Mawu a Zofari
1Pamenepo Zofari wa ku Naama anayankha kuti,
2“Kodi mawu ambirimbiriwa nʼkukhala osayankhidwa?
Kodi munthu woyankhulayankhulayu nʼkulungamitsidwa?
3Kodi anthu nʼkukhala chete atamva kubwebweta kwakoku?
Kodi palibe wina amene adzakudzudzule pamene ukuyankhula zonyoza?
4Iwe ukunena kwa Mulungu kuti, ‘Zikhulupiriro zanga ndi zopanda zolakwika
ndipo ndine wangwiro pamaso panu.’
5Aa, nʼkanakonda Mulungu akanayankhula
kuti Iye atsekule pakamwa pake kutsutsana nawe
6ndi kukuwululira chinsinsi cha nzeru yake,
pakuti nzeru yeniyeni ili ndi mbali ziwiri.
Dziwa izi: Mulungu wayiwala machimo ako ena.
7“Kodi iwe ungathe kumvetsa zinsinsi za Mulungu?
Kodi ungafufuze malire a nzeru za Wamphamvuzonse?
8Zili kutali kupambana mayiko akumwamba, nanga ungachite chiyani?
Ndi zakuya kupambana kuya kwa manda, nanga ungadziwe chiyani?
9Muyeso wa nzeru zake ndi wautali kupambana dziko lapansi
ndipo ndi wopingasa kupambana nyanja.
10“Ngati Iye atabwera ndi kukutsekera mʼndende
nakutengera ku bwalo la milandu, ndani angathe kumuletsa?
11Ndithudi, Mulungu amazindikira anthu achinyengo;
akaona choyipa, kodi sachizindikira?
12Munthu wopanda nzeru sizingatheke kukhala wanzeru
monganso mwana wa bulu wakuthengo sangasanduke munthu.
13“Koma ngati upereka mtima wako kwa Iye
ndi kutambasulira manja ako kwa Iyeyo,
14ngati utaya tchimo limene lili mʼdzanja lako
ndi kusalola choyipa kuti chikhale mʼmoyo mwako,
15udzatukula mutu wako wosachita manyazi;
udzayima chilili ndipo sudzachita mantha.
16Udzayiwala ndithu zowawa zako,
zidzakhala ngati madzi amene apita kale.
17Moyo wako udzawala kupambana usana,
ndipo mdima udzakhala ngati mmawa.
18Udzalimba mtima popeza pali chiyembekezo;
ndipo udzayangʼana mbali zonse ndi kugona mosatekeseka.
19Udzagona pansi, popanda wina wokuopseza
ndipo ambiri adzakupempha kuti uwachitire chifundo.
20Koma anthu oyipa adzafuna thandizo osalipeza,
ndipo adzasowa njira yothawirapo;
chiyembekezo chawo chidzakhala imfa basi.”
The First Speech of Zophar
1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,
2“Don’t all your words require an answer?
I’m sure that what you are saying can’t be right.
3Your useless talk won’t keep us quiet.
Someone has to correct you when you make fun of truth.
4You say to God, ‘My beliefs are perfect.
I’m pure in your sight.’
5I wish God would speak.
I wish he’d answer you.
6I wish he’d show you the secrets of wisdom.
After all, true wisdom has two sides.
Here’s what I want you to know.
God has forgotten some of your sins.
7“Do you know how deep the mysteries of God are?
Can you discover the limits of the Mighty One’s knowledge?
8They are higher than the heavens above.
What can you do?
They are deeper than the deepest parts of the earth below.
What can you know?
9They are longer than the earth.
They are wider than the ocean.
10“Suppose God comes along and puts you in prison.
Suppose he takes you to court.
Then who can oppose him?
11He certainly knows when people tell lies.
When he sees evil, he pays careful attention to it.
12A wild donkey’s colt can’t be born a human being.
And it’s just as impossible that a person without sense can become wise.
13“So commit yourself to God completely.
Reach out your hands to him for help.
14Get rid of all the sin you have.
Don’t let anything that is evil stay in your tent.
15Then, free of those things, you can face others.
You can stand firm without being afraid.
16You can be sure you will forget your troubles.
They will be like water that has flowed on by.
17Life will be brighter than the sun at noon.
And darkness will become like morning.
18You will be secure, because there is hope.
You will look around you and find a safe place to rest.
19You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid.
Many people will want you to help them.
20But sinful people won’t find what they are looking for.
They won’t be able to escape.
All they can hope for is to die.”
