約伯記 35

1 厄里烏又接著說：

Then Elihu also said this:

2 你說過：「我在天主前是正義的。」你想這話合理嗎﹖

“[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’

3 你還說過：「這與你何干﹖我若犯罪，我對你做了什麼﹖」

and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]

4 我今答覆你，以及和你在一起的友人。

[Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.

5 請你仰視上天，且要靜觀，細看高於你的蒼天。

“[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].

6 你若犯罪，為他有什麼害處﹖你若作惡多端，又能加害他什麼﹖

If you have sinned, that does not [RHQ] harm God at all. If many times you do things that are wrong, that certainly does not [RHQ] affect him [DOU].

7 如果你為人正義，為他又有何益﹖或者他由你手中獲得什麼﹖

And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].

8 你的惡行只能加害與你類似的人，你的正義也只能有益於世人。

It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.

9 人因受暴虐過甚，必要哀號；因受強權的壓迫，必要呼籲。

“People cry out because of the many things that people do to others to (oppress them/treat them cruelly); they call for help because of the things that powerful people do [MTY] to them.

10 但是沒有人說：「那造成我們，使人夜間歡唱，

But (no one/none of them) calls out [to God], saying ‘Why does God, my creator, [not help me]? He [should] enable me to sing [joyful] songs, [instead of very sad songs, ] during the night.

11 使我們比地上的走獸更聰明，使我們比天上的飛鳥更有智慧的天主在那裏﹖」

He [should be able to] teach us more than all the wild animals do; he [should] enable us to become wiser than [all] the birds are!’

12 他們雖呼喊，天主卻不答應，這是因為惡人傲慢的原故。

People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.

13 他們空喊亂叫，天主決不俯聽，全能者決不垂視。

It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.

14 何況你說過：「你看不見他；但你的案件已放在他面前，你應等待他!」

So, when you complain that you cannot see God, and you tell him that you are waiting for him [to decide whether or not you should be punished for what you have done], God will not listen to you, either!

15 你還說過：「他沒有發怒施罰，似乎不很理會罪過。」

Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.

16 的確，約伯開口盡說空話；由於無知，說了許多妄言。

You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”