「你只管呼救吧,
誰會回應你呢?
你向哪位聖者求助呢?
憤恨害死愚昧人,
嫉妒殺死無知者。
我見愚昧人扎了根,
突然咒詛臨到他家。
他的兒女毫無安寧,
在城門口受欺壓也無人搭救。
饑餓的人吞掉他的莊稼,
連荊棘裡的也不放過;
乾渴的人吞盡他的財富。
苦難並非從土裡長出,
患難並非從地裡生出。
人生來必遇患難,
正如火花必向上飛。

「若是我,
就向上帝求助,
向祂陳明苦衷。
祂行的奇事不可測度,
祂行的神蹟不可勝數。
10 祂降下雨水澆灌大地,
賜下甘霖滋潤田園。
11 祂提拔卑微的人,
庇護哀痛的人。
12 祂挫敗狡猾人的陰謀,
使他們無法得逞。
13 祂使智者中了自己的詭計,
使奸徒的計謀迅速落空。
14 他們白天遇到黑暗,
午間摸索如在夜晚。
15 上帝拯救窮苦人脫離惡人的中傷,
脫離殘暴之徒的轄制,
16 好使貧寒之人有盼望,
使不義之徒啞口無言。

17 「被上帝責備的人有福了,
不可輕視全能者的管教。
18 因為祂打傷,祂也包紮;
祂擊傷,祂也醫治。
19 六次遭難,祂都救你;
第七次,災禍也傷不到你。
20 饑荒時,祂必救你脫離死亡;
戰爭中,祂必救你脫離刀劍。
21 你必免受惡毒的譭謗,
災難來臨也不懼怕。
22 你必笑對災殃和饑荒,
毫不懼怕地上的野獸。
23 你必與田間的石頭立約,
野獸必與你和平相處。
24 你的家必安然無恙,
察看羊圈,一隻不少。
25 你必看見子孫昌盛,
後代如遍地的青草。
26 你必壽終正寢才歸墳墓,
如同莊稼熟後才被收割。
27 看啊,我們已經查驗了,
這一切真實可靠,
你當聆聽、接受。」

“你只管呼救吧,
谁会回应你呢?
你向哪位圣者求助呢?
愤恨害死愚昧人,
嫉妒杀死无知者。
我见愚昧人扎了根,
突然咒诅临到他家。
他的儿女毫无安宁,
在城门口受欺压也无人搭救。
饥饿的人吞掉他的庄稼,
连荆棘里的也不放过;
干渴的人吞尽他的财富。
苦难并非从土里长出,
患难并非从地里生出。
人生来必遇患难,
正如火花必向上飞。

“若是我,
就向上帝求助,
向祂陈明苦衷。
祂行的奇事不可测度,
祂行的神迹不可胜数。
10 祂降下雨水浇灌大地,
赐下甘霖滋润田园。
11 祂提拔卑微的人,
庇护哀痛的人。
12 祂挫败狡猾人的阴谋,
使他们无法得逞。
13 祂使智者中了自己的诡计,
使奸徒的计谋迅速落空。
14 他们白天遇到黑暗,
午间摸索如在夜晚。
15 上帝拯救穷苦人脱离恶人的中伤,
脱离残暴之徒的辖制,
16 好使贫寒之人有盼望,
使不义之徒哑口无言。

17 “被上帝责备的人有福了,
不可轻视全能者的管教。
18 因为祂打伤,祂也包扎;
祂击伤,祂也医治。
19 六次遭难,祂都救你;
第七次,灾祸也伤不到你。
20 饥荒时,祂必救你脱离死亡;
战争中,祂必救你脱离刀剑。
21 你必免受恶毒的毁谤,
灾难来临也不惧怕。
22 你必笑对灾殃和饥荒,
毫不惧怕地上的野兽。
23 你必与田间的石头立约,
野兽必与你和平相处。
24 你的家必安然无恙,
察看羊圈,一只不少。
25 你必看见子孙昌盛,
后代如遍地的青草。
26 你必寿终正寝才归坟墓,
如同庄稼熟后才被收割。
27 看啊,我们已经查验了,
这一切真实可靠,
你当聆听、接受。”

Call out if you please. Will anyone answer you?
Which of the holy ones(A) will you turn to?
For anger kills a fool,
and jealousy slays the gullible.(B)
I have seen a fool taking root,
but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.
His children are far from safety.
They are crushed at the city gate,(C)
with no one to rescue them.
The hungry consume his harvest,
even taking it out of the thorns.[a]
The thirsty[b] pant for his children’s wealth.
For distress does not grow out of the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
But mankind is born for trouble(D)
as surely as sparks fly upward.

However, if I were you, I would appeal to God
and would present my case to Him.(E)
He does great(F) and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.(G)
10 He gives rain to the earth
and sends water to the fields.(H)
11 He sets the lowly on high,
and mourners are lifted to safety.(I)
12 He frustrates the schemes of the crafty
so that they[c] achieve no success.
13 He traps the wise in their craftiness
so that the plans of the deceptive
are quickly brought to an end.(J)
14 They encounter darkness by day,
and they grope at noon
as if it were night.(K)
15 He saves the needy from their sharp words[d](L)
and from the clutches of the powerful.
16 So the poor have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(M)
17 See how happy the man is God corrects;
so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For He crushes but also binds up;
He strikes, but His hands also heal.(N)
19 He will rescue you from six calamities;
no harm will touch you in seven.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death,
and in battle, from the power of the sword.(O)
21 You will be safe from slander[e]
and not fear destruction when it comes.(P)
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger
and not fear the animals of the earth.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(Q)
24 You will know that your tent is secure,(R)
and nothing will be missing when you inspect your home.
25 You will also know that your offspring will be many
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
26 You will approach the grave(S) in full vigor,(T)
as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season.

27 We have investigated this, and it is true!
Hear it and understand it for yourself.

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:5 Hb obscure
  2. Job 5:5 Aq, Sym, Syr, Vg; MT reads snares
  3. Job 5:12 Lit their hands
  4. Job 5:15 Lit from the sword of their mouth; Ps 55:21; 59:7
  5. Job 5:21 Lit be hidden from the whip of the tongue