Job 15

“Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?

«أَلَعَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ يُجِيبُ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةٍ بَاطِلَةٍ وَيَنْفُخُ بَطْنَهُ بِرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ،

Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?

فَيَحْتَجَّ بِكَلامٍ أَجْوَفَ وَبِأَقْوَالٍ خَرْقَاءَ؟

But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.

أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَإِنَّكَ تَطْرَحُ جَانِباً مَخَافَةَ اللهِ وَتَنْقُضُ عِبَادَتَهُ.

Your sin prompts your mouth;
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.

كَلامُكَ يُقِرُّ بِإِثْمِكَ، وَأَنْتَ تُؤْثِرُ أُسْلُوبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ.

Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.

فَمُكَ يَدِينُكَ، لَا أَنَا، شَفَتَاكَ تَشْهَدَانِ عَلَيْكَ.

“Are you the first man ever born?
    Were you brought forth before the hills?

أَلَعَلَّكَ وُلِدْتَ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ، أَوْ كُوِّنْتَ قَبْلَ التِّلالِ؟

Do you listen in on God’s council?
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?

هَلْ تَنَصَّتَّ فِي مَجْلِسِ اللهِ، فَقَصَرْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ؟

What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?

أَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَعْرِفُهُ وَنَحْنُ نَجْهَلُهُ؟ وَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ تَفْهَمُهُ وَنَحْنُ لَا نَمْلِكُ إِدْرَاكَهُ؟

The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
    men even older than your father.

رُبَّ شَيْخٍ وَأَشْيَبَ بَيْنَنَا أَكْبَرَ سِنّاً مِنْ أَبِيكَ.

Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
    words spoken gently to you?

أَيَسِيرَةٌ عَلَيْكَ تَعْزِيَاتُ اللهِ؟ حَتَّى هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتُ الَّتِي خُوطِبْتَ بِها بِرِفْقٍ؟

Why has your heart carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,

لِمَاذَا يَسْتَهْوِيكَ قَلْبُكَ وَتَتَوَهَّجُ عَيْنَاكَ،

so that you vent your rage against God
    and pour out such words from your mouth?

حَتَّى تَنْفُثَ غَضَبَكَ ضِدَّ اللهِ، وَيَصْدُرَ عَنْ فَمِكَ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ الأَقْوَالِ؟

“What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?

مَنْ هُوَ الإِنْسَانُ حَتَّى يَزْكُوَ أَوْ مَوْلُودُ الْمَرْأَةِ حَتَّى يَتَبَرَّرَ؟

If God places no trust in his holy ones,
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,

فَإِنْ كَانَ اللهُ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ قِدِّيسِيهِ، وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ غَيْرَ طَاهِرَةٍ لَدَيْهِ،

how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,
    who drink up evil like water!

فَكَمْ بِالأَحْرَى يَكُونُ الإِنْسَانُ الشَّارِبُ الإِثْمَ كَالْمَاءِ مَكْرُوهاً وَفَاسِداً!

“Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,

دَعْنِي أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ، وَاسْمَعْ لِي لأُحَدِّثَكَ بِمَا رَأَيْتُهُ،

what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors

وَبِمَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ حُكَمَاءُ عَنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَكْتُمُوهُ،

(to whom alone the land was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):

الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ وُهِبَتِ الأَرْضُ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ بَيْنَهُمْ غَرِيبٌ.

All his days the wicked man suffers torment,
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.

يَتَلَوَّى الشِّرِّيرُ أَلَماً كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهِ، وَمَعْدُودَةٌ هِيَ سِنُو الْجَائِرِ.

Terrifying sounds fill his ears;
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.

يَضِجُّ صَوْتٌ مُرْعِبٌ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ، وَفِي أَوَانِ السَّلامِ يُفَاجِئُهُ الْمُخَرِّبُ.

He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;
    he is marked for the sword.

لَا يَأْمُلُ الرُّجُوعَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ، وَمَصِيرُهُ الْهَلاكُ بِالسَّيْفِ.

He wanders about for food like a vulture;
    he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

يَهِيمُ بَحْثاً عَنْ لُقْمَةِ الْعَيْشِ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ يَوْمَ الظُّلْمَةِ آتٍ وَشِيكاً.

Distress and anguish fill him with terror;
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack,

يُرْهِبُهُ الضِّيقُ وَالضَّنْكُ، وَيَطْغَيَانِ عَلَيْهِ كَمَلِكٍ مُتَأَهِّبٍ لِلْحَرْبِ.

because he shakes his fist at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,

لأَنَّهُ هَزَّ قَبْضَتَهُ مُتَحَدِّياً اللهَ، وَعَلَى الْقَدِيرِ يَتَجَبَّرُ،

defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.

وَأَغَارَ عَلَيْهِ بِعِنَادٍ مُتَصَلِّفٍ، بِمَجَانٍّ غَلِيظَةٍ مَتِينَةٍ.

“Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,

وَمَعَ أَنَّهُ كَسَا وَجْهَهُ سَمْناً، وَغَشَّى الشَّحْمُ كُلْيَتَيْهِ.

he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,
    houses crumbling to rubble.

فَإِنَّهُ يُقِيمُ فِي مُدُنٍ خَرِبَةٍ وَبُيُوتٍ مَهْجُورَةٍ عَتِيدَةٍ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ رُكَاماً.

He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.

يَفْقِدُ غِنَاهُ، وَتَتَبَخَّرُ ثَرْوَتُهُ، وَلا يَثْبُتُ لَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ مُقْتَنىً.

He will not escape the darkness;
    a flame will wither his shoots,
    and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.

تَكْتَنِفُهُ دَائِماً الظُّلْمَةُ، وتُيَبِّسُ النَّارُ أَغْصَانَهُ، وَتُزِيلُهُ نَفْخَةٌ مِنْ فَمِ الرَّبِّ.

Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless,
    for he will get nothing in return.

لَا يَخْدَعَنَّ نَفْسَهُ بِاتِّكَالِهِ عَلَى السُّوءِ، لأَنَّ السُّوءَ يَكُونُ جَزَاءَهُ.

Before his time he will wither,
    and his branches will not flourish.

يَسْتَوْفِيهِ كَامِلاً قَبْلَ يَوْمِهِ، وَتَكُونُ (حَيَاتُهُ) كَسُعُفٍ يَابِسَةٍ.

He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.

وَكَكَرْمَةٍ تَسَاقَطَتْ عَنَاقِيدُ حِصْرِمِهَا، وَتَنَاثَرَ زَهْرُهَا كَالزَّيْتُونِ،

For the company of the godless will be barren,
    and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes.

لأَنَّ جَمَاعَةَ الْفُجَّارِ عَقِيمُونَ، وَالنَّارُ تَلْتَهِمُ خِيَامَ الْمُرْتَشِينَ.

They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;
    their womb fashions deceit.”