1 Kwesi sithuba ke kuphendule uElifazi waseTeman, wathi:
2 “Ngaba xa umntu enokukuphendula awungekhathazeki kodwa?Phofu ke ibingubani onokuthula nje?
3 Khumbula kaloku ukuba baninzi abantu obaqeqeshileyo,ubakhuthaza ubomeleza abazandla zinomkhinkqi!
4 Ngamazwi akho ubaxhasile abakhubekayo,wabaqinisa abamadolo agevezelayo.
5 Namhlanje ke kungawe, naku ke wena ungenakunyamezela;ewe, zidla kuwe, ngoku ke wena suka wadideka.
6 Andithi na kaloku wena ukholosa ngokuhlonela uThixo?Ewe kaloku, qamela ngobunyulu beendlela zakho, ukholose!
7 “Hayi kaloku, khawuzikise ukucinga;ngubani owakha wabhanga emsulwa?Ingubani khona owakhe watshabalala kodwa engenabala?
8 Ke kwawam amava, abalima ububi, batyale inkathazo,bavuna loo nto bayilimileyo.
9 Ewe kaloku, ngokuphefumla nje kukaThixo batsho badake;ngenene yena ufutha kube kanye batsho baphel' emehlweni!
10 Bona banjengeengonyama ezikroboke amazinyo:nokuba ziyagquma zibhavumle ngokurhwaqelisayo,
11 ziyatshabalala kukuswela amaxhoba,nawo amathole azo asuke abe ziintsali.”
12 “Ndakha ndee rhithi udaba bunkente-nkente;ewe, iindlebe zam zeva amarhe ngathi kuyasetyezwa.
13 Kanye ngaloo mathuba emiva-ndedwa yemibono ebusuku,xa kanye ndikobentlombe,
14 suka ndarhwaqela ndankwantya,ada amathambo am anengevane.
15 Nako ke kusithi phinzi into phambi kwam;hayi ke, ndahlathuzela ngamanwele!
16 Nantso ke, suka yema bhunxe!Hayi, andibanga nakuyinakana mpela.Phofu wona umthinzi wabe uphambi kwam –hayi ke, kwathi cwaka,ndada ndeva ilizwi lisithi:
17 ‘Ngab' ingenzeka na into yokuba umntu abe lilungisa kunoThixo?Umntu angaba nyulu ngaphezu koMdali wakhe?
18 Andithi na kaloku nezicaka zakwakhe akazithembi?Nditsho nezithunywa zakhe azimkholisi kwaphela.
19 Babengoobani ke abantu abahlala ezindlwini zodaka,abantu abasiseko siluthuli,abasuka batyumke njengenundu?
20 Umntu ungambona ekhona kusasa,kanti ke kuya kuthi kurhatyela abe selengasekho;ewe, utshabalala kuphele engakhange aqondakale!
21 Kaloku nelo nqugwala lakhe lisuka lincothulwe,ke yena afe engekabufumani bona ubulumko!’