Elihu Speaks
Job, Listen to Me!
1 Job, listen to me!
Pay close attention.
* 2 Everything I will say
3 is true and sincere,
4 just as surely as the Spirit
of God All-Powerful
gave me the breath of life.
5 Now line up your arguments
and prepare to face me.
6 We each were made from clay,
and God has no favorites,
7 so don't be afraid of me
or what I might do.
I Have Heard You Argue
8 I have heard you argue
9 that you are innocent,
guilty of nothing.
10 You claim that God
has made you his enemy,
11 that he has bound your feet
and blocked your path.
12 But, Job, you're wrong—
God is greater
than any human.
13 So why do you challenge God
to answer you?
14 God speaks in different ways,
and we don't always
recognize his voice.
* 15 Sometimes in the night,
he uses terrifying dreams
16 to give us warnings.
17 God does this to make us turn
from sin and pride
18 and to protect us
from being swept away
to the world of the dead.
19 Sometimes we are punished
with a serious illness
and aching joints.
20 Merely the thought
of our favorite food
makes our stomachs sick,
21 and we become so skinny
that our bones stick out.
22 We feel death and the grave
taking us in their grip.
23 One of a thousand angels
then comes to our rescue
by saying we are innocent.
24 The angel shows kindness,
commanding death to release us,
because the price was paid.
25 Our health is restored,
we feel young again,
26 and we ask God to accept us.
Then we joyfully worship God,
and we are rewarded
because we are innocent.
27 When that happens,
we tell everyone,
“I sinned and did wrong,
but God forgave me
28 and rescued me from death!
Now I will see the light.”
29 God gives each of us
chance after chance
30 to be saved from death
and brought into the light
that gives life.
31 So, Job, pay attention
and don't interrupt,
32 though I would gladly listen
to anything you say
that proves you are right.
33 Otherwise, listen in silence
to my wisdom.
1 “Koga ngwenu Jobe ihwa ndebeleko yangu,
uhwilile matama angu wose.
2 Bona, ndozhula nlomo wangu
ndakazwilulwamisila leba tjipa moyo wangu.
3 Matama angu anodwa mu moyo wangu wakatambunuka,
nlomo wangu unowoleba itjo tjandinoziba koga.
4 Meya ye Ndzimu yakandibumba
mafemo a Masimbawose anondipa butjilo.
5 Undishandule, hautubula,
lulwamisa ndebeleko iyo, tilingisane.
6 Bona, mbeli kwe Ndzimu ndofanana koga nawe,
namibo ndakabumbiwa nge vu koga sa we.
7 Bona, akuna kutjiwa kwangu kwakafanila kukulobese hana,
kubeyapo kwangu kokukulila.
8 “Koga walebeleka ndakateedza nge dzangu zebe,
ndakuhwa ulebeleka matama anoti,
9 ‘Ndimbuyanana, andina nlandu wandathama,
ndakatjenapala, akuna jinyo mu ndili.
10 Bona, Ndzimu unobona itoyi mundili,
ukandibona ndili tjita tjawo.
11 Unosungila makumbo mu bhangwana,
kayela njele zila dzangu dzose.’
12 “Ngono, ima ndikudabile, autolebesa,
Ndzimu nkulu kupinda nthu.
13 Ini ukakabadzana nawo,
uti, ‘Autodabila kene?’
14 Ndzimu unolebeleka nge zila imwe,
ukalebeleka kakale nge ipoga,
nenguba bathu basina njele nako.
15 Unolebeleka nge mawoloto ne nge mbono busiku,
ha bathu bakaizela, bakaizela mu malawo abo,
16 ipapo unozhula zebe dze bathu,
ngono ukabatjenjedza ngekubatjisa,
17 kuti ndizo bafupatile kutjinya kwabo
ne kubadziba mukuzwikudza kwabo.
18 Autobaletjedza bakawila mu gomba,
unotjengeta bupenyu gwabo mu kulobesiwa nge thumo.
19 “Nthu unosolobgwa shamu kabe mu thobo dzinopisa
kabe mu zogwadza zwe mafupa anopanda kusingapele,
20 meya dzidze dzikati zwi ha dzibona zojiwa,
ne zojiwa zwinozipa kawana zwimbipila.
21 Nyama dzidze dzikashashamuka,
mafupa awe akasala ali patjena.
22 Bupenyu gugwe kwasendela gomba,
ne butjilo gugwe kuna ibabo banozhisa lufu.
23 Ha kuna ntumwa we Ndzimu ungama naye,
ali n'gadzanyi muna bali tjiwulu (1 000),
kowokumbuludza nthu kuti tjakanlulwamila nditjipi,
24 unangoni kunnli ngoni unoti,
‘Undzutunule mukungina mu gomba,
ndawana tjinga ndzutunula,
25 mbili uwe unowobgwilila ku tjimo tje butjetjana,’
unobgwilila ku mazhuba e simba le butjetjana gugwe,
26 aetembezela Ndzimu ukan'amutjila,
unozha mbeli kwawo nge kushatha,
unom'bgwilizila mu tjimo tjekutanga,
27 Ngono unozwilebulula mbeli kwe bathu eti,
‘Ndakatjinya apambusa tjakabe tjakalulwama,
koga andizolobgwa shamu yakandifanila.
28 Wakadzutunula bupenyu mukungina mu gomba,
ngono butjilo gwangu gowobona tjedza.’
29 “Bona Ndzimu unothama zwithu izwezwi,
unozwithama kabili ne katatu uthamila nthu,
30 kubuza bupenyu gugwe kudwa mu gomba,
kuti ndizo abone tjedza tje butjilo.
31 Undibhulutane kaa Jobe, nditeedze,
nyalala ngono ndowolebeleka,
32 ha una tjimwe tjaunoshaka leba, utjilebe,
lebeleka, ndoyemula kutendeka kuti wakatambunuka.
33 Ha usina tjaungaleba, unditeedze,
nyalala, ndowokudiya butjenjedu.”