Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
“Ngasenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami ukuthi angakhangeli intombi ayihawukele.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Siyini isabelo somuntu asabelwe nguNkulunkulu ophezulu na, ilifa lakhe elivela kuSomandla phezulu?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Akusikubhujiswa kwababi lokutshabalaliswa kwalabo abenza okubi na?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Kanti kaziboni yini izindlela zami abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
Nxa ngike ngahamba ngokwamanga loba unyawo lwami lwakhuthalela inkohliso
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
uNkulunkulu akangikale esikalini sakhe esiqotho ukuze abone ukuthi angilasici,
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
nxa izinyathelo zami zike zaphambuka endleleni, nxa inhliziyo yami ikhokhelwe ngamehlo ami, noma kumbe izandla zami zike zangcoliswa,
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
lapho-ke abanye kabazidlele lokho engikuhlanyeleyo, njalo amabele ami kawasitshunwe.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
Nxa inhliziyo yami ike yakhangwa ngowesifazane, kumbe nxa ngike ngacathama ngasemnyango kamakhelwane,
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
lapho-ke owami umfazi kacholele enye indoda, njalo amanye amadoda kawalale laye.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
Ngoba lokho bekuzakuba lihlazo, isono esifanele ukwahlulelwa.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Kungumlilo otshisayo onguMaqothula; ngabe kwasiphuna isivuno sami.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
Nxa ngingaphathanga kuhle izisebenzi zami, esesilisa lesesifazane nxa kukhona abakusolayo kimi,
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
ngizakuthini lapho uNkulunkulu esengibuza ngakho na? Ngizaphendula ngithini nxa sekumele ngichaze na?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Yena lowo owangenzayo esibelethweni kabenzanga labo na? Kasuye yini yena kanye owasenzayo sonke phakathi kwezisu zabomama na?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
Nxa ngilahlele eceleni izifiso zabayanga loba ngayekela amehlo omfelokazi edinwa yizinyembezi,
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
nxa ngizidlele ngedwa isinkwa sami, ngingasabelani lezintandane,
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
kodwa ebutsheni bami ngabondla njengaboyise, njalo kusukela ekuzalweni kwami ngamkhokhela umfelokazi,
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
nxa ngike ngabona umuntu esifa ngokuswela izigqoko, loba umuntu oswelayo engelasivunulo,
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
njalo inhliziyo yakhe ayingibusisanga ngokumfudumeza ngoboya bezimvu zami,
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
nxa ngike ngaphakamisa isandla sami phezu kwentandane, kodwa mina ngikwazi ukuthi bayangilalela emthethwandaba,
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
nxa kunjalo kayikhumuke ingalo yami kusukela ehlombe, kayephulwe endololwaneni.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
Ngoba ngesaba ukubhubhisa kukaNkulunkulu, kwathi ngokwesaba inkazimulo yakhe, ngayekela ukwenza izinto ezinjalo.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
Nxa ngifake ithemba lami phezu kwegolide, loba ngathi kulo igolide elicolekileyo, ‘Ulithemba lami,’
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
nxa bengithokoziswa yinotho yami enengi, lenzuzo evele ngezandla zami,
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
nxa ngilikhangele ilanga libenyezela loba inyanga ihamba ngenkazimulo,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
yaze yayengeka inhliziyo yami ngaphakathi nganga isandla sami ukuzikhonza,
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
lezi lazo yizono ebezifanele ukwahlulelwa, ngoba bengizabe ngingathembekanga kuNkulunkulu ophezulu.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
Nxa ngike ngathokoza ngomnyama owehlele isitha sami kumbe ngagqabhaza ngohlupho olumehleleyo,
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
kangivumelanga umlomo wami ukuba wenze isono ngokuqalekisa ukuphila kwakhe,
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
nxa abantu bendlu yami bengakaze bathi, ‘Ngubani ongazange azitike ngenyama kaJobe na?’
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
kodwa kakulasihambi esake salala emgwaqweni, ngoba umnyango wami wawuhlala uvulelwe izihambi
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
nxa ngisithukuzile isono sami njengokwenziwa ngabantu, ngokufihla umlandu wami enhliziyweni yami
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
ngoba ngisesaba abantu ngithuthunyeliswa yikweyiswa ngabosendo ngazithulela ngaze ngala lokuphumela phandle.
35 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
(Oh, kube ukhona ongizwayo! Sengisayina incwadi yokuzivikela kwami, uSomandla kangiphendule; ongimangalelayo kabhale phansi icala angethesa lona.
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Leyoncwadi ngingayithwala ehlombe lami, ngingayithwala ekhanda njengomqhele.
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
Bengingamchazela ngokugcweleyo ngazozonke izinyathelo zami; ngisondele kuye njengenkosana.)
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
Nxa ilizwe lakithi lingiphika lemifolo yalo imanzi ngezinyembezi,
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
nxa ngike ngadla izithelo zalo angaze ngabhadala loba ngephula imimoya yabanikazi,
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
nxa kunjalo kakumile ameva esikhundleni sengqoloyi, lokhula esikhundleni sebhali.” Aphela lapha amazwi kaJobe.
