Siope 34
1 Pea naʻe fai pe ʻe Elihu ʻa ʻene lea, ʻo ne pehē,
Moreover Elihu answered,
2 “ʻAe kau tangata poto, mou fanongo ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; pea tokanga kiate au ʻakimoutolu kuo maʻu ʻae ʻilo.
“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3 He ʻoku ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻe he telinga ʻae ngaahi lea, ʻo hangē ʻoku kamata ʻe he ngutu ʻae kai.
For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.
4 Ke tau fili kiate kitautolu ʻae fakamaau; ke tau ʻilo ʻiate kitautolu ʻaia ʻoku lelei.
Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know amongst ourselves what is good.
5 He naʻe pehē ʻe Siope, ‘ʻOku ou māʻoniʻoni: pea kuo toʻo atu ʻe he ʻOtua hoku fakamaau.
For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right.
6 He te u lohiakiʻi ʻa ʻeku totonu? ʻOku taʻefaʻafakamoʻui ʻa hoku lavea ʻi he taʻetalangataʻa.’
Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’
7 Ko hai ha tangata ʻoku tatau mo Siope, ʻoku ne inumia ʻae manuki ʻo hangē ko e vai?
What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,
8 ʻAia ʻoku ne ʻalu fakataha mo e kau ngāue kovi, pea ʻeveʻeva mo e kau tangata angahala.
who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?
9 He naʻe pehē ʻe ia, ‘ʻOku ʻikai hano ʻaonga siʻi ki ha tangata ke ne fakafiefiaʻi ia ʻi he ʻOtua.’
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’
10 “Ko ia, fanongo mai kiate au, ʻakimoutolu ʻae kau tangata faʻa ʻilo: ko e kovi, ke mamaʻo ia mei he ʻOtua, pea mo e angahala mei he Māfimafi.
“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 He ko e ngāue ʻae tangata te ne totongi kiate ia, pea fakaʻilo ki he tangata kotoa pē ʻo fakatatau ki hono ngaahi hala.
For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 ʻIo, ko e moʻoni ʻe ʻikai fai kovi ʻae ʻOtua, pea ʻe ʻikai fakahalaʻi ʻae fakamaau ʻe he Māfimafi.
Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Ko hai naʻa ne fakanofo ia ke pule ki māmani? Pea ko hai kuo ne ngaohi ʻa māmani kotoa pē?
Who put him in charge of the earth? Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
14 Kapau te ne fakatokangaʻi hono finangalo ki he tangata, te ne tānaki kiate ia hono laumālie mo ʻene mānava;
If he set his heart on himself, if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 ʻE mate fakataha ʻae kakano kotoa pē, pea ʻe toe liliu ʻae tangata ko e efu.
all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.
16 “Kapau ʻoku ke maʻu ʻae faʻa ʻilo, fanongo eni: fakafanongo ki he leʻo ʻo ʻeku ngaahi lea.
“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
17 Te ne faʻa pule ʻaia ʻoku fehiʻa ki he totonu? Pea te ke faʻa fakahalaiaʻi ʻaia ʻoku mātuʻaki angatonu?
Should even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18 He ʻoku ngali ke pehē ki ha tuʻi, ʻOku ke kovi? Pe ki he houʻeiki, ʻOku mou fai kovi?
who says to a king, ‘Vile!’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?
19 Ka ʻe fēfē kiate ia ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai te ne filifilimānako ki he kakai houʻeiki, pea ʻoku ʻikai lahi hake ʻene tokanga ki he koloaʻia ʻi he masiva? He ko e ngāue ʻa hono nima ʻakinautolu kotoa pē.
He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Te nau mate fakafokifā pe, pea ʻe mamahi ʻae kakai ʻi he tuʻuapō mālie, pea nau mole atu: pea ʻe fetuku atu ʻae kau mālohi taʻehanima.
In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “He ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi fale ʻoe tangata ʻa hono fofonga, pea ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ʻa hono ʻalunga kotoa pē.
“For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings.
22 ʻOku ʻikai ha poʻuli, pe ha malumalu ʻoe mate, ʻe faʻa fakafufū ai ʻe he kau fai kovi ʻakinautolu.
There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Koeʻuhi ʻe [ʻi he meʻa ʻoku totonu]; koeʻuhi ke ne fie fakamaau ai mo e ʻOtua.
For he doesn’t need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgement.
24 Te ne lailaiki ʻae kau tangata mālohi tokolahi taʻefaʻalaua, pea fokotuʻu ʻae niʻihi moʻono totongi.
He breaks mighty men in pieces in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.
25 Ko ia ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻenau ngaahi ngāue, pea ʻoku ne fulihi ʻakinautolu ʻi he pō, pea ʻoku nau ʻauha ai.
Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 ʻOku ne taaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e kau tangata fai kovi, ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai.
He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Koeʻuhi naʻa nau tafoki kimui meiate ia, pea ʻikai fie tokanga ki hono ngaahi hala:
because they turned away from following him, and wouldn’t pay attention to any of his ways,
28 Ko ia ʻoku nau fakahoko ʻae tangi ʻae masiva ke aʻu atu kiate ia, pea ʻoku ne ongoʻi ʻae tangi ʻae mahaki.
so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 ʻOku foaki ʻe ia ʻae fiemālie, ko hai te ne faʻa fakamamahi? Pea ka fufū ʻe ia hono fofonga, ko hai ʻe faʻa mamata kiate ia? ʻO kapau te ne fai ki ha puleʻanga, pe ki ha tangata pe tokotaha:
When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? He is over a nation or a man alike,
30 Koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa pule ʻae mālualoi, telia naʻa fasiaʻi ʻae kakai.
that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.
31 “ʻOku taau moʻoni mo e ʻOtua ʻae lea pehē ki ai, kuo u kātaki, ʻe ʻikai te u fakamamahi.
“For has any said to God, ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.
32 Ko ia ʻoku ʻikai te u ʻilo ke ke ako ia kiate au: kapau kuo u fai angahala, ʻe ʻikai te u toe fai ia.
Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
33 ʻE fakatatau ia koā mo ho loto? Te ne totongi ia, ʻo kapau te ke ʻoua, pe te ke loto ki ai; kae ʻikai ko au: ko ia ke ke tala ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻilo.
Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.
34 Ke tala kiate au ʻe he kau tangata faʻa ʻilo, pea ke fanongo kiate au ʻe ha tangata poto.
Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:
35 ‘Kuo lea ʻa Siope ʻi he taʻeʻilo, pea ʻoku taʻepoto ʻa ʻene ngaahi lea.
‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’
36 Ko hoku loto ke fakamaauʻi ʻa Siope ʻo aʻu ki he ngataʻanga, koeʻuhi ko ʻene ngaahi tali ʻo hangē ko e kau tangata angahala.
I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men.
37 He ʻoku ne fakahoko ʻae talangataʻa ki he angahala, ʻoku ne pasipasi hono nima ʻiate kitautolu, ʻo fakalahi ʻene ngaahi lea ki he ʻOtua.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands amongst us, and multiplies his words against God.”
