< 約伯記 4 >

1 特曼人厄里法次開始說:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 人若和你講話,你能忍受嗎﹖但誰又能忍住不說﹖
Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?
3 看,你曾勸戒過許多人,堅固過軟弱無能的人;
Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.
4 你的話扶起了跌倒的人,堅固了膝弱無力的人;
The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
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。
But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art 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 thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?
7 請想:那有無辜者喪亡﹖那有正直者消逝﹖
Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
8 照我所見:那播種邪惡的,必收邪惡;散佈毒害的,必收毒害。
As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
9 天主一噓氣,他們即滅亡;一發怒氣,他們即消失。
From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
10 獅吼豹嗥完全止息,幼獅的牙齒也被打碎;
The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
11 壯獅因缺獵物而滅絕,牝獅幼子各自東西離散。
An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.
12 我竊聽到一句話,我耳聽見細語聲。
And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.
13 當人沉睡時,夜夢多幻象;
In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
14 我恐怖戰慄,全身骨頭發抖。
Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
15 寒風掠過我面,使我毛髮悚然。
And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;
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:
It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
17 人豈能在天主前自以為義﹖在造他者前,自以為潔﹖
'Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?
18 看,他的僕役,他還不信;他的使者,他還歸罪,
Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'
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;
Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)
20 晨昏間即化為齏粉,永遠消亡而無人一顧。
From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.
21 幕索如已自斷,他們豈不是因缺少智慧而死亡﹖
Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!

< 約伯記 4 >