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 honored 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 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 fulfill 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.”
Elifazi Anasema: Uovu Wa Ayubu Ni Mkubwa
122:1 Ay 4:1Ndipo Elifazi Mtemani akajibu:
222:2 Lk 17:10; Za 16:2“Je, mwanadamu aweza kuwa wa faida kwa Mungu?
Je, hata mtu mwenye hekima aweza kumfaidi?
322:3 Isa 1:11; Hag 1:8; Za 143:2; Ay 35:7; Za 9:12Je, Mwenyezi angefurahia nini
kama ungekuwa mwadilifu?
Au je, yeye angepata faida gani
kama njia zako zingekuwa kamilifu?
422:4 Isa 3:14; Eze 20:35“Je, ni kwa ajili ya utaua wako ndiyo maana anakukemea
na kuleta mashtaka dhidi yako?
522:5 Ezr 9:13; Ay 11:6; Ezr 9:13; Ay 15:5; 15:13; 20:29; 29:17Je, uovu wako si mkuu?
Dhambi zako si hazina mwisho?
622:6 Kum 24:6, 17; Eze 18:12-16Umedai dhamana kwa ndugu zako bila sababu;
umewavua watu nguo zao, ukawaacha uchi.
722:7 Ay 31:16-17; Eze 18:7; Mt 25:42Hukumpa maji aliyechoka,
nawe ulimnyima chakula mwenye njaa,
822:8 Ay 15:19; Isa 3:3; 5:13; 9:15; Ay 12:19ingawa ulikuwa mtu mwenye uwezo ukimiliki nchi:
mtu uliyeheshimiwa, ukiishi ndani yake.
922:9 Isa 10:2; Lk 1:53Umewafukuza wajane mikono mitupu
na kuzivunja nguvu za yatima.
1022:10 Ay 18:9; 10:3; 15:21Ndiyo sababu mitego imekuzunguka pande zote,
hatari ya ghafula inakutia hofu,
1122:11 Ay 5:14; Isa 58:10-11; Mao 3:54ndiyo sababu ni giza sana huwezi kuona,
tena ndiyo sababu mafuriko ya maji yamekufunika.
1222:12 Ay 11:8; 16:19“Je, Mungu hayuko katika mbingu za juu?
Juu kuliko nyota zilizo juu sana!
1322:13 Eze 9:9; Efe 6:2; Sef 1:12; Za 139:11Hivyo wewe wasema, ‘Mungu anajua nini?’
Je, yeye huhukumu katika giza kama hilo?
1422:14 Ay 26:9; Za 97:2; 105:39; 105:13; 2Fal 21:16; Ay 37:18; Za 18:11; Mit 8:27; Yer 23:23-24Mawingu mazito ni pazia lake, hivyo hatuoni sisi
atembeapo juu ya anga la dunia.
1522:15 Mwa 6:11-13Je, utaifuata njia ya zamani,
ambayo watu waovu waliikanyaga?
1622:16 Ay 15:32; Mwa 7:23; Mt 7:26-27Waliondolewa kabla ya wakati wao,
misingi yao ikachukuliwa na mafuriko.
1722:17 Ay 21:15Walimwambia Mungu, ‘Tuache sisi!
Huyo Mwenyezi aweza kutufanyia nini?’
1822:18 Ay 12:6; 21:16Lakini ndiye alizijaza nyumba zao na vitu vizuri,
hivyo ninajitenga mbali na mashauri ya waovu.
1922:19 Za 64:10; 97:12; Ay 21:3“Wenye haki wanaona maangamizi yao na kufurahi,
nao wasio na hatia huwadhihaki, wakisema,
2022:20 Ay 15:30‘Hakika adui zetu wameangamizwa,
nao moto umeteketeza mali zao.’
2122:21 Mit 3:10; 1Pet 5:6; Isa 27:5“Mjue sana Mungu ili uwe na amani,
ndipo mema yatakapokujia.
2222:22 Kum 8:3; Ay 6:10; Eze 3:10; Mit 2:6; Za 37:31Uyapokee mafundisho toka kinywani mwake,
na maneno yake uyaweke moyoni mwako.
2322:23 Isa 19:22; 44:22; Eze 18:32; Mdo 20:32; Ay 11:14Kama ukimrudia Mwenyezi, utarudishwa upya:
Kama ukiuondoa uovu uwe mbali na hema lako,
2422:24 Isa 2:20; 30:22kama dhahabu yako ukiihesabu kama mavumbi,
dhahabu yako ya Ofiri kama miamba ya mabondeni,
2522:25 2Fal 18:7; Mt 6:20-21ndipo Mwenyezi atakuwa dhahabu yako,
naye atakuwa fedha yako iliyo bora.
2622:26 Za 2:8; Isa 61:10Hakika ndipo utakapojifurahisha kwa Mwenyezi,
nawe utamwinulia Mungu uso wako.
2722:27 Ay 5:27; Isa 58:9Utamwomba yeye, naye atakusikia,
nawe utazitimiza nadhiri zako.
2822:28 Za 103:11; 145:19; Ay 33:28; Mit 4:18; Za 97:11Utakusudia jambo nalo litatendeka,
nao mwanga utaangazia njia zako.
2922:29 Za 18:27; 1Pet 5:5Watu watakaposhushwa, nawe ukasema, ‘Wainue!’
ndipo atamwokoa aliyevunjika moyo.
3022:30 2Sam 22:21; Ay 42:7-8Atamwokoa hata yule ambaye ana hatia,
ataokolewa kwa sababu ya usafi wa mikono yako.”
