「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, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the kadoshim (holy ones) wilt thou turn?

For ka’as (anger) killeth the foolish man, and kinah (envy) slayeth the simple one.

I have seen the fool taking shoresh (root), but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His banim are far from yesha (safety, salvation), and they are crushed in the sha’ar (gate, before the public), neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose katzir (harvest) the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even from among of the tzinnim (thorns), and the intriguer pants after their wealth.

Although affliction springeth not forth of the aphar (dust), neither doth amal (trouble, tzoros) sprout out of the adamah;

Yet adam is born unto amal (trouble, tzoros), even as sparks fly upward.

I would seek El (G-d), and before Elohim would I lay my cause;

Who doeth gedolot unsearchable, marvellous things without mispar;

10 Who giveth matar upon eretz, and sendeth mayim upon the fields;

11 To set up on high those that be the shefalim (the lowly ones); that those which mourn may be exalted to safety,

12 Thwarting the machshevot of the arumim (crafty ones), so that their hands cannot accomplish tushiyyah (success).

13 He taketh the chachamim in their own arum (craftiness), and the etzah of the wily is swiftly swept away.

14 They meet with choshech in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the lailah,

15 But He saveth the needy from the cherev of their mouth, and from the yad chazak.

16 So the poor hath tikveh, and olatah (perversity, wickedness) stoppeth her mouth.

17 Hinei, ashrei is the enosh whom Eloah correcteth; therefore despise not thou the musar (chastening) of Shaddai;

18 For He woundeth, and bindeth up; He injureth, and His yadayim (hands) heal.

19 He shall deliver thee in shesh tzoros; yea, in shivah there shall no rah touch thee.

20 In ra’av (famine) He shall redeem thee from mavet; and in milchamah from the power of the cherev.

21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the leshon, 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 chayyat ha’aretz.

23 For thou shalt be in league with the avanim of the sadeh, and the chayyat sadeh shall be hashelemah (at peace) with thee.

24 And thou shalt know that shalom shall be thy ohel; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and find nothing wanting.

25 Thou shalt know also that thy zera shall be rav, and thine offspring as the esev ha’aretz.

26 Thou shalt come to thy kever in a ripe age, like a shock of grain cometh in its season.

27 Hinei zot, this we have searched out, so it is; hear it, and apply thou it for thy good.

“Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
    To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
Resentment(C) kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.(D)
I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
    but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
    crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
For hardship does not spring from the soil,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
Yet man is born to trouble(O)
    as surely as sparks fly upward.

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.(P)
He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
    miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
    he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
    and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)

17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
    so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
    and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
    and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
    like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)

27 “We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it(BH) and apply it to yourself.”(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job