1 J ob again took up his parable, and said,

وَعادَ أيُّوبُ وَطَرَحَ دَعْواهُ:

2 “ Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

«لَيتَ حَياتِي كانَتْ كَالشُّهُورِ السّابِقَةِ، قَبلَ مَجِيءِ الضِّيقِ. كَتِلكَ الأيّامِ الَّتِي حَمانِي اللهُ فِيها،

3 w hen his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

عِندَما أضاءَ نُورُهُ فَوْقَ رَأسِي، وَكُنتُ أمشِي فِي الظُّلمَةِ بِنُورِهِ.

4 a s I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

عِندَما كُنتُ بَعْدُ فِي قُوَّتِي، وَكانَتْ صَداقَةُ اللهِ تُظَلِّلُ خَيمَتِي.

5 w hen the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

عِندَما كانَ القَدِيرُ بَعْدُ مَعِي، وَصِغارِي يُحِيطُونَ بِي.

6 w hen my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

عِندَما كُنتُ أغسِلُ قَدَمَيَّ بِالحَلِيبِ! وَكانَتِ المَعاصِرُ الصَّخرِيَّةُ تَسكُبُ لِيَ جَداوِلَ زَيتٍ.

7 w hen I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

«عِندَما كُنتُ أخرُجُ إلَى بَوّابَةِ المَدِينَةِ، وَأتَّخِذُ مَجلِسِي فِي ساحَتِها.

8 T he young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

كانَ الشَّبابُ يَرَوْنَنِي فَيَنْسَحِبُونَ، وَالكِبارُ يَقُومُونَ وَيَقِفُونَ.

9 T he princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

كانَ الوُجَهاءُ يَتَوَقَّفُونَ عَنِ الكَلامِ، وَيَضَعُونَ أيدِيهِمْ عَلَى أفواهِهِمْ.

10 T he voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

كانَتْ أصواتُ الأُمَراءِ تَخْرَسُ، فَلا يَنْطِقُونَ بِحَرْفٍ.

11 F or when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

كانُوا يَمتَدِحُونَ كُلَّ ما أقُولُ، وَيَستَحسِنُونَ كُلَّ ما أفعَلُ.

12 B ecause I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,

لأنِّي أنقَذتُ المِسكِينَ المُستَغِيثَ، وَاليَتِيمَ الَّذِي لا سَنَدَ لَهُ.

13 t he blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

حَتَّى المُشَرَّدُونَ كانُوا يَسْألُونَ لِيَ البَرَكَةَ، وَأدْخَلْتُ الفَرَحَ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الأرامِلِ.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

لَبِسْتُ البِرَّ فَكَسانِي كَثَوبٍ. وَلَبِسْتُ العَدلَ رِداءً وَعِمامَةً،

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.

كُنتُ لِلأعمَى عَينَينِ، وَلِلكَسِيحِ قَدَمَينِ.

16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.

كُنتُ أباً لِلمُحتاجِ، أدْرُسُ قَضايا أُناسٍ لا أعرِفُهُمْ، لِأُساعِدَهُمْ فِي المَحكَمَةِ.

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

كَسَّرْتُ قُوَّةَ الظّالِمِ، وَجَعَلتُهُ يُسقِطُ فَرِيسَتَهُ مِنْ فَمِهِ.

18 T hen I said, ‘I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

«ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: سَأمُوتُ فِي سِنٍّ مُتَقَدِّمَةٍ، وَسَتُضاعَفُ أيّامُ حَياتِي لِتَكُونَ كَعَدَدِ الرَّملِ،

19 M y root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

وَسَتَمتَدُّ إلَى الماءِ جُذُورِي، وَيَبِيتُ النَّدَى عَلَى أغصانِي.

20 M y glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

وَتَتَجَدَّدُ عَلَى الدَوامِ قُوَّتِي، وَتَرجِعُ قَوسِي شابَّةً فِي يَدِي.

21 “ Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

«كانَ النّاسُ يَنتَظِرُونَ لِيَسمَعُونِي، وَيَصمُتُونَ لِسَماعِ نَصِيحَتِي.

22 A fter my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

بَعدَ أنْ أتَكَلَّمَ، لا يَبقَى لِلآخَرِينَ شَيءٌ يَقُولُونَهُ، وَيَنزِلُ عَلَيهِمْ كَلامِي كَالمَطَرِ.

23 T hey waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

فَكانُوا يَنْتَظِرُونَنِي كَما يَنْتَظِرُونَ المَطَرَ، وَيَفتَحُونَ أفواهَهُمْ كَما للِمَطَرِ المُتَأخِّرِ.

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

إذا ابتَسَمْتُ لَهُمْ لا يُصَدِّقُونَ مِنَ الفَرَحِ، وَوَجْهِي البَشُوشُ يُشَجِّعُهُمْ.

25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

اختَرتُ أنْ أكُونَ مَعَهُمْ، رَغْمَ أنِّي كُنتُ قائِدَهُمْ. جَلَستُ مَعَهُمْ كَما يَجلِسُ مَلِكٌ بَينَ قُوّاتِهِ، وَكَمَنْ يُعَزِّي النّائِحِينَ.