約伯記 12

1 約伯回答說：

And Job answered and said,

2 的確，只有你們是有知識的子民；那麼，你們一死，智慧也與你們一同喪亡!

Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!

3 其實，我和你們有同樣的心理，我並不亞於你們! 誰不知道這些事﹖

I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these?

4 我這呼籲天主而蒙應允的人，卻被他的友人所嘲笑，無辜的義人卻成了笑柄。

I am to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright [man].

5 幸運的人心想：遭難的人應受蔑視，失足的人應再予以打擊。

He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6 但是，強盜的帳幕竟能安全，觸怒天主的人，以勢力為神的人卻享平安。

The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth.

7 請你詢問走獸，牠們也會開導你；詢問天上的飛鳥，牠們也會告訴你；

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;

8 地上的爬蟲也會教訓你，海中的魚族也會給你說明。

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 牠們中有誰不知道：是天主的手創造了這一切﹖

Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?

10 因為一切活物的生魂，一切血肉之人的靈魂，都握在他手中。

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

11 耳朵不是為明辨言語，口腔不是為辨嘗食物嗎﹖

Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?

12 白髮老人是有智慧的，年紀大者是有見識的；

With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

13 但智慧和能力同在天主內，智慧與見識是天主所有。

With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

14 他若拆毀，人不能再建；他若拘禁，人不得開釋。

Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

15 他若制水，水便乾涸；他若放水，水便沖毀大地。

Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 力量與才能，為他所有；受騙者與騙人者，都屬於他。

With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 他使謀士糊塗，使判官愚蠢；

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;

18 他解除君王所繫的玉帶，將繩索捆在他們的腰間；

He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;

19 他使司祭赤足而行，推倒掌握大權者；

He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;

20 奪去忠貞者的辯才，剝去年老者的理智：

He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;

21 使貴人備受侮辱，使勇士的腰帶鬆弛；

He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;

22 使隱秘的事由暗處彰顯，使黑暗進入光明；

He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;

23 使邦國興起而又滅亡，使民族強大而又消散；

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;

24 剝去國君的理智，使他們漂泊於無路的荒野中，

He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.

25 在無光的黑暗中摸索，踉蹌猶如醉漢。

They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.