約伯最後的申辯

31 「我跟自己的眼睛立了約,
決不貪看女色。
天上的上帝所定的是什麼?
高天的全能者賜下什麼產業?
豈不是降災難給不義之人,
降禍患給作惡的人?
上帝豈不鑒察我走的路,
數算我的腳步?
我何曾與虛假同行,
疾步追隨詭詐?
願上帝把我放在公義的天平上秤量,
讓祂知道我的清白。
倘若我的腳偏離正路,
貪圖眼目之慾,
或手上粘著罪污,
願我種的莊稼被別人享用,
我田中的出產被連根拔起。
我的心若迷戀女人,
在鄰居的門口窺探,
10 願我妻子為別人推磨,
願別人與她同房。
11 因為這是大惡,
是當受審判的罪,
12 是燒向滅亡的火焰,
會吞噬我所有家業。
13 我的僕婢告我,
我也會講公道,
14 否則上帝追究,我怎麼辦?
祂審問我,我如何回答?
15 祂創造了我,豈不也創造了他們?
豈不是同一位使我們在母腹中成胎?
16 我何曾拒絕窮人的請求,
或使寡婦眼露失望之情,
17 或獨吞我的食物,
不與孤兒同享?
18 我自幼就如父親般撫養孤兒,
我自出母胎就照顧寡婦。
19 倘若我見有人凍得要死,
或有窮人衣不蔽體,
20 卻沒有把我的羊毛給他們禦寒,
以致他們向我道謝;
21 倘若我仗著在城門口有勢力,
就動手欺負孤兒,
22 情願我的肩膀從肩胛脫落,
我的手臂從手肘折斷。
23 因為我懼怕上帝降災禍,
我無法承擔祂的威嚴。

24 「我若仰仗金子,
依靠純金,
25 因財富充裕、
或家產豐足而歡喜;
26 我若見太陽發光,
明月在天上移動,
27 就暗自心生迷戀,
向它們吻手示敬,
28 就是犯了當受審判的罪惡,
因為這等於我背棄了天上的上帝。

29 「我何曾因敵人遭殃而歡喜,
因他們遇禍而快樂?
30 我從未咒詛他們喪命,
以致我的口犯罪。
31 住在我帳篷中的人,
誰沒飽餐我的肉食呢?
32 我的家門向路人敞開,
從未有旅客露宿街頭。
33 我何曾像亞當一樣遮掩我的過犯,
將罪惡藏在懷中,
34 因懼怕群眾,
被族人藐視,
就默不作聲、不敢出門?

35 「但願有人聽我申訴!
看啊,我在這裡畫押,願全能者回答我!
願我的控訴者寫好狀詞!
36 我會把狀詞披在肩上,
如冠冕一般戴在頭上。
37 我會像王者一樣到祂面前,
向祂交代我的一切所為。

38 「若我的田地向我喊冤,
條條犁溝一同哭訴;
39 若我白吃地的出產,
或使地的主人喪命,
40 願地長出蒺藜而非麥子,
長出雜草而非大麥。」

約伯的話說完了。

Job Defends His Righteousness

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I [a]look upon a (A)young woman?
For what is the (B)allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(C)Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
[b]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my (D)integrity.
If my step has turned from the way,
Or (E)my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
Then (F)let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be [c]rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for (G)another,
And let others bow down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, (H)it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

13 “If I have (I)despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when (J)God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 (K)Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to (L)fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [d]the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his [e]heart has not (M)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand (N)against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23 For (O)destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

24 “If(P) I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 (Q)If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26 (R)If I have observed the [f]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29 “If(S) I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 (T)(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his [g]soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 (U)(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the [h]traveler);
33 If I have covered my transgressions (V)as[i] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great (W)multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35 (X)Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, (Y)that the Almighty would answer me,
That my [j]Prosecutor had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If (Z)I have eaten its [k]fruit without money,
Or (AA)caused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let (AB)thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:1 look intently or gaze
  2. Job 31:6 Lit. Let Him weigh me
  3. Job 31:8 uprooted
  4. Job 31:18 Lit. her
  5. Job 31:20 Lit. loins
  6. Job 31:26 Lit. light
  7. Job 31:30 Or life
  8. Job 31:32 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT road
  9. Job 31:33 Or as men do
  10. Job 31:35 Lit. Accuser
  11. Job 31:39 Lit. strength