約伯記22:1-30

 

22:1 提幔人以利法回答說：
22:2 人豈能使上帝有益呢？智慧人但能有益於己。
22:3 你為人公義，豈叫全能者喜悅呢？你行為完全，豈能使他得利呢？
22:4 豈是因你敬畏他就責備你、審判你嗎？
22:5 你的罪惡豈不是大嗎？你的罪孽也沒有窮盡；
22:6 因你無故強取弟兄的物為當頭，剝去貧寒人的衣服。
22:7 困乏的人，你沒有給他水喝；飢餓的人，你沒有給他食物。
22:8 有能力的人就得地土；尊貴的人也住在其中。
22:9 你打發寡婦空手回去，折斷孤兒的膀臂。
22:10 因此，有網羅環繞你，有恐懼忽然使你驚惶；
22:11 或有黑暗蒙蔽你，並有洪水淹沒你。
22:12 上帝豈不是在高天嗎？你看星宿何其高呢！
22:13 你說：上帝知道甚麼？他豈能看透幽暗施行審判呢？
22:14 密雲將他遮蓋，使他不能看見；他周遊穹蒼。
22:15 你要依從上古的道嗎？這道是惡人所行的。
22:16 他們未到死期，忽然除滅；根基毀壞，好像被江河沖去。
22:17 他們向上帝說：離開我們吧！又說：全能者能把我們怎麼樣呢？
22:18 哪知上帝以美物充滿他們的房屋；但惡人所謀定的離我好遠。
22:19 義人看見他們的結局就歡喜；無辜的人嗤笑他們，
22:20 說：那起來攻擊我們的果然被剪除，其餘的都被火燒滅。
22:21 你要認識上帝，就得平安；福氣也必臨到你。
22:22 你當領受他口中的教訓，將他的言語存在心裡。
22:23 你若歸向全能者，從你帳棚中遠除不義，就必得建立。
22:24 要將你的珍寶丟在塵土裡，將俄斐的黃金丟在溪河石頭之間；
22:25 全能者就必為你的珍寶，作你的寶銀。
22:26 你就要以全能者為喜樂，向上帝仰起臉來。
22:27 你要禱告他，他就聽你；你也要還你的願。
22:28 你定意要做何事，必然給你成就；亮光也必照耀你的路。
22:29 人使你降卑，你仍可說：必得高升；謙卑的人，上帝必然拯救。
22:30 人非無辜，上帝且要搭救他；他因你手中清潔，必蒙拯救。

 

 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

² “Can a man be of benefit to God?
    Can even a wise person benefit him?
³ What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?

⁴ “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?
⁵ Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins endless?
⁶ You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.
⁷ You gave no water to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,
⁸ though you were a powerful man, owning land—
    an honored man, living on it.
⁹ And you sent widows away empty-handed
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.
¹⁰ That is why snares are all around you,
    why sudden peril terrifies you,
¹¹ why it is so dark you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.

¹² “Is not God in the heights of heaven?
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
¹³ Yet you say, ‘What does God know?
    Does he judge through such darkness?
¹⁴ Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’
¹⁵ Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked have trod?
¹⁶ They were carried off before their time,
    their foundations washed away by a flood.
¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’
¹⁸ Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.
¹⁹ The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;
    the innocent mock them, saying,
²⁰ ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,
    and fire devours their wealth.’

²¹ “Submit to God and be at peace with him;
    in this way prosperity will come to you.
²² Accept instruction from his mouth
    and lay up his words in your heart.
²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent
²⁴ and assign your nuggets to the dust,
    your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
²⁵ then the Almighty will be your gold,
    the choicest silver for you.
²⁶ Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
    and will lift up your face to God.
²⁷ You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
    and you will fulfill your vows.
²⁸ What you decide on will be done,
    and light will shine on your ways.
²⁹ When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.
³⁰ He will deliver even one who is not innocent,
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

 

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    當約伯將現實的狀況向他的三個朋友說明時，沒想到這些人的腦袋還是沒有轉過來，心裡還在幻想著「善有善報、惡有惡報」；不僅如此，還沉溺在他們是義人所以蒙上帝賜福，而約伯是惡人，遭上帝報應！

 

    所以，提幔人以利法的論調還是跟之前的內容差不多，無視於約伯所說的！竟然以這樣的話語做結論：「你若歸向全能者，從你帳棚中遠除不義，就必得建立。要將你的珍寶丟在塵土裡，將俄斐的黃金丟在溪河石頭之間；全能者就必為你的珍寶，作你的寶銀。你就要以全能者為喜樂，向上帝仰起臉來。你要禱告他，他就聽你；你也要還你的願。你定意要做何事，必然給你成就；亮光也必照耀你的路。人使你降卑，你仍可說：必得高升；謙卑的人，上帝必然拯救。人非無辜，上帝且要搭救他；他因你手中清潔，必蒙拯救。」

 

    說得很敬虔，卻都是無視於現狀的廢話！根本是自我安慰、自以為是，還以為是上帝要他說的！這也提醒我們，這個世界是伏在那惡者之下，是非顛倒和不正義的事充斥是事實！所以，我們要盼望上帝的國快快實現，才會有真正的正義！因為有在公義的上帝治理下，正義才會彰顯！