Job 38
1 Then Yahweh spoke to Job from inside a great windstorm. He said to him,
INkosi yasimphendula uJobe isesivunguzaneni yathi:
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 lo ofiphaza iseluleko ngamazwi angelalwazi?
3 I want to ask you [some] questions, so, just like men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare to answer my questions.
Bopha-ke ukhalo lwakho njengendoda, njalo ngizakubuza, njalo ungenze ngazi.
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 ngimisa izisekelo zomhlaba? Tshono uba usazi ukuqedisisa.
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 owabeka izilinganiso zawo, uba ukwazi? Kumbe ngubani owelulela intambo yokulinganisa phezu kwawo?
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?]
Izisekelo zawo zamiswa phezu kwani? Kumbe ngubani owabeka ilitshe lawo lengonsi,
lapho inkanyezi zokusa zahlabela kanyekanye, lamadodana wonke kaNkulunkulu amemeza ngenjabulo?
8 “When the seas poured forth from inside the earth, who prevented the water from flooding over the land?
Kumbe ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngezivalo, lapho lufohla luphuma esiswini,
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 ngimisa iyezi laba yisembatho salo, lomnyama onzima waba yimbeleko yalo?
10 I set limits for the seas, and I put barriers [so that the water would not come over the land].
Njalo ngaluqumela isimiso, ngamisa imigoqo lezivalo,
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!’
ngathi: Uzafika kuze kube lapha, kodwa ungedluli, lalapha kuzamelana lokuzigqaja kwamagagasi akho.
12 “Job, have you [ever] commanded the morning [to begin]? Have you [ever] told the dawn to start a new day?
Kusukela ensukwini zakho walawula ukusa yini, wenza ukudabuka kokusa ukuthi kwazi 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?
ukuthi kubambe imiphetho yomhlaba, ukuze kuthintithe ababi kuwo?
14 When it becomes light after the dawn, the hills and the valleys become clear like the folds in a cloth.
Kuyaguquka njengebumba lophawu lokunamathisela, kuzimisa njengesembatho.
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.
Lakwababi ukukhanya kwabo kuyagodlwa, lengalo ephakemeyo 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?
Usungenile emithonjeni yolwandle yini, wahamba usiya le lale ekudingeni inziki?
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 wawembulelwa yini, wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa?
18 Do you know how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all these things!
Uqedisisile yini kuze kube sebubanzini bomhlaba? Tshono uba ukwazi konke.
19 “Where is the road to the place where light comes from? And [can you tell me] where darkness lives?
Ingaphi indlela lapho okuhlala khona ukukhanya? Lomnyama, ingaphi indawo yawo,
20 Can take me to its home? Do you know where the road is that goes there?
ukuze ukuse emngceleni wakho, lokuthi uqedisise izindlela zomuzi wakho?
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!
Uyazi, ngoba wawusuzelwe, lenani lensuku zakho likhulu.
22 “Have you entered the place where I store the snow and the place where I keep the hail?
Usungenile eziphaleni zeliqhwa elikhithikileyo yini, wabona iziphala zesiqhotho,
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].
engizigodle kuze kube yisikhathi sokuhlupheka, kuze kube lusuku lokulwa lolwempi?
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 lapho ukukhanya okwabiwa khona, umoya wempumalanga ohlakazeka khona emhlabeni?
25 Who created the channels in which the rain comes down from the sky? Who makes the roads for the thunder/lightning?
Ngubani owehlukanisela impophoma indlela yamanzi, lendlela yombane wemidumo,
26 Who causes rain to fall in the desert, in places where no one lives?
ukuthi line emhlabeni lapho okungelamuntu khona, enkangala 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 inkangala legwadule, lokuhlumisa ukuphuma kotshani?
28 Does the rain have a father? Does the dew [also] have a father?
Izulu liloyise yini, kumbe ngubani owazala amathonsi amazolo?
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?
Ungqwaqwane waphuma esiswini sikabani? Njalo ngubani owazala iliqhwa lamazulu?
30 [In the winter, ] the water [freezes and] becomes hard, like a rock, and the surface of lakes becomes frozen.
Amanzi afihlakele njengelitshe, lobuso bokujula bujiyile.
31 “[Job], can you fasten the chains that hold the stars together in clusters/groups in the sky?
Ungazibopha yini izibopho zesiLimela, kumbe uthukulule intambo 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?
Ungakhupha yini izinkanyezi ngesikhathi sazo? Ungakhokhela yini iBhere kanye labantwana balo?
33 Do you know the laws that the stars must obey? Can you cause those same laws to rule [everything here] on the earth?
Uyazazi yini izimiso zamazulu, kumbe ungamisa umbuso wazo emhlabeni?
34 “Can you shout to the clouds and cause rain to pour down on you?
Ungaphakamisela yini ilizwi lakho emayezini, ukuthi ubunengi bamanzi bukusibekele?
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?’
Ungathuma yini imibane ukuthi ihambe, ithi kuwe: Khangela, silapha?
36 Who enables the clouds to know when they should cause rain to fall?
Ngubani owabeka inhlakanipho emibilini? Kumbe ngubani onike ukuqedisisa engqondweni?
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 ongabala amayezi ngenhlakanipho? Njalo ngubani ongalalisa imbodlela zamazulu,
38 with the result that the dry ground becomes hard as the dry (clods/lumps of soil) [become wet and] stick together?
lapho uthuli luqina lube yizigaqa, lamagade anamathelane?
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?
Ungasizingelela yini isilwane ukudla, kumbe usuthise ukulamba kwezilwane ezintsha,
lapho zicathame emihomeni, zihlala esikhundleni ukuthi zicathame?
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 olungisela iwabayi ukudla kwalo, lapho amaphuphu alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu, ezulazula ngoba kungelakudla?
