Eliphaz
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2“Would a wise person answer with empty notions
or fill their belly with the hot east wind?
3Would they argue with useless words,
with speeches that have no value?
4But you even undermine piety
and hinder devotion to God.
5Your sin prompts your mouth;
you adopt the tongue of the crafty.
6Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
your own lips testify against you.
7“Are you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
8Do you listen in on God’s council?
Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?
9What do you know that we do not know?
What insights do you have that we do not have?
10The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
men even older than your father.
11Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
words spoken gently to you?
12Why has your heart carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash,
13so that you vent your rage against God
and pour out such words from your mouth?
14“What are mortals, that they could be pure,
or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?
15If God places no trust in his holy ones,
if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
16how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,
who drink up evil like water!
17“Listen to me and I will explain to you;
let me tell you what I have seen,
18what the wise have declared,
hiding nothing received from their ancestors
19(to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigners moved among them):
20All his days the wicked man suffers torment,
the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.
21Terrifying sounds fill his ears;
when all seems well, marauders attack him.
22He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;
he is marked for the sword.
23He wanders about for food like a vulture;
he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24Distress and anguish fill him with terror;
troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack,
25because he shakes his fist at God
and vaunts himself against the Almighty,
26defiantly charging against him
with a thick, strong shield.
27“Though his face is covered with fat
and his waist bulges with flesh,
28he will inhabit ruined towns
and houses where no one lives,
houses crumbling to rubble.
29He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions spread over the land.
30He will not escape the darkness;
a flame will wither his shoots,
and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
31Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless,
for he will get nothing in return.
32Before his time he will wither,
and his branches will not flourish.
33He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,
like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.
34For the company of the godless will be barren,
and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes.
35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;
their womb fashions deceit.”
Elifazi Anaongea: Ayubu Anadhoofisha Imani
115:1 Ay 4:1Kisha Elifazi Mtemani akajibu:
215:2 Mwa 41:6; Ay 6:26“Je, mtu mwenye hekima hujibu kwa mawazo matupu,
au kujaza tumbo lake kwa upepo wenye joto wa mashariki?
315:3 Neh 4:2-3; Ay 6:26Je, aweza kubishana juu ya maneno yasiyofaa,
kwa hotuba zisizo na maana?
415:4 Ay 25:6Lakini unadhoofisha hata uchaji wa Mungu
na kuzuia ibada mbele za Mungu.
515:5 Ay 11:6; 22:5; 5:13; Mt 16:23Dhambi yako inasukuma kinywa chako,
nawe umechagua ulimi wa hila.
615:6 Za 10:2; Mt 12:37; Lk 19:22; Ay 7:15; 18:7Kinywa chako mwenyewe kinakuhukumu, wala si changu;
midomo yako mwenyewe inashuhudia dhidi yako.
715:7 Ay 38:21; 1Sam 2:8; Mit 8:25; Za 90:2“Je, wewe ni mtu wa kwanza kuzaliwa?
Ulizaliwa kabla ya vilima?
815:8 Yer 23:18; 1Kor 2:11Je, wewe husikiliza mashauri ya siri ya Mungu?
Je, wewe unaizuia hekima iwe yako mwenyewe?
915:9 Ay 12:3Wewe unajua kitu gani tusichokijua sisi?
Unafahamu kitu gani tusichokifahamu sisi?
1015:10 Ay 12:12; 32:6-7; 8:8-10Wale wenye mvi na wazee wako upande wetu,
watu ambao ni wazee hata kuliko baba yako.
1115:11 Mwa 37:35; 2Kor 1:3-4; Kum 8:3; Yer 15:16Je, faraja za Mungu hazikutoshi,
au maneno yaliyosemwa kwako kwa upole si kitu?
1215:12 Ay 11:13; 36:13Kwa nini moyo wako unakudanganya,
na kwa nini macho yako yanangʼaa,
1315:13 Mit 29:11; Dan 11:30; Za 94:4; Ay 11:8; 22:5; 30:2ili kwamba upate kutoa hasira yako dhidi ya Mungu,
na kumwaga maneno kama hayo kutoka kinywani mwako?
