Job 35

1 And Elihu made answer and said,

厄里烏又接著說：

2 Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

你說過：「我在天主前是正義的。」你想這話合理嗎﹖

3 What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?

你還說過：「這與你何干﹖我若犯罪，我對你做了什麼﹖」

4 I will make answer to you and to your friends:

我今答覆你，以及和你在一起的友人。

5 Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

請你仰視上天，且要靜觀，細看高於你的蒼天。

6 If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?

你若犯罪，為他有什麼害處﹖你若作惡多端，又能加害他什麼﹖

7 If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

如果你為人正義，為他又有何益﹖或者他由你手中獲得什麼﹖

8 Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

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。

9 Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.

人因受暴虐過甚，必要哀號；因受強權的壓迫，必要呼籲。

10 But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

但是沒有人說：「那造成我們，使人夜間歡唱，

11 Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?

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﹖」

12 There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

他們雖呼喊，天主卻不答應，這是因為惡人傲慢的原故。

13 But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

他們空喊亂叫，天主決不俯聽，全能者決不垂視。

14 How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.

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!」

15 And now ...;

你還說過：「他沒有發怒施罰，似乎不很理會罪過。」

16 And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.

的確，約伯開口盡說空話；由於無知，說了許多妄言。