Siope 8
1 Pea naʻe toki tali ʻe Pilitati mei Suaa, ʻo ne pehē,
And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 ʻE fēfē hono fuoloa ʻo hoʻo lea pehē pe? Pea tatau mo e matangi mālohi ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa ho ngutu?
How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?
3 He ʻoku fakahala ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae fakamaau? Pe fakahalaʻi ʻe he Māfimafi ʻae angatonu?
Doth God pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert justice?
4 Kapau kuo angahala ʻa hoʻo fānau kiate ia, pea kuo ne liʻaki ʻakinautolu ko e meʻa ʻi heʻenau fai hala;
If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.
5 Kapau te ke kumi vave ki he ʻOtua, pea fai hoʻo faʻa hū tāumaʻu ki he Māfimafi;
If thou seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,
6 Kapau kuo ke maʻa mo angatonu ko e moʻoni ʻe ʻā hake ia maʻau, pea te ne ngaohi ke monūʻia ʻae nofoʻanga ʻo hoʻo māʻoniʻoni.
If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;
7 Neongo ʻae siʻi ʻa ho kamataʻanga, ka ʻe fakalahi ʻaupito ho ikuʻanga.
And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.
8 “Ko eni, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke fehuʻi ki he kuonga ʻi muʻa, pea ke teuʻi koe ke ke ʻeke ki heʻenau ngaahi tamai:
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;
9 (He ʻoku ʻoe ʻaneafi pe ʻakinautolu, pea taʻeʻilo ha meʻa, koeʻuhi ʻoku tatau hotau ngaahi ʻaho ʻi māmani mo e ʻata: )
For we are [but] of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.
10 ʻIkai ʻe akonakiʻi koe ʻekinautolu, ʻo tala kiate koe, pea hua ʻaki mai ʻae ngaahi lea mei honau loto?
Shall not they teach thee, [and] tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
11 “ʻE faʻa tupu ʻae mohuku ʻoe anovai ka ʻi he kelepulu pe? ʻE faʻa tupu ʻae kaho ka ʻi he vai pe?
Doth the papyrus shoot up without mire? doth the reed-grass grow without water?
12 He ʻoku lolotonga ʻene kei mata, ʻo ʻikai tā, ʻoku tomuʻa mae ia ʻi he ʻakau kotoa pē.
Whilst it is yet in its greenness [and] not cut down, it withereth before any [other] grass.
13 ʻOku pehē pe ʻae ʻaluʻanga ʻokinautolu ʻoku fakangaloʻi ʻae ʻOtua; pea ko e ʻamanaki ʻae mālualoi ʻe ʻauha ia:
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the profane man's hope shall perish,
14 Ko ʻene ʻamanaki ʻe tuʻusi ia, pea ko ʻene falalaʻanga ko e matamata kupenga ʻoe hina.
Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.
15 ʻE faʻaki ia ki hono fale, ka ʻe ʻikai tuʻu ia: ʻe puke maʻu ʻe ia ki ai, ka ʻe ʻikai te ne tolonga.”
He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.
16 ʻOku maʻuiʻui ia ʻi he mata ʻoe laʻā, pea tupu hono vaʻa ʻi heʻene ngoue.
He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;
17 Ko hono ngaahi aka ʻoku fefihifihitaki ʻi he tafungofunga, ʻo ʻiloʻi ʻae potu makamaka.
His roots are entwined about the stoneheap; he seeth the place of stones.
18 Kapau te ne fakaʻauha ia mei hono potu, pea ʻe toki fakafisi ia, ʻo pehē, ‘naʻe ʻikai te u mamata kiate koe.’
If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen thee!
19 Vakai, ko e fiefia eni ʻa hono hala, pea ʻe toe tupu ʻae niʻihi mei he kelekele.
Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the dust shall others grow.
20 “Vakai, ʻe ʻikai siʻaki ʻe he ʻOtua ha taha haohaoa, pea ʻe ʻikai tokoniʻi ʻe ia ʻae kau fai kovi:
Behold, God will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.
21 Kaeʻoua ke ne fakapito ho ngutu ʻi he kata, mo ho loungutu ʻi he fiefia.
Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,
22 Ko kinautolu ʻoku fehiʻa kiate koe ʻe fakakofuʻaki ʻae mā; pea ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae nofoʻanga ʻoe angahala.”
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked be no more.
