Job 15
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
2 Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?
Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
4 Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
5 For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
6 Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
7 The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
8 Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
9 What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?
Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.
Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
11 Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
12 What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
13 For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
14 What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
15 Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
16 Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
17 I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:
Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
18 Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.
lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
20 'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
21 A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
22 He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
23 He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
24 Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
25 For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
26 He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
27 For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
28 And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
29 He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
30 He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
31 Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
32 Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
33 He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
34 For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
35 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
