1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

فَأجابَ ألِيفازُ التَّيْمانِيُّ:

2 “ Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

«أيُجِيبُ الحَكِيمُ بِكَلامٍ فارِغٍ؟ بَطنُهُ مَلِيءٌ بِالهَواءِ.

3 S hould he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?

هَلْ يُجادِلُ بِكَلامٍ لا يُفِيدُ، وَبِأقوالٍ لا تَنفَعُ؟

4 Y es, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God.

فَإنَّكَ تُبعِدُ النّاسَ عَنِ مَخافَةِ اللهِ، وَتُعِيقُ التَّأمُّلَ فِي حَضْرَتِهِ.

5 F or your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty.

فَمُكَ يُظهِرُ ذَنبَكَ، لأنَّ لِسانَكَ يَختارُ الكَلِماتِ بِاحتِيالٍ.

6 Y our own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.

فَمُكَ يُدِينُكَ، لا أنا. إذْ تَشهَدُ عَلَيكَ شَفَتاكَ.

7 “ Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills?

«أأنْتَ أوَّلُ المَولُودِينَ مِنَ البَشَرِ؟ هَلْ خُلِقْتَ قَبلَ التِّلالِ؟

8 H ave you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

هَلْ كُنتَ حاضِراً تَسمَعُ مَشُورَةَ اللهِ؟ هَلِ الحِكْمَةُ مَقصُورَةٌ عَلَيكَ؟

9 W hat do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us?

ما الَّذِي تَعرِفهُ أنتَ وَلا نَعرِفُهُ نَحْنُ، ما الَّذِي تَفهَمهُ أنتَ وَلا نَفهَمهُ نَحنُ؟

10 B oth the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father.

بَيْنَنا الأشيَبُ وَالعَجُوزُ، وَهُوَ أكبَرُ سِنّاً مِنْ أبِيكَ.

11 A re the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken gently with you?

هَلْ تَسْتَخِفُّ بِتَعزِياتِ اللهِ لَكَ، وَالكَلِماتِ الرَّفِيقَةِ بِكَ؟

12 W hy does your heart carry you away, And what do your eyes wink at,

لِماذا تَسمَحُ لِقَلبِكَ بِأنْ يَأخُذَكَ بَعِيداً، حَتَّى إنَّ عَينَيكَ تُظهِرانِ ذَلِكَ؟

13 T hat you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?

إنَّكَ تَنقَلِبُ عَلَى اللهِ، وَتُطلِقُ مِثلَ هَذِهِ الأقوالَ مِنْ فَمِكَ.

14 “ What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

«ما هُوَ الإنسانُ لِيَكُونَ طاهِراً، أوِ المَولُودُ مِنَ المَرأةِ لِيَكُونَ بارّاً،

15 I f God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,

فَاللهُ لا يَتَّكِلُ عَلَى مَلائِكَتِهِ المُقَدَّسِينَ، حَتَّى السَّماوَتُ غَيرُ طاهِرَةٍ فِي عَينَيهِ.

16 H ow much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

فَكَمْ بِالحِرِيِّ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ الإنسانُ المَكرُوهُ الفاسِدُ، الَّذِي يَشرَبُ الإثمَ كَالماءِ.

17 “ I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare,

«سَأُفْهِمُكَ قَصدِي، فَاسْتَمِعْ إلَيَّ. لَقَدْ رَأيتُ هَذا، فَدَعْنِي أُخبِرْكَ عَنهُ.

18 W hat wise men have told, Not hiding anything received from their fathers,

هُوَ شَيءٌ قالَهُ الحُكَماءُ، وَلَمْ يُخْفِهِ آباؤُهُمْ عَنهُمْ.

19 T o whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them:

أُعطِيَتِ الأرْضُ لَهُمْ وَحدَهُمْ. وَلَمْ يَعبُرْ غَرِيبٌ طَرِيقَهُمْ.

20 T he wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.

يَتَلَوَّى الشِّرِّيرُ طَوالَ حَياتِهِ ألَماً، كَذلِكَ الظّالِمُ يُعانِي كُلَّ حَياتِهِ.

21 D readful sounds are in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.

يَتَخَيَّلُ أصْواتَ الرُّعبِ فِي أُذُنَيهِ، وَفِي وَقتِ سَلامِهِ، يَأتِيهِ الغُزاةُ.

22 H e does not believe that he will return from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him.

لا رَجاءَ لَهُ فِي أنْ يَعُودَ مِنَ الظُّلمَةِ، وَهُناكَ سَيْفٌ بِانْتِظارِهِ.

23 H e wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it? ’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.

سَيُلقَى بِهِ طَعاماً للِنُّسُورِ، وَهُوَ يَعرِفُ أنَّ يَومَ الظُلمَةِ قَرِيبٌ.

24 T rouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for battle.

يُرعِبُهُ البَلاءُ وَالضِّيقُ، وَيُرْهَبانِهِ كَمَلِكٍ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلهُجُومِ.

25 F or he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty,

لأنَّهُ مَدَّ يَدَهُ ضِدَّ اللهِ، وَواجَهَ القَدِيرَ بِوَقاحَةٍ.

26 R unning stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.

بِعِنادٍ هَاجَمَهُ، وَبِدِرْعٍ تَقَدَّمَ ضِدَّهُ.

27 “ Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat,

فَمَعْ أنَّهُ تَغَطَّى وَجْهُهُ وَخَاصِرَتاهِ مِنَ الشَّحْمِ،

28 H e dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins.

سَيَسكُنُ مُدُنَ الأشْباحِ، فِي بُيُوتٍ مَهجُورَةٍ مَصِيرُها أكْوامٌ مِنْ حُطامٍ.

29 H e will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.

لِهَذا لَنْ يَكُونَ الشِّرِّيرُ غَنِيّاً فِيما بَعْدُ، وَقُوَّتُهُ لَنْ تَدُومَ، وَمَمتَلَكاتُهُ لَنْ تَمتَدَّ فِي الأرْضِ.

30 H e will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

لَنْ يَجِدَ مَهرَباً مِنَ الظُلمَةِ، وَيَكُونُ كَشَجَرَةٍ يَبَّسَ المَرَضُ أغْصانَها، وَطَيَّرَتِ الرِّياحُ أوْراقَها.

31 L et him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.

لا يَنبَغِي أنْ يَتَّكِلَ عَلَى أُمُورٍ فارِغَةٍ، فَيَخدَعَ نَفسَهُ. لأنَّ الفَراغَ سَيَكُونُ مُكافَأتَهُ.

32 I t will be accomplished before his time, And his branch will not be green.

وَسَيَمُوتُ قَبلَ وَقتِهِ، كَشَجَرَةٍ اصفَرَّتْ قِمَّتُها.

33 H e will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.

وَيَكُونُ كَكَرمَةٍ تَفقِدُ عِنَبَها قَبلَ نُضْجِهِ، أوْ كَزَيتُونَةٍ تُسْقِطُ بَراعِمَها.

34 F or the company of hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.

لأنَّ الأشرارَ الفاسِدِينَ عَقِيمونَ لا ثَمَرَ لَهُمْ، وَالنّارَ تَأكُلُ المُتَعامِلِينَ بِالرِّشوَةِ.

35 T hey conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.”

لأنَّهُمْ يَحبَلُونَ ضِيقاً، وَيَلِدُونَ شَرّاً، وَبُطُونُهُمْ تَلِدُ خِداعاً.»