Job 38
1 Then Yahweh spoke to Job from inside a great windstorm. He said to him,
UThixo wasekhuluma loJobe ephakathi kwesiphepho. Wathi:
2 “(Who are you to question what I plan to do?/You have no right/authority to question what I plan to do.) [RHQ] You are speaking ignorantly!
“Ngubani na lowo odunga amacebo ami ngamazwi okungazi?
3 I want to ask you [some] questions, so, just like men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare to answer my questions.
Qina njengendoda; ngizakubuza, lawe uzangiphendula.
4 (“Where were you/Were you there with me) [long ago] when I (laid the foundations of/created) the earth? Since you know so much, tell me [where you were at that time].
Wawungaphi lapho ngibeka izisekelo zomhlaba na? Ngitshela nxa uqedisisa.
5 Do you know how I decided how large the earth would be? Do you know who stretched a measuring tape around the earth? Surely [since you think that you know so much, ] you should know that!
Ngubani owamisa izilinganiso zawo na? Phela angithi uyazi! Ngubani owayidonsayo intambo yokulinganisa kuwo na?
6 What supports the pillars on which the earth rests? When the stars [that shine early] in the morning sang together, and someone put in place the stone that causes the earth to stay in its place, and all the angels shouted joyfully [when they saw that happening], who laid that cornerstone? [Did you?]
Izinsika zawo zamiswa phezu kwani na, loba ngubani owamisa ilitshe lawo lekhoneni na
lapho izinkanyezi zokusa zazihlabelela kanyekanye lezingilosi zonke zamemeza ngentokozo?
8 “When the seas poured forth from inside the earth, who prevented the water from flooding over the land?
Ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngemva kwezivalo lapho selufohla esiswini na,
9 It was I, [not you, ] who caused clouds to come over the seas and caused it to become very dark [under those clouds].
lapho ngisenza amayezi aba yisembatho salo na ngalugoqela ngomnyama omkhulu,
10 I set limits for the seas, and I put barriers [so that the water would not come over the land].
lapho ngalubekela imikhawulo ngamisa iminyango yalo lemigoqo endaweni yayo,
11 [I pointed to the shore] and said to the water, ‘I permit you to come up to here, but I do not permit you to come any farther. Your powerful waves must stop there!’
lapho engathi, ‘Ungeza uze ufike lapha kodwa ungedluli; kulapha amagagasi akho azigqajayo aphelela khona?’
12 “Job, have you [ever] commanded the morning [to begin]? Have you [ever] told the dawn to start a new day?
Sewake wabekela ikuseni umthetho na, loba watshengisa ukusa indawo yakho
13 Have you [ever] told the dawn to spread out over the whole earth, with the result that wicked people run away from the light?
ukuba kuphakamise umhlaba ngemiphetho kuthintithe ababi abakuwo?
14 When it becomes light after the dawn, the hills and the valleys become clear like the folds in a cloth.
Umhlaba ubumbeka isimo njengebumba ufakwe uphawu; imibala yawo ikhanye ithi bha njengelembu.
15 When it becomes daylight, the wicked do not have the darkness [that they like]; [in the daylight] they no longer are able to raise up their arms, ready to hurt people.
Ababi bayacitshelwa ukukhanya, lengalo yabo ephakanyisiweyo iyephulwa.
16 “[Job, ] have you traveled to the springs [in the bottom of the ocean] from which the water in the seas comes? Have you investigated/explored the very bottom of the oceans?
Sewake wahamba emithonjeni yolwandle na loba wahamba ezingoxweni zenziki yalo na?
17 Has someone shown you the gates to the place where dead people are, the gates to the place where it is very dark?
Amasango okufa aseke abonakaliswa kuwe na? Usuke wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa na?
18 Do you know how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all these things!
Ubuqedisisile na ubukhulu bobubanzi bomhlaba? Ngitshela nxa ukwazi konke lokhu.
19 “Where is the road to the place where light comes from? And [can you tell me] where darkness lives?
Yiphi indlela eya ekhaya elihlala ukukhanya na? Ubumnyama bona buhlala ngaphi?
20 Can take me to its home? Do you know where the road is that goes there?
Ungakusa ezindaweni zakho na? Uyazazi izindlela eziya emizini yazo na?
21 I am sure that you know these things, because you [talk as though you] were born before the time when all things were created; you [must] be very old!
