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.
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。
