Job 9
1 Job replied,
UJobe wasephendula wathi:
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi kunjalo. Kodwa umuntu angalunga njani kuNkulunkulu?
3 If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
Uba efisa ukuphikisana laye, kayikumphendula okukodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane.
4 God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
Uhlakaniphile enhliziyweni, uqinile emandleni: Ngubani oziqinisileyo wamelana laye waphumelela?
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
Osusa izintaba njalo zingazi, ozigenqula entukuthelweni yakhe.
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
Onyikinya umhlaba awususe endaweni yawo, lensika zawo zizamazame.
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
Olaya ilanga ukuthi lingaphumi, avalele inkanyezi ngophawu.
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
Owendlala amazulu eyedwa, anyathele phezu kwezingqonga zolwandle.
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
Owenza iBhere, iziNja, lesiLimela, lamakamelo eningizimu.
10 He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
Owenza izinto ezinkulu ezingelakuhlolwa, lezimangalisayo ezingelakubalwa.
11 But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
Khangela, uyedlula phansi kwami ngingamboni, edlulele phambili ngingamuzwa.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Khangela, uyahluthuna, ngubani ongamnqanda? Ngubani ongathi kuye: Wenzani?
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
UNkulunkulu kayinqandi intukuthelo yakhe. Abasizi bakaRahabi bayakhothama phansi kwakhe.
14 So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
Pho-ke, mina ngingamphendula ngithini, ngikhethe amazwi ami okuqondana laye?
15 Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
Ebengingeke ngamphendula loba bengilungile; ngizacela isihawu kumahluleli wami.
16 Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
Uba bengibizile, wangiphendula, bengingayikukholwa ukuthi ubekile indlebe elizwini lami.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
Ngoba uyangihlifiza ngesiphepho, andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
18 He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
Kangivumeli ukukhokha umoya, kodwa engigcwalisa ngezinto ezibabayo.
19 If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
Uba kungamandla, khangela, ulamandla. Njalo uba kungesahlulelo, ngubani ozangibiza?
20 Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
Aluba ngilungile, umlomo wami uzangilahla; uba ngiphelele, uzakuthi ngonakele.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
Ngiphelele, angikhathaleli umphefumulo wami, ngidelela impilo yami.
22 That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
Kunye lokho, ngenxa yalokho ngithi: Uyabhubhisa olungileyo lomubi.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
Lapho isiswepu sibulala ngokujumayo, uzahleka ukudangala kwabangelacala.
24 The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
Umhlaba unikelwe esandleni somubi; wembesa ubuso babehluleli bawo. Uba kungenjalo, pho, ngubani?
25 The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
Njalo insuku zami zilejubane kulesigijimi; ziyabaleka, kaziboni okuhle.
26 They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
Ziyedlula njengezikepe zomhlanga, njengokhozi olutheleka empangweni.
27 If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
Uba ngisithi: Ngizakhohlwa ukusola kwami, ngitshiye ukunyukumala kwami, ngithokoze,
28 I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
ngiyesaba zonke insizi zami, ngiyazi ukuthi kawuyikungiphatha njengongelacala.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
Ngilecala mina, pho, ngizatshikatshikelelani ize?
30 Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
Uba ngizigezisa ngamanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngihlambulule izandla zami ngesepa,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
khona uzangiphosela emgodini, besengisenyanywa yizigqoko zami.
32 For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
Ngoba kasuye umuntu njengami ukuze ngimphendule, ukuze siye ndawonye kusahlulelo.
33 If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
Kakukho umqamuli phakathi kwethu ongabeka isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili.
34 I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
Kasuse uswazi lwakhe kimi, njalo uvalo ngaye lungangethusi.
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
Bengingakhuluma ngingamesabi, kodwa anginjalo ngokwami.
