Job 8

1 But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:

叔亞人彼耳達得發言說：

2 How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?

這些話你要講到幾時﹖你口中的話像狂風要到何時﹖

3 Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?

天主豈能違背公道﹖全能者豈能屈枉正義﹖

4 And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,

若你的子女得罪了他，他必將他們交於罪過的權勢下。

5 even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.

你若急切尋覓天主，哀求全能者；

6 If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,

你若純潔正直，他必親來守護你，恢復你正義的居所。

7 so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.

你起初雖然微小，今後必要興隆強大。

8 For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,

請你查問上一代，細想祖先的經驗；

9 (of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )

因為我們由昨日纔有，本來一無所知；我們在世上的日月，好似影子。

10 and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.

他們必訓誡你，指教你，向你說出內心的話：

11 Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?

蒲草不在池沼內，怎能長大﹖蘆葦沒有水，怎會長起﹖

12 When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.

在茁壯中，尚未砍下，已先百草而枯萎。

13 Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.

凡忘記天主的，他的末路也是這樣：惡人的希望必化為泡影。

14 His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.

他的依靠好似游絲，他的憑藉有如蛛網。

15 He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.

他倚恃自己的家，但它卻站立不住；他要依附自己的住所，住所卻不能久存。

16 He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.

它在日光下而青蔥，枝蔓爬滿了園囿，

17 His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.

根盤據在石堆上，纏繞在石屋上。

18 If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”

若有人從原處把它拔除，那地必否認說：「我未曾見過它。」

19 For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.

看，它要腐爛在路上，必從地上生出另一棵。

20 God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,

天主決不棄捨完善的人，也決不支持惡人的勢力。

21 even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.

你的口角必再洋溢著喜悅，你的唇邊必再充滿歡笑。

22 Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.

憎恨你的必蒙受羞辱，惡人的帳幕必化為烏有。