< Job 34 >
1 Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
U-Elihu waqhubeka esithi:
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
“Zwanini amazwi ami, lina madoda ahlakaniphileyo; lalelani kimi, lina madoda ayizifundiswa.
3 For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
Phela indlebe iyawahlola amazwi njengolimi lunambitha ukudla.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
Asizihluzeleni thina okulungileyo; kasifundeni ndawonye okuhle.
5 For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
UJobe uthi, ‘Kangilacala, kodwa uNkulunkulu kangahluleli ngokulunga.
6 Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
Loba mina ngiqondile, kuthiwa ngilamanga; loba ngingelacala, umtshoko wakhe ungihlaba isilonda esingelaphekiyo.’
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
UJobe kanti ungumuntu bani, onatha ukuklolodela njengamanzi?
8 who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
Uzwanana labantu abenza ububi; uhambisana labantu ababi.
9 For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
Ngoba uthi, ‘Umuntu kakumsizi ngalutho ukuzama ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.’
10 So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
Ngakho lalelani kimi lina madoda azwisisayo. Kakube khatshana laye uNkulunkulu ukwenza ububi, khatshana kukaSomandla ukona.
11 For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
Uyamphindisela umuntu ngalokho akwenzileyo; umehlisela lokho okufanele ukuziphatha kwakhe.
12 Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
Kakungeni engqondweni ukuthi uNkulunkulu angenza ububi, ukuthi uSomandla angakutshila ukwahlulela ngokulunga.
13 Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
Ngubani owambekayo phezu komhlaba na? Ngubani owathi kalawule umhlaba wonke na?
14 If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
Aluba wayengathanda asuse umoya wakhe lokuphefumula,
15 then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
bonke abantu babengatshabalala kanyekanye, umuntu wayezabuyela othulini.
16 If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
Nxa lilokuzwisisa, zwanini lokhu; lalelani lokhu engikutshoyo.
17 Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
Kambe lowo ozonda ukwahlulela ngokulunga angabusa na? Liyamlahla yini Yena oqotho njalo olamandla?
18 God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
Kayisuye yini othi emakhosini, ‘Kalisizi lutho,’ athi kwabayizikhulu, ‘Libabi,’
19 God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
ongatshengisi ukwazisa amakhosana kulabanye loba athande abanothileyo kulabayanga, ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe?
20 In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
Bayafa nje masinyane, loba phakathi kobusuku; abantu bayanyikinywa bedlule; abalamandla bayasuswa kungelasandla somuntu.
21 For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
Amehlo akhe aphezu kwezindlela zabantu; ubona zonke izinyathelo zabo.
22 There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Akulandawo emnyama loba ithunzi elisithileyo, lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
23 For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
UNkulunkulu kasweli ukuthi aphinde abahlolisise abantu, ukuze abalethe ekwahlulelweni phambi kwakhe.
24 He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
Engaqalanga wahlola uyabaphahlaza abalamandla abeke abanye endaweni yabo.
25 In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
Ngoba ezinanzelela izenzo zabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku bahlifizeke.
26 In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
Uyabajezisa ngenxa yobubi babo kube segcekeni emuntwini wonke,
27 because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
ngoba baphambuka ekumlandeleni abaze banaka layiphi indlela yakhe.
28 In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
Benza ukukhala kwabayanga kweza phambi kwakhe, laye wakuzwa ukukhala kwabasweleyo.
29 When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
Kodwa nxa elokhu ezithulele, ngubani ongamsola na? Angafihla ubuso bakhe ngubani ongambona na? Kanti uphezu komuntu lesizwe ngokufanayo,
30 so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
ukwalela ongamesabiyo uNkulunkulu ukuthi abuse, ukuze angafakeli abantu izifu.
31 Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
Akesithi umuntu athi kuNkulunkulu, ‘Ngilecala kodwa kangisayikona njalo.
32 teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
Ngifundisa lokho engingakuboniyo; nxa ngenze okubi, kangisayikuphinda ngikwenze.’
33 Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
Pho uNkulunkulu akuvuze ngokwentando yakho na, wena usala ukuphenduka? Kumele ukhethe wena, hatshi mina; ngakho ngitshela lokho okwaziyo.
34 Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
Amadoda alokuqedisisa azakutsho, amadoda ahlakaniphileyo abangizwayo ngisithi kini,
35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
‘UJobe ukhuluma engelalwazi; amazwi akhe kawalambono.’
36 If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
Oh, uJobe angasake alingwe ngokweqileyo ngoba uphendule njengomuntu omubi!
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
Phezu kwesono sakhe wengeza ukuhlamuka; uyakloloda ngokuqakeza izandla zakhe phakathi kwethu andise amazwi akhe aphikisa uNkulunkulu.”