UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before God.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
What knowest thou that we know not? [what] understandest thou which is not in us?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
Are the consolations of God too small for thee? and the word gently spoken to thee?
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na, lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
What is man, that he should be pure? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight:
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
I will shew thee, listen to me; and what I have seen I will declare;
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden;
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.
23 Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe; uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
He wandereth abroad for bread, — where may it be? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for the battle.
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:
26 aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
He runneth against him, with [outstretched] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon [his] flanks.
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined to become heaps.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
He shall not become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon the earth.
30 Kayikuphepha emnyameni; ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches; and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
He shall shake off his unripe grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
For the family of the ungodly shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
