Job 21
1 Job replied,
Ka naʻe tali ʻe Siope, ʻo ne pehē,
2 “Please listen carefully to what I say—that would be one comfort you could give me.
“Fakafanongo lelei ki heʻeku lea, pea ko hoʻomou fakafiemālie eni.
3 Bear with me; let me speak. After I've spoken you can resume mocking me.
Mou kātaki, kau lea atu; pea hili ʻeku lea, fai pe hoʻomou manuki.
4 Am I complaining against people? Of course not. Why shouldn't I be impatient?
ʻOiauē, he ʻoku ou liunga ki he tangata? Pea ka ne ko ia, ko e hā nai ʻe ʻikai mamahi ai hoku laumālie?
5 Just take a look at me. Aren't you appalled? Cover your mouth with your hand in shock!
Tokanga mai, pea mou ofo, pea ʻai homou nima ki homou ngutu.
6 Every time I think of what's happened to me I am horrified and I shake all over with fear.
ʻIo, ʻi heʻeku fakamanatu ʻoku ou manavahē ʻaupito, pea ʻoku puke ʻa hoku kakano ʻe he tetetete.
7 Why do the wicked continue to live, to grow old and increasingly powerful?
“Ko e hā ʻoku moʻui ai ʻae angakovi, ʻo hoko ʻo motuʻa, ʻio, pea lahi ʻi he mālohi?
8 Their children are with them; they watch their grandchildren grow up.
Kuo fakatuʻumaʻu honau hako fakataha mo kinautolu, pea mo ʻenau fānau ʻi honau ʻao.
9 They live in their homes in safety—they are not afraid. God does not use his rod to beat them.
ʻOku malu honau fale mei he manavahē, pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate kinautolu ʻae meʻa tā ʻae ʻOtua.
10 Their bulls always breed successfully; their cows give birth to calves and do not miscarry.
ʻOku fakatauʻi ʻe heʻenau pulu tangata ʻo touʻia taʻehala; ʻoku fānau ʻenau pulu fefine ʻo taʻetōhonoʻuhiki.
11 They send out their little ones like lambs to play; their children dance around.
ʻOku nau tuku atu ʻenau fānau ʻo hangē ko e fanga sipi, pea ʻoku meʻe hopohopo ʻenau fānau.
12 They sing accompanied by the tambourine and lyre; they celebrate with the music of the flute.
ʻOku nau toʻo hake ʻae kihiʻi lali mo e haʻape, pea nau fiefia ʻi he leʻo ʻoe meʻa ifi.
ʻOku nau fakaʻosi honau ngaahi ʻaho ʻi he fakafiemālie, pea fakafokifā pe ʻoku nau ʻalu hifo ki he faʻitoka. (Sheol h7585)
14 Yet they tell God, ‘Get lost! We don't want anything to do with you.
Ko ia ʻoku nau pehē ai ki he ʻOtua, ‘ʻAlu ʻiate kimautolu, he ʻoku ʻikai te mau holi ke ʻilo ho ngaahi hala.
15 Who does the Almighty think he is for us to serve him as slaves? What benefit is there for us if we pray to him?’
Ko hai ʻae Māfimafi, ke pehē ke mau tauhi ia? Pea ko e hā ʻae totongi te mau maʻu, ʻo kapau te mau lotu ki ai?’
16 Such people believe they make their own fortune, but I don't accept their way of thinking.
Vakai, ʻoku ʻikai ʻi honau nima ʻenau monūʻia: ʻoku mamaʻo ʻiate au ʻae fakakaukau ʻoe angahala.
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does disaster come upon them? How often does God punish the wicked in his anger?
“ʻOku liunga fiha ʻae tāmateʻi ʻoe maama ʻae angahala? Mo e hoko ʻenau fakaʻauha kiate kinautolu? ʻoku tufaki ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae ngaahi mamahi ʻi hono houhau.
18 Are they blown along like straw in the wind? Does a tornado come in and carry them away?
ʻOku nau tatau mo e tefitoʻi kaho ʻi he mata ʻoe matangi, pea hangē ko e kafukafu ʻoku ʻave ʻe he afi.
