Siope 4

1 Pea toki leaange ai ʻa Elifasi mei Timani, ʻo ne pehē,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 “Kapau te mau ʻahiʻahi ke lea kiate koe, te ke ʻita ai? Ka ko hai te ne faʻa taʻofi ia ʻe ia mei he lea?

If anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?

3 Vakai, kuo ke akonekina ʻae tokolahi, pea kuo ke fakamālohiʻi ʻae nima vaivai.

See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened weak hands.

4 Naʻe poupou hake ʻe hoʻo ngaahi lea ʻaia naʻe meimei hinga, pea kuo ke fakamālohiʻi ʻae foʻi tui vaivai.

Your words have supported him who was falling; you have made feeble knees firm.

5 Ka ko eni kuo hoko ia kiate koe, pea ke vaivai; ʻoku ala ia kiate koe, pea ʻoku ke puputuʻu.

But now trouble has come to you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled.

6 He kofaʻā eni hoʻo manavahē, hoʻo falala, hoʻo ʻamanaki lelei, mo e angatonu ʻa ho ngaahi hala?

Is not your fear your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke fakamanatu, ko hai ha taʻeangahala naʻe ʻauha? Pea ko e potu fē naʻe motuhi ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni?

Think about this, please: Who has ever perished when innocent? Or when were the upright people ever cut off?

8 ‌ʻIo, ʻo hangē pe ko ia kuo u mamata ki ai, ko kinautolu ʻoku keli ʻae angahala, mo tūtuuʻi ʻae fai kovi, ʻoku nau utu pe ia.

According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap it.

9 ‌ʻI he ifi ʻae ʻOtua ʻoku nau ʻauha, pea ko e mānava ʻo hono fofonga ʻoku nau ʻosiʻosingamālie ai.

By the breath of God they perish; by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

10 ‌ʻOku [fakangata ]ʻae ngungulu ʻoe laione, mo e leʻo ʻoe laione fekai, pea ʻoku mafesifesi ʻae kau nifo ʻoe fanga laione mui.

The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions—they are broken.

11 ‌ʻOku ʻauha ʻae motuʻa laione ko e masiva meʻa kai, pea ko e fānganga ʻoe laione mālohi kuo fakahēʻi mamaʻo.

The old lion perishes for lack of victims; the cubs of the lioness are scattered everywhere.

12 “Ko eni, naʻe ai ha meʻa naʻe ʻomi fufū kiate au, pea naʻe ongoʻi ʻe hoku telinga ʻae fafana ʻo ia.

Now a certain matter was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper about it.

13 ‌ʻI he ngaahi mahalo mei he ngaahi meʻa hā mai ʻoe pō, ʻoka tō ʻae mohe maʻu ki he kakai,

Then came thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people.

14 Naʻe hoko mai kiate au ʻae manavahē, mo e tetetete, ʻaia naʻe fakangalulu ai hoku ngaahi hui kotoa pē.

It was at night when fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones shook.

15 Pea naʻe toki māʻali ai ʻae laumālie ʻi hoku ʻao; pea naʻe vavana hake ʻae fulufulu ʻo hoku sino:

Then a spirit passed before my face, and the hair of my flesh stood up.

16 Naʻe tuʻu mai ia, ka naʻe ʻikai te u ʻilo hono anga: naʻe ʻi hoku ʻao ʻae fakatātā, naʻe longo pe, pea ne u ongoʻi ʻae leʻo, naʻe pehē,

The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and I heard a voice that said,

17 “ʻE faʻa angatonu lahi hake ʻae tangata ki hono ʻOtua? ʻE māʻoniʻoni lahi hake ʻae tangata ki hono Tupuʻanga?

“Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

18 Vakai, ʻoku ʻikai te ne falala ki heʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, pea ko ʻene kau ʻāngelo ʻoku ʻikai ke ne fakamālō ki ai.

See, if God puts no trust in his servants; if he accuses his angels of folly,

19 Kae huanoa ʻakinautolu ʻoku nofo ʻi he ngaahi fale ʻumea, ko honau tuʻunga ʻoku ʻi he efu, pea ʻoku taʻomia ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē pe ko e ane?

how much more is this true of those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed sooner than a moth?

20 ‌ʻOku tā hifo ʻakinautolu mei he pongipongi ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi: ʻoku nau ʻauha ʻo taʻetuku, ka ʻoku ʻikai tokanga ki ai ha taha.

Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without anyone noticing them.

21 Pea ʻikai ʻoku mole atu ʻae lelei kotoa pē ʻoku ʻiate kinautolu? ʻOku nau mate, ʻio, ʻi he taʻehapoto.’

Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.