Elihu Speaks
Job, Listen to Me!
1 Job, listen to me!
Pay close attention.
* 2 Everything I will say
3 is true and sincere,
4 just as surely as the Spirit
of God All-Powerful
gave me the breath of life.
5 Now line up your arguments
and prepare to face me.
6 We each were made from clay,
and God has no favorites,
7 so don't be afraid of me
or what I might do.
I Have Heard You Argue
8 I have heard you argue
9 that you are innocent,
guilty of nothing.
10 You claim that God
has made you his enemy,
11 that he has bound your feet
and blocked your path.
12 But, Job, you're wrong—
God is greater
than any human.
13 So why do you challenge God
to answer you?
14 God speaks in different ways,
and we don't always
recognize his voice.
* 15 Sometimes in the night,
he uses terrifying dreams
16 to give us warnings.
17 God does this to make us turn
from sin and pride
18 and to protect us
from being swept away
to the world of the dead.
19 Sometimes we are punished
with a serious illness
and aching joints.
20 Merely the thought
of our favorite food
makes our stomachs sick,
21 and we become so skinny
that our bones stick out.
22 We feel death and the grave
taking us in their grip.
23 One of a thousand angels
then comes to our rescue
by saying we are innocent.
24 The angel shows kindness,
commanding death to release us,
because the price was paid.
25 Our health is restored,
we feel young again,
26 and we ask God to accept us.
Then we joyfully worship God,
and we are rewarded
because we are innocent.
27 When that happens,
we tell everyone,
“I sinned and did wrong,
but God forgave me
28 and rescued me from death!
Now I will see the light.”
29 God gives each of us
chance after chance
30 to be saved from death
and brought into the light
that gives life.
31 So, Job, pay attention
and don't interrupt,
32 though I would gladly listen
to anything you say
that proves you are right.
33 Otherwise, listen in silence
to my wisdom.
1 “Nambano, Job, puratena nawa
ku imbi avihe mbi me hungire.
2 Ami mbe rirongerere okuhungira
imbi mbi me ripura.
3 Omambo wandje aehe omasemba,
nowo ouatjiri.
4 Ombepo ya Ndjambi ye ndji uta,
nomasuvaneno wOmunamasaaehe
ye ndji pa omuinyo.
5 “Ndji zira tji mo sora.
Rirongerisa nu twa omambo woye
mongongorasaneno nu u ndji hungame.
6 Tara, eṱe na ove tuvemwe
komurungu wa Ndjambi,
atuyevari twa zezengwa pomunoko.
7 Ove otji u hi nokusokundjitira.
Ami hi nokukuṋiṋikizira pehi.
8 “Nambano ami mbe ku zuu amo tja nai:
9 ‘Owami omukohoke nu hi nondjo;
hi notjipo nu hi nondataiziro ndji mba tjita.
10 Nungwari Ndjambi u paha
omihingo vyokundjirwisa,
nu u ndji vara otja omunavita.
11 Eye we ndji pandeka nouketanga
kozombaze zandje,
neye u tjevera omikambo
avihe mbi me toora.’
12 “Nungwari ami me ku raere,
Job, ove u ri posyo.
Ndjambi omunene pomundu ngamwa auhe.
13 Ongwaye tji mo yandja ondjo ku Ndjambi,
tje hi nokuzira ko omaunaunino womundu.
14 Nandarire kutja Ndjambi ma
hungire povikando ovingi,
kape na ngu ma puratene komambo we.
15 Mouṱuku ovandu tji va rara
ozomboṱu ozonḓeu,
Ndjambi u hungira moturoto
na movirimunikise.
16 Eye u tjita kutja owo ve puratene
ku imbi mbi ma hungire,
nowo ve tirisiwa i omaronga we.
17 Ndjambi u hungira kutja ve
ise okutjita ouvi kwawo,
nokuveyama komeritongamisiro wawo.
18 Eye ke nokuvetarera amave yandekwa,
neye meve yama konḓiro oini.
19 Ndjambi u vyura omundu
mokumuvera nomitjise
nokuurisa orutu rwe nomihihamo.
20 Omuvere ke nokukara nomuhoro wovikurya,
nu nangarire kutja ovikurya oviwa
novitjate mavi mu yaukisa,
21 neye maṱerambu nga omaṱupa we tjiya munika.
22 Neye u ri pokuyenda konḓiro;
omuinyo we mau pundu motjovakoke.
23 “Ngahino omuengeri meya okumuvatera,
umwe wovaengeri omayovi va Ndjambi,
ngu zemburukisa omundu otjiungura tje.
24 Motjari omuengeri ma tja nai:
‘Mu kutura kutja a ha pundu motjovakoke!
Indjo ondji ri ondjambi yokumukutura.’
25 Orutu rwe maru rire orumutanda
norunamasa rukwao;
26 eye tji ma kumbu, Ndjambi me mu zuvire;
eye me rikotamene ku Ndjambi nondjoroka;
Ndjambi ma tjiti kutja oviṋa
vi kare osemba rukwao.
27 Neye ma hungire mokati kovandu a tja:
‘Ami mba tjita ourunde.
Hi tjitire ousemba,
nungwari Ndjambi ke ndji verere,
otja pu mba sokuvererwa ouvi wandje.
28 Eye we ndji ṱakamisa kutja
e ha pundu motjovakoke,
nu ingee ami mbi nomuinyo.’
29 “Ndjambi u tjita avihe mbi povikando ovingi,
30 kutja a yame omuinyo womundu,
nokutja e mu pe ondjerera yomuinyo.
31 “Nambano, Job, puratena ku
imbi mbi me hungire;
mwina nu ndjesa mbi hungire!
32 Nungwari ove tji u notjiṋa okuhungira,
hungira mbi tji zuve;
nami mbi nonḓero okukuzira kutja u ri osemba.
33 Nungwari tje he ri nao, ove mwina,
nu puratene ku ami,
nami me ku hongo ounongo.”
