< 約伯記 2 >

1 又有一天,天主的眾子都前來侍立在上主面前,撒殫也夾在他們當中,侍立在上主面前。
Again, on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh.
2 上主向撒殫說:「你從那裏來﹖」撒殫回答上主說:「我走遍了世界,周遊了各地回來。」
Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
3 上主對撒殫說:「你曾留心注意到我的僕人約伯嗎﹖世上沒有一個像他那樣十全十美,生性正直,敬畏天主,遠避邪惡的人。你雖然激動我加害他,無端叫他傾家蕩產,但他依然保持自己的完善。」
Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”
4 撒殫回答上主說:「那只不過是以皮換皮罷了! 人都肯捨棄所有,去保全自己的性命。
Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5 但是,你若伸手打擊他的骨和肉,他必定當面詛咒你。」
But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”
6 上主向撒殫說:「看,任你處置他,但要保留他的性命。」
Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.”
7 撒殫從上主那裏出來,就使約伯從足踵到頭頂都長了毒瘡。
So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head.
8 約伯坐在灰土堆中,用瓦片刮身。
He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.
9 他的妻子向他說:「你還保持你的完善嗎﹖你倒不如詛咒天主,死了算了! 」
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.”
10 約伯向她說:「你說話,真像一個糊塗女人! 難道我們只由天主那裏接受恩惠,而不接受災禍嗎﹖」就這一切事而論,約伯沒有犯失言的過錯。
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.
11 約伯的三位朋友,特曼人厄里法次、叔亞人彼耳達得、納阿瑪人左法爾,聽說他遭遇了災禍,就各從本地起程,來到一起,去慰問他、勸勉他,
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
12 他們從遠處舉目一望,已認不得他,就放聲大哭,撕破了自己的外衣,把灰揚起,落在自己頭上。
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
13 他們於是同他在灰土中,坐了七天七夜,因見他受苦太大,沒有人敢向他說一句話。
So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

< 約伯記 2 >