Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
2 “Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
“Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
7 “Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
9 What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
10 With us are both the grey-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle towards you?
Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
13 that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na, lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
17 “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
18 (which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed amongst them):
(abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
22 He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe; uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
29 He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
30 He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
Kayikuphepha emnyameni; ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
32 It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
