Yobu 15
1 Pamenepo Elifazi wa ku Temani anayankha kuti,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Kodi munthu wanzeru angayankhe ndi mawu achabechabe otere, kapena angakhutitse mimba yake ndi mphepo yotentha yochokera kummawa?
“Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Kodi angathe kutsutsa ndi mawu opanda pake, kapena kuyankhula mawu opanda phindu?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Koma iwe ukuchepetsa zoopa Mulungu ndipo ukutchinga zodzikhuthulira kwa Mulungu.
Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
5 Tchimo lako ndiye likuyankhulitsa pakamwa pakopo; ndipo watengera mayankhulidwe a atambwali.
for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
6 Pakamwa pakopo ndiye pakukutsutsa osati pakamwa panga; milomo yakoyo ikukutsutsa.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
7 “Kodi ndiwe munthu woyamba kubadwa? Kodi unalengedwa mapiri asanalengedwe?
Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
8 Kodi unali mʼgulu la alangizi a Mulungu? Kodi ukudziyesa wanzeru ndiwe wekha?
Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Kodi iwe umadziwa chiyani chimene ife sitichidziwa? Kodi iwe uli ndi chidziwitso chanji chimene ife tilibe?
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?
10 Anthu a imvi ndi okalamba ali mbali yathu, anthu amvulazakale kupambana abambo ako.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.
11 Kodi mawu otonthoza mtima ochokera kwa Mulungu sakukukwanira, mawu oyankhula mofatsawa kwa iwe?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?
12 Chifukwa chiyani ukupsa mtima, ndipo chifukwa chiyani ukutuzula maso ako,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 moti ukupsera mtima Mulungu ndi kuyankhula mawu otero pakamwa pako?
so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such words from your mouth?
14 “Kodi munthu nʼchiyani kuti nʼkukhala woyera mtima kapena wobadwa mwa amayi nʼchiyani kuti nʼkukhala wolungama mtima?
What is man that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?
15 Ngati Mulungu sakhulupirira ngakhale angelo ake, ngakhale zakumwamba sizoyera pamaso pake,
See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 nanga kuli bwanji munthu amene ndi wonyansa ndi wa njira zokhotakhota, amene kuchita zoyipa kuli ngati kumwa madzi.
how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “Mvetsera kwa ine ndipo ndidzakufotokozera; ndilole ndikuwuze zimene ndaziona,
I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
18 zimene anandiphunzitsa anthu anzeru, sanandibisire kalikonse kamene anamva kuchokera kwa makolo awo.
the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
19 (Ndi kwa iwowa kumene dziko lino linaperekedwa pamene panalibe mlendo wokhala pakati pawo).
These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
20 Munthu woyipa amavutika ndi masautso masiku onse a moyo wake, munthu wankhanza adzavutika zaka zake zonse.
The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
21 Amamva mawu owopsa mʼmakutu mwake, pamene zonse zikuoneka ngati zili bwino, anthu achifwamba amamuthira nkhondo.
A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
22 Iye sakhulupirira kuti angathe kupulumuka ku mdima wa imfa; iyeyo ndi woyenera kuphedwa.
He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
23 Amangoyendayenda pali ponse kunka nafuna chakudya; amadziwa kuti tsiku la mdima lili pafupi.
He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Masautso ndi nthumanzi zimamuchititsa mantha kwambiri; zimamugonjetsa iye monga imachitira mfumu yokonzekera kukathira nkhondo,
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
25 chifukwa iye amatambasula dzanja lake kuyambana ndi Mulungu ndipo amadzitama yekha polimbana ndi Wamphamvuzonse.
Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
26 Amapita mwa mwano kukalimbana naye atanyamula chishango chochindikala ndi cholimba.
this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
27 “Ngakhale nkhope yake ndi yonenepa ndipo mʼchiwuno mwake muli mnofu wambiri,
This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
28 munthuyo adzakhala mʼmizinda yowonongeka ndi mʼnyumba zosayenera kukhalamo anthu, nyumba zimene zikugwa ndi kuwonongeka.
and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and which were ready to become heaps.
29 Iye sadzalemeranso ndipo chuma chake sichidzakhalitsa, ngakhale minda yake sidzabala zipatso pa dziko lapansi.
He will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.
30 Iyeyo sadzapulumuka mu mdimamo; lawi lamoto lidzawumitsa nthambi zake, ndipo mpweya wochokera mʼkamwa mwa Mulungu udzamusesa.
He will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will go away.
31 Asadzinyenge yekha podalira zinthu zachabechabe, pakuti pa mapeto pake sadzaphulapo kanthu.
Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
32 Iye adzalandira malipiro ake nthawi yake isanakwane, ndipo nthambi zake sizidzaphukanso.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
33 Iye adzakhala ngati mtengo wamphesa wopululidwa zipatso zake zisanapse, adzakhala ngati mtengo wa olivi umene wayoyola maluwa ake.
He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.
34 Pakuti anthu osapembedza Mulungu adzakhala osabala ndipo moto udzapsereza nyumba za onse okonda ziphuphu.
For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.
35 Iwo amalingalira zaupandu ndipo amachita zoyipa; mtima wawo umakonzekera zachinyengo.”
They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
