约伯回答说，
Then Job answered and said,

我真知道是这样；但人在神面前怎能成为义的？
I do indeed know that it is so. / But how can a man be righteous before God?

人若愿意与祂争辩，千件事中也不能回答一件。
If he is pleased to contend with Him, / He cannot answer Him one thing in a thousand.

祂心里有智慧，并且能力强大；谁抗拒祂而平安无事呢？
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength — / Who has ever resisted Him and come through whole? —

祂在怒中把山翻倒挪移，山并不知觉；
He who removes mountains, and they do not know it, / When He overturns them in His anger;

祂使地震动，离其本位，地的柱子就摇撼；
Who shakes the earth from its place, / And its pillars shake;

祂吩咐日头，日头就不升起，祂又封闭众星；
Who commands the sun, and it does not rise, / And seals up the stars;

祂独自铺张诸天，步行在海浪之上；
Who alone stretched forth the heavens / And trod upon the heights of the sea;

祂造北斗、参星、昴星和南方的密宫；
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, / And the chambers of the south;

祂行大事不可测度，行奇事不可胜数。
Who does great things that cannot be searched, / Indeed, wonderful deeds that cannot be numbered.

看哪，祂从我旁边经过，我却不看见；祂在我面前走过，我也不察觉。
Indeed, He passes by me, but I do not see Him; / And He goes by, but I do not perceive Him.

看哪，祂夺取，谁能阻挡？谁敢问祂，你作什么？
Indeed, He snatches away; who can stop Him? / Who can say to Him, What are You doing?

神必不收回祂的怒气；扶助拉哈伯的，屈身在祂以下。
God does not turn back His anger; / Under Him Rahab's helpers stoop.

既是这样，我怎敢回答祂，怎敢选择言辞与祂辩论？
How then can I answer Him / And choose my words properly with Him?

我虽有义，也不能回答祂；只能向那审判我的恳求。
I, though righteous, could not answer Him; / I could only plead for mercy before my Judge.

我若呼吁，祂应允我，我仍不信祂真听我的声音。
If I called out and He answered me, / I do not believe that He would hearken to my voice.

因祂用旋风摧残我，无故地加增我的损伤。
For He crushes me with a whirlwind / And multiplies my wounds without cause.

祂不容我喘一口气，倒使我饱受苦恼。
He does not permit me to catch my breath, / But fills me with bitterness.

若论力量，祂真有能力；若论审判，祂说，谁能定下日期传我来呢？
If we speak of strength, indeed, He is mighty! / Or if of judgment, Who, says He, can appoint Me a time?

我虽是义的，我口要定我为有罪；我虽完全，我口必显我为弯曲。
Though I am righteous, my mouth would condemn me; / Though I am perfect, it would prove me perverse.

我本完全；我不顾自己；我厌弃我的性命。
I am perfect; I do not regard my soul; / I despise my life.

行善作恶都是一样；所以我说，完全人和恶人，祂都灭绝。
It is all one; therefore I say, / He destroys the perfect and the wicked.

若有人忽然遭杀害之祸，祂必戏笑无辜人的绝望。
If some scourge suddenly kills, / He derides the despair of the innocent.

地交在恶人手中；祂蒙蔽地上审判官的脸。若不是祂，是谁呢？
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; / He covers the faces of its judges. / If not He, then who is it?

我的日子比跑信的更快，急速过去，不见福乐。
And my days are swifter than a running messenger; / They flee away, they do not see good;

我的日子过去如快船，如急落抓食的鹰。
They go by like reed boats, / Like an eagle swooping on the prey.

我若说，我要忘记我的苦情，除去我的愁容，显出愉快；
If I say, I will forget my complaint, / I will put off my sad countenance and look cheerful;

我就惧怕我一切的痛苦，知道你必不以我为无辜。
I fear all my pains: / I know that You will not hold me innocent.

我必被你定为恶；我何必徒然劳苦？
I will be accounted wicked; / Why then do I labor in vain?

我若用雪水洗身，用碱洁净我的手，
If I wash myself with soap / And cleanse my hands with lye,

你还要把我扔在坑里，连我的衣服都憎恶我。
Yet You will plunge me into the pit, / And my own garments will abhor me.

祂本不像我是人，使我可以回答祂，又使我们可以同听审判。
For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, / That we should enter into litigation together.

我们中间没有仲裁的人，可以给我们两造按手。
There is no referee between us, / Who may lay his hand upon us both.

愿祂使祂的刑杖离开我，不使我因祂的可畏而惊惶；
Let Him take His rod away from me, / And let not the dread of Him terrify me;

我就说话，并不惧怕祂；现在我却不是这样。
Then I would speak and not be afraid of Him; / For I am not such.