20:1 拿瑪人瑣法回答說:
20:2 我心中急躁,所以我的思念叫我回答。
20:3 我已聽見那羞辱我,責備我的話;我的悟性叫我回答。
20:4 你豈不知亙古以來,自從人生在地,
20:5 惡人誇勝是暫時的,不敬虔人的喜樂不過轉眼之間嗎?
20:6 他的尊榮雖達到天上,頭雖頂到雲中,
20:7 他終必滅亡,像自己的糞一樣;素來見他的人要說:他在哪裡呢?
20:8 他必飛去如夢,不再尋見,速被趕去,如夜間的異象。
20:9 親眼見過他的,必不再見他;他的本處也再見不著他。
20:10 他的兒女要求窮人的恩;他的手要賠還不義之財。
20:11 他的骨頭雖然有青年之力,卻要和他一同躺臥在塵土中。
20:12 他口內雖以惡為甘甜,藏在舌頭底下,
20:13 愛戀不捨,含在口中;
20:14 他的食物在肚裡卻要化為酸,在他裡面成為虺蛇的惡毒。
20:15 他吞了財寶,還要吐出;上帝要從他腹中掏出來。
20:16 他必吸飲虺蛇的毒氣;蝮蛇的舌頭也必殺他。
20:17 流奶與蜜之河,他不得再見。
20:18 他勞碌得來的要賠還,不得享用(原文是吞下);不能照所得的財貨歡樂。
20:19 他欺壓窮人,且又離棄;強取非自己所蓋的房屋(或譯:強取房屋不得再建造)。
20:20 他因貪而無厭,所喜悅的連一樣也不能保守。
20:21 其餘的沒有一樣他不吞滅,所以他的福樂不能長久。
20:22 他在滿足有餘的時候,必到狹窄的地步;凡受苦楚的人都必加手在他身上。
20:23 他正要充滿肚腹的時候,上帝必將猛烈的忿怒降在他身上;正在他吃飯的時候,要將這忿怒像雨降在他身上。
20:24 他要躲避鐵器;銅弓的箭要將他射透。
20:25 他把箭一抽,就從他身上出來;發光的箭頭從他膽中出來,有驚惶臨在他身上。
20:26 他的財寶歸於黑暗;人所不吹的火要把他燒滅,要把他帳棚中所剩下的燒毀。
20:27 天要顯明他的罪孽;地要興起攻擊他。
20:28 他的家產必然過去;上帝發怒的日子,他的貨物都要消滅。
20:29 這是惡人從上帝所得的分,是上帝為他所定的產業。
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 “My
troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.
3 I hear a rebuke that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4 “Surely
you know how it has been from of old,
ever since mankind[a] was placed
on the earth,
5 that the mirth of the wicked is brief,
the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
6 Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,
7 he will perish forever, like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,
banished like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.
10 His children must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.
11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones
will lie with him in the dust.
12 “Though
evil is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and lets it linger in his mouth,
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;
it will become the venom of serpents within him.
15 He will spit out the riches he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit them up.
16 He will suck the poison of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.
19 For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute;
he has seized houses he did not build.
20 “Surely
he will have no respite from his craving;
he cannot save himself by his treasure.
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 When he has filled his belly,
God will vent his burning anger against him
and rain down his blows on him.
24 Though he flees from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him;
26 total darkness lies in wait for his
treasures.
A fire unfanned will consume him
and devour what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.
28 A flood will carry off his house,
rushing waters[b] on the day
of God’s wrath.
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”
*************
約伯說完了,下台一鞠躬。接著是稱為「麻雀」的拿瑪人瑣法上台說話了,他好像等了很久,有點不耐煩一上台就說:「我心中急躁,所以我的思念叫我回答。我已聽見那羞辱我,責備我的話;我的悟性叫我回答。你豈不知亙古以來,自從人生在地,惡人誇勝是暫時的,不敬虔人的喜樂不過轉眼之間嗎?」
什麼跟什麼!一上台又是罵約伯是惡人,不僅如此接下去的更難聽:「他的尊榮雖達到天上,頭雖頂到雲中,他終必滅亡,像自己的糞一樣;素來見他的人要說:他在哪裡呢?」
竟然罵人罵得那麼難聽,把約伯用「糞」來比喻,這也太不禮貌了!到底是來安慰約伯,還是來損約伯?讓讀者都為約伯叫屈,真是誤交了損友,有這樣的朋友真是不幸!
而這個稱為「麻雀」的拿瑪人瑣法,竟然在這段談話的最後下這樣的結論:「天要顯明他的罪孽;地要興起攻擊他。他的家產必然過去;上帝發怒的日子,他的貨物都要消滅。這是惡人從上帝所得的分,是上帝為他所定的產業。」
瑣法的言論就像一些「自以為義」的基督徒一般,認為自己是正義的使者,要打擊罪惡,對於「傷風敗俗」的事總是先跳出來責備一番,而他們的禱告真的像主耶穌所說的比喻中的法利賽人的禱告:「上帝啊,我感謝你,我不像別人勒索、不義、姦淫,也不像這個稅吏。我一個禮拜禁食兩次,凡我所得的都捐上十分之一。」(路加福音18:11-12)
說到好事都是自己做的,說到壞事都是別人做的!不僅如此,臉不紅、氣不粗,向人炫耀自己多麼敬虔和愛主,多麼委身於教會的事奉呢!將來必得主大大的獎賞,還要人效法他呢!
在以前我也很尊敬這樣的人,覺得他們是很好的基督徒,應該會帶領很多人信主!但是,實際上並非如此,他周邊的人都受不了他,因為他們太愛自誇了!怪不得,會有許多爭執發生在他的生活圈。
也因為這樣,常常向主禱告,讓我不要成為這樣的人,能夠學習保羅成為真正謙卑的人,所以常常拿保羅說的來自勉:「弟兄們,我為你們的緣故,拿這些事轉比自己和亞波羅,叫你們效法我們不可過於聖經所記,免得你們自高自大,貴重這個,輕看那個。使你與人不同的是誰呢?你有甚麼不是領受的呢?若是領受的,為何自誇,彷彿不是領受的呢?」(哥林多前書4:6-7)