Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
UNkulunkulu kakho yini engqongeni yamazulu? Bona-ke ingqonga yezinkanyezi, ukuthi ziphakeme kangakanani.
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
Abahluthunwa kungakabi yisikhathi; uzamcolo wathululwa phezu kwesisekelo sabo.
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
Abathi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi. LoSomandla wayenzeni kubo?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Kanti yena wayegcwalise izindlu zabo ngokuhle; kodwa icebo labakhohlakeleyo likhatshana lami.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
Abalungileyo bayakubona bathokoze, lomsulwa ubahleka usulu.
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
Uba ubuyela kuSomandla, uzakwakhiwa, ususe okubi khatshana lamathente akho.
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, 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, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
