Job 34
1 Then Elihu continued:
Wasephendula uElihu wathi:
2 “You [three] men who [think that you] [SAR] are very wise, hear me; listen to what I am saying, you men who [say that you] know so much.
Zwanini amazwi ami, zihlakaniphi, lani zazi, libeke indlebe kimi.
3 When we [SYN] hear what other people [like you] say, we [RHQ] think carefully about what they say [to determine what is good and what is bad], like we [SYN] taste food [to determine what is good].
Ngoba indlebe ihlola amazwi, njengolwanga lunambitha ukudla.
4 We need to decide [who is saying] what is right and to determine among ourselves what is good/best.
Asizikhetheleni isahlulelo; sazi phakathi kwethu okuhle.
5 Job has said, ‘I am innocent, but God has refused to judge me fairly/justly.
Ngoba uJobe uthe: Ngilungile, kodwa uNkulunkulu ususe isahlulelo sami;
6 Even though I have always done what is right, he is lying about me. Even though I have not done what is wrong, he has caused me to suffer, and I will certainly die.’
ngiqamba amanga ngimelene lelungelo lami; umtshoko wami kawelapheki, ngaphandle kwesiphambeko.
7 (Is there any person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water?/There is no person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water.) [RHQ]
Nguwuphi umuntu onjengoJobe? Unatha ukuklolodelwa njengamanzi,
8 He habitually associates with people who do what is evil and spends time with wicked people.
ahambahambe exukwini labenzi bobubi, ahambe labantu benkohlakalo.
9 He has said, ‘It is useless for people to try to please God.’
Ngoba uthe: Kakumsizi umuntu nxa ethokoza ngoNkulunkulu.
10 “So, you men who [claim that you] understand everything, listen to me! Almighty God would never consider doing anything that is wicked or wrong [DOU]!
Ngakho, bantu bengqondo, ngilalelani: Kakube khatshana loNkulunkulu ukwenza inkohlakalo, loSomandla ukwenza isiphambeko.
11 He (pays back/punishes) people for what they have done; he gives them what they deserve for the way that they have conducted their lives.
Ngoba umsebenzi womuntu uzawubuyisela kuye, amenze athole njengendlela yalowo lalowo.
12 Truly, Almighty God never does what is wicked; he always [LIT] does what is fair/just.
Yebo, isibili uNkulunkulu kenzi okubi, njalo uSomandla kagobisi isehlulelo.
13 The authority that he has to rule everything on the earth, no one [RHQ] gave it to him; no one [RHQ] put him in control of the whole world. [He has always had that authority].
Ngubani owambeka phezu komhlaba? Kumbe ngubani owamisa umhlaba wonke?
14 If he would take his spirit back to himself,
Uba ebeka inhliziyo yakhe phezu kwakhe, uzabuthela umoya wakhe lomphefumulo wakhe kuye.
15 everyone would die [immediately], and their corpses would soon become dirt again.
Inyama yonke ibizaphela kanyekanye, lomuntu abuyele ethulini.
16 “So, [Job], if [you say that you] understand everything, listen to what I am saying.
Uba kulokuqedisisa-ke, zwana lokhu, ubeke indlebe elizwini lamazwi ami.
17 God could certainly not [RHQ] govern the world if he hated doing what is fair/just. So, will you condemn God, who is righteous and powerful, [saying that what he has done is wrong]?
Kambe, ozonda isehlulelo ubengabusa yini? Kambe uzamlahla yini olungileyo kakhulu?
18 He tells [some] kings that they are worthless, and he says to [some] officials that they are wicked.
Angatsho yini enkosini: Mkhohlisi; kuziphathamandla: Lina abangelaNkulunkulu?
19 He does not favor rulers [more than he favors others]; he does not favor rich people more than poor people, because he created all of them.
Kuye ongemukeli ubuso beziphathamandla, engananzi isinothi phambi komyanga? Ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
20 People [often] die suddenly; he strikes them at midnight and they die; he even gets rid of mighty people without the help of any humans [SYN].
