約伯記 20

1 納阿瑪人左法爾答覆說：

Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —

2 因我的思潮起伏，叫我答覆，為此我內心十分急躁。

Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:

3 斥責辱罵我的話，我已聽到，我的理智催迫我答覆。

The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.

4 你豈不知道，自古以來，自從世上有人以來，

Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —

5 惡人的歡欣決不久長，無神者的喜樂瞬息即逝﹖

That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?

6 他的驕傲雖高頂蒼天，他的頭雖插入青雲，

Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,

7 但他必像幻像，永歸無有；見過他的人必說：「他那裏去了﹖」

Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?

8 他又像夢境消散，無蹟可尋；又像夜夢，消失無蹤。

Like a dream, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night.

9 見過他的眼，再也見不到他；他的住所，再也不認識他。

The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:

10 他的兒子要賠償窮人的損害，他要親手把財物交還。

His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.

11 他的骨骸雖富有魄力，但要同他一起埋於塵埃。

His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.

12 邪惡在他口中雖覺甘甜，藏在他的舌下，

Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;

13 他雖愛惜不捨，久久含在口中；

Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,

14 但那食物在他腹中要起變化，在他五內要變成蛇的毒汁。

His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!

15 他併吞的財富，必要吐出，天主必使之由他腹中嘔出。

Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:

16 他原吸入了蛇的毒汁，毒蛇的舌頭必將他殺死。

The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;

17 他不得觀賞油流如溪，也看不到那流蜜流奶的小河。

Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.

18 他勞力之所得，應該退還，不得吞下；賺來的財富，不得享用。

In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!

19 因為它壓搾了窮人，使他們無依；強佔了人家的房屋，不得再建。

For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.

20 因為他口腹之慾總不知足，他所喜愛之物，也救不了他。

Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:

21 沒有什麼能逃脫他的吞噬，他的幸福決不久長。

Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:

22 他財產富足時，卻不免拮据，各種的困苦齊集他身。

When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.

23 當他肚腹飽滿時，天主的怒火突然降到，箭如雨點射在他身上。

It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain [it] upon him for his punishment.

24 他逃避過鐵器，銅矢必將他射穿。

He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!

25 一箭由他的脊背穿透，光亮的箭矢由他的膽囊穿出，死亡的恐怖已落在他身上。

He hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, —yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him—terrors:

26 層層黑暗留作他的寶藏，非人燃起的火要焚燒他，吞盡留在他帳幕的人。

Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth in his tent:

27 天要彰顯他的罪惡，地也起來攻擊他。

The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:

28 洪水沖走他的住宅，在天主義怒之日要全被沖去。

The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.

29 這是惡人由天主所應得的一份，是天主為他所注定的產業。

This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.