「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。”

Eliphaz’s Response Continues

“Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
    Which of the angels[a] will help you?
Surely resentment destroys the fool,
    and jealousy kills the simple.
I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
    but then comes sudden disaster.
Their children are abandoned far from help;
    they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
The hungry devour their harvest,
    even when it is guarded by brambles.[b]
    The thirsty pant after their wealth.[c]
But evil does not spring from the soil,
    and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
People are born for trouble
    as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.

“If I were you, I would go to God
    and present my case to him.
He does great things too marvelous to understand.
    He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
    and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
    and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
    so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
    so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
    and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
    and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
    and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.

17 “But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
    Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For though he wounds, he also bandages.
    He strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 From six disasters he will rescue you;
    even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
20 He will save you from death in time of famine,
    from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 You will be safe from slander
    and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine;
    wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field,
    and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your home is safe.
    When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.
25 You will have many children;
    your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!
26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
    like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!

27 “We have studied life and found all this to be true.
    Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Hebrew the holy ones.
  2. 5:5a The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. 5:5b As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads A snare snatches their wealth.