Job 34

1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —

厄里烏接著說：

2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;

你們有智慧的人，請聽我言；你們明白人，請側耳聽我。

3 For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.

原來耳朵是為辨別言語，有如口腔是為辨嘗食物。

4 What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;

讓我們來檢討一下誰為正義，讓我們看看何者為善。

5 For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;

約伯說過：「我是無罪的，但我的理，卻為天主奪去。

6 Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.

我雖無罪無辜，卻成了說謊者；我雖未行不義，卻受了不可醫治的創傷。」

7 What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;

那有一人像約伯，肆口漫罵如飲水﹖

8 And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.

他豈不是與作惡的人結夥，同壞人交結來往﹖

9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.

他豈不是說過：「盡心悅樂天主，為人能有什麼好處﹖」

10 Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!

為此，你們心地明白的人，請聽我說，天主決不行惡，全能者決無不義!

11 For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.

他必照人的行為報答他，按他的品行對待他。

12 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.

天主絕對不能作惡，全能者絕對不能顛倒是非。

13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?

誰委派他掌管大地，誰任命他治理普世﹖

14 If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.

他若將自己的神魂收回，將氣息復歸於自己，

15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.

所有血肉的人必都消滅，世人都要歸於塵土。

16 If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —

若你聰明，請聽這事，側耳傾聽我的話。

17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?

憎恨正義的，豈能掌權﹖而你竟敢定那至公義者的罪﹖

18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?

他能稱君王為歹徒，能稱官吏為壞人。

19 For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.

他對權貴不顧情面，亦不重富輕貧，因為都是他一手造成的。

20 In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;

他們猝然在半夜死去，貴族能立即氣絕逝世；他剷除權貴者，無須人手。

21 For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —

因為他的眼監視人的動作，觀察他的行徑。

22 No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.

沒有黑暗，也沒有陰影，可將作惡的人掩蔽。

23 For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;

天主不必給人指定時間，為使人到他前去受審。

24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:

他粉碎權勢者，無須審察，即刻能派定別人代替他們。

25 Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;

他原知道他們的行為，一夜之間將他們推翻消滅。

26 In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.

在眾目昭彰之下，鞭打他們有如罪犯。

27 Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;

因為他們遠離了他，不重視他一切的道，

28 Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.

致使窮人的哀號上達於他，使他聽到了受苦者的哀求。

29 When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,

他若安息，誰敢騷擾﹖他若掩面，誰敢窺視﹖他對國對人都予以監視，

30 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.

使凡欺壓人民的，不得為王。

31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;

如果惡人向天主說：「我受了欺騙，以後不再作惡。

32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?

我所看不透的，求你指教我；我若以前作了孽，不敢再做了。」

33 According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, speak!

他施行報應，豈應隨你的心意﹖或者你能拒絕不受嗎﹖決定的是你，而不是我! 你若知道，儘管說罷!

34 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —

但是心地聰明，具有智慧，且聽我說話的人，必要對我說：「

35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.

約伯所講的話毫無知識，他的話全不明智。」

36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:

為此，約伯還要受徹底的究察，因為他的答覆好似出自惡人之口，

37 For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.

因為他在罪上又加反叛，當著我們磨拳擦掌，講出許多相反天主的話。