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Job’s Repentance

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that You can do everything,
    and that no thought can be withheld from You.
‘Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge?’
    Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me which I did not know.

“ ‘Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you declare to Me.’
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

Epilogue

And so it was, that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. And now, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job will pray for you. For him I will accept, lest I deal with you according to your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing which is right like My servant Job.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord had commanded them; the Lord also accepted Job.

10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all of his brothers, and all his sisters, and all of those who had been of acquaintance before came to Job, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money and an earring of gold.

12 So the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the name of the first Jemimah; and the name of the second Keziah; and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land, there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and their sons to the fourth generation. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

Chapter 42

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

I know that you can do all things,[a]
    and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
“Who is this who obscures counsel with ignorance?”
I have spoken but did not understand;
    things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.(A)
“Listen, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you tell me the answers.”
By hearsay I had heard of you,
    but now my eye has seen you.[b]
Therefore I disown what I have said,
    and repent in dust and ashes.[c]

IX. Epilogue

Job’s Restoration. And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger blazes against you and your two friends![d] You have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job. So now take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves, and let my servant Job pray for you.[e] To him I will show favor, and not punish your folly, for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job.” Then Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did as the Lord had commanded them. The Lord showed favor to Job.

10 The Lord also restored the prosperity of Job, after he had prayed for his friends; the Lord even gave to Job twice[f] as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters came to him, and all his former acquaintances, and they dined with him in his house. They consoled and comforted him for all the evil the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of money[g] and a gold ring.

12 (B)Thus the Lord blessed the later days of Job more than his earlier ones. Now he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters: 14 the first daughter he called Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.[h] 15 In all the land no other women were as beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance[i] among their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; and he saw his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren.(C) 17 Then Job died, old and full of years.

Footnotes

  1. 42:2–4 In his final speech, Job quotes God’s own words (see 38:2–3; 40:7).
  2. 42:5 In 19:25–27 Job had affirmed a hope to “see” (three times) his vindicator. Now he has seen the Lord about whom he had heard so much.
  3. 42:6 A difficult verse. Some doubt, in view of God’s commendation in v. 7, that Job does in fact express repentance, and alternative translations are often given. Along with v. 5, it describes a change in Job, which the encounter with the Lord has brought about. Dust and ashes: an ambiguous phrase. It can refer to the human condition (cf. Gn 18:27; Jb 30:19) or to Job’s ash heap (2:8).
  4. 42:7 The three friends of Job (Elihu is ignored in the epilogue) are criticized by the Lord because they had “not spoken rightly” (vv. 7–8).
  5. 42:8 An ironic touch: Job becomes the intercessor for his friends.
  6. 42:10 Twice: this is the fine for damage inflicted upon another; cf. Ex 22:3. The Lord pays up!
  7. 42:11 A piece of money: lit., qesitah, value unknown; also used in Gn 33:19; Jos 24:32. Gold ring: for the nose or ear.
  8. 42:14 Job’s daughters had names symbolic of their charms: Jemimah, dove; Keziah, precious perfume (cf. Ps 45:9); Keren-happuch, cosmetic jar—more precisely, a container for a black powder used like modern mascara.
  9. 42:15 Ordinarily daughters did not inherit property unless there were no sons; cf. Nm 27:1–11.

Job

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;(A)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(B)
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(C)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.(D)

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’(E)
My ears had heard of you(F)
    but now my eyes have seen you.(G)
Therefore I despise myself(H)
    and repent(I) in dust and ashes.”(J)

Epilogue

After the Lord had said these things to Job(K), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(L) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(M) So now take seven bulls and seven rams(N) and go to my servant Job(O) and sacrifice a burnt offering(P) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(Q) and not deal with you according to your folly.(R) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(S) So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(T) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(U)

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(V) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(W) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(X) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(Y) and each one gave him a piece of silver[a] and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

约伯认罪

42 约伯回答耶和华说:

“我知道你万事都能作,

你的旨意是不能拦阻的。

这以无知无识的言语使 神的旨意模糊不清的是谁呢?

所以我说了我所不明白的;

这些事太奇妙,是我不晓得的。

求你听我,我要说话;

我要问你,你要告诉我。

我从前只是风闻有你,

但现在亲眼看见你。

因此我厌恶自己,

在尘土和灰烬中懊悔。”

耶和华责约伯三友

耶和华对约伯说了这些话以后,就对提幔人以利法说:“我要向你和你的两个朋友生气,因为你们讲论我,不如我的仆人约伯说的对。 现在你们要为自己取七头公牛、七只公羊,到我的仆人约伯那里去,为你们献上燔祭,我的仆人约伯就替你们祷告;我悦纳他的祷告,就不按照你们的愚昧待你们。你们讲论我,不如我的仆人约伯说的对。” 于是提幔人以利法、书亚人比勒达、拿玛人琐法,照着耶和华吩咐他们的去行,耶和华就悦纳约伯的祷告。

加倍赐福约伯

10 约伯替他的朋友祷告,耶和华就恢复约伯原来的景况,还照约伯以前所有的一切加倍赐给他。 11 约伯的众兄弟姊妹和以前认识的人都来见他,在他家里与他一同吃饭,又因耶和华降予他的一切灾祸都对他表同情,安慰他,每人送他一块银子和一个金环。 12 这样,耶和华后来赐给约伯的福比先前更多:他有一万四千只羊、六千匹骆驼、一千对牛、一千头母驴。 13 他也有七个儿子和三个女儿。 14 他给长女起名叫耶米玛,次女名叫基洗亚,三女名叫基连.哈朴。 15 在那全地中,找不到像约伯女儿那么美貌的妇女。她们的父亲在她们兄弟中间把产业分给她们。

约伯逝世

16 此后,约伯又活了一百四十年,得见他的儿孙到四代。 17 这样,约伯年纪老迈,寿终而死。

42 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.

10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.

14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.

17 So Job died, being old and full of days.