Job
1Then Job replied:
2“Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
3Though they wished to dispute with him,
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
4His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
5He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.
6He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.
7He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
he seals off the light of the stars.
8He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
9He is the Maker of the Bear9:9 Or of Leo and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
11When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
12If he snatches away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13God does not restrain his anger;
even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
14“How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?
15Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;
I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
16Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
17He would crush me with a storm
and multiply my wounds for no reason.
18He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.
19If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.?
20Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
21“Although I am blameless,
I have no concern for myself;
I despise my own life.
22It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23When a scourge brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,
he blindfolds its judges.
If it is not he, then who is it?
25“My days are swifter than a runner;
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
26They skim past like boats of papyrus,
like eagles swooping down on their prey.
27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28I still dread all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.
29Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?
30Even if I washed myself with soap
and my hands with cleansing powder,
31you would plunge me into a slime pit
so that even my clothes would detest me.
32“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,
that we might confront each other in court.
33If only there were someone to mediate between us,
someone to bring us together,
34someone to remove God’s rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
35Then I would speak up without fear of him,
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
Hotuba Ya Tatu Ya Ayubu
Hakuna Mpatanishi
1Kisha Ayubu akajibu:
29:2 Za 143:2; Rum 3:20; Ay 4:17“Naam, najua hili ni kweli.
Lakini mwanadamu awezaje kuwa mwadilifu mbele za Mungu?
39:3 Ay 9:32; 40:5; Za 44:21Ingawa mtu angetaka kushindana naye,
asingaliweza kumjibu Mungu hata mara moja miongoni mwa elfu moja.
49:4 Mit 2:6; 8:6; Mhu 2:26; 2Nya 13:12; Isa 40:26; Ay 5:9; 12:13; Za 93:4; Dan 2:20Hekima yake ni kubwa sana na ana uwezo mwingi mno.
Ni nani aliyempinga naye akawa salama?
59:5 Isa 13:13; Mik 1:4; Mt 17:20; Za 18:7Aiondoa milima bila yenyewe kujua
na kuipindua kwa hasira yake.
69:6 Hag 2:6; 2:21; Ebr 12:26; Isa 2:19-21; 2Sam 22:8Aitikisa dunia kutoka mahali pake
na kuzifanya nguzo zake zitetemeke.
79:7 Yer 4:23; Eze 32:8; Isa 34:4; Sef 1:15; Yoe 2:2Husema na jua, nalo likaacha kuangaza;
naye huizima mianga ya nyota.
89:8 Mwa 1:1, 8; Isa 48:13; Ay 38:16; Za 77:19; Mit 8:28; Hab 3:15Yeye peke yake huzitandaza mbingu
na kuyakanyaga mawimbi ya bahari.
99:9 Mwa 1:16; Ay 38:31; 32:22; Amo 5:8Yeye ndiye Muumba wa nyota za Dubu,9:9 Nyota za Dubu hapa ina maana ya kundi la nyota za kaskazini, ambazo zinaitwa kwa jina la Dubu Mkuu. na Orioni,9:9 Orioni ni kundi la nyota kubwa.
Kilimia,9:9 Kilimia ni jina lililopewa nyota saba (Taurus). na makundi ya nyota za kusini.
109:10 Kum 6:22; Za 72:18; 136:4; Yer 32:20Hutenda maajabu yasiyopimika,
miujiza isiyoweza kuhesabiwa.
119:11 Ay 23:8-9; 35:14Anapopita karibu nami, siwezi kumwona;
apitapo mbele yangu, simtambui.
129:12 Hes 23:20; Isa 43:13; 14:27; Dan 2:21; Rum 9:20; Ay 11:10Anapochukua kwa ghafula, ni nani awezaye kumzuia?
Ni nani awezaye kumwambia, ‘Unafanya nini?’
139:13 Hes 14:18; Ay 10:15; Za 78:38; Isa 3:11; 6:5Mungu hataizuia hasira yake;
hata jeshi kubwa la Rahabu9:13 Rahabu hapa ina maana ya Misri kwa fumbo. lenye nguvu
linajikunyata miguuni pake.
149:14 Ay 9:3“Ni vipi basi mimi nitaweza kubishana naye?
Nawezaje kupata maneno ya kuhojiana naye?
