約伯記 24
1 全能者為何不劃定一個期限呢﹖忠於他的人為何看不到他的日子﹖
Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?
2 惡人挪移地界，搶去羊群自去牧放；
The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
3 趕走孤兒的驢，拿去寡婦的牛作抵押；
They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
4 迫使窮人離開正路，使境內的貧民隱藏不露。
The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
5 看啊! 他們像曠野的野驢，出來尋覓食物；他們縱使到晚操作，卻找不到養子女的食物。
Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.
6 夜間遂到田間去收割，到惡人的葡萄園中去摘取。
They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
7 赤身過宿，無衣蔽體；嚴寒之時，沒有舖蓋。
They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
8 在山中為暴雨淋透，因無處避身，而臥於磐石下。
They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
9 另有些人將孤兒從母懷中搶去，剝去窮人的衣服作抵押，
The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
10 致使他們無衣赤身行走，枵腹擔荷麥捆；
Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
11 在石槽中搾油、踐踏，反受口渴之苦。
Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
12 臨死者的呻吟，聲聞城外；負傷者呼求救援，天主卻不理會他們的哀求。
From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.
13 另有些人反抗光明，不認識光明的道路，更不走光明的途徑。
Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
14 兇手黎明即起，去殺害困苦和貧窮的人，夜間去作盜賊。
He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
15 姦夫的眼盼望黃昏，他心裏說：「沒有眼可看見我! 」就將自己的臉遮蔽起來。
And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;
16 竊賊夜間挖穿屋牆，白日將自己關起，不願看見光明，
In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.
17 因為早晨對這班人有如死影，他們已熟悉了黑暗的恐怖。
For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
18 他們輕如水萍，隨波逐流，地上的家業已被詛咒，榨酒者不再走入他們的葡萄園。
They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.
Snow waters become dry with the heat: so do sinners go down into the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
20 懷孕他的要忘掉他，蛆蟲要腐蝕他，人不再記念他，邪惡如樹一般被人砍倒。
The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree.
21 他欺壓了不生育的石女，沒有善待寡婦。
He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
22 然而天主將以威力擄獲強者，他必興起，使他們不能保存生命。
But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
23 雖暫時讓他們平安休息，但他的眼正監視著他們的行徑。
He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
24 他們居於高位，不久即不見了；他們必喪亡，有如鹹草；必被剪去，猶如麥穗。
For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 是否如此﹖誰能證明我說謊，誰能以我的話為荒誕﹖
And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
