Job 23
1 Then Job replied again,
Pea naʻe toki tali ʻe Siope, ʻo ne pehē,
2 “Today I am again complaining bitterly/strongly [to God]; I [continue] groaning, but he [SYN] [continues to] (punish me/cause me to suffer).
“ʻOku kona ʻaupito ʻa ʻeku mamahi, ʻio, ʻi he ʻaho ni: pea mamafa lahi hoku tā ʻi heʻeku faʻa toʻe.
3 I (wish that I knew/want to know) where I could meet/talk with him, so that I could go to the place where he lives.
Taumaiā ke u ʻilo ʻae potu te u maʻu ai ia! Ke u aʻu atu ki hono nofoʻanga!
4 If I could do that, I would tell him why [I know that] I am innocent; I would tell [MTY] to him all my (arguments/evidence [to show that I have not done what is evil]).
Te u fakamatala ʻeku meʻa ʻi hono ʻao, ʻo fakafonu hoku ngutu ʻaki ʻae ngaahi lea fakamamafa.
5 Then I would find out what he would reply to me [DOU].
Te u ʻilo ai ʻae ngaahi lea te ne tali ʻaki au, pea u faʻa ʻilo ʻaia te ne lea ʻaki mai kiate au.
6 Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would listen to me carefully.
He te ne fai mo au ʻaki hono mālohi lahi? ʻIkai: ka te ne ʻai ʻae mālohi kiate au.
7 I am (an honest/a righteous) man; so I would be able to discuss things with him [fairly], and then he would declare that I am innocent, [and that decision would endure] forever.
ʻE faʻa alea ai mo ia ʻae māʻoniʻoni; pea ʻe fakamoʻui taʻengata ai au mei hoku fakamaau.
8 “But, I have gone to the east, and he is not there; I have gone to the west, but I have not found him there.
“Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻalu atu, ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ia; pea ʻoku ou foki mai, kae ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ia:
9 I have gone north and I have gone south, but I have not seen him anywhere.
Ki he toʻohema, ʻoku ne ngāue ai, kae ʻikai te u sio ki ai: pea ʻoku ne fufū ia ʻi he toʻomataʻu, ke ʻoua naʻaku ʻilo ia:
10 But he knows how I have conducted my life; and when he has finished testing me, [he] will [see that] I [am] as pure as [SIM] gold [whose impurities have all been burned out].
Ka ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻae hala ʻoku ou ʻalu ai: pea ka ʻosi ʻene ʻahiʻahiʻi au, te u hao mai ʻo hangē ko e koula.
11 I [SYN] have faithfully walked on the path that he showed me; I have not stopped [obeying] him.
Kuo puke maʻu ʻe hoku vaʻe ki hono lakaʻanga, pea kuo u ʻalu ʻi hono hala, ʻo ʻikai afe.
12 I have always obeyed what he [SYN] commanded; I have treasured the words that he has spoken.
Pea naʻe ʻikai te u foki mai mei he fekau ʻa hono fofonga: kuo u fufū ʻi hoku loto ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa hono fofonga.
13 “He never changes. There is no one who can [RHQ] stop him [from doing what he desires]. Whatever he wants to do, he does.
Ka ʻoku pehē ai pe ia pea ko hai te ne liliu ia? Pea ko ia ʻoku tokanga ki ai hono finangalo, ʻe fai pē ʻe ia.
14 And he will finish doing for me the things that he has planned for me; [and I am sure that] he has thought about doing many things for me.
He te ne fakakakato hoku ʻinasi kuo tuʻutuʻuni: pea ʻoku lahi ʻae meʻa pehē ʻiate ia.
15 So I am terrified in his presence; when I think [about what he can do], I am very afraid [DOU].
Ko ia ʻoku ou manavahē ai ʻi hono ʻao: pea kau ka fakakaukau, ʻoku ou ilifia kiate ia.
16 Almighty God has caused me [SYN] to feel terrified [DOU].
He ʻoku fakamolū hoku loto ʻe he ʻOtua, pea ʻoku fakamamahiʻi au ʻe he Māfimafi:
17 [It is as though] there is only thick darkness in front of me, but it is God that I am afraid of, not the darkness.”
Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai tuʻusi au ʻi he teʻeki hoko ʻae fakapoʻuli, ʻo ʻikai ʻufiʻufi ʻe ia ʻae poʻuli mei hoku mata.
