< Job 3 >

1 At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
Emva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe, waqalekisa usuku lwakhe.
2 And Job spake and said:
UJobe wasephendula wathi:
3 Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
Kalubhubhe usuku engazalwa ngalo, lobusuku okwathiwa ngalo: Kukhulelwe umntwana wesilisa.
4 Let that day be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!
Lolosuku kalube ngumnyama, uNkulunkulu angalunanzi ephezulu, lokukhanya kungalukhanyisi.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
Umnyama lethunzi lokufa kakuluhlenge, iyezi lihlale phezu kwalo, umnyama welanga ulwesabise.
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months!
Lobobusuku, umnyama ububambe, lungathokozi ensukwini zomnyaka, lungezi kunani lezinyanga.
7 O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
Khangela, lobobusuku kabube yinyumba, umsindo wentokozo ungangeni kubo.
8 Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
Kababuqalekise abaqalekisi bosuku, abalungele ukuvusa uLeviyathani.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it long for light, and have none; Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning!
Zibe mnyama inkanyezi zokusa kwabo, bulindele ukukhanya, kodwa kungabi khona, bungaboni inkophe zokusa.
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
Ngoba bungavalanga iminyango yesisu sikamama wami, bungafihlanga usizi emehlweni ami.
11 Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
Kungani ngingafanga kusukela esizalweni, ngiphele ekuphumeni kwami esiswini?
12 Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
Kungani amadolo angandulela? Kungani lamabele ukuthi ngimunye?
13 For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
Ngoba khathesi ngabe ngacambalala ngathula, ngalala, khona ngaba lokuphumula,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
kanye lamakhosi labeluleki bomhlaba abazakhela amanxiwa,
15 Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
kumbe kanye leziphathamandla ezazilegolide ezagcwalisa izindlu zazo ngesiliva.
16 Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
Kumbe njengomphunzo ofihliweyo ngingabi khona, njengensane ezingabonanga ukukhanya.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
Lapho ababi bayekela ukuhlupha, lapho abakhathele ngamandla bephumula.
18 There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
Izibotshwa ziyaphumula ndawonye, kazizwa ilizwi lomcindezeli.
19 The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
Omncinyane lomkhulu balapho, lesigqili sikhululekile enkosini yaso.
20 Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
Kungani enika ukukhanya kohluphekayo, lempilo kwabalokubaba komphefumulo;
21 Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
abalindele ukufa, kodwa kungekho, bekugebha kulenotho efihliweyo,
22 Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
abathabayo kakhulu ngentokozo, bajabule lapho bethola ingcwaba?
23 Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
Emuntwini yini, ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu ambiyeleyo?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
Ngoba ukububula kwami kuza phambi kokudla kwami, lokubhonga kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
25 For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
Ngoba engikwesabayo ngokwesaba sekungehlele, lengilovalo ngakho kufikile kimi.
26 I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
Ngangingahlalisekanga, ngingaphumuli, ngingelakuthula, lohlupho lweza.

< Job 3 >