235:1
V ers. 2. — Sed conceptum sermonem tenere quis possit? 30. Verba prava alii concipiunt et proferunt, alii con- cepta reprimunt, alii nec concipiunt. — Tria sunt ho- minum genera, quae gradatim ductis a se qualitati- bus dissident. Sunt namque alii qui et ad loquendum prava concipiunt, a locutione sua nulla silentii gra- vitate refrenantur. Et sunt alii qui cum prava conci- piunt, magno se silentii vigore restringunt. Et sunt nonnulli qui, virtutum usu roborati, usque ad eam celsitudinem provehuntur, ut ad loquendum, ne in corde quidem perversa concipiant, quae silendo 152 compescant. Eliphaz itaque ex quo sit ordine, osten- ditur, qui conceptum sermonem tenere se non posse testatur.
第二節。——但誰能按住那已構想成形的言語呢？三十。有些人構想邪惡的言語並說出來，有些人壓抑所構想的，有些人根本不去構想。——人有三種，各按其由己而生、循序漸進的品性彼此有別。因為有些人既在心中構想邪惡的話要說，又不被任何靜默的莊重所約束，任其出口。也有些人，當他們構想邪惡之事時，卻以強大的靜默之力約束自己。還有些人，因操練諸德而剛強，被提升到如此高的境界，以致就言語而言，他們連在心中都不構想那需藉靜默去壓制的悖逆之事。由此便顯明以利法屬於哪一等，因為他自認無法按住自己所構想的言語。
Verse 2. — But who can hold back the conceived word? 30. Some conceive evil words and utter them, some suppress what they have conceived, and some do not even conceive them. — There are three classes of men, which differ by qualities that proceed from them in successive degrees. For there are some who both conceive evil things to speak and are restrained by no gravity of silence from their utterance. And there are others who, when they conceive evil things, hold themselves back by a mighty force of silence. And there are some who, strengthened by the practice of the virtues, are carried up to such a height that, so far as speaking is concerned, they do not even conceive perverse things in their heart which they must then restrain by keeping silence. And so it is shown of what order Eliphaz is, who testifies that he cannot hold back the word he has conceived.
235:2
Qua in re et illud innotuit, quod se loquendo offensurum novit. Neque enim retinere verba quae non potest vellet, nisi per haec se vulnera inferre praenosceret. Boni enim viri freno consilii relinent praecipitationem verbi, et caute considerant ne rela- xantes linguae lasciviam auditorum conscientiam in- cauta locutione transfigant. Unde bene per Salomo- nem dicitur: Qui dimittit aquam, caput est jurgiorum ( Prov. xvii, 14). Aqua quippe dimittitur, cum lin- guae fluxus effrenatur. Sed dimissor aquae jurgiorum caput efficitur, quia per linguae incontinentiam, dis- cordiae origo propinatur.
在這件事上也顯明了：他知道自己一開口便會冒犯人。因為他若非預見自己會藉這些言語使自己受傷，就不會想去按住那按不住的言語。因為善人以審慎的韁繩勒住言語的急促，並謹慎顧念，免得放縱舌頭的輕浮，以不慎的言語刺傷聽者的良心。故此藉所羅門說得好：「放水的，便是爭端的起頭」（箴十七14）。因為當舌頭的洪流不受約束時，水便被放出。而放水的人成了爭端的起頭，因為藉著舌頭的不節制，紛爭的源頭便被引流而出。
In this matter it also became evident that he knew he would give offense by speaking. For he would not wish to hold back words he cannot, unless he foresaw that by these he would inflict wounds upon himself. For good men rein in the headlong rush of speech with the bridle of counsel, and carefully take heed lest, by loosening the wantonness of the tongue, they pierce the conscience of their hearers with incautious speech. Whence it is well said through Solomon: He who lets out water is the head of strifes (Prov. 17:14). For water is let out when the flow of the tongue is left unbridled. But he who lets out the water becomes the head of strifes, because through the incontinence of the tongue the origin of discord is set flowing.
235:3
Pravi igitur sicut in sensu leves sunt, ita in locutione praecipites, et reticere pertractando negligunt quae loquantur. Sed quod levis conscientia concipit, levior protinus lingua pro- dit. Unde nunc Eliphaz ex suo experimento colligit, quod desperate de omnibus sentit, dicens: Sed con- ceptum sermonem tenere quis postit? Sequitur:
故此惡人正如在判斷上輕浮，說話也急躁，並且怠於藉斟酌而緘默所要說的話。輕浮的良心所構想的，更輕浮的舌頭立刻便說出。所以如今以利法從自己的經驗推斷出他對眾人所絕望地感受的，說：「但誰能按住那已構想成形的言語呢？」接著說：
The wicked, therefore, just as they are frivolous in judgment, so are they headlong in speech, and by weighing matters they neglect to keep silent about what they utter. But what a frivolous conscience conceives, a still more frivolous tongue at once brings forth. Whence now Eliphaz gathers from his own experience that which he despairingly feels about all men, saying: But who can hold back the conceived word? There follows: