1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. 10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. 11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, 14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: 16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying , 17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? 18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: 19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? 20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it . 21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
Ndebesano ye kutanga
1 Ipapo Elifazi we N'temani kashandula eti,
2 “Apa ha nthu angagwisa kulebeleka nawe
ungan'gwadzila moyo kene?
Ngono dumbu ndiani ungazwidziba mu kulebeleka kene?
3 Bona, wakadiya banjinji,
wakasimisa bana maboko ano lengezha.
4 Matama awo akasimisa bakabe bedenga denga,
wakasimisa ne zwidwi zwakabe zwitetema.
5 Koga ngwenu zwawila iwe, ngono unopela meya,
zwakuwila ngono unozwitoboka.
6 Apa kutja Ndzimu kuko akuzofanila kube kudzikama kuko kene?
Ne kube ne ntutshi kuko apa akuzofanila kube kugalabgwe kuko kene?
7 “Tongokumbula koga, ndiani wakati asina nlandu kalobesiwa?
Kene ndingayi kwakatongo lobesiwa nlulwami?
8 Tjandakabona hwuti banolima mbipo,
ne banodzwala mbipo banovuna izo.
9 Mafemo e Ndzimu anobalobesa, banopelela mu phepo,
nge phutuka kwe bushongola gwawo gobakolomodza.
10 Kubomba kwe shumba ne tjema kwe shumbana,
koga meno adzo anovunika.
11 Shumba yakasima inofa nge zhala ngosheta tjaingabhata,
ngono shumbana dze shumbakadzi dzopalala nge shango.
12 “Dama lakazhisiwa kundili nge kwakasumbikala,
zebe dzangu dzakalihwa linyebezegwa.
13 Mu mikumbulo yakadwa mu mbono dze busiku,
ha bathu bakaizela hwope hwulu,
14 kutja ne kutetema kwakandiwila,
mafupa angu wose akatetema ngotja.
15 Meya ikapinda mbeli kwangu,
abhudiwa nge bana be mbaba.
16 Ikama, koga ndakabe ndisingabonesese kuti ini,
ifano tjikama mbeli kwangu kukabe ne kunyalala,
ipapo ahwa hwi liti,
17 ‘Apa nthu koga unofa, ungabe nlulwami mbeli kwe Ndzimu kene?
Apa ungabe mbuyanana kupinda Mbumbi uwe kene?
18 Ha Ndzimu usingagalebgwe balanda bawo,
utubula tilika batumwa bawo nlandu,
19 kungapani kwaungathama ibabo banogala mu ng'umba dze vu,
ibo bakadwa mu hwuluba,
ibo banotsatugwa se hwungubele kene?
20 Pakati kwe mangwanana banokolomodziwa,
kusina iye una njele nge kwabo.
21 Atenti ha mbambo dze nshasha wabo dzishomogwa
banofa basina butjenjedu?’