Bayafa ngesikhatshana; laphakathi kobusuku abantu bayaqhuqhiswa, bedlule; kuzasuswa olamandla kungelasandla.
21 “He sees [MTY] everything that people do; [when we walk, ] he watches every step that we take.
Ngoba amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zomuntu, uyabona zonke izinyathelo zakhe.
22 There is no gloom or darkness [DOU] that is so dark that sinners can hide [from him] in that darkness.
Kakulamnyama njalo kakulathunzi lokufa lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
23 God does not [need to] set a time when we will stand in front of him in order that he may judge us. [He can judge us whenever he wants to].
Ngoba kabi lokhu enaka umuntu, ukuthi aye kuNkulunkulu esahlulelweni.
24 He destroys mighty people without [needing to] investigate [what they have done], and he appoints others to take their places.
Uyaphahlaza abalamandla kungahlolwanga, amise abanye endaweni zabo.
25 Because he [already] knows what they have done, he removes them at night and gets rid of them.
Ngakho uyayazi imisebenzi yabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku, bachotshozwe.
26 Where [many] people can see it, he strikes/punishes them because of the wicked things that they have done;
Uyabatshaya njengababi endaweni yababukelayo.
27 he strikes them because they turned away from doing what he wanted them to do and did not pay attention to any of his commands.
Ngenxa yokuthi bephambukile ekumlandeleni, bengananzanga leyodwa yezindlela zakhe,
28 They [mistreated] the poor people, with the result that those poor people cried out to God [for help], and he heard those afflicted people when they cried out [to him].
baze benza ukukhala komyanga kufike kuye, njalo wakuzwa ukukhala kwabahluphekayo.
29 But if God decides to do nothing [to punish wicked people], no one can criticize/condemn him. If a godless/wicked man rules a nation, a man who tricks/deceives the people,
Lapho yena ethulisa, ngubani-ke ongaziphatha ngenkohliso? Lapho efihla ubuso, ngubani-ke ongambona? Loba esizweni loba emuntwini eyedwa.
30 and if [God] hides his face [with the result that he does not see that ruler or punish him], no one will be able to prevent that ruler [from doing those things].
Ukuze abantu abangabazenzisi bangabusi, ukuze bangabi yimijibila ebantwini.
31 “Job, have you or anyone else ever said to God, ‘I have been punished [for my sins], and I will not sin any more;
Isibili uthe kuNkulunkulu: Ngithwele isijeziso, kangiyikona.
32 so teach/show me what [sins I have committed]; if I have done anything that is evil, I will not do it any more’?
Lokhu engingakuboniyo ngifundise wena; uba ngenze okubi kangisayikukwenza futhi.
33 [Job, ] you object to what God has done to you, but do you think that he will do what you want him to do? It is you who must choose [what you say to God], not I; so tell me what you are thinking about this.
Uzaphindisela yini njengokuthanda kwakho, loba uyala, loba wena ukhetha, njalo kungesimi? Wazini-ke? Khuluma.
34 “People who have good sense, those who are wise and who listen to what I say, will say to me,
Abantu abalokuqedisisa bazakhuluma kimi, lomuntu ohlakaniphileyo uzangizwa.
35 ‘Job is speaking ignorantly; what he says is nonsense.’
UJobe ukhulume engelalwazi, lamazwi akhe kawalanhlakanipho.
36 I think that Job should be taken to a court and (put on trial/judged), because he answers [us his friends] like wicked men would answer.
Kungathi ngabe uJobe uyahlolwa kuze kube sekupheleni, ngenxa yempendulo zakhe njengabantu ababi.
37 To add to the [other] sins that he has committed, he is rebelling [against God]; he shows us that he does not respect God [IDM], making long speeches [saying that God has punished him unjustly].”
Ngoba esonweni sakhe wengezelela ububi, etshaya izandla phakathi kwethu, esandisa amazwi akhe emelene loNkulunkulu.