Ye uyakwazi, ngoba wawuvele usuzelwe! Usuphile iminyaka yonke le!
22 “Have you entered the place where I store the snow and the place where I keep the hail?
Sewake wangena eziphaleni zikangqwaqwane loba wabona iziphala zesiqhotho na,
23 I store the snow and the hail [in order that I can use them to help my people] when [they have] troubles, in times when [they are fighting] wars [DOU].
engizilindisele izikhathi zohlupho, insuku zempi lokuhlasela na?
24 And where is the road to the place from which I cause the lightning to flash? Where is the place from where the east wind begins to blow over all the earth?
Ingaphi indlela eya esigodlweni sokwaba umbane, loba indawo yokuhlakaza umoya wempumalanga phezu komhlaba na?
25 Who created the channels in which the rain comes down from the sky? Who makes the roads for the thunder/lightning?
Ngubani ogubhe intshukuntshu yezihlambo zezulu, lendlela yomdumo wesiphepho;
26 Who causes rain to fall in the desert, in places where no one lives?
ukuthelezela ilizwe elingahlali muntu, inkangala okungelamuntu kuyo,
27 Who sends the rain that gives moisture/water to areas where nothing has grown, with the result that grass begins to grow again?
ukusuthisa ilizwe elilugwadule kulenze lihlume utshani na?
28 Does the rain have a father? Does the dew [also] have a father?
Izulu elinayo liloyise na? Ngubani onguyise wamathonsi amazolo na?
29 And from whose womb does ice come [in the (winter/cold season)]? Who gives birth to the frost that comes down from the sky?
Ngesikabani isisu esizala iliqhwa na? Ngubani ozala umtshazo ovela phezulu na
30 [In the winter, ] the water [freezes and] becomes hard, like a rock, and the surface of lakes becomes frozen.
lapho amanzi abalukhuni njengelitshe, lapho iphezulu yolwandle ijiyile?
31 “[Job], can you fasten the chains that hold the stars together in clusters/groups in the sky?
Ungasibopha na isiLimela lesi esihle? Ungazithukulula yini izintambo zeziNja?
32 Can you tell the stars when they should shine? Can you guide [the stars in the groups in the northern sky whose names are] the Big Bear and the Little Bear?
Ungawuletha na uMthala ngesikhathi sawo loba ukhuphe inkanyezi ethiwa yiNgulube lemidlwane yayo?
33 Do you know the laws that the stars must obey? Can you cause those same laws to rule [everything here] on the earth?
Uyayazi imithetho yasezulwini na? Ungawakha yini umbuso kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni?
34 “Can you shout to the clouds and cause rain to pour down on you?
Ungawamemeza yini amayezi uthi akunethise ngesihlambo samanzi?
35 Can you cause flashes of lightning to come down and strike where you want it to strike? Do those flashes say to you, ‘Where do you want us to strike next?’
Uyakuthuma yini ukuphazima kombane? Uyabika kuwe yini uthi, ‘Ngilapha’?
36 Who enables the clouds to know when they should cause rain to fall?
Ngubani owapha inhliziyo ukuhlakanipha kumbe owapha ingqondo ukuzwisisa na?
37 And who is skilled/wise enough to be able to count the clouds? Who can tilt the jugs of water in the sky [to cause the rain to fall],
Ngubani ololwazi lokubala amayezi na? Ngubani ongagenqula amaqhaga asezulwini na
38 with the result that the dry ground becomes hard as the dry (clods/lumps of soil) [become wet and] stick together?
nxa uthuli seluqina lamagade omhlabathi esebumbene?
39 “When a lioness and her cubs crouch in their dens or hide in a thicket, [waiting for some animal to pass by that they can kill, ] can you find animals for a lioness to kill so that [she and] her cubs can [eat the meat and] not be hungry any more?
Uyasizingelela na isilwanekazi ukudla kwaso, uyiqede indlala yezilwane
lapho zilele ezikhundleni zazo kumbe zicwathile ezixukwini?
41 Who provides dead animals for crows, when the baby crows are calling out to me [for food], [when they are so weak] because of their lack of food [that] they (stagger around/can hardly stand up) [in their nests]?”
Ngubani opha iwabayi ukudla lapho amatsiyane alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu ezulazula ehayila ngendlala na?”
