約伯的回答
1約伯回答說：
2「你們真是什麼都懂的人啊，
你們死了，智慧也會消逝！
3但我也有心智，不比你們遜色。
你們說的，誰不知道？
4我這求告上帝並蒙祂應允的人竟成了朋友的笑柄，
我這公義純全的人竟成了笑柄。
5安逸的人心中藐視災禍，
常常藐視那些滑倒的人。
6強盜的帳篷太平，
冒犯上帝、手捧神像的人安穩。
7「你去問走獸，牠們會指教你；
問天上的飛禽，牠們會告訴你；
8向大地討教，大地會指教你，
或讓海中的魚為你闡明。
9牠們當中哪個不知這是耶和華所為？
10所有生靈都在祂手中，
世人的氣息也不例外。
11舌頭豈不品嚐食物，
耳朵豈不辨別話語？
12智慧與老人相伴，
知識與長者為伍。
13「上帝有智慧和權能，
謀略和知識屬於祂。
14祂拆毀的，無法重建；
祂囚禁的，無法獲釋。
15祂攔住水源，便有乾旱；
祂放開水源，大地被淹沒。
16祂充滿力量和智慧。
騙子和受騙者都在祂權下。
17祂使謀士赤身被擄，
使審判官愚拙不堪。
18祂除去君王的腰帶，
在他們腰間綁上囚索。
19祂使祭司赤身被擄，
祂推翻久握大權者。
20祂奪去智者的口才，
祂拿走長者的洞見。
21祂使權貴倍受羞辱，
祂除掉強者的權勢。
22祂揭露黑暗中的奧秘，
祂把幽暗帶入光明中。
23祂使列國興起又滅亡，
祂使列國擴張又崩潰。
24祂奪去世人首領的心智，
使他們在無路的荒野流浪。
25他們在無光的黑暗中摸索，
像醉漢般踉踉蹌蹌。
Job
1Then Job replied:
2“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!
3But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
4“I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called on God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6The tents of marauders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those God has in his hand.12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
7“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
11Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
12Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
13“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
15If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
17He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
18He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt around their waist.
19He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
20He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
22He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
23He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.
