約伯記16:1-22

 

16:1 約伯回答說：
16:2 這樣的話我聽了許多；你們安慰人，反叫人愁煩。
16:3 虛空的言語有窮盡嗎？有甚麼話惹動你回答呢？
16:4 我也能說你們那樣的話；你們若處在我的境遇，我也會聯絡言語攻擊你們，又能向你們搖頭。
16:5 但我必用口堅固你們，用嘴消解你們的憂愁。
16:6 我雖說話，憂愁仍不得消解；我雖停住不說，憂愁就離開我嗎？
16:7 但現在上帝使我困倦，使親友遠離我，
16:8 又抓住我，作見證攻擊我；我身體的枯瘦也當面見證我的不是。
16:9 主發怒撕裂我，逼迫我，向我切齒；我的敵人怒目看我。
16:10 他們向我開口，打我的臉羞辱我，聚會攻擊我。
16:11 上帝把我交給不敬虔的人，把我扔到惡人的手中。
16:12 我素來安逸，他折斷我，掐住我的頸項，把我摔碎，又立我為他的箭靶子。
16:13 他的弓箭手四面圍繞我；他破裂我的肺腑，並不留情，把我的膽傾倒在地上，
16:14 將我破裂又破裂，如同勇士向我直闖。
16:15 我縫麻布在我皮膚上，把我的角放在塵土中。
16:16 我的臉因哭泣發紫，在我的眼皮上有死蔭。
16:17 我的手中卻無強暴；我的祈禱也是清潔。
16:18 地啊，不要遮蓋我的血！不要阻擋我的哀求！
16:19 現今，在天有我的見證，在上有我的中保。
16:20 我的朋友譏誚我，我卻向上帝眼淚汪汪。
16:21 願人得與上帝辯白，如同人與朋友辯白一樣；
16:22 因為再過幾年，我必走那往而不返之路。

 

Then Job replied:

² “I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters, all of you!
³ Will your long-winded speeches never end?
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?
⁴ I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head at you.
⁵ But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

⁶ “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.
⁷ Surely, God, you have worn me out;
    you have devastated my entire household.
⁸ You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.
⁹ God assails me and tears me in his anger
    and gnashes his teeth at me;
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
¹⁰ People open their mouths to jeer at me;
    they strike my cheek in scorn
    and unite together against me.
¹¹ God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
¹² All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;
¹³     his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.

¹⁵ “I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.
¹⁶ My face is red with weeping,
    dark shadows ring my eyes;
¹⁷ yet my hands have been free of violence
    and my prayer is pure.

¹⁸ “Earth, do not cover my blood;
    may my cry never be laid to rest!
¹⁹ Even now my witness is in heaven;
    my advocate is on high.
²⁰ My intercessor is my friend^[a]
    as my eyes pour out tears to God;
²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²² “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.

 

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     約伯回應得好實在：「這樣的話我聽了許多；你們安慰人，反叫人愁煩。虛空的言語有窮盡嗎？有甚麼話惹動你回答呢？我也能說你們那樣的話；你們若處在我的境遇，我也會聯絡言語攻擊你們，又能向你們搖頭。但我必用口堅固你們，用嘴消解你們的憂愁。」

 

    約伯的三個朋友忘記自己來探訪約伯的目的是甚麼，也忘記約伯真正的處境是怎樣，竟然和約伯爭吵，在那裏議論約伯和他的家人多麼不義，他們多麼有智慧、多麼討上帝的喜悅，真的很奇怪呢！

 

    其實很多自以為是的人真多呢！還有人宣稱：「上帝用苦難來家增祂的兒女的「神性」，所以我們受苦受難都是上帝的賜福！」

 

    你能接受這樣的論調嗎？當然一看就覺得是異端，請問人有「神性」嗎？當然沒有！我們使用任何神學名詞都要小心，不要自己高興怎樣說就怎樣說，這是對教義的混亂，是混亂教會的行為，豈可不小心呢！