< Siope 20 >
1 Pea naʻe toki pehēange ʻe Sofaa mei Neama, ʻo ne pehē,
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2 “Ko e moʻoni ʻoku langaʻi au ʻe heʻeku ngaahi mahalo ke u tali, ko ia ʻoku ou fakatoʻotoʻo ai.
“Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 Kuo u fanongo ki he tautea ʻo ʻeku manuki, pea ko e laumālie ʻo ʻeku ʻilo ʻoku langaʻi au ke u tali.
I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.
4 ʻIkai te ke ʻilo eni mei muʻa, talu hono tuku ʻoe tangata ʻi māmani,
Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,
5 Koeʻuhi ʻoku fuonounou ʻae nekeneka ʻoe angahala, pea ko e fiefia ʻae mālualoi ʻoku ʻi he kemo pe taha?
that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Neongo ʻae aʻu hake ki he langi ʻa hono ongolelei, pea ʻasi hake hono ʻulu ki he ngaahi ʻao;
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
7 Ka ʻe ʻauha ia ʻo taʻengata ʻo hangē pe ko ʻene meʻa kovi ʻaʻana: ko kinautolu naʻe mamata ki ai te nau pehē, ‘Kofaʻā ia?’
yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 ʻE puna atu ia ʻo hangē ha misi, pea ʻe ʻikai ʻilo ia: ʻio, ʻe tuli atu ia ʻo hangē ko ha meʻa ʻoku hā mai ʻi he pō.
He will fly away as a dream, and will not be found. Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 Ko e mata foki naʻe mamata ki ai ʻe ʻikai toe mamata ai; pea ʻe ʻikai toe ʻilo ia ʻe hono potu.
The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his place see him any more.
10 ʻE kumi ʻe heʻene fānau ke fakafiemālieʻi ʻae masiva, pea ʻe toe ʻatu ʻe hono nima ʻenau ngaahi meʻa.
His children will seek the favour of the poor. His hands will give back his wealth.
11 ʻOku fonu hono ngaahi hui [ʻi he angahala ]ʻo ʻene kei siʻi, pea ʻe takoto mo ia ʻi he efu.
His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust.
12 “Neongo ʻoku melie ʻi hono ngutu ʻae fai kovi, pea ne fufū ia ʻi hono lalo ʻelelo:
“Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Neongo ʻene mamae ki ai, ʻo ʻikai liʻaki; kae maʻu pe ʻi hono loto ngutu:
though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth,
14 ʻE liliu ʻene meʻakai ʻi hono kete, ʻe hoko ia ko e ʻahu ʻoe fanga ngata fekai ʻi loto ʻiate ia.
yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
15 Kuo ne folo hifo ʻae koloa, ka te ne toe lua ʻaki hake ia: ʻe lī ia ʻe he ʻOtua mei hono kete.
He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.
16 ʻE mimisi ʻe ia ʻae kona ʻoe fanga ngata fekai: ʻe teʻia ia ʻe he ʻelelo ʻoe ngata fekai.
He will suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue will kill him.
17 ʻE ʻikai mamata ia ki he ngaahi vai, ko e ngaahi vai lahi, mo e ngaahi vaitafe ʻoe meʻa huʻamelie mo e pota.
He will not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 ʻE toe ʻatu ʻe ia ʻae fua ʻo ʻene ngāue, pea ʻe ʻikai folo hifo: pea ʻe ʻikai fiefia ia ʻi he lahi fau ʻo ʻene koloa.
He will restore that for which he laboured, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.
19 Koeʻuhi kuo ne taʻomia mo liʻaki ʻae masiva; kuo ne toʻo fakamālohi ʻae fale naʻe ʻikai ke ne langa;
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he will not build it up.
20 “Ko e moʻoni ʻe ʻikai te ne ongoʻi ʻae fiemālie ʻi hono loto, ʻe ʻikai te ne faʻa maʻu ʻaia kuo ne holi ki ai.
“Because he knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights.
21 ʻE ʻikai toe ʻene meʻa kai; ko ia ʻe ʻikai ʻamanaki ʻe ha taha ki haʻane meʻa.
There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 ʻI he lahi ʻo ʻene maʻumeʻa ʻe masiva ai ia; ʻe hoko kiate ia ʻae nima ʻoe angakovi kotoa pē.
In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him.
23 ʻI heʻene teu ke fakapito hono kete, ʻe lī kiate ia ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae mālohi ʻo hono houhau, pea fakaʻauha ia kiate ia lolotonga ʻene kai.
When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
24 ʻE puna ia mei he meʻa tau ukamea, ka ʻe fanaʻi ia ke ʻasi ʻe he kaufana ukamea.
He will flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow will strike him through.
25 ʻE unuhi ia, pea ʻasi ʻi hono sino; ʻio, ʻoku haʻu mei hono ʻahu ʻae heletā ngingila, ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻae ngaahi ilifia.
He draws it out, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
26 Ko e ngaahi fakapoʻuli kotoa pē kuo fufū ʻi hono ngaahi potu fakalilolilo: ʻe fakaʻauha ia ʻe he afi taʻetapili; ʻe hoko ʻae kovi kiate ia ʻoku toe ʻi hono ʻapi.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.
27 ʻE fakahā ʻe he langi ʻa ʻene fai kovi, pea ʻe tuʻu hake ki ai ʻae fonua.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity. The earth will rise up against him.
28 Ko e koloa ʻo hono fale ʻe mole, pea tafe atu ʻi he ʻaho ʻo hono houhau.
The increase of his house will depart. They will rush away in the day of his wrath.
29 Ko e ʻinasi eni ʻoe tangata angahala mei he ʻOtua, mo e tufakanga kuo tuʻutuʻuni maʻana ʻe he ʻOtua.”
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”