約伯記 12
1 約伯回答說：
Then Job answered:
2 的確，只有你們是有知識的子民；那麼，你們一死，智慧也與你們一同喪亡!
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
3 其實，我和你們有同樣的心理，我並不亞於你們! 誰不知道這些事﹖
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
4 我這呼籲天主而蒙應允的人，卻被他的友人所嘲笑，無辜的義人卻成了笑柄。
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
5 幸運的人心想：遭難的人應受蔑視，失足的人應再予以打擊。
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 但是，強盜的帳幕竟能安全，觸怒天主的人，以勢力為神的人卻享平安。
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
7 請你詢問走獸，牠們也會開導你；詢問天上的飛鳥，牠們也會告訴你；
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 地上的爬蟲也會教訓你，海中的魚族也會給你說明。
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 牠們中有誰不知道：是天主的手創造了這一切﹖
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 因為一切活物的生魂，一切血肉之人的靈魂，都握在他手中。
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
11 耳朵不是為明辨言語，口腔不是為辨嘗食物嗎﹖
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
12 白髮老人是有智慧的，年紀大者是有見識的；
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13 但智慧和能力同在天主內，智慧與見識是天主所有。
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14 他若拆毀，人不能再建；他若拘禁，人不得開釋。
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 他若制水，水便乾涸；他若放水，水便沖毀大地。
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
16 力量與才能，為他所有；受騙者與騙人者，都屬於他。
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 他使謀士糊塗，使判官愚蠢；
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
18 他解除君王所繫的玉帶，將繩索捆在他們的腰間；
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 他使司祭赤足而行，推倒掌握大權者；
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
20 奪去忠貞者的辯才，剝去年老者的理智：
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 使貴人備受侮辱，使勇士的腰帶鬆弛；
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
22 使隱秘的事由暗處彰顯，使黑暗進入光明；
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
23 使邦國興起而又滅亡，使民族強大而又消散；
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
24 剝去國君的理智，使他們漂泊於無路的荒野中，
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
25 在無光的黑暗中摸索，踉蹌猶如醉漢。
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
