Elihu Anamkemea Ayubu
133:1 Ay 32:10; 6:28; 13:6“Lakini Ayubu, sasa, sikiliza maneno yangu;
zingatia kila kitu nitakachosema.
2Karibu nitafungua kinywa changu;
maneno yangu yapo katika ncha ya ulimi wangu.
333:3 Ay 27:4; 36:4Maneno yangu yanatoka katika moyo mnyofu;
midomo yangu hunena kwa uaminifu yale niyajuayo.
433:4 Mwa 2:7; Ay 10:3; 27:3Roho wa Mungu ameniumba;
pumzi ya Mwenyezi hunipa uhai.
533:5 Ay 13:18Unijibu basi, kama unaweza;
jiandae kunikabili mimi.
633:6 Ay 9:32; 4:19Mimi ni kama wewe mbele za Mungu;
mimi pia nimetolewa kwenye udongo.
733:7 Ay 13:21; 2Kor 2:4Huna sababu ya kuniogopa,
wala mkono wangu haupaswi kukulemea.
8“Lakini umesema nikiwa ninakusikia,
nami nilisikia maneno yenyewe:
933:9 Ay 10:7; 9:30; 16:17‘Mimi ni safi na sina dhambi;
mimi ni safi na sina hatia.
1033:10 Ay 13:24Lakini bado Mungu amepata dosari kwangu,
naye ananiona kama adui yake.
1133:11 Ay 13:27; Mit 3:6; Isa 30:21Ananifunga miguu kwa pingu,
tena anaziangalia njia zangu zote kwa karibu.’
1233:12 Mhu 7:20; Za 8:4; Isa 55:8-9“Lakini mimi ninakuambia, katika jambo hili wewe una makosa,
kwa maana Mungu ni mkuu kuliko mwanadamu.
1333:13 Ay 40:2; Isa 45:9Kwa nini unamlalamikia
kwamba yeye hamjibu mwanadamu?
1433:14 Za 62:11; Mwa 30:2; Mt 27:19Kwa kuwa Mungu husema, wakati huu kwa njia moja,
au wakati mwingine kwa njia nyingine,
ingawa mwanadamu anaweza asielewe.
1533:15 Mwa 30:2; Mt 27:19Mungu husema na mwanadamu katika ndoto,
katika maono ya usiku,
wakati usingizi mzito uwaangukiapo
wanadamu wasinziapo vitandani mwao,
1633:16 Ay 36:10anaweza akasemea masikioni mwao,
na kuwatia hofu kwa maonyo,
1733:17 Ay 36:10, 15; 6:4; Za 88:15-16ili kumgeuza mtu kutoka kwenye kutenda mabaya
na kumwepusha na kiburi,
1833:18 Yn 2:6; Zek 9:11; Ay 15:22; Mt 26:52kuiokoa nafsi yake na shimo,
uhai wake usiangamizwe kwa upanga.
1933:19 Kum 8:5; Za 6:2; Isa 38:13Mtu anaweza kutiwa adabu kwa maumivu kitandani mwake,
kwa dhiki za mfululizo katika mifupa yake,
2033:20 Za 102; 4; 107:18; Ay 3:24kiasi kwamba maisha yake yenyewe yanakataa chakula
nayo nafsi yake ikakichukia kabisa hata chakula kizuri.
2133:21 Ay 2:5; 16:8Nyama ya mwili wake huisha kwa kukonda,
nayo mifupa yake ambayo mwanzoni ilikuwa imefichika,
sasa inatokeza nje.
2233:22 Ay 38:17; Za 9:13; 88:3; 107:18; 116:3Nafsi yake inakaribia kaburi,
nao uhai wake karibu na wajumbe wa kifo.
2333:23 Ay 36:9-10; Mik 6:8; Gal 3:19; Ebr 8:6; 9:15; Ay 36:9-10; Mik 6:8“Kama bado kuna malaika upande wake
kama mtetezi, mmoja miongoni mwa elfu,
wa kumwambia mwanadamu lililo jema kwake,
2433:24 Isa 38:17kumwonea huruma na kusema,
‘Mwokoe asije akatumbukia shimoni;
nimepata ukombozi kwa ajili yake’:
2533:25 2Fal 5:14ndipo nyama ya mwili wake hufanywa mpya kama ya mtoto;
hurudishwa upya kama siku za ujana wake.
