< Job 38 >
1 And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],
上主由旋風中向約伯發言說:
2 Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?
用無知的話,使我的計劃模糊不明的是誰﹖
3 Gird your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.
你要像勇士束好你的腰,我要問你,請指教我!
4 Where was you when I founded the earth? tell me now, if you have knowledge,
我奠定大地的基礎時,你在那裏﹖你若聰明,儘管說罷!
5 who set the measures of it, if you know? or who stretched a line upon it?
你知道是誰制定了地的度量,是誰在地上拉了準繩﹖
6 On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?
地的基礎置在何處,是誰立了地的角石﹖
7 When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.
當時星辰一起歌詠,天主的眾子同聲歡呼!
8 And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother's womb.
海水洶湧如出母胎時,是誰用門將海關閉﹖
9 And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.
是我用雲彩作海的衣裳,用濃霧作海的襁褓。
10 And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.
是我給海劃定了界限,設立了門和閂,
11 And I said to it, Hitherto shall you come, but you shall not go beyond, but your waves shall be confined within you.
並下令說:「你到此為止,不得越過;你的狂潮到此為止。」
12 Or did I order the morning light in your time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;
你有生之日,何嘗給晨光出過命令,又何嘗使曙光知道它之所在﹖
13 to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?
何嘗使光握緊大地四角,將惡人從那裏抖出去﹖
14 Or did you take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?
曙光改變大地,如在膠泥上蓋印;使萬物出現,如著錦衣;
15 And have you removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?
撤去惡人的光明,折斷高舉的手。
16 Or have you gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?
你曾否到過海的源流,走過深淵的底處﹖
17 And do the gates of death open to you for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw you? ()
死亡的門給你開啟過嗎﹖你見過死影之門嗎﹖
18 And have you been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?
你知道大地的廣闊嗎﹖你若知道,請你說罷!
19 And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?
赴光明之所的路是那一條,黑暗的住處在那裏﹖
20 If you could bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also you know their paths;
你知道如何引導黑暗到自己的境地,領黑暗回到自己居所的道路上嗎﹖
21 I know then that you were born at that time, and the number of your years is great.
你總該知道,因為你那時已誕生了,而你的年歲已很高。
22 But have you gone to the treasures of snow? and have you seen the treasures of hail?
你到過雪庫,見過雹倉嗎﹖
23 And is there a store [of them], for you against the time of [your] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?
那是我為降災之時,為戰爭之日所存放的。
24 And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?
雲霧由那條路散開,東風由那條路吹往大地﹖
25 And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;
誰為暴雨啟開閘門,誰為雷電指示道路,
26 to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],
好使雨落在無人之境,降在無人的荒野,
27 and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
為潤澤荒野乾旱之地,好使原野中的綠草生長﹖
28 Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?
雨有父親嗎﹖誰生了露珠﹖
29 And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,
冰出自誰的胎﹖天上的霜是誰生的﹖
30 which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?
水怎樣凝結如石﹖深淵的表面怎樣固結﹖
31 And do you understand the band of Pleias, and have you opened the barrier of Orion?
你豈能栓住昂宿的紐結,解開參星的繩索﹖
32 Or will you reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Will you guide them?
你豈能使晨星按時升出,引導北斗和它的星群﹖
33 And know you the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?
你豈知道天體的定律,立定天律以管治大地﹖
34 And will you call a cloud with your voice, and will it obey you with a violent shower of much rain?
你豈能使你的聲音上達雲霄,使雨水沛然降在你處﹖
35 And will you send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to you, What is [your pleasure]?
你能否一發令,閃電就發出,且向你說:「我們在這裏﹖」
36 And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?
誰將聰明給與鸛鳥,將智慧賦與雄雞﹖
37 And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?
誰能憑智力數清雲彩,能傾倒天上的水囊﹖
38 For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.
當土壤堅固,泥塊凝結之時,
39 And will you hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?
你是否能為牝獅獵取食物,滿足幼獅的食慾﹖
40 For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.
當獅子伏於洞穴,臥於叢林埋伏的時候,
41 And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.
當雛鴉無食,往還飛翔,向天主哀鳴的時候,誰能為烏鴉備食﹖