنضَمَّ إلَى فاعِلِي الشَّرِّ، وَيُرافِقُ المُجرِمِينَ.

He goes among those who do wrong, and walks with sinful men.

9 ل أنَّهُ يَقُولُ: ‹لا فائِدَةَ مِنْ أنْ يُحاوِلَ الإنسانُ إرضاءَ اللهِ.›

For he has said, ‘A man gets nothing by trying to please God.’

10 « لِهَذا اسْمَعُونِي يا أصحابَ الفَهْمِ. حاشا أنْ يَرتَبِطَ اللهُ بِذَنبٍ، وَأنْ تَكُونَ لِلقَدِيرِ عَلاقَةٌ بِالشَّرِّ.

“So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do what is sinful, and from the All-powerful to do wrong.

11 ل أنَّ اللهَ يُعطِي الإنسانَ أُجرَةَ أعمالِهِ، وَيَجلُبُ عَلَيهِ ما يَستَحِقُّهُ.

For He pays a man by the work he does. He will see that a man is paid for what he does.

12 و َحاشا للهِ أنْ يَحكُمَ عَلَى النّاسِ ظُلماً، وَللِقَدِيرِ أنْ يَعمَلَ بِغَيرِ عَدلٍ.

For sure God will not do wrong. The All-powerful will not turn what is right into sin.

13 ف َمَنِ الَّذِي أوْكَلَهُ عَلَى الأرْضِ؟ وَمَن عَيَّنَهُ عَلَى كُلِّ الكَوْنِ؟

Who gave Him the power over the earth? Who gave Him the whole world to take care of?

14 إ ذا قَرَّرَ أنْ يَستَرِدَّ رُوحَهُ وَيَستَعِيدَ نَسَمَةَ الحَياةِ،

If He should take back His spirit and His breath,

15 ف َسَيَمُوتُ كُلُّ جَسَدٍ عَلَى الأرْضِ. وَيَعُودُ الإنْسانُ إلَى التُّرابِ.

all flesh would die together, and man would return to dust.

16 « إنْ كانَ لَكَ فَهْمٌ فَاسْمَعْ هَذا، اسْتَمِعْ إلَى كَلامِي:

“If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say.

17 إ نْ كانَ القَدِيرُ يُبْغِضُ العَدلَ، فَكَيفَ يَحْكُمُ؟ وَإنْ كُنْتَ بارّاً، فَلِماذا تَدينُ القَدِيرَ؟

Should one who hates what is right be the one to rule? Will you say that He Who is right and good and strong is guilty?

18 ه ُوَ الَّذِي يَقُولُ لِلمَلِكِ: ‹أنتَ بِلا قِيمَةٍ.› وَللِشَّرِيفِ: ‹أنتَ شِرِّيرٌ.›

Who says to a king, ‘You are of no worth,’ and to rulers, ‘You are sinful’?

19 ه ُوَ اللهُ الَّذِي لا يُفَرِّقُ بَينَ النّاسِ، وَلا يَسمَعُ طِلْباتِ الغَنِيِّ قَبلَ الفَقِيرِ، لأنَّ كِلَيْهِما عَمَلُ يَدَيهِ.

Who shows no favor to princes, or thinks of the rich as more important than the poor? They are all the work of His hands.

20 ي ُمُوتانِ فِي لَحظَةٍ، فِي مُنتَصَفِ اللَّيلِ. يَرتَجِفُ النّاسُ وَيَمُوتُونَ. يُطِيحُ اللهُ بِالأقوِياءِ بِلا جَهْدٍ.

In a short time they die. At midnight the people are shaken and pass away. And the powerful are taken away by no human hand.

21 « لأنَّ عَينَيْهِ تُراقِبانِ طُرُقَ الإنسانِ وَيَرَى كُلَّ خَطَواتِهِ.

“For God’s eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.

22 م ا مِنْ عَتْمَةٍ أوْ حَتَّى ظَلامٍ عَمِيقٍ، يُمكِنُ أنْ يَختَفِي فِيها فاعِلُو الشَّرِّ عَنِ اللهِ.

