< Job 15 >

1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
2 Should a wise man make answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, and impairest devotion before God.
Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
8 Dost thou hearken in the council of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?
Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than thy father.
Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, and the word that dealeth gently with thee?
Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes wink?
Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth.
ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
15 Behold, He putteth no trust in His holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight.
Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
16 How much less one that is abominable and impure, man who drinketh iniquity like water!
Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
17 I will tell thee, hear thou me; and that which I have seen I will declare —
Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it;
lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
19 Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.
okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread: 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
24 Distress and anguish overwhelm him; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers.
Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, and made collops of fat on his loins;
Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man would inhabit, which were ready to become heaps.
Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to the earth.
Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of His mouth shall he go away.
Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity shall be his recompense.
Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be leafy.
Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
34 For the company of the godless shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.

< Job 15 >