Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
U-Elifazi umThemani wasephendula wathi:
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
“Umuntu angasiza uNkulunkulu na? Lesihlakaniphi uqobo kambe singamsiza na?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Bekungamupha ntokozo bani uSomandla ukulunga kwakho na? Ubengazuzani ngabe kuthiwa kawulasici na?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Yikumesaba kwakho yini akukhuzela khona lakwethesela khona amacala na?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Kabubukhulu ububi bakho na? Lezono zakho angithi kazipheli na?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
Wawubiza isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho; uhlubula abantu izigqoko zabo basale beze.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Abakhatheleyo wawubancitsha amanzi, abalambileyo ungabaphi ukudla,
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
lanxa wena wawuyindoda elamandla, ulepulazi, indoda ehlonitshwayo, uphila kulo.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Abafelokazi wabaxotsha ungabaphanga lutho izintandane waziqeda amandla.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Kungenxa yalokho usuhanqwe yimijibila, usuhlukuluzwa luhlupho masinyane,
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
yikho kumnyama kangaka ungasaboni, njalo yikho ususibekelwa zimpophoma zamanzi.
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
UNkulunkulu kakho esiqongweni samazulu na? Ake ubone phela ukuthi ziphakeme njani izinkanyezi ezisesiqongweni!
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
Kodwa wena uthi, ‘UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela phakathi komnyama onje?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
Usithwe ngamayezi amakhulu, ngakho kasiboni nxa ehambahamba ezulwini eliphezulu.’
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Wena-ke uzakwalela endleleni endala na eseyahanjwa ngababi?
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
Bedluliswa singakafiki isikhathi sabo, izisekelo zabo zakhukhulwa nguzamcolo.
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
Bathi kuNkulunkulu, ‘Tshiyana lathi! USomandla angasenzani na?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Ikanti kunguye owagcwalisa izindlu zabo ngezinto ezinhle, ngakho kangingeni ezelulekweni zababi.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
Abalungileyo bayakubona lokho bathokoze; abangelacala bayabahleka bathi,
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
‘Ngempela izitha zethu zichithiwe, lokuseleyo kwenotho yazo sekubhuqwe ngumlilo.’
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Zehlise kuNkulunkulu ukuze uwelelane laye; ngaleyondlela ukuphumelela kuzakuza kuwe.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Yamukela iziqondiso eziphuma emlonyeni wakhe, amazwi akhe uwabeke enhliziyweni yakho.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
Nxa ubuyela kuSomandla, uzavuselelwa; nxa ususa ububi bube kude lethente lakho
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
lomthuso wakho uwulahlele othulini, igolide lakho lase-Ofiri ulilahlele emadwaleni ezifuleni,
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
lapho-ke uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva esikhethekileyo kuwe.
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
Ngempela uzazuza ukuthokoza kuSomandla uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Uzakhuleka kuye, yena akuzwe, njalo uzagcwalisa izifungo zakho.
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
Lokho okumisileyo kuzakwenziwa, lokukhanya kuzazikhanyisa izindlela zakho.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
Nxa abantu besehliswa ubususithi, ‘Baphakamiseni!’ lapho-ke uzabasiza abahlulukelweyo.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
Uzabasiza lalabo abonayo, abazakhululwa ngenxa yokubamsulwa kwakho.”
