The Third Dialogue
(22.1—27.23)Eliphaz
1-2 Is there anyone, even the wisest,
who could ever be of use to God?
3 Does your doing right benefit God,
or does your being good help him at all?
4 It is not because you stand in awe of God
that he reprimands you and brings you to trial.
5 No, it's because you have sinned so much;
it's because of all the evil you do.
6 To make a brother repay you the money he owed,
you took away his clothes and left him nothing to wear.
7 You refused water to those who were tired,
and refused to feed those who were hungry.
8 You used your power and your position
to take over the whole land.
9 You not only refused to help widows,
but you also robbed and mistreated orphans.
10 So now there are pitfalls all around you,
and suddenly you are full of fear.
11 It has grown so dark that you cannot see,
and a flood overwhelms you.
12 Doesn't God live in the highest heavens
and look down on the stars, even though they are high?
13 And yet you ask, “What does God know?
He is hidden by clouds—how can he judge us?”
14 You think the thick clouds keep him from seeing,
as he walks on the dome of the sky.
15 Are you determined to walk in the paths
that evil people have always followed?
16 Even before their time had come,
they were washed away by a flood.
17 These are the ones who rejected God
and believed that he could do nothing to them.
18 And yet it was God who made them prosperous—
I can't understand the thoughts of the wicked.
19 Good people are glad and the innocent laugh
when they see the wicked punished.
20 All that the wicked own is destroyed,
and fire burns up anything that is left.
21 Now, Job, make peace with God
and stop treating him like an enemy;
if you do, then he will bless you.
22 Accept the teaching he gives;
keep his words in your heart.
23 Yes, you must humbly return to God
and put an end to all the evil
that is done in your house.
24 Throw away your gold;
dump your finest gold in the dry stream bed.
25 Let Almighty God be your gold,
and let him be silver, piled high for you.
26 Then you will always trust in God
and find that he is the source of your joy.
27 When you pray, he will answer you,
and you will keep the vows you made.
28 You will succeed in all you do,
and light will shine on your path.
29 God brings down the proud
and saves the humble.
30 He will rescue you if you are innocent,
if what you do is right.
Ndebesano ye butatu
1 Ipapo Elifazi we N'temani kadabila eti,
2 “Apa nthu ungabhatsha Ndzimu ngeni?
Apa naiye unoyi ntjenjedu ungaubhatsha kene?
3 Apa kuna tjinoshathisa Masimbawose ha uli nlulwami,
kene kuna tjinoubuyila ha ululwamisa zila dzidzo kene?
4 Apa ndi ngekwe kutja Ndzimu kuko kunothama kuti ukutjemele,
kwaunodza ukakusumikilisa kene?
5 Atenditi ndi ngekwe bubi gugo bukulu kene?
Akuna bhelelo mu milandu iyo.
6 Ngoti wakalipisa bana ba tate babo basina nlandu,
ukabaambula zwiambalo zwabo bakasala bali mbujo.
7 Wakanyima wakanyala vula kuti ang'we,
ukanyima una zhala zojiwa.
8 Shango ngeye nlume una masimba!
Unokudziwa unogala muili.
9 Wakatatila tjilikadzi kutjena dzakalembedza maboko,
ukapkhwapkhwata siyang'wa maboko.
10 Ndizo ngwenu mapuzhu akakupoteleka,
tjinyolotjo unowigwa ngekutja kukulu.
11 Tjedza tjitjo tjatjiti zwititi autjabona ne bona,
nkubila we vula unokukulila.
12 “Apa Ndzimu autogala pezhugwizhugwi kene?
Bona nyenyedzi kuti dzizhuzhugwi tjini!
13 Ngono iwe ukati, ‘Apa Ndzimu unozibani wali?
Apa ungasumikila uli yeno kwe makole tjini wali?
14 Makole matema akaufukidza kuti ndizo usibone,
unoyenda yenda mu tjilungwane tje zhuzhugwi.’
15 Apa unowobhatilila mu zila dza ntolo,
dzakabe dzitobegwa nge babi kene?
16 Bakadzamugwa tjibaka tjabo tjisathu tjaswika,
thiwa dzabo dzikasengwa nge nkubila.
17 Bakadwa Ndzimu bakati, ‘Idwani patili.
Masimbawose ungatithamani wali?’
18 Nenguba uli iwo wakazhadza ng'umba dzabo nge zwithu zwakanaka,
dumbu, gumbuludzo le babi ngalibe kutjena nami!
19 Balulwami banokubona ngono bakashatha,
basina nlandu banoseka bakadada beti,
20 ‘Nge malebeswa zwita zwedu zwalobesiwa,
ne thundu dzabo dzakasala dzajiwa nge moto.’
21 “Ndizoke uzwigadzanye ne Ndzimu, ube ne mbakiso nawo,
ngekujalo unowozhigwa ne makombolelo.
22 Amutjila tjaunolayiwa kaa, tjinodwa mu nlomo wawo,
ubiganye matama awo mu moyo uwo.
23 Ha ubgwilila kuna Masimbawose, unowokubgwiliza mu tjimo tjitjo
ha udusila kutjena kushaya ndulamo mu nshasha uwo,
24 ha ulashila kutjena golide ku hwuluba,
ne golide ye Ofiri mu mabgwana amu mikuku,
25 ipapo Masimbawose banowobe golide iyo,
ne siliva iyo yakanaka,
26 ipapo unowoshatha muna Masimbawose,
ukalingisana nabo usina shoni.
27 Unowobatembezela bakakuteedza,
ndizo unowoshingikadza kutuna kuko.
28 Muna tjaunozwimisila thama tjowoshingikala,
ne tjedza tjowopenya mu zila dzidzo.
29 Ha bathu bedelusigwa pasi iwe unowoti, ‘Ngabamilidziwe’
unowotjidza banozwiyisa pasi.
30 Unowosunungula na iye usina nlandu,
iye unowosunungugwa nge bubuyanana gwe maboko awo.”