19 Some say, ‘God saves up people's punishment for their children.’ But I say, ‘God should punish those people themselves so that they can learn from it.’
‘ʻOku hili ʻe he ʻOtua ʻa ʻene angahala ki heʻene fānau:’ ʻoku ne totongi kiate ia, pea te ne ʻilo ia.
20 Let them see their destruction themselves, and drink deeply from God's anger.
ʻE mamata ʻe hono mata ki hono fakaʻauha, pea ʻe inu ia ʻi he houhau ʻoe Māfimafi.
21 For they don't care what happens to their families once they're dead.
He ko e hā ʻene fiemālie ʻi hono fale ʻamui ʻiate ia, ʻoka tuʻu ua mālie ʻae lau ʻo hono ngaahi māhina?
22 Can anyone teach God anything he doesn't already know, since he is the one who judges even heavenly beings?
“ʻE akonakiʻi ʻe ha taha ʻae ʻOtua ke ʻilo? He ʻoku ne fakamaau ʻe ia ʻakinautolu ʻoku māʻolunga.
23 One person dies in good health, totally comfortable and secure.
ʻOku mate ha tokotaha lolotonga ʻene mālohi lahi, mo ʻene nofo tofu pe mo fiemālie.
24 Their body is fat from eating well; their bones still strong.
ʻOku fonu hono sino ʻi he ngako, pea lolololo hono ngaahi hui ʻi he uho.
25 Another dies after a miserable life without every experiencing happiness.
Pea ʻoku mate ha tokotaha ʻi he mamahi lahi ʻo hono laumālie, pea ʻikai ʻaupito haʻane kai ʻe fiemālie ai.
26 Yet they are both buried in the same dust; they are treated alike in death, eaten by maggots.
Te na tokoto tatau pe ʻi he efu, pea ʻe ʻuʻufi ʻakinaua ʻe he fanga kelemutu.
27 Look, I know what you're thinking, and your schemes to do me wrong.
“Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻilo hoʻomou ngaahi mahalo, mo e ngaahi filioʻi kovi ʻoku mou mahalo ʻaki kiate au.
28 You may ask me, ‘Where is the home of the great man? Where is the place where the wicked live?’
He ʻoku mou pehē, ‘Kofaʻā ʻae fale ʻoe ʻeiki? Pea kofaʻā ʻae ngaahi nofoʻanga ʻoe kakai angahala?’
29 Haven't you asked people who travel? Don't you pay attention to what they tell you?
ʻIkai kuo mou ʻeke kiate kinautolu ʻoku feʻaluʻaki ʻi he hala? Pea ʻikai ʻoku mou ʻilo ʻenau ngaahi tala,
30 Wicked people are spared in times of disaster; they are rescued from the day of judgment.
ʻAia kuo tuku tolonga ʻae angahala ki he ʻaho ʻoe fakaʻauha? ʻE taki atu ʻakinautolu ki he ʻaho ʻoe houhau.
31 Who confronts them with their actions? Who pays them back for what they have done?
Ko hai te ne fakahā hono hala ki hono mata? Pea ʻe totongi ʻe hai kiate ia ʻae meʻa kuo ne fai?
32 When they eventually die and are carried to the graveyard, their tomb is guarded. The earth of the grave softly covers them.
Ka ʻe ʻomi ia ki he faʻitoka, ʻe nofomaʻu ia ʻi he fonualoto.
33 Everyone attends their funeral service; a huge procession of people comes to pay their last respects.
ʻE melie kiate ia ʻae ngaahi tutuʻanga kelekele ʻoe luo, pea ʻe fusi kiate ia ʻae kakai kotoa pē, ʻo hangē ko e taʻefaʻalaua ʻae kakai naʻe muʻa ʻiate ia.
34 Why do you try to comfort me with worthless nonsense? Your answers are just a pack of lies!”
Pea ka kuo pehē, pea ko e hā ʻoku mou fakafiemālie taʻeʻaonga kiate au, kae vakai ʻoku ai ʻae loi ʻi hoʻomou ngaahi lea?”
