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 not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
2 惡人挪移地界，搶去羊群自去牧放；
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
3 趕走孤兒的驢，拿去寡婦的牛作抵押；
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 迫使窮人離開正路，使境內的貧民隱藏不露。
They push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
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, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
6 夜間遂到田間去收割，到惡人的葡萄園中去摘取。
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 赤身過宿，無衣蔽體；嚴寒之時，沒有舖蓋。
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
8 在山中為暴雨淋透，因無處避身，而臥於磐石下。
They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of 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，
The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 致使他們無衣赤身行走，枵腹擔荷麥捆；
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 在石槽中搾油、踐踏，反受口渴之苦。
They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet 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。
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not 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。
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
14 兇手黎明即起，去殺害困苦和貧窮的人，夜間去作盜賊。
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he 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 of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon 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 break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to 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。
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with 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。
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (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。
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
21 他欺壓了不生育的石女，沒有善待寡婦。
He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, 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 taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one 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。
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; 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; —in a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
25 是否如此﹖誰能證明我說謊，誰能以我的話為荒誕﹖
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
