The First Dialogue
(4.1—14.22)Eliphaz
1-2 Job, will you be annoyed if I speak?
I can't keep quiet any longer.
3 You have taught many people
and given strength to feeble hands.
4 When someone stumbled, weak and tired,
your words encouraged him to stand.
5 Now it's your turn to be in trouble,
and you are too stunned to face it.
6 You worshiped God, and your life was blameless;
and so you should have confidence and hope.
7 Think back now. Name a single case
where someone righteous met with disaster.
8 I have seen people plow fields of evil
and plant wickedness like seed;
now they harvest wickedness and evil.
9 Like a storm, God destroys them in his anger.
10 The wicked roar and growl like lions,
but God silences them and breaks their teeth.
11 Like lions with nothing to kill and eat,
they die, and all their children are scattered.
12 Once a message came quietly,
so quietly I could hardly hear it.
13 Like a nightmare it disturbed my sleep.
14 I trembled and shuddered;
my whole body shook with fear.
15 A light breeze touched my face,
and my skin crawled with fright.
16 I could see something standing there;
I stared, but couldn't tell what it was.
Then I heard a voice out of the silence:
17 “Can anyone be righteous in the sight of God
or be pure before his Creator?
18 God does not trust his heavenly servants;
he finds fault even with his angels.
19 Do you think he will trust a creature of clay,
a thing of dust that can be crushed like a moth?
20 We may be alive in the morning,
but die unnoticed before evening comes.
21 All that we have is taken away;
we die, still lacking wisdom.”
Elifasi la diyaamu foloo
1 Bituŋ Elifasi Temaninkoo ye jaabiroo ke ko:
2 Kori niŋ moo ye kuma fayi i kaŋ, a te i dimi la?
N te n daakumoolu muta noo la n kono.
3 A juubee, i ye yaamaroo dii jamaa le la,
i ye moo bataariŋolu maakoyi.
4 Niŋ moo lafita jenke la, i la kumakaŋolu le ka a tilindi.
Niŋ moo maŋ loo noo ka bambaŋ, ite le ka a bambandi.
5 Saayiŋ, bataa naata i faŋo kaŋ, i jikilateyita,
a ye i maa, i jikoo taata.
6 Fo i la Alla ñaasilaŋo maŋ dankeneyaa dii i la baŋ?
I maañaa maŋ sootaari soto, fo wo maŋ ke i ye jikoo ti baŋ?
7 Saayiŋ i hakiloo duŋ moo la baŋ,
moo meŋ maŋ feŋ ke, a ye halaki?
Moo tilindiŋo nene ka kasaara mintoo le?
8 Nte ye kuwo je wo le ñaama:
Moolu mennu ye kuu jawoo kunkoo sene, ì ye kataa fii jee,
niŋ sanjaanoo siita, ì be wo kiliŋo le kati la jee.
9 Alla ye a niijii ì kaŋ, ì faata,
a la kamfaa ye ì fee jana komeŋ saafoñotoo.
10 Moo kuruŋolu wiisata, ì bumbunta ko jatoo,
bari Alla ye ì tenkundi le, a ye ì ñiŋolu kati.
11 Ì keta ko jatoo,
meŋ maŋ feŋ soto, a be meŋ faa la ka a domo.
Ì faata, ì diŋolu bee janjanta.
12 Kiilaariyaa kumoo naata n kaŋ kulloo kono,
ŋa a feresoo le moyi.
13 M be siinoo baa le kono nuŋ,
bari siiboo la kuwo naata m barandi.
14 Kijafaroo niŋ silaŋo naata m muta,
m baloo bee be jarajara kaŋ.
15 Foñoo ye n ñaadaa fee,
m balatiyo bee ye n taama silaŋo kamma la.
16 Ŋa feŋ ne je looriŋ n ñaato,
bari n te a fo noo la, muŋ feŋ ne mu.
Deyoo be keriŋ, bituŋ n naata diyaamukaŋo moyi ko,
17 “Fo hadamadiŋo si tiliŋ noo Alla ñaa koto baŋ?
Hadamadiŋo si seneyaa noo a Daamansoo ñaatiliŋo la baŋ?
18 Alla maŋ laa a faŋo la Arijana dookuulaalu la,
a ye sootaaroo je hani a faŋo la malaayikoolu to le.
19 Wo to i ye a miira, a si laa hadamadiŋo la,
meŋ daata potoo la, meŋ daata ka bo bankoo bala,
meŋ faa be sooneeyaariŋ ko tumboo?
20 Hadamadiŋo si tara baluwo to soomandaa,
a ye faa wulaaroo ka yeemaŋ fo fawu,
moolu maŋ a loŋ meŋ be keriŋ.
21 Fo hadamadiŋo buka muluŋ ne ko tiriliisoo* baŋ?
Niŋ a juloolu firinta, a ye boyi,
hadamadiŋo niŋ ñaamembaliyaa be faa la le.”
