約伯記 22
1 特曼人厄里法次接著說：
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 人為天主能有什麼益處﹖明智人只能於一己有益。
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
3 縱然你公正，對全能者有什麼好處﹖縱然你品行齊全，對天主有什麼利益﹖
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 他豈能因你敬畏之心而責斥你，拉你來聽審﹖
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 豈不是因為你罪惡多端，罪過無窮﹖
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
6 因為你無理地強取了你兄弟的抵押，剝去了人的衣服，使之赤裸；
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 口渴的人，你沒有給他水喝；饑餓的人，你沒有給他飯吃；
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 讓強有力的人佔有土地，讓尊貴體面的人住在其中；
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 卻使寡婦空手而歸，折斷孤兒的手臂；
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 因此羅網要四面圍困你，恐嚇突降，使你驚惶。
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 光明變成黑暗，使你毫無所見；洪水漫漫，將你淹沒。
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
12 天主豈不是居於高天﹖看，最高的星辰何其高遠﹖
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 你曾說過：「天主知道什麼﹖他豈能透過黑雲施行審判﹖
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
14 雲彩遮蔽著他，使他看不到什麼，而他只在天邊周圍遊行。」
Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 你豈要固守惡人所蹈的故轍﹖
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 尚未到時，他們已被攫去，大水沖去了他們的基礎。
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
17 他們曾向天主說：「離開我們! 全能者能為我們作什麼﹖」
Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?
18 他原來是以福利充滿了他們的家，可是惡人的思想離他很遠。
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 義人見了就歡樂，無罪者也譏笑他們說：「
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 的確，他們的財富已被消滅，他門所剩餘的皆被火焚毀。」
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 請你與他親善和好，藉此你的幸福必的恢復。
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 請你領受他口中的教訓，將他的話存在心中。
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
23 如果你歸向全能者，你必興起；你若使邪惡離開你的帳幕，
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 視金子如塵埃，視敖非爾金如溪石，
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 全能者必作為你的精金，作為你的銀堆。
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 那時你必以全能者為喜樂，向天主仰起你的頭來。
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 那時你祈求他，他必應允你；你可向他還你的誓願。
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 你決定的事，事必成就；光明要照耀你的道路，
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 因為他壓伏驕傲的人，拯救低首下心的人。
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 他必解救無罪的人；你若手中清廉，你必獲救。
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
