Job 16

“I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters, all of you!

«قَدْ سَمِعْتُ كَثِيراً مِثْلَ هَذَا الْكَلامِ وَأَنْتُمْ كُلُّكُمْ مُعَزُّونَ مُتْعِبُونَ.

Will your long-winded speeches never end?
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?

أَمَا لِهَذَا اللَّغْوِ مِنْ نِهَايَةٍ؟ وَمَا الَّذِي يُثِيرُكَ حَتَّى تَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ؟

I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head at you.

فِي وُسْعِي أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ مِثْلَكُمْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَكَانِي، وَأُلْقِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَقْوَالَ مَلامَةٍ، وَأَهُزَّ رَأْسِي فِي وُجُوهِكُمْ،

But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

بَلْ كُنْتُ أُشَجِّعُكُمْ بِنَصَائِحِي، وَأُشَدِّدُكُمْ بِتَعْزِيَاتِي.

“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.

إِنْ تَكَلَّمْتُ لَا تُمْحَى كَآبَتِي، وَإِنْ صَمَتُّ، فَمَاذَا يُخَفِّفُ الصَّمْتُ عَنِّي؟

Surely, God, you have worn me out;
    you have devastated my entire household.

إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ مَزَّقَنِي حَقّاً وَأَهْلَكَ كُلَّ قَوْمِي.

You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.

لَقَدْ كَبَّلْتَنِي فَصَارَ ذَلِكَ شَاهِداً عَلَيَّ، وَقَامَ هُزَالِي لِيَشْهَدَ ضِدِّي.

God assails me and tears me in his anger
    and gnashes his teeth at me;
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.

مَزَّقَنِي غَضَبُهُ، وَاضْطَهَدَنِي. حَرَّقَ عَلَيَّ أَسْنَانَهُ. طَعَنَنِي عَدُوِّي بِنَظْرَاتِهِ الْحَادَّةِ.

People open their mouths to jeer at me;
    they strike my cheek in scorn
    and unite together against me.

فَغَرَ النَّاسُ أَفْوَاهَهُمْ عَلَيَّ، لَطَمُونِي تَعْيِيراً عَلَى خَدِّي، وَتَضَافَرُوا عَلَيَّ جَمِيعاً.

God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.

أَسْلَمَنِي اللهُ إِلَى الظَّالِمِ، وَطَرَحَنِي فِي يَدِ الأَشْرَارِ.

All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;

كُنْتُ مُطْمَئِنّاً مُسْتَقِرّاً، فَزَعْزَعَنِي الرَّبُّ وَقَبَضَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ عُنُقِي، وَحَطَّمَنِي وَنَصَبَنِي لَهُ هَدَفاً.

    his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.

حَاصَرَنِي رُمَاتُهُ وَشَقَّ كُلْيَتَيَّ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَحْمَةٍ، أَهْرَقَ مَرَارَتِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ.

Again and again he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.

اقْتَحَمَنِي مَرَّةً تِلْوَ مَرَّةٍ، وَهَاجَمَنِي كَجَبَّارٍ.

“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.

خِطْتُ مِسْحاً عَلَى جِلْدِي، وَمَرَّغْتُ عِزِّي فِي التُّرَابِ.

My face is red with weeping,
    dark shadows ring my eyes;

احْمَرَّ وَجْهِي مِنَ الْبُكَاءِ، وَغَشِيَتْ ظِلالُ الْمَوْتِ أَهْدَابِي،

yet my hands have been free of violence
    and my prayer is pure.

مَعَ أَنَّنِي لَمْ أَقْتَرِفْ ظُلْماً، وَصَلاتِي مُخْلِصَةٌ.

“Earth, do not cover my blood;
    may my cry never be laid to rest!

يَا أَرْضُ لَا تَسْتُرِي دَمِي، وَلا يَكُنْ لِصُرَاخِي قَرَارٌ.

Even now my witness is in heaven;
    my advocate is on high.

هُوَذَا الآنَ شَاهِدِي فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَكَفِيلِي فِي الأَعَالِي

My intercessor is my friend^[a]
    as my eyes pour out tears to God;

أَمَّا أَصْحَابِي فَهُمُ السَّاخِرُونَ بِي، لِذَلِكَ تَفِيضُ دُمُوعِي أَمَامَ اللهِ،

on behalf of a man he pleads with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

لَكَمْ أَحْتَاجُ لِمَنْ يُدَافِعُ عَنِّي أَمَامَ اللهِ، كَمَا يُدَافِعُ إِنْسَانٌ عَنْ صَدِيقِهِ.

“Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.