Joba 22
1 Temani Eliphaz loh a doo tih,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Pathen te hlang loh a hmaiben a? Lungming khaw amah la dawk a hmaiben uh.
“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 Na tang mai tih na mueluemnah mai akhaw, na khoboe soep cakhaw tlungthang hamla naep aya?
Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4 Na hinyahnah dongah nang te, laitloeknah neh n'khuen tih nang n'tluung a?
Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 Na boethae tangkik pawt nim? Nang kah thaesainah te a bawtnah om pawh.
Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 Lunglilungla la na manuca na laikoi tih, pumtling kah himbai te na pit pah.
For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7 Buhmueh rhathih te tui na tul pawt tih, bungpong te buh na hloh pah.
You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 Bantha aka khueh hlang loh amah hamla khohmuen a khueh tih, a sokah khosa mikhmuh ah a dangrhoek.
while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 Nuhmai te kuttling la na tueih tih, cadah te a ban na phop pah.
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 Na kaepvai kah pael dongah he khaw na birhihnah neh buengrhuet na let.
Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 A hmuep khaw na hmu pawt tih, tuili tui loh nang n'khuk.
it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12 Pathen tah vaan sang kah moenih a? So lah, aisi rhoek kah a lu tah pomsang uh te.
Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 Te lalah, “Pathen te metlam a mingpha? Yinnah lamloh lai a tloek a?
Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 Anih te khomai loh a huep tih tueng pawh. Te vaengah vaan kah kueluek dongah cet,” na ti.
Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
15 Boethae hlang rhoek loh a cawt khosuen caehlong nim na ngaithuen salah?
Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 A tonga uh vaengah a tue pawt ah khaw tuiva loh amih kah khoengim te a hawt pah.
They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 “Pathen te mamih taeng lamloh nong saeh, Tlungthang loh mamih taengah balae a saii eh?” a ti uh.
They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Amah loh amih im te hnothen a cung sak sitoe cakhaw halang kah cilsuep tah kai lamloh lakhla saeh.
But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19 Aka dueng rhoek loh a hmuh vaengah a kohoe uh tih ommongsitoe loh amih te a tamdaeng.
The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 Mamih kah thinnaeh a thup vetih amih kah a coih te hmai loh hlawp het pawt nim?
‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 Amah neh hmaiben lamtah te nen te thuung laeh. Nang taengah hnothen ha pawk bitni.
Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 A ka lamkah olkhueng mah doe laeh, a ol te khaw na thinko khuiah khueh laeh.
Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 Tlungthang taengla na mael atah n'thoh bitni dumlai mah na dap lamloh lakhla sak.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 Pasing te laipi bangla, Ophir te soklong kah lungpang bangla khueh ngawn.
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25 Te vaengah na pasing te tlungthang la, cak te na ki la poeh bitni.
then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 Te daengah ni Tlungthang dongah pang na dok vetih, Pathen taengla na maelhmai na dangrhoek eh.
Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 A taengah na thangthui vaengah, nang ol a yaak vetih na olcaeng khaw cung ni.
You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28 Olkhueh te na tuiphih vaengah, nang hamla thoo vetih, na longpuei ah vangnah loh a tue ni.
Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 A tlayae uh vaengah koevoeinah na thui dae, tlahoei mik ni a khang eh.
When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 Ommongsitoe pawt khaw loeih vetih na kut kah cimcaihnah loh a loeih sak ni,” a ti.
He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
