约伯的回答
1约伯回答说：
2“你们真是什么都懂的人啊，
你们死了，智慧也会消逝！
3但我也有心智，不比你们逊色。
你们说的，谁不知道？
4我这求告上帝并蒙祂应允的人竟成了朋友的笑柄，
我这公义纯全的人竟成了笑柄。
5安逸的人心中藐视灾祸，
常常藐视那些滑倒的人。
6强盗的帐篷太平，
冒犯上帝、手捧神像的人安稳。
7“你去问走兽，它们会指教你；
问天上的飞禽，它们会告诉你；
8向大地讨教，大地会指教你，
或让海中的鱼为你阐明。
9它们当中哪个不知这是耶和华所为？
10所有生灵都在祂手中，
世人的气息也不例外。
11舌头岂不品尝食物，
耳朵岂不辨别话语？
12智慧与老人相伴，
知识与长者为伍。
13“上帝有智慧和权能，
谋略和知识属于祂。
14祂拆毁的，无法重建；
祂囚禁的，无法获释。
15祂拦住水源，便有干旱；
祂放开水源，大地被淹没。
16祂充满力量和智慧。
骗子和受骗者都在祂权下。
17祂使谋士赤身被掳，
使审判官愚拙不堪。
18祂除去君王的腰带，
在他们腰间绑上囚索。
19祂使祭司赤身被掳，
祂推翻久握大权者。
20祂夺去智者的口才，
祂拿走长者的洞见。
21祂使权贵倍受羞辱，
祂除掉强者的权势。
22祂揭露黑暗中的奥秘，
祂把幽暗带入光明中。
23祂使列国兴起又灭亡，
祂使列国扩张又崩溃。
24祂夺去世人首领的心智，
使他们在无路的荒野流浪。
25他们在无光的黑暗中摸索，
像醉汉般踉踉跄跄。
Job’s Reply
1Job replied,
2“You people think you are the only ones who matter!
You are sure that wisdom will die with you!
3But I have a brain, just like you.
I’m as clever as you are.
In fact, everyone knows as much as you do.
4“My friends laugh at me all the time,
even though I called out to God and he answered.
My friends laugh at me,
even though I’m honest and right.
5People who have an easy life look down on those who have problems.
They think trouble comes only to those whose feet are slipping.
6Why doesn’t anyone bother the tents of robbers?
Why do those who make God angry remain secure?
They are in God’s hands!
7“But ask the animals what God does.
They will teach you.
Or ask the birds in the sky.
They will tell you.
8Or speak to the earth. It will teach you.
Or let the fish in the ocean educate you.
9Are there any of these creatures that don’t know
what the powerful hand of the Lord has done?
10He holds the life of every creature in his hand.
He controls the breath of every human being.
11Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn’t.
And our ears tell us what’s true and what isn’t.
12Old people are wise.
Those who live a long time have understanding.
13“Wisdom and power belong to God.
Advice and understanding also belong to him.
14What he tears down can’t be rebuilt.
The people he puts in prison can’t be set free.
15If he holds back the water, everything dries up.
If he lets the water loose, it floods the land.
16Strength and understanding belong to him.
Those who tell lies and those who believe them also belong to him.
17He removes the wisdom of rulers and leads them away.
He makes judges look foolish.
18He sets people free from the chains that kings put on them.
Then he dresses the kings in the clothes of slaves.
19He removes the authority of priests and leads them away.
He removes from their positions
officials who have been in control for a long time.
20He shuts the mouths of trusted advisers.
He takes away the understanding of elders.
21He looks down on proud leaders.
He takes away the strength of those who are mighty.
22He tells people the secrets of darkness.
He brings total darkness out into the light.
23He makes nations great, and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow, and then he scatters them.
24He takes away the understanding of the leaders of the earth.
He makes them wander in a desert where no one lives.
25Without any light, they feel their way along in darkness.
God makes them unsteady like those who get drunk.
