Siope

ʻĪmisi

Job and his family depicted sitting and eating. A woman is standing beside Job and is handing Job bread from a basket.

Naʻe ʻiloa au ko ha tangata ʻoku manavahē ʻOtua mo afe mei he koví.² Naʻe tāpuekina au ʻe he ʻEikí ʻaki ha ngaahi foha ʻe toko fitu mo e ngaahi ʻofefine ʻe toko tolu, pea naʻá Ne foaki kiate au ʻa e koloa lahi, kau ai ʻa e “sipi ʻe fituafe, mo e kāmeli ʻe toluafe, mo e taulua fanga pulu ʻe nimangeau, mo e ʻasi fefine ʻe nima ngeau mo e fuʻu ʻapi tokolahi ʻaupito.”³

Naʻe tui ʻa Sētane ʻe tuku ʻeku angatonú peá u lea kovi ki he ʻEikí ʻo kapau he ʻikai ke u toe tuʻumālie fakatuʻasino. Naʻe fakaʻatā ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa Sētane ke ne ʻahiʻahiʻi au ka naʻe ʻikai fakangofua ke ne fakaʻauha fakatuʻasino au. Naʻe fakatupu ʻe Sētane ke kaihaʻasi ʻeku fanga monumanú pe fakaʻauha kinautolu pea ne ʻomi ʻa e matangi mālohi ne holo ai hoku falé ʻo mate ai ʻeku fānau ʻe toko hongofulú. Naʻe ʻikai te u lea kovi ki he ʻEikí ka naʻá ku “haehae [hoku] pulupulú, ʻo fakatekefua [hoku ʻulú,] pea fakafoʻohifo ki he kelekelé, ʻo hū” ki he ʻEikí.⁴

ʻI he mamata ʻa Sētane naʻe ʻikai ke u lea kovi ki he ʻOtuá, naʻá ne loto ke ʻahiʻahiʻi fakatuʻasino au. Naʻe fakaʻatā ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa Sētane ke ne fai ʻeni ka he ʻikai lava ke ne toʻo ʻeku moʻuí. Naʻe fakamamahiʻi au ʻe Sētane ʻaki ha “ngaahi hangatāmaki mamahi, ʻo fai mei [hoku] ʻaofi vaʻé ʻo aʻu ki [hoku] tumuʻaki.”⁵ Neongo ia, naʻá ku tauhi ʻeku angatonú, peá u fakafisi mei he lea kovi ki he ʻEikí. Naʻe tangi ʻa hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo au.

Naʻe talamai ʻe hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá naʻe tupu hoku mamahí mei heʻeku ngaahi angahalá pea kuo pau ke u fakatomala, ka naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko ha tangata angatonu au.⁶ Naʻe fekauʻi kimui ange ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ke nau fakatomala. Naʻe fakahā kiate kinautolu ke nau fai ha feilaulau tutu, pea ke u hūfia kinautolu.⁷

Hili e ʻafio ʻa e ʻEikí ki heʻeku faivelengá, naʻá Ne fakangata ʻeku ngaahi faingataʻaʻiá, mo Ne tāpuekina au ke “liunga ua hake ʻi he meʻa [naʻá ku] maʻu ʻi muʻá.”⁸ Naʻá ku maʻu leva ha “sipi ʻe taha mano ma fā afe, mo e kāmeli ʻe ono afe, mo e fanga pulu taulua ʻe taha afe, mo e ʻasi fefine ʻe taha afe,” pea mo e ngaahi foha ʻe toko fitu mo e ngaahi ʻofefine ʻe toko tolu.⁹ Naʻe tāpuekina lahi au ʻe he ʻEikí ʻi heʻeku tuí mo e faʻa kātakí.

Kuó u mamata ki he toʻukupu ʻo e ʻEikí ʻi heʻeku moʻuí, ʻi heʻeku ngaahi faingataʻaʻiá pea mo ʻeku tuʻumālié fakatouʻosi. ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni loto-toʻa: “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku moʻui ʻa hoku Huhuʻí, pea ʻe tuʻu ia ʻi māmani ʻi he ʻaho fakamuí: Pea ka ʻosi hoku kilí pea maumau hoku sinó, ka te u mamata ʻi hoku kakanó ki he ʻOtuá.”¹⁰