< 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, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves 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。
Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 另有些人將孤兒從母懷中搶去,剝去窮人的衣服作抵押,
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
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。
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
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。
They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 兇手黎明即起,去殺害困苦和貧窮的人,夜間去作盜賊。
The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
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。
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
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 they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not 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 morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
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。
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
19 亢旱酷暑怎樣溶盡雪水,陰府也怎樣將罪犯吸去。 (Sheol )
Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned. (Sheol )
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 womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
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。
He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure 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。
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their 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。
They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 是否如此﹖誰能證明我說謊,誰能以我的話為荒誕﹖
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?