Job 29
1 And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
UJobe waqhubeka ngenkulumo yakhe wathi:
2 “Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
“Ngiyaziloyisa lezozinyanga esezadlulayo, lezinsuku uNkulunkulu esangilinda,
3 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
lapho isibane sakhe sisakhanyisa phezu kwekhanda lami ngihamba ngokukhanya kwakhe emnyameni!
4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
Oh, lezinsuku ngisazizwa ukuthi ngiyimi, lapho ubudlelwano obukhulu loNkulunkulu busesendlini yami,
5 When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
lapho uSomandla eseselami labantwabami besaphila lami,
6 When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
lapho indlela yami ifafazwe ngolaza ledwala lingithululela impophoma zamafutha e-oliva.
7 When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
Ekuyeni kwami emasangweni edolobho ngafika ngahlala enkundleni,
8 Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
amajaha angibona agudluka ema eceleni, abadala baphakama bema ngezinyawo;
9 Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
amadoda ayizikhulu athula akaze akhuluma avala imilomo yawo ngezandla zawo;
10 The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
amazwi ezikhulu ehliselwa phansi, inlimi zazo zanamathela olwangeni lwazo.
11 For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
Loba ngubani owangizwayo wakhuluma kuhle ngami, kwathi labo abangibonayo bangibuka,
12 For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
ngoba ngalamulela abayanga abacela uncedo, lezintandane ezazingelamsizi.
13 The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
Indoda eyayisifa yangibusisa; ngenza inhliziyo yomfelokazi yahlabelela.
14 I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
Ngavunula ukulunga njengezigqoko zami; ukwahlulela ngokulunga kwaba yisembatho sami lengwane yami.
15 I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
Ngangingamehlo kwabayiziphofu lezinyawo kwabaqhulayo.
16 I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
Nganginguyise kwabaswelayo; ngayimela indaba yesihambi.
17 And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
Ngawephula amazinyo ababi ngahluthuna labo ababebabambile ngamazinyo abo.
18 And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
Ngakhumbula ngathi, ‘Ngizafela endlini yami, insuku zami zinengi njengezinhlamvu zetshebetshebe.
19 My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
Impande zami zizafinyelela emanzini, amazolo azalala emagatsheni ubusuku bonke.
20 My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
Udumo lwami luzahlala lulutsha kimi, idandili lami lilitsha esandleni sami.’
21 They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
Abantu babengilalela belethemba, belindele ukwelulekwa bethule zwi.
22 After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
Nxa sekukhulume mina, kungakhulumi omunye njalo; amazwi ami ayengena kamnandi ezindlebeni zabo.
23 And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
Babengilindela njengokulindela izulu, bawanathe amazwi ami njengezulu lentwasa.
24 I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
Ngangisithi ngingababobothekela, bathabe bangakholwa; ukukhanya kobuso bami kwakuligugu kubo.
25 I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
Yimi engangibakhethela ukuthi benzeni ngoba ngisanduna kubo; ngangihlala njengenkosi phakathi kwamabutho ayo; ngangifana lomduduzi wabalilayo.”
