約伯記 12
1 約伯回答說：
Then Job answered and said:
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!
No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die with you!
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 have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not 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 become a laughing-stock to my friend, —I who call upon God, that he would answer me! The innocent and upright man is held in derision.
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。
To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
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 in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
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；
For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
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 instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
9 牠們中有誰不知道：是天主的手創造了這一切﹖
Who among all these doth not know That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things?
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。
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And 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﹖
Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
12 白髮老人是有智慧的，年紀大者是有見識的；
With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
13 但智慧和能力同在天主內，智慧與見識是天主所有。
With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
14 他若拆毀，人不能再建；他若拘禁，人不得開釋。
Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 他若制水，水便乾涸；他若放水，水便沖毀大地。
Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they lay waste the earth.
16 力量與才能，為他所有；受騙者與騙人者，都屬於他。
With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 他使謀士糊塗，使判官愚蠢；
He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
18 他解除君王所繫的玉帶，將繩索捆在他們的腰間；
He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 他使司祭赤足而行，推倒掌握大權者；
He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 奪去忠貞者的辯才，剝去年老者的理智：
He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 使貴人備受侮辱，使勇士的腰帶鬆弛；
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 使隱秘的事由暗處彰顯，使黑暗進入光明；
He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 使邦國興起而又滅亡，使民族強大而又消散；
He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
24 剝去國君的理智，使他們漂泊於無路的荒野中，
He taketh away the understanding of the great men of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where is no path;
25 在無光的黑暗中摸索，踉蹌猶如醉漢。
They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
