Job's Reply to Eliphaz
It's Impossible
1 Job said:
2 It's impossible to weigh
my misery and grief!
3 They outweigh the sand
along the beach,
and that's why I have spoken
without thinking first.
4 The fearsome arrows
of God All-Powerful
have filled my soul
with their poison.
5 Do oxen and wild donkeys
cry out in distress
unless they are hungry?
6 What is food without salt?
What is more tasteless
than the white of an egg?
7 That's how my food tastes,
and my appetite is gone.
* 8 How I wish that God
would answer my prayer
9 and do away with me.
10 Then I would be comforted,
knowing that in all of my pain
I have never disobeyed God.
11 Why should I patiently hope
when my strength is gone?
12 I am not strong as stone
or bronze,
13 and I have finally reached
the end of my rope.
My Friends, I Am Desperate
14 My friends, I am desperate,
and you should help me,
even if I no longer respect
God All-Powerful.
* 15 But you are treacherous
16 like streams that swell
with melting snow,
17 then suddenly disappear
in the summer heat.
18 I am like a caravan,
lost in the desert
while searching for water.
19 Caravans from Tema and Sheba
20 thought they would find water.
But they were disappointed,
21 just as I am with you.
Only one look at my suffering,
and you run away scared.
What Have I Done Wrong?
22 Have I ever asked any of you
to give me a gift
23 or to purchase my freedom
from brutal enemies?
24 What have I done wrong?
Show me,
and I will keep quiet.
25 The truth is always painful,
but your arguments
prove nothing.
26 Here I am desperate,
and you consider my words
as worthless as wind.
27 Why, you would sell an orphan
or your own neighbor!
28 Look me straight in the eye;
I won't lie to you.
29 Stop accusing me falsely;
my reputation is at stake.
30 I know right from wrong,
and I am not telling lies.
1 Ipapo Jobe kashandula eti,
2 “Dumbu shungu yangu ha ingabe ingayegwa,
mang'oni angu wose kabigwa mu zwiyelo,
3 nge lebeswa angalema kupinda nsetje we gungwa,
ndizo dumbu matama angu epitsha zwingapa.
4 Ngoti misebe ya Masimbawose imundili
meya yangu inong'wa bushongola gwayo,
Kutjisa kwe Ndzimu kwakandilingisana.
5 Dumbu donki ye shango ingalilila zojiwa ina fulo kene?
Kene ng'ombe ingalilila zojiwa yakabhata ija kene?
6 Apa zojiwa zwisina n'jo zwingajika zwisina mwenyu kene?
Kene kutjena kwe bumbulu kungazipa kuli koga kene?
7 Moyo wangu unoti zwi ha ndibona zojiwa zwakajali,
zojiwa zwakajali zondibuzisa moyo.
8 “Ungati ndingawana tjandinokumbila,
ungati Ndzimu ungandipa tjandinoyemula.
9 Ungati kunga shathisa Ndzimu kundipeleledza,
ungati ungatambunudza luboko gwawo ukandithubulila kutjena!
10 Ipapo ndingabe ndowobe nditjina kunyaladzika,
ndabe ndowoshatha nenguba ndili mu zogwadza zwingapani,
ngoti andizonyanyayidza matama e Wakayengemala.
11 Dumbu simba langu ndilipi kuti ndingadzikitadza kene?
Kakale bhelelo langu ini kuti ndingabe moyo nlefu kene?
12 Apa simba langu longa simba le bgwe kene?
Apa mbili wangu unonga phangula kene?
13 Apa ndina simba kuzwibhatsha kene?
Bhudilila kwatatiwa mundili.
14 “Iye wakadziyidzika wakafanila thamigwa buthu nge nkwinya uwe,
nenguba angadwa akafupatila kutja Masimbawose.
15 Koga imwi zwikamu zwangu mu batjengedzi,
motjengedza se lukobana gunotuta makuni,
16 guna vula ina kapuku ne makaa akazwisumbika,
17 koga kuti mu tjibaka tjekupisa enyawuka,
kuti kopisa enyelela mu magalo awo.
18 Bayendi banopambuka mu zila yabo betola zila ipoga,
bakayenda mu shango yakawomelela ngono bakafa.
19 Bayendi be Tema banoshaka vula,
bayendi be Sheba banoishaka vula nge kugalabgwe!
20 Banotemeka mafupa ngoti babe begalabgwe,
banoswika pa lukobana ngono bakapuna moyo.
21 Saikoku ndiko sekwa muli iko kundili,
mobona tjiga tjandiwila ngono motja.
22 Apa ndatongoti, ‘Mundipe tjipo?’
Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mu fumwa yenyu mundipe tjizwimba nlomo kene?’
23 Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mundiangule mu luboko gwe tjita kene?’
Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mundidzutunule mu luboko gwe batshambilidzi kene?’
24 “Mundidiye, ndowonyalala,
Ndakatjinyani? Munditjenesele.
25 Lebeswa logwadza seni!
Koga kutjemela kwenyu kotjemelani?
26 Apa mungati motjemela matama kene,
ngono mutola matama e nthu wazwitoboka se phepo koga kene?
27 Mubuya mukalobela siyang'wa hakata,
mubuya muteetshanya nkwinya wenyu.
28 “Koga ngwenu, shathilani kundilinga,
andingatjanyepe mbeli kwenyu.
29 Shandukani kaa, letjani kulelekela ntome, ndomukumbila.
Shandukani kaa, imi andina nlandu ipapa.
30 Kene kuna salulwama mu nlomo wangu?
Kene moti anditoziba lebeswa kene?