القراءة بلغتين

وعادَ أَيُّوبُ إِلى ضَربِ مَثَلِه فقال

«مَن لي بِمِثلِ الشُّهورِ السَّالِفة ومِثْلِ الأَيَّامِ الَّتي كانَ اللهُ فيها حافِظي

حينَ كانَ مِصْباحُه يُضيءُ على رأسي فأَسلُكُ الظُّلمَةَ في نورِه

حينَ كُنتُ في أَيَّامِ خَريفي وكانَ اللهُ يُجالِسُني في خَيمَتي

والقَديرُ لم يَزَلْ معي وصِبيَتي يُحيطونَ بي

وأَغسِلُ قَدَمَيَّ بِاللَّبَنِ الحَليب والصَّخرُ يُفيضُ لي أَنْهارًا مِنَ الزَّيت

وأَخرُجُ إِلى بابِ المَدينة وأَتَّخِذُ في السَّاحَةِ مَجلِسي

يَراني الشُّبَّانُ فيَتَوارَون والشُّيوخُ يَقِفونَ مُنتَصِبين

الأَعْيانُ يُمسِكُونَ عنِ الكَلام ويَجعَلونَ أَيدِيَهم على أَفْواهِهم

يَتَخافَتُ صَوتُ الرُّؤَساء وتَلصَقُ أَلسِنَتُهم بِأَحناكِهم

وإِذا سَمِعَتني أُذُنٌ هَنَّأَتْني وإِذا رأَتْني عَينٌ شَهِدَت لي

لِأَنِّي كُنتُ أُنَجِّي المِسْكينَ المُستَغيث واليَتيمَ الَّذي لا مُعينَ لَه

فتَحِلُّ علَيَّ بَرَكَةُ المائِت وأَجعَلُ قَلبَ الأَرمَلَةِ يَتَهَلَّل

لَبِستُ البِرَّ فكانَ لِباسي وكانَ حَقِّي حُلَّةً وتاجًا لي

كُنتُ عَينًا لِلأَعْمى ورِجلًا لِلأَعرَج

وكُنتُ أَبًا لِلمساكين أَستَقْصي قَضِيَّةَ مَن لم أَعرِفْه

وأُحَطِّمُ أَنْيابَ الظَّالِم وأَنزِعُ فَريسَتَه مِن بَينِ أَسْنانِه

وكُنتُ أَقولُ إِنِّي سأَموتُ في عُشِّي وكالرَّملِ أَزْدادُ أَيَّامًا

وجُذوري مُنفَتِحةٌ على المِياه والنَّدى يَبيتُ على أَغْصاني

وقد تَجَدَّدَ مَجْدي لَدَيَّ وٱزْدادَت قَوسي قُوَّةً في يَدي

يَستَمِعونَ لي مُنتَظِرين ويُنصِتونَ لِمَشورَتي

وعلى كَلامي لا يَزيدون وأَقْوالي تَقطُرُ علَيهم

يَنتَظِرونَني كَما يُنتَظَرُ الغَيث ويَفتَحونَ أَفْواهَهم كأَنِّي مُتَأَخِّرُ المَطَر

أَبتَسِمُ لَهم فلا يُصَدِّقون ولا يَفوتُهم نورُ وَجْهي

أَخْتارُ طَريقَهم فأَجلِسُ في الصَّدْر وأَحِلُّ حلولَ المَلِكِ مِنَ الجَيش والمُعَزِّي مِنَ المَحْزونين

Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

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

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

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

The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,

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

the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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

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

I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.

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

Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.

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

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

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

After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

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

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