Job's Reply to Bildad
What You Say Is True
1 Job said:
2 What you say is true.
No human is innocent
in the sight of God.
3 Not once in a thousand times
could we win our case
if we took him to court.
4 God is wise and powerful—
who could possibly
oppose him and win?
5 When God becomes angry,
he can move mountains
before they even know it.
6 God can shake the earth loose
from its foundations
7 or command the sun and stars
to hold back their light.
8 God alone stretched out the sky,
stepped on the sea,
9 and set the stars in place—
the Big Dipper and Orion,
the Pleiades and the stars
in the southern sky.
10 Of all the miracles God works,
we cannot understand a one.
11 God walks right past me,
without making a sound.
12 And if he grabs something,
who can stop him
or raise a question?
13 When God showed his anger,
the servants of the sea monster
fell at his feet.
14 How, then, could I possibly
argue my case with God?
Though I Am Innocent
15 Even though I am innocent,
I can only beg for mercy.
16 And if God came into court
when I called him,
he would not hear my case.
17 He would strike me with a storm
and increase my injuries
for no reason at all.
18 Before I could get my breath,
my miseries would multiply.
19 God is much stronger than I am,
and who would call me into court
to give me justice?
20 Even if I were innocent,
God would prove me wrong.
21 I am not guilty,
but I no longer care
what happens to me.
22 What difference does it make?
God destroys the innocent
along with the guilty.
23 When a good person dies
a sudden death,
God sits back and laughs.
24 And who else but God
blindfolds the judges,
then lets the wicked
take over the earth?
My Life Is Speeding By
25 My life is speeding by,
without a hope of happiness.
26 Each day passes swifter
than a sailing ship
or an eagle swooping down.
27 Sometimes I try to be cheerful
and to stop complaining,
28 but my sufferings frighten me,
because I know that God
still considers me guilty.
29 So what's the use of trying
to prove my innocence?
30 Even if I washed myself
with the strongest soap,
31 God would throw me into a pit
of stinking slime, leaving me
disgusting to my clothes.
32 God isn't a mere human like me.
I can't put him on trial.
33 Who could possibly judge
between the two of us?
34 Can someone snatch away
the stick God carries
to frighten me?
35 Then I could speak up
without fear of him,
but for now, I cannot speak.
1 Jobe kashandula eti,
2 “Nge malebeswa ndoziba kuti kwakajalo.
Koga dumbu nthu ungabe nlulwami tjini mbeli kwe Ndzimu?
3 Nenguba angada kunyanyaidzana nawo,
aangatubule kuudabila bhuzo ne i nng'ompela muna dzili zwiwulu.
4 Wakatjenjela kunotjenamisa ne simba lawo ligulu kwazo.
Ndiani wakatongobe nsholo unopanda kaukunda kene?
5 Unosedza matombo ngono matombo kasizibe,
mu bushongola gwawo unoapitula.
6 Unothama kuti shango itengenyeke mu magalo ayo,
ne phanda dzayo dzizunguzike.
7 Unodwa zhuba kuti lisibhude ngono likasibhude,
unotundubadza nyenyedzi.
8 Ndiwo woga unotambunudza kudzimu,
ukakanyanga mapundu e vula ye gungwa.
9 Ndiwo wakathama nyenyedzi dze Jenjedzi ne Ngulube
ne Tjiyendan'gwi ne dzi ku burwa,
10 iwo unothama zwithu zwikulu kupinda hwisiso ye nthu
ne matjenamiso manjinji asina mbalo.
11 “Aupinda pandili anditoubona,
unodwilila upinda ngono anditoubona.
12 Bonani, unodzamula tjaunoshaka ndiani ungaudziba?
Apa ndiani ungaudwa kati, ‘Mothamani?’
13 “Ndzimu autodziba bushongola gwawo,
babhatshi ba Rahabhu banozwiyisa pasi kwawo.
14 Dumbu imi ndingatubula kuudabila tjini wali?
Ndingawana ngayi matama kukakabadzana nawo wali?
15 Nenguba ndisina nlandu andingadabidzane nawo,
ndingakumbila mahwilongoni koga mu nsumikilisi wangu.
16 Nenguba ndingaudana ukadabila,
andingadume kuti wabeungateedza hwi langu.
17 Ngobe unondikatsha nge tjivulamabgwe,
ukapapha mabanga kusingasheteke.
18 Aungandiletje afema,
koga unondizhadza ne zogwadza.
19 Ha ili kuti ndingekwe masimba, wakasima dumbu!
Ha ili ngekwe kushaka ndulamo, ndiyani ungaudanila kusumikilisiwa?
20 Nenguba ndingabe ndisina nlandu,
matama angu abe ewolakidza ndili nlandu,
nenguba ndisina nlandu, unowondibona nlandu.
21 Andina nlandu, koga anditjina hanya nge kwangu,
ndoshima butjilo gwangu.
22 Kofanana koga, ndizo nditi,
unolobesa nlulwami koga se mbiimbi.
23 Mbatsha ha dzingazhisa lufu tjinyolotjo,
unoseka nlulwami wawigwa nge mbatsha.
24 Shango ha yawila mu maboko e mbi,
unosunga mesho e basumikilisi.
Ha usi iwo, ndiani ngono?
25 “Mazhuba angu anolabuka kupinda tjilabuki,
anowuluka kusina ndodwa ne shatho.
26 Mazhuba angu anopinda tjinyolotjo se n'goro nlelu we litokwe,
se dzu lidzamula zojiwa.
27 Ha nditi, ‘Ndowokangang'wa kung'ong'ola kwangu,
nditi ndowoshandula tjiso tjangu tjakafubala ha mwemwetela,’
28 ndiko kwandinotja kudziyidzika kwangu kose,
ngobe ndoziba kuti aungafe wati andina nlandu.
29 Se ndowotilikiwa nlandu kale,
ndozwidziyidzilani wali?
30 Nenguba ndingangula ne isipa
nditjenesa maboko angu nge isipa.
31 Ipapo mowondilashila mu gomba le madakalala,
kunowoti ne zwiambalo zwangu zwikandishima.
32 Ngobe aute uli nthu sami kwandingati ndingadabidzana nawo,
kwatingama mu lubazhe tikanyanyaidzana.
33 Akuna n'anguli pakati gwedu,
ungama pakati kwe bubili gwedu,
34 ngaaduse shamu yawo mundili
kuti ndizo kutjisa kwawo kusitongotja ndipalusamoyo.
35 Ipapo ndingalebeleka ndisingautje,
koga sekwa kuli iko ngwenu akuzojalo mundili.