約伯記 4

1 特曼人厄里法次開始說：

Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,

2 人若和你講話，你能忍受嗎﹖但誰又能忍住不說﹖

Hast you been often spoken to in distress? but who shall endure the force of your words?

3 看，你曾勸戒過許多人，堅固過軟弱無能的人；

For whereas you have instructed many, and have strengthened the hands of the weak one,

4 你的話扶起了跌倒的人，堅固了膝弱無力的人；

and have supported the failing with words, and have imparted courage to feeble knees.

5 但是現今災禍一臨於你，你就萎靡不振；一接觸你，你就沮喪失意。

Yet now [that] pain has come upon you, and touched you, you are troubled.

6 你敬畏天主之情，豈不是你的依靠﹖你完善的行為，豈不是你的希望﹖

Is not your fear [founded] in folly, your hope also, and the mischief of your way?

7 請想：那有無辜者喪亡﹖那有正直者消逝﹖

Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?

8 照我所見：那播種邪惡的，必收邪惡；散佈毒害的，必收毒害。

Accordingly as I have seen men ploughing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.

9 天主一噓氣，他們即滅亡；一發怒氣，他們即消失。

They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath of his wrath.

10 獅吼豹嗥完全止息，幼獅的牙齒也被打碎；

The strength of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the exulting cry of serpents are quenched.

11 壯獅因缺獵物而滅絕，牝獅幼子各自東西離散。

The old lion has perished for lack of food, and the lions' whelps have forsaken one another.

12 我竊聽到一句話，我耳聽見細語聲。

But if there had been any truth in your words, none of these evils would have befallen you. Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?

13 當人沉睡時，夜夢多幻象；

But [as when] terror falls upon men, with dread and a sound in the night,

14 我恐怖戰慄，全身骨頭發抖。

horror and trembling seized me, and caused all my bones greatly to shake.

15 寒風掠過我面，使我毛髮悚然。

And a spirit came before my face; and my hair and flesh quivered.

16 他停立不動，但我不能辨其形狀；我面前出現形影，我聽見細微的聲音：

I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there, was no form before my eyes: but I only heard a breath and a voice, [saying],

17 人豈能在天主前自以為義﹖在造他者前，自以為潔﹖

What, shall a mortal be pure before the Lord? or a man be blameless in regard to his works?

18 看，他的僕役，他還不信；他的使者，他還歸罪，

Whereas he trust not in his servants, and perceives perverseness in his angels.

19 何況那以泥屋為居所，以塵土為基礎的人! 他們為人踐踏，有如蠹蟲；

But [as for] them that dwell in houses of clay, of whom we also are formed of the same clay, he smites them like a moth.

20 晨昏間即化為齏粉，永遠消亡而無人一顧。

And from the morning to evening they no longer exist: they have perished, because they can’t help themselves.

21 幕索如已自斷，他們豈不是因缺少智慧而死亡﹖

For he blows upon them, and they are withered: they have perished for lack of wisdom.