1“But now, Job, listen to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.
2I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3My words come from an upright heart;
my lips sincerely speak what I know.
4The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5Answer me then, if you can;
stand up and argue your case before me.
6I am the same as you in God’s sight;
I too am a piece of clay.
7No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.
8“But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9‘I am pure, I have done no wrong;
I am clean and free from sin.
10Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.
11He fastens my feet in shackles;
he keeps close watch on all my paths.’
12“But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than any mortal.
13Why do you complain to him
that he responds to no one’s words33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions?
14For God does speak—now one way, now another—
though no one perceives it.
15In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they slumber in their beds,
16he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride,
18to preserve them from the pit,
their lives from perishing by the sword.33:18 Or from crossing the river
19“Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain
with constant distress in their bones,
20so that their body finds food repulsive
and their soul loathes the choicest meal.
21Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.
22They draw near to the pit,
and their life to the messengers of death.33:22 Or to the place of the dead
23Yet if there is an angel at their side,
a messenger, one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,
24and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
‘Spare them from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom for them—
25let their flesh be renewed like a child’s;
let them be restored as in the days of their youth’—
26then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,
they will see God’s face and shout for joy;
he will restore them to full well-being.
27And they will go to others and say,
‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right,
but I did not get what I deserved.
28God has delivered me from going down to the pit,
and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’
29“God does all these things to a person—
twice, even three times—
30to turn them back from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on them.
31“Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, for I want to vindicate you.
33But if not, then listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
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.”
