Print Page Options

Job’s Fifth Speech

16 Then[a] Job answered and said,

“I have heard many things like these;
all of you are miserable comforters.[b]
Is there a limit to windy words?
What provokes you that you answer?
I myself[c] also could talk as you,
if you were in my place;[d]
I could join against you with words,
and I could shake at you with my head.
I could[e] encourage you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would[f] ease the pain.
If I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I cease, how much will leave me?
“Surely now he has worn me out;
you[g] have devastated all my company.
Thus[h] you shriveled me up;[i]
it became a witness.
And my leanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.
His wrath has torn, and he has been hostile toward me;
he gnashed at me with his teeth.
My foe sharpens his eyes against me.
10 They gaped at me with their mouth;
they struck my cheeks with disgrace;
they have massed themselves together against me.
11 God delivers me to an evil one,
and he casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12 “I was at ease, then[j] he broke me in two,
and he seized me by my neck;
then[k] he shattered me
and set me up as a target for him.
13 His archers surround me;
he slashes open my kidneys, and he does not have compassion;
he pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breached me breach upon breach;[l]
he rushes at me like a warrior.
15 “I have sewed sackcloth on my skin,
and I have inserted my pride[m] in the dust.
16 My face is red because of weeping,
and deep shadows are on my eyelids,
17 although[n] violence is not on my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, you should not cover my blood,
and let there be no place[o] for my cry for help.
19 So now look, my witness is in the heavens,
and he who vouches for me is in the heights.
20 My friends scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
21 and it argues[p] for a mortal with God,
and as a human[q] for his friend.
22 Indeed, after a few years[r] have come,
then[s] I will go the way from which I will not return.

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 16:2 Literally “comforters of trouble”
  3. Job 16:4 Emphatic personal pronoun;
  4. Job 16:4 Literally “there is your soul in place of my soul”
  5. Job 16:5 Or “would”
  6. Job 16:5 Or “should”
  7. Job 16:7 Singular
  8. Job 16:8 Hebrew “And”
  9. Job 16:8 Or “you have seized me”
  10. Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
  11. Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
  12. Job 16:14 Literally “breach upon the faces of breach”
  13. Job 16:15 Literally “my horn”
  14. Job 16:17 Literally “upon,” or “because”
  15. Job 16:18 Or “do not let it become a place”
  16. Job 16:21 Or “but may someone argue”
  17. Job 16:21 Literally “a son of man”
  18. Job 16:22 Literally “years of number”
  19. Job 16:22 Hebrew “and”

約伯反嘲安慰人的反叫人愁煩

16 約伯回答說:

“像這樣的話,我聽了很多;

你們都是叫人愁煩的安慰者。

虛空的言語,有窮盡嗎?

或有甚麼惹你答個不休的呢?

你們若處在我的景況,

我也能像你們那樣說話,

我也能砌辭攻擊你們,

並且能向你們搖頭。

我能用口鼓勵你們,

我嘴唇的安慰,能緩和你們的痛苦。

力陳他的痛苦

我若說話,痛苦仍不消解,

我若閉口不說,痛苦也不離開我。

現在 神使我困倦,

‘你蹂躪了我的全家,

又把我捆綁起來。’這就作為證據;

我身體的枯瘦也當面作證反對我。

他的怒氣撕裂我,攻擊我;

他向我咬牙切齒,

我的敵人以銳利的眼光看著我。

10 他們向我大大張嘴,

以蔑視的態度打我的臉頰,

聯合一起攻擊我。

11  神把我交給不義的人,

把我丟在惡人的手中。

12 我本來安逸,他卻把我壓碎;

掐著我的頸項,把我摔碎;

又把我當作他的箭靶。

13 他的弓箭手四面包圍我,

他剖開我的腰子,全不顧惜,

把我的膽傾倒在地上。

14 他把我破傷,在破口上又加破傷,

如勇士一般向我直衝。

15 我把麻布縫在我的皮膚上,

把我的角插入塵土中。

16 我的臉因哭泣而發紅,

在我的眼皮上滿是黑影。

17 然而在我的手中沒有強暴,

我的禱告也是清潔的。

向 神哭訴

18 地啊,不要遮蓋我的血;

不要讓我的哀求有停留的地方。

19 現今,在天上有我的見證,

在高天之上,有我的證人。

20 譏笑我的,就是我的朋友,

我的眼向 神流淚。

21 但願人可以為人與 神分辯,

正如世人為朋友辯白一樣。

22 因為我的年數將盡,

我快要走上那條一去不返的路。”

Job

16 Then Job replied:

“I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,(A) all of you!(B)
Will your long-winded speeches never end?(C)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?(D)
I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head(E) at you.
But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort(F) from my lips would bring you relief.(G)

“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.(H)
Surely, God, you have worn me out;(I)
    you have devastated my entire household.(J)
You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness(K) rises up and testifies against me.(L)
God assails me and tears(M) me in his anger(N)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;(O)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.(P)
10 People open their mouths(Q) to jeer at me;(R)
    they strike my cheek(S) in scorn
    and unite together against me.(T)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.(U)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.(V)
He has made me his target;(W)
13     his archers surround me.(X)
Without pity, he pierces(Y) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
14 Again and again(Z) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.(AA)

15 “I have sewed sackcloth(AB) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.(AC)
16 My face is red with weeping,(AD)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;(AE)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence(AF)
    and my prayer is pure.(AG)

18 “Earth, do not cover my blood;(AH)
    may my cry(AI) never be laid to rest!(AJ)
19 Even now my witness(AK) is in heaven;(AL)
    my advocate is on high.(AM)
20 My intercessor(AN) is my friend[a](AO)
    as my eyes pour out(AP) tears(AQ) to God;
21 on behalf of a man he pleads(AR) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

22 “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn

16 Then Job answered and said,

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

Job Reproaches His Pitiless Friends

16 Then Job answered and said:

“I have heard many such things;
(A)Miserable[a] comforters are you all!
Shall [b]words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you,
And (B)shake my head at you;
But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
But now He has (C)worn me out;
You (D)have made desolate all my company.
You have shriveled me up,
And it is a (E)witness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.
(F)He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
(G)My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
10 They (H)gape at me with their mouth,
They (I)strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
11 God (J)has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He has (K)shattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has (L)set me up for His target,
13 His archers surround me.
He pierces my [c]heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a [d]warrior.

15 “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And (M)laid my [e]head in the dust.
16 My face is [f]flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And (N)let my cry have no resting place!
19 Surely even now (O)my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
20 My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
21 (P)Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his [g]neighbor!
22 For when a few years are finished,
I shall (Q)go the way of no return.

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:2 Troublesome
  2. Job 16:3 Empty words
  3. Job 16:13 Lit. kidneys
  4. Job 16:14 Vg. giant
  5. Job 16:15 Lit. horn
  6. Job 16:16 Lit. red
  7. Job 16:21 friend