Yobu 22
1 Pamenepo Elifazi wa ku Temani anayankha kuti,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Kodi munthu nʼkukhala waphindu kwa Mulungu? Kodi munthu wanzeru angamupindulire Iye?
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 Kodi Wamphamvuzonse akanapeza chabwino chotani iweyo ukanakhala wolungama? Kodi iyeyo akanapeza phindu lanji makhalidwe ako akanakhala angwiro?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 “Kodi nʼchifukwa choti umamuopa, kuti azikudzudzula, kuti azifuna kukukokera ku mlandu?
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Kodi osati nʼchifukwa chakuti kuyipa kwako nʼkwakukulu? Kodi machimo ako si opanda malire?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 Iwe unkawumiriza abale ako kuti akupatse chikole popanda chifukwa; umalanda anthu zovala zawo ndi kuwasiya amaliseche.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 Sunawapatse madzi anthu otopa, ndipo unawamana chakudya anthu anjala,
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 ngakhale unali munthu wamphamvu, wokhala ndi malo akeake, munthu waulemu wake, wokhala mʼdzikomo.
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 Ndipo akazi amasiye unawachotsa wopanda kanthu, ndipo unapondereza ana amasiye.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Nʼchifukwa chake misampha yakuzungulira, nʼchifukwa chake tsoka ladzidzidzi lakuchititsa mantha,
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 nʼchifukwa chake kuli mdima kuti sungathe kuona kanthu, nʼchifukwa chakenso madzi achigumula akumiza.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 “Kodi Mulungu sali kutalitali kumwamba? Ndipo ona nyenyezi zili mmwamba kwambirizo, ona kutalika kwake pamene zililipo!
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 Komabe iweyo ukunena kuti, ‘Kodi Mulungu amadziwa chiyani? Kodi Iye amaweruza mu mdima woterewu?
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Mitambo yakuda yamuphimba, kotero kuti Iye sakutiona pamene akuyendayenda pamwamba pa thambopo.’
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Kodi iwe udzayendabe mʼnjira yakale imene anthu oyipa ankayendamo?
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 Iwo anachotsedwa nthawi yawo isanakwane, maziko awo anakokoloka ndi madzi achigumula.
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 Anthuwo anati kwa Mulungu, ‘Tichokereni! Kodi Wamphamvuzonse angatichitire chiyani?’
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 Chonsecho ndi Iye amene anadzaza nyumba zawo ndi zinthu zabwino, choncho ine sindigwirizana ndi uphungu wa anthu oyipa.
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 “Anthu olungama amaona kuwonongeka kwawo ndipo amakondwera; anthu osalakwa amangoseka, akamuona woyipa akulangidwa.
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Amanena kuti, ‘Ndithudi adani athu awonongeka ndipo moto wawononga chuma chawo!’
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 “Gonjera Mulungu kuti ukhale naye pamtendere; ukatero udzaona zabwino.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Landira malangizo a pakamwa pake ndipo usunge mawu ake mu mtima mwako.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 Ukabwerera kwa Wamphamvuzonse udzabwezeretsedwa; ukachotsa zoyipa zonse zimene zimachitika mʼnyumba mwako,
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 ndipo chuma chamtengowapatali nuchiona ngati fumbi, golide wa ku Ofiri numutaya ku miyala ya ku zigwa.
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 Pamenepo Wamphamvuzonseyo adzakhala golide wako, siliva wako wamtengowapatali.
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Pamenepo udzakondwera naye Wamphamvuzonse ndipo udzakweza nkhope yako kwa Mulungu.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 Udzamupempha ndipo adzakumvera, ndipo udzapereka zimene unalonjeza.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 Chimene watsimikiza kuti uchite, chidzachitikadi, kuwala kudzakuwunikira pa njira yako.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Pamene anthu agwetsedwa pansi, iwe nʼkunena kuti, ‘Akwezeni!’ Pamenepo Iye adzapulumutsa anthu oponderezedwa.
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 Iye adzapulumutsa ngakhale munthu amene ndi wolakwa, ameneyo adzapulumutsidwa kudzera mʼkulungama kwako.”
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