There is no darkness or shadow where sinners can hide themselves.

23 و َلَيسَ لِلإنسانِ أنْ يُحَدِّدَ مَوعِداً فِيهِ يَأتِي فِي حَضْرَةِ اللهِ للِدَّينُونَةِ.

For God does not need to set a time for man to go before Him and be judged.

24 ي ُحَطِّمُ الأقوِياءَ وَلا يَسألُ أحَداً. وَيُعَيِّنُ آخَرِينَ مَكانَهُمْ.

He breaks powerful men in pieces without asking any reason, and puts others in their place.

25 إ نَّهُ يَعرِفُ أفعالَهُمْ حَقّاً، يَسحَقُهُمْ فِي لَيلَةٍ واحِدَةٍ.

For He knows their works. He puts them down in the night, and they are crushed.

26 ي ُعاقِبُهُمْ عَلَى أعمالِهِمِ الشِّرِّيرَةِ فِي العَلَنِ،

God punishes them for their sin where everyone can see them.

27 ل أنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعُودُوا يَتْبَعُونَ اللهَ، وَلا يَلتَفِتُونَ إلَى طُرُقِهِ،

Because they turned aside from following Him. They did not care about any of His ways.

28 ح َتَّى جَعَلُوا صُراخَ الفَقِيرِ يَصِلُ إلَيْهِ. هُوَ يَسمَعُ صَرخَةَ المُضْطَهَدِينَ.

So they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him. And He heard the cry of those in need.

29 ف َإنْ لَمْ يَفعَلْ شَيئاً، فَمَنْ يَستَذنِبهُ؟ وَإذا حَجَبَ وَجهَهُ، فَمَنْ يَقْدِرُ أنْ يَراهُ – أكانَ شَعباً أمْ فَرْداً؟

When He keeps quiet, who can say He is wrong? When He hides His face, who can see Him? But He is over both nation and man.

30 ي َمنَعَ الفاسِدَ مِنْ أنْ يَصِيرَ مَلِكاً، فَيَقُودَ شَعباً إلَى الدَّمارِ.

So men without God should not rule and should not be a trap for the people.

31 « لَكِنْ قُلْ للهِ، ‹أذنَبتُ، وَلَنْ أنْحَرِفَ ثانِيَةً.

“For has any one said to God, ‘I have suffered punishment, and will not cause any more trouble?

32 ع َلِّمْنِي ما لا أقدِرُ أنْ أراهُ. إنْ أخطَأتُ، فَلَنْ أعُودَ إلَيهِ.›

Teach me what I cannot see. If I have sinned, I will do it no more’?

33 ف َهَلْ يُجازِيكَ اللهُ حَسَبَ قَولِكَ إذا رَفَضتَ حَقَّهُ؟ لأنَّكَ أنتَ الَّذِي يَختارُ، لا أنا. فَتَكَلَّمْ بِما تَعرِفُ.

Will God ask what you want to do, when you will not do what He says? You must decide, and not I. So tell what you know.

34 س َيَقُولُ لِي أصحابُ الفَهْمِ وَالحَكِيمُ الَّذِي يَسمَعُنِي:

Men of understanding will say to me, and wise men who hear me say,

35 ‹ يَتَحَدَّثُ أيُّوبُ بِلا فِهمٍ، وَكَلامُهُ يَخلو مِنَ البَصِيرَةِ.›

‘Job speaks without much learning. His words are without wisdom.

36 ل َيتَ أيُّوبَ يُجَرَّبُ إلَى آخِرِ حَدٍّ، لأنَّهُ يُجِيبُ كَالأشرارِ.

Job should be tried to the end, because he answers like sinful men.

37 ف َهُوَ يُضِيفُ إلَى خَطِيَّتِهِ خَطِيَّةً. يَزِيدُ الشَّرَّ بَينَنا، وَيَكثِّرُ اتِّهاماتِهِ للهِ.»

To his sin he adds a strong will against God. Making fun he claps his hands among us, and speaks many words against God.’”