Job 38
1 And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
UThixo wasekhuluma loJobe ephakathi kwesiphepho. Wathi:
2 Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
“Ngubani na lowo odunga amacebo ami ngamazwi okungazi?
3 Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
Qina njengendoda; ngizakubuza, lawe uzangiphendula.
4 Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
Wawungaphi lapho ngibeka izisekelo zomhlaba na? Ngitshela nxa uqedisisa.
5 By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
Ngubani owamisa izilinganiso zawo na? Phela angithi uyazi! Ngubani owayidonsayo intambo yokulinganisa kuwo na?
6 On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
Izinsika zawo zamiswa phezu kwani na, loba ngubani owamisa ilitshe lawo lekhoneni na
7 When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
lapho izinkanyezi zokusa zazihlabelela kanyekanye lezingilosi zonke zamemeza ngentokozo?
8 Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
Ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngemva kwezivalo lapho selufohla esiswini na,
9 When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
lapho ngisenza amayezi aba yisembatho salo na ngalugoqela ngomnyama omkhulu,
10 Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
lapho ngalubekela imikhawulo ngamisa iminyango yalo lemigoqo endaweni yayo,
11 And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
lapho engathi, ‘Ungeza uze ufike lapha kodwa ungedluli; kulapha amagagasi akho azigqajayo aphelela khona?’
12 Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
Sewake wabekela ikuseni umthetho na, loba watshengisa ukusa indawo yakho
13 So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
ukuba kuphakamise umhlaba ngemiphetho kuthintithe ababi abakuwo?
14 It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
Umhlaba ubumbeka isimo njengebumba ufakwe uphawu; imibala yawo ikhanye ithi bha njengelembu.
15 And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
Ababi bayacitshelwa ukukhanya, lengalo yabo ephakanyisiweyo iyephulwa.
16 Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
Sewake wahamba emithonjeni yolwandle na loba wahamba ezingoxweni zenziki yalo na?
17 Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
Amasango okufa aseke abonakaliswa kuwe na? Usuke wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa na?
18 Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
Ubuqedisisile na ubukhulu bobubanzi bomhlaba? Ngitshela nxa ukwazi konke lokhu.
19 Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
Yiphi indlela eya ekhaya elihlala ukukhanya na? Ubumnyama bona buhlala ngaphi?
20 So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
Ungakusa ezindaweni zakho na? Uyazazi izindlela eziya emizini yazo na?
21 No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
Ye uyakwazi, ngoba wawuvele usuzelwe! Usuphile iminyaka yonke le!
22 Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
Sewake wangena eziphaleni zikangqwaqwane loba wabona iziphala zesiqhotho na,
23 Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
engizilindisele izikhathi zohlupho, insuku zempi lokuhlasela na?
24 Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
Ingaphi indlela eya esigodlweni sokwaba umbane, loba indawo yokuhlakaza umoya wempumalanga phezu komhlaba na?
25 By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
Ngubani ogubhe intshukuntshu yezihlambo zezulu, lendlela yomdumo wesiphepho;
26 Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
ukuthelezela ilizwe elingahlali muntu, inkangala okungelamuntu kuyo,
27 To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
ukusuthisa ilizwe elilugwadule kulenze lihlume utshani na?
28 Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
Izulu elinayo liloyise na? Ngubani onguyise wamathonsi amazolo na?
29 Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
Ngesikabani isisu esizala iliqhwa na? Ngubani ozala umtshazo ovela phezulu na
30 The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
lapho amanzi abalukhuni njengelitshe, lapho iphezulu yolwandle ijiyile?
31 Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
Ungasibopha na isiLimela lesi esihle? Ungazithukulula yini izintambo zeziNja?
32 Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
Ungawuletha na uMthala ngesikhathi sawo loba ukhuphe inkanyezi ethiwa yiNgulube lemidlwane yayo?
33 Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
Uyayazi imithetho yasezulwini na? Ungawakha yini umbuso kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni?
34 Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
Ungawamemeza yini amayezi uthi akunethise ngesihlambo samanzi?
35 Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
Uyakuthuma yini ukuphazima kombane? Uyabika kuwe yini uthi, ‘Ngilapha’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
Ngubani owapha inhliziyo ukuhlakanipha kumbe owapha ingqondo ukuzwisisa na?
37 By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
Ngubani ololwazi lokubala amayezi na? Ngubani ongagenqula amaqhaga asezulwini na
38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
nxa uthuli seluqina lamagade omhlabathi esebumbene?
39 Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
Uyasizingelela na isilwanekazi ukudla kwaso, uyiqede indlala yezilwane
40 When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
lapho zilele ezikhundleni zazo kumbe zicwathile ezixukwini?
41 Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
Ngubani opha iwabayi ukudla lapho amatsiyane alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu ezulazula ehayila ngendlala na?”
