< Job 29 >

1 And Job continued his parable and said,
約伯繼續他的言論說:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
誰能賜我似以前的歲月,像以往天主護守我的時日呢﹖
3 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;
那時他的燈,光照在我頭上,藉他的光明,我走過黑暗。
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,
惟願我如壯年之時,那時天主護佑我的帳幕;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;
全能者與我相偕,我的子女環繞著我;
6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...
那時我以奶油洗腳,崖石流油成河。
7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,
當我走出城門,在市井設我座位之時,
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;
少年人看見我都迴避,老年人都起身站立;
9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;
王侯停止講話,用手堵住自己的口;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
首領不敢出聲,舌頭緊貼上顎。
11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;
凡有耳聽見我的,必稱我有福;凡有眼看見我的,都必稱讚我。
12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.
因為我援助了呼救的窮人,和無依無靠的孤兒。
13 The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
那受喪亡之痛的人稱謝我,我使寡婦的心歡樂。
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.
我披上正義,正義就如我衣;我的公正,猶如我的長袍和冠冕。
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;
我作了盲人的眼,跛者的腳。
16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;
我成了窮人之父,我調查過素不相識者的案件。
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
我打碎惡人的燎牙,由他牙齒中奪出了獵物。
18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;
我心想:我必壽終正寢,我的壽數必如塵沙。
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;
我的根蔓延到水邊,夜間甘露落在我的枝葉上。
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
我的榮耀不斷更新,我手中的弓日新月異。
21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:
聽我講話的人,屏息等待,靜聽我的指教。
22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;
我講話之後,無人再敢講話,我的話像水珠滴在他們身上。
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
他們期待我如望甘霖,張著大口如渴盼春雨。
24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.
我向他們微笑,他們不敢相信;我和善的面容,他們必不放過。
25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.
我為他們選擇了道路,身居前導,一如立在軍中的君王;我引他們到那裏,他們就去。

< Job 29 >