Job's Reply to Zophar
If You Want To Offer Comfort
1 Job said:
2 If you want to offer comfort,
then listen to me.
3 And when I have finished,
you can start your insults
all over again.
4 My complaint is against God;
that's why I am impatient.
5 Just looking at me is enough
to make you sick,
6 and the very thought of myself
fills me with disgust.
7 Why do evil people live so long
and gain such power?
8 Why are they allowed to see
their children grow up?
9 They have no worries at home,
and God never punishes them.
10 Their cattle have lots of calves
without ever losing one;
11 their children play and dance
safely by themselves.
12 These people sing and celebrate
to the sound of tambourines,
small harps, and flutes,
13 and they are successful,
without a worry,
until the day they die.
Leave Us Alone!
14 Those who are evil say
to God All-Powerful,
“Leave us alone! Don't bother us
with your teachings.
15 What do we gain from praying
and worshiping you?
16 We succeeded all on our own.”
And so, I keep away from them
and their evil schemes.
17 How often does God become angry
and send disaster and darkness
to punish sinners?
18 How often does he strike them
like a windstorm
that scatters straw?
19 You say, “God will punish
those sinners' children
in place of those sinners.”
But I say, “Let him punish
those sinners themselves
until they really feel it.
20 Let God All-Powerful force them
to drink their own destruction
from the cup of his anger.
21 Because after they are dead,
they won't care what happens
to their children.”
Who Can Tell God What To Do?
22 Who can tell God what to do?
He judges powerful rulers.
* 23 Some of us die prosperous,
24 enjoying good health,
25 while others die in poverty,
having known only pain.
26 But we all end up dead,
beneath a blanket of worms.
27 My friends, I know that you
are plotting against me.
28 You ask, “Where is the home
of that important person
who does so much evil?”
29 Everyone, near and far, agrees
30 that those who do wrong
never suffer disaster,
when God becomes angry.
31 No one points out their sin
or punishes them.
32 Then at their funerals,
they are highly praised;
33 the earth welcomes them home,
while crowds mourn.
34 But empty, meaningless words
are the comfort you offer me.
1 Ipapo Jobe kashandula eti,
2 “Teedzani mu bhulutane matama angu,
etjo nditjo koga tjingabe nyaladzo yangu.
3 Musindinyalile moyo, ima ndowolebeleka,
shule kwe ndalebeleka ukowondidadila zo.
4 Apa imi, kung'on'gola kwangu ndokulingisa ku nthu kene?
Ini ndakafanila kuti ndisipele meya?
5 Mundilinge, mutjename,
mubhate milomo.
6 Andikumbula nge kwako, ndotetema,
anditjina gwangu mbili wangu unotetema koga.
7 Ini babi betjila,
bedzina bekwegula, masimba abo epaphidzika kene?
8 Bana babo bagele baligedzikane mbeli kwabo,
bana be bana babo banokulila mu mesho abo.
9 Ng'umba dzabo dzakabakililika akuna tjinobatjisa,
shamu ye Ndzimu aitobaloba.
10 Nkono uwe unokwiila usina mang'oni
ng'ombe mayi ina luzwalo aitosodza.
11 Banozhulila bana babo se pkhwizi,
ngono bana babo bakatamba tamba.
12 Banomba belidza dzithamborini ne matende
beshathila milidzo ye zwilidzo.
13 Banotjila zwinozipa mazhuba wose,
nge mbakiso banoyenda ku bugalo gwe bafi.
14 Banoti ku Ndzimu, ‘Idwani patili,
atitoyemula kuziba zila dzenyu.
15 Masimbawose ndiani, watingashwa tishingila kene?
Kakale towobuyigwa ngeni atintembezela?’
16 Bonani, kubhudilila kwabo ate kuli mu maboko abo kene?
Gumbuludzo le babi ndomila kule nalo.
17 “Apa ndikangana luvone gwe babi godzimiwa kene?
Apa mbatsha dzabo dzobawila kangana kene?
Apa Ndzimu unosodelusila bushong'ola gwawo mu bali kangana kene?
18 Apa ndikangana betutudziwa se lushanga nge phepo kene,
se bunye gunosengwa nge matutu kene?
19 Moti, ‘Ndzimu unobigila mwana shamu ye nlandu wa tate babe.’
Ndzimu ngaulobe shamu iye wakafanigwa ne lobgwa,
ngauthame uijalo kuti azibe kuti unolobegwa zwibi zwizwe.
20 Ngaabone golomodzo lile nge mesho awe,
ngaang'we bushongola gwa Masimbawose.
21 Ngobe dumbu ini tje nsha uwe tjingan'dziyidza asinokufa,
ha mimwedzi ye bupenyu gugwe ithubugwa kene?
22 Apa nthu ungadiya Ndzimu luzibo kene,
iwo unosumikilisa bamu magalo a pezhugwi kene?
23 Mmwe unofila mukubhudilila kukwe,
aligele akaliga makumbo akabakililika,
24 mbili uwe unokwidzima,
mafupa awe azhele mongo.
25 Mmwe nthu unofa ali mu kuhwa zogwadza,
asatongo labila nzipo we butjilo.
26 Bose banoizedziwa panofanana mu hwuluba,
bejiwa nge hwonyana ngofanana.
27 “Bonani, ndoziba njalakang'wa dzenyu,
ne mikumbulo yenyu kunditanga.
28 Mobhuzwa muti, ‘Ng'umba ye nkololo we bushe ingayi,
nshasha wakabe ugagwa nge babiibi ungayi?’
29 Apa makatongo bhuzwa bapindi be zila kene?
Apa amutoduma zwabanoleba kene?
30 Kuti mbi unotjidziwa mu zhuba le mbatsha
ne kuti unotjidziwa mu zhuba le bushong'ola kene?
31 Ndiani ungambudzilila mbeli kukwe,
kene unontjemelela zwaakathama kene?
32 Ha eyisiwa ku ikumbu,
kobigwa nlindi mu ikumbu tjitje,
33 ne mavu e nkuku anon'zipila,
bathu bose banon'sala shule,
ne bakantungamila abana mbalo.
34 Apa ngono mungandinyaladza nge zwithu zwisina nshingo?
Mu dabilo dzenyu akuna tjamusalila kuzhe kwe kusagalikabgwe koga!”