Ayubu 22
1 Kisha Elifazi Mtemani akajibu na kusema,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Je mtu anaweza kumfaa Mungu “Je mwenye hekima anaweza kufaa kwake.
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 Je inafurahisha kwa Mwenyezi ikiwa u mwenye haki? Je ni faida yake ukiyafanya safi maisha yako?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Je ni kwa sababu ya uchaji wako kwake hata akukemee na kukuadhibu?
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Je si kwa sababu ya wingi wa uovu wako? Je hakuna mwisho wa makosa yako?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 Kwa maana umechukua dhamana kutoka kwa ndugu yako bila sababu; umechukua mavazi ya mtu na kumwacha uchi.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 Haukuwapa wenye kiu maji ya kunywea; umewanyima chakula wenye njaa
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 japokuwa wewe, mwenye uwezo, uliimiliki nchi, japokuwa wewe, mwenye kuheshimiwa, uliishi ndani yake.
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 Umewaacha wajane waondoke bila kitu; umewatesa yatima.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Kwa hiyo, mabaya yanakuzunguka, na hofu za ghafla zinakusumbua.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Kuna giza, hata usione; gharika inakufunika.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Je Mungu hayupo juu mbinguni? Anaangalia juu ya nyota, jinsi zilivyo juu!
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 Unasema, 'Mungu anajua nini? Je anaweza kuamua kupitia giza totoro?
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Mawingu ni kifuniko chake, hata asituone; anatembea anga la mbinguni.'
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Je utayaishi maisha ya zamani walioishi waovu -
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 walioondolewa kabla ya siku zao, ambao misingi yao imeondolewa kama mto,
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 waliomwambia Mungu, 'Ondoka kwetu'; waliosema, 'Mwenyezi anaweza kututenda nini?
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 Hata hivyo bado alizijaza nyumba zao kwa mema; mipango ya waovu iko mbali nami.
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 Wenye haki wanayaona yawapatayo waovu na kufurahi; wasio na hatia wanawacheka kwa dhihaka.
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Wanasema, 'Bila shaka walioinuka kinyume chetu wameondolewa; moto umeteketeza mali zao.'
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 Basi patana na Mungu na uwe na amani naye; kwa njia hiyo, mema yatakujia.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Nakusihi, pokea, maelekezo yake; uyatii maneno yake.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 Ukimrudia Mwenyezi, utajengwa, ukiacha kutenda uovu makaoni mwako.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 Weka hazina zako mavumbini, dhahabu ya Ofiri kati ya mawe ya vijito,
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 na Mwenyezi atakuwa hazina zako, fedha ya thamani kwako.
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Nawe utajifurahisha katika Mwenyezi; utamwangalia Mungu.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 Utamwomba, naye atakusikiliza; utamtolea nadhiri.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 Lakini pia utatamka lolote, nawe utapewa; nuru itaangaza maishani mwako.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Mungu humshusha mwenye kiburi, naye humwinua mnyenyekevu.
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 Atamwokoa asiye na hatia; utaokolewa kupitia usafi wa mikono yako.”
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