2633:26 Mit 8:35; 2Fal 20:2-5; Lk 2:52; Ezr 3:13; Za 13:5Humwomba Mungu, akapata kibali kwake,
huuona uso wa Mungu na kushangilia kwa furaha;
Mungu humrudisha katika hali yake ya uadilifu.
2733:27 Hes 22:34; 2Sam 12:13; Ezr 9:13; Yak 2:13; Lk 15:21Ndipo huja mbele za watu na kusema,
‘Nilitenda dhambi na kupotosha kilichokuwa haki,
lakini sikuadhibiwa kama nilivyostahili.
2833:28 Kut 15:13; Za 34:22; 107:20; Ay 17:16; 22:20Alinikomboa nafsi yangu nisitumbukie shimoni,
nami nitaishi ili kuufurahia mwanga.’
2933:29 Yer 10:23; Flp 2:13“Mungu hufanya haya yote kwa mwanadamu;
mara mbili hata mara tatu,
3033:30 Za 49:19; Isa 53:11; Zek 9:11ili aigeuze nafsi yake toka shimoni,
ili nuru ya uzima imwangazie.
3133:31 Yer 23:18; Ay 32:10“Ayubu, zingatia, nisikilize mimi;
nyamaza, nami nitanena.
3233:32 Ay 6:29; 35:2Kama unalo lolote la kusema, unijibu;
sema, kwa maana ninataka uonekane huna hatia.
3333:33 Mit 10:8, 10, 19; Za 34:11Lakini kama huna la kusema, basi nisikilize mimi;
nyamaza, nami nitakufundisha hekima.”
1“Job, listen now to my words.
Pay attention to everything I say.
2I’m about to open my mouth.
My words are on the tip of my tongue.
3What I say comes from an honest heart.
My lips speak only what I know is true.
4The Spirit of God has made me.
The breath of the Mighty One gives me life.
5So answer me if you can.
Stand up and argue your case in front of me.
6To God I’m just the same as you.
I too am a piece of clay.
7You don’t have to be afraid of me.
My hand won’t be too heavy on you.
8“But I heard what you said.
And here are the exact words I heard.
9You said, ‘I’m pure. I have done no wrong.
I’m clean. I’m free from sin.
10But God has found fault with me.
He thinks I’m his enemy.
11He puts my feet in chains.
He watches every step I take.’
12“But I’m telling you that you aren’t right when you talk like that.
After all, God is greater than any human being.
13Why do you claim that God
never answers anybody’s questions?
14He speaks in one way and then another.
But we do not even realize it.
15He might speak in a dream or in a vision at night.
That’s when people are sound asleep in their beds.
16He might speak in their ears.
His warnings might terrify them.
17He warns them in order to turn them away from sinning.
He wants to keep them from being proud.
18He wants to stop them from going down into the grave.
He doesn’t want them to be killed by swords.
19Someone might be punished by suffering in bed.
The pain in their bones might never go away.
20They might feel so bad they can’t eat anything.
They might even hate the finest food.
21Their body might waste away to nothing.
Their bones might have been hidden.
But now they stick out.
22They might approach the very edge of the grave.
The messengers of death might come for them.
23“But suppose there is an angel who will speak up for him.
The angel is very special. He’s one out of a thousand.
He will tell that person how to do what is right.
24That angel will be gracious to them. He’ll say to God,
‘Spare them from going down into the grave.
I know a way that can set them free.’
25Then their body is made like new again.
They become as strong and healthy as when they were young.
26Then that person can pray to God and be blessed by him.
They will see God’s face and shout for joy.
God will make them well and happy again.
27Then that person will come to others and say,
‘I sinned. I made what is wrong appear to be right.
But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.
28God has set me free. He has kept me from going down into the darkness of the grave.
So I’ll live to enjoy the light of life.’
29“God does all these things to people.
In fact, he does them again and again.
30He wants to stop people from going down into the darkness of the grave.
Then the light of life will shine on them.
31“Pay attention, Job! Listen to me!
Be quiet so I can speak.
32If you have anything to say, answer me.
Speak up. I want to help you be cleared of all charges.
33But if you don’t have anything to say, listen to me.
Be quiet so I can teach you how to be wise.”
