Job 24
1 “Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
2 Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
4 They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
Baphambula abaswelayo emigwaqweni; abayanga bomhlaba bacatsha ndawonye.
5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children.
Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
6 They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
8 Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
Bamanzi ngezihlambo zezintaba, babambelela edwaleni ngoba bengelasiphephelo.
9 The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
Bahluthuna intandane ebeleni, bathathe lesibambiso kumyanga.
10 Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
11 They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
12 From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
13 Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.
Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
15 The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.
Lelihlo lesiphingi lilindela ukuhlwa, sisithi: Kakulalihlo elizangibona; sifake isimbombozo ebusweni baso.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.
Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
17 For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
18 They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.
Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
19 As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Imbalela lokutshisa kuqeda amanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngokunjalo ingcwaba abonileyo. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is like a broken tree.
Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
21 They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow.
Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
22 Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
23 He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways.
Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
24 They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
25 If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
