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Job’s Reply to Bildad

Then Job answered:

Yes, I know what you’ve said is true,
but how can a person be justified before God?(A)
If one wanted to take(B) him to court,
he could not answer God[a] once in a thousand times.(C)
God is wise(D) and all-powerful.
Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?
He removes mountains without their knowledge,
overturning them in his anger.(E)
He shakes the earth from its place
so that its pillars tremble.
He commands the sun not to shine
and seals off the stars.(F)
He alone stretches out the heavens(G)
and treads on the waves of the sea.[b]
He makes the stars: the Bear,[c] Orion,
the Pleiades,(H) and the constellations[d] of the southern sky.
10 He does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.(I)
11 If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him;(J)
if he went by, I wouldn’t recognise him.
12 If he snatches something, who can stop[e] him?
Who can ask him, ‘What are you doing? ’(K)
13 God does not hold back his anger;
Rahab’s(L) assistants cringe in fear beneath him!

14 How then can I answer him
or choose my arguments against him?
15 Even if I were in the right, I could not answer.
I could only beg my Judge for mercy.(M)
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said.
17 He batters me with a whirlwind(N)
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He doesn’t let me catch my breath
but fills me with bitter experiences.
19 If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one!(O)
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon(P) him?[f]
20 Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;(Q)
if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

21 Though I am blameless,
I no longer care about myself;
I renounce my life.(R)
22 It is all the same. Therefore I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(S)
23 When catastrophe[g] brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth[h] is handed over to the wicked;
he blindfolds[i] its judges.(T)
If it isn’t he, then who is it?

25 My days fly by faster than a runner;[j](U)
they flee without seeing any good.(V)
26 They sweep by like boats made of papyrus,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.(W)
27 If I said, ‘I will forget my complaint,
change my expression, and smile,’
28 I would still live in terror of all my pains.(X)
I know you will not acquit me.(Y)
29 Since I will be found guilty,(Z)
why should I struggle in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow,
and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 then you dip me in a pit of mud,
and my own clothes despise me!

32 For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him,(AA)
that we can take each other to court.
33 There is no mediator between us,
to lay his hand on both of us.
34 Let him take his rod away from me
so his terror will no longer frighten me.(AB)
35 Then I would speak and not fear him.
But that is not the case; I am on my own.

Footnotes

  1. 9:3 Or court, God would not answer him
  2. 9:8 Or and walks on the back of the sea god
  3. 9:9 Or Aldebaran
  4. 9:9 Or chambers
  5. 9:12 Or dissuade
  6. 9:19 LXX; MT reads me
  7. 9:23 Or whip; Hb obscure
  8. 9:24 Or land
  9. 9:24 Lit covers the faces of
  10. 9:25 = a royal messenger

约伯的回应

约伯回答说:

“不错,我知道你所言不虚,
但人怎能在上帝面前算为义人?
人若想与祂辩驳,
千次也不能胜一次。
祂充满智慧,能力无比,
谁能抗拒祂还可平安无恙?
祂可猝然挪动群山,
在怒气中把山翻倒。
祂震动大地,使其挪位,
以致地的支柱摇撼。
祂一声令下,
太阳便不再升起,
众星也不再发光。
祂独自铺展穹苍,
步行在海浪之上。
祂创造了北斗星、参星、昴星及南天的星座。
10 祂行的奇事不可测度,
奇迹不可胜数。
11 祂经过我身旁,我却看不见;
祂从旁边掠过,我也无法察觉。
12 祂若夺取,谁能阻挡?
谁敢问祂,‘你做什么?’
13 上帝不会忍怒不发,
海怪[a]的帮手必屈膝在祂脚前。

14 “因此,我怎敢与祂辩驳?
怎敢措辞与祂理论?
15 我纵然无辜,也无法申诉,
只能乞求我的审判者施恩。
16 即使我呼唤祂的时候,祂回应我,
我仍不相信祂会垂听我的声音。
17 祂用暴风摧毁我,
无故地使我饱受创伤。
18 祂不肯让我喘息,
祂使我尝尽苦头。
19 若论力量,祂甚强大;
若上公堂,谁敢传祂?
20 即使我清白无辜,我的口也会认罪;
即使我纯全无过,祂也会判我有罪。
21 我虽纯全无过,也已毫不在乎,
我厌恶我的生命。
22 因为,我认为都是一样,
纯全无过的人和恶人都会被祂毁灭。
23 灾祸突然夺走人命时,
祂嘲笑无辜者的遭遇。
24 大地落入恶人手中,
蒙敝审判官眼睛的不是祂是谁?

25 “我的年日比信差还快,
匆匆而过,不见幸福。
26 我的岁月疾驰如快船,
快如急降抓食的老鹰。
27 即使我说要忘掉怨恨,
抛开愁容,强颜欢笑,
28 诸多的患难仍使我惧怕,
我知道祂[b]不承认我无辜。
29 既然我被定为有罪,
又何必徒然挣扎?
30 即使我用雪水净身,
用碱水洗手,
31 祂仍会把我扔进污坑,
连我的衣服也嫌弃我。
32 祂并非我的同类,
我无法与祂争辩,一起对薄公堂。
33 我俩中间没有仲裁者,
无人为我们断定是非[c]
34 若能拿开祂责打我的刑杖,
使我不再受祂的惊吓,
35 我就会放胆发言,不必对祂心存恐惧,
但现在我却不能这样[d]

Footnotes

  1. 9:13 海怪”希伯来文是“拉哈伯”,下同26:12
  2. 9:28 ”希伯来文是“你”,下同31节。
  3. 9:33 为我们断定是非”希伯来文是“把手按在我们身上”。
  4. 9:35 但现在我却不能这样”或译“因为我知道自己的清白”。