1 Ke uElifazi waseTeman waphendula wathi:
2 “Uthi isilumko singaze sitsho ngembudede enje?Singathi kanti sihlalele ukubhodla umoya wasempuma?
3 Wawusibona phi isilumko esibhibhidla kanje xa sixoxayo,esisuka sizithethelele ngamazwi ayimfeketho njengawe lo?
4 Wena ngoku uyakuphuthisa ukuthobela uThixo;ngale ndlela yakho akukho bani ongaphinda anxulumane noThixo.
5 Ukuthetha kwakho sekulawulwa bubugwenxa;ulwimi lwakho luvuza amaqhinga.
6 Wena awugwetywa nandim, koko ngumlomo wakho,ngamazwi akho kanye akugwebayo.
7 “Nguwe na umntu wokuqala ukuzalwa?Ngaba wavela kungekabikho neentaba ezi?
8 Ngaba wawukho kwigqugula likaThixo?Ngani ke ukuba ububange kangaka ubulumko?
9 Zinto zini ezi zaziwa nguwe wedwa singazaziyo thina?Ngaba kukho izinto eziyintsonkotha ezicace kuwe wedwa?
10 Thina sineengwevu namadoda amakhulu,amadala nditsho nakuyihlo.
11 Kutheni ukuba unganeli yintuthuzelo kaThixo,okanye ngala mazwi sikubongoza ngawo?
12 Yintoni le ikulahlekisa kangaka?Atshawuziswa yintoni amehlo akho?
13 Kutheni ukuba uvukelane noThixo,ude uthethe amazwi anje?
14 “Nguwuphi umntu ongade abe nyulu,ingubani kwabazelweyo ngabafazi ongafumaneka engenatyala?
15 Khumbula kaloku ukuba uThixo akathembanga nditsho neengcwele zakhe zasezulwini;ewe, nezulu ngokwalo alikho nyulu emehlweni akhe.
16 Ubeka phi ke yena umntu eyinto elisikizi ephuthileyo nje?Kuxa engubani esela uluchwe lobubi nje oku kwamanzi?
17 “Khawuphulaphule ndikhe ndikuxelele,ndikwazise izinto endizibonileyo.
18 Nditsho ezo zaxelwayo zizilumkonjengoko zona zingafihlelwanga ngamanyange.
19 Kaloku wona eli lizwe alinikwa laba lelawo odwakungekho maveza-ndlebe.
20 Isikhohlakali sihlala sibhinyalaza singcungcutheka yonke imihla yaso;ewe, bunjalo ke bonke ubomi bomntu ongqwabalala!
21 Kaloku sisoloko sisothuswa yingxolo esezindlebeni zaso;size sihlaselwe xa sizicingela ukuba sikhuselekile.
22 Asinathemba lakuphuncula ebumnyamenikuba sihleli silindelwe likrele.
23 Kaloku lo mntu usesichengeni sokuba kukutya kwamaxhalanga;uqonda kakuhle ukuba yintshabalalo ngaphambili.
24 Usuka onganyelwe yinkxwaleko nomva-ndedwa,kanye oku kokumkani esiya kuhlasela.
25 Kaloku yena usolulele kuThixo isandla sakhe,wazenza igorha kuSomandla,
26 emhlasela engakhathalele,ephethe elo khaka lakhe elingqingqwa.
27 “Noxa ubuso bakhe bugutyungelwe ngamanqatha,nemihlubulo yakhe ivuthelene kukutyeba,
28 izixeko zakhe ziya kuba ngamanxuwa;indlu yakhe ilil' ibhungane;ngokukhawuleza iza kuba ngamabhodlo nje.
29 Ewe, uya kuphelelwa kukuba sisityebi, ize nendyebo yakhe ibhange,nditsho nenzuzo yakhe ingabi sabakho kulo lonke ilizwe.
30 Akayi kubuphepha ubumnyama bokufa.Ihlumelo lakhe liya kurhawulwa lilangatye,amazwi akhe aphephetheke nomoya.
31 Makangazikhohlisi aqamele ngamampunge,kuba inzuzo yakhe iya kuba lilize.
32 Uya kutshazwa phambi kwexesha,amagqabi angaze abe luhlaza.
33 Uya kufana nomdiliya ovuthuluke iziqhamo ziseluhlaza,nqwa nomnquma ovuthuluke iintyatyambo.
34 Lonke elo qela labangamnquliyo uThixo aliyi kuba nanto,nemizi yabo eyakhiwe ngezinyobo iya kuvuthululwa ngumlilo.
35 Kaloku bakhawula ububi, bazale uqhushululu,inzala yabo ibe yinkohliso.”