1 ف َأجابَ ألِيفازُ التَّيْمانِيُّ:

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2 « هَلْ سَتَنزَعِجُ إنْ تَحَدَّثْتُ إلَيكَ؟ لَكِنْ مَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَمنَعَ نَفسَهُ عَنِ الكَلامِ؟

If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

3 ل َقَد أرشَدْتَ كَثِيرِينَ، وَساعَدْتَهُمْ عِندَ الحاجَةِ.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

4 أ قامَتْ كَلِماتُكَ العاثِرِينَ وَثَبَّتَتْهُمْ، وَقَوَّتْ عَزائِمَ الضُّعَفاءِ.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

5 أ مّا الآنَ فَيَحدُثُ لَكَ سُوءٌ فَيُزعِجَكَ، يَقتَرِبُ مِنْكَ فَتَضطَرِبَ.

But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 أ ما تَثِقُ بِتَقواكَ؟ أما أسَّسْتَ رَجاءَكَ عَلَى اسْتِقامَتِكَ؟

Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, And the integrity of thy ways thy hope?

7 ت َذَكَّرْ هَلْ مِنْ بَرِيءٍ هلَكَ، وَهَلْ بادَ المُستَقِيمُونَ يَوماً؟

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?

8 ف َما رَأيتُهُ هُوَ أنَّ الَّذِينَ يَحْرُثُونَ الشَّرَّ وَيَزرَعُونَ الشَّقاءَ، هُمِ الَّذِينَ يَحصُدُونَهُ.

According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same.

9 ن َفخَةُ اللهِ تَقتُلُهُمْ، وَغَضَبُهُ العاصِفُ يَلتَهِمُهُمْ.

By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of his anger are they consumed.

10 ف َيَنقَطِعُ زَئِيرُ الأسَدِ وَزَمجَرَتُهُ الغاضِبَةُ، وَتَتَكَسَّرُ أسنانُ الأشبالِ.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 ي َهلِكُ كَما يَهلِكُ الأسَدُ القَوِيُّ حِينَ لا يَجِدُ طَعاماً، وَيتَشَتَّتُ أشبالُهُ.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

12 « وَجاءَتنِي رِسالَةٌ فِي الخَفاءِ، وَبِالكادِ سَمِعْتُها إذِ التَقَطتْ أذُنايَ هَمْسَةً مِنها.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, And mine ear received a whisper thereof.

13 ف َفِي كَوابِيسِي، عِندَما كُنتُ مُستَغرِقاً فِي النَّومِ،

In thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth on men,

14 ن ادانِي الخَوفُ وَالِارتِعادُ، فَارتَعَشَتْ كُلُّ عِظامِي بِقُوَّةٍ.

Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones to shake.

15 و َمَرَّتْ رُوحٌ عَلَى وَجهِي، فَوَقَفَ شَعرُ رَأسِي!

Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair of my flesh stood up.

16 و َقَفَتِ الرُّوحُ ساكِنَةً، لَكِنِّي لَمْ أُمَيِّزْ شَكلَها. وَقَفَ أمامِي طَيفٌ، وَسادَ صَمتٌ، ثُمَّ سَمِعْتُ صَوتاً يَقُولُ:

It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes: There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

17 ‹ أيُمكِنُ أنْ يَكُونَ الإنسانُ أكثَرَ صَواباً مِنَ اللهِ، أمْ يُمكِنُ لِلإنسانِ أنْ يَكُونَ أطهَرَ مِنْ صانِعِهِ؟

Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?

18 ف َاللهُ لا يَثِقُ بِخُدّامِهِ، وَيَرَى أخْطاءً حَتَّى فِي مَلائِكَتِهِ.

Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants; And his angels he chargeth with folly:

19 ف َكَيفَ بِالنّاسِ الَّذِينَ يَسكُنُونَ بُيُوتاً مِنْ طِينٍ، أساساتُها فِي التُّرابِ؟ ألا يَسحَقُهُمُ اللهُ كَحَشَرَةٍ؟

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!

20 و َيُضرَبُونَ مِنَ الصَّباحِ إلَى المَساءِ. وَلِأنَّهُمْ غَيرُ راسِخِينَ، يَهلِكُونَ إلَى الأبَدِ.

Betwixt morning and evening they are destroyed: They perish for ever without any regarding it.

21 أ فَلا تُقتَلَعُ حِبالُ خِيامِهِمْ، لِيَمُوتُوا فِي جَهلِهِمْ؟›

Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.