¹以利法首次发言责难约伯

¹And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

²“人若对你说一句话，你就厌烦吗？但谁又忍得住不说话呢？

²Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

³你曾经教过许多人，又坚固了无力的手；

³Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.

⁴你的话扶起了绊倒的人，你使弯曲乏力的膝坚挺。

⁴The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

⁵但现在祸患临到你，你就灰心，灾祸遇上你，你就惊惶沮丧。

⁵But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶　神赏善罚恶你所自恃的，不是敬畏　神吗？你所盼望的，不是行为完全吗？

⁶Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?

⁷请想一想，无辜的人有谁灭亡？哪有正直的人被剪除呢？

⁷Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

⁸据我所见，耕耘罪孽的，必收割罪孽；种植毒害的，必收割毒害。

⁸As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!

⁹他们因　神的气息而灭亡，因他的怒气而消灭。

⁹From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

¹⁰狮子的咆哮，猛狮的吼声，尽都止息，壮狮的牙齿也都断掉。

¹⁰The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

¹¹公狮因缺乏猎物而死亡，母狮之子也被分散。

¹¹An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.

¹²世人微不足道有话偷偷传给我，我的耳朵听到细语；

¹²And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.

¹³在夜间因异象而烦扰的心思中，世上都在沉睡的时候，

¹³In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,

¹⁴恐惧战栗临到我，以致我全身发抖。

¹⁴Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

¹⁵有灵拂过我面前，使我毛骨悚然。

¹⁵And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;

¹⁶那灵站住，我辨不出他的形状，只见有一形象在我眼前，然后我听见低微的声音，说：

¹⁶It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:

¹⁷‘人能在　神面前算为公义吗？人能在他的创造主面前算为洁净吗？

¹⁷`Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?

¹⁸他的仆役他还不信任，他的天使他也指责过错，

¹⁸Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.`

¹⁹何况那些住在土屋里，根基在尘土中，比蠹虫还容易被压碎的人呢？

¹⁹Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

²⁰在早晚之间就被毁灭，永归沉沦，无人怀念。

²⁰From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.

²¹他们帐棚的绳索不是从他们中间抽出来吗？他们死去，不是无智慧而死吗？’”

²¹Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!