< Job 21 >

1 And Job answers and says:
Ka naʻe tali ʻe Siope, ʻo ne pehē,
2 “Hear my word diligently, And this is your consolation.
“Fakafanongo lelei ki heʻeku lea, pea ko hoʻomou fakafiemālie eni.
3 Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking—you may deride.
Mou kātaki, kau lea atu; pea hili ʻeku lea, fai pe hoʻomou manuki.
4 [Is] my complaint [against] man? And if [so], why may my temper not become short?
‌ʻOiauē, he ʻoku ou liunga ki he tangata? Pea ka ne ko ia, ko e hā nai ʻe ʻikai mamahi ai hoku laumālie?
5 Turn to me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.
Tokanga mai, pea mou ofo, pea ʻai homou nima ki homou ngutu.
6 Indeed, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh has taken fright.
‌ʻIo, ʻi heʻeku fakamanatu ʻoku ou manavahē ʻaupito, pea ʻoku puke ʻa hoku kakano ʻe he tetetete.
7 Why do the wicked live? They have become old, Indeed, they have been mighty in wealth.
“Ko e hā ʻoku moʻui ai ʻae angakovi, ʻo hoko ʻo motuʻa, ʻio, pea lahi ʻi he mālohi?
8 Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes.
Kuo fakatuʻumaʻu honau hako fakataha mo kinautolu, pea mo ʻenau fānau ʻi honau ʻao.
9 Their houses [are] peace without fear, Nor [is] a rod of God on them.
‌ʻOku malu honau fale mei he manavahē, pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate kinautolu ʻae meʻa tā ʻae ʻOtua.
10 His bullock breeds without fail. His cow brings forth safely, and does not miscarry.
‌ʻOku fakatauʻi ʻe heʻenau pulu tangata ʻo touʻia taʻehala; ʻoku fānau ʻenau pulu fefine ʻo taʻetōhonoʻuhiki.
11 They send forth their sucklings as a flock, And their children skip,
‌ʻOku nau tuku atu ʻenau fānau ʻo hangē ko e fanga sipi, pea ʻoku meʻe hopohopo ʻenau fānau.
12 They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of a pipe.
‌ʻOku nau toʻo hake ʻae kihiʻi lali mo e haʻape, pea nau fiefia ʻi he leʻo ʻoe meʻa ifi.
13 They wear out their days in good, And in a moment go down [to] Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
‌ʻOku nau fakaʻosi honau ngaahi ʻaho ʻi he fakafiemālie, pea fakafokifā pe ʻoku nau ʻalu hifo ki he faʻitoka. (Sheol h7585)
14 And they say to God, Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Your ways We have not desired.
Ko ia ʻoku nau pehē ai ki he ʻOtua, ‘ʻAlu ʻiate kimautolu, he ʻoku ʻikai te mau holi ke ʻilo ho ngaahi hala.
15 What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with 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 Behold, their good [is] not in their hand (The counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
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 extinguished, And their calamity comes on them? He apportions pangs 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 They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a windstorm has stolen away,
‌ʻOku nau tatau mo e tefitoʻi kaho ʻi he mata ʻoe matangi, pea hangē ko e kafukafu ʻoku ʻave ʻe he afi.
19 God lays up for his sons his sorrow, He gives repayment to him—and he knows.
‘ʻOku hili ʻe he ʻOtua ʻa ʻene angahala ki heʻene fānau:’ ʻoku ne totongi kiate ia, pea te ne ʻilo ia.
20 His own eyes see his destruction, And he drinks of the wrath of the Mighty.
‌ʻE mamata ʻe hono mata ki hono fakaʻauha, pea ʻe inu ia ʻi he houhau ʻoe Māfimafi.
21 For what [is] his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?
He ko e hā ʻene fiemālie ʻi hono fale ʻamui ʻiate ia, ʻoka tuʻu ua mālie ʻae lau ʻo hono ngaahi māhina?
22 Does [one] teach knowledge to God, Since He judges [those] on high?
“ʻE akonakiʻi ʻe ha taha ʻae ʻOtua ke ʻilo? He ʻoku ne fakamaau ʻe ia ʻakinautolu ʻoku māʻolunga.
23 This [one] dies in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.
‌ʻOku mate ha tokotaha lolotonga ʻene mālohi lahi, mo ʻene nofo tofu pe mo fiemālie.
24 His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow moistens his bones.
‌ʻOku fonu hono sino ʻi he ngako, pea lolololo hono ngaahi hui ʻi he uho.
25 And this [one] dies with a bitter soul, And has not eaten with gladness.
Pea ʻoku mate ha tokotaha ʻi he mamahi lahi ʻo hono laumālie, pea ʻikai ʻaupito haʻane kai ʻe fiemālie ai.
26 Together they lie down on the dust, And the worm covers them over.
Te na tokoto tatau pe ʻi he efu, pea ʻe ʻuʻufi ʻakinaua ʻe he fanga kelemutu.
27 Behold, I have known your thoughts, And the schemes against me you do wrongfully.
“Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻilo hoʻomou ngaahi mahalo, mo e ngaahi filioʻi kovi ʻoku mou mahalo ʻaki kiate au.
28 For you say, Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent—the dwelling places of the wicked?
He ʻoku mou pehē, ‘Kofaʻā ʻae fale ʻoe ʻeiki? Pea kofaʻā ʻae ngaahi nofoʻanga ʻoe kakai angahala?’
29 Have you not asked those passing by the way? And do you not know their signs?
‌ʻIkai kuo mou ʻeke kiate kinautolu ʻoku feʻaluʻaki ʻi he hala? Pea ʻikai ʻoku mou ʻilo ʻenau ngaahi tala,
30 That the wicked is spared to a day of calamity. They are brought to a day of wrath.
‌ʻAia kuo tuku tolonga ʻae angahala ki he ʻaho ʻoe fakaʻauha? ʻE taki atu ʻakinautolu ki he ʻaho ʻoe houhau.
31 Who declares his way to his face? And [for] that which he has done, Who gives repayment to him?
Ko hai te ne fakahā hono hala ki hono mata? Pea ʻe totongi ʻe hai kiate ia ʻae meʻa kuo ne fai?
32 And he is brought to the graves, And a watch is kept over the heap.
Ka ʻe ʻomi ia ki he faʻitoka, ʻe nofomaʻu ia ʻi he fonualoto.
33 The clods of the valley have been sweet to him, And he draws every man after him, And there is no numbering before him.
‌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 And how do you comfort me [with] vanity, And trespass has been left in your answers?”
Pea ka kuo pehē, pea ko e hā ʻoku mou fakafiemālie taʻeʻaonga kiate au, kae vakai ʻoku ai ʻae loi ʻi hoʻomou ngaahi lea?”

< Job 21 >