Job 3
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
Emva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe, waqalekisa usuku lwakhe.
2 He said,
UJobe wasephendula wathi:
3 “May the day on which I was born perish, the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.'
Kalubhubhe usuku engazalwa ngalo, lobusuku okwathiwa ngalo: Kukhulelwe umntwana wesilisa.
4 May that day be dark; may not God from above call it to mind, neither may the sun shine on it.
Lolosuku kalube ngumnyama, uNkulunkulu angalunanzi ephezulu, lokukhanya kungalukhanyisi.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. May a cloud live over it; may everything that makes the day black truly terrify it.
Umnyama lethunzi lokufa kakuluhlenge, iyezi lihlale phezu kwalo, umnyama welanga ulwesabise.
6 As for that night, may thick darkness seize it. May it not rejoice among the days of the year; may it not come into the number of the months.
Lobobusuku, umnyama ububambe, lungathokozi ensukwini zomnyaka, lungezi kunani lezinyanga.
7 See, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
Khangela, lobobusuku kabube yinyumba, umsindo wentokozo ungangeni kubo.
8 May they curse that day, those who know how to wake up Leviathan.
Kababuqalekise abaqalekisi bosuku, abalungele ukuvusa uLeviyathani.
9 May the stars of that day's dawn be dark. May that day look for light, but find none; neither may it see the eyelids of the dawn,
Zibe mnyama inkanyezi zokusa kwabo, bulindele ukukhanya, kodwa kungabi khona, bungaboni inkophe zokusa.
10 because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, and because it did not hide trouble from my eyes.
Ngoba bungavalanga iminyango yesisu sikamama wami, bungafihlanga usizi emehlweni ami.
11 Why did I not die when I came out from the womb? Why did I not give up my spirit when my mother bore me?
Kungani ngingafanga kusukela esizalweni, ngiphele ekuphumeni kwami esiswini?
12 Why did her knees welcome me? Why did her breasts receive me so that I should suck?
Kungani amadolo angandulela? Kungani lamabele ukuthi ngimunye?
13 For now I would have been lying down quietly. I would have slept and been at rest
Ngoba khathesi ngabe ngacambalala ngathula, ngalala, khona ngaba lokuphumula,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up tombs for themselves that are now in ruins.
kanye lamakhosi labeluleki bomhlaba abazakhela amanxiwa,
15 Or I would have been lying with princes who once had gold, who had filled their houses with silver.
kumbe kanye leziphathamandla ezazilegolide ezagcwalisa izindlu zazo ngesiliva.
16 Or perhaps I would have been stillborn, like infants that never see the light.
Kumbe njengomphunzo ofihliweyo ngingabi khona, njengensane ezingabonanga ukukhanya.
17 There the wicked cease from trouble; there the weary are at rest.
Lapho ababi bayekela ukuhlupha, lapho abakhathele ngamandla bephumula.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the slave driver.
Izibotshwa ziyaphumula ndawonye, kazizwa ilizwi lomcindezeli.
19 Both small and great people are there; the servant is free from his master there.
Omncinyane lomkhulu balapho, lesigqili sikhululekile enkosini yaso.
20 Why is light given to him who is in misery? Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul,
Kungani enika ukukhanya kohluphekayo, lempilo kwabalokubaba komphefumulo;
21 to one who longs for death without it coming; to one who digs for death more than for hidden treasure?
abalindele ukufa, kodwa kungekho, bekugebha kulenotho efihliweyo,
22 Why is light given to one who rejoices very much and is glad when he finds the grave?
abathabayo kakhulu ngentokozo, bajabule lapho bethola ingcwaba?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, a man whom God has hedged in?
Emuntwini yini, ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu ambiyeleyo?
24 For my sighing happens instead of eating; my groaning is poured out like water.
Ngoba ukububula kwami kuza phambi kokudla kwami, lokubhonga kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
25 For the thing that I feared has come on me; what I was afraid of has come to me.
Ngoba engikwesabayo ngokwesaba sekungehlele, lengilovalo ngakho kufikile kimi.
26 I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I have no rest; trouble comes instead.”
Ngangingahlalisekanga, ngingaphumuli, ngingelakuthula, lohlupho lweza.