1415:14 Ay 14:1; 4:17; 2Nya 6:36; Mhu 7:18, 20“Mwanadamu ni kitu gani, hata aweze kuwa safi,
au yeye aliyezaliwa na mwanamke, hata aweze kuwa mwadilifu?
1515:15 Ay 5:1; 4:18Kama Mungu hawaamini watakatifu wake,
kama hata mbingu zenyewe si safi machoni pake,
1615:16 Law 5:2; Ay 12:4; 20:12; Mit 19:28; Za 14:1sembuse mwanadamu ambaye ni mwovu na mpotovu,
ambaye hunywa uovu kama anywavyo maji!
1715:17 Ay 4:8“Nisikilize mimi nami nitakueleza,
acha nikuambie yale niliyoyaona,
1815:18 Kum 32:7; Ay 8:8; Mwa 18:19ambayo watu wenye hekima wameyanena,
bila kuficha lolote walilopokea toka kwa baba zao
1915:19 Mwa 12:1; Ay 22:8(wakati ambao wao peke yao ndio walipewa nchi,
hakuna mgeni aliyepita miongoni mwao):
2015:20 Oba 1:15; Sef 1:17Mtu mwovu siku zake zote hupata mateso,
miaka yote aliwekewa mkorofi.
2115:21 1Sam 3:11; Yer 6:25; Isa 13:3; 1The 5:3Sauti za kutisha hujaa masikioni mwake;
katika kufanikiwa kwake, wanyangʼanyi humshambulia.
2215:22 Hos 9:13; Amo 5:19Hukata tamaa kuokoka gizani;
amewekwa kwa ajili ya upanga.
2315:23 Za 59:15; 109:10; Ay 18:12Hutangatanga, akitafuta chakula;
anajua kwamba siku ya giza iko karibu.
2415:24 Isa 8:22; 9:1; Ay 15:20; 18:14Taabu na maumivu makuu vinamtia hofu;
humshinda kama mfalme aliye tayari kwa vita,
2515:25 Za 2:2-3; Mit 21:30kwa sababu amemkunjia Mungu ngumi yake
na kujigamba dhidi ya Mwenyezi,
2615:26 Yer 44:16kwa kiburi akishambulia dhidi ya Mungu
akiwa na ngao nene, iliyo imara.
2715:27 Amu 3:17; Za 17:10“Ingawa uso wake umefunikwa na mafuta kwa unene
na kiuno chake kimevimba kwa kunenepa,
2815:28 Isa 5:9; Ay 3:14ataishi katika miji ya magofu,
na katika nyumba ambazo haziishi mwanadamu yeyote,
nyumba zinazokuwa vifusi.
2915:29 Ay 3:15; 7:8; Isa 5:8Hatatajirika tena, nao utajiri wake hautadumu,
wala mali zake hazitakuwa nyingi juu ya nchi.
3015:30 Ay 4:9, 15; 16:7; 20:26; Kut 15:10Hatatoka gizani;
mwali wa moto utanyausha machipukizi yake,
nayo pumzi ya kinywa cha Mungu itamwondolea mbali.
3115:31 Yer 7:4-8; Mt 6:19; Za 62:1015:31 Ay 31:5; Mit 1:16; 6:18; Isa 44:20; 59:7; Mik 2:11; Mk 13:5Asijidanganye mwenyewe kutumainia ubatili,
kwa kuwa hatapata malipo yoyote.
3215:32 Mhu 7:17; Za 109:8; Mit 10:27; Ay 18:16Atakuwa amelipwa kikamilifu kabla ya wakati wake,
nayo matawi yake hayatastawi.
3315:33 Hab 3:17Atafanana na mzabibu uliopukutishwa matunda yake kabla hayajaiva,
kama mzeituni unaodondosha maua yake.
3415:34 Kut 23:8; Ay 8:22; Isa 33:14Kwa kuwa jamii ya wasiomcha Mungu watakuwa tasa,
nao moto utateketeza hema za wale wanaopenda rushwa.
3515:35 Hos 10:13; Gal 6:7; Za 7:14Hutunga mimba ya madhara na kuzaa uovu;
matumbo yao huumba udanganyifu.”
