Job 36

“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
    that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.

«تَحَمَّلْنِي قَلِيلاً فَأَزِيدَكَ اطِّلاعاً، فَمَازَالَ عِنْدِي مَا أَقُولُهُ نِيَابَةً عَنِ اللهِ،

I get my knowledge from afar;
    I will ascribe justice to my Maker.

لأَنِّي أَتَلَقَّى عِلْمِي مِنْ بَعِيدٍ وَأَعْزُو بِرّاً لِصَانِعِي.

Be assured that my words are not false;
    one who has perfect knowledge is with you.

حَقّاً إِنَّ كَلامِي صَادِقٌ، لأَنَّ الْكَامِلَ فِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ حَاضِرٌ مَعَكَ.

“God is mighty, but despises no one;
    he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

اللهُ قَدِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّهُ لَا يَحْتَقِرُ الإِنْسَانَ، هُوَ قَدِيرٌ عَظِيمُ الْقُدْرَةِ وَالْفَهْمِ.

He does not keep the wicked alive
    but gives the afflicted their rights.

لَا يُبْقِي عَلَى حَيَاةِ الشِّرِّيرِ إِنَّمَا يَقْضِي حَقَّ الْبَائِسِينَ.

He does not take his eyes off the righteous;
    he enthrones them with kings
    and exalts them forever.

لَا يَغُضُّ طَرْفَهُ عَنِ الصِّدِّيقِينَ، بَلْ يُقِيمُهُمْ مَعَ الْمُلُوكِ عَلَى الْعُرُوشِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ فَيَتَعَظَّمُونَ.

But if people are bound in chains,
    held fast by cords of affliction,

وَإِنْ رُبِطُوا بِالْقُيُودِ، وَوَقَعُوا فِي حِبَالِ الشَّقَاءِ،

he tells them what they have done—
    that they have sinned arrogantly.

عِنْدَئِذٍ يُبْدِي لَهُمْ أَفْعَالَهُمْ وَآثَامَهُمْ إِذْ سَلَكُوا بِغُرُورٍ.

He makes them listen to correction
    and commands them to repent of their evil.

يَفْتَحُ آذَانَهُمْ لِتَحْذِيرَاتِهِ، وَيَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ عَنْ إِثْمِهِمْ.

If they obey and serve him,
    they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity
    and their years in contentment.

فَإِنْ أَطَاعُوا وَعَبَدُوهُ، يَقْضُونَ أَيَّامَهُمْ بِرَغْدٍ، وَسِنِيهِمْ بِالنِّعَمِ.

But if they do not listen,
    they will perish by the sword^[a]
    and die without knowledge.

وَلَكِنْ إِنْ عَصَوْا فَبِحَدِّ السَّيْفِ يَهْلِكُوا، وَيَمُوتُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ فَهْمٍ.

“The godless in heart harbor resentment;
    even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

أَمَّا فُجَّارُ الْقُلُوبِ فَيَذْخَرُونَ لأَنْفُسِهِمْ غَضَباً، وَلا يَسْتَغِيثُونَ بِاللهِ حِينَ يُعَاقِبُهُمْ.

They die in their youth,
    among male prostitutes of the shrines.

يَمُوتُونَ فِي الصِّبَا بَيْنَ مَأْبُونِي الْمَعَابِدِ.

But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
    he speaks to them in their affliction.

أَمَّا الْمُبْتَلَوْنَ فَيُنْقِذُهُمْ فِي بَلائِهِمْ، وَبِالضِّيقِ يَفْتَحُ آذَانَهُمْ.

“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress
    to a spacious place free from restriction,
    to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

يَجْتَذِبُكَ مِنَ الضِّيقِ إِلَى رَحْبٍ طَلِيقٍ، وَيَمْلأُ مَائِدَتَكَ بِالأَطْعِمَةِ الدَّسِمَةِ.

But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;
    judgment and justice have taken hold of you.

وَلَكِنَّكَ مُثْقَلٌ بِالدَّيْنُونَةِ الْوَاقِعَةِ عَلَى الأَشْرَارِ، فَالدَّعْوَى وَالْقَضَاءُ يُمْسِكَانِكَ.

Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
    do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

فَاحْرِصْ لِئَلّا يُغْرِيَكَ الغَضَبُ بالسُّخْرِيَةِ، أَوْ تَصْرِفَكَ الرِّشْوَةُ الْعَظِيمَةُ عَنِ الحَقِّ

Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts
    sustain you so you would not be in distress?

أَيُمْكِنُ لِثَرَائِكَ أَوْ لِجُهُودِكَ الْجَبَّارَةِ أَنْ تَدْعَمَكَ فَلا تَغْرَقَ فِي الْكَآبَةِ؟

Do not long for the night,
    to drag people away from their homes.^[b]

لَا تَتَشَوَّقْ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ حَتَّى تَجُرَّ النَّاسَ خَارِجاً مِنْ بُيُوتِهِمْ.

Beware of turning to evil,
    which you seem to prefer to affliction.

احْتَرِسْ أَنْ تَتَحَوَّلَ إِلَى الشَّرِّ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا مَا اخْتَرْتَهُ عِوَضاً عَنِ الشَّقَاءِ.

“God is exalted in his power.
    Who is a teacher like him?

انْظُرْ، إِنَّ اللهَ يَتَمَجَّدُ فِي قُوَّتِهِ. أَيُّ مُعَلِّمٍ نَظِيرُهُ؟

Who has prescribed his ways for him,
    or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?

مَنْ سَنَّ لَهُ طُرُقَهُ أَوْ قَالَ لَهْ: لَقَدِ ارْتَكَبْتَ خَطَأً؟

Remember to extol his work,
    which people have praised in song.

لَا تَنْسَ أَنْ تُعَظِّمَ عَمَلَهُ الَّذِي يَتَغَنَّى بِهِ النَّاسُ.

All humanity has seen it;
    mortals gaze on it from afar.

لَقَدْ شَهِدَهُ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ، وَتَفَرَّسُوا فِيهِ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ.

How great is God—beyond our understanding!
    The number of his years is past finding out.

فَمَا أَعْظَمَ اللهَ! وَنَحْنُ لَا نَعْرِفُهُ، وَعَدَدُ سِنِيهِ لَا يُسْتَقْصَى.

“He draws up the drops of water,
    which distill as rain to the streams^[c];

لأَنَّهُ يَجْتَذِبُ قَطَرَاتِ الْمَاءِ، وَيَجْعَلُ سُحُبَهُ تَهْطِلُ أَمْطَاراً،

the clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers fall on mankind.

تَسْكُبُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَتَصُبُّهَا بِغَزَارَةٍ عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ.

Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
    how he thunders from his pavilion?

أَهُنَاكَ مَنْ يَفْهَمُ كَيْفَ تَنْتَشِرُ السُّحُبُ، وَكَيْفَ تُرْعِدُ سَمَاؤُهُ؟

See how he scatters his lightning about him,
    bathing the depths of the sea.

فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ بَسَطَ بُرُوقَهُ حَوَالَيْهِ وَتَسَرْبَلَ بِلُجَجِ الْبَحْرِ.

This is the way he governs^[d] the nations
    and provides food in abundance.

هَكَذَا يُطْعِمُ اللهُ الشُّعُوبَ وَيُزَوِّدُهُمْ بِالْغِذَاءِ بِوَفْرَةٍ.

He fills his hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its mark.

يَمْلأُ يَدَيْهِ بِالْبُرُوقِ وَيَأْمُرُهَا أَنْ تُصِيبَ الْهَدَفَ.

His thunder announces the coming storm;
    even the cattle make known its approach.^[e]