1 ث ُمَّ أضافَ ألِيهُو:

Elihu proceeded and said,

2 « فَاصْبِرْ عَلَيَّ قَلِيلاً فَأشْرَحَ لَكَ، لأنَّهُ ما يَزالُ هُناكَ كَلامٌ يُقالُ دِفاعاً عَنِ اللهِ.

Bear with me and wait a little longer, and I will show you, for I have something still to say on God’s behalf.

3 س َأجلِبُ مَعرِفَتِي مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، وَسَأُبَيِّنُ أنَّ خالِقِي عَلَى حَقٍّ.

I will bring my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 ح َقّاً لَيسَ فِي كَلامِي زَيْفٌ، وَأنتَ تَعلَمُ هَذا تَمامَ العِلمِ.

For truly my words shall not be false; He Who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 « اللهُ قَدِيرٌ حقّاً وَلا يَحتَقِرُ النّاسَ. هُوَ قَدِيرٌ وَغَنِيٌّ فِي المَعرِفَةِ وَالحِكْمَةِ.

Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

6 ل ا يَدَعُ الشِّرِّيرَ يَحيا، لَكِنَّهُ يُنصِفُ المَضطَهَدِينَ.

He does not prolong the life of the wicked, but gives the needy and afflicted their right.

7 ل ا يُحَوِّلُ عَينَيهِ عَنِ الأبرِياءِ، يُجلِسُهُمْ مَعَ المُلُوكِ عَلَى العُرُوشِ إلَى الأبَدِ فَيَرتَفِعُونَ.

He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted.

8 و َإنْ كانَ بَعضُهُمْ مُقَيَّدِينَ بِسَلاسِلَ، أوْ إذا أسَرَتْهُمْ قُيُودٌ ألِيمَةٌ،

And if they are bound in fetters and held by cords of affliction,

9 ف َإنَّهُ يُخبِرُهُمْ بِما فَعَلُوهُ، وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ عَنْ جَرائِمِهِمْ عِندَما يَتَكَبَّرُونَ.

Then He shows to them their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly.

10 ي َفتَحُ آذانَهُمْ عَلَى تَعلِيمِهِ وَتَحْذِيرِهِ، لِكَي يَرْجِعُوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ.

He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.

11 ف َإنِ استَمَعُوا إلَيهِ وَخَدَمُوهُ، يُمضُونَ بَقِيَّةَ حَياتِهِمْ فِي خَيرٍ، وَسَنَواتِهِمْ بِالمَسَّرّاتِ.

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.

12 و َإذا لَمْ يَسمَعُوا، فَسَيَضرِبُهُمْ سَهمٌ، فَيَنهارُونَ وَهُمْ لا يَعلَمُونَ ما أصابَهُمْ!

But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die in ignorance of true knowledge.

13 « أمّا فاسِدُو القَلبِ فَيَتَمَسَّكُونَ بِالغَضَبِ وَالمَرارَةِ، وَلا يَصرُخُونَ إلَى اللهِ حِينَ يُقَيِّدُهُمْ.

But the godless and profane in heart heap up anger; they do not cry to Him when He binds them.

14 ي َمُوتُونَ فِي شَبابِهِمْ مَعَ مَنْ يُبِيحُونَ أجسادَهُمْ فِي عِبادَةِ آلِهَتِهِمْ.

They die in youth, and their life perishes among the unclean (those who are sodomites).

15 ي َنشِلُ المُحبَطِينَ مِنْ ضِيقَتِهِمْ، وَفِي الإحْباطِ يَفتَحُ آذانَهُمْ، وَيَجْعَلُهُمْ يَسْتَيْقِظُونَ.

He delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears in adversity.

16 « كَما يُخَلِّصُكَ مِنْ فَمِ الضِّيقِ، إلَى مَكانٍ رَحْبٍ غَيرِ مَحصُورٍ عِوَضاً عَنهُ. وَتَمتَلِئُ مائِدَتُكَ طَعاماً.

Indeed, God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness.

