< Job 3 >

1 AFTER this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
此後約伯開口詛咒自己的生日。
2 And Job spake, and said,
約伯開始說:
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
願我誕生的那日消逝,願報告「懷了男胎」的那夜滅亡。
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
願那日成為黑暗,願天主從上面不再尋覓它,再沒有光燭照它。
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
願黑暗和陰影玷污它,濃雲遮蓋它,白晝失光的晦暗驚嚇它。
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
願那夜常為黑暗所制,不讓它列入年歲中,不讓它算在月分裏。
7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
願那夜孤寂煢獨,毫無歡呼之聲。
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
願那詛咒白日者,有術召喚海怪者,前來詛咒那夜。
9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
願晨星昏暗,期待光明而光明不至,也不見晨光熹微,
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
因為它沒有關閉我母胎之門,遮住我眼前的愁苦。
11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
我為何一出母胎沒有立即死去﹖為何我一離母腹沒有斷氣﹖
12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
為何兩膝接住我﹖為何兩乳哺養我﹖
13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
不然現今我早已臥下安睡了,早已永眠獲得安息了,
14 With kings and counsellers of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;
與那些為自己建陵墓的國王和百官,
15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
與那些金銀滿堂的王侯同眠;
16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
或者像隱沒的流產兒,像未見光明的嬰孩;
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.
在那裏惡人停止作亂,在那裏勞悴者得享安寧;
18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
囚徒相安無事,再不聞督工的呼叱聲,
19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
在那裏大小平等,奴隸脫離主人。
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
為何賜不幸者以光明,賜心中憂苦者以生命﹖
21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
這些人渴望死,而死不至;尋求死亡勝於寶藏,
22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
見到墳墓,感覺歡樂,且喜樂達於極點!
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
人的道路,既如此渺茫,天主為何賜給他生命,又把他包圍﹖
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
歎習成了我的食物,不停哀嘆有如流水。
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
我所畏懼的,偏偏臨於我身;我所害怕的,卻迎面而來。
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
我沒有安寧,也沒有平靜,得不到休息,而只有煩惱。

< Job 3 >