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欲以誠實折服約伯

33 “可是,約伯啊,請聽我的言語,

留心聽我的一切話。

我現在開口,

用舌頭發言;

我的話表明我心中的正直,

我所知道的,我的嘴唇就誠誠實實地說出來。

 神的靈創造了我,

全能者的氣使我存活。

你若能夠辦得到,就回答我,

用話語攻擊我,

表明立場,當面攻擊我。

在 神面前我與你一樣,

也是用土捏造的。

我的威嚴必不驚嚇你,

我的壓力也不加重在你身上。

你所說的,我已經聽見了,也聽到你言語的聲音,說:

‘我是潔淨的,毫無過犯;

我是清白的,沒有罪孽。

10  神找機會攻擊我,

把我當作仇敵;

11 他把我的兩腳上了木狗,

又鑒察我一切所行的。’

12 我要告訴你,你這話錯了,

因為 神比世人大。

13 你為甚麼對 神爭辯,

說:‘無論世人的甚麼話,他都不回答’呢?

14 原來 神用這個方法或那個方法說了,

只是,世人沒有留意。

15 世人都在床上打盹,

沉睡臨到他們的時候,

 神用異夢與夜間的異象,

16 告訴他們,

他堅定他們所得的訓誨,

17 好叫人離開自己的惡行,

又叫人與驕傲隔絕,

18 攔阻人的性命不下在坑裡,

又阻止他的生命不死在刀下。

 神教訓人的方法

19 人在床上被痛苦懲治,

他的骨頭不住地痛苦掙扎,

20 以致他的生命厭惡食物,

他的胃口也厭惡美食,

21 他的肌肉消瘦以致看不見,

以前看不見的骨頭,現在都凸出來。

22 他的性命接近深坑,

他的生命靠近滅命的天使。

23 在一千位天使之中,

若有一位作人的中保,指示人當行的事,

24 恩待他,說:

‘救贖他免下深坑;

我已經得到了贖價。’

25 他的肌肉就比孩童的更嫩,

他更恢復滿有青春活力的日子。

26 他向 神祈求, 神就喜悅他,

他也歡呼著朝見 神的面,

人又恢復自己的義。

27 他在人面前歌唱,說:

‘我犯了罪,顛倒是非,

但我沒有受到應得的報應。

28 他救贖我的性命免入深坑,

我的生命必得見光明。’

29  神總是三番四次,

向人行這一切事,

30 要把人的性命從深坑裡救回來,

好使活人之光光照他。

31 約伯啊,你當留心聽我,

當默不作聲,我要說話。

32 你若有話說,就請回答我;

你只管說吧,因為我願意以你為義。

33 你若沒有話說,就要聽我說,

你當默不作聲,我就把智慧教導你。”

Elihu Rebukes Job

33 ‘But now, hear my speech, O Job,
    and listen to all my words.
See, I open my mouth;
    the tongue in my mouth speaks.
My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
    and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
The spirit of God has made me,
    and the breath of the Almighty[a] gives me life.
Answer me, if you can;
    set your words in order before me; take your stand.
See, before God I am as you are;
    I too was formed from a piece of clay.
No fear of me need terrify you;
    my pressure will not be heavy on you.

‘Surely, you have spoken in my hearing,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
You say, “I am clean, without transgression;
    I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Look, he finds occasions against me,
    he counts me as his enemy;
11 he puts my feet in the stocks,
    and watches all my paths.”

12 ‘But in this you are not right. I will answer you:
    God is greater than any mortal.
13 Why do you contend against him,
    saying, “He will answer none of my[b] words”?
14 For God speaks in one way,
    and in two, though people do not perceive it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on mortals,
    while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he opens their ears,
    and terrifies them with warnings,
17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds,
    and keep them from pride,
18 to spare their souls from the Pit,
    their lives from traversing the River.
19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds,
    and with continual strife in their bones,
20 so that their lives loathe bread,
    and their appetites dainty food.
21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen;
    and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.
22 Their souls draw near the Pit,
    and their lives to those who bring death.
23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel,
    a mediator, one of a thousand,
    one who declares a person upright,
24 and he is gracious to that person, and says,
    “Deliver him from going down into the Pit;
    I have found a ransom;
25 let his flesh become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigour”;
26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him,
    he comes into his presence with joy,
and God[c] repays him for his righteousness.
27     That person sings to others and says,
“I sinned, and perverted what was right,
    and it was not paid back to me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
    and my life shall see the light.”

29 ‘God indeed does all these things,
    twice, three times, with mortals,
30 to bring back their souls from the Pit,
    so that they may see the light of life.[d]
31 Pay heed, Job, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
    speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.’

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:4 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 33:13 Compare Gk: Heb his
  3. Job 33:26 Heb he
  4. Job 33:30 Syr: Heb to be lighted with the light of life

33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(B)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
    the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
Answer me(I) then, if you can;
    stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.(M)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(O) I have done no wrong;(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(T)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(U)
13 Why do you complain to him(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(W)
14 For God does speak(X)—now one way, now another(Y)
    though no one perceives it.(Z)
15 In a dream,(AA) in a vision(AB) of the night,(AC)
    when deep sleep(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them(AF) with warnings,(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](AJ)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(AK) on a bed of pain(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,(AM)
20 so that their body finds food(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(AP) once hidden, now stick out.(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them(AW)
25 let their flesh be renewed(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AY)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(BC) I have perverted what is right,(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(BE)
28 God has delivered(BF) me from going down to the pit,(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(BH)

29 “God does all these things to a person(BI)
    twice, even three times(BJ)
30 to turn them back(BK) from the pit,(BL)
    that the light of life(BM) may shine on them.(BN)

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(BO) to me;(BP)
    be silent,(BQ) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(BT)
    be silent,(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.(BV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead