UJobe 14
1 “Umuntu ozelwe ngumfazi ulensuku ezilutshwane njalo ezigcwele inhlupho.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 Uyaqhakaza njengeluba aphinde abune; njengesithunzi esithi tshazi, akemi.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Onjalo ungala ulokhu umkhangele na? Ungamisa phambi kwakho umthonisise na?
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Ngubani ongaveza okuhlambulukileyo kokungcolileyo na? Kakho!
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 Insuku zomuntu zimisiwe; uzibekile izinyanga zokuphila kwakhe wabeka lemikhawulo angeke ayeqe.
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Ngakho-ke myekele ungazihluphi ngaye, aze aqede lesosikhathi sakhe njengomuntu oqhatshiweyo.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 Kungaba lethemba ngesihlahla; singaganyulwa siyahluma njalo, amahlumela aso kawayikwehluleka ukukhula.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 Impande zaso zingaguga phansi emhlabathini lesiphunzi saso sife emhlabathini,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 kodwa singezwa amanzi siyahluma sikhuphe ingatsha njengesihlahla esitsha.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 Kodwa umuntu uyafa alaliswe phansi; uphefumula okokucina angabe esabakhona.
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 Njengamanzi esitsha olwandle lanjengomfula ucitsha amanzi wome qha,
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 ngokunjalo umuntu ulala phansi angabe esavuka; kuze kutshabalale amazulu abantu kabayikuvuka kumbe baphatshanyiswe ebuthongweni babo.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 Kube uyangifihla ethuneni ungithukuze ulaka lwakho luze ludlule! Kube ungibekela isikhathi ube usungikhumbula! (Sheol h7585)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 Umuntu angafa uphinde aphile na? Zonke insuku zokutshikatshika kwami ngizalindela isikhathi sokuyekelwa kwami.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Uzabiza lami ngizasabela; uzasifisa lesosidalwa esenziwa yizandla zakho.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 Ngeqiniso lapho uzabala izinyathelo zami kodwa kawuyikulandelela izono zami.
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 Iziphambeko zami zizananyekwa emgodleni; uzasigubuzela isono sami.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 Kodwa njengentaba ikhumuzeka ize ibhidlike, lanjengedwala ligudluka endaweni yalo,
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 njengamanzi awagubhayo amatshe lezikhukhula zikhukhula umhlabathi, kanjalo uyalibhidliza ithemba lomuntu.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Umehlula kanye angaphindi abekhona, adlule; uyabuguqula ubuso bakho umxotshe.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 Nxa amadodana akhe ezuza udumo, kawakwazi; nxa izizukulwane zakhe zisehliswa, kazikuboni.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 Bezwa kuphela ubuhlungu bemizimba yabo bazikhalele bona.”
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
