Job 31
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
3 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
4 Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
7 If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
Uba inyathelo lami liphambukile endleleni, lenhliziyo yami yalandela amehlo ami, kumbe kunamathele isici ezandleni zami;
8 then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
9 If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
10 then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
11 For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
12 For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
14 what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
16 If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
18 though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
(ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
19 if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
20 if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
22 then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
25 if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
26 if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
28 this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
31 if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
32 but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
33 if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
34 because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
35 (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
37 I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
38 if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
39 if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
