27 約伯接著說:
「我憑不給我公道的永恆上帝,
憑使我靈魂陷入痛苦的全能者起誓,
只要我一息尚存,
鼻中還有上帝之氣,
我的嘴唇決不說惡語,
舌頭決不講謊話。
我決不承認你們有理,
我至死堅信自己無辜。
我堅守自己的公義,決不放棄,
我有生之年都問心無愧。

「願我仇敵的下場和惡人一樣,
願我對頭的結局和罪人相同。
因為不敬虔的人將被剷除,上帝將奪去他的性命。
那時,他還有何指望?
患難臨到他時,
上帝豈會垂聽他的呼求?
10 他豈會以全能者為樂,
時時求告上帝?

11 「我要教導你們有關上帝的能力,
我不會隱瞞全能者的作為。
12 其實你們也曾親眼目睹,
為何還講這些虛妄之言?

13 「以下是上帝給惡人定的結局,
全能者賜給殘暴之徒的歸宿。
14 他的兒女再多也難逃殺戮,
他的子孫永遠吃不飽。
15 他倖存的後人被瘟疫吞噬,
生還的寡婦也不哀哭。
16 儘管他堆積的銀子多如塵沙,
儲存的衣服高若土堆,
17 但義人將穿他儲存的衣服,
清白的人將分他堆積的銀子。
18 他建的房子像蛾繭,
像守望者搭的草棚。
19 他睡前還是富翁,
醒來後財富已空。
20 恐懼如洪水般淹沒他,
暴風在夜間把他捲去。
21 東風把他颳走,
吹得無影無蹤。
22 狂風[a]毫不留情地擊打他,
他拼命地逃離風的威力。
23 狂風向他拍掌,
呼嘯著吹走他。

Footnotes

  1. 27·22 狂風」希伯來文指代不清,也可譯作「祂」,指上帝,23節同。

27 约伯接着说:
“我凭不给我公道的永恒上帝,
凭使我灵魂陷入痛苦的全能者起誓,
只要我一息尚存,
鼻中还有上帝之气,
我的嘴唇决不说恶语,
舌头决不讲谎话。
我决不承认你们有理,
我至死坚信自己无辜。
我坚守自己的公义,决不放弃,
我有生之年都问心无愧。

“愿我仇敌的下场和恶人一样,
愿我对头的结局和罪人相同。
因为不敬虔的人将被铲除,上帝将夺去他的性命。
那时,他还有何指望?
患难临到他时,
上帝岂会垂听他的呼求?
10 他岂会以全能者为乐,
时时求告上帝?

11 “我要教导你们有关上帝的能力,
我不会隐瞒全能者的作为。
12 其实你们也曾亲眼目睹,
为何还讲这些虚妄之言?

13 “以下是上帝给恶人定的结局,
全能者赐给残暴之徒的归宿。
14 他的儿女再多也难逃杀戮,
他的子孙永远吃不饱。
15 他幸存的后人被瘟疫吞噬,
生还的寡妇也不哀哭。
16 尽管他堆积的银子多如尘沙,
储存的衣服高若土堆,
17 但义人将穿他储存的衣服,
清白的人将分他堆积的银子。
18 他建的房子像蛾茧,
像守望者搭的草棚。
19 他睡前还是富翁,
醒来后财富已空。
20 恐惧如洪水般淹没他,
暴风在夜间把他卷去。
21 东风把他刮走,
吹得无影无踪。
22 狂风[a]毫不留情地击打他,
他拼命地逃离风的威力。
23 狂风向他拍掌,
呼啸着吹走他。

Footnotes

  1. 27:22 狂风”希伯来文指代不清,也可译作“祂”,指上帝,23节同。

No Place to Hide

27 1-6 Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense:

“God-Alive! He’s denied me justice!
    God Almighty! He’s ruined my life!
But for as long as I draw breath,
    and for as long as God breathes life into me,
I refuse to say one word that isn’t true.
    I refuse to confess to any charge that’s false.
There is no way I’ll ever agree to your accusations.
    I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.
I’m holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip—
    and, believe me, I’ll never regret it.

7-10 “Let my enemy be exposed as wicked!
    Let my adversary be proven guilty!
What hope do people without God have when life is cut short?
    when God puts an end to life?
Do you think God will listen to their cry for help
    when disaster hits?
What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty?
    Have they ever been known to pray before?

11-12 “I’ve given you a clear account of God in action,
    suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty.
The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves,
    so why do you keep talking nonsense?

13-23 “I’ll quote your own words back to you:

“‘This is how God treats the wicked,
    this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty:
Their children—all of them—will die violent deaths;
    they’ll never have enough bread to put on the table.
They’ll be wiped out by the plague,
    and none of the widows will shed a tear when they’re gone.
Even if they make a lot of money
    and are resplendent in the latest fashions,
It’s the good who will end up wearing the clothes
    and the decent who will divide up the money.
They build elaborate houses
    that won’t survive a single winter.
They go to bed wealthy
    and wake up poor.
Terrors pour in on them like flash floods—
    a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night,
A cyclone sweeps them up—gone!
    Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them;
    they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide—
Pummeled by the weather,
    blown to smithereens by the storm.’”

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:(A)

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(B)
    the Almighty,(C) who has made my life bitter,(D)
as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God(E) in my nostrils,
my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.(F)
I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(G)
I will maintain my innocence(H) and never let go of it;
    my conscience(I) will not reproach me as long as I live.(J)

“May my enemy be like the wicked,(K)
    my adversary(L) like the unjust!
For what hope have the godless(M) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?(N)
Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?(O)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(P)
    Will they call on God at all times?

11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways(Q) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(R)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(S)
14 However many his children,(T) their fate is the sword;(U)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.(V)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.(W)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(X)
    and clothes like piles of clay,(Y)
17 what he lays up(Z) the righteous will wear,(AA)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.(AB)
18 The house(AC) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(AD)
    like a hut(AE) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(AF)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(AG)
20 Terrors(AH) overtake him like a flood;(AI)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.(AJ)
21 The east wind(AK) carries him off, and he is gone;(AL)
    it sweeps him out of his place.(AM)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(AN)
    as he flees headlong(AO) from its power.(AP)
23 It claps its hands(AQ) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”(AR)