Job 12

1 Then answered Job, and said,

約伯回答說：

2 Truly ye are indeed the [right kind of] people, and with you wisdom must die out.

的確，只有你們是有知識的子民；那麼，你們一死，智慧也與你們一同喪亡!

3 I also have sense like you; I do not fall short compared with you: and who possesseth not such things as these?

其實，我和你們有同樣的心理，我並不亞於你們! 誰不知道這些事﹖

4 I am as one laughed at by his friend, who calleth upon God, while he answered him: [yea, ] a laughing-stock though righteous and innocent.

我這呼籲天主而蒙應允的人，卻被他的友人所嘲笑，無辜的義人卻成了笑柄。

5 To the unfortunate there is given contempt— according to the thoughts of him that is at ease— prepared [also] for those whose foot slippeth.

幸運的人心想：遭難的人應受蔑視，失足的人應再予以打擊。

6 Prosperous are the tents of robbers, and security is given to those that provoke God. to him who carrieth his god in his hand.

但是，強盜的帳幕竟能安全，觸怒天主的人，以勢力為神的人卻享平安。

7 Yet, do only ask of the beasts, and they will instruct thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they will tell it thee;

請你詢問走獸，牠們也會開導你；詢問天上的飛鳥，牠們也會告訴你；

8 Or speak to the earth, and she will instruct thee; and the fishes of the sea will inform thee

地上的爬蟲也會教訓你，海中的魚族也會給你說明。

9 Who knoweth not through all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

牠們中有誰不知道：是天主的手創造了這一切﹖

10 [He] in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the bodies of men?

因為一切活物的生魂，一切血肉之人的靈魂，都握在他手中。

11 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food for itself?

耳朵不是為明辨言語，口腔不是為辨嘗食物嗎﹖

12 So It with the ancients wisdom, and with [those of] length of days understanding,

白髮老人是有智慧的，年紀大者是有見識的；

13 That with him are wisdom and strength, his are counsel and understanding.

但智慧和能力同在天主內，智慧與見識是天主所有。

14 Behold, he pulleth down, and there can be no rebuilding: he locketh [the prison] upon a man, and there can be no opening,

他若拆毀，人不能再建；他若拘禁，人不得開釋。

15 Behold, he restraineth the waters, and they dry up; or he suffereth them to flow, and they overturn the earth.

他若制水，水便乾涸；他若放水，水便沖毀大地。

16 With him are strength and counsel: his are the deceived and the deceiver.

力量與才能，為他所有；受騙者與騙人者，都屬於他。

17 He leadeth counsellors away bereft of sense, and maketh the judges fools.

他使謀士糊塗，使判官愚蠢；

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth a girdle around their loins.

他解除君王所繫的玉帶，將繩索捆在他們的腰間；

19 He leadeth priests away bereft of sense, and the powerful he causeth to walk on crooked paths.

他使司祭赤足而行，推倒掌握大權者；

20 He removeth the speech from trusty speakers, and taketh away the intelligence of the aged.

奪去忠貞者的辯才，剝去年老者的理智：

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and the belt of the mighty be looseneth.

使貴人備受侮辱，使勇士的腰帶鬆弛；

22 He layeth open deep things from the midst of darkness, and bringeth out unto light the shadow of death.

使隱秘的事由暗處彰顯，使黑暗進入光明；

23 He permitteth the nations to become great, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth out the nations, and leadeth them away.

使邦國興起而又滅亡，使民族強大而又消散；

24 He taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the land, and causeth them to wander astray in a wilderness when there is no way.

剝去國君的理智，使他們漂泊於無路的荒野中，

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he causeth them to wander astray like a drunken man.

在無光的黑暗中摸索，踉蹌猶如醉漢。