Job 29
1 And Job continued his parable and said,
UJobe waqhubeka ngenkulumo yakhe wathi:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
“Ngiyaziloyisa lezozinyanga esezadlulayo, lezinsuku uNkulunkulu esangilinda,
3 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;
lapho isibane sakhe sisakhanyisa phezu kwekhanda lami ngihamba ngokukhanya kwakhe emnyameni!
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,
Oh, lezinsuku ngisazizwa ukuthi ngiyimi, lapho ubudlelwano obukhulu loNkulunkulu busesendlini yami,
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;
lapho uSomandla eseselami labantwabami besaphila lami,
6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...
lapho indlela yami ifafazwe ngolaza ledwala lingithululela impophoma zamafutha e-oliva.
7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,
Ekuyeni kwami emasangweni edolobho ngafika ngahlala enkundleni,
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;
amajaha angibona agudluka ema eceleni, abadala baphakama bema ngezinyawo;
9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;
amadoda ayizikhulu athula akaze akhuluma avala imilomo yawo ngezandla zawo;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
amazwi ezikhulu ehliselwa phansi, inlimi zazo zanamathela olwangeni lwazo.
11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;
Loba ngubani owangizwayo wakhuluma kuhle ngami, kwathi labo abangibonayo bangibuka,
12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.
ngoba ngalamulela abayanga abacela uncedo, lezintandane ezazingelamsizi.
13 The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
Indoda eyayisifa yangibusisa; ngenza inhliziyo yomfelokazi yahlabelela.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.
Ngavunula ukulunga njengezigqoko zami; ukwahlulela ngokulunga kwaba yisembatho sami lengwane yami.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;
Ngangingamehlo kwabayiziphofu lezinyawo kwabaqhulayo.
16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;
Nganginguyise kwabaswelayo; ngayimela indaba yesihambi.
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Ngawephula amazinyo ababi ngahluthuna labo ababebabambile ngamazinyo abo.
18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;
Ngakhumbula ngathi, ‘Ngizafela endlini yami, insuku zami zinengi njengezinhlamvu zetshebetshebe.
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;
Impande zami zizafinyelela emanzini, amazolo azalala emagatsheni ubusuku bonke.
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
Udumo lwami luzahlala lulutsha kimi, idandili lami lilitsha esandleni sami.’
21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:
Abantu babengilalela belethemba, belindele ukwelulekwa bethule zwi.
22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;
Nxa sekukhulume mina, kungakhulumi omunye njalo; amazwi ami ayengena kamnandi ezindlebeni zabo.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
Babengilindela njengokulindela izulu, bawanathe amazwi ami njengezulu lentwasa.
24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.
Ngangisithi ngingababobothekela, bathabe bangakholwa; ukukhanya kobuso bami kwakuligugu kubo.
25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.
Yimi engangibakhethela ukuthi benzeni ngoba ngisanduna kubo; ngangihlala njengenkosi phakathi kwamabutho ayo; ngangifana lomduduzi wabalilayo.”
