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Elihu Presents His Case against Job

33 “Listen to my words, Job;
    pay attention to what I have to say.
Now that I have begun to speak,
    let me continue.
I speak with all sincerity;
    I speak the truth.
For the Spirit of God has made me,
    and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Answer me, if you can;
    make your case and take your stand.
Look, you and I both belong to God.
    I, too, was formed from clay.
So you don’t need to be afraid of me.
    I won’t come down hard on you.

“You have spoken in my hearing,
    and I have heard your very words.
You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin;
    I am innocent; I have no guilt.
10 God is picking a quarrel with me,
    and he considers me his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks
    and watches my every move.’

12 “But you are wrong, and I will show you why.
    For God is greater than any human being.
13 So why are you bringing a charge against him?
    Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints?
14 For God speaks again and again,
    though people do not recognize it.
15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people
    as they lie in their beds.
16 He whispers in their ears
    and terrifies them with warnings.
17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
    he keeps them from pride.
18 He protects them from the grave,
    from crossing over the river of death.

19 “Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds,
    with ceaseless aching in their bones.
20 They lose their appetite
    for even the most delicious food.
21 Their flesh wastes away,
    and their bones stick out.
22 They are at death’s door;
    the angels of death wait for them.

23 “But if an angel from heaven appears—
    a special messenger to intercede for a person
    and declare that he is upright—
24 he will be gracious and say,
‘Rescue him from the grave,
    for I have found a ransom for his life.’
25 Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s,
    firm and youthful again.
26 When he prays to God,
    he will be accepted.
And God will receive him with joy
    and restore him to good standing.
27 He will declare to his friends,
‘I sinned and twisted the truth,
    but it was not worth it.[a]
28 God rescued me from the grave,
    and now my life is filled with light.’

29 “Yes, God does these things
    again and again for people.
30 He rescues them from the grave
    so they may enjoy the light of life.
31 Mark this well, Job. Listen to me,
    for I have more to say.
32 But if you have anything to say, go ahead.
    Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.
33 But if not, then listen to me.
    Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”

Footnotes

  1. 33:27 Greek version reads but he [God] did not punish me as my sin deserved.

33 “约伯啊,请听我言,
请留心听我每一句话。
我要开口发言,
我话已在舌尖。
我的话发自正直的心,
我的口如实陈明道理。
上帝的灵创造了我,
全能者的气赋予我生命。
如果你能,就反驳我,
站出来与我辩论。
在上帝面前,我与你无异,
也是泥土造的。
所以你不用惧怕我,
我不会对你施加压力。

“你的话已进到我耳中,
我听见你说,
‘我纯全无过,
我清白无罪,
10 上帝却挑我的错,
与我为敌;
11 祂给我戴上脚镣,
鉴察我的一举一动。’

12 “我来答复你,你的话没有道理,
因为上帝比世人大。
13 你为何向祂抱怨,
说祂不理会世人的话?
14 上帝一再用各种方式说话,
然而世人却不明白。
15 人躺在床上沉睡时,
在梦境和夜间的异象中,
16 上帝开启他们的耳朵,
用警告惊吓他们,
17 使他们离开罪恶,
不再骄傲,
18 以免他们的灵魂坠入深坑,
他们的性命被刀剑夺去。

19 “人因受罚而卧病在床,
骨头疼痛不止,
20 以致毫无食欲,
对佳肴心生厌恶。
21 他日渐消瘦,
只剩下骨头。
22 他的灵魂临近深坑,
他的生命濒临死亡。
23 如果一千天使中有一位能做他的中保,
指示他当行的事,
24 上帝[a]就会怜悯他,说,‘别让他下坟墓,
我已得到他的赎金。’
25 那时,他的皮肉将嫩如孩童,
他将恢复青春的活力。
26 他向上帝祷告时必蒙悦纳,
他欢呼着朝见上帝,
再度被祂视为义人。
27 他会当众歌唱说,
‘我犯了罪,颠倒是非,
祂却没有按我的罪报应我。
28 祂救赎我的灵魂,使之免下深坑,
使我的生命得见光明。’

29 “看啊,这都是上帝的作为,
祂一次次地恩待世人,
30 从深坑救回人的灵魂,
使他沐浴生命之光。
31 约伯啊,留心听我说,
不要作声,我要发言。
32 你若有话,就答复我;
你只管说,我愿看到你的清白。
33 否则,请听我言;
不要作声,我要传授你智慧。”

Footnotes

  1. 33:24 上帝”希伯来文是“他”,也可能指天使。

33 “However, Job, please hear my speech,
    and listen to all my words.
See now, I have opened my mouth.
    My tongue has spoken in my mouth.
My words will utter the uprightness of my heart.
    That which my lips know they will speak sincerely.
The Spirit of God has made me,
    and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
If you can, answer me.
    Set your words in order before me, and stand up.
Behold, I am toward God even as you are.
    I am also formed out of the clay.
Behold, my terror will not make you afraid,
    neither will my pressure be heavy on you.

“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
    I have heard the voice of your words, saying,
‘I am clean, without disobedience.
    I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me.
    He counts me for his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks.
    He marks all my paths.’

12 “Behold, I will answer you. In this you are not just,
    for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you strive against him,
    because he doesn’t give account of any of his matters?
14 For God speaks once,
    yes twice, though man pays no attention.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on men,
    in slumbering on the bed,
16 then he opens the ears of men,
    and seals their instruction,
17 that he may withdraw man from his purpose,
    and hide pride from man.
18 He keeps back his soul from the pit,
    and his life from perishing by the sword.

19 “He is chastened also with pain on his bed,
    with continual strife in his bones,
20 so that his life abhors bread,
    and his soul dainty food.
21 His flesh is so consumed away that it can’t be seen.
    His bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yes, his soul draws near to the pit,
    and his life to the destroyers.

23 “If there is beside him an angel,
    an interpreter, one among a thousand,
    to show to man what is right for him,
24 then God is gracious to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit,
    I have found a ransom.’
25 His flesh will be fresher than a child’s.
    He returns to the days of his youth.
26 He prays to God, and he is favorable to him,
    so that he sees his face with joy.
    He restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men, and says,
    ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
    and it didn’t profit me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit.
    My life will see the light.’

29 “Behold, God does all these things,
    twice, yes three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
    that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, Job, and listen to me.
    Hold your peace, 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.
    Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”