القراءة بلغتين

فَأَجَابَ أَيُّوبُ وَقَالَ:

«كَثيرًا ما سَمِعتُ مِثلَ هٰذا إِنَّما أَنتُم بِأَجمَعِكم مُعَزُّونَ مُتعِبون

تَقولون: مَتى يَنتَهي كَلامُكَ الفارِغ وما الَّذي يُغْريكَ بِالمُجاوَبَة؟

أَنا أَيضًا أُخاطِبُكم كما تُخاطِبونَني لَو كانت أَنفُسُكم في مَوضِعِ نَفْسي. ولَلَفَّقتُ لَكم أَقْوالًا وهَزَزتُ عَلَيكم رَأسي

ولَشَجَّعتُكم بِفَمي ورَفَقَتْ بِكم تَعزِيَةُ شَفَتَيَّ

إِذا تَكَلَّمتُ لم يَسكُنْ وَجَعي أَو صَمَتُّ فهَل يَبرَحُني؟

لقَد أَجهَدَني الآن فإِنَّكَ رَوَّعتَ جماعَتي كُلَّها

حَفَرتَ لي غُضونًا تَشهَدُ علَيَّ هُزالي يَقومُ علَيَّ ويَشهَدُ في وَجْهي

مَزَّقني غَضَبُه وهاجَمَني صَرَفَ علَيَّ بِأَسْنانِه وعَدُوِّي حَدَّدَ عَينَيه علَيَّ

فَغَروا علَيَّ أَفْواهَهم ولَطَموا خَدِّي تَعْييرًا وتَجَمَّعوا علَيَّ جُملَةً

أَسلَمَني اللهُ إلى الظَّالِم وبَينَ أَيدي الأَشْرارِ أَلْقاني

كُنتُ في هُدوءٍ فهَشَّمَني أَخَذَ بِقَفايَ فحَطَّمَني ونَصَبَني هَدَفًا لَه

تَكتَنِفُني سِهامُه يَشُقُّ بِها كُلَيتَيَّ ولا يُشفِق ويُريقُ مَرارتي على الأَرْض

يَفْتَحُ فِيَّ ثُغرَةً على ثُغرَة ويَهجُمُ علَيَّ هُجومَ الجَبَّار

لقَد لَفَّقتُ على جِلْدي مِسْحًا ومَرَّغتُ في التُّرابِ جَبْهَتي

إِحمَرَّ وَجْهي مِنَ البُكاء وغَشِيَ جَفنَيَّ ظِلالُ المَوت

على أَنَّ يَدَيَّ لا عُنفَ فيهِما وصَلاتي طاهِرَة

أَيَّتُها الأَرضُ لا تَستُري دَمي ولا يَكُنْ لِصُراخي قَرار

لِي مُنذُ الآنَ شاهِدٌ في السَّماء ومُحامٍ عَنِّي في الأَعالي

إِنَّ السَّاخِرينَ مِنِّي هم أَصدِقائي ولٰكِن إِلى اللهِ تَفيضُ عَينايَ

فليُدافِعْ هو عن رَجُلٍ في صِراعٍ مع الله كما يُدافِعُ ٱبنُ بَشَرٍ عن صَديقِه

فإِنَّ سَنَواتي المَعْدودَةَ تَمْضي فأَركَبُ طَريقًا لا أَعودُ مِنه

Then Job answered,

“I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters!

Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul’s place, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you,

but I would strengthen you with my mouth. The solace of my lips would relieve you.

“Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?

But now, God, you have surely worn me out. You have made all my company desolate.

You have shriveled me up. This is a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me. It testifies to my face.

He has torn me in his wrath and persecuted me. He has gnashed on me with his teeth. My adversary sharpens his eyes on me.

They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.

God delivers me to the ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked.

I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.

His archers surround me. He splits my kidneys apart, and does not spare. He pours out my bile on the ground.

He breaks me with breach on breach. He runs at me like a giant.

I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, and have thrust my horn in the dust.

My face is red with weeping. Deep darkness is on my eyelids,

although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

“Earth, don’t cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.

Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven. He who vouches for me is on high.

My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God,

that he would maintain the right of a man with God, of a son of man with his neighbor!

For when a few years have come, I will go the way of no return.