القراءة بلغتين

فَأَجَابَ بِلْدَدُ الشُّوحِيُّ وَقَالَ:

«إِلى متى أَنتَ تَنطِقُ بِمِثْلِ هٰذا وأَقْوالُ فَمِكَ كريحٍ عاصفة؟

أَلعَلَّ اللهَ يُحَرِّفُ القَضاء أَمِ القَديرُ يُحَرِّفُ العَدْل؟

إِن كانَ بَنوكَ قد خَطِئوا إِلَيه فقَد أَسلَمَهم إِلى يَدِ مَعصِيَتِهم

أَمَّا أَنتَ فإِن بَكَرتَ إِلى الله وٱلتَمَستَ رَحمَةَ القَدير

وكُنتَ طاهِرًا مُستَقيمًا فإِنَّه يَسهَرُ علَيكَ ويُعيدُكَ إِلى مَقَرِّ بِرِّكَ

فَتَكونُ حالَتُكَ الأُولى وَضيعةً وَتَكونُ حالَتُكَ الأَخيرةُ مُزدَهِرَة

إِسأَلِ الأَجْيالَ السَّالِفة أَصْغِ إِلى خِبرَةِ آبائِهم

فإِنَّنا نَحنُ بَنو أَمْسِ ولا عِلمَ لَنا إِنَّما أَيَّامُنا ظِلٌّ على الأَرْض

أَمَّا هم فيُعَلِّمونَكَ ويُكَلِّمونَكَ ومِن قُلوبِهم يُخرِجونَ أَقْوالًا

أَيَنْمو البَرْدِيُّ مِن غَيرِ المُستَنقَع أَم تَنشَأُ الأَسَلَةُ حَيثُ لا مِياه؟

مع أَنَّه يَخضَرُّ ولا يُقطَع يَذْوي قَبلَ سائِرِ النَّبات

كذٰلك تَكونُ سُبُلُ مَن يَنْسى الله وأَمَلُ الكافِرِ يَزول

تَتَقَطَّعُ ثِقَتُه بِنَفسِه وأَمانُه بَيتُ عَنكَبوت

يَستَنِدُ إِلى بَيتِه ولَيسَ بِثابِت ويَتَمَسَّكُ بِه وهو غَيرُ قائِم

إِنَّما هو شَجَرَةٌ تَخضَرُّ تُجاهَ الشَّمْس وتَنبَسِطُ أَغْصانُها على بُسْتانِها

وتَشْتَبِكُ عُروقُها في الحَصى وتَتَوَغَّلُ في جَوفِ الصُّخور

ولٰكِنَّها إِذا ٱستُؤصِلَت مِن مَكانِها أَنكَرَها قائلًا: لم أَرَكِ قَطّ

ذٰلك سُرورُ مَصيرها ومِن تُربَتِها تَنشَأُ أُخْرى

فاللهُ لا يَرذُلُ الكامِل ولا يأخُذُ بِأَيدي المُجرِمين

إِلى أَن يَملأَ فَمَكَ ضَحِكًا وشَفَتَيكَ تَهَلُّلًا

ويُكْسى مُبغِضوكَ خَجَلًا وخَيمَةُ الأَشْرارِ لا تَكون»

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

“How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.

If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

“Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.)

Shall they not teach you, tell you, and utter words out of their heart?

“Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?

While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.

So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,

whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.

He will lean on his house, but it will not stand. He will cling to it, but it will not endure.

He is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.

His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.

If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

Behold, this is the joy of his way. Out of the earth, others will spring.

“Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.

He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.”