「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。」

Call now—is there any who will answer you? And to which of the holy [angels] will you turn?

For [a]vexation and rage kill the foolish man; jealousy and indignation slay the simple.

I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering], but suddenly I saw that his dwelling was cursed [for his doom was certain].

His children are far from safety; [involved in their father’s ruin] they are crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate, and there is no one to deliver them.

His harvest the hungry eat and take it even [when it grows] among the thorns; the snare opens for [his] wealth.

For affliction comes not forth from the dust, neither does trouble spring forth out of the ground.

But man is born to trouble as the sparks and the flames fly upward.

As for me, I would seek God and inquire of and require Him, and to God would I commit my cause—

Who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number,

10 Who gives rain upon the earth and sends waters upon the fields,

11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn He lifts to safety.

12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise or anything of [lasting] worth.

13 He catches the [so-called] wise in their own trickiness, and the counsel of the schemers is brought to a quick end.(A)

14 In the daytime they meet in darkness, and at noon they grope as in the night.

15 But [God] saves [the fatherless] from the sword of their mouth, and the needy from the hand of the mighty.

16 So the poor have hope, and iniquity shuts her mouth.

17 Happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves; so do not despise or reject the correction of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].

18 For He wounds, but He binds up; He smites, but His hands heal.

19 He will rescue you in six troubles; in seven nothing that is evil [for you] will touch you.

20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes.

22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh, neither shall you be afraid of the living creatures of the earth.

23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

24 And you shall know that your tent shall be in peace, and you shall visit your fold and your dwelling and miss nothing [from them].

25 You shall know also that your children shall be many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth.

26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, and as a shock of grain goes up [to the threshing floor] in its season.

27 This is what we have searched out; it is true. Hear and heed it and know for yourself [for your good].

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:2 This was written many centuries ago, but physicians and psychiatrists today are continually emphasizing the importance of recognizing the principle it lays down if one would avoid being among the constantly increasing number of the mentally ill and those killed by avoidable illnesses.

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

11 To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

16 So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.