Job 38
1 And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
INkosi yasimphendula uJobe isesivunguzaneni yathi:
2 Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
Ngubani lo ofiphaza iseluleko ngamazwi angelalwazi?
3 Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
Bopha-ke ukhalo lwakho njengendoda, njalo ngizakubuza, njalo ungenze ngazi.
4 Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
Wawungaphi lapho ngimisa izisekelo zomhlaba? Tshono uba usazi ukuqedisisa.
5 By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
Ngubani owabeka izilinganiso zawo, uba ukwazi? Kumbe ngubani owelulela intambo yokulinganisa phezu kwawo?
6 On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
Izisekelo zawo zamiswa phezu kwani? Kumbe ngubani owabeka ilitshe lawo lengonsi,
7 When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
lapho inkanyezi zokusa zahlabela kanyekanye, lamadodana wonke kaNkulunkulu amemeza ngenjabulo?
8 Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
Kumbe ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngezivalo, lapho lufohla luphuma esiswini,
9 When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
lapho ngimisa iyezi laba yisembatho salo, lomnyama onzima waba yimbeleko yalo?
10 Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
Njalo ngaluqumela isimiso, ngamisa imigoqo lezivalo,
11 And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
ngathi: Uzafika kuze kube lapha, kodwa ungedluli, lalapha kuzamelana lokuzigqaja kwamagagasi akho.
12 Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
Kusukela ensukwini zakho walawula ukusa yini, wenza ukudabuka kokusa ukuthi kwazi indawo yakho,
13 So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
ukuthi kubambe imiphetho yomhlaba, ukuze kuthintithe ababi kuwo?
14 It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
Kuyaguquka njengebumba lophawu lokunamathisela, kuzimisa njengesembatho.
15 And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
Lakwababi ukukhanya kwabo kuyagodlwa, lengalo ephakemeyo iyephulwa.
16 Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
Usungenile emithonjeni yolwandle yini, wahamba usiya le lale ekudingeni inziki?
17 Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
Amasango okufa wawembulelwa yini, wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa?
18 Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
Uqedisisile yini kuze kube sebubanzini bomhlaba? Tshono uba ukwazi konke.
19 Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
Ingaphi indlela lapho okuhlala khona ukukhanya? Lomnyama, ingaphi indawo yawo,
20 So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
ukuze ukuse emngceleni wakho, lokuthi uqedisise izindlela zomuzi wakho?
21 No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
Uyazi, ngoba wawusuzelwe, lenani lensuku zakho likhulu.
22 Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
Usungenile eziphaleni zeliqhwa elikhithikileyo yini, wabona iziphala zesiqhotho,
23 Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
engizigodle kuze kube yisikhathi sokuhlupheka, kuze kube lusuku lokulwa lolwempi?
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 lapho ukukhanya okwabiwa khona, umoya wempumalanga ohlakazeka khona emhlabeni?
25 By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
Ngubani owehlukanisela impophoma indlela yamanzi, lendlela yombane wemidumo,
26 Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
ukuthi line emhlabeni lapho okungelamuntu khona, enkangala 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 inkangala legwadule, lokuhlumisa ukuphuma kotshani?
28 Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
Izulu liloyise yini, kumbe ngubani owazala amathonsi amazolo?
29 Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
Ungqwaqwane waphuma esiswini sikabani? Njalo ngubani owazala iliqhwa lamazulu?
30 The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
Amanzi afihlakele njengelitshe, lobuso bokujula bujiyile.
31 Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
Ungazibopha yini izibopho zesiLimela, kumbe uthukulule intambo zeziNja?
32 Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
Ungakhupha yini izinkanyezi ngesikhathi sazo? Ungakhokhela yini iBhere kanye labantwana balo?
33 Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
Uyazazi yini izimiso zamazulu, kumbe ungamisa umbuso wazo emhlabeni?
34 Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
Ungaphakamisela yini ilizwi lakho emayezini, ukuthi ubunengi bamanzi bukusibekele?
35 Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
Ungathuma yini imibane ukuthi ihambe, ithi kuwe: Khangela, silapha?
36 Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
Ngubani owabeka inhlakanipho emibilini? Kumbe ngubani onike ukuqedisisa engqondweni?
37 By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
Ngubani ongabala amayezi ngenhlakanipho? Njalo ngubani ongalalisa imbodlela zamazulu,
38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
lapho uthuli luqina lube yizigaqa, lamagade anamathelane?
39 Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
Ungasizingelela yini isilwane ukudla, kumbe usuthise ukulamba kwezilwane ezintsha,
40 When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
lapho zicathame emihomeni, zihlala esikhundleni ukuthi zicathame?
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 olungisela iwabayi ukudla kwalo, lapho amaphuphu alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu, ezulazula ngoba kungelakudla?
