Job 8
1 Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
UBhilidadi umShuhi wasephendula wathi:
2 “Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
“Koze kube nini ukhuluma izinto ezinjalo? Amazwi akho angumoya ophenquzayo.
3 Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
Kambe uNkulunkulu uyakuhlanekela ukulunga na? Kambe uSomandla uyakuhlanekela okuhle na?
4 So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
Lapho abantwabakho besona kuye, wabapha isijeziso sokona kwabo.
5 But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
Kanti nxa wena uzakhangela kuNkulunkulu uncenge kuSomandla,
6 and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
nxa umsulwa ulungile, lamanje nje uzaphakama akusize akubuyisele esimeni sakho.
7 And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
Lapho owaqalisa khona kuzakhanya sekukuncinyane, ngoba ngezinsuku ezizayo uzabe usuphumelela kakhulu.
8 “I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
Buza izizukulwane ezingaphambili udinge ukuthi okhokho babo bafundani,
9 [It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
ngoba thina sizelwe izolo nje, kasazi lutho, lezinsuku zethu emhlabeni zilithunzi kuphela.
10 So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
Kambe kaziyikukulaya zikutshele na? Kaziyikuletha amazwi okuzwisisa na?
11 Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
Konje imihlanga ingakhula ibe mide ingekho exhaphozini na? Imizi ingaphila kungelamanzi na?
12 [If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
Nxa leyonqodi isakhula ingakaqunywa imane ibune masinyane kulotshani.
13 Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
Sinjalo isiphetho sabo bonke abakhohlwa uNkulunkulu; litshabalala kanjalo ithemba lalowo ongakholwayo.
14 The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
Lokho akuthembayo kufohlozeka lula; lokho eyeme kukho yibulembu besayobe.
15 If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
Uyeyama kulobubulembu bakhe, kodwa bubhidlike; uyabambelela kubo, kodwa bukhithike.
16 Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
Unjengesihlahla esithelelwa kakhulu sikhula elangeni, esisabalalisa ingatsha zaso esivandeni;
17 The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
sinxibanise impande zaso enqunjini yamatshe, sizama ukuzuza ukugxila kuhle ematsheni.
18 But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
Kodwa singasitshulwa kuleyondawo, leyondawo isisilandula ithi, ‘Angikaze ngikubone.’
19 Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
Ngeqiniso impilo yaso iyabuna, ezinye izihlahla zibe zilokhu zikhula emhlabathini lowo.
20 :So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
Ngeqiniso uNkulunkulu kamlahli umuntu ongelasici futhi kaqinisi izandla zezigangi.
21 He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
Usazogcwalisa umlomo wakho ngohleko lezindebe zakho ngokumemeza ngentokozo.
22 But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
Izitha zakho zizakwembathiswa ngehlazo, lamathente ababi azatshabalala.”
