Eliphaz
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2‘Can a man be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise person benefit him?
3What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?
4‘Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?
5Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins endless?
6You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.
7You gave no water to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,
8though you were a powerful man, owning land –
an honoured man, living on it.
9And you sent widows away empty-handed
and broke the strength of the fatherless.
10That is why snares are all around you,
why sudden peril terrifies you,
11why it is so dark that you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.
12‘Is not God in the heights of heaven?
And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13Yet you say, “What does God know?
Does he judge through such darkness?
14Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us
as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.”
15Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked have trod?
16They were carried off before their time,
their foundations washed away by a flood.
17They said to God, “Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?”
18Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.
19The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;
the innocent mock them, saying,
20“Surely our foes are destroyed,
and fire devours their wealth.”
21‘Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
22Accept instruction from his mouth
and lay up his words in your heart.
23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
if you remove wickedness far from your tent
24and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
25then the Almighty will be your gold,
the choicest silver for you.
26Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
and will lift up your face to God.
27You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will fulfil your vows.
28What you decide on will be done,
and light will shine on your ways.
29When people are brought low and you say, “Lift them up!”
then he will save the downcast.
30He will deliver even one who is not innocent,
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.’
Mawu a Elifazi
1Pamenepo Elifazi wa ku Temani anayankha kuti,
2“Kodi munthu nʼkukhala waphindu kwa Mulungu?
Kodi munthu wanzeru angamupindulire Iye?
3Kodi Wamphamvuzonse akanapeza chabwino chotani iweyo ukanakhala wolungama?
Kodi iyeyo akanapeza phindu lanji makhalidwe ako akanakhala angwiro?
4“Kodi nʼchifukwa choti umamuopa, kuti azikudzudzula,
kuti azifuna kukukokera ku mlandu?
5Kodi osati nʼchifukwa chakuti kuyipa kwako nʼkwakukulu?
Kodi machimo ako si opanda malire?
6Iwe unkawumiriza abale ako kuti akupatse chikole popanda chifukwa;
umalanda anthu zovala zawo ndi kuwasiya amaliseche.
7Sunawapatse madzi anthu otopa,
ndipo unawamana chakudya anthu anjala,
8ngakhale unali munthu wamphamvu, wokhala ndi malo akeake,
munthu waulemu wake, wokhala mʼdzikomo.
9Ndipo akazi amasiye unawachotsa wopanda kanthu,
ndipo unapondereza ana amasiye.
10Nʼchifukwa chake misampha yakuzungulira,
nʼchifukwa chake tsoka ladzidzidzi lakuchititsa mantha,
11nʼchifukwa chake kuli mdima kuti sungathe kuona kanthu,
nʼchifukwa chakenso madzi achigumula akumiza.
12“Kodi Mulungu sali kutalitali kumwamba?
Ndipo ona nyenyezi zili mmwamba kwambirizo, ona kutalika kwake pamene zililipo!
13Komabe iweyo ukunena kuti, ‘Kodi Mulungu amadziwa chiyani?
Kodi Iye amaweruza mu mdima woterewu?
14Mitambo yakuda yamuphimba, kotero kuti Iye sakutiona
pamene akuyendayenda pamwamba pa thambopo.’
15Kodi iwe udzayendabe mʼnjira yakale
imene anthu oyipa ankayendamo?
16Iwo anachotsedwa nthawi yawo isanakwane,
maziko awo anakokoloka ndi madzi achigumula.
17Anthuwo anati kwa Mulungu, ‘Tichokereni!
Kodi Wamphamvuzonse angatichitire chiyani?’
18Chonsecho ndi Iye amene anadzaza nyumba zawo ndi zinthu zabwino,
choncho ine sindigwirizana ndi uphungu wa anthu oyipa.
19“Anthu olungama amaona kuwonongeka kwawo ndipo amakondwera;
anthu osalakwa amangoseka, akamuona woyipa akulangidwa.
20Amanena kuti, ‘Ndithudi adani athu awonongeka
ndipo moto wawononga chuma chawo!’
21“Gonjera Mulungu kuti ukhale naye pamtendere;
ukatero udzaona zabwino.
22Landira malangizo a pakamwa pake
ndipo usunge mawu ake mu mtima mwako.
23Ukabwerera kwa Wamphamvuzonse udzabwezeretsedwa;
ukachotsa zoyipa zonse zimene zimachitika mʼnyumba mwako,
24ndipo chuma chamtengowapatali nuchiona ngati fumbi,
golide wa ku Ofiri numutaya ku miyala ya ku zigwa.
25Pamenepo Wamphamvuzonseyo adzakhala golide wako,
siliva wako wamtengowapatali.
26Pamenepo udzakondwera naye Wamphamvuzonse
ndipo udzakweza nkhope yako kwa Mulungu.
27Udzamupempha ndipo adzakumvera,
ndipo udzapereka zimene unalonjeza.
28Chimene watsimikiza kuti uchite, chidzachitikadi,
kuwala kudzakuwunikira pa njira yako.
29Pamene anthu agwetsedwa pansi, iwe nʼkunena kuti, ‘Akwezeni!’
Pamenepo Iye adzapulumutsa anthu oponderezedwa.
30Iye adzapulumutsa ngakhale munthu amene ndi wolakwa,
ameneyo adzapulumutsidwa kudzera mʼkulungama kwako.”
