Job 3
1 Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,
Emva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe, waqalekisa usuku lwakhe.
2 Job made answer and said,
UJobe wasephendula wathi:
3 Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.
Kalubhubhe usuku engazalwa ngalo, lobusuku okwathiwa ngalo: Kukhulelwe umntwana wesilisa.
4 That day — let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;
Lolosuku kalube ngumnyama, uNkulunkulu angalunanzi ephezulu, lokukhanya kungalukhanyisi.
5 Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.
Umnyama lethunzi lokufa kakuluhlenge, iyezi lihlale phezu kwalo, umnyama welanga ulwesabise.
6 That night — let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.
Lobobusuku, umnyama ububambe, lungathokozi ensukwini zomnyaka, lungezi kunani lezinyanga.
7 As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;
Khangela, lobobusuku kabube yinyumba, umsindo wentokozo ungangeni kubo.
8 Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.
Kababuqalekise abaqalekisi bosuku, abalungele ukuvusa uLeviyathani.
9 Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.
Zibe mnyama inkanyezi zokusa kwabo, bulindele ukukhanya, kodwa kungabi khona, bungaboni inkophe zokusa.
10 Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.
Ngoba bungavalanga iminyango yesisu sikamama wami, bungafihlanga usizi emehlweni ami.
11 Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?
Kungani ngingafanga kusukela esizalweni, ngiphele ekuphumeni kwami esiswini?
12 Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?
Kungani amadolo angandulela? Kungani lamabele ukuthi ngimunye?
13 For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,
Ngoba khathesi ngabe ngacambalala ngathula, ngalala, khona ngaba lokuphumula,
14 With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;
kanye lamakhosi labeluleki bomhlaba abazakhela amanxiwa,
15 Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;
kumbe kanye leziphathamandla ezazilegolide ezagcwalisa izindlu zazo ngesiliva.
16 Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.
Kumbe njengomphunzo ofihliweyo ngingabi khona, njengensane ezingabonanga ukukhanya.
17 There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.
Lapho ababi bayekela ukuhlupha, lapho abakhathele ngamandla bephumula.
18 There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.
Izibotshwa ziyaphumula ndawonye, kazizwa ilizwi lomcindezeli.
19 The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
Omncinyane lomkhulu balapho, lesigqili sikhululekile enkosini yaso.
20 Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;
Kungani enika ukukhanya kohluphekayo, lempilo kwabalokubaba komphefumulo;
21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;
abalindele ukufa, kodwa kungekho, bekugebha kulenotho efihliweyo,
22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;
abathabayo kakhulu ngentokozo, bajabule lapho bethola ingcwaba?
23 To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?
Emuntwini yini, ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu ambiyeleyo?
24 In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.
Ngoba ukububula kwami kuza phambi kokudla kwami, lokubhonga kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
25 For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.
Ngoba engikwesabayo ngokwesaba sekungehlele, lengilovalo ngakho kufikile kimi.
26 I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.
Ngangingahlalisekanga, ngingaphumuli, ngingelakuthula, lohlupho lweza.
