Job 31
1 “I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?
Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
2 And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
4 Does He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,
Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
6 He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows my integrity.
kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
7 If my step turns aside from the way, And my heart has gone after my eyes, And blemish has cleaved 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 my products be rooted out.
kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor,
Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
10 Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.
umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
11 For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
12 For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,
Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
13 If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
14 Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?
pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
15 Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb.
Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
16 If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,
Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
17 And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,
kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led),
(ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
19 If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,
uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He does not warm himself,
uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
21 If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,
uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
22 Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.
kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
23 For calamity [from] God [is] a dread to me, And because of His excellence I am not able.
Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, My trust;
Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
25 If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,
Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
26 If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,
uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,
lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
28 It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.
lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
30 Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
31 If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.
uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
32 A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.
Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,
Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families frightens me, Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening.
Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
35 Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, And my adversary has written a bill.
Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
36 If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.
Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
37 The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
38 If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,
Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
39 If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.
kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
