15
Impendulo Ka-Elifazi
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje
loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho,
ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga
njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho;
usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami;
izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa?
Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu?
Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo?
Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi,
amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini,
amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na,
kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu
ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na,
lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe,
njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo,
onatha ububi njengamanzi!
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele;
wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi,
bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe
njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu,
kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe;
nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama;
umiselwe inkemba.
23 Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe;
uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo;
inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi,
ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
26 aqholoze amhlasele
ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka,
umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa
lezindlini ezingahlali muntu,
izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma,
lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
30 Kayikuphepha emnyameni;
ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe
lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize,
ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa,
lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa,
njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo,
lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi;
isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”