Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
“Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
