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Elihu Speaks

Job, Listen to Me!

33 Job, listen to me!
    Pay close attention.
* Everything I will say
    is true and sincere,
just as surely as the Spirit
of God All-Powerful[a]
    gave me the breath of life.
Now line up your arguments
    and prepare to face me.
We each were made from clay,
    and God has no favorites,
so don't be afraid of me
    or what I might do.

I Have Heard You Argue

I have heard you argue
that you are innocent,
    guilty of nothing.
10 You claim that God
    has made you his enemy,
11 (A) that he has bound your feet
    and blocked your path.
12 But, Job, you're wrong—
God is greater
    than any human.
13 So why do you challenge God
    to answer you?[b]
14 God speaks in different ways,
and we don't always
    recognize his voice.
* 15 (B) Sometimes in the night,
he uses terrifying dreams
16     to give us warnings.
17 God does this to make us turn
    from sin and pride
18 and to protect us
from being swept away
    to the world of the dead.

19 Sometimes we are punished
with a serious illness
    and aching joints.
20 Merely the thought
of our favorite food
    makes our stomachs sick,
21 and we become so skinny
    that our bones stick out.
22 We feel death and the grave
    taking us in their grip.

23 One of a thousand angels
then comes to our rescue
    by saying we are innocent.
24 The angel shows kindness,
commanding death to release us,
    because the price was paid.
25 Our health is restored,
we feel young again,
26     and we ask God to accept us.
Then we joyfully worship God,
and we are rewarded
    because we are innocent.
27 When that happens,
    we tell everyone,
“I sinned and did wrong,
    but God forgave me
28 and rescued me from death!
    Now I will see the light.”

29 God gives each of us
    chance after chance
30 to be saved from death
and brought into the light
    that gives life.
31 So, Job, pay attention
    and don't interrupt,
32 though I would gladly listen
to anything you say
    that proves you are right.
33 Otherwise, listen in silence
    to my wisdom.

Footnotes

  1. 33.4 the Spirit of God All-Powerful: Or “God All-Powerful.”
  2. 33.13 answer you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.

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。”