17 ل َكِنَّ دَعْواكَ مَلأى بِالذُّنُوبِ، لِذَلِكَ تُمْسِكُ بِكَ الدَّعوَى وَالعَدلُ، فَتُعاقَبُ.

But if you are filled with the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice will keep hold on you.

18 ل ا تَسْمَحْ لغَيظِكَ بِأنْ يَجْذِبَكَ إلَى الشَّكِّ، وَلا تَتَراجَعْ بِسَبِبِ عِظَمِ فِدْيَتِكَ.

For let not wrath entice you into scorning chastisements; and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

19 ه َلْ يُمكِنُ لِتَوَسُّلاتِكَ فِي وَقتِ الضِّيقِ، أوْ تَوَسُّلاتِ كُلِّ أصْحابِ النُّفُوذِ، أنْ تُعِيدَ الأُمُورَ إلَى وَضْعِها؟

Will your cry be sufficient to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength do it?

20 ل ا تَلْهَثْ وَراءَ الظُّلمَةِ الَّتِي تُغَطِّي الآخَرِينَ.

Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their places;

21 ا حرِصْ عَلَى أنْ لا تَلتَفِتَ إلَى الشَّرِّ، فَيَبدُو أنَّكَ اخْتَرْتَ ذَلِكَ بِسَبَبِ ألَمِكَ.

Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

22 « حَقّاً يَتَعالَى اللهُ فِي قُوَّتِهِ، أيُّ مُعَلِّمٍ مِثلُهُ؟

Behold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

23 م َنْ حَدَّدَ لَهُ طَرِيقَهُ؟ وَمَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ: ‹قَدْ أخطَأتَ؟›

Who has appointed God His way? Or who can say, You have done unrighteousness?

24 ت َذَكَّرْ أنَّ عَلَيكَ أنْ تُمَجِّدَ أعمالَهُ الَّتِي يَتَرَنَّمُ بِها النّاسُ.

Remember that you magnify God’s work, of which men have sung.

25 ا لجَمِيعُ يُرِيدُونَ أنْ يُبصِرُوا اللهَ، لَكِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ.

All men have looked upon God’s work; man may behold it afar off.

26 ح َقّاً إنَّ اللهَ عَظِيمٌ، وَلا نَسْتَوعِبُ عَظَمَتَهُ. وَسَنَواتُ وُجُودِهِ لا يُمكِنُ أنْ تُحصَى.

Behold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable.

27 « لأنَّهُ يَجذِبُ قَطَراتِ الماءِ مِنَ الأرْضِ، وَيُنْزِلُ المَطَرَ عَبْرَ الضَّبابِ.

For He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain from His vapor,

28 ه ُوَ الَّذِي يَجعَلُ الغُيُومَ تَقْطُرُ، وَيُرسِلُ ماءً كَثِيراً عَلَى النّاسِ.

Which the skies pour down and drop abundantly upon mankind.

29 ح قّاً مَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَفهَمَ كَيفَ تَنتَشِرُ الغُيُومُ، وَكَيفَ يَهْدِرُ الرَّعدُ مِنْ مَسكَنِهِ فِي السَّماءِ؟

Not only that, but can anyone understand the spreadings of the clouds or the thunderings of His pavilion?

30 ه ا إنَّهُ يَنْشُرُ بَرقَهُ حَولَهُ، وَيُغَطِّي قاعَ البَحرِ.

Behold, He spreads His lightning against the dark clouds and covers the roots of the sea.

31 ل أنَّهُ هَكَذا يَقضِي بَينَ النّاسِ، وَيُعطِيهِمْ طَعاماً حَتَّى الفَيْضِ.

For by God executes judgment upon the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

32 ي َقبِضُ عَلَى البَرْقِ بِيَدِهِ، وَيَأمُرُهُ لِكَي يُصِيبَ هَدَفَهُ.

He covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.

33 ي ُعلِنُ الرَّعْدُ قُدُومَ العاصِفَةِ. فَحَتَّى المَواشِي تَعْرِفُ أنَّها آتِيَةٌ.

His thunderings speak concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.