Job 31
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?
Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
2 For what would have been [my] portion of God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?
Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
4 Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?
Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot hath hasted to deceit,
Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
6 (Let me be weighed in an even balance, and God will take knowledge of my blamelessness; )
kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
7 If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;
Uba inyathelo lami liphambukile endleleni, lenhliziyo yami yalandela amehlo ami, kumbe kunamathele isici ezandleni zami;
8 Let me sow, and another eat; and let mine offspring be rooted out.
kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
9 If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, so that I laid wait at my neighbour's door,
Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
10 Let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.
umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
11 For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:
Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
13 If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,
Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
14 What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should I answer him?
pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not One fashion us in the womb?
Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
16 If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, so that the fatherless ate not thereof,
kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
18 (For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided the [widow] from my mother's womb; )
(ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
19 If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering;
uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;
uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against an orphan, because I saw my help in the gate:
uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
22 [Then] let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone!
kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
23 For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I was powerless.
Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!
Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
26 If I beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,
uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
27 And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:
lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
28 This also would be an iniquity for the judge, for I should have denied the God who is above.
lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;
Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
30 (Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )
njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
31 If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat? —
uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
32 The stranger did not lodge without; I opened my doors to the pathway.
Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
34 Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door, ...
Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
35 Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation!
Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
36 Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me [as] a crown;
Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I come near to him.
Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
38 If my land cry out against me, and its furrows weep together;
Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have tormented to death the souls of its owners:
uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and tares instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