159:15 Ay 10:15; 13:19; 34:5-6; 40:5; 42:7; Mwa 18:25; 1Sam 24:12; Za 50:6; 96:13Ingawa sikuwa na hatia, sikuweza kumjibu;
ningeweza tu kumsihi Mhukumu wangu anihurumie.
169:16 Ay 13:22; Rum 9:20-21Hata kama ningemwita kwenye shauri, naye akakubali,
siamini kama angenisikiliza.
179:17 Isa 38:13; 38:13; Yn 1:4; Za 10:10; 83:15; Ay 16:12; 30:16; 16:14; 2:3Yeye angeniangamiza kwa dhoruba
na kuongeza majeraha yangu pasipo na sababu.
189:18 Ay 7:19; 10:1Asingeniacha nipumue
bali angenifunika kabisa na huzuni kuu.
199:19 Ay 9:4; Neh 9:32; Yer 49:19Kama ni suala la nguvu, yeye ni mwenye nguvu!
Kama ni suala la haki, ni nani awezaye kumwita mahakamani?
209:20 Ay 9:15Hata kama sikuwa na hatia, kinywa changu kingenihukumu;
kama sikuwa na kosa, kingenitangaza kuwa mwenye hatia.
219:21 Mwa 6:9; Hes 11:15; Ay 7:15-16; 6:29; 10:1“Ingawa mimi sina kosa,
haileti tofauti katika nafsi yangu;
nauchukia uhai wangu.
229:22 Mhu 9:2-3; Eze 21:3; Ay 3:19Hayo yote ni sawa; ndiyo sababu nasema,
‘Yeye huwaangamiza wasio na makosa pamoja na waovu.’
239:23 Hab 1:3; 1Pet 1:7; Ebr 11:36; Za 64:4Wakati pigo liletapo kifo cha ghafula,
yeye hudhihaki kule kukata tamaa kwa yule asiye na kosa.
249:24 Za 73:3; 73:12; Mhu 8:11; Mao 3:9; Ay 1:15, 17; 10:3; 40:8; Yer 12:1; Isa 41:20Wakati nchi inapoangukia mikononi mwa waovu,
yeye huwafunga macho mahakimu wake.
Kama si yeye, basi ni nani?
259:25 Ay 7:6, 7; 10:20“Siku zangu zapita mbio kuliko mkimbiaji;
zinapita upesi bila kuona furaha hata kidogo.
269:26 Isa 18:2; Ay 39:29; Za 46:3; Hab 1:8Zinapita upesi kama mashua ya mafunjo,
mfano wa tai ayashukiaye mawindo kwa ghafula.
279:27 Ay 7:11Kama nikisema, ‘Nitayasahau malalamiko yangu,
nitabadili sura ya uso wangu na kutabasamu,’
289:28 Kut 20:7; 34:7; Ay 3:25; 7:21bado ninahofia mateso yangu yote,
kwa kuwa ninajua hutanihesabu kuwa sina hatia.
299:29 Ay 9:3, 15; Za 37:33Kwa kuwa nimeonekana mwenye hatia,
kwa nini basi nitaabishwe bure?
309:30 Hos 13:12; Isa 1:15-18; Mal 3:2; Ay 31:7; 14:4, 17; 17:9; Yer 2:22Hata kama ningejiosha kwa sabuni
na kutakasa mikono yangu kwa magadi,
319:31 Za 35:7; 40:2; 51:9; Yer 2:22; Nah 3:6; Mal 2:3; Ay 7:20wewe ungenitupa kwenye shimo la utelezi
kiasi kwamba hata nguo zangu zingenichukia sana.
329:32 Rum 9:20; Mhu 6:10; Za 143:2; Hes 23:19“Yeye si mwanadamu kama mimi ili niweze kumjibu,
ili kwamba tuweze kushindana naye mahakamani.
339:33 1Sam 2:25; Ay 9:19Laiti angelikuwepo mtu wa kutupatanisha kati yetu,
aweke mkono wake juu yetu sote wawili,
349:34 Ay 6:4; 21:9; Za 39:10; 73:5; 32:4mtu angeliiondoa fimbo ya Mungu juu yangu,
ili utisho wake usiendelee kunitia hofu.
359:35 Ay 7:15; 13:21; 7:11Ndipo ningenena naye, bila kumwogopa,
lakini kama ilivyo kwangu sasa, sitaweza.
