Job 29
1 Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
UJobe waqhubeka ngenkulumo yakhe wathi:
2 Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
“Ngiyaziloyisa lezozinyanga esezadlulayo, lezinsuku uNkulunkulu esangilinda,
3 At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
lapho isibane sakhe sisakhanyisa phezu kwekhanda lami ngihamba ngokukhanya kwakhe emnyameni!
4 I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
Oh, lezinsuku ngisazizwa ukuthi ngiyimi, lapho ubudlelwano obukhulu loNkulunkulu busesendlini yami,
5 At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
lapho uSomandla eseselami labantwabami besaphila lami,
6 Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
lapho indlela yami ifafazwe ngolaza ledwala lingithululela impophoma zamafutha e-oliva.
7 When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
Ekuyeni kwami emasangweni edolobho ngafika ngahlala enkundleni,
8 The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
amajaha angibona agudluka ema eceleni, abadala baphakama bema ngezinyawo;
9 The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
amadoda ayizikhulu athula akaze akhuluma avala imilomo yawo ngezandla zawo;
10 The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
amazwi ezikhulu ehliselwa phansi, inlimi zazo zanamathela olwangeni lwazo.
11 The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
Loba ngubani owangizwayo wakhuluma kuhle ngami, kwathi labo abangibonayo bangibuka,
12 This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
ngoba ngalamulela abayanga abacela uncedo, lezintandane ezazingelamsizi.
13 The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
Indoda eyayisifa yangibusisa; ngenza inhliziyo yomfelokazi yahlabelela.
14 I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
Ngavunula ukulunga njengezigqoko zami; ukwahlulela ngokulunga kwaba yisembatho sami lengwane yami.
15 I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
Ngangingamehlo kwabayiziphofu lezinyawo kwabaqhulayo.
16 I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
Nganginguyise kwabaswelayo; ngayimela indaba yesihambi.
17 I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
Ngawephula amazinyo ababi ngahluthuna labo ababebabambile ngamazinyo abo.
18 And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
Ngakhumbula ngathi, ‘Ngizafela endlini yami, insuku zami zinengi njengezinhlamvu zetshebetshebe.
19 My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
Impande zami zizafinyelela emanzini, amazolo azalala emagatsheni ubusuku bonke.
20 My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
Udumo lwami luzahlala lulutsha kimi, idandili lami lilitsha esandleni sami.’
21 Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
Abantu babengilalela belethemba, belindele ukwelulekwa bethule zwi.
22 To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
Nxa sekukhulume mina, kungakhulumi omunye njalo; amazwi ami ayengena kamnandi ezindlebeni zabo.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
Babengilindela njengokulindela izulu, bawanathe amazwi ami njengezulu lentwasa.
24 If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
Ngangisithi ngingababobothekela, bathabe bangakholwa; ukukhanya kobuso bami kwakuligugu kubo.
25 If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
Yimi engangibakhethela ukuthi benzeni ngoba ngisanduna kubo; ngangihlala njengenkosi phakathi kwamabutho ayo; ngangifana lomduduzi wabalilayo.”
