< Job 8 >

1 Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
書亞人比勒達回答說:
2 “Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
這些話你要說到幾時? 口中的言語如狂風要到幾時呢?
3 Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
上帝豈能偏離公平? 全能者豈能偏離公義?
4 So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
或者你的兒女得罪了他; 他使他們受報應。
5 But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
你若殷勤地尋求上帝, 向全能者懇求;
6 and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
你若清潔正直, 他必定為你起來, 使你公義的居所興旺。
7 And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
你起初雖然微小, 終久必甚發達。
8 “I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
請你考問前代, 追念他們的列祖所查究的。
9 [It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
我們不過從昨日才有,一無所知; 我們在世的日子好像影兒。
10 So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
他們豈不指教你,告訴你, 從心裏發出言語來呢?
11 Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
蒲草沒有泥豈能發長? 蘆荻沒有水豈能生發?
12 [If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
尚青的時候,還沒有割下, 比百樣的草先枯槁。
13 Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
凡忘記上帝的人,景況也是這樣; 不虔敬人的指望要滅沒。
14 The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
他所仰賴的必折斷; 他所倚靠的是蜘蛛網。
15 If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
他要倚靠房屋,房屋卻站立不住; 他要抓住房屋,房屋卻不能存留。
16 Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
他在日光之下發青, 蔓子爬滿了園子;
17 The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
他的根盤繞石堆, 扎入石地。
18 But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
他若從本地被拔出, 那地就不認識他,說: 我沒有見過你。
19 Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
看哪,這就是他道中之樂; 以後必另有人從地而生。
20 :So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
上帝必不丟棄完全人, 也不扶助邪惡人。
21 He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
他還要以喜笑充滿你的口, 以歡呼充滿你的嘴。
22 But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
恨惡你的要披戴慚愧; 惡人的帳棚必歸於無有。

< Job 8 >