Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
UJobe wasephendula wathi:
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi kunjalo. Kodwa umuntu angalunga njani kuNkulunkulu?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
Uba efisa ukuphikisana laye, kayikumphendula okukodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
Uhlakaniphile enhliziyweni, uqinile emandleni: Ngubani oziqinisileyo wamelana laye waphumelela?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
Osusa izintaba njalo zingazi, ozigenqula entukuthelweni yakhe.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Onyikinya umhlaba awususe endaweni yawo, lensika zawo zizamazame.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
Olaya ilanga ukuthi lingaphumi, avalele inkanyezi ngophawu.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Owendlala amazulu eyedwa, anyathele phezu kwezingqonga zolwandle.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Owenza iBhere, iziNja, lesiLimela, lamakamelo eningizimu.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
Owenza izinto ezinkulu ezingelakuhlolwa, lezimangalisayo ezingelakubalwa.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Khangela, uyedlula phansi kwami ngingamboni, edlulele phambili ngingamuzwa.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Khangela, uyahluthuna, ngubani ongamnqanda? Ngubani ongathi kuye: Wenzani?
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
UNkulunkulu kayinqandi intukuthelo yakhe. Abasizi bakaRahabi bayakhothama phansi kwakhe.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
Pho-ke, mina ngingamphendula ngithini, ngikhethe amazwi ami okuqondana laye?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
Ebengingeke ngamphendula loba bengilungile; ngizacela isihawu kumahluleli wami.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
Uba bengibizile, wangiphendula, bengingayikukholwa ukuthi ubekile indlebe elizwini lami.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
Ngoba uyangihlifiza ngesiphepho, andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
Kangivumeli ukukhokha umoya, kodwa engigcwalisa ngezinto ezibabayo.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
Uba kungamandla, khangela, ulamandla. Njalo uba kungesahlulelo, ngubani ozangibiza?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
Aluba ngilungile, umlomo wami uzangilahla; uba ngiphelele, uzakuthi ngonakele.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
Ngiphelele, angikhathaleli umphefumulo wami, ngidelela impilo yami.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
Kunye lokho, ngenxa yalokho ngithi: Uyabhubhisa olungileyo lomubi.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
Lapho isiswepu sibulala ngokujumayo, uzahleka ukudangala kwabangelacala.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
Umhlaba unikelwe esandleni somubi; wembesa ubuso babehluleli bawo. Uba kungenjalo, pho, ngubani?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
Njalo insuku zami zilejubane kulesigijimi; ziyabaleka, kaziboni okuhle.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
Ziyedlula njengezikepe zomhlanga, njengokhozi olutheleka empangweni.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
Uba ngisithi: Ngizakhohlwa ukusola kwami, ngitshiye ukunyukumala kwami, ngithokoze,
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
ngiyesaba zonke insizi zami, ngiyazi ukuthi kawuyikungiphatha njengongelacala.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
Ngilecala mina, pho, ngizatshikatshikelelani ize?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
Uba ngizigezisa ngamanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngihlambulule izandla zami ngesepa,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
khona uzangiphosela emgodini, besengisenyanywa yizigqoko zami.
32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
Ngoba kasuye umuntu njengami ukuze ngimphendule, ukuze siye ndawonye kusahlulelo.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
Kakukho umqamuli phakathi kwethu ongabeka isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
Kasuse uswazi lwakhe kimi, njalo uvalo ngaye lungangethusi.
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Bengingakhuluma ngingamesabi, kodwa anginjalo ngokwami.
