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.”
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him , that thou makest thy ways perfect? 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? 6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. 10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; 11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. 12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! 13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? 16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: 17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? 18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19 The righteous see it , and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. 20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.