Zophar's First Speech

¹Wayesethatha uSofari waseNahama, wathi:

²“Awayikuphendulwa amazwi amaningi kangaka na? Umuntu oliphoshophosho angathethelelwa na?

³Ukugavuza kwakho kuthulisa abantu na? Nalapho ukloloda, akakho ongakuhlaza na?

⁴Ngokuba uthi: ‘Ukufundisa kwami kulungile; ngimhlophe emehlweni akho.’

⁵Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakhuluma, akuvulele izindebe zakhe,

⁶akwazise izimfihlakalo zokuhlakanipha, ngokuba ukuqonda kwakhe kuninginingi, uze wazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu, ukuba kube kuhle kuwe, wenza ukuba ikhohlakale inxenye yecala lakho.

⁷“Ungathola imfihlakalo kaNkulunkulu na? Ungamfumana uSomandla kuze kube sekupheleleni kwakhe na?

⁸Kuphakeme njengezulu — ungenzani na? Kujulile kunendawo yabafileyo — ungazini na?

⁹Isilinganiso sakho side kunomhlaba, sibanzi kunolwandle.

¹⁰Uma edlula, avalele, abizele ekwahluleleni, ngubani ongamkhalima na?

¹¹Ngokuba uyabazi abantu ababi; lapho ebona ukona, akayikukunaka na?

¹²Umuntu oyize uyakuba nengqondo, nxa ithole lembongolo yasendle lizalwa libe ngumuntu.

¹³“Uma ulungisa inhliziyo yakho, welulele izandla zakho kuye;

¹⁴uma udedisele kude ukona okusesandleni sakho, ungahlalisi ububi ematendeni akho,

¹⁵khona uyakuphakamisa ubuso bakho ungenamahloni, uqine, ungesabi.

¹⁶Ngokuba uyakukhohlwa ukuhlupheka kwakho, ukukhumbule kunjengamanzi adlulileyo.

¹⁷Ukuphila kwakho kuyakusa kunemini; noma kuhlwa, kuyakuba njengokusa nje.

¹⁸Uyakuba nokwethemba, ngokuba ithemba likhona; uyakuphendla, ulale ngokulondeka.

¹⁹Uyakulala, ungethuswa muntu; abaningi bayakuzincengela kuwe.

²⁰Kepha amehlo ababi ayakufiphala; abayikuba nandawo yokuphephela; ithemba labo liyakuba ngukuphuma komphefumulo.”