Job

1Hear therefore, O Job, my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

2Behold now I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak within my jaws.

3My words are from my upright heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence.

4The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.

5If thou canst, answer me, and stand up against my face.

6Behold God hath made me as well as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed.

7But yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to thee.

8Now thou has said in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words:

9I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me.

10Because he hath found complaints against me, therefore he hath counted me for his enemy.

11He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths.

12Now this is the thing in which thou art not justified: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

13Dost thou strive against him, because he hath not answered thee to all words?

14God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time.

15By a dream in a vision by night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, and they are sleeping in their beds:

16Then he openeth the ears of men, and teaching instructeth them in what they are to learn.

17That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride.

18Rescuing his soul from corruption: and his life from passing to the sword.

19He rebuketh also by sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither.

20Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired.

21His flesh shall be consumed away, and his bones that were covered shall be made bare.

22His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers.

23If there shall be an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare man’s uprightness,

24He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption: I have found wherein I may be merciful to him.

25His flesh is consumed with punishment, let him return to the days of his youth.

26He shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him: and he shall see his face with joy, and he will render to man his justice.

27He shall look upon men, and shall say: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved.

28He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light.

29Behold, all these things God worketh three times within every one.

30That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.

31Attend, Job, and hearken to me: and hold thy peace, whilst I speak.

32But if thou hast any thing to say, answer me, speak: for I would have thee to appear just.

33And if thou have not, hear me: hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.

1xin lắng nghe mọi lời lẽ của tôi.

2Giờ đây tôi mở miệng, lưỡi tôi thốt nên lời.

3môi miệng tôi nói lên chân lý tinh tuyền.

4hơi thở của Đấng Toàn Năng đã cho tôi được sống.

5cứ phi bác tôi và giữ vững lập trường.

6tôi được nắn ra từ đất sét.

7và tay tôi không đè nặng trên ông.

8tôi vẫn còn nghe văng vẳng lời ông nói :

9tôi tinh tuyền, chẳng hề vương tội lỗi.

10coi tôi như thù địch của Người.

11và canh chừng mọi nẻo tôi đi.”

12bởi vì Thiên Chúa cao cả hơn phàm nhân.

13Vì Người đâu phải trả lẽ về các việc Người làm.

14nhưng người ta chẳng để ý lưu tâm.

15lúc họ thiếp đi trên giường ngủ.

16làm cho họ sợ hãi vì những lời cảnh cáo,

17giúp họ tránh được thói kiêu căng,

18cứu sinh mạng khỏi rơi xuống đường hầm.

19làm cho xương cốt run rẩy không ngừng.

20cao lương mỹ vị cũng chẳng màng.

21Thân hình họ trông thật là thiểu não, chỉ còn da bọc xương.

22tuy còn sống mà như đã tiêu vong.

23để bảo cho con người biết bổn phận của họ.

24“Xin Ngài tha cho nó khỏi xuống mồ, tôi đã tìm ra giá chuộc.”

25họ mạnh mẽ như lúc còn thanh niên.

26cho thiên hạ thấy rằng họ công chính.

27nhưng Người lại không xử với tôi như tôi đáng tội.

28và cho được sống để nhìn thấy ánh quang.”

29hai lần rồi ba lần,

30cho nhìn thấy ánh sáng cõi nhân sinh.

31im lặng đi để tôi lên tiếng nói.

32ông cứ nói vì tôi thích nghe ông biện bạch ;

33lẳng lặng mà nghe tôi dạy lẽ khôn ngoan.