Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
約伯答覆說：
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
我確實知道事情是這樣，但人怎能同天主講理﹖
3 For if he would enter into judgement with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
人若願意同天主辯論，千個問題中，誰也回答不出一個。
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
雖心中明智，力量強大，但誰能對抗天主，而保平安﹖
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
他可移山，山卻不知；他一發怒，山即翻轉；
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
他振搖大地，使之脫離原處，地柱隨之搖撼震動；
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
他一下令，太陽即不昇起，星辰即封閉不動；
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
惟有他展開天空，步行海波之上；
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
他創造了北斗和參宿，昂星及南極星辰；
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
他所作的大事，不可勝數。
11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
他由我身旁經過，我卻沒有看見；他走過去，我仍沒有發覺。
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
他若搶奪，誰能阻擋﹖誰能問他說：「你作什麼﹖」
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
天主一憤怒，決不收回。為虎作倀的，必屈伏在他以下。
14 Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
如此我怎敢回答，我怎敢措辭與他抗辯﹖
15 For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.
縱然有理，也不敢回答，唯有哀求我的判官開恩。
16 And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
我向他呼求，縱然他答應我，我仍不相信他會聽我的呼聲。
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
他為了一根頭髮而折磨我，無故增加我的創傷；
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
致使我不能喘一口氣，使我飽嘗苦辛。
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?
論力量，他強而有力；論審判，誰能將他傳來﹖
20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
我雖自以為正義，他的口卻判定我有罪；我雖自覺無辜，他卻證明我有偏差。
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
我是無辜的，我已不顧及我的生命，我已厭惡生活下去。
22 Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
因此我說：都是一樣。善人惡人，他一概滅絕。
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
若天災突然降下使人猝死，他便嘲笑無罪者的絕望。
24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, who is it?
大地落在惡人的手裏，蒙蔽判官臉面的，不是他，是誰呢﹖
25 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
我的日月過去比跑信的還快；疾走而過，無福樂可享。
26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
急急駛過，似蘆葦船，如驟降攫食的鷹。
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
我若決意忘掉我的哀怨，改變愁容，表示愉快；
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
但一想到我的痛苦，我就恐怖。我知道你決不以我為無辜。
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
我若是有罪，又何苦白費心血﹖
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
我即便用雪洗我身，用鹹水洗我手，
31 you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
你卻把我浸在泥坑內，甚至我的衣服都憎惡我。
32 For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.
因為他不像我是個人，使我能答覆他，或讓我們同去聽審。
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
在我們中間沒有仲裁，可按手在我們兩造之間。
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
但願他的棍杖遠離我，他的威嚴不要恐嚇我，
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
我好能講話而不害怕；但是如今我並非如此。
