比勒达发言

书亚人比勒达回答约伯说:

“你要这样絮叨到何时?
你的话犹如阵阵狂风。
上帝岂会歪曲正义?
全能者岂会颠倒是非?
如果你的儿女得罪了祂,
祂会给他们应有的惩罚。
但你若寻求上帝,
向全能者恳求;
你若纯洁、正直,
祂必起身相助,
恢复你应有的家园。
你起初虽然卑微,
日后必兴旺发达。

“你要请教先辈,
探究祖先的经验。
因为我们就像昨天才出生,一无所知,
我们在世的日子如同掠影。
10 先辈必给你教诲和指点,
向你道出明智之言。

11 “蒲草无泥岂可长高?
芦苇无水岂可茂盛?
12 它们还在生长、尚未割下,
已比百草先枯萎。
13 忘记上帝的人,结局也是如此;
不信上帝的人,盼望终必破灭。
14 他所仰仗的虚若游丝,
他所倚靠的诚如蛛网。
15 他倚靠它,它却支撑不住;
他抓紧它,它却支离破碎。
16 他像阳光下生机勃勃的植物,
枝条爬满了园囿,
17 根茎盘绕石堆,
深深扎入石缝。
18 一旦他被连根拔起,
原处必否认见过他。
19 他的生命就这样消逝[a]
地上会兴起其他人。

20 “上帝决不会抛弃纯全的人,
也不会扶持邪恶的人。
21 祂要使你笑口常开,
欢声不断。
22 憎恨你的人必抱愧蒙羞,
恶人的帐篷必不复存在。”

Footnotes

  1. 8:19 他的生命就这样消逝”或译“这就是他一生的乐趣”。

Bildad Speaks

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

How long will you go on saying these things?
Your words(A) are a blast of wind.(B)
Does God pervert justice?(C)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(D)
Since your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to their rebellion.
But if you earnestly seek(E) God
and ask the Almighty for mercy,(F)
if you are pure and upright,
then he will move even now on your behalf
and restore the home where your righteousness dwells.(G)
Then, even if your beginnings were modest,
your final days will be full of prosperity.(H)

For ask the previous generation,
and pay attention to what their ancestors discovered,(I)
since we were born only yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are but a shadow.(J)
10 Will they not teach you and tell you
and speak from their understanding?
11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
Do reeds flourish without water?
12 While still uncut shoots,
they would dry up quicker than any other plant.
13 Such is the destiny[a] of all who forget God;
the hope of the godless(K) will perish.
14 His source of confidence is fragile;[b]
what he trusts in is a spider’s web.(L)
15 He leans on his web, but it doesn’t stand firm.
He grabs it, but it does not hold up.
16 He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine;
his shoots spread out over his garden.
17 His roots are intertwined around a pile of rocks.
He looks for a home among the stones.
18 If he is uprooted[c] from his place,
it will deny knowing him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’(M)
19 Surely this is the joy of his way of life;
yet others will sprout from the dust.
20 Look, God does not reject a person of integrity,
and he will not support[d] evildoers.(N)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with a shout of joy.(O)
22 Your enemies will be clothed with shame;(P)
the tent(Q) of the wicked will no longer exist.

Footnotes

  1. 8:13 Lit Such are the ways
  2. 8:14 Or cut off; Hb obscure
  3. 8:18 Or destroyed
  4. 8:20 Lit grasp the hand of

Bildad

Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:

“How long will you say such things?(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.(C)
Does God pervert justice?(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(E)
When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(F)
But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead(G) with the Almighty,(H)
if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.(J)
Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous(K) will your future be.(L)

“Ask the former generation(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.(O)
10 Will they not instruct(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(R)
    Can reeds(S) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.(T)
13 Such is the destiny(U) of all who forget God;(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.(X)
15 They lean on the web,(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots(AA) over the garden;(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(AD)
19 Surely its life withers(AE) away,
    and[b] from the soil other plants grow.(AF)

20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(AK)
    and the tents(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”(AM)

Footnotes

  1. Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that