Job's Reply to Eliphaz
I Have Often Heard This
1 Job said:
2 I have often heard this,
and it offers no comfort.
3 So why don't you keep quiet?
What's bothering you?
4 If I were in your place,
it would be easy to criticize
or to give advice.
5 But I would offer hope
and comfort instead.
6 If I speak, or if I don't,
I hurt all the same.
My torment continues.
7 God has worn me down
and destroyed my family;
8 my shriveled up skin proves
that I am his prisoner.
9 God is my hateful enemy,
glaring at me and attacking
with his sharp teeth.
10 Everyone is against me;
they sneer and slap my face.
11 And God is the one
who handed me over
to this merciless mob.
Everything Was Going Well
12 Everything was going well,
until God grabbed my neck
and shook me to pieces.
God set me up as the target
13 for his arrows,
and without showing mercy,
he slashed my stomach open,
spilling out my insides.
14 God never stops attacking,
15 and so, in my sorrow
I dress in sackcloth
and sit in the dust.
16 My face is red with tears,
and dark shadows
circle my eyes,
17 though I am not violent,
and my prayers are sincere.
18 If I should die,
I beg the earth not to cover
my cry for justice.
19 Even now, God in heaven
is both my witness
and my protector.
20 My friends have rejected me,
but God is the one I beg
21 to show that I am right,
just as a friend should.
22 Because in only a few years,
I will be dead and gone.
1 Jobe kashandula eti,
2 “Ndakahwa zwithu zwinjinji zwinonga izwezwi,
mose banyaladzi ndimwi motjenamisa!
3 Apa matama e phepo sa iyawa anowopela kene?
Kene ini tjinomusendedzela kuti mulebeleke?
4 Namibo ndabe ndingatubula kulebeleka,
ha mabe muli mu tjimo tjangu.
Ndabe ndowomulukila matama zubuyanana,
ndimu zunguzila nsholo.
5 Ndingabe ndimusimisa nge nlomo wangu,
nyaladzo yangu yabe yozhisa kutebama mu muli.
6 “Nenguba ndilebeleka kugwadziwa kwangu akutotapudzika,
kakale ne ndinganyalala naiko akutotapudza zogwadza zwangu.
7 Nge malebeswa wakanditolela matatabuko,
wakalobesa nsha wangu wose.
8 Wakandisunga, zogwadza zwangu butendeki,
ndatjibe mafupa woga,
kwatjibe igo butendeki guno nyanyaidzana nami.
9 Wakandipalulanya nge bushongola gwawo,
nge mesho mashaba, wakandilinga nge lubengo
kundilumanya nge meno,
tjita tjangu tjakandilinga ne mesho anopitsha.
10 Bathu bakandiashamila,
banondipkhwaula mu lushaya, bendiseka mahanya
banozwishanganya kuti bandigwise.
11 Ndzimu wakandilashila mu maboko e bakabipa meya,
kandiposela mu maboko e babi.
12 Ndakabe ndili gele ndakaliga makumbo,
ukandibhata ne ntshibha, ukandipkhwanya,
asala ndili zwitibhutibhu.
Wakandithama tjilipo tjawo,
13 Baposi bawo be misebe bakandipoteleka,
unondipubulanya so dzangu asina ngoni,
kapubula ndulu kaitebulila pasi.
14 Unondipubula pubula ubgwilulula,
unondiwila se mbhayani.
15 Ndatjithumila saka pezhugwi kwe ganda langu,
ndatjibe gele mu hwuluba ndisina matatabuko.
16 Buso gwangu gwazwimba ngolila
hwope dzangu dzotjindilemela ngolila.
17 Nenguba ndisina butjinyi mu maboko angu,
ne ntembezelo wangu mbuyanana.
18 “Shango wee, usizwimbe malopa angu!
Usitongo wanila tjililo tjangu magalo ekunyaluluka.
19 Na ngwenu kose ntendeki wangu ukudzimu,
ne mmilili wangu uku zhuzhugwi.
20 Bakwinya bangu banondiseka,
mesho angu anotebulila mishodzi ku Ndzimu,
21 kuti abhatilile ndulamo pakati kwe nthu ne Ndzimu,
se nthu ali n'gadzanyi egadzanya bakwinya babe.
22 Ngoti mu makole asimuni anozha
ndowoyenda kwandisowoshanduka!