1Kwase kuthatha u-Elifazi, umThemani, wathi:
2“Ohlakaniphileyo uyakuphendula yini ngolwazi olungathi shu, agcwalise isisu ngomoya wasempumalanga na?
3Aphikisane ngamazwi angasizi lutho nangezinkulumo ezingenalusizo na?
4Kepha wena uyakuchitha ukwesaba, uqede ukuzindla phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
5Ngokuba iziphambeko zakho zifundisa umlomo wakho; ukhetha ukukhuluma kwamaqili.
6Ngumlomo wakho okulahla ngecala, yizindebe zakho uqobo, hhayi mina, ezifakaza okumelene nawe.
7Ngabe ungumuntu wokuqala yini owazalwa na? Wabakhona zingakabi bikho nezintaba na?
8Wakuzwa yini okwakhulunywa emkhandlwini kaNkulunkulu, wazigodlela wedwa ukuhlakanipha na?
9Yini oyaziyo thina esingayaziyo na? Yini oyiqondayo thina esingayiqondiyo na?
10Izimpunga, nabamnkantshubomvu abadala kunoyihlo bangakithi.
11Incane yini kuwe induduzo kaNkulunkulu, nezwi elikhulunywa kahle kuwe na?
12Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa na? Kungani amehlo akho egcwala intukuthelo,
13bese ubhokela uNkulunkulu ngolaka, ukhulume amazwi anje ngomlomo wakho na?
14Uyini umuntu ukuba angaba ngohlanzekileyo, nozelwe ngowesifazane ukuba abe ngolungileyo na?
15Nabangcwele bakhe akabethembi, nezulu alihlanzekile emehlweni akhe,
16kakhulu kangakanani onengekayo nowonakeleyo, umuntu ophuza ububi njengamanzi na?
17“Ngizokutshela, ngilalele, ngizokulandisa engikubonileyo,
18lokho okwakhulunywa yizihlakaniphi ezingakufihlanga kokhokho bazo,
19izwe elanikwa zona kuphela, akukho mfokazi owadabula phakathi kwabo.
20Umuntu oyisikhohlakali ubinyabinyeka ebuhlungwini imihla yonke, ngayo yonke iminyaka isidlova esibekelwe yona.
21Ukunkeneneza okwesabisayo kusezindlebeni zakhe, uyothi esahlezi enethezekile, kutheleke umphangi.
22Akethembi ukuthi uyobuya ebumnyameni, ulindelwe yinkemba.
23Uhamba ezulazula, efuna ukudla, athi: kuphi na? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusesandleni sakhe.
24Ukuhlupheka nosizi kuyamethusa, kumkhungatha njengenkosi ezilungiselele ukuya empini,
25ngokuba waphonsela uNkulunkulu inselelo, wazigabisa kuSomandla.
26Wamelana naye ngeqholo, ethembele emahawini akhe aqinileyo,
27ngokuba wasibekela ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza umvingqi okhalo lwakhe.
28Wahlala emizini eyincithakalo, nasezindlini okungahlali muntu kuzo, ezimiselwe ukuba ngamanxiwa.
29Akayukuceba, nengcebo yakhe ayiyukuhlala, nempahla yakhe ayiyukwanda ezweni.
30Akayukusuka ebumnyameni, ilangabi liyakubunisa amagatsha akhe, apheshulwe ngukuphefumula komlomo wakhe.
31Makangethembi okuyize, azikhohlise ngokuyize, ngokuba ize liyakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
32Kuyokwenzeka kungakabi yisikhathi, igatsha lakhe lingakakhuli libe luhlaza.
33Uyakuvuthulula amagilebhisi akhe aluhlaza njengomvini, awohloze imbali yakhe njengomnqumo.
34Ngokuba umshungu wabangenabunkulunkulu uyinyumba, nomlilo uqothula amathende athengwa ngokufunjathiswa.
35Bakhulelwa inkathazo, bazale inkohlakalo, isisu sabo silungiselela inkohliso.”